Showing posts with label Real Olive Co. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Real Olive Co. Show all posts

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Midleton food and drink up and running. New Gastro Pub and Coffee Outlet; Sage reopen café

Midleton food and drink up and running. 

New Gastro Pub and Coffee Outlet. 

Menus and Times from Sage as they reopen café on Feb 21st

The new Church Lane gastropub


 I visited Midleton Farmers Market for the first time in a long while last Saturday. Our star purchase was the delicious Rosewater Marshmallows pack at the Ballymaloe Cookery Stall. Then I took a stroll around the town. Quite a lot going on there, virtually every kind of service you'd need on Main Street alone.

Some market purchases: Ballymaloe Cookery School Marshmallow,
Brown soda by Arbutus and Balsamic from the Olive Stall.


Lots of competition on the food front, for instance, the Pantry is back to back with Monty's and more or less next door to the excellent Ferrit & Lee. What looks like a proper coffee place, Caife Mo Chara, has just opened in Market Green. The amount of cafes in the town is amazing. You certainly won't be short of a cuppa or a sandwich or more substantial sustenance here as there are food outlets everywhere you turn.
Montys and Pantry side by side


The new Church Lane, a gastropub, is in an impressive building and will certainly provide more competition. Head Chef is James Cullinane who started in Ballymaloe, worked with Richard Corrigan in London and then at The Cliff House before becoming Head Chef at Longueville House and Castlemartyr Resort. Brothers Barry and Colin Hennessy have opened this venture, they are local with quite a lot of experience.
Sage reopen cafe!


You may or may not have heard that Sage has decided to reopen their cafe. It will be offering a Brunch and Light lunch menu 5 days per week Wednesday to Sunday from 8am. Kevin Aherne: "We had planned to open towards the end of last year but that plan was literally washed away. The Cafe will be opening as of next week on February 21st! With the Cafe opening we have reshaped our hours. The Restaurant & Cafe will both operate 5 days".

The menus & new opening hours are below for you to have a look at.

Hours







Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Trading through testing times. The English Market Traders continue to serve the people of Cork

Trading through testing times
The English Market Traders continue to serve the people of Cork 

The English Market has served the people of Cork since 1788 in the face of famine, flood, war and multiple recessions. As many of the English Market tenants continue to trade, it is almost certain that ‘global pandemic’ will soon be added to its list of triumphant battles.

Many of the food entrepreneurs and family businesses within the English Market have stepped up to recent challenges by diversifying and adapting from the traditional approach, to help support their communities, keep supply chains moving and ensure the viable continuity of their businesses. 

The English Market remains open for business in the heart of Cork City Centre as the traders today as in 1788, are as focussed as ever on “Serving the City”.

In addition, many of the innovative English Market Traders have recently introduced home delivery and order and collect services to support their customers who may be cocooning or unable to visit the Market during these times.

There is approximately 30 independent food retailers within the English Market open, providing a full supply of the very best of Irish produce including, freshly caught local fish and seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables, local farm reared meat and poultry, as well as some of Ireland’s best cheese, wine and preserve options - among a host of other foodie delights from both near and far. 

For customers visiting the English Market, there is the added advantage of free parking throughout the city and many social distancing, safety and security measures in place in the Market to keep shoppers and traders safe.

The English Market is open Monday to Saturday, 8am-6pm (although some traders are operating reduced opening hours), for further information please visit www.englishmarketcork.ie. To keep up to date with individual Trader information and regular updates visit @theenglishmarketcork on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.


Please find below the current detailed list of Traders open in the Market - with those offering click and collect or delivery services highlighted.




Company Name
Tenant
Details
Alternate Bread Company
Sheila Fitzpatrick
The Alternative Bread Company was established in 1997 by Sheila Fitzpatrick and sells a large range of handmade bread and baked goods, including a range of 100% organic sourdoughs, traditional Irish soda bread, syrian flatbread and a wide variety of gluten free, wheat free, dairy free and sugar free products. The Alternative Bread Company is open for business, operating during 8am -4pm. Offering a call and collect service and also offering a delivery service for elderly people - To place an order phone the shop on (021) 425 1347.
Ballycotton Seafood Ltd.
Adrian Walsh / Diane
Ballycotton Seafood is a family owned business, established in 1985, Ballycotton Seafood is open business as usual in the market with a full selection of superb fresh fish and seafood available. Also offering free local Cork delivery service (minimum order value €20) to place your order phone 021 4613122. Also offering call and collect service - phone the market stall on 021-4272093.
Best Meats
Paul / John Boyling
This traditional butchers was established in 1976 and now has had three generations of family preparing the “Best Meat” for the people of Cork since opening! Best Meats produces a range of fresh quality beef, lamb, pork and chicken. Their best selling product is their top quality beef. Business as usual. Slight change in hours - now operating 9am-5pm. Offering call and collect service from 021 4270563, pay over the phone available.
Bresnan Meats
Michael Bresnan
Bresnan’s Butchers was established in 1898 and is now a 4th generation butchers offering a high quality range of locally sourced meat. Bresnan’s is the family with the longest unbroken presence in the English Market which ensures a high level of care and custom in its service. Bresnan meats offer the best of home grown farm to fork, beef, lamb and pork from their Market stall business as usual from 9am-6pm Monday to Saturday.
Bubble Brothers
Billy Forrester
Bubble Brothers offer a carefully selected range of affordable, interesting wines and champagnes from around the world, alongside a variety of Cuban cigars.Open for business as usual in the market. Also offering free delivery for all orders of more than €100, to any address nationwide. Visit www.bubblebrothers.ie to place your order.
Café Marius
Sebastian Antoine
Cafe Marius take pride in offering local products, working exclusively with County Cork farmers and traders at the market to promote the importance of shopping local and supporting other traders. They have a selection of cakes, teas and coffees available. Open for takeaway only from their market stall.
Coffee Central
Mary Rose Daly
This family-run stall was established in 2000 and is on its second generation of management. Coffee Central offers a range of organic gourmet coffee and specialty loose leaf teas. Open in the market for takeaway only from Thursday to Saturday, 9am-5pm.
The Chicken Inn
Tim Mulcahy
Tim Mulcahy of The Chicken Inn, a third generation family business that is best known for providing quality and fresh poultry, pork and bacon, has recently launched their “Poultry in Motion” local delivery service offering customers free local Cork home delivery on orders €30 and above . Open For business in the market. To order, send an email to chickfoods.acc@gmail.com with your order, full name, address and telephone number.
Chocolate Stall
Rosemary Daly
The Chocolate Shop opened in 2000 as a specialist chocolate shop: unique in Ireland, it is independent of any manufacturer or franchise and therefore free to source only the best quality chocolate from the best artisan chocolatiers throughout the world. The Chocolate Shop is available for home delivery and click and collect from their website www.chocolate.ie 
Coughlan Meats
Paul / Alan Murphy
Coughlan meats are a fifth generation family butchers serving the people of Cork for over half a century. Alan and the team pride themselves on having all locally sourced products. This butchers specialises in providing a range of quality beef, lamb, pork and poultry products. Open business as usual in the market and also offering click and collect service of from www.coughlanmeats.com
Durcans
Tom Durcan
Tom Durcan Meats specialise in sourcing and selling the finest quality local meats from dry aged Irish beef, succulent Irish spring lamb, locally produced fresh Irish pork and the freshest homemade speciality sausages. Tom Durcan Meats are open in the market and also offering order and collect and a free local delivery service. Order online on tomdurcanmeats.ie or phone the shop on 021 427 9141 to place your order. They will even add items from other stalls to your order on request!
Hassetts Bakery
Michael Hassett
Hassetts Bakery offers a wide range of products including artisan breads and confectionery. Open for business and have recently launched an order online service from www.hassettsbakery.com. You can order your freshly baked bread, pastries & confectionery and they will have your order ready for next day collection once ordered before 12.30pm.
Heavens Cakes
Joe Hegarty
Heaven’s Cakes is run by husband and wife team Team Joe & Barbara Hegarty. Both are classically trained chefs specialising in Cakes and Pastries. All produce at Heaven’s Cakes is handmade, using local ingredients wherever possible. Open in the market on Friday and Saturday only from 9.30-6pm.
Hederman's
Frank Hederman & Caroline Workman
Hederman Smoked Salmon is a first generation artisan producer of smoked wild and organic salmon, which they have been producing in Ireland’s only authentic timber smokehouse for nearly forty years. Hedermans is open business as usual in the market, have just launched a new Click and Collect service in addition to their delivery service, available to order from their website www.frankhederman.com.
K O'Connell's
Pat O'Connell
K O’Connell’s was established in 1962 and has been a thriving business since its opening nearly 60 years ago. O’Connell’s pride themselves on their customer service, the freshness of their products and their ability to source exotic fish for their customers. Their best sellers include salmon, cod, hake and prawns. Open for business from the market offering an amazing selection of fresh local seafood. Also offering a newly introduced  home delivery service - to place an order phone 021 427 6380 or email freshfish@eircom.net. Please specify which way you would like your fish prepared and the team will have it ready just the way you like it!
Landons Bacon
Stephen Landon
After farming for generations the Landon family established this stall in the English Market in 1990. They pride themselves on selling only the best and freshest of Irish pork and bacon. All of their products are prepared in house and all produce is locally sourced. Their rashers and bacon are highly acclaimed and are very popular among the people of Cork. Open for business as usual, Offering delivery to elderly vulnerable people during this time - contact Stephen on 086 862 0077 to place your order.
My Goodness
Virginia & Donal O'Gara
My Goodness was established in 2015 by Dónal and Virginia O’Gara. My Goodness is an award-winning ethical health focused business that specialises in vegan, raw, sugar free, gluten free and fermented probiotic products. All ingredients are sourced from local and organic suppliers where possible. My Goodness foods are open business as usual in the market and available for Click and Collect and home delivery through Neighbourfoods.ie .
Noonan's
Kathleen Noonan
This stall was established in 1955 by Kathleen Noonan and is now managed by Pauline Noonan as the second generation to run the family business. Noonan butchers specialises in pork with best sellers including the skirts and kidneys, bodice, crubeens and offal. All produce is sourced from Irish local producers with traditional old fashioned curing. They can do a delivery service - if needed, just to ring her on her mobile. They have their full product range available everyday and new hours during this time are 9.30-4pm.
O'Mahony Family Butchers
Eoin & Katherine O'Mahony
O’ Mahony’s was established in 1974 by Katherine O’Mahony. At this Stall you will find the very best, locally sourced meat such as specialist cuts of dry aged beef, Ballea Farm Lamb, rose veal, buffalo and venison. Open for business Tuesday-Saturday 9am-2.30pm . Offering click and collect from www.omahonysbutchers.com and will drop your order to the boot of your car.
O'Reilly's
Donagh O'Reilly
A O'Reilly is now a third generation family butcher. O'Reilly's continue to serve traditional Tripe and Drisheen to the people of Cork, as they have for the past 100 years. Call ahead to place your order on 021 427 0925 and collect, or one of the team will kindly drop it out to your car.
O'Sullivans Poultry
Glenys Landon
O’Sullivans began the business by rearing free range turkeys and chickens on their own farm in Cork. They moved into trading in the English Market in 1990. You can expect to find a variety of options available from free range chicken to wild Irish game. Open for business as usual in the market.
O'Sullivans
Tim O'Sullivan
Tim O’Sullivan Meats was established in 1939. Now Tim O’Sullivan is the 3rd generation butcher to lead the company and provides quality and fresh meats to local customers. This butcher sells beef, lamb, pork and poultry products and is best known for providing a large range of ready-made stir fry marinated products.
On the pigs back
Isabelle Sheridan
On the Pigs Back was established by 1992 by Isabelle Sheridan, a French native. This stall prides itself on its passion for Farmhouse Cheeses, Homemade Pates & Terrines made from family recipes. On the Pigs Back stock a full range of Irish Farmhouse Cheese as well as daily fresh Arbutus Bread. Open business as usual in the Market and also offer a nationwide delivery service from www.onthepigsback.ie and available to order through neighbourfood.ie.
Pots n Pans
Michael McBarron
Pots N Pans was established in 2004 and sells a range of household, kitchen and crockery supplies. Open business as usual in the market with social distancing practices in place.
Moynihan's Poultry
Noel O'Callaghan
Moynihan’s Poultry provides a variety of fresh Irish poultry products and eggs. The brand is proud to provide all shoppers with locally sourced poultry products which come from 100% approved Bord Bia farms. Moynihan’s poultry range of poultry cuts, eggs and value-added products ensures that each customer has a wide variety of options to choose from. Open for business as usual in the market.
Super Fruit
Michael Corrigan
Superfruit was established in 1969 by Michael Corrigan. This family business sells fresh fruit and vegetables from its popular market stall. This is worth a visit if you are looking for guaranteed farm to fork freshness. Open for business as usual, trading as normal with all welcome.
The Good Food Shop
Marc O'Mahony
The Good Food Shop is a certified organic trader and sells a wonderful selection of top quality fresh, organic fruit and vegetables as well as household staples and a vast range of specialty food items. Open for business as usual, with the normal opening times 9am-6pm. Delivery service available - email or phone in marcomahony@hotmail.com Possibly the only shop in Cork(Potentially Ireland) with yeast available - to bake bread. Fresh yeast and dried yeast delivery on saturday morning.
The Meat Centre
Ken Barrett
The Meat Centre was originally established in 1980 by first generation butcher Ken Barrett. A wide variety of fresh meats are on offer such as beef, lamb, pork and bacon. All produce are of the finest quality and are fully traceable from farm to fork. Open for business as usual in the market.
The Real Olive Company
Jenny Rose & Tobias Simmonds
The Real Olive Company was established in 1993 by Toby Simmonds and was the first olive stall in the country. Starting with just a few barrels of olives and growing now to include about 40 varieties of olives along with an extensive range of other Mediterranean produce, such as fresh pesto, hummus, tapenade and extra virgin olive oil as well as their own dairy -Toons Bridge Dairy. The Real Olive Co. deliver nationwide from their online shop www.therealoliveco.com
The Roughty Foodie
Margo Ann Murphy
The Roughty Foodie is now a third generation family run business. You can expect to find local and fresh real honest ingredients when visiting this market stall - they provide non perishable food gifts, seasonal fruits, local raw honeys, homemade jams and Irish crafts. The Roughty Foodie is open for business as usual and also providing a free local delivery service within the city limits, of their delicious 'Cocooning Food Hamper' filled with local produce for just €70! Call Margo on 087 635 2415 to place your order.
Toonsbridge Dairy
Jenny Rose & Tobias Simmonds
Toonsbridge was established in 2009, when The Real Olive Company recognised a high demand for Mediterranean cheeses that were imported and being sold to accompany their olive selection. Jenny-Rose Clarke of The Real Olive Co. took this as an opportunity to create a range of locally hand-made Mediterranean style cheeses, which has since become an award-winning stand alone brand of its own. Toonsbridge Dairy and The Sandwich Stall are open for business in the market. They are also offering an order and collect service. To place an order, call (021) 4806500 .


Thursday, October 31, 2019

Kay Harte and The Farmgate Café's Early Years. Twenty Five Years in the English Market.


Kay Harte and The Farmgate Café's Early Years
Twenty Five Years in the English Market.
The Farmgate above the English Market, its Restaurant on the far right, the Balcony on the left.

The 16 year old is sitting with her mother in a room overlooking the Front Strand in Youghal in the mid 1960s. It is the house of her mother’s friend and the table is set for dinner. The teenager remembers the table setting, especially those flowers floating in a bowl.

The meat was boiled leg of mutton and the teenager was given a bit of the nap of mutton as a treat. “I never forgot that meal,” she told me recently. “It was my first time at an adult meal and it was absolutely divine."
The younger generation at The Farmgate with Rebecca Harte (3rd left at rear).

Kay Harte at ease.
That 16 year old was Kay Harte and we were speaking in her café, The Farmgate, celebrating 25 years in the English Market. When I had asked her what had been her best meal ever, I had prefaced it by saying it would be a hard one to answer. “Not at all,’ was the immediate reply. It was memorable indeed. “That was my first realisation that plain simple Irish food can be so sophisticated."

Soon afterwards she got her first cookery book, by Robert Carrier. “I still have it, still use it, I have to very careful handling it now. He was particularly good at Italian dishes and my first Spaghetti Bolognese was his.” I asked Kay what her favourite non-Irish cuisine was. Well, she likes Middle Eastern and Spanish but especially Basque.

Let us fast forward now to 1994, the year  a nervous Kay opened the Farmgate. Though she had worked, “on and off” with sister Marog, who had started the still strong Farmgate in Midleton ten years earlier, she had never run a business. There was competition too. Famous chef Michael Clifford was trading very successfully in his café across the street!
President Michael Higgins at the Wall of Poetry in the Farmgate when his poem Stardust was added in 2018. Kay has long believed that our food is part of our culture and the Hartes have supported the arts here from day one.

Besides, the English Market wasn’t exactly at its best then. Marog though was having none of it. “You’ll have no problem. The market is your larder.” They brought the Midleton Farmgate brand and ethos with them. “The focus was very much on what was available in the market downstairs, a focus that we’ve maintained ever since. There’s been great loyalty, on both sides.” Kay's daughter Rebecca is now the manager here. While Marog was quite the driving force, another sister, Claire O’Brien, was also very much involved and indeed worked with Kay for ten years. Many of you will have met and continue to meet Claire at Farmers Markets in recent years, selling cakes, tarts and loaves in her own stall under her Gan Gluten label.
The Farmgate ensured a strong spotlight was directed towards the often forgotten efforts of our Women of the South when the revolution was commemorated in 2016.

The Farmgate, as it turned out, was opening at a good moment, as some very interesting people were already there and more were coming onboard regularly and they started a momentum that has gathered pace and respect over the decades.

Toby Simmonds was there, Mary Rose too and also Iago. Isabelle Sheridan had started, working first with Anne Marie and Martin (who were making an organic French cheese out in Reenascreena) and then Isabelle, with a stall down by the Princes Street entrance, started introducing her French terrines, charcuterie and more. Hederman’s Smoked Fish arrived too and Sheila Fitzpatrick opened her ABC (Alternative Bread Company) stall shortly after Kay's arrival.
Majella Cullagh raises the market rafters from the Farmgate 

And they were all very helpful. Mary Rose Daly “was the go-to person, always helpful, no hesitation.” All the camaraderie was “a huge encouragement”. Kay also remembers that Kay O’Connell (the fishmonger and mother of Pat) was always ready with advice. And she also remembers Paul Murphy of Coughlan's Butchers as being exceptionally helpful. “He was the Ard Saoi of the market, a rock of common sense. He always listened and then invariably came up with the solution.”

She remembers too the sisters Siobhan and Eileen, each a stallholder. “They regularly came up for a cuppa and were incredibly supportive, pure Cork characters.” Declan Ryan (Arbutus Restaurant) was another who came up with great advice, “especially on cooking tripe”. 
Many famous people from the world of food have visited The Farmgate, including Claudia Roden (4th left)

Sometimes, bureaucrats get the thumbs down from business people but Kay recalls that they got fantastic support from City Hall, support that was essential in opening the new enterprise. So with all that support, the Cork Farmgate began to find its feet. “It was still a daunting task, especially the fit out." Furniture came from Eric Pearce, art via painters Tom Climent and Billy Foley and sculpture from Michael Quane. Finding its feet, establishing its character, starting out as she meant to go, food and culture in the melange.
Beara's Leanne O'Sullivan's poem on the Great Wall

It wasn’t all plain sailing of course. “There was that famous Christmas Eve,” Kay recalls. “Big queues, customers lined down the stairs. Then the power went - no lights in the kitchen.  I managed to stay calm, we got through it, but it was afterwards it hit me!”.

One bit of advice to restaurant owners. Take more heed of your customers than the food critics. Don’t be worried about the food writers. They don’t run cafés or restaurants, often more interested in what is currently in fashion. But your customers are in regularly, whether it’s just for tea and toast or a big lunch when the occasion demands. Look after them because they vote with their feet.

And that was underlined during our talk when Kay excused herself to walk a recently widowed elderly customer down the stairs and have a few words together on the way. You can have presidents (the Farmgate has fed a string of them) but Kay believes the regular customer is the real royalty here. And she practices what she preaches.
Kay and I at the meeting with US bloggers, New York's Amy Cao and San Fran's Chris Connolly (who took the photo). 
All other pictures from the Farmgate collection.


Eight years ago, Kay and I sat down at very short notice with two visiting US bloggers. Kay ordered samples of everything on the menu and told us all about each part of the dish as she shared it out. I don't think the Americans had ever seen any restaurant owner as informative (she explained our "great balls of flour") and as passionate about food and where it came from. All through the encounter, Kay emphasised the importance of local provenance. I'll say it again, Kay practises what she preaches, and it has stood the Farmgate well over the last 25 years.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week
Aged veal steak from O'Mahony Butchers, English Market
The English Market was the source of these gorgeous Aherla Farm veal steaks. O'Mahony Butchers had aged it for 28 days and it was absolutely superb, served with rösti and stir-fried vegetables.  Starter, by the way, was halloumi (below), made with buffalo milk from the Toonsbridge Dairy and bought at the Real Olive Stall. And just to make it a market hat trick, the apples for the dessert (Cinnamon flavoured Apple and Sultana Clafoutis) came from the Midleton Farmers Market. Buy local, fresh and fair. And enjoy!