Taste of the Week. Ummera Smoked Organic Irish Picanha Beef

 Taste of the Week

Ummera Smoked Organic Irish Picanha Beef

Ummera, winner of the Golden Fork Award for their smoked Irish organic salmon in the 2020 Great Taste, have another winner in their Smoked Organic Irish Picanha Beef. I recently ordered a box of produce from the Timoleague producer and the Picanha, with its out of this world flavour, is now our Taste of the Week. 

Owner/operator Anthony Cresswell: "The Rump Cap is a highly regarded cut of beef in Brazil where it is called Picanha and Ummera have adopted the name, despite people saying it should be Irish, to which we reply and what about Entrecote Steak? It also adds uniqueness; I mean have you ever heard of Irish Picanha? Probably not!"

Anthony recommends serving it with a fresh salad and a light dressing and that's just what we did with the Aberdeen Angus beef. The salad came via Neighbourfood, a bag of superb mixed leaves from Horizon Farms, delicious, semi sundried tomatoes from Sicily in a mixed oil, equally delicious quartered artichoke globes in a mixed oil also from Sicily along with, from the Pyrenees, freshly dressed Arbequina olives (tiny but with a huge flavour). Quite a plateful! 

The Picanha is available in whole pieces with weights varying from 500gm to 1 kg to 1.5kgs and should be sliced thinly. Very Highly Recommended! 

It's not the first time, I've had this as Taste of the Week. During the Ballymaloe LitFest, I got the very first bite of it at Anthony's stall in the Big Shed. That was in 2016, the same year that it was voted the Best New Organic Product at the Irish National Organic Awards

Ummera

Call on +353 (0)23 88 46644

For all enquiries please email info@ummera.com

Stockists here

Ummera Organic Salmon Reels in a Golden Fork

 P R E S S  R E L E A S E

Organic salmon makes a splash at Great Taste, reeling in a Golden Fork for the smokehouse

 

Golden Fork from Ireland announced

 

Great Taste, the world’s most trusted food and drink awards, has reached its grand finale for 2020, with the Great Taste Golden Fork from Ireland presented to Ummera Smoked Products from Inchy Bridge, Co. Cork for its Smoked Irish Organic Salmon. 

 

Smoking salmon in Co. Cork for nearly half a century, making the transition from wild Atlantic salmon to organically grown Atlantic salmon 14 years ago, Ummera Smoked Products impressed the Great Taste panel with its organic salmon’s “lovely texture”, “great mouthfeel” and “a level of smoke that is measured to perfection.” As the praise rolled in for this product, one judge said, “this is as good a piece of smoked salmon as I've had in years.” 

 

Having impressed at every stage of the blind-tasted judging process, as a record-breaking 12,777 entries were assessed over 14 weeks of remote judging and socially distanced judging sessions, the Smoked Irish Organic Salmon, grown in the pristine waters off the west coast of Ireland, was celebrated as the best tasting product in Ireland during the virtual Great Taste Golden Fork award ceremony on Thursday 22 October.  

 

Taking place across the Guild of Fine Food’s social media channels and website, the online event brought together food lovers, producers, retailers, buyers and chefs to discover this year’s stars of food and drink, providing a vital boost for the industry as the nation moves towards the most important Christmas period in a generation. Held later in the year than usual, after the lockdown interrupted judging just one week into the schedule, the Golden Fork trophy announcements are the final instalment in a Great Taste calendar that has been reinvented at every stage, in order to stimulate much-needed consumer support for independent retail and hospitality over the challenging months ahead.  

 

This year’s panel of judges included; cook, writer and champion of sustainable food, Melissa Hemsley, cook, writer, stylist and voice of modern vegetarian cooking, Anna Jones, celebrated Spanish chef, José Pizarro, Kavi Thakrar from Dishoom, food writer and cook, Xanthe Clay, and baker and author, Martha Collison, as well as food buyers from Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose. These esteemed palates tasted and re-judged the 3-star winners to finally agree on the Golden Fork trophy winners and the Great Taste 2020 Supreme Champion.   

 

The Golden Fork from Ireland was sponsored by Bord Bia and also nominated this year were the Great Taste 3-star winners; Gooseberry Spread from Crossogue Preserves in Thurles, Co. Tipperary and Heritage Cure Ham from James Whelan Butchers in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. 

 

Ummera Smoked Products is among the Great Taste winners of 2020. And going for the Golden Fork next Thursday!

  press release

Ummera Smoked Products is among the Great Taste winners of 2020

Great Taste, the world’s most trusted food and drink awards, has announced its stars of 2020. Out of 12,777 products sent in from 106 different countries, Ummera Smoked Products in Ireland was awarded a 3-star Great Taste award, which means the product was described by judges as extraordinarily tasty for its Smoked Organic Irish Salmon.

Judged by 144 of the most discerning palates, belonging to food critics, chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, buyers, retailers and producers, as well as food writers and journalists, Great Taste is the most coveted of all food and drink awards. As well as a badge of honour, the unmistakeable black and gold Great Taste label is a signpost to an outstanding product, which has been discovered through hours and hours of blind tasting. 

This year’s winners have been found through a combination of remote judging and socially distanced judging sessions, after the lockdown began just one week into the schedule. This necessitated a swift and comprehensive reinvention of the Great Taste process to ensure that robust judging standards were maintained and the quality of feedback was not compromised, all in time to provide a much-needed boost for food and drink producers during the all-important Christmas period.

Anthony Creswell, MD of Ummera Smokehouse explains: Seventeen years ago we were awarded a Silver 2 Star for our Smoked Organic Salmon, then Ten years ago in 2000 we were seriously honoured to be awarded a 3 Star Gold and a Golden Fork for our Smoked Silverhill Duck Breasts, and so we thought that ten years on we should enter again. And now we can put the 3 Star Gold logo on our smoked salmon! A couple of comments from the judges:

“Lovely texture, great mouthfeel, moist but in no way greasy, and a level of smoke that is measured to perfection. The salt level is also spot-on - in no way intrusive, its presence detected but only serving to lift and enhance the flavour and honesty of the fish. As one judge commented, 'as good a piece of smoked salmon as I've had in years.”

“This smoked salmon has a deep brownish orange colour and a smokey nutty wood aroma. The flesh is tender, creamy and rich in the mouth and the fish is moist but not flabby or greasy. There is a lovely natural fruity sweetness and a pleasant amount of salt that helps to brighten, lift and accentuate the fish's flavour. The fish is buttery and rich and has maintained plenty of clean minerality . The smoke brings a richness and fruitiness although is possibly a little too intense - some found a hint of acrid bitterness. Over all however this is fine piece of fish that has been well smoked.”

“A simple description for a product that delivers glorious flavours. This smoked salmon has been treated with great care, skill and precision. There is just the right level of smoke. It is rich but light, enhancing not dominating the fish. The salmon has an excellent texture, meaty and full of flavour. The salt is perfectly balanced, adding depth to a product that provides everything you could ask for in smoked farmed salmon.”

Recognised as a stamp of excellence among consumers and retailers alike, Great Taste values taste above all else, with no regard for branding and packaging. Whether it is cake, coffee, kippers or kombucha being judged, all products are removed from their wrapper, jar, box or bottle before being tasted. The judges then savour, confer and re-taste to decide which products are worthy of a 1-, 2- or 3-star award. 

There were 12,777 entries into Great Taste this year and of those products, 205 have been awarded a 3-star, 1,294 received a 2-star and 3,818 were awarded a 1-star accolade. The panel of judges this year included; cook, writer and champion of sustainable food, Melissa Hemsley, cook, writer, stylist and voice of modern vegetarian cooking, Anna Jones, celebrated Spanish chef, José Pizarro, Kavi Thakrar from Dishoom, food writer and cook, Xanthe Clay, and baker and author, Martha Collison, as well as food buyers from Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose. These esteemed palates have together tasted and re-judged the 3-star winners to finally agree on the Golden Fork Trophy recipients and the Great Taste 2020 Supreme Champion.  

Great Taste 2020 will reach its exciting finale on October 22nd, when the Golden Fork trophy winners and the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2020 are announced at the virtual Great Taste Golden Fork awards event. And, you've guessed it, Ummera are in the final three for Ireland!

****************

Date: 7^th October 2020

For more information: 

Anthony Creswell

info@ummera.com +353 23 8846644

Great Taste reveals trophy nominations, as Golden Forks go virtual on October 22nd

 

​

Great Taste reveals trophy nominations,

as Golden Forks go virtual

 

Following a record-breaking 12,777 entries judged over 14 weeks, Great Taste has named this year’s Golden Fork nominees, with the big winners set to be announced during a virtual ceremony on Thursday 22 October. Taking place across the Guild of Fine Food’s social media channels and website from 10am – 6pm, this online event will allow more people than ever to share in the drama and excitement of Great Taste’s grand finale, as the world’s most trusted food and drink awards shines a spotlight on the best of the best. 

 

Coming later in the year than usual, after the lockdown interrupted judging just one week into the schedule, the Golden Fork trophy announcements will provide a vital boost for the industry during the all-important run-up to Christmas. Following many weeks of remote judging, followed by socially distanced judging in London and Dorset, the virtual Golden Fork event will be the final instalment in a Great Taste calendar that has been reinvented at every stage, in order to stimulate much-needed consumer support for independent retail and hospitality over the challenging months ahead. 

 

Beginning at 10am with the first regional trophy, the Golden Fork winners will be shared at 30 minute intervals throughout the day, building to the announcement of the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2020 at 6pm. A host of Great Taste supporters and judges will reveal the winners, with a line-up including food writer and cook, Xanthe Clay, baker and author, Martha Collison, wine writer and presenter, Jane Parkinson, food and drink broadcaster, Nigel Barden, and James Golding, Chef Director of THE PIG hotel group. 

 

Food lovers, producers, retailers, buyers and chefs can keep up with all the Great Taste Golden Fork announcements via the following channels: 

Facebook: @greattasteawards 

Instagram: guildoffinefood 

Twitter: @guildoffinefood 

YouTube: Guild of Fine Food 

Website: gff.co.uk/greattaste 

#GreatTasteAwards 

 

Great Taste 2020 Golden Fork awards and nominations: 

 

10:00 Golden Fork from London & the South East, sponsored by Stoke Park 

Bermondsey Street Honey for Royal Albert Dock Honey 

Iain Spigs for Cumberland Sausage 

Moving Mountains Foods for Moving Mountains® Sausage Burger 

 

10:30 Golden Fork from East Anglia 

Alder Tree for Blackcurrant Fruit Cream Ice 

Linden Leaf Botanicals for Le Rêve Organic Molecular Absinthe 

SO Drinks for Seville Orange Gin 

 

11:00 Golden Fork from the Midlands 

47 Degrees Coffee for Colombian Supremo 

The Coffee Collaborative for Coffee Collaborative Genius Blend 

Redhill Farm Free Range Pork for Free Range Pork Shoulder 

 

11:30 Golden Fork from the North of England, sponsored by Fine Food Show North 

Di Meo's Ice Cream for 100% Pure Bronte Pistachio Gelato 

The Lost Barn Coffee Roasters for Bloomsbury Blend 

Poetic License Distillery for Northern Dry Gin 

 

12:00 Golden Fork from Scotland 

Sarah Gray’s for Sarah Gray’s Raspberry Jam 

Shortbread House of Edinburgh for Pea Green Boat Cheese Sablés - Fennel and Chilli 

Tayport Distillery for 1992 Raspberry Liqueur 

 

12:30 Golden Fork from Northern Ireland, sponsored by Invest NI 

Baronscourt Estate for Wild Sika Venison French Rack 

Craic Foods for Black Garlic & Porcini Sea Salt 

The Little Bakehouse for Abernethy Lemon Curd  

 

13:00 Golden Fork from Ireland, sponsored by Bord Bia 

Crossogue Preserves for Gooseberry Spread 

James Whelan Butchers for Heritage Cure Ham 

Ummera Smoked Products for Smoked Irish Organic Salmon 

 

13:30 Golden Fork from Wales, sponsored by Food and Drink Wales 

Conwy Kombucha for Blighty Booch Kombucha Organic Ginger 

Mario's Luxury Dairy Ice Cream for Mario’s Red Cherry Sorbet 

Wenallt Hive for Honey Vinegar with Raspberries 

 

14:00 Golden Fork from the South West, sponsored by Bishop Fleming 

The Artisan Kitchen for Pink Gin Marmalade 

Capreolus Fine Foods for Smoked Pancetta 

Jess's Ladies Organic Farm Milk for Jess's Ladies Organic Double Cream 

 

14:30 Golden Fork for Best Imported Food, sponsored by Speciality & Fine Food Fair 

Anchoas Hazas for Anchoas Hazas | Anchovies (Spain) 

Caseificio Il Fiorino Srl for Riserva del Fondatore Fiorini Duilio (Italy) 

Embutidos Ferju for Cecina de León IGP (Spain) 

 

15:00 Ambient Product of the Year 

 

15:30 Nigel Barden Heritage Award, sponsored by Dunbia 

 

16:00 Great Taste Startisan of the Year, sponsored by Partridges 

 

16:30 Charcuterie Product of the Year, sponsored by Fine Food Digest 

 

17:00 Small Artisan Producer of the Year 

 

17:30 Contribution to Fine Food, sponsored by the Guild of Fine Food 

 

18:00 Great Taste Supreme Champion 2020 

 

Details of this year’s 1-, 2- and 3-star winners can be found at www.greattasteawards.co.uk and a wide range of award winning products are available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the country. 

press release

 

 

Ummera's Anthony Cresswell (right) is a happy man today as his Irish Smoked Irish Organic Salmon is awarded 3-stars at the Great Taste Awards. Ten years ago, his Smoked Duck won a similar award. Ummera is just one of an amazing 396 Irish based winners this year.

The Press release 

Time-honoured tradition takes top honours, as Great Taste stars go to Ireland’s coastline, pastures and hedgerows  

 

Following 14 weeks of judging, the results of the world’s most trusted food and drink awards, Great Taste, have been released, with many producers in Ireland now celebrating. Out of a record breaking 12,777 entries from 106 different countries, 42% were awarded a highly prized Great Taste accolade and a remarkable 396 are based in Ireland. 

 

Among the Great Taste 3-star winners from Ireland are a number of traditional products that make the most of what the land and sea provides, including; the “plump, glossy, soft and remarkably sweet” Carlingford Oysters from Carlingford Oyster Co, “a real taste of the sea” that led one judge to say, “it is hard to imagine better tasting, better looking oysters”; a “simple but really well made” Gooseberry Spread from Crossogue Preserves in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, praised for having “notes from the flesh, skins and pips all present” and ending in style with a “lovely hedgerow finish”; and Traditional Ham on the Bone from James Whelan Butchers in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, a “whopper of a ham with a light piggy aroma” and “oozing pig flavour”, with the judges agreeing that this “was obviously a happy pig.” 

 

While these producers enjoy their success and begin displaying the unmistakable gold and black Great Taste logo, with 1-, 2- or 3- stars, on their award-winning products, they will wait with much anticipation to see if they also scoop the top awards for their region. These final honours, including the Great Taste 2020 Supreme Champion, will be announced at the virtual Great Taste Golden Fork awards event, set to take place in October. 

 

Recognised as a stamp of excellence among consumers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else, with no regard for branding or packaging. Whether it is cake, coffee, kippers or kombucha being judged, all products are removed from their packaging before being tasted. The judges then savour, confer and re-taste to decide which products are worthy of a 1-, 2- or 3-star award. 

 

This year’s winners have been found through a combination of remote judging and socially distanced judging sessions, after the lockdown began just one week into the schedule. This necessitated a swift and comprehensive reinvention of the Great Taste process to ensure that robust judging standards were maintained and the quality of feedback was not compromised, all in time to provide a much-needed boost for food and drink producers during the all-important Christmas period. 

 

The panel of judges included; cook, writer and champion of sustainable food, Melissa Hemsley, cook, writer, stylist and voice of modern vegetarian cooking, Anna Jones, celebrated Spanish chef, José Pizarro, Kavi Thakrar from Dishoom, food writer and cook, Xanthe Clay, and baker and author, Martha Collison, as well as food buyers from Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose. These esteemed palates have together tasted and re-judged the 3-star winners to finally agree on the Golden Fork Trophy winners and the Great Taste 2020 Supreme Champion.   

 

Details of this year’s winners can be found at www.greattasteawards.co.uk and a wide range of award winning products are available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the country. 

 

Facts and figures about Great Taste 2020: 

• Great Taste is widely acknowledged as the most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food producers 
• A record breaking 12,777 different products were entered in 2020 
• Entries were sent in from 106 different countries, including Estonia, Greece, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Madagascar, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the USA and Vietnam 
• 144 judges took part this year. Less than usual, due to the pandemic and to ensure social distancing in both locations. However, the same number of judging layers were applied, to maintain the rigorous and robust process. Judges included the most demanding palates, belonging to food critics, chefs, restaurateurs, retail buyers, cooks, producers and a host of food writers, journalists and social media influencers 
• Judging took place over a total of 14 weeks. Having begun as planned in March 2020, the process was then halted due to COVID-19. Judging resumed in early May, when remote judging was able to take place in judges’ homes, before Great Taste returned to the judging rooms in both Dorset and London during July 
• Judging took place at the following locations: 
• Guild HQ in Gillingham, Dorset, as well several other Dorset venues 
• The Guild of Fine Food’s London home, No. 42 Southwark Street, SE1 
• The homes of regular judges, as Great Taste continued during lockdown 
• 3,818 awarded 1-star  
• 1,294 awarded 2-star 
• 205 awarded 3-star 

 

As the judges searched for the stars of 2020, waste was kept to a minimum, with unused products being donated to local food banks and hampers made up of excess products for local businesses to raffle in aid of charities. No plastic plates or cutlery were used during the judging rounds, reducing plastic waste by almost 100%. The Guild of Fine Food also donates surplus computer equipment, used to record the judges’ comments, to community-based projects across the UK, which are then refurbished and used to facilitate after school clubs and many other initiatives designed to support underprivileged families.  

 

A full list of winners is available from sam@freshlygroundpr.co.uk.

Taste of the Week. From the Pig.

Taste of the Week.
From the Pig.

A bit of a problem this week. I had no Taste of the Week for you. Well, nothing that hadn't appeared here before. I did have a few of this list on the plate or in the fridge, so I thought I'd put the best of the pig together for you, a sample of what you can get locally. So take your pick and enjoy! By the way, I'd appreciate it if you can point me in the direction of tasty local Irish produce for next week and the week after and the ..........   It can be meat, fish, vegetable, baked goods, something sweet, something to drink. This is my 6th year (at least) doing this, so I don't want to repeat, well not too much anyhow!

Woodside Farm Shoulder of Pork (slow-cooked)

James Whelan Rack of Roasting Bacon

Gubbeen Hot Smoked Ham. Made by Fingal Ferguson. See all about the Schull farm here.

Pork Steak Wellington (Davidson's Butchers)

Kanturk Pudding  (McCarthy Butchers)

Baltimore Dry Cured Black Bacon. Read more about Nathan and his various Baltimore Bacon products here.

Ummera Smoked Bacon Rashers

Courtmacsherry Hotel. Small place. Big Heart.

Courtmacsherry Hotel.

Small place. Big Heart. 

Delicious Ummera smoked salmon

Six was our lucky number when we arrived at the 10-room Courtmacsherry Hotel last weekend. We were in the lovely estuary village for a superb wine-dinner at the village’s Lifeboat Inn. And yes, there is a lifeboat station here.

A warm welcome became even warmer when we were informed that we had been upgraded, to number 6. We had been in that very room a year back and it’s a beauty with three fairly large windows and two of them have direct views over the magnificent Courtmacsherry Bay. 

The renovations hadn't quite finished last year (and indeed there are still some going on before the hotel opens full-time at the start of June). But number six has now been more or less completed. The compact bathroom is very impressive with beautiful wall tiling, a lovely retro cistern and also a fine mirror with inbuilt lighting (just put your finger on a little disk). In the spacious room itself, there is new decor and a smashing new brand new carpet. We had all we needed, including wi-fi, tea-making facilities and hairdryer and a very comfortable bed. 

The mini Irish

The only thing lacking was a wardrobe but maybe that will be there come June. There is room for it. In the meantime, there is a large chest of drawers and a couple of spacious bedside lockers. By the way, if you are booking in here, do ask for a front facing room.

The reception was very friendly and efficient. There’s no big rush here and they also have time for a chat when you’re departing. In between we called to the bar of course, a very relaxing spot indeed with good drink and better conversation.

Part of the dining room

Breakfast was also very good. Aside from the buffet, which had adequate cereals, fruit and so on (this will expand as the season develops), we had an impressive list of dishes available from the kitchen. We could have had Flahavan’s Porridge, a Vegetarian option, various egg dishes, kippers, waffles and more.

Local producers are supported here and one of the offerings that tempted us was the Scrambled Eggs with Ummera Smoked Salmon. The smokery is just up the road in Timoleague and we know the product is top notch and so it proved again last Saturday. 

Meanwhile, I was tucking into the Full Irish, the mini-version (not that mini!) as you can see from the pic. Just being careful after the wine dinner of the night before!

View from #6

And not too long afterwards we were saying our goodbyes and leaving the friendly staff to prepare for the day ahead, a day that included communion meals. While they are only open at weekends, they have quite a lot to keep them going here including weddings, communions and confirmations, parties, and matches on the big screen. Even Fools and Horses are due to visit soon!

And then there’s the Seven Heads bar and its popular outside section. The hotel building, which dates from Victorian times (you’ll note those high ceilings), provide shelter and also reflects the sun back to the al fresco diners and drinkers. There is a lovely old cork tree in the middle of the manicured lawn and lots of tables and chairs around as well.

And if you are the more active type, there is no shortage of activity in the general area. One of our favourites, and we did it before check in, is to take the walk through the nearby woods, especially when it’s full of wild garlic and bluebells (which should be the case now), emerge at the other side with splendid views of the ocean and some of the Seven Heads. Don’t forget to turn back though as the full walk is over 42 kilometres!

L’Atitude Scales New Altitude. Filling Me Softly With Her Food

L’Atitude Scales New Altitude

Filling Me Softly With Her Food

Stracciatella. Multo Bella.

No secret that Cork’s L’Atitude 51 is one of the best wine-bars around. That’s been confirmed by awards, both local and national. But did you know they have a lovely food offering too? Number One Union Quay is certainly a place to take it easy, easy drinking and also easy eating, sometimes easy listening as well.

Here you can go from aperitifs to small plates to large plates and have a lot of fun doing so. No shortage of variety here with a range of dishes that distinguishes L’Atitude from the mainstream. Who, for instance, is doing Toonsbridge Stracciatella?

But, I’m getting ahead of myself. There is a huge wine menu here, page after page of organic and natural wines, and that is what we looked at first. Many are available by the 125ml and 175ml glass, a 250ml carafe and by the bottle. Some, the more expensive ones, are available by bottle only! Since we were in, we were going to try a few so the glass was our vessel choice for the evening. 

Tapas Plate

And we started with the Crisp with Attitude Page, featuring wines that are lively, racy and mineral. CL made a very good pick: the Secateurs Chenin Blanc from the Badenhorst estate in South Africa while I enjoyed the Wines Direct import, the Paddy Borthwick Riesling from New Zealand. Sipped those as we tucked into a bowl of mixed olives. 

The menu here is “less formal”, encouraging you to share as the dishes arrive from the kitchen. Oh, they also do a Plat du Jour. You’ll see that on the blackboard. On the night of our visit it was Tagliatelle with a lamb ragu and they coupled that with a glass of wine, all for around fifteen euro (if I remember rightly). And they also do lunch daily.

And soon we were sharing another dish, a much bigger one; the Tapas, at €18.50, is one of the more expensive ones on the menu, but a very impressive platter indeed, well assembled and well presented. It contains Coppa, Jamon, Pecorino, Toonsbridge Mozzarella, Charred Aubergine, Artichokes, Roasted Red Pepper and Caponata was irresistible and easily and lazily dispatched.

Duck x 3.

At this point, the wines had changed. I was on to the orange wine (lots of skin contact and yet a good introduction to the style for beginners) from Sicily, the cloudy Rallo Baglio with a fantastic concentration of the flavours. CL meanwhile was on safer ground with the Madregale Rosso, one of the best house wines around these parts.

Now with the Tapas and the basket of bread finished we sipped the wines and waited for the next batch of food! And that’s where the eye-catching palate pleasing Stracciatella comes in. Even though the two dishes came together, there was a duel around this beauty. It is the creamy filling you’ll find in Burrata (another Toonsbridge cheese). It is soft and fresh, it has to be. Presented on a  bed of grilled aubergine and topped with Dukkah, it was temptation from the first bite, especially when spooned into the “pocket” breads that came with it.

The sharing continued with the Duck 3 Ways: Ummera Smoked Duck, Duck and Port Paté, and Potatoes sautéed in Duck Fat. Well, you know that Ummera’s Smoked Duck is a gem of southern cuisine yet the combination here somehow managed to put an extra shine on an already excellent product. Superb.

We were on to our final wines by now, both of us on the red. CL picked from the “Fruity with Attitude” section and came up trumps with a classic Pinot Noir by Regnaudot (Burgundy) while my final tipple was the Blaufrankisch by Austria’s Judith Beck, a winemaker that seems to be appearing more and more in this country. The plush Blaufrankisch, with generous fruit, is biodynamically produced and worth seeking out.

And L’Atitude itself, with its friendly service and informal style, is also worth seeking out either for wine or food or both!

L’Atitude 51 

1 Union Quay (corner opposite City Hall)

Cork

021 239019