Project: Chef Network

Ruth Hegarty is the authority on food and food policy in Ireland. She is my go-to when looking for independent, insightful commentary on all matters of food related. I brought Ruth on board as a columnist during my tenure as Editor of Hotel & Catering Review magazine and was delighted to commission her again as Editor of 25, the magazine for the global speciality coffee industry when she penned an incisive article on geographical indications for food in Europe. Ruth and I have collaborated on a number of projects for the media, public sector and industry associations over the last decade and I always find her a joy to work with. She has an innate understanding of what it takes to produce good food, from policy-level, through production and into foodservice, and she is well-positioned to provide astute guidance and commentary on all aspects of the food chain. In short, no one knows or understands food more than Ruth.

We have worked with Ruth for the past decade, from the start of our business to today Ruth has been with us all the way. Her market insights and network of contacts was essential for us at the beginning.  As we grow Ruth's ability to spot true market trends and guide us in the right direction has been essential to our growth.

I have always found Ruth to be incredibly helpful and while our product is quite a niche she always seemed to know exactly what we wanted from it. She was able to take all of our ideas on board and expand upon them in a unique and creative manner. On top of that, we only have the height of praise for Ruth, she’s a lovely person.

We recently needed help developing a business plan for our business and Ruth from egg&chicken was recommended to us. Ruth was so easy to work with and we were so happy with the finished product even though we had a tight deadline. It really is an exceptional piece of work, the level of thought and detail is brilliant. We only had to explain once to Ruth what we wanted and she really came up trumps for us, keeping us updated at all times on her progress. We have two more similar projects to do later in the year and Ruth will definitely be doing them.

The advice Ruth gives is always 100% spot on. Her genuine nature and sincerity is her hallmark. She was so helpful and easy to get along with that it made the project both enjoyable and satisfying.

I first met Ruth Hegarty when she was facilitating the "Future Proofing Food Service" event in Bord Bia's Thinking House.  The event focused on eradicating plastics in the kitchen, sustainability and efficiency in the kitchen.   She was extremely knowledgeable about a diverse range of subjects affecting the industry. As a result, we were delighted she was available to facilitate our own "Conscious Cafe" event which included presentations and panel discussions covering food and packaging waste along with addressing the new single-use plastics directive.  Ruth knew exactly how to steer the conversations so that the audience was able to learn about their particular concerns in an industry with many challenges.  We are thrilled that Ruth will be facilitating future events with the Conscious Cup Campaign and the Regional Waste Offices.

Ruth Hegarty is one of the unsung heroes of Irish food. She has been instrumental in helping Food on the Edge to flourish and securing Irish food a place on the world stage. Her skills at communicating and networking show true leadership.

Having worked alongside Ruth on various projects for the past 8 years I cannot speak highly enough about her. The Irish Food Scene is definitely a better place with Ruth involved in it. I have had the pleasure of working with Ruth through her work Euro-toques and Chef Network and have had assistance from egg&chicken on the Athlone River and Food Festival. I have always found Ruth to be utterly professional, always friendly, amazingly efficient and extremely thorough. Every project that I have witnessed Ruth involved with has always been a huge success. Ruth will always add value to anything that she gets involved with.

Ruth is a superwoman! She gently puts your business into a higher gear and before you know it you are at a different level altogether. She is at the cutting edge of the food industry in Ireland and knows the industry so well that her advice and guidance is always spot on...she also knows the worldwide food trends. I highly recommend her as a business coach.

I’ve been very lucky to work with Ruth in several capacities. Since our early interactions in creating Chef Network, it has been a pleasure and reassuring to work with someone who not only understands our industry but how policy and the right direction can affect change. Over the years we have worked together on Chef Network, Food on the Edge and numerous industry events and projects, and her professionalism, presentation, skills and work ethic are both admirable and inspirational.