Originally posted on The Lunchbox

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A Catchup with Burritos and Blues
(Date:10 March 2011)

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Burritos and Blues on the top of Wexford Street is now open 6 months (how time flies eh!) and is an arch commander in the Mexican Revolución which our Capital City seems to be in the throws of!

An obvious favourite of your lunch lovers, we though we'd asked Mr. David Stone, Chief Junior Vice President of Burrito Production at Burritos and Blues (aka Owner!) to have a chat, and grilled him (heh, see what we did there, GRILLED!) on how things were going, why Dubliners seem to love Mexican, his own cookery skills, and his strange love of criticism! Oh, and by the way, did you know that Burrito is translated as "Little Donkey" in Mexican? Now you do!




We asked David to give his thoughts on how things are going at the coalface of the New Mexican Wave (my God, we're on fire today!)

So, 6 months in and what do I think? I reckon Dublin LOVES Burritos (and Quesadilla, Nachos etc!)
I started planning the return of Burritos & Blues back in 2008/09. I used to joke about it and I was always laughed at! As some people already know, Burritos & Blues was operating in Ranelagh up to 2007. I was not part of it, but was lucky enough to have met the guys who were at the coal face, Fahima and the other chefs.
We opened on Wexford Street in August 2010, and I knew that we needed something different! Something Mexican, but more than just burritos!  Fresh, hot, wholesome food, at a good price with top quality meats and in house made recipes. I also wanted people to see what they were getting! I also wanted the place to look casual but friendly. I realise it may look like a crèche with all the colours but I think it compliments our efforts of trying to be a young, fresh and vibrant brand.
And so it began......
We opened on the 4^th and ran out of food 2 hours in! We did not expect the crowds that came. Thankfully it opened our eyes and we haven’t ran out of food since then!

The queues running down Wexford Street to get in the door at lunch time, must mean you've come close a few times! Do you do much of the cooking yourself David?

I am not at the counters much. I love food and how it’s made, however my knife skills are not that great although I am learning! I do the day to day things like ensure the staff are happy, ensure the suppliers are giving us what we order and generally talking up the place. I am lucky that we have a great bunch of staff here. Fahima is the head chef, and I am sure you will know her if you have ever had lunch here.
The effort and passion Fahima and the guys put into the food is phenomenal! There is not a morning that I come in and Fahima isn’t complaining that something isn’t 100% right, and we have to fix it ASAP. We want our food to be known for being “Simple, Honest Food, 100% Fresh”.


What is your own favourite option on the menu?

My own fav is the Chicken Burrito with #1 salsa, as I am not a spice man myself! A little secret is to ask for some grilled veg in it as well! It’s delish! The Guac is also awesome!
We don’t just limit ourselves to Burritos. We have an extensive menu with options to suit everyone. From Nachos, to Quesadillas, and our Sexy Salsa Fries to Burrito Bowls, we try to cater for everyone. We also have several options for the Veggie’s out there.

From being a regular in store, it seems that Burritos and Blues' enthusiasm knows no bounds David! Would I be right in saying that all of this really excites you?

I love the way business works. I love the problems, the highs, the lows (the robbery, the extraction system breaking down on a Friday night etc). The model we have is quite unique in Dublin. Only ourselves and Boojum (the enemy! Only Joking!) are doing Burritos using a “Subway-esque” method and I think it works. “100% Customised, 100% Fresh”

Some of our more mature users may have fond memories of the old Burritos and Blues in Ranelagh, was it difficult to get the business going again?

Reviving Burritos & Blues was a big challenge! I am a baby faced 28 year old, and whenever I explained what I was doing, the older business people around would often sneer and immediately try to deflate me with some sort of negative statement like “The Recession” etc. In fact I think the recession has had a positive impact on us starting up! I think that people now are more savvy and do not expect to be paying top dollar for sub standard product and more importantly “scabby portions”.  Our prices range from €2.50 for our cheesy cubes to 8 euro for our Big Ass Nachos. Burritos range from €5.95 for the Silver Bullet to €7 for a huge Steak Burrito.
I do believe and hope that we serve a great product, at a very good price with a substantial amount of top quality food in it, with a smile.

You guys also open late to tickle the tastebuds of the, eh, late night lunchers, shall we say!

We are open till 4 am on Friday & Saturday nights and this takes its toll on everyone, however we are slowly carving out a niche night time market on a very vibrant and loud Wexford Street!

With burritos being a relatively new thing to the generally rich tapestry of food in Dublin, you must get a lot of people asking questions about what to have?

Yes, and I love people asking questions about the food! I love people saying positive things about the place and I REALLY love the critics! People and business cannot be at their best at all times.
Criticism and feedback is key in trying to be the best at what we do! I love feedback, as long as it’s constructive! There is no place for vicious criticism in Dublin. It’s too small and vicious feedback can actually close places down! I think that review sites, and other forums like that should allow the customer actively express their views, be it positive or negative, BUT allow the business owners have an opinion and react to the feedback.
At Burritos & Blues we try to be as interactive with our customers as possible. Be it in the ordering process, where you are in constant contact with the server, or through our online and social media presence. We have a very active Twitter account (due to me being addicted to the bloody thing!), @burritosblues and a Facebook page that we are working on. Our website www.burritos.ie is quite well used, and allows customers recommend any funky Blues Music that they want to hear on the speakers in Wexford Street.
We also spread a viral video in March. You can see it on YouTube under TNT Salsa. It is just another way we try to communicate with our customers and prospective customers!
All in all it has been a great 6-7 months. The food has been flying out the door and I pray that it continues!

Sounds good! What are the plans for the future then? A full scale Burrito Revolution?

Well, in May we will hopefully start to introduce our Salsas and marinade rub into the public domain. These will be available through the Wexford Street unit and hopefully in a few stores around Dublin.
We plan on opening a smaller location on Stephen Street in April and are talking to a few guys about another possible location near Grafton Street. I don’t want to rush things however. We have to be brilliant at what we do in Wexford Street first. Viva La BURRITO!!

Viva the "Little Donkey" indeed! Some very interesting thoughts there, from a very interesting eatery! Do drop in and give David a smile, (or some feedback) if you're around Wexford St!

You can view Burritos + Blues mylunch page here
Click here for the Burritos and Blues Menu
View their exclusive mylunch offer here
Or interact with David directly via their Twitter account (Yes, he really is addicted!)




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Originally Posted on The Lunchbox

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Be Our Guest Johnny Cool
(Date:03 March 2011)

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Ah the Irish! Since the olden times, when we went around only eating spuds, wearing sheep skins and generally being converted to Christianity, we've been a nosy bunch! Theres even a rumour that hedge schools were only invented so a next door neighbour could look over the hedge!
But hey, that's no bad thing, and as you can see from our sites popularity, word of mouth is fantastic when it comes to spreading news!
Anyway, we decided that since there were loads of cool people talking on the internet about things which you lunchies would love, so why not bring them to you, ask them a bit about their lunch habits, and what they do! This will be a regular spot on The Lunchbox, and we're consistently looking for peeps to come and talk to us (we're the nosiest of them all!), so do get in touch if you want to!
For the first of these pieces, we've brought in the coolest of the cool, the man with all the insider knowledge, and the best moustache this side of Tom Selleck, Johnny Cool! If you haven't heard, Johnny is a man with his finger on the pulse, and his main objective in life is to find + recommend cool things (music, books, games, websites, presents deals etc) before anyone else. Let's let him take over, and we firstly asked him to tell us a bit about what he does...
"Well, I’m fairly new to blogging, currently concentrating on recommending cool new products, places, café’s, restaurants, websites through my Facebook and Twitter page. I'm planning to launch the blog soon, so do follow me on facebook and twitter to stay updated!"

I'm a food fan, and depending on what I'm up to, lunch can be from cooking for one at home to meeting some friends for a catchup, and a debate over what new to recommend. This changes daily.

When out I mainly go to Food Room or Bay in Clontarf and the odd trip to Espresso off Baggot St if i’m in the area. With my line of work, I also like to try somewhere new every week.  If you’ve missed breakfast and need a something filling I’d recommend going to Bay and asking for a porridge, it’s the best porridge in town and it’ll get you through the afternoon, do ask nicely though!"
Johnny says he's also a mean cook, so any ladies out there, pay attention! "I love cooking, I feel I’ve taken Jamie Oliver’s 30 mins meals to the next level, 15 mins meals! You’d be amazed what can be done in 15 minutes." Having tried Jamie's meals out, we're a bit skeptical, but our momma's always told us to never doubt a man with a moustache!
He's also a fan of tech sites on the web, and of course being the first to break cool new things takes a lot of research. Johnny mentions that he spends a good bit of time checking mylunch.ie to get good value for lunch, and interestingly, he’d like to see us "grow our listings and offers even bigger, especially outside the main city centre, as there are a lot  of restaurants out there with great lunch specials". Good timing Johnny, cos we're looking to do that as we speak, and we've hit him up for some recommendations, so stay tuned for those newbies on site soon!
However, it's not always coffee in town and meals out with friends for our JC, oh no! We asked him what his food vice/hangover cure was, and though he generally only drinks crystal clear mountain spring water which Nepalese goats have bathed in, he said he occasionaly likes to "devour a Marks and Sparks pepperoni pizza with a cadburys dairymilk and a cornetto", hopefully not all in the one go!
So there you have it, even the coolest of us have our off days, but hey, we forgive you Johnny!
All you lunch lovers out there, we've got you sorted for the latest lunch news, why not join Johnny, and let him sort you out for his recommendations on the rest of the coolest things around!
As we say, we'll have regular contributors to The Lunchbox in the next while,  foodies, value hunters, general carachters, some of our on site venues, and the occasional user or two, so if there's anyone you'd like to see talk to us, of if you yourself have an interesting lunch story to tell, do get in touch!


Related Tags:
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Originally posted on The Lunchbox

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Pancake Tuesday
(Date:07 March 2011)

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What with it being Shrove Tuesday tomorrow, we thought we'd give fill you in on the best pancake related news we've heard today!

 

What is Shrove Tuesday?
Pancake Day (also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the last day before the period which Christians call Lent. It is traditional on this day to eat pancakes, as Lent is a time of abstinence, of giving things up. Shrove Tuesday was traditionally the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that aren't allowed in Lent. We eat Pancakes on this day because they contain fat, butter and eggs which were forbidden during Lent.

Free Pancakes you say?
To help get your Shrove Tuesday off to a good start, Aviva Stadium chefs will be setting up a pancake station outside the stadium on tomorrow, Tuesday, 8th March.  People passing by will be treated to some delicious pancakes, cooked fresh on site and served with a choice of fillings, including chocolate, syrup, and lemon zest. The chefs will be there from 7.30-9.30am. All the Info here! Spread the word, e'ryone loves free pancakes!
Forgive us if we say NYOM NYOM NYOM!
 
How to?
If you're a bit of a novice in the kitchen, but don't want the day to pass you by, for an easy quick guide to delicious pancakes from Board Bia, do see here!
Want to try something different?
Well, what about glow in the dark pancakes?

Related Tags:
Free Pancakes, Pancakes, Pancake Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch Dublin, lunch menus, restaurant deals, restaurant offers, lunch options Dublin, lunch deals, lunch offers, lunch deals Dublin, lunch offers Dublin, cheap lunch, lunch value Dublin, lunch value Cork, lunch Cork, lunch in Cork, lunch deals Cork, lunch offers Cork, coeliac lunch, coeliac lunch options,

 The Bulletin
(Date:03 March 2011)

Originally posted on The Lunchbox

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The second of our posts on the best of the lunch related news we've found on the web this week!
When we're not securing lunch deals, we tend to surf around quite a lot and always find interesting tidbits, so we're passing them on to you!

Breast Milk Ice Cream goes on sale in London
Picture the scene, it's a hot Spring day, you're having a long lazy lunch in the tourist paradise that is London's Covent Garden, and suddenly, you get a craving for something sweet, yet cooling. Ah, a perfect time for an ice cream eh?
Well, just be careful...
The fact a serving cost 14 quid, and is called "Baby Gaga", makes it even more weird!
I wonder does it vary from person to person?

Cupcakes rampage in Cardiff
As we posted on the old Facebook, a woman with a serious sweet tooth has gone on the rampage in Cardiff, and caused around £400 worth of damage to a cupcake shop, after they sold out of her favourite. Sugarswirlz Cake Shop is relatively new to the dangerous Cardiff cupcake scene, and the woman, who was looking for a "Sweet Toothfairy Cupcake" is still on the loose, presumed armed and ravenous. Watch out Lolly and Cooks!
Now we know some of us like something sweet post lunch, but that's a bit far!

Sweet site!
Speaking of Lolly and Cooks, have you seen their new site? It's a beauty! If only that mother had used their delivery option eh?

Pizza and books- A great combo?
In Madrid, a new store has opened combining the two! Called La Pizzateca, the store offers a wide range of artisanal pizzas and calzones, but is also a book store! Offers available include a slice of pizza and a book for just a fiver, a bargain for all you hungry book worms out there. I wonder do they sell cheesy novels? (Oh, that was awful!)
If you have any recommendations for stories we should feature, other than our own random web finds, then do get in touch!

Related Tags:
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Whatcha waiting for?
(Date:03 February 2011)

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The following is an extract from our fabalous weekly newsleter from this morning!
If you're tired of recieving loads of daily mails, telling you about a 20% off spa break in Donegal, or the opportunity to get a massage from a Chinese acrobat for half price (*ahem* you know who we're talking about), then ours is the newsletter for you. No messing, just loads of new deals weekly!

If you're not already, you can sign up here, and be sure to read on for a taster!

 

European Flavour....
Hello you lovely subscriber!

With the 6 Nations starting this weekend, there's a distinctly European feel to our new offers this week! We've Italian and French originating exclusive lunch deals plus more exotic flavours with our first Galway offer (first of many). It's the first week of Spring, so celebrate with a long lazy lunch perhaps?
  

By the way, did you know that it's FREE for retailers to be listed on site, if they're giving you an offer? If your local lunch fave isn't up with us yet, (no matter where you are, cos we're going nationwide), well then ask them why not?! Plus if you recommend them, you can win a free lunch!
 

Lots of new deals this week! If you wanna see them all, please go to our Special Offers area...
 

Le Cafe Des Irlandais

Oh Le Cafe Des Irlandais has been getting some rave reviews as one of Dublin's best French flavoured eateries. Now, you have no option but to try it for lunch, because we've just got a new, mylunch exclusive lunch 2 for 1! Huzzah!
 

Pacinos 

The second of our new European 2 for 1's on the site is from Pacinos on Suffolk St! They've expanded their existing take out offer, to include 2 for 1 on all pasta and pizza dishes for lunch time, from Mon -Wed weekly... 
 

Pinocchio

New on site this week is Pinocchio Italian Restaurant in Ranelagh. Unlike the real Pinocchio, they tell no lies, and you can now get an exclusive Buy One Main, get the Second for Half Price here!

 

Against the Grain 

New craft beer and delicious food purveyor Against the Grain on Wexford St is also new on site this week. If you fancy a look at their tasty menu, see here, while if you're lunching in a group, they've also got a great new group offer.

(Be warned though, one look at the beer menu will have you wanting to try them all!

Da Tang Noodle House

We welcomed our first Galway retailer on site this week, Da Tang Noodle House. Now we know Tribe folk love their food, and we've plenty more on the way, so anyone you know over that end of our fair isle, please let them know about the site! Anyway, Da Tang are offering a mylunch exclusive of Any Noodle Dish, plus tea/coffee for only €10.
 

Luigi Malones
Luigi Malones has two eateries, one in Cork and Dublin, and offer great value lunch in both! To keep everyone happy, we're now offering you the exclusive deal of 15% off your total lunch bill in both!
  

La Croissanterie 

Finally this week, and to cap off our new European lunch options, La Croissanterie in St Stephens Green S.C. will now give you a free water, coffee or tea with any savoury item, with a mylunch voucher!

 

 

If you see nothing that tickles your fancy in this lot, there's bound to be something for you on the site, so have a search, or take a gander at our Special Offers area, which is filling up by the day..




Related Tags: lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch Dublin, lunch menus, restaurant deals, restaurant offers, lunch options Dublin, lunch deals, lunch offers, lunch deals Dublin, lunch offers Dublin, cheap lunch, lunch value Dublin, lunch value Cork, lunch Cork, lunch in Cork, lunch deals Cork, lunch offers Cork, coeliac lunch, coeliac lunch options,Pinocchio Ranelagh, Pacinos, 2 for 1, Le Cafe Des Irlandais, Le Cafe Des Irlandais Menu, Against the Grain,

French Flair and flash restaurants

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French Flair and flash restaurants
(Date:01 February 2011)

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Hello lunchies, and welcome to the first "Lunchbox" post of Spring!
As we posted on Twitter this morning, we love Spring! Daffodils will be blooming, lambs will soon be leaping Valentines Day will be looming (or "Being Single Celebration Day" if you're unattached!) and of course we'll be bringing you lots more lunch value!
Just today, we've added some Spring French flair to the site, with two new exclusive offers from retailers who would not look out of place in the shadow of the "La Tour Eiffel"
Firstly, La Croissanterie in Stephens Green S.C. now offer you users a free coffee/tea or soft drink, with any sandwich, panini or savoury item! See here for the deal!

Along with that, we've added to our holy grail of deals, the 2 for 1 area! New French flavoured Georges St restaurant Le Cafe Des Irlandais is now offering an exclusive mylunch 2 for 1! From Tue to Fri each week, you can get a 2 for 1 on any of their lunch mains! If you haven't tried it already, please do, because it's trés bien!

Oh and finally, just to let any of you foodies know, our comp to win two free passes to Clonakilty by Candlelight will end today at 3 p.m., with the winner announced just after! If you want to put your name in the hat for the first ever flash restaurant in Dublin, simply mail candlelight@mylunch.ie with all your details! As a famous meerkat says: "Simples"!


Related Tags: lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch Dublin, lunch menus, restaurant deals, restaurant offers, lunch options Dublin, lunch deals, lunch offers, lunch deals Dublin, lunch offers Dublin, cheap lunch, lunch value Dublin, lunch value Cork, lunch Cork, lunch in Cork, lunch deals Cork, lunch offers Cork, coeliac lunch, coeliac lunch options, La Croissanterie Le Café Des Irlandais

Watercooler Moments

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Watercooler Moments
(Date:31 January 2011)

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Welcome to Watercooler Moments for this week, and your Monday morning dose of what topics you can use to make small talk, and nullify awkward office/lunch silences this week!
It's your handy pocket guide to the best of the weekend's stories, all in one post!
Happy Monday, and let's get going....

I demad one TRILLION DOLLARS!

Rap star, film star, clothing range owner and all round true gangsta Sean P Diddy Puff Daddy Coombs is being sued by an L.A. woman for, yep you heard right, one trillion dollars! The case, which if won, would presumeably be one of the biggest awards ever, is being brought against Combs/Diddy by Valerie Joyce Wilson Turk.
The woman accuses the rapper, his former girlfriend, and the somehow related ex police brutality victim Rodney King (whose beating sparked the L.A. Riots) of collaborating to fell the World Trade Towers on Sept 11th 2011, and also maintains the trio set her up to get disability pay.

Another accusation is that Combs/Diddy is in fact her 23 year old son's father, but the final straw is that Diddy "stole a poker chip worth 100 zillions of dollars" (a direct quote!) that she won in a Mississippi casino and later gave it away to someone else.

She is petitioning for $900 billion in child support. The other $100 billion she is seeking is for “loss of income.”
A Los Angeles judge denied her request for a restraining order against Diddy, but set a hearing for Jan 31.
Only in America eh?!

Social Network Similarities

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg showed his sense of humour on cult American T.V. show Saturday Night Live over the weekend. The geeky social network genius opened the show with a skit alongside "The Social Network" actor Jesse Eisenberg (who's depiction of Zuckerberg looks set to win him an Oscar) and the show’s resident Zuckerberg impersonator, Andy Samberg.

A triple threat of Zuckerberg on one stage soon had the audience in stitches!

"He's no Fred Perry", rugby injuries and F.A. Cup drama

In sporting news over the weekend, charismatic (*ahem*) Scottish tennis player Audy Murray's bid to become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936  to win a tennis major again came to an abrupt end. The enigmatic and fun lovin (*ahem*) Scot was beaten in three sets (6-4 6-2 6-3) by Serb Novak Djokovic, meaning he has yet to win a set in his three Grand Slam finals so far.

In rugby, Ireland's 6 Nations squad is preparing for Italy next weekend. The squad for the game in Rome has been named, and it seems that the "Injuries" colum is mounting for Uncle Deccie.

There was little surprise in the fourth round of the F.A. Cup over the weekend, bar minnows Notts County holding might Manchester City to a draw. But the fifth round draw did throw up the massive tie of non-league Crawley Town making the visit to Old Trafford to face Man Utd!

Today is also transfer deasline day, so watch out for lots of "Sky Sports News understands" headlines, and fake "Sky Sports sources" stirring the rumour mill. Big stories include Spurs search for a striker and Fernando Torres' proposed £50 million move to Chelsea. See here for a live blog.

Ah they were simple times!

And finally this week, we would like to bring you back in time to an era when wool jumpers and Fruit of the Loom t-shirts were all the rage, when the euro was a pipe dream, and the Celtic Tiger an even pipier dream (yeah yeah I know that's not a real word!)
Ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't seen it already, please take a look at the classic 1994 Castletown Donkey Derby...


Oh, and it's the last day of Winter today too!

Related Tags: lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch Dublin, lunch menus, restaurant deals, restaurant offers, lunch options Dublin, lunch deals, lunch offers, lunch deals Dublin, lunch offers Dublin, cheap lunch, lunch value Dublin, lunch value Cork, lunch Cork, lunch in Cork, lunch deals Cork, lunch offers Cork, coeliac lunch, coeliac lunch options, Watercooler Moments

Coeliac Statistics

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Coeliac Statistics
(Date:28 January 2011)

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You may have missed something with our new site. We now provide information on the retailer pages on whether or not they say they cater for Special Diets. This includes vegan, vegetarian and coeliac options.

With first hand knowledge of the struggle many coeliacs can face when eating out, we decided that we'd try to become a much more inclusive site, (indeed one of the only food listing sites out there that is) and a better outlet for people to decide where they can and can't eat, and indeed, more importanty, where they both can and will want to eat! Choice shouldn't be hugely lessened we feel.


Now we're far from perfect yet, and we're going on what our retailers tell us about their Special Dietary options, but it's a starting point, and in the New Year, we'll be putting a big effort into really cleansing the site of coeliac options, and the inclusion of many new options. (We'd be very appreciative if you could help us with that too)


Current faves on site for coeliac options seem to be the likes of Itsa, GBK, Wagamama and Rustic Stone
Anyway, what brings us on to this is Safefood have conducted a new study which shows that "94% of restaurants on the island of Ireland are able to accommodate a request for a gluten-free meal".

Dr Gary Kearney of Safefood said of the study "“Our research has shown how vitally important it is that the manager and chef of a catering establishment are aware of the Coeliac condition and the importance of gluten-free food. This is critical given that serving staff are often heavily reliant on their advice when advising a customer. It’s clear that staff training is fundamental in addressing this ‘knowledge gap’ and, as such, all service sector staff should receive basic training on how best to address food allergies and intolerances and the importance of controlling food allergens in a catering setting.”

However, he went on to say that "while our research is welcome news for coeliacs, it is no reason to be complacent as the research revealed that serious mistakes can still be made, even when customers are presented with ‘gluten-free’ choices in ‘Coeliac friendly’ restaurants"

It's quite interesting that the number is so high. However, one would have to ask the question of whether how thoroughly these 94% are catered for, and how reliant the study is on truthfulness from owners about their own business capabilites.


Gerry Flaherty, Chairperson of the CSI added “We welcome these findings but would remind of the need for constant vigilance in the provision of safe, gluten-free food for people with coeliac condition”.
Welcome news none the less, and we at mylunch are doing our best to provide numerous wide ranging lunch options for coeliacs.
The full report can be read here.


If you'd like to get in touch with us about anything coeliac related, or indeed Special Diet related, please do!
However, if you want to get in contact to point out grammatical errors in a blog post, please don't!



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Meateasy
(Date:25 January 2011)

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For years, the streets of London have been home to street food traders. From Afro Carribbean chicken, to Indian spice, the old city has always had a certain flavour about her, and that has not been lost.

Dreamt up by 35 year old half Greek half Londoner Yiannis Papoutsis, "The Meatwagon" was a legendary burger van, which popped up in various locations in South East London, and is said to have warranted fabled hour long queues, impromptu street parties, and much much foodie love for it's delicious burgers. Yiannis makes regular visits to the states to bring back daring and delicious recipes.

However, all was not well in Burger Heaven. Back in early December, the legendary Meat Wagon, which had been chased far and wide by burger loving folks across the UK for so long, was stolen.

Having heard about the commotion, and the ensuing Twitter bid to find the truck, Capital Pub Group decided to give Yiannis a space above a pub on New Cross Road in the SE London area, and thus, #MEATEASY was born!

An eating experience like no other, #MEATEASY is so called "guerilla dining". It's located "out the back" of the pub, and ordering is kept at bay by providing each guest with a numbered peg that allows them, once their number is called to order 4 items from the menu – which is written in chalk on the wall! Queues are said to be 2 hours long on big nights, and Yianni and his 10-strong team work "insane 22-hour shifts" with everything cooked everything from scratch.

Menu choices for the three-month project start at £6 and include the famous juicy cheeseburger, the slightly spicier chilli cheeseburger, hot dogs and buffalo wings as well as the Dead Hippy, "basically a take on a Big Mac inspired by the Californian Double-Double (double meat/double cheese) from In-N-Out and with a slight homage to the big Mac too" and all are revered!

Cash only is taken, and no bookings are allowed, except for one table, which is reserved for #MEATEASY volunteers!

For more, see this review in The London Evening Standard the Meateasy website, the supposed street eating authority of Britain's website, this Timeout review or alternatiely simply search Twitter which is ablaze with news on the project.

So the big question is, would this work in Ireland, and who has the cojones to take it on?!

Related Tags: lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch in Cork, lunch value, lunch deals, lunch offers,lunch specials, lunch deals Dublin, lunch deals Cork, mylunch.ie, #MEATEASY, guerilla dining,

Watercooler Moments
(Date:24 January 2011)

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After a brief hiatus last week, your favourite smalltalk blog post of the week is back! You need not fear for small talk this week, as we've got the stories of the weekend wrapped up into a neat little package!

This week we've got blatant sexism, a destroyed country, and Trinners on the piste!

Sexy Rugby and Sexist Analysts!

The final weekend of rygby's Heineken Cup was played out over the weekend, and with most group winners already decided, it was simply a matter of who would play who in the quarter finals. With things going to plan for all three Irish provinces (including Munster who still had a Challenge Cup spot to play for), all three won with a four try bonus point, and got favourable draws for their respective quarter finals.

Ulster will now play Northampton away, Leinster will be at home in the Aviva to Leicester, and Munster will travel to France to play Brive in their Amlin Challenge Cup Quarter Final. The draw for the semis was also made, and again the draw was a good un' for the Irish provinces, who will all be at home.

Meanwhile, there was controversy in a different code over the weekend, when Sky Sports analysts Andy Gray and Richard Keys had a bit of an off air moment, while still very much on air! The two decided to slate female lineswomen, and females in general, while also making light of sexist issues in football. The full audio can be hear here, but be warned, this may not be safe for work. (unless you have headphones of course!)

A broken country?

I'm sure you're sick of it at this stage, but this weekend was a momentous one for Irish politics!At Saturday lunchtime, you had the resignation of the esteemed leader from his party leader position, but not from the country leader position.

Nominations were made puclic for the Fianna Fail leadership battle, which are set to close this afternoon, and of course amid all of this, the Green Party quietly made their way out of government, (perhaps never to be seen again?)

They probably couldn't afford cigarette papers, what's the big deal?

Finally, with the country going to hell in a handbasket, the Indo over the weekend carried the charming, if possibly fabricated story of Trinity college students causing mayhem on a French ski trip earlier this month.

According to sources from the respective colleges, students "burned and smoked €50 notes" in and outside one of the town's Alpine nightclubs to demonstrate their wealth. and "painted swastikas on to walls of the accommodation ensured the gendarmes were called".

As a former Apprentice contestant  famously said, "Daddy can't buy you cop on in Trinity college", but it seems he can afford his "credit card being used to buy massive rounds of drinks".

In an unlikely  twist to the story this morning, ocal cigarette paper manufacturers denied that their product was overtly expensive...

So there you have it, the three big stories making the news in your office this morning! We would advise that before you raise them, you check if the resident sexist Fianna Fail supporter and Trinity graduate is in today!

Related Tags: lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch in Cork, lunch value, lunch deals, lunch offers,lunch specials, lunch deals Dublin, lunch deals Cork, mylunch.ie

Monday Deals Overload
(Date:24 January 2011)

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We know you mylunchies are an all consuming lunch bunch, always wanting more deals, more exclusive offers and more value for money, and frankly, that's why we love you!

Well, to get the week off to a great start, we've news of two new deals ongoing on the site at the moment.

First of all, the much loved Burritos and Blues on Wexford St. have a brand spanking newbie:

Get a Free Cheese Fries with any Burrito Bowl purchased, on presentation of a mylunch voucher!

A burrito bowl is a burrito without the shell basically, and it is deeeelicious, but as well as that, you get scrumptious cheese fries for FREE!

*Homer Simpson drooling moment*

This is an exclusive mylunch deal which you won't find anywhere else on the web. Stick with us kid, we'll look after ya!

Also this week, for all those Dublin 8ers out there, Just Off Francis have another great new offer. From 2-3pm every day, you can get two lunch mains for only €10. Now that's not €10 each, that's in total!

Click here for their menu. That's a prefect deal if you want to treat a friend, or even if you're simply famished!

Oh and I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but we've possibly got a deadly new 2 for 1 coming on next week. Think religious and Dublin 1, but keep on the QT....

Related Tags:  Just off Francis, lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch in Cork, lunch value, lunch deals,lunch offers, lunch specials, lunch deals Dublin, lunch deals Cork, mylunch.ie. Burritos and Blues,