Camile Thai Kitchen joins Rugby Prop Jack McGrath in fight to save Ireland’s only native honeybee
04-10-2022
Leading the way towards a more sustainable food future, Good Mood Thai Food specialists, Camile Thai Kitchen today announced details of its exciting three-year partnership with Irish owned beekeeping company and community OpenHive, supporting over 100,000 threatened Irish honeybees. Committed to the conservation and growth of these important pollinators and the sustainable production of high-quality local honey, OpenHive is run by agricultural specialists Kyle Petrie and Mark Early along with Professional Rugby Player and Beekeeper Jack McGrath.
Combining modern and sustainable techniques with the traditional art of beekeeping, this unique partnership will see the Irish owned restaurant group invest in the development of crucial OpenHive infrastructures to help protect the native Irish honeybee, using the raw honey produced by these special native pollinators for the sustainable development of a series of delicious new dishes. Created by Camile Thai Head Chef, Dennis Aquino, in collaboration with OpenHive’s Jack McGrath, the all-new Honey Crispy Chicken Bao is the first seasonal special to hit the new menu, available now for dine-in, takeaway or delivery from all Camile Thai restaurants across Ireland, and Northern Ireland, launching in the UK from Monday 10th October.
Famed for his ability to power the push forward on the pitch, former Ireland and Lions prop Jack McGrath is driving the charge on climate change, having discovered the urgency of the Irish Black Bee population crisis during the pandemic. A third-generation beekeeper, Jack is an active partner of the Open Hive community and splits his time between rugby training and beekeeping. Commenting on the announcement Jack said: “This partnership with Camile Thai will play a key role in shaping our framework for future growth and the way in which we protect the genetic integrity of our native honeybee, but also in promoting and advocating for the importance of conservation.
“There is an urgent need to increase the Irish Black Honeybee population, with this investment in the expansion of the OpenHive apiary bringing us closer to our goal. Bees play such an important role in the food we eat, so it really is rewarding to see our honey being incorporated into the menu - giving Camile Thai food fans the chance to taste the fruits of our hard labour and the opportunity to support the development of local biodiversity. Camile was always the go-to heathy takeaway option for us at home and the Honey Crispy Chicken Bao dish that Dennis has created with OpenHive honey really is delicious – so it’s all come full circle for me!”
An industry leader in the area of premium quality, sustainable food solutions for dine in and at home delivery, Camile Thai Kitchen recently introduced carbon ratings on menus and was the first takeaway food brand in Europe to launch 100% compostable packaging. Commenting on this exclusive three-year partnership with OpenHive, Camile Thai Kitchen Managing Director, Daniel Greene went on to say:“Sourcing local produce and working with local producers is at the heart of our sustainability and community-focused goals, so we’re thrilled to launch this exciting new partnership with OpenHive and to be working so closely with Jack and the team on a shared vision to drive positive change in local communities across Ireland.
“As a business we’re always looking for new ways to develop more sustainable food systems and challenge climate change, so this partnership was the natural next step for us. Through this initial three-year programme we’re both hoping to support over 100,000 endangered Irish honeybees but also to serve-up a series of new healthy menu offerings using this locally sourced quality ingredient from our very own sponsored hives.”
Capturing the unique flavours of local yields foraged by the purest genetic strain of Camile supported Irish honeybees and harvested by Jack McGrath and the team at OpenHive, the all-new Honey Crispy Chicken Bao dish includes two steamed fluffy bao buns which are filled with crispy chilli chicken and glazed with OpenHive’s 100% raw Irish honey, all topped with crunchy Asian slaw and a creamy sriracha mayo. The perfect snack to enjoy mid-week or as a starter to share with friends.
Order the all-new Honey Crispy Chicken Bao for collection or delivery straight to your door on the Camile Thai App or on www.camile.ie. For further information about the partnership visit camile.ie.
