A spat has erupted between chef Rachel Allen and a mushrooom supplier, according to the 'Irish Examiner'.
The paper reports that Mark Cribbin of Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms claimed 'Rachel’s' on Washington St, Cork listed his products as being served there.
Mr Cribbins said that is not the case and he took to social media to highlight his concerns.
He also criticised the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) for failing in its duties to protect the good name of producers.
'Rachel’s' apologised “unreservedly to any customers who may not have been advised that the mushrooms were not Ballyhoura Mushrooms and to all at Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms”.
In a statement, the restaurant said it originally used Ballyhoura mushrooms sourced from a farmers’ market at Mahon Point and, at the beginning of July, the menu was updated to include a new dish, Ballyhoura Mushroom Risotto.
However, the eatery said it could not establish a supply of Ballyhoura Mushrooms from the supplier and so sourced wild mushrooms elsewhere.
“Although it was our firm intention to revert to using Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms again, once we could source a supply, we should have changed our menu to reflect this, but, unfortunately, due to a breakdown in communications internally this did not happen.”
Mr Cribbin had similar claims against some other restaurants.
