PRESS RELEASE

WEDNESDAY 11TH MAY 2022

 

 NEW SPONSOR ‘GRÁ CHOCOLATES’ FOR THE GALWAY RACES SUMMER FESTIVAL.

 

NEW & EXCLUSIVE: EXPERIENCE THE TASTE OF THE GALWAY RACES.

LIMITED-EDITION BOX OF GALWAY RACES INSPIRED GRÁ CHOCOLATES.

 

With just two months to go to the highly anticipated return of the Galway Races this July 25th to 31st, the team in Galway are delighted to announce a new sponsor to their race week programme, one that Captain Luke Mullins, a former Manager of the track would be proud of. Luxurious and decadentGrá Chocolates’, based in County Galway and founded by Head Chocolatier and award-winning Pastry Chef Gráinne Mullins, Captain Luke Mullins grand-daughter, have signed a two-year sponsorship deal with Galway to sponsor the fifth race on Saturday 30th July ‘The Grá Chocolate’s Maiden’.

 

A Taste of the Galway Races

Grá is the Irish for love, it epitomises the Grá Chocolate ethos; made with love using only the best quality Irish ingredients. As part of this new partnership, Grá Chocolates will create a limited-edition box of Galway Races inspired chocolates to tell a beautiful story. Taking inspiration from Gráinne’s memories of growing up attending the races every year with her grandfather, Captain Luke Mullins, each individual chocolate is carefully hand painted using The Galway Races as inspiration. There are five flavours to choose from, each bespoke chocolate inspired by memories and flavours of the Galway Races through the years from members of Grainne’s family, including Irish racehorse trainer Willie Mullins, Grainne’s father Eric, and CEO of Galway Racecourse Michael Moloney.

 

Commenting on her company’s new two-year agreement with her beloved Galway Races Gráinne Mullins said, “the Galway Races has always had a special place in my heart. It’s a place to gather and celebrate, a week that makes the city come alive and showcases the best of Galway. I grew up attending the Galway Races with my grandfather, Captain Luke Mullins so to be able to be a part of it with Grá Chocolates is really an honour. Creating the bespoke box of Grá Chocolates for the Galway Races made so many of my childhood memories come alive and I hope visitors to the Galway Races enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them”.

 

Commenting on the new sponsorship, Chief Executive of Galway Racecourse Michael Moloney said, “we’re delighted to welcome Grá Chocolates onboard our race week programme. Gráinne and the Mullins family have a deep connection with the Galway Races so it’s extra special. The quality of Grainne’s business, her expertise and growth has been phenomenal and a real testimony to her hard work and ambition. This sponsorship deal is a great synergy and we’re excited to have a new and delicious brand like Grá Chocolates as part of our Summer Festival”.

 

Widley regarded as the highlight of the Summer Season in Ireland, the Galway Races looks forward to welcoming its race goers back to Ballybrit for one amazing week that offers its guests great horse racing, entertainment, fashion, reunions with friends and family and an electric fun atmosphere that continues to draw people from all over the world. To book your ticket to this year’s Galway Races check out www.galwayraces.com See you in Galway!

 

NOTES TO EDITOR

 Gráinne Mullins, Grá Chocolates.

Grá is the Irish for love, it epitomises the Grá Chocolate ethos; made with love using only the best quality Irish ingredients. This limited-edition box of chocolates has been created especially for The Galway Races to tell a beautiful story. Taking inspiration from Gráinne’s memories of growing up attending the races every year with her grandfather, Captain Luke Mullins, each individual chocolate is carefully hand painted using The Galway Races as inspiration.

 

The Track

Design – Inspired by the green grass of the race course.

The filling is inspired by Gráinne’s memories of getting a Toblerone on the way out by the hawkers.

 

The Hurdle 

Design – Inspired by her Grandfather’s race colours.

The flavours of Turkish Delight in a milk chocolate shell were the favourites of Gráinne’s grandfather Captain Luke Mullins

 

Ladies Day

Design – The yellow and pink colours represent the bold colours and fashion of Ladies Day

The peach filling wrapped in a white chocolate shell is inspired by Grainne’s father’s memories of eating ripe peaches as a child at every race meet.

 

Killanin   
Design – Inspired by Willie Mullins’ race colours.

The sea salt ganache was chosen to invoke the sea salt in the air from Galway Bay and the view of Salthill from the Killanin stand.

 

The Galway Plate

Design – The red and gold are designed to represent the Galway Races Logo.

For Michael Moloney strawberries and cream are the flavours that represent the perfectly ripe strawberries that are in season at the time of the Galway Races.

 

Luxurious and decadent, Grá Chocolates are exquisite artisan confections made with love in county Galway. Created and crafted in small batches by award-winning pastry chef, Gráinne Mullins, each exquisite chocolate is meticulously made and painted by hand. Combining the finest raw ingredients with Irish flavours. Gráinne Mullins is a pastry chef with over 10 years’ experience in high level, fine dining establishments and the current holder of the Eurotoques Young Chef of the Year title.

 

Great family cooking was a part of Gráinne Mullins’ childhood, and she grew up in Galway with a love and respect for good food. Setting foot in a commercial kitchen as a teenager only deepened her connection with food and she began working part-time in the pastry section of five-star hotels. Interrupting a science degree to move to France, she spent two years working in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Aix-en-Provence. Cooking won out over science, with Gráinne following her heart. Returning home to work in pastry in many of Ireland’s leading kitchens, the self-taught chef was the winner of the prestigious 2019 Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year. Channelling the skills, artistry and joy she has learned from some of the country’s most talented chefs, Gráinne founded Grá Chocolates in her hometown of Kilchreest in 2020.