FOOD Coast Donegal has launched a new website and interactive map, bringing together producers, experiences, and the wider Donegal food story in a single platform accessible to consumers, visitors and trade audiences worldwide.
The new platform was unveiled last week at a launch event in Castlegrove House, Letterkenny. The event brought together producers, chefs and hospitality businesses from across Donegal to mark the occasion and take part in a live conversation about the direction of the county’s food and drink sector.
The new website consolidates information on Donegal food producers, food tourism experiences, and the county’s broader food narrative. Food Coast Donegal was first established in 2012 by Local Enterprise Office Donegal as a regional branding project, giving the county’s food and drink sector a single, coherent identity.
Since then, it has evolved significantly, transitioning from a LEO-led initiative into a member-driven network, shaped and directed by the producers, food businesses and hospitality operators it represents. That shift in ownership reflects the growing ambition of Donegal’s food and drink sector, and the new website marks the next step in that journey.
Speaking at the launch, MC and host, Chef Brian McDermott said: “Donegal has always had the best raw material: the coastline, the land, the farmers, the fishermen. What’s been missing is a single voice that connects it all and tells that story outward. Food Coast Donegal is that voice. The food identity of this county is genuinely distinctive. You can’t replicate the Atlantic, the bogland, the way things are grown and caught here. That’s not marketing; that’s geography and craft. Food Coast Donegal exists to make sure the world knows it.”
Adding to this, Food Coast Donegal member, Seamus McDaid of McDaid’s Football Special said: “Food Coast Donegal gives members like us a platform we couldn’t build alone. What’s being produced in this county is exceptional; and now we have a single place that makes it visible to buyers, visitors, and markets we couldn’t reach on our own. That’s what this network is about. When Donegal food businesses support each other and move in the same direction, the whole county benefits.”
Brenda Hegarty, Head of Enterprise at Local Enterprise Office, Donegal, said: “The Local Enterprise Office initiated and supported Food Coast Donegal from day one. The vision of a county food brand only works when the people operating within it are driving it, and what we’re seeing now is producers and Food Coast members taking real ownership of this, which is exactly the right direction of travel.
“We were delighted to help build the foundation and embark on a mission to make our beautiful region renowned for its exceptional food and drink. The new website is the shop window this sector deserves, giving members the platform to showcase the growth in the food offering from the county and share Donegal’s food story with the world.”
The new Food Coast Donegal website is live at www.foodcoastdonegal.com. Food and drinks businesses in Donegal are encouraged to check their eligibility and become members.
The Castlegrove Strawberry Festival at Castlegrove House in Letterkenny take place this Saturday July 1st