Kinsale’s Le Bistro is well worth le détour

 Kinsale’s Le Bistro is well worth le détour

Dining out

From the outside, it resembles a bistro that you see in any small town in France. Well, the sunshine was extra generous that day, with the colours of the frontage and the flowers catching the eye (the floral arrangement by @daisychainkinsale is just perfect). We are not in France, but in the middle of the Irish seaside town of Kinsale, looking straight ahead at Le Bistro. Parking is available just outside, but we soon realise that it’s also the police station, and these spots are reserved. We soon find a nearby parking lot.

Chicken burger, in Blaa

The welcome in the bistro is warm and friendly. We are taken to our table, which features comfortable chairs and a small vase of flowers on top, along with cutlery, condiments, and paper napkins.  The menu is soon delivered and we see a good choice between sandwiches and hot dishes. Having driven down, we had to forego the wine (a short list, but it covers most of the popular grapes) and opted for the water instead.

Desserts

No shortage of tempting sandwiches in Le Bistro. Cajun Chicken and smoky bacon feature in the Chicken and Bacon. Home-baked and glazed ham shine in the Ham & Cheese Toastie. Slow-cooked brisket is the mainstay of their Beef Sandwich. They also offer a Pork Belly Ciabatta and a Rustic Char-grilled Chicken Wrap. The Vegan Wrap consists of homemade hummus, red onion marmalade, jalapenos, tomato, lettuce, and vegan cheddar. 

We had been told that the special for the day was Quiche (10.95) with black pudding and caramelised onion, salad, and French fries, and that was CL’s choice, which proved to be a good one.

Quiche

My pick was the Rustic Chargrilled Chicken Burger (€16.95), served with tomato, lettuce, cheese, and homemade tzatziki sauce on a toasted Waterford blaa, accompanied by French fries.  It was my third blaa in about ten days, and I would certainly like to see it used more often, as it is nice and soft, compared to those toasted sourdough doorsteps that are so beloved by some cafés. Recent dishes include Pasta Salad with grilled Halloumi and Caesar Salad with Chicken.

At that point, we realised Le Bistro has an outdoor area and we moved there for dessert. It is located at the end of the oblong restaurant space, and we were guided there, then upstairs, and into the sunlight. The kitchen is also located here. Le Bistro, by the way, is located in the building that previously housed Carole Norman’s Crackpots Encore (and also the Supper Club).

Sandycove, Kinsale

As you enter the restaurant, the colourful display of the day’s cakes catches your eye. The temptation lingers and is reinforced when you leave the table to choose! To accompany the excellent coffee, you can choose from Carrot Cake, Caramel Slice, Apple Crumble, Rocky Road, Brownie, and Apple Sponge (from €3.50 to €5.95). My tip is the Carrot Cake, a terrific example, and the lighter Apple Sponge is pretty good as well.

Emily Furey and chef Regis Herviaux are the friendly and efficient couple behind Le Bistro; they also run Kelly’s Coffee shop in Mountbellew, Co. Galway.

Kinsale's Farmers Market (every Wednesday)

The Ever-Reliable Jim Edwards Restaurant in Kinsale

 The Ever-Reliable Jim Edwards Restaurant in Kinsale

Duck

Since 1971, the Edwards family have provided excellent food in a warm, friendly atmosphere to its many Irish and international visitors. Situated in the heart of Kinsale (Co. Cork), the Jim Edwards restaurant is a reliable stop when you are looking for food here.

For fifty years now, Jim Edwards has been a key player in Kinsale’s culinary scene and is, of course, a member of the Kinsale Good Food Circle that organises the hugely successful Gourmet Festival each autumn.

We were in the seaside town earlier in the week and when we found our chosen cafe, a relatively new one, closed even though their Facebook page said they were open 8-4 every day bar Sunday, we had to go walkabout and find an alternative.  It wasn’t the only one closed on the day, the walk got longer, and we came to another café, but all they had to offer was an all-day brunch menu (more breakfast than lunch), and we moved on.

Mussels

We hit the jackpot around the corner when we saw that Jim Edwards was open, offering a choice of attractive dishes (based on local produce) and all well-priced.

Soon we were seated and, without asking, were informed of the specials. Service was friendly (nothing intrusive) and on the ball throughout, while seats and banquettes were all comfortable.

There is no liquid nitrogen or culinary foams here, nothing pretentious, but you do get high-quality food (and generous portions). Watch out for some superb meat dishes, like Baked Homemade Lasagna with salad and chips or Grilled 6-oz Sirloin Steak Sandwich with caramelised Red Onion, Salad, and fries. 

On the fish side, check the Traditional Fish and chips or the much sought-after (if more expensive) Grilled Black Sole on the Bone with Lemon and Parsley Butter. Oysters and mussels also feature here, and we began by sharing a starter portion of Kinsale Steamed Mussels in a garlic cream (€13.50).

Chicken

When you see the word Skeaghanore on a menu, you know you are on a winner unless, like our honest server, you “hate duck.” I had no hesitation whatsoever in going for Pan-Roasted Skeaghanore Duck Breast with Spring Onion Mash, Red Cabbage, Orange Glaze (24.00). And, though it wasn't listed, a side dish of fries also appeared.

CL loves her Chasseur Sauce, so when she saw it listed with the Golden Fried Chicken Breast, Vegetables and Potatoes (€18), she picked that and was soon giving it the big thumbs up.

Indeed, as on previous visits, it was thumbs up all round for Jim Edwards, their staff and their food.

Jim Edwards https://www.jimedwardskinsale.com/  is rightly proud of its local suppliers, including those listed here:

Matt O’Connell
Haddock, Monkfish, Prawns

Jimbo’s Fish
Hake, Sole, Cod

De Brun Iasc Tro
Crab

Haven Shellfish
Mussels, Oysters, Scallops

O’ Connell Meats
Steaks & Poultry

Dawn Meats
Pork, Beef & Lamb

Skeaghanore Farm
Duck

All Fresh
Fruit & Vegetables

Clona Foods
Dairy Products

Rosscarbery Farms
Irish Strawberries

John Torode’s Ireland visits Kinsale. See it on RTE2 this Friday

John Torode’s Ireland visits Kinsale 

See it on RTE2 this Friday

Meeran, Head Chef at Kinsale's Rare, and John (right)

John Torode's Ireland, a TV show which documents the Masterchef star, restaurateur, and cookbook author’s culinary journey around Ireland, lands in Kinsale this Friday on RTÉ 2. 

Featuring a number of Kinsale food and hospitality businesses John gets an insight into some of Kinsale’s favourite food heroes including a trip to Fishy Fishy, Kokos, Rare Restaurant, Kinsale Mead and Sams Bar. 

During his visit to Rare Restaurant, he chatted with Head Chef Meeran Manzoor and General Manager Ciaran Fitzgerald about what makes Rare unique. 

John also sampled one of the signature dishes at Rare and learned about the local produce in Ireland’s ‘Silicon Valley’ of food produce, West Cork. 

Meeran said “It was such an honour and pleasure cooking for John. He has a genuine interest and curiosity about the locality. We were very proud to show him what we do in Rare.”

 The show will be aired on Friday 14th at 8:30 pm on RTÉ 2.

Keep up to date with the latest news by following Rare Kinsale on social at @rarekinsale

Kate and Denis have shown in six years that they've got what it takes to lead the revival of Mead in Ireland. An impressive palette of flavours from Kinsale.

Kate and Denis have shown in six years that they've got what it takes to lead the revival of Mead in Ireland. 

Already, an impressive palette of flavours from Kinsale.

Cleanliness. Temperature Control. Good Ingredients. These are vital if you are in the mead business (or in any any food or beverage business). Add in infinite patience and enthusiasm, the appropriate skills and hard work.

See the Wild Geese on this marvellous Barrel Aged mead

And these qualities were evident in abundance during our recent visit to the Kinsale Mead Company, officially opened on Friday the 13th October 2017 (following a period of unofficial trial and error).

Kate and Denis Dempsey are the couple behind the venture and, in 2016, they went to work to rediscover the ancient art of mead making and to create a world-class range of light and refreshing drinks. Much has been achieved since then. They have certainly opened many eyes (palates?), both here and abroad, to the flavours and possibilities of the ancient drink.

St Bridget

But they are not sitting back these days, far from it. If you have the good fortune to have had a tour  here, you’ll know of their enthusiasm. And you’ll also have heard of the history of the drink and the bees, the bees because honey is the main ingredient in mead.

Two of the bees from Gobnait's sculpture in Ballyvourney

They have some marvellous illustrated info-posters by local artist Fiona Boniwell on the walls of the reception and one in particular deals with the Bechbretha, the Brehon Bee Judgements. The Brehon system was quite revolutionary for the early medieval age and dealt with all kinds of situations involving those between humans but also including animals.

There was a full set of laws and judgements relating to cattle for instance and, yes, also for bees. A compensation was laid out for an injury (even as simple as a sting). There was a procedure in place to deal with swarms, even if a neighbour’s bees “invaded’ a person’s land to gather nectar. Not surprisingly, honey also featured as a compensation.

Denis. Waiting by the barrels!

Very very detailed stuff indeed - just Google it and see for yourself. Edited by Thomas Charles-Edwards, Bechbretha is available in Cork City Library.

Saint Gobnait features in the posters - many of you will have seen the rather large bees that sculptor Seamus Murphy included in his statue of her in Ballyvourney. In the meadery itself, there are a couple of murals and here a golden-haired St Bridget is seen urging a bunch of bees to go forth in search of the precious nectar so they can make more honey.

St Bridget is also regarded as the patron saint of brewers and,  just a few days back, I enjoyed a beer, a Honey Hefeweizen from Wicklow Wolf, that used honey from the locality and supplied to the brewery by @openhivehoney.

You can have all the stories and saints you want but your product still needs to have substance and Kate and Denis are strong on all counts. The meads are superb and vary a lot so there is something there for every taste as we found out in our tasting.

Kinsale Wild Red Mead (12% ABV) is a gorgeous melomel mead fermented off-dry with Irish blackcurrants, dark cherries and pure honey. Melomel mead has fruit as an ingredient and here it comes through here beautifully.

Kinsale Atlantic Dry Mead (12% ABV) is a delicious, off-dry traditional style mead (no fruit), beautifully crisp with a lovely citrus honey flavour

The third in their Signature series is Kinsale Hazy Summer Mead (11% ABV) a fabulous, fruity, off-dry berry mead with generous strawberry and raspberry aromas, a lovely burst of summer berries and a smooth, subtle honey finish. 

They also do a series of barrel aged meads. The Wild Red Mead – Merlot Barrel Aged (12% ABV) is a gorgeous 3 year-old berry mead fermented off dry and silky smooth and matured for the last 12 months in French Merlot wine barrels to add intriguing structure and depth. An exceptional, unique mead, a lively, attractive drink with a decadent richness. The beautiful label was inspired by the story of the “Wild Geese”.

Another is the Atlantic Dry Mead – Sauternes Barrel Aged (12% ABV) , a gorgeous 3-year-old traditional mead fermented from orange blossom honey, matured for the last 12 months in a French oak wine barrel to add intriguing structure and depth. The third is the same Atlantic Dry Mead – this time aged in White Port Barrel (12% ABV),  matured for the last 12 months in an oak port barrel to add spicy oak depth.

We were also privileged to taste the Kinsale Irish Wildflower Mead. This is a very special, limited edition mead made from 100% Irish summer wildflower honey from the  Chanting Bee Apiary. This honey is a lovely expression of the aromas and flavours of West Cork. Quite a few of the meads were seen on celebrity chef, John Torode’s Ireland on the Food Network.

John Torode wasn't the only TV chef to visit Kinsale Mead. Neven came too!

It may be the only Irish honey based mead that they produce - all their other honey comes from Spain as Irish honey is just not available in any quantity - but the Dempseys do use Irish as much as possible.

Their blackcurrants (from day 1) are supplied by Des Jeffares (Wexford), wild berries from John Howard of Rathcormac (John is also into wildflower seeds) and that Irish honey is by West Cork’s Paul Kelly (of Kelly Family fame). Local artists are supported like Fiona Boniwell who, in addition to the Bechbretha poster, also has done a splendid Mead Map of Ireland for them while the eye-catching counter was crafted in Carrignavar from timber between two and three hundred years old..

I mentioned patience at the start. Honey mead is slow to finish (though the fruit version is faster). You are talking about 6 to 18 months to mature and then another 12 are added with the barrel-aged trio.

A honey tasting.

They have some excellent technology on their side such as a US made Ozone-ator, their German tanks are very well made (no crevices inside where the nasties might hide) and they have a Ferrari bottle washer! Also a bit of luck in that Kinsale’s hard water is ideal for Mead.

They do all this themselves, on the road promoting far and wide, in the meadery when required, with the help of a small staff including daughter Grace who just loves the festivals and tastings.

We mentioned melomel mead (those with fruit) earlier. There are quite a few other types. How do serve them? Can you use them in cocktails. Besides, you’ll probably have quite a few questions on mead in general. And here too Kinsale Mead can help you. They have a long list of FAQ and much more info (including on those tours) on their excellent website here .

Kinsale Meadery Tours Reopening Monday June 29th at 1pm

Kinsale Meadery Tours Reopening

 Monday June 29th at 1pm

Curious about Mead? Planning a Day Trip or Staycation to Kinsale?

Kinsale Mead Co. has been a hive of activity recently getting ready to re-open for their popular meadery tours and tastings on Monday 29th June. They are following the latest guidelines so their visitors can experience the tour safely.

“We are really delighted to be welcoming visitors back to the meadery. It’s been way too quiet here for the last few months and we really miss meeting everyone,” said Denis Dempsey, co-founder.

Explore the making and tasting of Mead, the drink of Celtic Ireland’s Kings and Chieftains at Kinsale Mead’s family run meadery. Mead, also known as "honey wine," is believed to be the world's oldest alcoholic drink, dating back to 6500 BC.

During the fun-filled hour you will meet the Mead Makers of Kinsale Mead and hear stories of ancient legends and the colourful history of mead in Ireland. Indulge in a tasting of three different raw honey types while learning about the life of the honeybee. Explore the production area and follow the process of modern mead-making, from fermentation through to maturation and onto bottling. Revel in the opportunity to sample three different award-winning varieties of this ancient drink, with great tips for food pairing and mead cocktails.

The Meadery has been running tours since 2018 and has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence last year. Previous visitors have said the “Informative and fun” tour lead by “Very friendly and knowledgeable” staff is “A must for your trip to Kinsale”.

Tours run at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. Tickets cost €14 per adult. Please pre-book to guarantee your place at www.kinsalemeadco.ie/kinsale-meadery-tours/ or call 021 477 3538.

Me(a)d-ia Release

Blacks Win Gold For Their Rum At World Awards. Amazing Kinsale Duo Soon To Lay Down Their Whiskey

press release

Blacks Win Gold For Their Rum At World Awards

Amazing Kinsale Duo Soon To Lay Down Their Whiskey

Husband and wife duo, and founders of Blacks Brewery and Distillery, Sam and Maudeline Black, were in high spirits on winning a prestigious Gold award for their Blacks Golden Rum at the World Rum Awards. Founded originally as a craft beer brewery in 2013, this unstoppable couple expanded and opened their distillery in 2015, where they began producing gin in their top-of-the range facility in Kinsale, Co.Cork.  In 2018, they made history with Blacks Spiced Rum, Ireland’s first-ever rum, made entirely from start to finish in Ireland. Continuing to add to their extensive range of award-winning craft beers and spirits, this year their first bottle of Blacks Golden Rum hit the shelves, after maturing in ex Irish whiskey oak barrels for the last five years.

The World Rum Awards are the leading global rum awards, which select the very best in all of the internationally recognised styles, and award and promote these world best rums to consumers and trade across the globe. It was with immense pride that passionate entrepreneurs, Maudeline & Sam, accepted this coveted World Rum Award, a recognition of their master craftsmanship and innovative recipe. Blacks Golden Rum was the only rum to win Gold in its category - World’s Best Column Still Rum 5 Years & Under, and the only Irish spirit to make the winners list. This was the first time Blacks Brewery & Distillery entered these illustrious awards, with their golden rum undergoing a series of three stringent judges tasting sessions. Due to Covid19 restrictions, this year, all aspects of these awards took place behind closed doors, with virtual tasting sessions chaired by head judge Peter Holland. The distinguished judging panel comprised of international, leading journalists, specialist drinks retailers and industry experts.

Speaking in relation to the taste of this Gold award-winning Blacks Golden Rum the judging panel commented, ‘An interesting nose. It starts off with wood varnish and dunder/funkiness. Very ripe tropical fruit and very ripe stone and citrus fruit with a very notable dry orange peel aroma. There is roat vegetal notes too. The palate is quite straightforward and easy. One dimensional with easy tropical fruits and little hints of wood smoke and medicinal characteristics.’

 

Sam Black

‘We couldn’t believe it when award organisers contacted us with the good news. Gold! We are very proud of our golden rum, as we are with all of the beers and spirits which leave our brewery and distillery displaying our name. They really are a testament to the time and talent invested by all of our team in Kinsale, but to receive this recognition on a global scale, especially when up against such long standing and established rum brands it was just phenomenal.’ commented Founder Sam Black. 

Having made their mark on the global rum stage, there is no stopping this pair who already have their eyes firmly on their next endeavour - the whiskey market. Always looking for a unique angle, and bringing creativity to their business, be that in the form of seasonal craft beer recipes, production methods or eye-catching packaging, Maudeline & Sam wanted to make their whiskey journey special too. They have achieved this by opening up their business to other whiskey enthusiasts who wish to share in their passion with the Blacks Whiskey Founders Club.

Already boasting over 100 members, the Blacks Whiskey Founders Club gives whiskey lovers the opportunity to purchase their own cask of whiskey, starting from €6,500. This club allows members to create their very own personalised and branded whiskey, with a cask expected to deliver over 397 bottles of pot still single malt Irish whiskey, or to use this as an investment opportunity and after the five-year maturation period sell back their cask to Blacks. This buy-back scheme will generate a minimum 4% annually compounded (approx. €280 per year per cask) return on a members initial investment.

Phase one of this €1million project has now been completed, the installation of two copper whiskey stills. With the club still open for new members to join, and with lots of different cask options to choose from for example ex bourbon, sherry or port, the next key date in the diary is the first annual Blacks Whiskey Founders Club party, which is set to take place on Friday 18th September. This annual event gives members an opportunity to network and check in on their whiskey, becoming an actively engaged part of the distilling process. During the day members will have a choice of some social activities such as golfing and a Kinsale Harbour sailing trip,  while in the afternoon there will be tours of the distillery and brewery, with lots of spirit and beer tasting.

Speaking in relation to the Blacks Whiskey Founders Club , Sam Black commented, ‘This really is a unique opportunity for whiskey enthusiasts, who otherwise would not be in a position to produce whiskey alone. It was my passion for brewing and my wifes support that gave me the push to open Black Brewery & Distillery and I want to share that experience with others. Some of our members who have already joined plan to bottle and label their whiskey to gift to family, friends, as corporate client gifts and to sell some on the secondary whiskey market, while for others its an investment opportunity, but one in which they to play an active role in also creating a piece of our famous Irish whiskey heritage. The next few weeks mark a huge milestone in this project as the actual whiskey production begins. I look forward to watching our club grow, adding more people to the Blacks family and getting to meet a lot of these face to face at our annual get-together.’

Blacks Brewery and Distillery are among some of the lucky businesses who have been able to adapt their operations processes in order to remain functioning safely through this Covid19 pandemic. Not only are they still supplying beers and spirits to off-licenses and supermarkets across the country, but they are also playing their part in trying to fight this virus and support the community, with the production of much needed hand sanitiser. Despite their online sales increasing over the last month and sales staff required to focus their efforts here, Maudeline and Sam were still adamant that they were going to use their resources to help, and therefore redeployed members of their sales team, who would have primarily focused on on-trade pubs and restaurants.

Sales staff are now helping in the distillery to bottle and label hand sanitizer. This supply of hand sanitiser is being split between charities, such as Cork Simon and local Kinsale volunteers, and consumers. In addition to charity drops and for consumers through retail stores, when placing online spirit orders through the Blacks website consumers receive free sanitiser and one is also donated to a charity group in their name. Now that the new copper whiskey stills are installed they will also play a role in this sanitation process, as before whiskey production begins in the coming weeks the stills must undergo a cleaning run in manual mode with vinegar, followed by a sacrificial alcohol run which will also be transformed into hand sanitiser.

Commenting on the new edition to their production line Sam Black said, ‘We consider ourselves very fortunate to still be in a position to stay open and meet the demand of customers. It is a very hard time for the entire Irish community and we just wanted to play our part, no matter how small in helping during this crisis. When we became aware of the huge shortage of hand sanitiser for those on the frontline we realised we were in a unique position to be able to assist, and so we quickly went about altering our production process to start manufacturing and getting this into the hands of those who need it.’

To find out more about the award-winning Blacks Golden Rum, to become a member of the Blacks Whiskey Founders Club, or to place an order for some of Blacks Brewery & Distillery famous craft beers or gin visit www.blacksbrewery.com. You can also contact Paul, a member of the Blacks team at paul@blacksbrewery.com or stay connected online at Instagram/blacksbrewery Instagram/blacksdistillerykinsale, Twitter @BlacksBrewery or Facebook/BlacksOfKinsale