Blas na hÉireann 2020 winners announced!

Blas na hÉireann 2020 winners announced

Rubert Atkinson, Longueville House Beverages

In a year like no other, Blas na hÉireann announced the winners for 2020, with 34 winners from County Cork. With the annual pilgrimage to Dingle stalled, this year's winners tuned in from every corner of the country for a virtual celebration of the very best in Irish food. 

 

The team at Blas na hÉireann have been working tirelessly since March to ensure that Blas 2020 went ahead, maintaining their commitment to celebrating the very best in Irish food and drink. Chairperson Artie Clifford feels that now, more than ever, it is essential to shine a light and give that all important boost to the talented producers dotted around the island.

 

Sandra and Joe, Joe's Farm Crisps

The bronze, silver and gold winners from Cork across a range of different categories are Baked 4 U, Bandonvale, Bó Rua Farm, Caherbeg Free Range Pork Ltd., Centra - Inspired by Centra Made in store Salads, Coolmore Foods, Fitzgerald’s Butchers, Follain, Fresh Fish Deli, Glenilen Farm, Gloun Cross Dairy, Hanleys Puddings Ltd., Irish Yogurts, JDS Foods, Joe's Farm Crisps, Keohane Seafoods, Kepak, Kinsale Mead Co., Longueville House Beverages, Nohoval Drinks Co.Ltd T/as Stonewell Cider, Ó Crualaoi Feoil Teo, O’Keeffe’s Bakery, O'Herlihy’s Bacon Ltd., On The Pigs Back (La Charcuterie Irlandaise Ltd.), Rebel Chilli, Saturday Pizzas, Skeaghanore West Cork Farm, Spice O Life Ltd., The English Market, The Good Fish Company, Trace Of Cakes, Velo Coffee Roasters and West Cork Eggs Ltd. with Kepak winning best in county.

 

Winning again

Now in their 13^th year, the Blas na hÉireann awards are the all-island food awards that recognise the very best Irish food and drink products, and the passionate people behind them. The biggest blind tasting of produce in the country, the criteria on which the product is judged as well as the judging system itself, which was developed by Blas na hÉireann with the Food Science Dept of UCC and the University of Copenhagen, is now recognised as an industry gold standard worldwide.

 

Speaking after the announcements Artie mentioned, “The founding mission of Blas – establishing quality benchmarks for Irish produce on a level playing field – was strictly adhered to and measurably applied again this year despite the challenges we have all faced. We thank all our judges for their rigour and commitment, and as always we thank all our wonderful participants, producers and sponsors. While we missed our annual gathering in Dingle, we will join together to cheer on our colleagues and friends that were successful in this year’s awards and hope that it won’t be long before we can gather in Dingle once again.”

 

Kinsale Mead

Products from every county in Ireland were entered into this year’s competition to win Gold, Silver or Bronze Blas na hÉireann awards in over 140 food and drink categories, as well as key awards like Supreme Champion and Best Artisan Producer.

See all the 2020 winners here.

 

Today's #walkies in Cork: Cotton Ball-Silverheights-Lotabeg-Boherboy Road-Flemings-Silversprings Hotel-Cotton Ball

Today's #walkies in Cork:

 Cotton Ball-Silverheights-Lotabeg-Boherboy Road-Flemings-Silversprings Hotel-Cotton Ball

Corn as high as an elephant's eye

Game? Anyone?

Beautiful autumn colours emerging on this private wall
by the North Ring Road

Stand of trees alongside the North Ring

Two from a colony of rabbits who live on edge of North Ring Road.

The Gallery Restaurant of the Clayton Hotel

Last rose of summer?

One of the best known dogs in Cork, at least to eastbound motorists on the N8

Fleming's

Corn crop

Amuse Bouche

 

Philippe closed his menu… “Bresaola to start, with hearts of artichoke, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan. Then, the beef cheeks, which they do here with a slice of foie gras on top. And a fondant au chocolat. That will see us through until dinner…”

..Philippe turned his attention to Sophie……

“How’s your love life?”

“Philippe!” Sophie flushed prettily and appeared to find something fascinating on her plate.

from The Vintage Caper by Peter Mayle (2010). Recommended.

Walk to and in The Glen, Cork City

 Walk to and in The Glen, Cork City

26th September 2020

A web of railings at the entrance

Local car wash busy 

The Boss

Kinsale Mead To Host Online Tasting

Kinsale Mead To Host Online Tasting

Just heard from Kate and Denis of Kinsale Mead. They are hosting a Zoom tasting next Friday. They know many of you can't get to Kinsale these Covid Days but the good thing about this event is that you can have four different meads in front of you and they'll take you through the tasting. Sounds like a lot of fun. All the details below:

"Curious about Mead but can’t make it to Kinsale? We are very excited to host our next Kinsale Mead Co online Zoom tasting at 7pm on Friday October 9th. Take a seat in the comfort your own home and join us live from the meadery oak bar. We will explore Tales of Mead and Honey, you will sample a selection of our delicious Meads and learn about some delicious food pairings and easy to make mead cocktails.

Book by end Sunday October 4th and we can ship your tasting set out in time and email your Zoom link.

https://www.kinsalemeadco.ie/pr…/online-mead-talk-tasting-t/

Why not ask a friend to join in as well with their own tasting set?

The cost of each tasting set is €19.95 includes **Free shipping** and:
• 4 x 50ml Mead mini bottles (12% ABV): Atlantic Dry, Wild Red, Hazy Summer & limited edition Merlot Barrel Aged Wild Red Mead;
• 1 meadery exclusive branded tasting glass & 1 tasting card;
• 5% discount on your next purchase from our online shop;
• 40 minute guided tasting with the Mead Makers live on Zoom.

Our online Mead tasting events are a great fun way for your social or work group to get together for a private event. Please contact us on 021 477 3538 or email info@kinsalemeadco.ie for more info.

If you can’t make this date, keep an eye on our social media for the next one."

Taste of the Week. Goatsbridge Smoked Rainbow Trout (infused with Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin)

Taste of the Week

Goatsbridge Smoked Rainbow Trout (infused with Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin)

Okay, so our Taste of the Week is a mouthful. But what a delicious mouthful with two Irish producers combining to produce this superb result.

The ebullient unstoppable Meg Kirwan of Goatsbridge: "We have teamed up with Gunpowder Irish Gin to create this delicious pairing of premium Irish products. The exotic botanical flavours of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin compliment the earthy flavours of the trout perfectly."

Loads more info plus a recipe on the Goatsbridge site. And while you're on, why not take a look at the hamper offer and buy one like I did. It's quite the selection box: fillets of fresh fish, packs of barbequed trout, this gin infused smoked trout, fishcakes, goujons, plus a couple of tubs of paté. And delivery is free. Well worth it!

Goatsbridge Trout Farm

Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny

John Wilson's Selection. Chateau Feely Harvest. White Hag Magic. Wines of the World Double. And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #23

John Wilson's Selection. Chateau Feely Harvest. White Hag Magic. Wines of the World Double.

And more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #23 

Wines Direct Talk Wine With John Wilson.

 And Come Up With A Great Selection!

Renowned Irish Times wine critic John Wilson knows a thing or two about great wine, so when he gives any of our wines the nod our customers take note. We recently had a chat with John and decided it would be cool to share with you a selection of wines he has recently featured and that we think you'll also find worthy of attention. Click here to see the selection.

HARVEST WHIRLWIND

AT Chateau Feely

In this post Caro Feely shares some photos and impressions of harvest 2020.

"We started almost a week earlier than ever and finished a week earlier than ever. Whirlwind is the best way to describe this harvest.

The photo below is the harvest kickoff hurrah! Merlot for Feely Sparkling Brut Rosé.

We started 24 August and finished 11 September." More details here

AUSTRIA'S 2019 VINTAGE AMONG THE VERY BEST

The 2019 vintage in Austria aroused great expectations right from the start. Now, reviews from experts throughout the world have confirmed it: the wines of this vintage are truly among the best that Austria’s winegrowers have been able to produce in recent decades. More here Get Your Pumpkin Magic from the White Hag We've done it - after years of thinking about it, talking about it and looking at it, we've gone and made a Pumpkin Pie inspired beer! Pumpkin Ale is a huge seasonal favourite in the US, where a bunch of our brew team grew up making and drinking these beers. While there have been a fervent few in Ireland who have committed to making seasonal celebration beers popular, the pumpkin ale has been neglected until recently. … See More Wines of the World  Two offers to consider: The Top Varietals Mix (Case of 6) is a mixed case of our top varietals and top sellers - a mix of the old world and new world, the best of both. Check details here. The Celebrity Mixed Case (Case of 6) is a mix of Graham Norton and Kylie Minogue Wines from the New World and Old World. More here.

The Dean Cork opens this November

 The Dean Cork opens this November  

 It has been on everyone’s radar for some time now, and finally, we can reveal that Cork’s newest and hottest hotel, The Dean Cork, is set to open its doors this November. 

 

The striking seven storey building, designed by Irish firm Wilson Architecture, forms part of the new Horgan’s Quay development, located moments from Kent Station overlooking the majestic River Lee.  

 

So what to expect? Let’s start from the top… 

 

Visitors will get a whole new perspective on Cork from Sophie’s Rooftop Restaurant and Bar on the 6^th floor. With 360° views, from the River Lee to the city skyline, Sophie’s will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and brunch on weekends. The rooftop space has two terraces for outdoor dining, the perfect spot to watch the sun go down, cocktail in hand. 

 

One hundred and fourteen stylish, comfortable, design led bedrooms and suites take up residence on floors one to five. Expect super cool and comfortable rooms filled with stuff that will make you smile, designed to ensure you have everything you need at your disposal. We’re talking big bouncy beds, rainfall power showers, fully stocked Smeg fridges. We’re talking Netflix enabled smart TVs, Irish Munchie Box filled with goodies, Marshal Amp for your tunes, record players and vinyl by the dozen, luxury toiletries and loads more.  

 

The Blue Room, a bright and funky function room with private bar, is the perfect spot for events, weddings and parties, along with two smaller meetings rooms available to hire.  

 

If you want the best room in the house (or quite possibly Cork), The Dean Penthouse is not to be missed. Two supersized ensuite bedrooms, each complete with freestanding copper bathtubs, with an adjoining loft loaded with fun and filled with stuff dreams are made of. Private bar, foosball table, huge Smart TV, dining table, hand-crafted furniture, record player, vinyl, guitars, games and more. You might never want to leave.  

 

Entering the large, open and spacious ground floor, you’ll be greeted by The Dean’s famously friendly staff and the familiar neon welcome note sitting above Reception, a bespoke design created by Irish artist Domino Whisker.  

 

Coffee lovers can rejoice knowing that the ground floor will be brewing up Irish roasted DIME coffee, for all your caffeinated needs throughout the day. Pair this with the super-fast wi-fi, plugs and hot desking spots, and you’ve got a productive combo if you need a space to work before you can play. 

 

Art is a prominent feature across the building. The Dean are creative partners of IMMA, and aim to promote and support Irish art. The Dean Cork’s walls will be covered with over 400 pieces of eye-catching, innovative and inspiring Irish art from both established artists and up and comers, sourced predominantly from Cork and the Munster region.  

 

The ground floor is also home to POWER Boutique Gym, scheduled to open in January 2021. Not your average hotel gym, POWER is a luxurious and functional facility in which to train and recover, with world class equipment and group classes, high spec changing rooms, state of the art sound and lighting, sauna, steam room and a heated relaxation pool. All Dean hotel guests can enjoy complimentary access to POWER gym and spa facilities, with the option to partake in classes with leading trainers for an additional fee. Full membership of POWER is also available.  

 

Speaking in advance of the opening, Bryan Davern, Director of Hotels, told us;   

 

“The Dean is all about fun. Stylish, slick and comfortable rooms packed with everything you might possibly need, spaces for work and for play, great food and drink, brilliant Irish art, boutique gym, music and loads more. It’s got something for everyone, whether you’re staying with us or not. We want The Dean Cork to be a launch pad from which to explore the city and make memories”. 

 

So, there you have it, from top to bottom, a small guide of what’s in store when The Dean Cork opens its doors this November. A rooftop bar and restaurant with panoramic views of Cork city, slick and stylish rooms, event spaces, lobby eats, coffee to go, art collections featuring local and upcoming artists and much more.  All that’s missing is YOU! 

 

The Dean Cork will create 120 full-time and part-time jobs. 

 

Bookings at https://thedeanhotels.com/

  

press release

 

If Douro or Duero is on the bottle label, you're on an Iberian winner. The River and its Wine.

The River and its Wine

The river begins its journey in the centre of the north of Spain and is called the Duero. Five hundred miles to the west, it enters the Atlantic at Porto where it is now called Douro. Not quite a river of wine but there is no shortage of the drink as you travel from east to west, from Spain to Portugal. Our first bottle below comes from the Spanish area known as Ribera del Duero (ribera means riverbank). In Portugal, the amazingly scenic Douro is perhaps best known as the home of Port but here too you will find excellent still wines such as the example below from Quinta Da Esteveira. 

Viña Fuentenarro “4 Mesas En Barrica” Ribera Del Duero (D0) 2018, 14%, 

€16.55 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Tempranillo, in many Irish people’s minds, is the grape of Rioja. And it is. But, since the end of the 20th century, the 300 plus bodegas of Ribera Del Duero are also laying a strong claim to the grape by making some excellent wines with it.

This deep red Fuentenarro (from a family owned winery) is a 100% Tempranillo. Traditional aromas of black berry fruit, touch of spice. Big intro of fruit and spice, no shortage of acidity either, juicy yet dry. Powerful start eases smoothly down to  super-long finish. One to sip - a little goes a long way - and enjoy your long lunch or dinner as the sun goes down. Very Highly Recommended. That it is well priced is a bonus.

Wine has been produced in this beautiful region since Roman times, though it became well known outside of Spain only in the 1990s. North west of Madrid and south west of Rioja, in the Castilla y León region, the vines grow on a flowing swathe of land that’s approximately 115 kms long and 35 kms wide. 

The vast majority (including Fuentenarro, near La Horra) grow in the province of Burgos but some too in Segovia, Soria (Antidoto, for example) and Valladolid.

Two related factors that make Ribera different are the average altitude of 850 metres and the big variations in summer between the heat of the day and the cool of the night. The heat of the day promotes the ripening, the chill of the night preserves acidity. 

Casel Dos Jordões Quinta Da Esteveira Reserva Tinto Douro (DOC) 2014, 14.5%, €15.20 Mary Pawle

This organic Portuguese blend is a dark red colour. Rich and ripe aromas. Smooth, fruity and a bit spicy, a lovely mouthful with a good finish as well. Highly Recommended. Pretty well priced too.

The label indicates the blend is composed of 70% Touriga Franca, 20% Touriga Nacional, 10% Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo in Spain). It also recommends pairing with meat dishes, cheese, smoked meats and roasted chestnuts. 

Two of the grape varieties, the two Tourigas, are also used in the production of Port. The Jordoes family began producing wine from terraced vineyards on the slopes above the river Torto in 1870 and, since 1994 have championed the production of organic port. They are just one of quite a few Port producers also involved in still wine (no big surprise there!).

#DrinkResponsibly

You'll Find Jacques Always On The Sunny Side Of The Street

You'll Find Jacques Always On The Sunny Side Of The Street

There may be less covers in Jacques these days but the menu is still expansive as the popular Oliver Plunkett Street restaurant hasn’t followed the trend that sees less options available to the diner. No shortage of choice at all when we called for lunch last Wednesday, everything from soup to ribeye, from toasties to fish and chips. And much more in between with most tastes and budgets catered for.

Hands sanitised, we were soon seated in a comfortable corner by the window and, after the usual warm welcome, were studying the long menu. The salads looked very tempting indeed: Baked Ham Salad with Ballinrostig Cheese, the Roast Beetroot Salad with Knockalara Sheeps Cheese (this was just one dish underlining a great loyalty between Jacques and their suppliers), and the Fresh Crab and Bushby Strawberries.

We would have those luscious strawberries in the dessert. And what a dessert! The Almond Meringue, Custard and those Bushby Strawberries (perhaps the last of them for this season) sent us off into the sunny afternoon in great form. And that form was also boosted by a terrific cup of coffee, Maher’s of course. After all, Maher’s are next door neighbours!

Regulars were rolling in as we engage with our mains. CL choose the Pan Fried Plaice, Hollandaise, Seasonal veg, and Ballycotton Queens. Those buttered up Queens were a highlight, the broccoli cooked to perfection (not too hard, not too soft) as was the fish itself while the sauce was served on the side (always a good idea as it leaves the diner in control).

I had been seriously looking at the cheeseboard, all for myself: Cashel Blue, Durrus Classic and Ballinrostig Gold, with sourdough crispbread and drunken figs! It’s also an end of meal option. In the event though, I picked another favourite: Italian Meatballs, Tomato, Spaghetti, Basil and Parmesan. Usually a superb combination of flavour and texture. It was all that here and more!

Jacques have also have a huge choice of drinks. Earlier in the week, I spotted on their Instagram that they now have some of the beers from the German Brewery called And Union. The one featured in the photo was a Wheat Beer called Wednesday, quite appropriate since we were in on a Wednesday! They have a beer for every day of the week (and more) and you’ll note that the And Union bottles and cans come in one solid colour - Wednesday is yellow, Tuesday is blue....

Anyway, this Wednesday Weiss is easy drinking with perhaps not so much clove in the aromas as you might expect, more vanilla and banana. This traditional German beer is a hazy gold and smooth and rich in the mouth. 

Sisters Jacque and Eithne Barry started Jacques over 40 years ago. “..we still love it, still driven by food, by people. It's a good way to earn a crust. Over the years we have built up a great network of growers, farmers, cheesemakers & small wine suppliers.” 

And the customers keep coming back for the honest and unpretentious food, well sourced, well cared for and cooked to the highest standard and, mask or no mask, served with the friendliest of smiles.

Maybe I should have had this Crab and Strawberry salad!
Probably would have had it had I seen this on their Instagram earlier.

They have a website here but if you want the most up to date info (and these Covid days, it can change) you’d be best advised to keep an eye on their Instagram page where you’ll see menus and so on. Do note that, though you’ll see otherwise, even on Insta, that they are now open on Wednesdays (from noon til late).

Jacques Restaurant

23 Oliver Plunkett Street*

Cork

Tel: 021 4277387

*They have a second entrance in Phoenix Street at the other side of the block.

And Union - Noreast