We shall not be moved! Resilient. Brilliant. Midleton's Ferrit & Lee

We shall not be moved! Resilient. Brilliant. Ferrit & Lee

Midleton is a town packed with resilience, stirringly displayed in its collective reaction when its businesses and homes were hammered by Covid (2020-22) and the floods (October 2023). 

Featherblade

When local chefs Pat Ferriter and Stephen Lee took over the

restaurant known then as Raymond’s on Distillery Walk in Midleton in 2017, they had a very good idea of what to expect, business-wise, that is. After all, they had long been working in the kitchen there, Pat for 12 years, Stephen for 13. They anticipated a struggle in the restaurant, renamed Ferrit and Lee, and were totally ambushed, as were many of their business colleagues, by the double whammy that began in 2020.

Pat and Lee took it on the chin and got on with it. Last week, less than two years after the floods destroyed their lovely renovated restaurant, we visited for lunch. Looking at the sparkling inside of Ferrit and Lee, on Tuesday last, there was no hint of the floodwaters. 

If anything, they are now better placed than before. Thanks to Covid regulations, at least partly, they have quite an impressive outdoor area (with an extending roof) to add to the smaller outdoor space at the front. Sometimes, new restaurants get all the attention, and those who have put in the hard graft over the years are left in the shadows.

Paté

Fish Cakes

Sometimes, of course, hard work is not enough; you must have the skills to go with it. And, Stephen and Lee, who learned much during their years at Raymond’s, have retained those skills and enhanced them. 

Their menu has a couple of all-time favourites, and we started with one of them: the Jameson free range chicken liver paté, Cumberland jelly, crusty toasted sourdough, fig and apricot chutney. Under that Cumberland jelly, brimming with texture and flavour, was one of the best patés I've ever tasted.

Before I move on, I should say the service here is also top class. As soon as you are seated, you are informed of the specials and of any changes. Water and menus are at hand immediately. When we ordered the paté for sharing, the small plates and some extra toast came with it.

While we were studying the menu, we were sipping a prosecco. Torley's non-alcoholic prosecco has a lovely bright hue and no shortage of bubbles. Distributed by Classic Drinks, it is a very acceptable substitute indeed for the real thing. Other non-alcoholic drinks on the list were Cedar’s gin, Cronin’s cider, and Heineken’s zero.

As you know, the distillery is just a short walk away. You can’t get more local than that, and Jameson was also used in one of our mains, the marinated featherblade of beef, medley of carrots, peas, cauliflower and pearl onions, seasonal potatoes, honey and thyme jus. 

While the veg may change with the season, their featherblade is always on - I'd say there’d be a mini-revolution if they took it off. Powered by local produce, deftly cooked and appetisingly presented, it is truly a magnificent dish, again one of the best of its type. 

Another staple on the menu is their Thai fish cakes, pickled salad, fries, chilli and lime mayo, another winner. It's a delicious mix of perfectly cooked, tender fish, aromatic and flavourful. Another thumbs up from the  senses.

Very happy too, after those great courses, we decided to share a dessert. It was a special of the day:  a strawberry roulade, with a scattering of the fruit and a ton of cream. Perhaps, I should have gone for their long-standing Royal Chocolate Mousse, with macerated strawberries and toasted hazelnuts (next time!). 

Outdoor dining (at the rear)

I then called into the distillery (which has also bounced back from the floods) and had a look at their new cafe, in a slightly different position from the pre-flood version. Looks nice and bright with a garden/courtyard area outside. The spanking new tasting room also impressed. The shop could not be overlooked, and I treated myself to one of the spots! Sláinte!

While passing CUSH on the way back to the car, I noticed that their lunch service is up and running. The menu looks very enticing, featuring some of their homemade pastas. I particularly like the description of Hand-cut bucatini pasta: Skeaghanore duck leg ragu, and aged parmesan. Must put that on my list! I like my ragu.

Take your pick at distillery's wall of whiskey