Turkish Delight In Baltimore Last Saturday. Chef Ahmet conducts a symphony for the senses in Baba’De

Turkish Delight In Baltimore Last Saturday

Chef Ahmet conducts a symphony for the senses in Baba’De

Squid Eriste

At Baltimore's Baba’De last Saturday, presentation was mesmerising, particularly with our opening dishes, the spring rolls and the Squid Eriste and the following plates didn't disappoint either. Of course, while the presentation can dazzle and puzzle, it is what behind it that counts and here every single note was precise, all coming together in a virtuoso performance by the chef and his team.  

Spring Rolls

For us a serendipitous discovery. But this symphony of looks, textures and flavours owes nothing to accident, rather it's the results of years of learning by Chef Ahmet, his insistence from day one on finding the best local produce along with his judicious use of sauces and spices (used more to enhance the flavours than add heat) from his native Turkey. I suppose the serendipity comes in the fact that he did end up here in Baltimore.

West Cork beef köfte 

So what is Baba’De? It is the second restaurant in Baltimore with Chef Dede at the helm, with Maria Archer leading out-front. Dede at The Custom House is just a few steps up the street and already displays two Michelin stars. Baba is still in its infancy but the prodigy has already been recognised with a Michelin bib.

Baba'de-style fried chicken 

And indeed the menu follows Michelin lines, even the shortened one at lunchtime that we enjoyed. There are no starters as such, though you may enjoy Soup (Turkish red lentil - - garlic buffalo yogurt, sourdough, almond & garlic - on our visit) and/or Ali’s Hummus (fresh chickpeas & tomato casserole, paprika & cumin, sourdough).

Baba'de-style fried chicken 

Here you  are invited to pick what you like to begin and then order again and again. There’s quite a wine list here, local drinks too including craft beers, and cocktails of course. As we were driving back to the city immediately afterwards we picked a couple of non alcoholic favourites, the Stonewell Cider and the Fierce Mild beer; neither disappointed.

We started with a couple of dishes from the Sea section including those spectacular Langoustine spring rolls, with basil, sesame seeds, and chilli. A delight for the eye and the taste buds. Next up was the Squid Eriste (pasta served with oregano & red pepper velouté almond), another eye-catching and very satisfying dish. Eriste, by the way, is a type of Turkish pasta. Both dishes were shared, and that was the plan, until dessert!

Another look at the menu for round two and we ordered a couple of dishes from the Pasture section. First up was the Baba'de-style fried chicken (fried buttermilk chicken thigh, spice mix & brown butter dip). Might sound a bit prosaic but once again it was poetry on a plate from the kitchen. And that same standard continued with the amazing West Cork beef köfte with aromatic rice, barbecue beef, pickles, tomato and yoghurt sauce.

Time for dessert

And then to dessert where the sharing arrangement broke down, We were in agreement though that, of the two on offer, it just had to be Annemin sütlaçi (dede's mother's warm rice pudding, brown butter ice cream, hazelnut). We each had one and it turned out to be a great decision. I enjoyed every little grain though I had to promise that I would try and compare it with CL’s version featuring Blackcurrant jam (plenty of it) and a shake of nutmeg - looking forward to that!

We had had our stroll out to the Beacon earlier and, having been well fed and thoughtfully served by the excellent staff at Baba’de, we walked down to the pier and carpark, said au revoir to Baltimore, and were soon on our way home, reminiscing every now and then on that gorgeous meal.

Ferries for Sherkin and Cape Clear

The Beacon, about 30 minutes walk from village.
Five by car.

What we ate: 

Langoustine spring rolls €18

Squid Eriste €15

West Cork beef köfte €16

Baba'de-style fried chicken €13

Annemin sütlaçi €13

More on Baba'De here

Proby’s Kitchen. My kind of restaurant

 Proby’s Kitchen. My kind of restaurant

Proby's, from Elizabeth Fort

When you walk into a restaurant and read the menu and realise that you could enjoy every single dish here, then you know you are at home. That’s the feeling I had when I had “studied” the dinner menu at Proby’s Kitchen last Friday evening. Certainly, my kind of restaurant. 

Cod

And it's jut just the food. It is a welcoming and comfortable place (good space between the tables, nicely lit and with a superbly efficient service, not just efficient but calm and courteous and those so important smiles!

Stonewell. My favourite non alcoholic drink

They offer dinner three evenings a week, from Thursday on. The deal is two courses, starter and mains, for €39.00. If you fancy dessert, it will cost €7.50 extra.

There are seven starters to choose from. I had been looking online at the Salad of Quail or the Stacciatella but in the event picked the Prawn Cocktail, served with their delicious Proby’s O’rly sauce and mixed leaves. That sauce was delicious and I used the bread “for the table” to mop up every last drop. 

Duck

CL, who had earlier narrowed it down to two, eventually skipped Proby's fish cakes for another night and went with the Warm salad of scallops with citrus beurre blanc, another terrific starter. By the way, most (if not all) dishes here, can be made gluten free. Some are vegetarian, some vegan. So something for everybody!

We continued to sip our drinks, Stonewell zero cider (one of of the very best non-alcoholic drinks around) and a Kolonie Dry Riesling,  fruity and light, from the Mosel (also alcohol free). 

Soon, we tucking into our mains. By the way, the mains come with sides. Not just any old sides. We got parsnips (cooked in curry oil, a mild one), green beans and Gratin potato.

Tasty sides

The super standard continued with my  Skeaghanore duck breast with spiced pumpkin puree. I’ve known for a long time of the high quality of the West Cork duck. Enhanced by the Francatelli sauce (invented by Queen Victoria's chef, Francatelli), the duck was even tastier. CL's Fish of the day was Cod and that too was perfectly cooked and served with a red pepper salsa and an outstanding celeriac purée.

No shortage of drinks here. They have cocktails galore. Local brewers and cider-makers (including 9 White Deer - their beers are gluten free - and Stonewell ) are supported, along with quite a few local food producers. Some good wines there too and do look out for the regular specials. There’s an Austrian Grüner Veltliner (by Huber) and an Italian Cabernet Sauvignon (by Tuscany’s Frescobaldi) on special currently.

Opened in November 2023, the principals at Proby's are Marianne Delany  and Denis O'Mullane from Café Gusto & Liberty Grill, along with Pat Browne, formerly of Ballymaloe Cookery School. They say: “Proby's Kitchen shares the same commitment to fresh, seasonal, and healthy food made from scratch, as in our other establishments, with a focus on a shared passion for a sustainable future”. 

The building, a neighbour of St Finn Barre’s Cathedral, was previously used by the Brick Oven, Proby’s Bistro and La Dolce Vita. The Kitchen now serves Brunch, Lunch and Dinner. More on Proby’s here. 

‘The Renaissance of Irish Apple Brandy – A landmark Event Heralds a New Era in Irish Craft Spirits’

‘The Renaissance of Irish Apple Brandy – A landmark Event Heralds a New Era in Irish Craft Spirits’

A new chapter in Ireland’s rich drinks heritage was officially opened in Dublin last week at

The Renaissance of Irish Apple Brandy, a landmark event celebrating the birth of a new

drinks category: Irish Apple Brandy.

Proud Irish Apple Brandy Producers - The Apple Farm, Tipperary; Boann Distillery, Co.

Meath; Longueville House Distillery, Co. Cork; Orr Irish Apple Brandy, Co. Cork; and

Tipperary Boutique Distillery, Tipperary together hosted the first official launch of Irish Apple

Brandy and united in their mission to elevate Irish-grown apples into world-class apple

brandy expressions.

Distinguished members of the Irish food, drink and hospitality sector were treated to a

guided sampling of the four producers’ brandies under the expert guidance of renowned Irish

Food and Drinks Journalist and Founder of the Irish Food Writing Awards Suzanne Campbell

who mc’d the event.

Attendees were treated to a personal account of the origins and distillation process by the

Producers behind each Apple Brandy beginning with Cornelius Traas of the Apple Farm and

Jennifer Nickerson for their collaboration on ‘The 80’ Irish Apple Brandy, which recently won

the Silver Medal at the prestigious Berlin International Spirits Competition 2025.

This was followed by William O’Callaghan from Longueville House who spoke about the

legacy of Longueville House Irish Apple Brandy, which is made entirely on their own estate

from their own cider with their apples grown in their orchard in the Blackwater Valley Co.

Cork.

Quite a line-up!

Peter Cooney from Boann Distillery was up next with an exclusive sampling of Boann’s new

make Irish apple brandy spirit and a further tasting of their established 1848 Apple Brandy

which combines the best of France’s Calvados with Boann’s own triple-distilled Irish apple

brandy.

The event was rounded off with an introduction to the newly released Orr Irish Apple Brandy

by Diarmuid Madden. Orr Irish Apple Brandy is the most recent innovation from the team

behind the highly acclaimed and multi award winning Cork based Stonewell Cider and

Nohoval Apple Wines.

The event finished with a lively Q&A session where the valuable contribution of Irish Apple

Growers was highlighted by all Producers as an important and critical aspect of the Irish

drinks industry at a time when sustainability and traceability is key. This historic gathering

marked a pivotal moment for Irish Spirits – a renaissance not only in name, but in the

dedication to innovation and authenticity that defines Irish Apple Brandy.

www.orrbrandy.ie

www.boanndistillery.com

www.tipperarydistillery.ie

www.theapplefarm.com 

Steak, Stonewell and Swiss Roll. Highlights of a group lunch in Thompsons

Steak, Stonewell and Swiss Roll. 

Highlights of a group lunch in Thompsons

Is your name on that T-bone?

Seven of us met for a lovely lunch at Thompsons in MacCurtain Street last week. The former bakery is one of the leading lights on the revived street and its surroundings, collectively now known as the Victorian Quarter.

My meal can be easily described with these three words: Steak, Stonewell, Swiss Roll. Of course, there was much more on the menu.

The Himalayan salt dry-aged steaks are a feature here, and you pass a couple of ageing cabinets as you enter the large restaurant. Indeed, some were listed on the specials (for sharing), including the T-Bone, "the Rolls Royce of cuts," cooked on the bone. With prices at €110 for 800g and €130 for the 1kg size, our occasion didn’t quite demand spending that much!

Nonetheless, four of the seven opted for steak in various forms, two for Picanha (the Brazilian cut from the top of the rump and surrounded by a thick layer of fat giving tons of flavour) and one for the Flat Iron (cut from the chuck, nicely marbled with lots of beefy flavour, tender and juicy with minimal fat), The fourth steak was McCarthy's sirloin served with dressed leaves, caramelised onions and chimichurri on sourdough plus fries. All the steaks, supplied by Kanturk’s Jack McCarthy, came in for compliments, especially from an English visitor who was astounded by the flavour.

It wasn't just steak, though. Two picked the Ballycotton Fish and Chips (beer-battered Haddock with fries, minted pea purée, caramelised lemon, and tartar), which also went down very well. The Chicken Ciabatta (miso-glazed chicken from their famous Josper oven, roasted pepper aioli, crunchy lettuce, and tomato confit on ciabatta) also impressed. All sandwiches are served with fries, and  Alternative Bread Co. products are used.

There's a full bar here, so there are plenty of drinks, though sadly, the Cotton Ball beers are no longer available. Quite a selection was ordered, but I stuck with the non-alcoholic Stonewell Cider. This is a very impressive drink, perhaps the best of its class. Highbank's Drivers Cider is also excellent but you seldom see it on sale in the Cork area.

The large restaurant is based in a former bakery. 

A tempting Brownie.

Thompson's Swiss Roll was the most famous cake produced at the eponymous bakery back in its heyday—they had installed a multi-purpose sponge plant to cater to the demand. Of course, the roll heads the dessert menu, and, being of a certain age, most of us opted for the Raspberry Jam & Cream rolled in a classic Victoria sponge base served with fresh berries, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate crumb. 

The Swiss Roll, called Jelly Roll in the USA, didn't necessarily start in Switzerland, though the origin is almost certainly there or in neighbouring countries such as Austria. Anyhow, for us, it was what BBC's Good Food calls "the ultimate nostalgic treat". Yum!

At the entrance to an adjacent building, you'll see a couple of photos from the heyday of the Thompsons bakery showing the workers in action. Apparently, they used to produce up to a mile of it every day! Assuming that an individual roll measures 12 inches, I reckon that was the equivalent of over 5,000 rolls per day, 30,000 over a six-day week! Cork certainly had a sweet tooth! Still has, going by our happy punters at Thompsons!

Just one corner of this very large restaurant.

Stonewell Sting. Drink of the Week. Maybe drink of the summer!

Stonewell Sting. Maybe the drink of the summer!

Stonewell Sting Limited Edition Craft Cider, 5.50% ABV, Ballymaloe Food Festival

One of the most refreshing drinks of the summer.

I'm pretty sure I was the first person, aside from the Stonewall crew, to taste this exquisite cider, now our taste of the week. I got that first "sting" at their stall in the Ballymaloe Food Festival earlier this month.

Colour is pale gold, with a few

Non-Alcoholic Cider Gems By Highbank and Stonewell

Non-Alcoholic Cider Gems 

By Highbank and Stonewell 

Two of the best non-alcoholic drinks, across cider, wine and beer, that you are likely to come across. 

Highbank Organic Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Drivers Cider, 0% ABV, 330 ml bottle, Ballymaloe Food Festival

Made with Organic Cider apples from the Highbank Farm in

Cork's Stonewell win International Flavoured Cider Trophy, awarded "an esteemed accolade" at yesterday's Worldwide Brewers and Cidermakers Industry ‘Oscars’

 Worldwide Brewers and Cidermakers Taste Success at Industry ‘Oscars’

Cork's Stonewell win International Flavoured Cider Trophy and awarded "an esteemed accolade"  

Stonewell's Daniel Emerson raising his trophy! Pic by Simon Dewhurst

Of the 13 trophies awarded, six went to Europe, four awarded to Asia, two to North America, and one Australia

For the first time in the Awards’ 138-year history, two brewers were crowned trophy winners in The Smallpack Ale competition

 

Winners from across the globe have received

Big congrats to Stonewell Ciders who have been awarded two Golds and a Silver at Cidermaking Industry ‘Oscars'

 Stonewell Cider Gains Global Recognition 

at Cidermaking Industry ‘Oscars’

Big congrats to all at Stonewell Ciders who have been awarded two Golds and a Silver in the Cider with Other Fruits & Flowers, the Open Class and the Modern Cider categories respectively at the International Brewing & Cider Awards 2024, specifically Rós (Rhubarb & Apple Cider), Tawny 10 and Stonewell Cider Medium Dry.

Following three days of deliberation from an international panel of 38 judges from around the world, 115 medals were awarded to beers and ciders including winners from Cambodia, China, Czech Republic, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Taiwan, Thailand, USA and the UK.  

For the first time in its 138-year history, Manchester hosted the brewing industry ‘Oscars’ which date back to 1886 and have a rich history championing the world’s best brewers and cider-makers.

The International Brewing & Cider Awards relocated to Depot Mayfield in Manchester this year and – in another first – was accompanied by a public festival. The two-day International Brewing & Cider Festival will provide a rare opportunity for the public to sample the range of beers and ciders entered into the competition, including the award-winners. 

Stonewell's Daniel Emerson tasting.

The judging for The International Brewing & Cider Awards took place over three days between 19th – 21st March and provided an unparalleled opportunity for brewers and cidermakers to have their products evaluated by internationally acclaimed, commercially practising international brewers and cidermakers, led by Chair of Beer Judging, Rob McCaig and Chair of Cider Judging, Gabe Cook. 

Ruth Evans MBE, Director of the International Brewing & Cider Awards, said: “It’s been an honour to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary beers and ciders across the world at our new home here in Manchester.

“We support the brewing and cidermaking industry on a not-for-profit basis, and the Awards has a long and rich history championing the best beers and ciders going into the market. 

“This week, we’ve had some of the best brewers and cidermakers in the world judge our prestigious competition and I’d like to personally thank all of them, as well as all the brewers and cidermakers who entered their products to make this year’s Awards one to remember. 

“We’re thrilled to be able to continue to provide a platform to reward the best beers and ciders with the recognition they so truly deserve. And for the first time ever expand to launch our Festival, providing the public a chance to sample these award-winning drinks from the most extensive collection of international beers and cider in Europe.”

Rob McCaig, Chair of Beer Judging, said: “We’ve had such an outstanding lineup of judges from all corners of the world, and they’ve all done a remarkable job tasting and evaluating some of the finest beers from around the globe. 

“This year proved to be one of the toughest yet to determine which of the beers were deserving of a medal. We had an exceptional amount of great quality beers enter this year, making the job of our judging panel extremely difficult. It’s a shame we couldn’t award more medals, as there were so many beers that were deserving of the accolade – some of which narrowly missed out. 

“We saw a significant increase in entries in the Non & Low Alcohol category, which reflects the growing demand in the industry, and also saw an influx of international brewers enter the Smallpack Ale category, which is very promising. Historically, this category has often been dominated by the UK, but this year saw the inclusion of breweries from Japan, North America and South America.”   

Gabe Cook, Chair of Cider Judging, said: “It has been a great pleasure once again to chair the world’s premier cider competition. This year has been the best calibre of judges we’ve ever had, coming from all over the world including Japan, Latvia, Norway, USA, Spain and the UK. 

A winner!

“The incredible global range has also been reflected in the cider entries, with entries arriving from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America. 

“This has undoubtedly been the most difficult competition to judge – the quality of ciders has been truly, so high. It’s great to see that cidermakers have been upping their game on the quality, and those that were awarded a medal in their category is a recognition truly deserved. 

“We have seen a lot of fun and playful ciders being entered into the Open Class, which provides cidermakers with a bit of freedom to do something a little different, which is always nice to see.” 

The competition’s unique approach to the judging process sets it apart from other awards, which ensures each beer and cider is judged fairly and rigorously on its quality and commercial value. The 38-strong judging panel was chosen to reflect the current expertise in the tasting and commercial evaluation of beers and ciders going into the market and blind tasted hundreds of beers and ciders submitted by brewers and cidermakers from around the world. It is these values that has earnt it the reputation as the ‘Oscars of the brewing and cider world’.  

All the gold, silver and bronze medal winners announced at Depot Mayfield, Manchester will collect their medals at an official Awards Ceremony on 1st May 2024 at The Guildhall in London, when 12 trophy winners will also be announced.

A full list of all 2024 medal winners can be found on The International Brewing & Cider Awards’ website: www.brewingawards.org 

The International Brewing & Cider Awards 2024 are supported by headline sponsors; Barth-Haas Group, Krones and Fermentis. Trophy sponsors include; drinktech + Marketing, The Morning Advertiser, Brauwelt, BFBI, All Party Parliamentary Beer Group, British Guild of Beer Writers, and Institute of Brewing & Distilling.