Dining at Russborough House

Dining at Russborough House

We are on our way to dinner at Russborough House. It is one of the most sought after invitations and we are looking forward to the evening as we ease up the drive. The old Jaguar makes quite a sound on the gravel as the brakes are applied. Sir Alfred and Lady Beit are waiting for us in the great hall, genuinely delighted to see us.

Amazing stucco throughout, here on the main stairs

Soon, the other guests arrive and we are shown to the dining room with its Spanish carpet, paintings of the family and that magnificent fireplace with a bust of Bacchus (is that a red wine stain I see on his face?). We start off with a 1954 Hock Deidesheimer. 

Soon the conversation is buzzing. Not by accident, I might add. Our hosts are well-known for their shrewd and thoughtful organisation and have spent quite time on the seating arrangements. We dine in some comfort. Dishes include roast pheasant, game chips and braised chicory and the fish is poached salmon with extremely thinly cut cucumber, new potatoes and mint. We are fully at ease by the time Sir Alfred introduces us to his favourite Sauterne. Oh, by the way, cheese is served here instead of dessert.

It isn’t always fine cuisine here, not even for our hosts. I was told that when Sir Alfred dines on his own he might have bangers and mash, served in a silver salver of course!

Ready to dine?

Anyhow, at the end of the meal, the hospitality continued in fine style. We are offered luxury cigarettes from Turkey and Cuban Cohiba cigars, with port on the dining room table. Cognac too of course. All kinds of aromas, include fine perfumes, mix in that smoke-filled room.

More stucco. One of many chandeliers

Pollard is the long-serving butler to Sir Alfred and they work hand in hand on all kinds of arrangements for events in the house and estate. You can be sure that Pollard had been instructed as to the vintage of the wine and whether or not a tablecloth should be used. That level of detail plus Lady Beit’s organisational skills almost always ensures a perfect evening. And in the morning - we are staying for the night - we are informed that breakfast  (usually includes grapefruit segments) will be served in the dining room at 9.30am. 

Aesop's greedy dog about to lose his bone in the water

It is all routine here and the place works like clockwork, lunch at 1.00pm and afternoon tea at 5pm precisely. For the latter, and we’ve been there from time, you may enjoy Darjeeling tea plus a chocolate biscuit each. Fine china and silver thongs for the sugar bowl are always used. And don’t miss dinner, timed for 7pm precisely!

More Aesop: The Shepherd feeds an injured lion who will eventually spare the shepherd when they meet in the arena

The Beits have a staff of between 20 and 25, like an extended family, though there is no familiarity as the staff always address them as ‘Sir Alfred’ and ‘Her Ladyship’. They only recruit people who are both able and dedicated - from the gardeners who grow the fruit and vegetables to the maid who makes the butter.

Dinner was interrupted when Rose Dugdale came calling in April 1974

The staff here are always immaculately dressed, with maids in white pinafores. They see food and wine that is rarely seen in everyday life as their employer is a wine connoisseur with a liking for dessert wines and also Clarets such as Chateau Margaux.

Face from the colonnade

****

Fantasy dinner over and no Margaux for me, I’m afraid, on our recent visit to this fascinating house, so much to see and take in and our excellent guide Iris gave us a terrific tour. Most of the info about the habits of the Beits (and the previous families) are detailed in various exhibitions around the house and you can get some fascinating insights into the Beits (and their troubles with the IRA and gangsters), down below in the basement.

Oh, by the way, I didn’t get to see the kitchens here. Simply because they are still in use, serving up food for the house café. It is a very busy spot with a couple of adjoining dining rooms and some visitors take food out to enjoy in the open air and keep an eye on the kids who are well catered for here with various playing areas and walks through the parklands. We confined ourselves to a couple of pastries and coffee before hitting the road home to Cork.

Two timber floors, the one on the right from Russborough. On the left, is detail from a Benedictine monastery in Engelberg (Switzerland), the 3D effect achieved by the use of four different timbers. Something similar in Wicklow?

See also on this trip:
 Museum of Style Icons
Decorator to the Stars Designed Newbridge Silver Café
Dining at Russborough House
Wine, Dine & Golf at Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort

Russborough House
Historic house and parklands
Blessington, Co. Wicklow
See also: Museum of Style Icons

Golf for sure at Tulfarris but Wine and Dine Scores Well Also

Golf for sure at Tulfarris but Wine and Dine Scores Well Also

Toons Bridge Fior di Latte Mozzarella

Attention of golf fans will be focused on Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort at the end of the month, when The PREM Group Irish Masters takes place there from the 28th to the 30th. The Sky Sports cameras will be present, filming the action on the spectacular golf course and no doubt taking in the lovely Wicklow countryside. With the package being screened in 138 countries, the event should prove to be a major boost for the hotel and its golf course and also for tourism in the area and indeed in the country.

The course and hotel are looking splendid as I found out on a recent visit, arranged to highlight the golf tournament. PREM have spent some six million here in recent years and the majority of it has gone into improving the hotel and surrounds. And it shows. It is already a popular place. When we arrived late on a Sunday afternoon, we walked into the bar for a cuppa and were amazed at the buzz there. By the way, they have their own Tulfarris ale and it’s a pretty tasty drop.

Breakfast view from the restaurant

Thinking about it afterwards, the Tulfarris hotel is quite a handy base, not just for golf (by the way admission is free for the tournament at the end of the month) but also for visiting attractions in the area. It is just about twenty minutes from Exit 12 on the motorway and we used it to visit the Newbridge Silverware Visitor Centre and enjoyed the factory tour, the Museum of Style Icons, the shop (of course) and also a light lunch in the busy café, a stylish bright and airy place. 

The following morning, we called to Russborough House, just a few minutes away from Tulfarris, and did the full tour there. Finished up with a cuppa and pastry in the house café and, just over two hours later, were back in Cork.

Other places to visit with Tulfarris as a base, include Kildare Village, Punchestown Racecourse, the Wicklow Mountains (including the Sally Gap) and Glendalough. Of course, the Blessington lakes and the Poulaphouca reservoir are close by.

After all that mountain climbing, walking and shopping, you’ll need to refuel and Tulfarris will sort you out in the Lime Tree Restaurant which has great views over the golf course. Here, they promise a mix of world cuisine with the best of Irish. Indeed, Irish producers and suppliers are used as much as possible.

And I was able to check that out straight away with my starter: Toons Bridge Fior di Latte Mozzarella (Peas, mint, pea-shoots, Wicklow Rapeseed oil and crispy bread). Delicious. Meanwhile, CL was singing the praises of her Vine Ripened Tomato Terrine (Heritage tomatoes, basil emulsion, olives), quite different and also very tasty.

Elderflower semi-freddo

We were onto the wine now. Butterfly Ridge blends went down well. The Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon was vibrant, fruity and soft on the palate while the Riesling Gewürztraminer was a perfect match with the fish dishes on offer.

One was the Pan-roasted fillets of plaice with hazelnut, charred cauliflower and spinach, quite a delicious combination. Being in Wicklow, I couldn’t resist the local lamb served with courgette, goats cheese and elderflower. Another winner, especially with that red wine.

Wicklow lamb

Sleep well!

Would we have dessert? Of course! And they had some tempting ones of offer, including Eton Mess, Hazelnut mousse, Pannacotta. I choose the Baked Raspberry and White chocolate cheesecake while CL’s pick was the Elderflower semi-freddo (with gooseberries, oak crumb and elderflower jelly). Both were excellent but I think she may have picked the better one! 

Happy out with that, though we did have time enough for a few more chats, not all of them golf related, before the enjoyable evening came to a close!

We had a terrific ground floor room here, with lots of space and comfort (bed and armchairs), and everything we needed, including hair drier, iron, safe, coffee machine, large TV and faultless WiFi. The bathroom too was spacious, very well lit, separate bath and shower and excellent Elemis toiletries.

For more on The PREM Group Irish Masters, please check here.
See also: Museum of Style Icons
Decorator to the Stars Designed Newbridge Silver Café
Dining at Russborough House

Larkin's Brewery of Wicklow. A Family That Brews Together.

Larkin's Brewery of Wicklow.

A Family That Brews Together.

Unusually, for a craft brewery, the main focus in Larkin’s County Wicklow Brewery is on lager. Maybe it is a Wicklow thing as Mont, known for their lager, are also based here.

Just a few years ago, the Larkin family beer enterprise was confined to the domestic kitchen. Decision to “go” in 2015 was backed by the whole family and a year later equipment was ordered. Great feedback at the 2017 Irish Craft Beer Festival saw the Larkins schedule a full launch early this year and now, with a trio of lagers front and centre, they have arrived.

Larkin’s Pale Ale 4.5%, 440ml can €3.75 Bradley’s Cork

Essentially this is a pretty serious Pale Ale, refreshing, with low to moderate bitterness. Colour is a mid-gold (hazy), white head is long-lasting. Might be of moderate bitterness but the twice used Lemondrop and Cascade hops make their presence felt as this well-made beer heads to a dry finish.

Larkin’s Märzen Lager 5.7%, 500ml bottle €3.50 Bradley’s

The Märzen style originated in Bavaria. It was brewed in March (hence the name) and served during the Octoberfest. “Dark brown, full bodied and bitter” is the description of the original.

Larkin’s is pretty close to that: malty, good flavour and a clean finish. Colour may not be quite a dark brown, closer to amber. The off-white head, thin to begin with, lasts longer than expected but that’s a minor detail. This is a highly enjoyable lager and well worth a try.

Larkin’s Doppelbock Lager 7.6%, 500ml bottle €3.95 Bradley’s

“There’s eating and drinking it” is a Cork saying and it could well be applied to this strong lager. Traditional bock is a sweet, relatively strong beer and the name doppelbock indicates even more strength. It was originally brewed by monks for nourishment during Lenten fasting. Cute boys, those German monks.

The Larkin’s Doppelbock has a dark brown colour with a coffee-cream head that vanishes fairly quickly. It is aromatic, with concentrated sweetish flavours including caramel that disguise the high alcohol. Strong yes but fairly well balanced and with a satisfactory finalé. The Märzen is the easier drink though but if you are fasting, then that Doppelbock’s your only man.

Larkin’s Baltic Porter 7.0%, 500ml bottle €3.95 Bradley’s

Baltic Porter comes originally from the Baltic states, usually stronger and sweeter. By the way, a lager yeast is normally used and indeed, you read “lager” on the Larkin’s label.

It has, as you'd expect, a black body; also a coffee coloured head that doesn't last long. Toasted coffee and caramel type flavours, a touch of that sweetness too; flavours are concentrated and the finish is soft and pleasant. A rather nice porter but not that easy drinking. Might use it as a warm-up for a stout session!

* They also produce a Helles lager but I didn't get my hands on one - yet!

Larkin's Brewing Company
Unit 2, Renmore Business Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow.
info@larkinsbrewing.com
+353 (1) 281 1640

Glendalough Gin. The Wild One

Glendalough Gin. The Wild One

Gary (centre), with a St Kevin's pose, welcomes us to Glendalough

Glendalough Distillery who, like St Kevin, are soon (well maybe within a year or two) about to move to a permanent home with a great view over the area, use foraged botanicals in their core gin, the Wild Botanical Gin, know all about timing.

Whether in the wood or the mountain or in the distillery itself, timing and that personal know-how is crucial. Both their forager Geraldine Kavanagh and their still-man Rowdy Rooney have that know-how in spades as we found out during a mid-week visit.

One of the founders, Gary McLoughlin, greeted us and introduced us to Geraldine who already had a car load of foraged stuff. She would lead us on a walk through the wooded Glendalough estate and we filled our baskets. Soon, I knew I was in the “wild” when a doctor fly - haven't seen one in years - bit me. Saw quite a few after that but no more surprises.

The still-man

We passed a few beech trees and were interested having been earlier introduced to their Beech Leaf Gin. It is a limited edition with a “beautiful colour” said Gary. Geraldine: “There is just a small window between late Spring and early Summer when the leaf is at its best, when they are soft and good.” 

No point in adding them to our baskets now. But we did add wood sorrel, honey suckle also known as woodbine, and wild blueberries (also known as bilberries or fraughan). Timing again came in to with the latter as their season is just starting and we didn't get that many. On the other hand, the elderflowers are at the end of their season and the wait is on for the berries.

By the way, the sorrel is from the same family as the shamrock. And another note: the Booze Travellers, who visited Glendalough, had a lot of fun with the fraughan (with the word, that is) and you can see it on video here. 

Geraldine leads us out

Geraldine was “always an outdoor girl, always into wild food from the hedgerows. Wild plants have a better immune system.” After a wild food hunt in May 2011, a bountiful summer, she started doing tours in season and that led to her starting her wild food business. Soon she moved to alcohol finding it “a lazy though interesting way of preserving.

A few years later, Gary and his partners bought a still and started making poitín. “We always had whiskey in mind as well and gin of course. But we always wanted to do something different, something interesting. Why not use the bounty of Wicklow, we thought”. And that was how they linked up with Geraldine.

All four partners, though from differing business backgrounds, “have a great passion for the industry” and now all are full-time with the distillery. “It’s been an exciting journey,’ said Gary. “We are now into 36 countries and growing. Our Irish foraged gin opened doors and it’s just go, go, go.”

 One of the aims of the distillery is “staying true to the tradition and heritage of our ancestors”. The most famous of those was St Kevin who features on the bottle. Kathleen of the Spirits figures somewhere in the legends of Kevin and no surprise that distiller Rowdy named his still after her.

“It is a hybrid,” he told us. “It combines pot and column, a wonderful piece of kit, functional, versatile and pretty!” The initial spirit is made from Irish grain and most of the botanicals, including many of the foraged ones, are added as the process begins. The more delicate botanicals, such as rose petals, have their own later place in the process, and their aromas and flavours are gently extracted by vapour.

The main botanicals in gin are pretty well-known. Glendalough’s juniper is foraged and comes from Macedonia. Their high quality coriander is farmed in Bulgaria. The third main ingredient is Angelica Root from Poland; it has a flavour binding quality (not scientifically proven!) and adds its own natural earthy flavour. Orris root is another common ingredient, dried in the Morrocan sun for five years, and is “very expensive!”.

And as the process comes to an end, the importance of timing features. Rowdy uses his experience plus his smelling and tasting skills to determine when to divert the heads and the tails and leave the liquid he’ll use in the main receptor. “Unlike some, we don't reuse heads and tails. It’s a no brainer for a premium product.”

Rowdy told us he was looking forward to the day when they set up on their new site, a hillside that we would see after lunch. He can't wait for their new garden where himself and Geraldine will grow lots of wild things, “including juniper”. Garry and his partners have indeed very exciting plans for the site and the excitement is building even though its early days. But 2014 was early days too!

Before a lovely lunch at the Wicklow Heather, we enjoyed a gin tasting, going through the four seasonals. The refreshing Spring with gorse (lovely aromas and flavours) and other ingredients (including dandelion). Summer with elderflower predominant, pine, roses, woodruff, lemon verbena and fresh lemon. Get the picture!

Kathleen of the Spirit

In Autumn it is berries, heather, rose-hip, yarrow and crab apples. Seasonal for sure. Winter is earthier, sloes, haws and a little warming spice, a great cocktail gin!

And then we had the pride of Glendalough, the Wild Botanicals Gin, “a gin for all seasons” according to Gary. “Its nose has the freshness of spring, on the palate you have summer flowers and autumn fruits and then the winter spice. Try it with Poachers Tonic.” We did and we could see why it is going down so well at home and abroad. But Glendalough won't abandon the seasons series. “Seasons are brilliant and we will always do them.”

Tasting the seasons

St Kevin's gaff;
the small one!

Their gin range has a few more. I earlier mentioned the Beech Leaf but Gary obliged us also with tastings from their Dillisk Gin and their Sloe Gin. The sloe had remarkable aromas and Garry advised trying it with a little apple juice.

So lots of fun and enthusiasm at Glendalough but lots of know-how as well. Let the journey continue, the story spreading from the lovely hills and lakes of Wicklow to wherever the spirit leads them next. 

The picture on the left shows where St Kevin retreated when his original site became too crowded with fans. He lived in a cave here, the small one, not the large one. 

The Brooklodge Hotel. Excellent Base for Wicklow.

The Brooklodge Hotel at Macreddin Village

Excellent Base for Wicklow Attractions

The saints of Ireland invariably seemed to end up in the most beautiful locations. St Kevin of Glendalough fame found another beauty spot not too far away in Macreddin, the present day location of the gorgeous Brooklodge Hotel.

Macreddin was important in the history of the area for a long time afterwards but then fell into decline, revived only by a band of brothers, the Doyles, who reimagined it and rebuilt the little village. Here, in the heart of the Wicklow countryside, they have everything you need to get away from it all in the 21st century.

Then again, there are not too many hermits nowadays and you may need a little company, maybe a lot of it!. So, you can have birthday party here. Or indeed a full scale wedding - they even have their own village church! Kevin may have come for the food, wild and organic, and that was why I visited a few weeks back. More precisely, I was there to try out their splendid Wild and Organic Tasting Menu.

That menu was served up in the Strawberry Tree, the premium restaurant in the village. But there is another one called the La Taverna Armento, which features a full Southern Italian menu. There is a bar in the hotel and another in the village. Oh, there’s lots more including a spa, conference  suites, an equestrian centre, a food store, and a golf club. Reckon if Kevin came back, he'd stay around for a long while. Might even buy his food at the very popular Macreddin monthly farmers market.

I was there for just the one night and was very impressed. Took a walk around - there are quite a series of rambles, some long, some short. Mine was just around the green, saying hello to the hens of course, glad of the organic message their presence indicates. And I was friendly towards them. After all, they were supplying the eggs for breakfast.

And that breakfast, served in a beautiful room (you may also have it in your bedroom), was indeed a delicious affair. No shortage of juices and also the Macreddin Village Smoothie. All the cereals, also fresh fruit, yogurts and my pick which was the Porridge with Honey and Cream.

The main event was Poached Eggs on Irish Potato Cake and I could also have had had their version of the full Irish, also pancakes with Highbank Apple Syrup or Grilled Wild Fish. No shortage of lovely breads, their own of course, and organic tea and coffee to wash it all down.

Our room was excellent, very well heated and that is another story. Comfort was top class and no shortage of space either. The bedroom was on a spacious glass-walled mezzanine with its own bath. The main TV was downstairs but there was also a mini-one above. Shower and toilets were downstairs.

Staff were excellent throughout, at reception, in the restaurant, in the bar, everywhere, and helped make it a stay to remember in a place to remember.

• Brooklodge, away on its own, is still a good base to see the main Wicklow attractions. Avoca village is just 15 km, Glendalough 20, Wicklow town less than 30 while Powerscourt Gardens is about 50km via the M11. They provide directions to the village from Dublin but not, for some reason, from the south.
  
  
  Related posts: Strawberry Tree's Wild and Organic Tasting Menu.
  The Beautiful Gardens at Powerscourt
  Lakes and Walks of Glendalough 
  Highbank Orchards Visit
  Crystal Gin from Ireland's Smallest Legal Distillery

Strawberry Tree. Prize and Surprise.

Strawberry Tree. Prize and Surprise.

Your salad in a tin. Your berry soda hidden among daisies. Your cheese just 90 minutes old.

Last Thursday, I enjoyed the superb Organic and Wild Food Tasting Menu at Strawberry Tree restaurant in Macreddin Village, County Wicklow. For close on three hours, we enjoyed the culinary adventure, ten courses in all, a staggering array of delightful dishes.

Though we had read the menu in advance, each course had an element of surprise. And the dinner itself (plus a bottle of their Irish Crystal Gin) was a prize that I won in an online competition by Kilkenny’s Highbank Orchard, Ireland’s only organic orchard. So I was on a winner for the night!

Wild duck crackers (left) and 90 day cheese

As we made the short way from our room in the Brooklodge Hotel, also part of the Macreddin village, we met the hens on the lawn, a reminder that this is Ireland's only certified organic restaurant. It is also rather plush with gold framed mirrors a dominant feature.

Eight courses were detailed on the menu (and so too were all their suppliers). Our first plate was a “surprise from the local fields”, a wild duck cracker with a mushroom foam and mushroom dust. Delicate and delectable, a tasty surprise indeed.

Smoked salmon

Then we were on to a smooth and tangy Field and Farm, their own fresh 90 minute old cheese (made 90 minutes before service), Baby greens and rapeseed oil. Sea and Shore was next, their own Smokehouse wild salmon, wild seagreens, laverbread and cod’s roe spread. This was a quite a plate, a superb one too.

Wood and Field followed, this a Wild Leaf Salad, fermented garlic, pickled ramson seeds and more. The surprise here was that your salad came in a tin that you shook yourself to mix the elements and then spread onto to your plate that had been prepared with the garlic and seeds. We happily crunched our way through this completely delicious mix and then took a break for five minutes, the first of a few.

Salad in a tin!

Apples featured strongly in Hedgerow and Orchard which was Wild Crab Apple and Dabinett, Three Ways: Spiced, Chilled and Mulled. Instructions were to start with the spiced and that was followed quickly with the chilled to modify the hot spice. And then we finished with the calming mulled Highbank Orchard cider. A super trio.

And there followed yet another surprise insertion and a really gorgeous one, a wild venison consommé topped with a beetroot foam. Quite a flavour sensation to sip the hot venison soup through the beetroot as both flavours came together so well. Simple idea but a superb duo.

Wild venison consommé

Time then for the main events. First up was the inventive Sea and Wood: Pan Fried John Dory, Hogweed, Ground Elder, and their own Pancetta. Once again all the elements gelled together so well and the greens proved a marvellous match with the fish. By the way, everything cooked here on the night was done to perfection and the presentations were excellent.

The Farmer and the Butcher were not to be left out, of course, and they gave us 35 Day Aged Seared Beef Sirloin, slow cooked shin, horseradish cream, Butternut squash and jus. I think that jus contained some bone marrow. In any event, the dish was perfect, a beautiful mix of meat and veg, every element playing a part, nothing superfluous.

Apple three ways

John Dory and, below, filet

We had been taking the odd break and now called another one, the better to enjoy the wine. Hard enough to pick one to match everything here but we were very happy with the performance of the Sepp Moser Gruner Veltliner 2011 (biodynamic).

And now we were on to a sweeter drink, another surprise. This was called Just the Hedgerow, a real wild berry soda. The surprise was that it came, both bottles and their glass straws, in a wine box full of grass and daisies. But we found the bottles (not too difficult!) - the soda included some sloe gin - and enjoyed them, a bit of delicious fun, another treat from the vast repertoire here.

Find your berry soda!

 The main dessert was called simply The Wood: a wild sorrel lemon curd, meringue crust, shortbread biscuit. You wouldn't normally expect to find wood sorrel in a dessert but by that stage we were prepared to trust the Strawberry Tree (and they trust Anna’s Desserts). And that trust was repaid with the sweetest spoonfuls! Terrific finish to a memorable meal. Great service too, informative, chatty and time for a joke or two as well.

Dessert

The Strawberry Tree Tasting Menu €75.00

Sepp Moser Gruner Veltliner €37.00

See also: Beautiful Gardens at Powerscourt

Highbank Crystal Gin - Taste of the Week

The Brooklodge Hotel at Macreddin Village

Glendalough. In St Kevin's Footsteps

Highbank Organic Orchards