The latest element of Tourism Ireland’s 2016 Game of Thrones® campaign has been revealed – special ‘Valyrian Steel’ kitchen knives inspired by the mythical steel from the Game of Thrones® series.
Pic – William Cherry/Presseye
‘Valyrian Steel’ is known to Game of Thrones® fans as the sharpest and most durable steel in all the seven kingdoms – and as one of the few things that can kill White Walkers.
Tourism Ireland has created a set of three special kitchen knives made from a re-imagining of ‘Valyrian Steel’, unveiled Tuesday 7 June following the airing of episode seven of the sixth season of Game of Thrones®.
To demonstrate the knives’ practical applications in the real world, Tourism Ireland has called on an expert – and who values the function and effectiveness of a top quality blade more than a professional chef? The knives were delivered to Stephen Toman, at his Michelin-starred OX restaurant in Belfast, where he used them to create a banquet worthy of Westerosi knights – rack of lamb from the Mourne Mountains in Co Down, braised liver, smoked celeriac and wild garlic. The knives now sit in pride of place in a secure case in OX.
Tourism Ireland has released a short film and images of these mythically inspired kitchen knives – on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – in 10 markets (including Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Scandinavia).
(i) tells the story of the making of the knives, including how the iron ore and other raw materials were sourced around Northern Ireland;
(ii) includes a demo of Stephen Toman at OX using the knives to create a special Game of Thrones®-influenced meal; and
(iii) shows the knives in their specially-crafted display case in OX.
This special set of kitchen knives is part of a wider Game of Thrones® campaign being rolled out worldwide by Tourism Ireland in partnership with HBO, celebrating Northern Ireland as Game of Thrones® Territory.
As part of the campaign, 10 intricately carved wooden doors are popping up in locations across Northern Ireland. The doors are being unveiled by Tourism Ireland each week as the series unfolds – in restaurants, pubs and other venues near filming locations. The campaign is also being rolled out by Tourism NI in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
