Kids Seafood September Goes Nationwide

If you are a social media user in Ireland, you might read about Kids Seafood September but what is it all about?

In August 2017, Gaz Smith was finding his feet  at his restaurant Michael’s of Mount Merrion. He had only been taken it over in June and was looking to ramp up the family trade. Michael’s is tucked away in Deer Park, a tree lined peaceful road off the Mount Antville Road. It is first and foremost a family restaurant. Kids are welcome and treated royally by Gaz, Talha and the team. Comes the end of the month and a wild Kids Seafood September idea appears. 

He noticed that even though kids would often try and order fish or seafood, the parents weren’t keen on letting them order something so different from their habitual food. In a way this makes sense, what parents want to go to a restaurant and be stuck with a child who doesn’t want his dinner. It’s money wasted, it’s an evening wasted, and it’s food wasted. So Gaz decided that for every adult ordering a main course, if that person brought a child, he would comp a seafood plate for the kid. If the kid finished his plate, then that would earn him/her a free scoop of ice cream with sprinkles on top. This was a hugely successful deal and the rest is history.

When I asked Gaz, what made him consider to keep this going this year, when he’s clearly doing really well, he explained that he saw kids change their opinion on fish and seafood. Because he cooks with the freshest and best of Irish seafood, this allows him to keep the cooking very natural and simple which suits little palates. Seeing a child changing their mind and embracing seafood and fish was a huge personal victory for Gaz and something that keeps him going when the days are long.  To me (childless me), this is education done right. It doesn’t admonish or punish, instead it nurtures children’s natural curiosity and allows them to explore and test their limits.

Jump a year to 2018 and Michael’s is THE place to be seen. The phones are ringing off the hook, you can’t get a table and there’s not a food luvie in Dublin who’s not dreaming of a large plate of crab claws dripping in butter. Positive reviews and awards are piling up but guess what, Gaz still wants kids to eat more seafood. Eyes on the prize, they are the customers of the future. I kid, I kid. Away from such base financial matters, Gaz wants to share his love of Irish seafood and get it solidly engrained in the national diet. He understands and values the quality of the seafood fare in Ireland and has developed a network around it.

It should come as no surprise that Gaz has formed a solid bond with our other seafood Champion, Mr Niall Sabongi. With Gaz’s passion and with Niall’s drive, they have decided that 2018 is the year that Kids Seafood September is going nationwide. Niall is very active in the food industry in Ireland through his role as food champion for Failte Ireland and his number of Klaw restaurants. I often think that Niall is to seafood what Joe Macken is to casual food, that is to say a leader and trail blazer.

To me it’a no surprises that the head chefs of two of my favourite restaurants are teaming up. Gaz and Niall are bubbling with ideas and enthusiasm for Kids Seafood September and have started recruiting chefs to join. Sustainable Seafood Ireland (Niall’s wholesale empire)will  support all its Dublin customers taking part with free seafood so they don’t have to carry all the cost. The hope is that maybe next year, one of the state bodies will come aboard and help make Kids Seafood September a much larger affair.

The one thing I’d like to see is for those glorious chefs to reach out to more female chefs. One team one dream!

But for now, here are some of the offers you can find in the participating restaurants.

Kids Seafood September At Michael’s of Mount Merrion

 Same deal as last year. There is also a free taster of Dublin Bay Prawns for kids if they’re want to try them. If they’re really good, they’ll even be let into the kitchen to learn how to cook them!

Kids Seafood September At Klaw Temple Bar, Klaw Poke and The Seafood Café, Dublin

Niall tells me that in the Klaws, they are launching a new children’s menu which will be available all year. It will have Klaw classics along with some new dishes. But it will all be real food with correct portion sizes and most of them will be messy as there’s nothing list a big bowl of messy seafood to get kids eating and enjoying.

Kids Seafood September At Danu @ The Brehon in Kerry

This is your chance to get your kids to eat free fish at a 2 rosette restaurants. It’s far from that I was reared! The head chef, Chad Byrne, tells me that through all of September, kids fish is free for kids under 12 when you go for a family meal.

Chad is getting involved because when he cooks mussels at home, his little girls’ friends think they’re gross. He’s hoping that this will educate kids and allow them to try something new and hopefully will get them thinking about seafood differently.

Kids Seafood September At The Strand Hotel in Limerick

Tom Flavin, the head chef at The Strand says ” In an effort to promote our wonderful seafood offering to the next generation of food enthusiasts, we are partnering with Cathal Sexton from Doonbeg. For the month of September, from Monday to Friday, all kids seafood dishes are free with adult dining in The River Restaurant or Terrace Bar and Cafe.”

Kids Seafood September At Airfield Estate, Dundrum

Luke Matthews, who runs The Overend Kitchen at the estate tells me that for the first week they will be serving battered fish and Airfield grown tomato salad. The fish will change depending on what’s fresh at the market that day. 

Kids Seafood September At L. Mulligan Grocer, Dublin 

For every adult main course ordered, children will have a choice of a free dish of battered coley fingers with chips or mini fish pie with baby globe carrots from their allotment. Seáneen Sullivan who owns the restaurant says that this is a brilliant initiative and that they are proud to be part of it. 

Kids Seafood September At Gallagher’s Boxty House, Dublin

The gorgeous Dave Power, head chef at the Boxty House for many many years, tells me that they will be offering a seafood chowder or white fish in crisp gluten-free batter with chips and tartar sauce to any children looking to try a bit of seafood free of charge when bought alongside an adult main course. Bargain!

Kids Seafood September At Avon Ri, Blessington.

Awaiting confirmation of the exact offer. 

Kids Seafood September At The Gables, Foxrock

Awaiting confirmation of the exact offer.