Randles, a fixture on Muckross Road since 1906, always changing for the better

Randles, a fixture in Killarney since 1906, always changing for the better

View across the lake from Ross Castle

The Randles Court Hotel, best known as Randles, on Killarney’s Muckross Road, seems to have been there forever. But the secret to success here is to never stand still and that policy has benefitted the family since they first welcomed guests back in 1906.  Behind the scenes is where it all happens, an ongoing velvet revolution, their offering constantly improving, nowadays under proprietor Tom Randles.

Just a few examples for you, most of them in recent months. They had a big celebration in Croke Park, not unusual for Kerry teams, where Randles Hotel won the AIBF Solar Evolution Business All-Star Renewable Project of the Year. The sustainability journey is a team effort and Tom was delighted to accept the award.

Randles Hotel. Wigg Bar & Conservatory (Pic: Randles)

“Over the last 18 months, we have made great strides in our entire sustainability plan, which was no easy task when you have a property dating back over 116 years, but we love a challenge at Randles… Our journey to retrofitting our property began with moving away from fossil fuels as our primary heat source by utilising renewable air-to-water heat pumps for space heating, domestic hot water generation & Leisure Centre pool water, ventilation and domestic hot water application.”

And more celebrations for the hotel when they were awarded the TripAdvisor 2023 Travelers’ Choice award winner. “The coveted award celebrates businesses that have consistently received great guest reviews on TripAdvisor over the last 12 months, placing us among the 10% of all listings on TripAdvisor globally.”

Muckross gardens

Did you know you can bring your dog to Randles? This has been going on for quite a while. They just love rolling out the red carpet for their four-legged friends. “We ensure our guests with pups enjoy a pawsitive experience with us. Our canine guests can choose an overnight stay with their owners. Killarney National Park is accessible from our doorstep offering lots of trails and walkways for you and your dog to explore.”

And the exercise is not just for dogs. Did you spot those bikes on the way in? “Those new Raleigh bikes are ready to help you celebrate and explore Killarney National Park from our doorstep and travel the many wonderful cycle pathways on offer.”

Pizza at Wiggs

And at the start of June, Tom announced the opening of the Randles Townhouse on Twitter: “The little sister of @randles_hotel, a 350 metre stroll away- Adults only - super comfy King beds - quiet space - 50” Smart TV -  Ultrafast Wifi -all the facilities of The Hotel - better prices. Book on 064-6635333.”

No standing still in the kitchen either. They have Bird Cages - choose from Charcuterie, Hotcuterie or Seacuterie - each as delicious as the other.

Welcome to the new Randles Townhouse

And they support local here in the ultra-comfortable Wiggs Bar and Conservatory, part of the original building dating back to 1906. 

“One such local independent supplier that Head Chef Michael works with is the family-run @tcroninbutchers, a traditional butcher serving the people of Killarney for 5 generations with the best of local beef, lamb, pork, bacon & poultry. We are delighted to be working with the gang at Cronin’s, ensuring the best quality meats.”

“Like ourselves, the Lynch family have been in business for generations and Chef Michael uses their Macroom Buffalo Mozzarella on their Pizzas, ensuring premium quality food always at Randles.”

Excellent nibbles: olives and  pesto

Indeed, I enjoyed one of their pizzas here along with a cool pint of the Killarney Blonde while CL tucked into the Sweet chicken grilled breast (Glazed brie, roast red pepper, marinated tomatoes, rocket, basil pesto) in a ciabatta. Quite a Wine List here also and a glass or two of L'Herbe Sainte Merlot from the Languedoc was enjoyed!

The breakfast menu is one of the very best, certainly the best we’ve had in a while. And it is served in The Court, a spectacular room by any standard. Some great choices on the menu include Cinnamon dusted French toast and locally smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and of course the Full Irish. Our pick was the Freshly made Crépes Normande filled with apple puree, served with maple syrup. By coincidence, I had the very same dish during a stay in 2014! Our server on this latest visit suggested adding a couple of rashers and I didn’t say no. Top class.

Ross Castle

Randles has long been a relaxing and friendly stop on the Ring of Kerry. It is very well situated, even for golfers with a whole series of top-notch courses close at hand, including Killarney, Beaufort, Tralee, Ring of Kerry, Dooks, Ballybunion, and Waterville.

Then in the park and in general, there’s Walking, Hiking, Climbing, Biking & Horseriding – make your own way or join one of the many guided experiences. But not all of us will want to be that active during a break. 

Deenagh Lodge for a cuppa (and more), all day long, at Killarney town entrance to National Park

And here the hotel is very well placed indeed for more leisurely sightseeing with the National Park (including Torc Waterfall) and the racecourse both easily reached by car while both Muckross House and Killarney House are each a few minutes walk away.

And even more relaxing possibilities in the hotel itself where leisure facilities include spa treatments. Here guests can unwind with an extensive range of holistic, non-clinical treatments and massages available.  The Leisure Club offers you the chance to enjoy an invigorating dip in the 20m indoor pool or relax in the steam room or sauna.

The pool at Randles

If you just want to warm your toes on a cold day or read your favourite newspaper, then check out the Drawing Room. Sink into the comfortable sofa while the fire blazes away. Or enjoy the views of the Kerry mountains while just soaking up the atmosphere of this room filled with antiques and comfortable sofas, harking back to the days when the original house was a rather splendid family home.

Our own bedroom was rather splendid also, with an excellent view out towards those mountains. It was perfect and that luxury bed meant a great night’s sleep, just in case they provide a sleep spray for your pillow! With WIFI available throughout the hotel, you can catch up with family and friends through social media and email. Widescreen TV, tea-making plus Espresso machine, bathrobes, toiletries, everything you’d need.

People enjoy the view from the Kerry Cliffs.

Not at all surprised that Randles are regular award winners. The hotel and its facilities are excellent and the standard all through including the decor and furnishings is superb.

* Car parking is not a problem here. There is limited room at the level of the hotel and the includes set-down. But there is a spacious underground car park as you drive in from the road. Lighting is automatic and excellent and a short set of steps takes you up to that lovely terrace and the entrance doors. And you may ring if you need help with luggage.

** Also on this trip. Visiting Dinis Cottage. Take a Walk. Take a Bike. Take a Hike.

*** Recent trip:

The Lobster Waterville

Skellig Experience Centre - The Monks Dinner

McGill Brewery, Waterville

Royal Hotel, Knightstown

A Right Royal Progress Through The Kingdom

Recent Kerry posts

Killarney's lovely Victoria Hotel

Dinner at The Ivy in Killarney

Dining at The Harrow Killarney

Excellent Lunch at Brehon Hotel

Seeing Red at the lovely Sneem Hotel

Lunch at Killarney Brewery & Distillery in Fossa.

Dingle Drive, Slea Head and more 

CorkBillyBeers #32 Craft. Craft. A mixed bag with Wide Street, Mescan, Wicklow Wolf and Torc.

CorkBillyBeers #32

Craft. A mixed bag with Wide Street, Mescan, Wicklow Wolf and Torc.

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Saison

Wide Street House Saison 5.5% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

Saison is a traditional Belgian beer brewed for the summer-time workers and Longford brewery Wide Street (it is situated on a very wide street) claims theirs is a classic representation of the Belgian Saison style. 

It pours a murky orange colour with a good white head. Aromatics throw up moderate banana notes, also a very mild spice. Glug this and you miss a lot. Sip and savour and you get citrus notes, that spice again and a smooth background wrap of banana.

Their yeast had been playing quite a role in this two-month fermentation and it is Saccharomyces cerevisiae var diastaticus saison strain (don't know of any abbreviation!).

They have also employed their favourite hop Saaz in the process and that provides a medium bitterness backed up with those hints of banana and pepper.  It had been “elected’ to their core range, the punters obviously liking the mild banana aromas and flavours, and a touch of peppery spice;  the bitterness factor is mid-range.

The beer has new packaging. “Our House Saison, part of our core range, has just got a rebrand! It's the same recipe with a fresh look for a zesty and peppery dry saison. Perfect pairing with barbecue meats, salads and fish.”

Highly Recommended.

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Mescan Westport Saison, 5.8% ABV, 330 ml bottle

Saison is a traditional farmhouse style from the South of Belgium brewed to sustain the workers during long days of toil in the sun. Mayo’s Mescan are noted for their Belgian style beers and this Saison is an amazing example of how well they have learned the arts of the Belgian aces.

Colour of this Mescan is a slightly hazy orange, with a soft white head that sinks slowly. Aromas include clove and citrus notes. It is dry and light on the palate, effervescent and refreshing. Indeed, that refreshing fizziness is quite a feature. It is also very well balanced, with the New World hops matched by the earthy spicy yeast flavours, and you don't really notice the high alcohol. But do sip rather than gulp!

There is something different, something more wide-ranging about this Mescan saison. Flavours are deeper, longer lasting, and the experience more satisfactory. More than likely it comes from longer ageing (a brewery policy). 

On my recent visit to the rural brewery in Mayo, brewer and co-founder Cillian Ó'Móráin explained that Mescan beers take a minimum of 4 months with the heavier ones getting 6-8 months whereas your normal craft beer takes just a few weeks from start to shop (can vary from brewer to brewer). While the extra time makes the Mescan more expensive, Cillian reckons it is crucial for the quality of the beer. And it is indeed a premium product, illustrated well by this superb saison. 

Very Highly Recommended.

It is refreshing and quite a thirst quencher (which is the whole idea), and Mescan, as you may know, was St Patrick’s brewer and no doubt the odd conversion was facilitated by a jug of his cloudy brew. 

The modern bottle-conditioned beer is still somewhat cloudy! All Mescan beers are bottle conditioned. To enjoy them clear, store them upright and pour into a glass, leaving the yeast sediment in the bottle.

With its slightly bitter finish, Saison goes well with spicy dishes such as curries or chicken wings. "Our Saison is a real thirst quencher!" For more pairing ideas check their Food Pairing Wheel here. 

* If you'd like to visit Mescan, they are open to visitors most Friday afternoons through the summer - online booking is required here.

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 Honey Hefeweizen

Wicklow Wolf Honey Hefeweizen Locavore Spring 2023, 6.0% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

The Wicklow Wolf Locavore series always scores highly in this quarter and I knew I had another winner in my hand when I tasted the Spring 2023 edition, a Honey Hefeweizen, at the Easter Beer Fest in Franciscan Well.

Local, as you know, is always at the heart of the series, and this is brewed with locally sourced Wicklow heather honey from the hives of “our friends in OpenHive” and using wheat grown in the field behind the brewery. Balance as always is important and therefore the character of honey should be evident but not allowed to take over.

It has a pale gold colour and is hazy, with a white head. It is based on a “strong wheat grain bill” and classic wheat beer aromas of banana and clove rise from the glass, also a touch of spice. And the beer seems a little bit sweeter on the palate as it and the honey get together but that important balance is achieved. 

Quite a taste of Wicklow then and Very Highly Recommended. So a contender for honours already from Wicklow. And could it repeat the Wicklow Wolf Locavore Spring 2022 (Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale) that was joint first in the blog’s Beer of the Year last year?

Geek Bits

20 IBUs

Hops are Idaho 7

Heather Honey an ingredient.

Malts are: Pilsner, Wheat, Munich

Craftbeer.com: Both lagers and ales can be brewed with honey. Some brewers will choose to experiment with ingredients, while others will add honey to traditional styles. Overall the character of honey should be evident but not totally overwhelming.

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Smoked German Ale

Torc Smoked German Ale, 6.0% ABV, 500ml bottle, Carry Out Killarney

Torc doesn’t tell us much - their website is under construction - but they say this was brewed using beech wood smoked malt to create a rich dark beer with savory (they use the American spelling) and smoked aromas. They also call it an ale.  Most German-smoked beers (Rauchbiers) that I know of are in the lager class. Torc has used “select smoked German malts”, smoked with beech wood.

However, any style of beer may be smoked. But, no matter the style, balance is always sought and that “guest” ingredient should not dominate. The style did originate in Germany as Rauchbier and other brewers can come up with their own recipe, subject to balance of course. However, a beer that may seem overly smokey early on may become less so as it ages because smoke flavours get weaker over time.

Remember those bacon crisps we used to get in bars a long time ago, you still do. Well, in fairness this beer has that aroma, “Liquid bacon fries” as Limerick brewery Crew calls them. Colour of the Torc effort is a hazy reddish/brown and the head soon shrinks. The flavours follow the aromas but, in both, I’d say that Torc have achieved an excellent balance - the bacon fries effect is moderate - and the beer drinks and finishes well.

Highly Recommended

Although a classic Rauchbier is brewed as a lager of the malty German persuasion, smoke beers can take other forms. Smoked porters are common in the US. Nowadays, just a handful of breweries in Bamberg, Germany carry the Rauchbier torch. They continue the tradition of making beer with malt smoked over beechwood, which imparts a smooth and pleasant smoky flavour, similar to that of hickory – so similar that Rauchbiers are sometimes colloquially referred to as “Bacon Beers.”

So now, that you have the picture, it is over to you! it’s a challenge getting the balance just right, and arguably just as challenging to find the right audience for it. Torc certainly got the first part pretty much spot on and it looks as of their customers are up for it. 

Pair it with delicious Gubbeen Hot Smoked Ham, also Baltimore Dry Cured Black Bacon or Ummera Smoked Bacon Rashers. Or just a little pack of those Bacon Fries! 

Recent Irish examples of the style are:

Kinnegar 20÷2 Anniversary Rauchbier

Whiplash Immolator Triple Decoction Smoked Doppelbock 

Whiplash Smoke Stack Lightnin’ Oaked & Smoked Brown.

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen from Bamburg is a German classic. 

Sunday Lunch returns in style to The Cork International Hotel

Sunday Lunch returns in style to 

The Cork International Hotel

Chorizo and prawn salad

Sunday Lunch returned in style to The Cork International Hotel for Fathers’ Day. I didn't make it that day but glad to get the opportunity to try it out last Sunday and found lots of company as the lovely and comfortable space began to fill from one o’clock on.

The lunch, which is served from 12.30 pm to 3 pm, is based on locally sourced produce and the hotel’s New Yorker Bar and Restaurant is the venue and I was a guest of the hotel. The a la carte menu offers a variety of dishes as well as a roast-of-day specials list from the carvery (these are brought to your table).

Salmon from the carvery

Starters last Sunday included Homemade Soup of The Day, Pan Fried Atlantic Prawns Pil Pil, West Cork Steamed Mussels, and New York Inspired Chicken Wings.

CL’s picks were the Mussels served in a Classic White Wine and Herb Cream Sauce, with a length of sourdough to mop up the sauce. Not too sure about the New York in the wings (aside from the fact that we were in the New Yorker Bar!), but they were excellent, the hot sauce and the famous Cashel Blue doing the business and giving the necessary lift.

NY Chicken Wings

Mains on the day included: Summer Poke Bowl, Empire State Double Beef Burger, Chef Mihira’s Authentic Elawalu Maas Vegetable Curry, and Fresh Crab and Chilli Linguine. The Carving station offered: Prime Roast of West Cork Hereford Rib of Beef with a Rich Red Wine Jus, Hony Glazed Loin of West Cork Bacon, Roasted Crown of Irish Turkey, and Lemon & Thyme Marinated Irish Salmon.

Mussels

CL loves her salmon and this, perfectly cooked, got the thumbs up. All roasts come with Crispy Roasties, Mashed Potato, Roasted Carrots, and Yorkshire Pudding with a side of Cauliflower & Cheese. Quite a plateful.

My quantity was somewhat more modest but the Warm Gubbeen Chorizo & Prawn Salad (with Fried Potatoes, Mixed Leaves, Red Onions, and Garlic Croutons) lacked nothing in quality and exceeded expectations and was one of the best salads so far this summer and one to note for sure.

I’d say the NYC Cheesecake has been on the menu here since the restaurant was renamed. But it has stood the test of time and, aided by sliced West Cork Strawberries and an excellent wild berry compote, impressed no end last Sunday. Other desserts on the list were Dark Chocolate Brownie; Lemon, Ginger & Chilli Posset; and a Classic Summer Eton Mess.

Great also to see local producers acknowledged on the menus. Food suppliers include McCarthy Meats, Keohane Seafoods, Ardsallagh Cheese, and Gubbeen Farm cheese and charcuterie. Drinks suppliers listed include Blacks of Kinsale, Stonewell Cider, Rebel City Distillery and 9 White Deer Brewery.

All in all a very satisfactory outing to the airport. Quite a large venue and full credit to the staff who were both efficient and very friendly all through. A drive to the airport was regarded as a treat in its early days. A drive for Sunday lunch is the new treat in Farmers Cross!

The Cork International Hotel Sunday Lunch is €19.00 for main course, €26 per person for two courses or €34 per person for three courses. A full kids’ menu is also available. To make a reservation call 021 454 9800.

Start Your Story! Cork’s Iconic English Market Seeks New Traders

 ‘Start Your Story’

Cork’s Iconic English Market Seeks New Traders

The English Market and Cork City Council have launched a campaign to help find the next new traders at Cork’s English Market. The new campaign titled “Start Your Story”, presents a unique opportunity for food entrepreneurs to join a historic community of traders and start a new business at the world renowned market. 

The English Market is seeking applications and expressions of interest from innovative, artisan and high quality food producers and providers nationwide. Home to many generational family businesses, vacancies at the market are rare, however there are currently four primely placed market stalls available to let to the right candidates.

The letting presents both established and budding food entrepreneurs with the chance to share their passion with the thousands of tourists and locals who shop at the famed food emporium every year. 

Brendan Walsh, Property Manager at the English Market added, “In addition to its long-standing reputation as one of the finest food markets known around the world, successful applicants can expect to operate from a high-quality fully fitted unit and avail of low monthly rates that include management, marketing and overhead facilities. The market also affords traders invaluable industry insights; as they can trial products, assess demand and receive live feedback from customers, all while making lasting connections with customers, traders and suppliers in the market. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of history and to bring forth a new era of innovative food businesses in the market.”

All proposals are welcome and will be considered by a specialist panel to ensure new traders selected will be in keeping with the values of the market. Applicants who can demonstrate a commitment to innovation and sustainable food practices, from low ‘food miles’ to compostable packaging, will be in strong contention. 

Full details, terms and conditions and application forms can be found by visiting the English Market website www.corkcity.ie/en/english-market/start-your-story/. Alternatively, business proposals can be shared with Cork City Council at englishmarket@corkcity.ie. The English Market is open 8am-6pm, Monday to Saturday (closed on Sundays & Bank Holidays). For more information and to keep up to date with the latest news, visit The English Market social media pages on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.