While taking Landmark Education’s Self Expression and Leadership Program, Claire McBride created a unique social networking website, Mangetwo, that brings together food lovers in a variety of activities. The Irish News was impressed.

Power to People, 11/29/08

A day barely passes here at The Irish News that our inboxes aren’t bombarded with details of an “exciting” new website which promises much but, on closer examination delivers little. When the message proclaiming Mangetwo.com arrived a few weeks ago, I groaned silently – thought it could have been audible – and against my better judgment clicked on the link.

I’m glad I did, because, Mangetwo has the potential to be something quite special for anyone interested in food and drink – where it comes from , what to do with it, and how to enjoy it. Importantly, it wants you to do all this with other like-minded people.
Mangetwo is the brainchild of Claire McBride, who describes it as a ssocial networking site with the big difference that “it is about meeting people in real life.”

“We want to create opportunities to make new mates in the context of food and wine, where people with a love of life and a passion for food can meet…I think the best way to get to know people is around the dinner table, with people having food and talking to each other.”

With that in mind she set about creating Mangetwo as a “foodie Facebook”, where people can create a profile – maybe with the type of food they like or favourite restaurants – and arrange to meet others with the same interests.

There will also be plenty of events to go along to. An Italian cookery course at the end of January is already pencilled in – “with a real Italian chef!” – and other possibilities include demonstrations – on butchery, or how to use a knife properly.

Claire is buzzing with ideas following the mangetwo launch last week. An online recipe library is another idea popular among the 100-plus foodies who were at the launch.

“Mangetwo is a real celebration of what’s happening in Northern Ireland in terms of where food is going,” says Claire.

“People want to get out there and expand their knowledge, they want to eat local produce, reduce food miles and make food seasonal again.”