Hands on and join the food dots in West Cork weekend

Stephen Sage has been on to tell us all about a fantastic Weekend Break for food enthusiasts in West Cork, Ireland, for St Patrick’s Day 2012

West Cork has a reputation as a centre of excellence for artisan food production; a reputation founded on the care, commitment and skill that the artisan producers and providers of this enticingly beautiful part of Ireland bring to all that they do.

Many of them have a lifetime’s worth of practical experience, and are more than happy to share their skill and passion with people who appreciate good food.

West Cork Food has been created to bring the treasure-house of that experience within the reach of individuals like you, people who truly appreciate good food, how it’s produced and how it’s cooked.

During a weekend or longer, you get to meet and visit artisan producers, watch the experts at work, acquire some new skills, stay in quality accommodation and enjoy the captivating landscape and seascape of West Cork in all its diversity.

West Cork is an area served and supported by small businesses, a key element of its distinctive character. West Cork Food is itself a small, local business, and we act as a focus for the wide range of artisan producers scattered across the region so that they can provide food, cookery or gardening enthusiasts like you with a unique experience; an experience that incorporates the active participation of those producers themselves.

West Cork Food is organised and managed by Sally Barnes and Stephen Sage, and grew out of their discussions around how to bring the world-class quality of West Cork artisan food production to a wider audience.

Journalist Carol Gilbert described the initiative in these terms: ‘Sally Barnes and Stephen Sage have initiated an enterprise, which effectively joins up the dots. They have included all that is best to showcase West Cork food and provide an enjoyable quality experience for groups visiting the region.’

Web: www.westcorkfood.com

RICHY'S ROCKS ON A SATURDAY NIGHT

RICHY’S BISTRO in Clonakilty

It’s bright. It’s lively. It is Richy’s Bar and Bistro on a Saturday night, great food and a great buzz.

Always something of a buzz here in this cafe/bistro. The cafe is a favourite daytime venue for locals and visitors alike. It is part of town life with its children’s cooking classes and coffee mornings for charity.

The food is local too and top notch and very much in demand. On our visit, quite a few of the specials had already been snapped up but we did have a fine meal with courteous service and no shortage of friendliness or efficiency.

My starter was a gem: Clonakilty Black Pudding Samosas, yoghurt, cumin dipping sauce, cucumber and chilli salad (7.95). Hadn’t come across this variation before and it got me off to a terrific start.

The mains was hardly as inventive but was just as well cooked and just as satisfying: Roast Staunton’s pork rack, Spiced colcannon mash, caramelized apple, roast root veg, sage and apples jus (€ 22.50).

The dessert was a well made classic: Sticky toffee pudding with Mauritian vanilla ice-cream, butterscotch sauce (€ 6.95).

All these came from the A La Carte but they also do other menus, a new tapas Menu on Friday nights, a €57.00 Menu for Two including a bottle of wine, 2 and 3 course set menus, a Children’s Menu and more. Check them and the drinks list out here.

Talking of drinks, I spotted that one of reserve wines had been reduced from 35 to 28 euro so I’d said I’d have some of that. I’m glad I did as the French Domaine la Colombette Pinot Noir 2010 was an excellent wine and really went well with the pork.

So good food, good drink and lively atmosphere. Highly enjoyable. Highly recommended.

FIVE STAR FISH DISH IN MALTHOUSE

COSTELLOE’S MALTHOUSE

Liked the Malthouse in Clonakilty from the off. It is warm and cosy and comfortable, the lights not too bright. We got a nice window seat and the service, from start to finish, was friendly and top class. And it was a pleasure too to meet Amanda Costelloe herself and enjoy a short chat.

After a rather substantial lunch earlier, we skipped the starters and both went for fish dishes. The fish comes from nearby Union Hall while virtually everything else comes from the nearby farms.

Have great memories of eating Pollock, that we’d caught ourselves, in Mayo and so I picked the Fillet of local Pollock, served with Pea Risotto, Lime Butter and Tomato salsa (€16.50).

CL choose the Oven baked Hake, served with Mango and Red Pepper salsa and lemon Butter Sauce (€19.50).

We really felt that we’d hit the jackpot here. The fish was beautiful and fresh and the combinations were spot-on.  Just gorgeous.  And we also got side dishes of well cooked vegetables.

And they had just the wine to go with them: a really refreshing fruity bottle of Burcan’s Albarino (€29.00). They have quite a decent wine list and the good thing is that many of them are available by the glass or by the 50cl carafe.

Choices galore too on the menu side with an Evening Menu (with specials), the Taste of West Cork Menu (at a good price!), a Children’s Menu and others, such as a Party Menu. Certainly worth a try if you are in the area but make sure you book in advance, especially at weekends.

They are open for lunch and accommodation deals are also available and you may check it all out here. 

MAGIC: WEST CORK WEEKEND

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WEST CORK WEEKEND

Just back from Clonakilty and a packed two days in the area. First stop was Dillon’s in Timoleague for lunch on Friday and to see owners John and Julie Finn.

Highlight here was a multi-fruit pie, worth the trip for this alone. But before that we had a brilliant plateful of Ummera smoked products and just as well as Anthony Creswell soon made an appearance. Delighted then to take up his invitation to see his smoke-house, the only one in Ireland licensed for both fish and meat smoking.

Took the scenic route then – it was quite a fine day – though Courtmacsherry and Butlerstown and Ring – and then headed to our base, the Macliam Guest House in Clon. We got a warm welcome from John (and an equally warm one from Maeve later on) and installed ourselves in a very comfortable room.

Still daylight aplenty so headed off down to Inchadoney for a long walk on the sand. Fully refreshed and with appetite renewed, called into Costello’s Malthouse for dinner. Lovely welcome from Amanda and a fine meal too where the highlights were a couple of top notch fish dishes.

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Rain was expected on Saturday morning and it didn't let us down. It lashed in Skibbereen as we walked through the market which, in fairness, was still doing a good business, especially the Sheila and Mary fish stall.

We had a magnificent breakfast at the guesthouse but time now for a coffee and a call to Fields where I couldn't resist their smashing Tunisian orange cake. Had a look around the supermarket and delighted to see so many local products, including virtually all of the range from Just Food in Cobh. My kind of supermarket.

The rain still fell as we drove back towards Clon and a return visit, after decades, to the Model Village and Railway. Just bought our tickets and the sun came out and stayed out for the rest of the day. Really enjoyed the stroll around the village and the models of the area’s towns but the highlight for me was a very nostalgic audio visual presentation of the last day of the West Cork railway in 1961.

With the sun now firmly established, we drove to the coast and to Red Strand where half a dozen surfers were braving the strong waves. Galley Head was silhouetted in the distance and we made that our next destination. Enjoyed walking round the area in the stiff enough breeze and took a few photos of the waves crashing in against the rocks.

Dinner was on the agenda again, of course, and this time we had a booking at the bright and breezy bistro called Richy’s. First though we made a call to An Sugán for a drink. Nobody there at seven but it was packed half an hour later (punters there for the food as much as the drink) as we left to cross the road.

Great service at Richy's where the pretty large menu is supplemented daily by a blackboard full of specials. We knew we were on a winner the minute we tasted our starter of Clonakilty Black Pudding Samosas and also with the first mouthful of a gorgeous Domaine La Columbette Pinot Noir 2010 (down from 35 to 28 euro).

I’ll have more details on the restaurants in later posts but all three are highly recommended.

And another big recommendation for Mcliam’s. Met some lovely guests there including two US couples, travelling separately. They were amazed at the friendliness of the Irish people and backed it up with concrete examples. Like the man who interrupted his walk, sat into the car and guided one of the couples to their destination. And another who interrupted his chores to drive ahead of them to a tourist site - some 22 miles away!

Hard to beat that kind of friendliness but we found it too. Well we didn't have much need of directions but a query in one town was answered, in a friendly manner, by a young French person and one of the US couples were amazed when a foreign person in Dublin used his own phone to get directions for them. But everywhere we were greeted with a smile and, if we needed info, that was provided too. Just loved the couple of days.