Articles

The revival and development of Irish farmhouse cheesemaking over the last 30 years has seen some extraordinary enterprises take root and thrive – including St Tola Organic Goats Cheese, which is produced in the West of Ireland by Siobhan Ni Ghairbhith on the family farm at Inagh, Co. Clare; a village just south of The Burren and nine miles north-west of Ennis, it is easily identified by the Biddy Earley Brewery at the cross roads, which was Ireland’s first brewery pub...
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The first in an occasional series on diversification and added value in Irish hospitality – finding new ways for hotels and restaurants to thrive also brings good news for customers. All over Ireland, hotels have been taking an especially hard hit during the current economic crisis. Many have reduced their prices drastically and, while this may initially sound like great news for consumers, in many cases it will quickly become unsustainable. But the canny ones - either taking out insurance ahead of the gathering storm clouds, or simply seeing opportunities not obvious to others – have diversifed to make their offering more attractive to guests, and concentrate on giving added value rather than simply slashing prices. Castle Durrow Hotel, for example, opened a shop in Abbeyleix to complement their thriving weddings business and included a café to tempt in travellers on the busy Dublin- Cork road. Like the locals, MARILYN BRIGHT was impressed.
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The culinary highlight in Dublin in June is unquestionably the Taste of Dublin festival (11-14 June), held again this year at the lovely Iveagh Gardens on the south side of St Stephen’s Green; there is no lovelier place to be in fine weather – and how it has grown. As a taster, why not try some recipes selected by Georgina Campbell from some of the chefs and restaurants taking part? Emphatically not the ‘restaurant’ dishes they are likely to be offering at the event, these are straightforward seasonal recipes for cooking at home which have been given to her at various times over the years or appear in their books.
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Ely restaurants are renowned for serving organic beef, pork and lamb from the family farm in the Burren, County Clare and for their exceptional wine list (over 100 wines by the glass), as well as food that - despite the scale - is all home cooked. This recipe from their recently published cookbook ‘The Wine and Food of Ely Through the Seasons’ for Pesto Lasagne demonstrates their down-to-earth attitude and attention to detail – and, like all the 70+ recipes in the book, two wine suggestions are offered to accompany the dish.
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“Just Ask!” is a public awareness campaign run by Bord Bia that aims to encourage consumers when eating out to look for information on where the food (particularly meat) on their plate comes from, and encourages chefs to provide this information on their menus. The programme supports both large and smaller artisan suppliers, encouraging both Irish diners and visitors from abroad to support restaurants that are in turn supporting their suppliers.
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A really encouraging thing is happening all over Ireland at the moment: growing-your-own is back in style. And, although there’s a touch of ‘Digging for Victory’ about the unlikely places that are being turned into productive gardens, it isn’t just about beating the recession or keeping costs down, but more to do with a return to reality and care about quality food and where it comes from...
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Carrigbyrne St Killian is one of Ireland’s longest-established and most popular farmhouse cheeses – easily recognisable (even when sold as an own-brand, eg M&S) by its presentation in a smart hexagonal box, this camembert style cheese has been made since 1982 by dairy farmers Patrick and Juliet Berridge on their family farm close to Adamstown in Co. Wexford, along with their other cheeses, St Brendans and Irish Brie.
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LUCY MADDEN ponders international attitudes to gratuity and finds that, despite popular belief, American guests aren’t a sure thing.
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How healthy is your shopping basket? The recent Slán survey shows that one in four Irish people is now obese – hopefully the recession will make us think more carefully about the food we buy, but it can’t be relied on to reverse this alarming trend. Addressing this problem is central to The Nutrition and Health Foundation’s annual Eat Smart Week...
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Fáilte Ireland’s recently published Key Overseas Visitor Survey makes interesting reading - 5,700 holidaymakers were asked: why do visitors come to Ireland - and do they enjoy their stay here?
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