2011 has been “The Year of The App” – the year when “smart” phones & tablets moved from being “toys for the boys” to being ordinary things many people have.
Most people you know who use Internet have iPhone, Android phone, iPad or some other mobile device. They began with a mobile phone – now they have fast Internet access where ever they are. During 2011 people have been moving round with computers in their handbags & pockets.
It’s happened so fast.
All this change made me think over Christmas…
This ‘revolution’, this huge change in communicating power, got me thinking
“I’ve an iPhone 3G … bought iPad the first day they came out in Cork… got iPad 4s recently… I drink Apps every day for breakfast, lunch, dinner & bedtime… Apps are the new Abs… Many gurus are writing blogposts – names like “The greatest Apps ever invented“, “50 Apps to make you succeed in business, life & love“… Why don’t I write down my favourite Apps?”
Good advice came knocking… just in time:
As I was scrolling through Twitter on St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day, the day after turkey) advice arrived from Dan Zarrella:
Say less about yourself… Tweet more info that others value…
I got that message, let it sink in & influence what I did next.
On 27 December I reached out to others via Twitter with this Tweet:
“I’m going to write a blogpost #bestapp2011 – Your opinion counts & you’ll get special delivery of the blogpost. Reply now.”?
I sent a series of requests (via Twitter) asking people to let me know their favourite Apps from 2011. Also asked them to spread the search (please retweet).
It became an adventure – an exploration based on Twitter… A quest to gather intelligence from others… th find out the most popular Apps of 2011 – according to those I’ve had most Internet contact with. This was seeking the view of a Circle you might say ( Google+ lingo).
Few of the Apps were picked out for special mention by more than one person.
How many Apps are there in Apple’s App Store & Google’s Android Market? 500,000+ iPhone + iPad Apps; 300,000+ Android Apps. Many Apps overlap – but it’s impossible for anyone to sample more than a tiny % of the whole field. (Just as it’s impossible for anyone to try out all the hobbies that humans pursue.)
Personal recommendations have never been so essential.
That’s a great reason to reach out to others & try Apps they’ve loved. Searching alone is a sure way to a restricted life. You can achieve more by depending on others to try out Apps for you.
Looking ahead into 2012… Maybe now’s a good time to check out one of those Apps you’ve never even heard of. Go for a mystery dip – like you did as a child when you plunged fingers into a bag of sweets, not knowing what was waiting for you…
The Apps I’ve loved most
In case you’d like to know the Apps I’ve loved most in 2012 – here they are [in no particular order]:
Audioboo: the one I use for rough & ready podcasting… almost every day & often twice a day. @MarkRock & the team in London welcomed me when I visited years ago – this is my Desert Island App.
Osfoora: the one I use for Twitter on iPhone & iPad…
Instagram: the one I use for sharing snaps taken on iPhone, seeing pics from others & commenting on them…
Path: the one I use on iphone as a personal diary & share with a few people I trust a lot…
BBC News: the one I use to keep in touch with the world & share stories via Twitter…
Flipboard: the one I turn to on iPad when I want Twitter & Facebook displayed with beauty… You could nearly say I bought iPad so I could use this App on it…
WeatherProHD: the one I rely on when I hope it’ll be ok to play golf, tells me what time it’ll rain & how much will fall…
Pages: the one I use for documents I have to write when the laptop isn’t convenient & when I need to attach invoices to emails…
EyeWitness from Guardian: the one on iPad that gives me a wonderful pro photograph to admire & learn from every day…
Tweeps: the one I use on iPhone to see who’s recently followed me on Twitter, who follows them, who they follow & how long they’ve all been using Twitter…
Google+: the one I use on iPad to keep in touch with what Google is doing next & experience it for myself…
iLoader: the one I use to upload short videos from iPhone 4s to Facebook…
Hitpad: the new kid on iPad – I use this to find information, inspiration & intelligence to use in blogposts… it promises so much
WolframAlpha: for when I want to learn something impractical that can be turned into numbers, statistics, formulae – the stuff I’ve forgotten from school…
There are others too – but it’s good to operate within solid boundaries – so it’s time to stop.
The thanks I feel I owe to everyone mentioned in this blogpost – developers, marketeers, users, retweeters, readers – is enormous.
Hopefully this blogpost will help you explore during 2012. Like every blogger, I crave your comments. Please share your view – and if you’d like to add links to lists of great Apps that’s gold dust too.
2011 The Year of the App indeed!
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PS Read this : @topgold: It’s Not Worth Getting Sucked into an Apps World bit.ly/s5Xdlm
I’ve started a series of AudioBoos on “How to use Twitter well“.
Every Monday I record a short audio to help people get the most from their Twitter.
I was inspired by the work of Paul Boag of Boagworld on Audioboo.
Every Monday he delivers advice on some aspect of websites – how to design your website, how to interpret Google Analytics and so on. He has a big following. I find him helpful & interesting.
So I decided to follow his example for Twitter.
TwitterTips:
(1) Use Twitter Lists
(2) Use “Favourites”
I hope you find them helpful & interesting. As these are the start of a series I hope to sustain for many weeks, I’d be grateful for some feedback.
Social media are improving all the time. But that doesn’t mean social media for business is sure to succeed.
There is evidence that many companies haven’t yet reaped expected rewards, a healthy return on their investment (ROI). Some companies have started to use social media – and given up.
I remember the day I first heard of blogs.
Summer 2005, just before moving from UK to Ireland. I had to ring a friend to ask him where I could find more information & advice on how to set up a blog. I was curious. I set out to experiment with a blog – to see if there was something I could use it for.
It was all new to me. Up until then, all I’d used was email & websites for business. This was well before the Facebook & Twitter revolution.
In Autumn 2005, I set up a blog. Gradually figured out I could use it to document my experience of returning to Ireland after 30 years in UK. It could be a gift to my baby daughter. As I blogged & linked with other bloggers, I realised there was huge potential in blogs.
Later I set up a blog for my business.
I began to help others to do the same. I took to Facebook & Twitter and became convinced blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter & Audioboo were great new opportunities for business. I bought into the view that we were living through a social revolution: I was convinced businesses would take to social media or suffer competitive disadvantage.
Indeed social media was exciting - but they were more than that. They were new clubs in the golfbag, increasingly part of the resources available for brand development. I even thought they spelled the decline of traditional advertising.
Technology was leaping ahead – so was the software. Social media was getting easier for non-technical business people to use. I was very optimistic for the future of social media in business.
But I think I was wrong.
I didn’t see what was going to limit the expansion of social media.
Recently, I’ve read that some big corporations are cutting back on their use of social media. They haven’t succeeded with social media – and they’re beginning to give up.
This trend isn’t yet more than a trickle. Most companies are increasing their use of social media (unless they haven’t started at all). The trickle may yet turn around but it’s time for hard thinking about what’s needed to succeed with social media for business.
What you need for business… Let’s take it as understood that you won’t succeed in business unless you produce goods & services that customers value, desire & can afford. There is no substitute for a good brand.
The technical skills
required by social media users have are increasingly easy to learn. It is not difficult to learn WordPress & other software for blogging. Facebook has become more complex but a few hours is all it takes to learn all the commands. LinkedIn & Twitter can be picked up even quicker.
In other words, someone can learn all the technical skills needed for social media in less than two days.
Here the rub…
the interpersonal side… the skills needed to engage with others via social media.
Social media requires social skills & qualities that are in short supply.
confidence to represent the business well
storytelling skills to present the business well
writing & speaking skills
listening & attending skills
These are qualities & skills that need to be learned & honed to different audiences.
Without these qualities & skills, an individual will not succeed on social media.
There is no formula, no standardised process that can substitute for developed storytelling skills.
Not only does the person need to know the company’s products & services, but the person needs to be able to communicate the brand in an engaging way to customers & potential customers.
To make it more difficult, the communication is not a one-way process – it’s not at all like traditional advertising skill. The audience expects more. Customers are different now – they want more than the product or service – they want to be wanted, valued & respected. They also want to be listened to.
Storytelling is a two way process
- a narative that grabs the attention of the audience & holds it
- opportunities for the audience to influence the story, to make it their own
This isn’t simple – it requires preparation, information, delivery & a disposition to respond to whatever the audience says in return.
Engaging on social media is a challenge - success is wonderful but failure can do lasting damage to the brand.
As I was thinking this through, I realised that I had very little idea of where good storytelling is learned. It’s certainly not cultivated in the workplace half as much as outside, during family & recreational time.
If this analysis is sound… the future of social media for business depends on factors outside the control of business.
The culture of business (which is the environment within which such qualities are valued, rewarded or ignored), and the individual qualities that are promoted, are vital.
Does the culture of your business cherish storytelling talent?
What opportunities are there for storytelling practice?
David Norris is hoping to become President of Ireland.
His website is NorrisforPresident.ie. That’s hardly a surprise. There’s hardly a serious politician, political group or political party that doesn’t have a website to advance the cause.
So he’s shaping up to be an internet savvy candidate…
The news… David Norris has opened an Audioboo account – it looks as if he’s going to use audio during his Presidential campaign. If you look at the Audioboo website, you’ll see “David Norris for President” is one of the latest AudioBoo Channels.
AudioBoo is a new medium – a new way of advancing your cause – spreading your message – deepening rapport with your audience, your market.
The Irish General Election & Audioboo…
Simon Coveney, a politician from the Fine Gael Party, has started using Audioboo. Four days ago he recorded his first audio “Heading out Canvassing” - to date he’s produced four AudioBoos. It looks as if he may produce daily audio messages. His personality, image, style, and reputation will be communicated in a new way during the Irish general election campaign.
Joan Burton, Irish Labour Party, has recorded one Audioboo. As has Michael D Higgins three months ago, here… Even Eamon Gilmore, leader of the Irish Labour Party, used Audioboo this week – as an additional way of getting his message out. There’s also one Audioboo of a recent press conference by Eamon Gilmore & Ruairi Quinnhere…
The most ambitious use of Audioboo (14 audios) so far is the project which is following the campaign of John Gilroy , as he campaigns to get elected in Cork North Central.
Perhaps, with a new leader, the Fianna Fáil Party may even begin using Audioboo too. Sinn Féin? Maybe some of the more innovative Independent candidates may also join the Audioboo movement? Perhaps this election campaign will be followed by everyone using Audioboo in future?
Who knows?
How important is Audioboo?
It’s all about using modern communications methods & skills to engage with people. Audioboo is different. It’s mobile – meaning you can listen to audio on the move, in your car, while sitting in a café, back at home on your computer… The citizens are increasingly carrying their own communication devices – some politicians are already keen to learn new skills and keep in touch with what’s going on.
Perhaps Audioboo isn’t so much a way of winning votes – perhaps it’s a really good way of putting down a marker – showing a willingness to move with the times, an open mind – and a spirit keen to engage with audiences in new ways.
Perhaps those who use Audioboo are leaders? Perhaps Audioboo is a reputation- building tool?
Let’s see whether Audioboo becomes more mainstream in Irish political life… What do you think? If you were a politician would you use it?
This is too big a question for one blogpost. Building your reputation is a complex matter – deserves a series of blogposts. This is first in a series in which I’m going to share my approach to reputation building.
I’ll start with Twitter. This isn’t to say I think Twitter is the most important place to start building your reputation but I’ve been bothered by one feature of Twitter for ages…
Let’s look at a feature of Twitter that’s often neglected.
Favourites:
Twitter provides every account with a place to put all your favourite Tweets. Facebook does something similar – lets you list all your favourite books, music & films (movies).
Why use the “Favourites” function on Twitter:
(1) It provides others with a bit of insight into what sort of person you are – it reveals something about you.
(2) It gives you a place to keep special Tweets – Tweets you may want to refer to again.
(3) It’s a handy place where you can keep Tweets you plan to read later.
As far as reputation is concerned, it’s the insight others get from seeing Favourite Tweets that matters. People are curious – many take time to make up their mind whether to follow a new person. They read your bio; they look at your website – but your Favourites reveal another dimension of you.
Your Favourites give an impression of the type of person you are. It may be misleading; you may confuse others by your choices – because they won’t understand your motivation – what led you to choose those favourites.
But Favourites make you more interesting. A profile without Favourites is a missed opportunity. Imagine the statement “I’ve read a thousand Tweets, but not yet found one Favourite…” Or “I had lots of Favourites months ago, but I haven’t found one in ages…”
I think it’s a good idea to have a decent collection of Favourite Tweets…
Taken collectively, your Favourite Tweets offer you an opportunity to look back & see what’s appealed to you… They provide a sort of history of your on-line life & inspirations.
Many have no active Favourites – perhaps there’s a different view on this? Do you agree your Favourites can help build your reputation?
(In case you’d like to look at my recent Favourites here… )
First blogpost of the the 2011 year might as well be interesting…
Might as well address a topic we all have opinions about…
But it is difficult to find a fresh angle on Irish politics… eh?
This is the story of a project that began weeks ago in a café in Glanmire, Cork, Munster, Ireland. It began with me rejecting the idea of having anything to do with politicians. I told a local politician there was no way I was going to support his campaign for election to the Irish parliament.
I’d had enough of politicians – was unwilling to commit myself to the cause of any individual or party. I had a bit of an outburst and went have a coffee to cool down. [This audio piece even shows I wasn't sure of the proper name of the politician: called him "Conway" rather than "Gilroy"]
Then I starting thinking. First, I regretted the strength of my words, thought I could have been gentler. Then I realised I didn’t have an alternative to politics – I was irrevocably committed to parliamentary democracy – no matter what I thought of the parties or individuals.
A fresh thought visited. Perhaps there was a way I could combine my passion for audio with my curiosity? Perhaps I could use audio to explore the process of politics – the way in which an individual went about campaigning for election?
No Irish politician has used AudioBoo to communicate their politics. I began to entertain the prospect of helping other citizens understand what’s involved in the business of politics.
The detail appealed to me – not the ideology. What do you do if you hope to get elected to Parliament?
The concept of a case study developed. That’s the background to how I got into serious discussion with John Gilroy and his election agent. John is a general election candidate from the Irish Labour Party in the Cork North-Central Constituency.
Together we agreed a project – an audio project. John wants to get elected – I want to help make Irish politics more understandable. We have different drivers – we have a basis for working together.
My work is devoted to the art of changing reputations – helping businesses to become better known (quantity) & improve how they are perceived (quality). This involves the application of such skills to the political arena. I imagine I’ll learn a lot about politics, political skills & audio through this project.
BlogPosted on: Dec 17, 2010By: Paul O'Mahony | 2 Comments
Yesterday I had one of those remarkable breakfasts – the sort that come at you by surprise – out of left field.
This isn’t about food – though I must recommend the feast they offer at Fota Island Resort Hotel[@fotaisland on Twitter].
This is about inspiring company. This is about one of those meetings that shift your focus, tweak your mind and leave you fresh – feeling fit for the future. This was rather good…
Jonathan Amm of Think-Tank[@thinktank_ on Twitter] & I met for the first time since 28 October. We’ve both been busy with life.
The breakthrough came while we were discussing Chris Brogan’s 3 Words idea – how you could cut through all the stuff about Mission, Vision, Strategic Plans and so on – that whole familiar framework which is so useful and used.
About this time last year, I found a blogpost by Chris Brogan that proved incredibly helpful – it gave me a tool that guided me through 2010. Instead of a complicated strategic plan for my business, I’ve used 3 words to guide my decision making. Whenever I’ve needed to make a decision about what to do – I’ve referred to them.
If something was going to contribute to “Keepingwell, Sharing & Reptuation” – there was a big chance I’d go for it. If some prospect failed to tick any of those boxes – I avoided it. All year I’ve felt in control. I feel I owe Chris Brogan a big thumbs-up in gratitude for his idea.
Over breakfast we chatted about the simplicity & beauty of this idea. Thinking ahead for 2011, we talked about what words to use. ”Commercial – I’m going to become a lot more commercial” – said I. ”And I’ll certainly keep on keeping well.”
But what about the third one – the third leg of the stool – the third lighthouse? What is third word I’ll live by in 2011?
I’m open to suggestions from you.
But I’m also wondering whether you’d find this 3 Words tool useful for your life & business. Would you like to have a go at picking 3 words you’ll use to guide you throughout 2011? Would you like to share your key words?
Sharing with others is a great way of helping yourself to keep on track. That’s why this was a great business breakfast.
It’s a shame to see a once-respected media manager fall from grace. Terry Prone seems to have lost the run of the PR game. She wrote a column in the Irish Examiner attacking Twitter – and it was as if she’d completely missed the value of new media – the new way of connecting with people & businesses.
I know it’s difficult to decide what to write about sometimes – but it’s best to write about something you understand. Terry Prone hasn’t a clue about Twitter – and it showed.
Rather than ignore her point of view – as almost everyone on Twitter has – I think her view is worth a detailed look.
Terry Prone took advantage of Ray Foley, TodayFM radio presenter. Ray wrote a blogpost on www.Joe.ie saying he was stopping tweeting. “The fact that Ray Foley is a Twitter quitter just might start a trend.” It’s clever to write about high profile people quitting Twitter – but pointless: Twitter is just beginning to be used in Ireland. People are learning how to use it with advantage. This is the early stage of Twitter use.
Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter came in for an attack by Terry Prone - because he tweeted to say what he had for breakfast. I do the same sometimes. It’s a way of being human, building rapport and generally opening-up to others. People are interested in what others eat. It reveals something, makes life more interesting.
Terry Prone attacked Twitter because “You don’t get verifiable news on Twitter. You get gossip before it has been fully researched.” So what? Gossip is interesting. Humans are gossip-making creatures. Twitter helps people to be themselves.
Terry had a go at celebs for using Twitter in a certain way. Celebs reveal things about themselves via Twitter, fans follow them – Twitter is simply a means of communications that suits people. I don’t follow any celebs on Twitter (except Stephen Fry) but others do – good luck to them. The trouble with Terry Prone’s view – “the downside of opening a conduit for the masses to talk to you” – is that she’s set herself up in a judgemental frame of mind. She simply doesn’t understand what fans of celebs want these days. They want their stars accessible – and celebs enjoy a valuable marketing tool in Twitter.
Terry Prone used the Ray Foley story to make the point that Twitter takes time. She highlights “the addictive nature of Twitter”. Everything takes time – it’s all a matter of priorities. If you have no sense of priorities you might spend all day on Twitter – and regret it afterwards. But you could spend the whole day watching TV or on the phone. You could spend the whole day writing a novel. It sounds good to blame Twitter but it’s superficial thinking.
I tweet a lot more than Ray Foley ever tweeted. Am I an addict? No, I don’t have a shred of an addict in my personality. I tweet by choice, deliberately, with a clear sense of purpose – even when I share a photo of where I’ve been via Twitter.
Here’s a concrete example of how Twitter helped people in Cork this week. Help Portrait Corkwas organised via Twitter. People were able to use Twitter to find out about it. People were able to volunteer to help via Twitter: we were able to gather a little community of volunteers committed to a noble cause. Most of all, the contacts we built up during the year on Twitter were a vital element in making Help Portrait Cork happen. Twitter is a fabulous new help to community life.
If only Terry Prone would use her super communication skills for a useful purpose, to show she understands the modern world, the new expectations – Terry Prone would then have a relevant and valuable view with which to lead.
I invite Terry to open her own Twitter account – let her give Twitter a proper test drive – let her speak from the heart with conviction – and cut out snide remarks about dear young Twitter.
_____________________
PS – A version of this blogpost appeared in The Cork News on Friday 10 December 2010.
This blogpost is a collaboration inspired by collaborators. Tipperary Food Producers produced an exciting event that showcased their work in Clonmel Park Hotel on Wednesday 10 November 2010.
A panel of social media users was specially invited to do their best - communicate with the wider world via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs – the new media…
Afterwards the Twitter Panel collaborated to publish this blogpost.
We hope you love it & the great work of the Tipperary Food Producers Network.
For anyone interested in local food, the Clonmel Park Hotel was the place to be last Wednesday night for the Tipperary Food Producers Christmas Extravaganza. It turned out to be a fun evening with things to taste, things to eat and plenty of artisan products to buy.
The food demonstration went really well with Bord Bia’s Sile Kelly rustling up tasty and quick family meals that anyone could conjure over Christmas without having to spend hours in the kitchen. Bord Bia is very aware of the budgetary implications for everyone these days and so it was no surprise that all the dishes prepared were very economical.
Sarah Baker from Cloughjordan Cookery School was a huge hit when she prepared a fantastic black pudding and bacon salad that could be used as a starter or a main course. Obviously all the ingredients were local; Inch House black pudding and Crowe’s farm bacon.
For me one of the highlights of the evening was the presence of Jane Boyce, Master of Wine.
Thanks to Gary Gubbins of Red Nose Wine there was huge added value to the evening as Jane matched each dish prepared with an appropriate wine. She gave tips and hints and all in a very accessible and down to earth way particularly for the not so experienced. A very warm and unassuming lady from County Down, Jane blended in seamlessly to the line up at the Clonmel Park. She is highly experienced and her work with wine has taken her all over the world. These days she has the luxury of working as an independent Wine Consultant and freelance wine writer. There are only four qualified wine masters in the whole of Ireland and Jane is the only female to boot. Her experience as a wine judge is wide ranging. She has been key judge and adjudicator for the Irish Wine Show for the past two years and last year was on the Burgundy and Austrian panels for London’s The Decanter World Wine Awards. Her international judging experience spans the globe including South Africa, France and as far away as Australia. One of the most basic tips for food matching she gave on the night, and one which makes a great deal of sense, is to initially match the country of origin of the dish to the wine. For example if you are having Italian food then an Italian wine might be a good choice. Equally if it is a warming winter dish then it naturally goes better with a full bodied wine rather than a light crisp summery one. Jane was also keen to point out the difference between cost and value. She made the good point that by staying with the smaller vineyards and spending just a few euro more you are exponentially increasing the quality of wine you are buying when you take into account the duty, the bottling and transportation costs.
Whether you were at the event or not, Gary Gubbins of Red Nose Wines in Clonmel would be very helpful if you need advice.
All the canapés on the evening were prepared using Tipperary Food. There was a feast of treats created with imagination and the producers acted as waiters for the night. It was lovely to hear people chatting to the people who actually created the food; a rare thing these days to be that close to the source. Indeed, some of the people at the event had travelled further than much of the food. The idea was to show just what you could do for impressive nibbles over the festive season.
I was sure I would have a favourite but as I tasted each one I chopped and changed my hit list as the various flavours danced along my taste buds. I was in heaven as the smoky taste of Crowe’s Bacon was matched with Daru Cheddar from Cooleeney Cheese to create a little quiche tartlet. Then I compared it to the Cashel blue cheese and red onion tartlets and couldn’t quite make up my mind. Una O’Dwyer’s cold sausage on savoury crackers with Crossogue relish was a heady, sticky revelation. There were bruschetta selections using roasted peppers, chargrilled courgettes, cheese selections and chargrilled mushrooms creating a wonderful synergy between Munster Mushrooms, Hickey’s Bakery and Cooleeney Cheese. O’Briens Farm Shop teamed up with Inch House and together came up with potato rosti topped with horseradish mayo and black pudding; sublime.
For my contribution I used a fillet of medium rare beef on little blinis with rocket and shaved parmesan which I considered to be quite the triumph until I swallowed the delectable delights of Mags Bergin’s brown bread simply topped with my chicken liver pate and Crossogue sweet red pepper relish. It was like looking at a family of children and having to choose just one.
In the end I gave up and decided that they all had something to offer and while I loved individual characteristics, I had equal affection for all.
Thankfully the canapés took the edge off my hunger before the demonstration began and then it was back for dessert and coffee.
If the tastes from the canapés were exciting the climax came with dessert; tiramisu shots made with Ponaire Coffee and mascarpone cheese from the Tipperary cheese company and Karmine apple jelly shots with fresh raspberries. The Apple Farm provided the ingredients for Pear and almond tarts along with hopping into bed with the Cookie Jar for Panna cotta, strawberries and chocolate chip cookies. Had I died after a Cookie Jar confection on Wednesday night I would have died a happy man! The Lemon curd and meringue tartlets were a huge hit and the Brownies from the Cookie Jar, topped with a blueberry curd were outstanding. Crossogue preserves are standing tall these days.
Looking at all the stands and all the people who supported the event it made me really proud to be from Tipperary.
We have fantastic producers doing a brilliant job but we also have some really loyal customers who, at the end of the day, are the reason we do it.
Finally the icing on the cake for me came with a delightful footnote from Bord Bia’s Sile Kelly. Just fresh from the highly regarded Listowel Food Fest, to my delight Sile announced that my book, “An Irish Butcher Shop“, had won second prize at the event for food writing. I was absolutely thrilled and even more delighted when I found out that I was only beaten by Darina Allen’s latest offering “Forgotten Food“. To be in the company of such esteemed cook book royalty makes for a very nice feeling indeed. All in all it was a great Tipperary food week. I welcome your feedback to pat@jwb.ie
I may have been labelled a ’social media whore’ by certain people, but I will admit that while I wholeheartedly embrace Facebook I lingered in the ‘tweetlight’ for a long time. But no longer. I am now a fully paid member of the Twitter community – I have made new friends; sourced suppliers: attended ‘twinnerparties’: participated in cookalongs and even lost weight on a ‘twiet’!
And all this must not have gone unnoticed as recently I was invited to take part in Ireland’s first Food Twitter Panel by the powerhouse that is Pat Whelan.
Hence on a wet and windy wednesday night in November instead of curling up in front of the fire I made my way to the Clonmel Park Hotel to meet my fellow twitterers. Our task – to tell the world about the amazing Tipperary Food Producers Extravaganza. Our assigned minder, Robert Harris, led us into a small, secret room behind the bar for coffee and sandwiches(I wanted to be in the foyer for the wine and mouth watering canapés!).
I was delighted to recognise two familiar faces – Caroline (@Bibliocook) and Mag (@goatsbridge) and to be introduced to the rest of the twitterati – Keith (@keithbohanna), Derry (@derryo),Susan (@queenofpots), Brian (@brianpcleary), Ken (@anygivenfood), Roger (@rogeroverall), Paul (@omaniblog), Michael (@clonmelinfo)
The panel
Once we had identified each other by our twitter names it was time to wander through the avenue of food to meet the producers including Inch House Black Pudding, Crowe’s Farm, Cooleeneey Cheese, The Scullery, The Cookie Jar, Crossogue Preserves and The Apple Farm…my apologies to anyone I haven’t listed.
Then Robert showed us to our table and we were off! You have never seen such frantic finger action – we told the twitterverse about Sheila Kelly’s beef chilli, Sarah Baker’s black pudding & bacon salad, Alistair’s choice of meat cut, Jane Boyce’s wine choice, Nichola Beresford’s entertaining ‘MC-ing’ and Pat Whelan’s empassioned pleas to support local food producers…… Phew!
I should mention there was competition between the iPhones and notebooks but I think iPad envy took over in the end (Dear Santa….)
Oh and I also learned about Audioboo – to be further investigated
Tweeting away
We were matched in our efforts by the TY students on #foodconnect program who are spending time with the various producers learning where and how the food is produced.
And then all of a sudden it was over! 400 people came to the event and between the panel I imagine at least 4,000 attended it virtually.
My only complaint – I never got to see, never mind taste, the dessert canapés!
I love artisan food producers and am very happy to share that passion with anyone who will listen over on www.biabeag.com. On my recent outing to the brilliant night organised by Tipperary Food Producers I decided to take a back seat and (for my first time) shoot some short video interviews with a couple of the producers and with Gary Gubbins, one of the active members of the group.
It was all about buying local at last night’s Tipperary Food Producers Cookery Extravaganza in Clonmel. Tipperary produce – local cheese, preserves, meat and fruit – was used for the elegant nibbles on offer at the start of the night, during the cookery demonstrations and for the rapidly hoovered up deserts which finished off the evening.
I was there as a member of the 11-strong Twitter panel, along with @goatsbridge, @HeyPestoie, @KeithBohanna, @Omaniblog, @RogerOverall, @BrianPCleary, @QueenofPots, @AnyGivenFood @ClonmelInfo and @DerryO.
We had a great time, down the back of the room with nothing to do but watch, listen and tweet (find us at #TippFood). Normally tweeting at the cottage is squeezed in between radio editing, article writing, pot stirring and toddler watching so it felt like a total luxury to have a couple of hours devoted to it, just me, my netbook, my fellow panel members (plus many iPhones!) and a 500-strong crowd of Tipperary food lovers.
For me, the best part of the night was a chance to chat with and buy from the Tipperary food producers that were showcasing their wares.
After all the demonstration and tweeting ended, I got a chance to pick up sausages from Crowe’s Farm, along with advice from John Paul on hanging and cooking my Bronze turkeys, a cute little box of Raspberry Streusel from The Cookie Jar, one of Nuala Hickey’s award-winning barm bracks now scenting the whole kitchen with fruit and spice, a chunk of the fantastic Inch House black pudding and a couple of cheeses from Cooleeney. I picked up Gortnamona, a soft goats’ cheese, to go with a tomorrow night’s warm lentil and roast pumpkin salad but couldn’t resist a wee Cooleeney, a Camembert-style cheese, for baking whole as a weekend treat.
Well done to the Tipperary Food Producers Network for putting such a great event together and thanks to Pat Whelan (check out his book here) at James Whelan Butchers for the invitation to participate.
Buy local? With food this good, the only question is why wouldn’t you
What a night was had on November 10th in the Clonmel Park Hotel. Nearly 500 food ( and wine ) lovers descended on Tipperary in a great show of support for local food and local business. Myself and Con Traas of the Apple Farm could not pour the wine and juices quickly enough as the crowds were three deep at the bar.
Jane Boyce MW and Pat Whelan discuss wines to go with Pat's recipes.
A Master of Wine
The whole night was a great success and I was delighted to have someone like Jane Boyce MW matching artisan wines to artisan food. There are only 4 Masters of Wine in Ireland so it was a real coup to be able to convince her to travel from the North. She has a real warmth when she speaks about wine and does not talk down to her audience. The comments I received about her were all very positive and a number of people want me to do a dedicated wine night with Jane in the future.
Twitterati
I remember being at a Tipperary Food Producers meeting last year and I tried to explain Twitter to the group and the power of social networking. I am not sure everyone took me too seriously but Pat Whelan was definitely listening and he now has double my number of followers. He had the great idea to invite a panel of Twitter folk ( Twitterati ) and bloggers to cover the event. They sat alongside the Transition Year students participating in the Food Connect program and the hashtag #tippfood was a buzzing as the night went on.
The Tipperary Food Producers were genuinely humbled by the support from the public and we hope to build and improve on this going forward. Thanks to the Bloggers and Twitterati for their hard work.
On the 10th of November last the Tipperary Food Producers’ Network, in association with An Bord Bia, provided an evening of artisan food displays, tastings and cookery demonstrations at the Clonmel Park Hotel. I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to form a Twitter panel with several others on the evening, an offer I couldn’t resist having a genuine interest in local products, especially those of the edible variety.
The crowd that turned up on the evening, despite the bad weather, was phenomenal. About 500 people gathered in the hotel lobby, shortly before the event commenced, where wine was supplied by local wine specialist Gary Gubbins of Red Nose Wines. From there they filtered through a hallway lined with food stalls where a variety of producers offered samples of breads, meats, icecream, cake, sauces, in fact, every type of food you could think of. Once the enthusiast foodies had satisfied their curiosity, it was into the function room for the cookery demonstrations.
The kitchen set up was impressive. At the top of the room a cooking area had been laid out with a huge mirror overhead that gave everyone a great view of the worktop area. Two big screens were arranged at either side of the cooking area that meant no one missed out on the events of the evening. Our Twitter panel sat at the back of the room and were able to view everything perfectly and, despite the chattering that usually goes on at the rear of any hall, we had no problems hearing what was going on at the top.
Nicola Beresford was our hostess and compere for the evening. She introduced the chefs and did a marvellous job of keeping us informed on the various dishes that were being cooked up, and in keeping the evening flowing.
Throughout the evening, our mouths watered as the smells and aromas of freshly cooked meat, veg, herbs and spices wafted around the room. Sheila Kelly from Bord Bia cooked up four different dishes, including Mexican Chilli Beef with Avocado dressing and spicy red pepper salsa, and Stir Fried Pork with Gingered Noodles, both of which I sampled afterwards and was very impressed with. Sarah Baker (@sarahbakercooks) prepared Inch House Black Pudding tart tatin using Con Traas apples, served up with a relish from The Scullery. Jane Boyce, one of four Masters of Wine in Ireland gave recommendations on wine to go with each dish.
Pat Whelan (of James Whelan Butchers in Clonmel), the Chairman of the Tipperary Food Producers’ Network, spoke about the Food Connect programme that links transition year students in eleven schools across North and South Tipperary with food producers in the community. Some of the students, many of whom tweeted from the hotel that evening, were followed by RTE’s ‘Ear to the Ground’ for the week, as they worked with various producers and gained a valuable insight into business operations. Ear to the Ground also filmed the Cookery Extravaganza and we can look forward to seeing coverage on our screens very soon.
When the cookery demonstrations were over people mingled in the foyer enjoying canapés and wine, all provided by the Tipperary Food Producers’ Network. The feedback to the event was similar from everyone. They’d enjoyed the evening, were armed with recipe ideas and booklets for Christmas, and were more aware of the excellent choice in good, fresh, wholesome produce available on their own doorstep. For more information on Tipperary Food Producers, what they do, and other events, just log onto: http://www.tipperaryfoodproducers.com/
It’s not often that you have something to look forward to in November. Generally it’s batten down the hatches and hold tight for Christmas. However, this year was different. Last Wednesday, 10th November, The Tipperary Food Producers held a Christmas Cooking Extravaganza in The Clonmel Park Hotel, Clonmel. The weeks leading up to it were filled with anticipation. I was receiving press releases about the event and Twitter was alive with talk amongst foodies and folk living in Tipperary.
About a week or so before the night I received an invite from Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers to participate in a Twitter Panel whose job it was to tweet about the event on the night. Wow, I thought to myself, generally twitter distracts me from my job. At this, tweeting IS my job.
I’ve often been at events or occasions where a number of people and I have tweeted about what was going on at the time. But this was something new to me. This was an organised panel. And I mean organised. A room off the main bar was reserved for us. We were given tea, coffee and sandwiches before the main event. A table in the main hall was reserved for us. It had a sign on it ‘Twitter Panel’. Our usernames were printed on the sign! It was like being in a press box and I guess that’s what it was. But rather than journalists scribbling furiously into notebooks we were all tapping away on our laptops and iphones delivering live commentary to countless people. It wasn’t just written messages either. Photographs, video and audio were also being shared out to the World. ‘Tipperary’ and the hashtag #tippfood became trending topics on Twitter. I doubt there was a single person from Ireland on Twitter that night who wasn’t aware that a group of some of the finest food producers from Co. Tipperary had something cooking.
I was also pleasantly surprised and bemused to discover some transition year students from my old school St Josephs College, Borrisoleigh were also on the panel. They were part of the Food Connect Program run in conjunction with the Tipperary Food Producers. How times have changed, I thought. There were no mobile phones back in my school days, let alone Twitter.
The event itself was very professionally organised. Locally produced juices and wine were available in the hotel lobby on arrival. Trays of delicious canapés containing mouth watering samples of some of the food producers products were passed around. Members of the Tipperary Food Producers had stalls along the walls of the corridor leading up to the main hall. You could chat with the owners, sample their produce and buy some to take home. The main hall had a fantastic set up. A large screen beside the stage showing what was happening on stage ensured no one missed a thing.
Bord Bia Chef Sheila Kelly began the cookery demonstration. Equipped with a radio microphone and excellent amplification every member of the audience could also clearly hear her instructions. A mirror overhead the worktop angled to face the audience meant you could see every slice and dice.
Jane Boyce a Master of Wine also provided some insightful snippets during the night. Cooking demonstrations were also provided by Sarah Baker of Cloughjordan Cookery School and Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers.
Outside in corridor it was great to get a chance to have a quick chat with some of the Tipperary Food Producers. Veronica Molloy of Crossogue Preserves had a wonderful display of jams and chutneys. Crossogue Preserves was the overall winner of the 2009 National Enterprise Awards County Competition.
I was speaking to Mags Bergin of Mags Home Baking when it transpired that we have spoken on the phone several times over the years but had never met before. This was due to her husband Pat, who runs a successful picture framing business in Nenagh. A slice of her bread with some Cooleeney cheese is simply divine.
It was truly wonderful to be part of such a positive night. A dark November night that brought a capacity crowd of around 500 people to celebrate what Tipperary has to offer.
I spent an absolutely fantastic evening g at the Food Extravaganza in Clonmel last week. As you can see from the panel (photo above) I was in very good company indeed.
The idea was very novel and I think it was a great way to communicate to the outside world the great work being done in Tipperary to promote the local artisan food movement.
From my point of view I think it was a good opportunity to meet some of the food producers I have learned to admire over the last few years and I also think it is very important to share ideas and hopefully work closely with them in the future.
Hats off to all involved but make no mistake we in Kilkenny will be back next year for the all-Ireland hurling final. They have started on their diet of trout already!!
I have just attended the Christmas Food Extravaganza at the Clonmel Park Hotel and I must say it was a pleasure to be there.
As we entered the Hotel the crowd of people, I believe 500 in total were sampling various foods and drinks from the Tipperary Food Producers Stalls
James Whelan Butchers
Crossogue Preserves
Cooleeney Cheese
Brownes Soup
Mags Home Baking
The Cookie Jar
Crowe’s Farm
Red Nose Wine
The Scullery
Inch House
Hickeys Bakery
The Apple Farm
O Donnells Crisps
The Auld Mill Bakery
Fine Foods Cashel
Boulaban Farm Ice Cream
The Stalls went all the way to the ballroom where the cookery display was been held by Sheila Kelly of Bord Bia and Sarah Baker of The Sarah Baker Cookery School.
To add to this fine presentation was Jane Boyce Master of Wines offering her tips on which wines would go well with certain foods.
A special well done to the hostess on the night Nicola Beresford who asked the questions most of us were thinking and offered her tips and opinions during the course of the evening.
Overall the night was fantastic, it is great to see such variety of food and more to the point sourced right here in Tipperary. The quality of cooking was, let just say mouthwatering and leave it at that.
Congratulations to Pat Whelan and all at Tipperary Food Producers for organising the event, may it be the first of many.
And to my fellow tweeters well done on a good nights tweeting @ #tippfood
There I was, sitting at the back of a hall filled with 500 people, mostly housewives it seemed to me, watching cookery demonstrations at the “Food Extravaganza” organized by the Tipperary Food Producers Network. I was in one of the special seats, those reserved for the select few: the twitterati who had been invited to tweet live from the event.
What on Earth was I doing there?
Why would I travel over an hour on a wet Tuesday evening to tweet for several hours about a food event in Clonmel without any obvious compensation? Sure, it was an ego-massage to be invited, but did I seriously have nothing better to do with my evening than bother my twitter followers with a string of tweets about a food event?
Why indeed?
The short answer is: relationships.
My dream assignment would be to document a year in the life of a vineyard. I’m not overly fussy where the vineyard is located, though France would be preferable. Bordeaux would be nice. The Loire valley acceptable. Honestly, though, I wouldn’t turn anyone down as long as they were good people.
That’s still some distance from a wet Tuesday in Clonmel, but bear with me.
Wine is part of a wider interest of mine. Food and drink.
I’m not a foodie per se. I talk a good game, but I simply don’t have the time to satisfy my interest in the kitchen or at the tables of Co. Cork’s great food outlets.
Nevertheless, I can say this: I have rarely been happier than when I’m photographing passionate food producers. I enjoy their company, their stories, their insights, their enthusiasm. I’ve been very fortunate to have photographed with several superb food producers in Ireland: Burren Smokehouse, Ummera, Ardsallagh Goats Cheese, O’Keeffe’s Bakery, Old Mill Confectionary, Follain to name a few that come readily to mind.
Being asked to attend a Tipperary food event was like waving catnip in front of a kitten. It would bring me into a new sphere of food producers. Who knew what relationships I might strike up?
Besides, the timing was perfect. I’m on a mission to expand my food portfolio. To this end, I’m selecting food producers to shoot personal projects with. Each one will result in a book. Once I have a series of these books, I’ll start approaching the big names in the business. The names you know. But first I need subjects to photograph for the portfolio books.
So how did I get on?
Well, I have arranged to explore the possibility of a documentary project with Pat Whelan, a truly visionary butcher. He is an interesting man and he has a story to tell. I would not have had the chance to meet him had I not agreed to tweet about the Tipp “Food Extravaganza”.
Additional benefits? It flushed out the foodies among my own followers on Twitter, providing us with yet another basis on which to deepen our relationships. And I met a whole new group of interesting tweeters to follow.
It was a flattering surprise to get an invite from Pat Whelan. I hadn’t a clue who he was, his business, reputation, connections… anything. But the fact that a stranger took the trouble to invite me to an intriguing event in Clonmel whetted my appitite.
The thing that turned me on most of all was the link between food producers of Tipperary & the coming generation. Young people learning about food production, food presentation & the marketing of Tipperary thru new media was the clincher for me.
It pushed all my buttons.
I did all due diligence: found out lots about the butcher-on-line. It was great that I already knew Susan Cloonan (@queenofpots). But it was wonderful to find myself in the companyof so many new people who are so active on social media.
Yes – the heroes of the event were Tipperary Food Producers Network. The buzz they attracted was marvellous. But without the connection to the Transition Year students from St Joseph’s College (@st_joes_college) I wouldn’t have been half as excited.
Irish people (British too) love audio. The angle I hit on was to make a series of AudioBoos before, during & after the event – as a sort of campaign to spread the buzz. You can listen to the complete set of recordings below.
Collaborating is the name of the game?
Tipperary Food Producers collaborated. Students collaborated. We collaborated. Pat Whelan went out of his own business to build links with others in many directions. We have practised the skill of collaborating. Why? Because it’s fun, intelligent, necessary… Because it’s stupid not to.
The art of collaborating is a sacred ritual – part of the most ancient art animals have evolved. We humans live in the forcefield created by dual polarities: self & social. I could indulge myself by launching into a tirade against the lack of collaborating skill I’ve experienced in various places. But Tipperary people collaborated well. I feel encouraged by their example.
It was great fun. In my business fun matters. My aim is to help others make a living while enjoying the process. This experience has reinforced my hope that this is the best way. The anthem “Thank you Pat” is right.
