POETIC LICENCE . POETRY AND PLACES INFLUENCES AFTERNOON TEA ANANTARA THE MARKER DUBLIN HOTEL

press release

POETIC LICENCE

 

POETRY AND PLACES INFLUENCES AFTERNOON TEA ANANTARA THE MARKER DUBLIN HOTEL

 

The Five-Star Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel will launch its brand new Afternoon Tea offering on ‘Mother’s Day’, the 10^th of March. The ‘Poetry and Places Afternoon Tea’ has been inspired by some of Ireland’s most famous poets and scribes and features the tastes and flavours of the country’s most iconic destinations.  The rugged cliffs of the west of Ireland and the wild and native flavours of the hedgerows are evocative in every sweet and savoury bite.  Ingredients such as wild Atlantic Sea salt from the west of Ireland and sweet and tangy berry flavours from the wild hedgerows are just some of the indigenous flavours and ingredients the pastry chefs have used to create unique delicacies that will provide you with a true sense and taste of Ireland.

 

This creative and truly unique culinary journey transports the guest through a literary journey via the lines of some of Ireland’s most famous poems while also paying homage to the most dramatic landscapes in the country. Guests will enjoy three pastries from ten themed delights. Flavours have been inspired by The Ring of Kerry, Achill Island, Valentia Island, The Wild Atlantic Way, Kilkenny Castle and Newgrange.

 

The menu also features a choice of delicate sandwiches, pastries, tea breads and homemade preserves. Sandwiches include choices such as Burren Organic Irish Oak Smoked Salmon with dill crème fraiche, served on a traditional soda bread. There’s also a roast beef, horseradish and Achill Island Sea Salt sandwich which presents robust and memorable flavours. Delicate cucumber and chive cream cheese sandwiches are light and refreshing while the corn-fed chicken, tarragon mayonnaise and brioche bun is smooth and deeply satisfying.

Gareth Mullins, Executive Head Chef at Anantara the Marker said, “We wanted to pay tribute to the many great local and indigenous flavours that are found in every corner of this country.  Artisan producers all around the country are making great products in small batches and often by hand. We searched high and low for the very best artisans whose products now sing from our plates.  For example, we created a gorgeous verrine with a bavarois of sheep’s milk yoghurt from Mayo, it features heather honey, oat crumble and is finished with a smoked Achill Island Sea Salt. Our Opera Cake was inspired by the steep cliffs that are found along much of the west coast and is flavoured with chocolate, rye and dillisk.”

 

On the literary side of the Afternoon Tea story, the poem, ‘Blackberry Picking’ by poet Seamus Heaney inspired the blackberry tart, which is seasoned with Wicklow blackberry wine, and topped with a clove meringue. Meanwhile, the poem, ‘Lilac’ by the contemporary poet, Martina Dalton provided the inspiration for the violet macaroon, with Berriolette curd and dried flowers.  Martina is in fact, the mother-in-law of the head pastry chef, Sebastian Ritzen, whose words, and evocative images have resulted in the creation of this tasty treat.

“One of Europe’s most popular attractions and historic cultural symbols of Dublin is of course, The Guinness Storehouse, home to the world’s most iconic beer,” said Gareth Mullins.  “As a tribute to this icon and a ‘thank you’ to Arthur Guinness, we have created a chocolate and Guinness cake to look like a perfect pint of the ‘black stuff’’.  He went on to say, “When you visit the Storehouse, and you absolutely should, they’ll show you how to pour a perfect pint yourself and now you can taste a mini, sweet version of that famous stout on our Afternoon Tea plate.”

 

He continued, “The famous Battenberg Cake is renowned at Afternoon Tea’s around the world, and we’ve put a unique twist on this iconic bake. It’s inspired by our own hotel’s geometric façade which we have replicated in the cake. The traditional pink and yellow sponge has been reimagined in white and chocolate and is enveloped in vanilla caramel”.

 

The menu also features a comprehensive range of botanic and fragrant teas and fruit infusions, in fact there are 16 varieties of Ronnefeldt Tea to choose from, all served in traditional Wedgewood China teacups.  Some unique flavours such as Cherry Cheesecake and Irish Chocolate Cream are on offer as well as an Irish Whiskey Cream tea, while seasonal flavours will be added throughout the year.  Guests can choose to add Bollinger bubbles to their afternoon if they so wish with a choice of Bollinger Champagnes on offer.

 

Michael Davern, The General Manager of Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel said, “The theme of ‘journeys’ is central to the Anantara brand itself and so the idea of experiencing Ireland through taste is really interesting and appealing.  We hope people will join us on a culinary and poetic journey around the country and we look forward to welcoming old friends and new for Afternoon Tea. We are so proud of our pastry team lead by Sebastian Ritzen whose creativity and attention to detail really comes through in our new Afternoon Tea offering.”

 

Afternoon Tea at Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel will launch on ‘Mother’s Day’, the 10^th of March with complimentary live music in the Marker Bar & Lounge.  The menu price starts from €65 per person for the ‘Poetry and Places’ option to €100 for the Bollinger Rose Champagne Afternoon Tea.  Afternoon Tea will be served daily from 1pm to 4pm every day in the Marker Bar & Lounge and on the Terrace, weather permitting,  To book call                  (01) 687 5104 | E: bookyourtable.themarker@anantara-hotels.com

Church Lane trip well worth it, even in the rain.

 Church Lane trip well worth it, even in the rain.

Plaice

While home-cooked Sunday lunches chez moi are hard to beat, the recent arrival of Church Lane in Midleton piqued my curiosity at the weekend. Though the morning's weather was "apocalyptic" in co-owner Barry Hennessey's words, a well-timed dry (ish) spell and a nearby car park saved the day.

Stepping inside, a glass of Chateau De Cedre Marcel pushed back the weather blues. The concise wine list, featuring four whites and reds by the glass, included this delightful Malbec, a terrific reminder that Cahors is the home of this grape and can still come up with some gems.

Church Lane offers daily lunch, dinner from Wednesday onwards and a Sunday roast special, and promises more exciting additions (my receipt even mentioned new specials!). Last Sunday's Roast of the Day, chosen by regulars through a competition run in the previous week, was lamb. 

Given the team's impressive credentials, including chef Jamie Cullinane's experience under London's Richard Corrigan and his work in renowned local establishments (such as Ardmore’s Cliff House, Mallow’s Longueville House and Castlemartyr Resort) , our expectations were high. Barry and his brother Colin Hennessey co-own the business and they did well to get Jamie on board.

The lamb, reasonably priced at €17.50, surpassed expectations. Perfectly cooked and accompanied by delicious roasties, well-done root vegetables, and a generous jug of gravy, it was a complete success. Sharing a bowl of smooth mashed potato further enhanced the experience.

While CL slightly prefers regular potatoes to the purple ones accompanying her well-presented Roasted Plaice with trout roe butter sauce, she still thoroughly enjoyed the dish. The presentation was equally appealing, quite a plateful, also at €17.50.

Desserts, often a disappointment even in high-end restaurants, pleasantly surprised us. The shortlist presented two winners: a seasonal Rhubarb, Crème Patisserie, and Beetroot Meringue, and my choice of the classic Vanilla Creme Brulée with shortbread. I found myself slightly favouring the seasonal offering (I begged a few spoonfuls).

Rhubarb dessert

Church Lane is a vibrant space. On entering from the street, you'll find the restaurant to the right, through a brick arch. The large bar is to your left, where dining is also available, an option often chosen by midweek diners. Weekends offer live music and the opportunity to watch a game in a lively atmosphere.

Quite a lot going on here and you may stay up to date by checking their Instagram or Facebook. 

By the time we made our exit, very happy with the food and the service, we were glad to see the rain had eased off as we didn’t fancy sprinting (😉 ) up the lane on a full stomach!

Beer of the Week: The White Hag Silver Branch Apple Sour 2023

Beer of the Week

The White Hag Silver Branch Apple Sour 2023

5.0% ABV, 375 ml bottle Bradleys

The Silver Branch Apple Sour, a complex sour beer, has a mid-amber colour and a thin white head. You certainly get the orchard aromas from the wild fermentation Irish Cider. And it is tart on the palate where the apple juice and the Golden Ale base combine to good effect. If you really pay attention,  you'll find slight notes of malt. Brewers White Hag have once again done a great job here and this complex sour beer, with a refreshing finish, is well worth your attention!

The brewery says that Silver Branch “is perfect served with some Tart & Fruity Desserts”. Didn’t have anything handy, other than a regular supermarket apple tart, a pretty decent one as it turned out, but I do think these two were not made for each other.

The White Hag, as most of you know, are well into their myths and legends. It is no different here: “In Irish mythology, the Silver Branch of the apple tree represented a passport to the Otherworld of Tir na nÓg. The effect of the apple in this beer can also be considered a gateway to magic and rebirth.”

Here’s how the magic came about. “For this one, we reached out to our friends at MacIvors and put our heads together. We made a Golden blond and blended it with wild fermentation Irish Cider from MacIvors. We started with our very own locally harvested wild yeast; brewing a beautiful golden sour ale, then blended to create an ancient Celtic ale made with spontaneously fermented Bramley apple juice from MacIvor’s cidery, aged in French Chardonnay Barrels.”

(Check our updated Beer of the Week Index here)

Silver Branch is now available from the brewery webstore and these stellar beer outlets around Ireland 

📍@bradleys_offlic

📍@bierhaus_cork

📍@brees_strandhill

📍@matsonswinestore

📍@shop.worldwidewines

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"A great natural white for everyday drinking." Ciello Bianco Catarratto Terre Siciliane.

Ciello Bianco Catarratto Terre Siciliane (IGP) 2022, 12% ABV

"A great natural white for everyday drinking"

RRP: €14.50. Stockists include 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Le Caveau is well known, among other things of course, for their range of appealing house wines, and this Cantine Rallo Bianco is one of them. See and try it at both Ichigo Ichie and 51 Cornmarket along with its red sibling Nero D’Avola. Rallo vines are organically grown and the label boldly states that the fruit for the Bianco was harvested in the first ten days of September.

Colour is a hazy gold - the wine is unfiltered, hence the cloudiness. Aromas feature both floral and herbal elements. On the palate, it is full of energy and freshness with refined white fruit leading before a slightly salty finish. If you love a fragrant and crisp Italian white, you’ll hit the target with this gem from the island. 

A great natural white for everyday drinking and, easily drunk, is also the perfect entry-level natural white wine. It is organic, unfiltered, and unfined.

 Very Highly Recommended. Well priced too by the way. 

Catarratto is a native grape in Sicily and the name means cataract or waterfall (not the cloudy thing in your eyes!). Why this name?  According to Vino (2022), because of “the prodigal amounts of wine from what is the most common grape in Sicily and the second most common in all of Italy”.

It is ideal to pair with the Sicily's traditional pasta, such as pasta with sardines or with broccoli or still with soft cheeses. Good too with turbot, white meats and very appealing by itself!

Check out  our Top Wines 2024 list (with stockists and short reviews) here 

Looking for better value? All under 20 euro. Click here

Andrea Vesco, whose family bought the winery in the 90s, runs it with expert commitment personally and meticulously attends to all the stages of production from the cultivation of the grapes to the final bottling, with the strong support of a professional staff of 21 employees.

Since 2010, Rallo wines have been “produced and bottled at their origin by the grower”. Night harvesting and modern temperature-controlled fermentations result in bright, fresh, and outstanding wines. The results are evident in this fragrant, crisp Catarratto and its red sibling the perfumed, fresh Nero d'Avola.

Taste of the Week: Apple Cider Rye by Ryes and Shine

Taste of the Week

Apple Cider Rye by Ryes and Shine

Local baker Angela Nöthlings (Ryes and Shine) always comes up with the good things. The latest, and our Taste of the Week, is this delicious Apple Cider Rye, available at her stall in St Lukes and in the Coal Quay Market on Saturdays. "It is one of my favourite loaves at the moment.  Beautiful light and tangy, yes! Love it, especially the crust!", she enthuses. Ingredients include rye (36%), WildFarmed T65 flour 72% hydration and of course Irish Cider.

I'll always have interesting bread while Angela operates here. Virtually everything on the stall is worthy of the Taste of the Week designation. Take a look at the pic above. The Cider Rye is on the left with, on top of it, one of her gorgeous From St Luke’s with Love Rolls which are studded with dark organic chocolate (she also makes it in loaves and calls them St Luke’s with Love Mums); then you have her popular Cinnamon Roll and finally (on the right) the ever-evolving, ever satisfying Mayfield Bloomer!

All the news on the micro-bakery on her Instagram 

 #realbreadireland #sourdough #cork #handmixing #mucrobakery #constantlearning #crumb

Cork Whiskey Fest - Ready to roll again next month!

Cork Whiskey Fest - 

Ready to roll again next month!

Organisers Sonia and Laurie O'Dwyer flank the speakers
 at the launch in the Shelbourne

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF CORK WHISKEY FEST 2024 AT SHELBOURNE BAR

For the second time, the Shelbourne Bar played host this week to the official launch of Cork Whiskey Fest (CWF) 2024, which will take place across The VQ, from the 22^nd - 24^th  March.

Cork Whiskey Fest is once again proudly sponsored by Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, The Shelbourne Bar and IrishMalts.com. 

“The Shelbourne bar is delighted to be a co-sponsor again this year for Cork Whiskey Fest 2024. Last year the weekend was a huge success not just in The Shelbourne Bar, but The VQ in general. As Ireland's premier Irish whiskey bar, we feel the CWF is the perfect platform for us to bring Irish whiskey to a larger audience. We wish Sonya and Laurie the very best of luck with CWF 2024.’’ Philip Gillivan, The Shelbourne Bar. 

Dunville's line-up 2023

John O’Donovan, Owner of IrishMalts.com, the exclusive retailer for the festival said “As a native Cork business, it gives us pleasure to sponsor the 2^nd Cork Whiskey Fest. We are very proud to be a part of it”

Cork Whiskey Fest 2024 is guaranteed to be a jam-packed weekend with 25 events to choose from across 3 days in 1 city. 

Laurie & Sonya O’Dwyer, co-founders of the festival, are delighted to be doing it all again this year, 

“We are thrilled to be able to run Cork Whiskey Fest again this year. Our inaugural Fest last year proved very popular, a great success and provided an atmosphere of real fun across the weekend. This is due to the phenomenal support of the people of Cork and other counties, the Whiskey community and many of the international whiskey enthusiasts that attended from around the world”  

This year’s festival will again offer attendees exclusive insights into unique whiskeys, some not yet available to purchase in-stores. 

The Brand Expo & Social Events on Friday the 22^nd and Saturday the 23^rd will play host to 45 whiskey distilleries/brands who will be sharing their liquids to sample with all attendees. 

The Masterclasses happening across the afternoons of the 23^rd and 24^th of March will be run by brand specialists of the whiskey world. 

Andrew Dickey of Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, who guided the tasting last night and gave guests and media the opportunity to get a glimpse into what we can expect from the weekend.

“We are delighted to support Cork Whiskey Fest again this year. We are expecting this year to be just as much fun as last year. Over the weekend we will have a number of exciting tastings featuring the most loved Irish Whiskeys, hosted by the people that make them. ” Andrew explained last night.

Dingle, in its early days (2016)

After a quick introduction to the festival by Laurie O’Dwyer, Andrew took guests through a tasting of Jameson Single Pot Still and Redbreast 27yr old Irish whiskey samples. Once the tastings were completed, guests enjoyed nibbles and took away a much sought after whiskey goodie bag.

Laurie, host of Whiskey Chats podcast, developed the idea for the festival alongside his wife, Sonya in 2022. Laurie explained, “What makes Cork Whiskey Fest different from others of its kind, is that we want it to be open and accessible to everyone. We’ll have distillers, owners and brand ambassadors from over 50 whiskey brands hosting events and at our expo tables, who will guide our attendees through the experience. Whether you’re a whiskey aficionado, just enjoy the occasional drop or you are dipping your toe into whiskey for the first time, we’ve got you covered. A lot of our events have already sold out”.

For those who have missed out on tickets for their preferred event already, you can browse remaining tickets through www.corkwhiskeyfest.com

press release

Bursting with youth and audacity... Francois Martenot's Crémant De Bourgogne

Francois Martenot Crémant De Bourgogne (AOP) Brut,  2021, 12% ABV

€20.50 Dunnes Stores

€16.50 in last Autumn’s French Wine Sale

..bursting with youth and audacity..

Made in the traditional Champagne method, this Crémant is dry with beautiful flavours of lime and pear. The AOP generally encourages a wine bursting with youth and audacity…freshness and vigour. And that is exactly what you get when you pour this beauty, a pale gold colour and a fountain of bubbles rising to form a necklace around the edge of the glass.

And, with this Brut, that vivacity continues through the aromas and onto the palate which is full of flavour and is fresh and elegant with a lively acidity. Better than most entry-level champagnes and without the hefty price tag. The grapes used here are Chardonnay and Gamay,

Crémant as you know is an excellent aperitf. The French also recommend matching with main dishes such as stewed poultry with pears and dried fruits (confit de volaille aux poires et fruits secs). Serving temperatures: 4 to 8°C as a pre-dinner drink, 6 to 9°C with main meal.

Maison François Martenot is located very close to Beaune, the capital of the Burgundy wine region, in the heart of one of the nicest vineyards of France. Between Auxerre and Mâcon, Burgundy proudly offers some of the most prestigious AOPs of the world.

Check out  our Top Wines 2024 list (with stockists and short reviews) here 

Looking for better value? All under 20 euro. Click here

Crémant de Bourgogne was first made, using the Traditional vinification method (same as Champagne), at the beginning of the 19th century. The AOC status granted in 1975 laid down strict conditions for its production based on meticulously applied traditional skills to achieve high-quality vinification. Only whites and rosés qualify for the appellation. They may be blanc de blancs (from white grapes) or blanc de noirs (from white-juiced black grapes). Most are classed as brut or, less often, demi-sec. The production area is the same as that for the appellation Bourgogne.

Oh by the way, these crémant wines are not confined to Burgundy and there are quite a few to choose from including Bordeaux, Limoux, Savoie, Die (Rhone), Jura and Alsace.. even Luxembourg! You may read a little more on the subject here.