Zambrero Ireland Calls on Cork to Help Pack 100,000 Meals to Fight Global Hunger

 Zambrero Ireland Calls on Cork to Help Pack 

100,000 Meals to Fight Global Hunger

Register to help Zambrero with their Meal Packing Day in University College Cork on Thursday, 16th October, to pack meals for those facing hunger in communities worldwide 

General Manager of Zambrero Ireland, Darragh Fanning, and Irish Olympic Sprinter
 and Plate4Plate Ambassador, Sharlene Mawdsley.

With thirty-one locations across the country, Zambrero Ireland, with the help of sports ambassador, Olympic Sprinter Sharlene Mawdsley, is rallying the Cork community and asking volunteers to register at zambrero.ie and help pack up to 100,000 meals for those in need of food worldwide on Thursday, 16th October at University College Cork. 

Darragh Fanning, General Manager of Zambrero Ireland, expressed his commitment to the initiative, saying, "This is our fourth year running the

FREDERIC DESORMEAUX APPOINTED GROUP EXECUTIVE CHEF AT FLYNN CUSH GROUP

Fred. Pic:Photo: Jay Woodard

FREDERIC DESORMEAUX APPOINTED GROUP EXECUTIVE CHEF AT FLYNN CUSH GROUP

Frederic Desormeaux (right) has been appointed Group Executive Chef at the Flynn Cush Group, which includes Cush Midleton, Sea Church and the Salty Dog in Ballycotton. This marks a new chapter for the restaurants, which are all located in East Cork. 

Frederic is currently Executive Chef at Sea Church and Salty Dog, the latter of which opened to

JAZZ DINING EXPERIENCES ON OFFER AGAIN AS METROPOLE HOTEL CONFIRMS NEW ACTS AND OLD FAVOURITES FOR THIS YEAR’S JAZZ FESTIVAL CLUB

METROPOLE HOTEL CONFIRMS NEW ACTS AND OLD FAVOURITES FOR THIS YEAR’S JAZZ FESTIVAL CLUB

At the launch (l to r): Kevin O’Leary, Bar Manager, The Met; Sandra Murphy Kelleher, Group Brand & Communications Manager, Trigon Hotels; Louise McNamara, General Manager, The Metropole Hotel; Martin Donnelly, Guest Services Executive, The Metropole Hotel. Pic: Brian Lougheed.

Jazz Dining Experiences on offer again.

The Metropole Hotel has launched the line-up for this year’s Jazz Festival Club, which runs across the October Bank Holiday weekend. The original home of the Cork Jazz Festival is welcoming firm favourites along with some new additions to the bill. 

Music fans can expect a mix of swing, funk, groove and blues from top Irish and international artists.

The line-up includes

Blas na hÉireann 2025 winners announced in Dingle. Thirty three producers from Co. Cork take home awards

Blas na hÉireann 2025 winners announced in Dingle.

Thirty three producers from Co. Cork take home awards

Skeaghanore West Cork farm win Best in County, proudly supported by Cork LEO. 

Dingle. Pic by AllenKiely

 

 
All roads led to Dingle on Friday 3rd October for the eagerly anticipated finals of Blas na hÉireann, The Irish Food Awards, now in their 18th year and firmly established as the largest and most influential food awards on the island of Ireland. 

 

This year, 40 producers from Co. Cork were shortlisted across a wide range of categories, with 32 of them taking home coveted Blas awards. The bronze, silver and gold winners from the county include: 

Alternative Christmas Pudding Company, Bandon Vale, Bandon Vale Cheese, Bantry Bay Seafoods, Blacks Brewing & Distilling, Clona Dairy Products Ltd., Folláin, Foxway Co T/A Silver Pail Dairy, Hassetts Bakers & Confectioners Ltd., Hyde Ltd., Irish Yogurts, Irish Yogurts Ltd., K O'Connell Fish Merchants, Keohane Seafoods, Kepak, Kinsale Mead, Leahys Open farm, McCarthy's of Kanturk, Mella's Fudge, Nohoval Drinks Company Ltd. T/A Stonewell Cider & Nohoval Apple Wine, North Cork Creameries, Nua Asador, O Donovan's Enniskeane, O'Flynn's Gourmet Sausage Company, O'Keeffes Bakery/Irish Country Cuisine, Ogam Foods Ltd., On The Pigs Back (La Charcuterie Irlandaise Ltd.), Scally's of Clonakilty, SuperValu, Second Street Bakeshop, Velo Coffee Roasters, West Cork Distillers and Wildberry Bakery. 

Skeaghanore West Cork farm was awarded Best in County, proudly sponsored by Cork Local Enterprise Office. “We extend our warmest congratulations to the Cork County Winner - Skeaghanore West Cork Farm - at this year’s Blas na hÉireann awards,” said Kevin Curran, Head of Enterprise at LEO Cork North & West. “This accolade is a testament to the exceptional quality and creativity of our local Cork food producers. Their success not only brings pride to Cork but also showcases the incredible food talent and potential within Cork. The Cork County LEO's are thrilled to see their hard work and vision recognised on such a prestigious Irish Showcase of Food".

 

2025 marks another record year for Blas na hÉireann, with over 3,000 entries across more than 180 categories, reflecting the strength and diversity of Irish food and drink. 

Second Street Bakeshop, who make this Gourmet Toffee Popcorn,
were among the winners.

 

Pic by AllenKiely

This year’s finalists and winners had the opportunity to showcase their products at the Blas Village and the popular Eat Ireland in a Day market, both of which returned to Dingle alongside the annual Backyard at Blas panel discussions supported by Bank of Ireland. The weekend offered producers a chance to connect with buyers, industry experts, media, fellow producers, and food lovers, while also celebrating the people, and the talents, that make Irish food so special. 

Speaking after the announcement, Artie Clifford, Chairperson of Blas na hÉireann, said “Every year the standard rises, and 2025 has been no exception. To see such talented producers from Co. Cork represented on the shortlist, and now to celebrate the winners from that county, is a real testament to the skill, creativity and resilience of Ireland’s food producers. Making it to the finalist stage alone is a huge achievement, and to win at Blas is something of which to be incredibly proud. Irish food and drink continues to go from strength to strength, and it is a joy to celebrate that strength and that community here in Dingle.”  

The Blas na hÉireann awards weekend ran from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th October in Dingle, with a packed programme of events shining a spotlight on the very best of Irish food and drink. Sustainability once again remained a key focus, with the event continuing to build on its waste-free commitments and support a more conscious future for Irish food. 

#pressrelease Updated 09.10.25

THE METROPOLE HOTEL MARKS NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH CORK OPERA HOUSE WITH JAZZ INSPIRED COCKTAIL

METROPOLE HOTEL MARKS NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH CORK OPERA HOUSE WITH JAZZ INSPIRED COCKTAIL

Louise McNamara, General Manager, The Metropole Hotel; Laura Noonan,
Partnerships and Development Manager, Cork Opera House; Kevin O’ Leary, Bar Manager, The Met; Sandra Murphy Kelleher, Group Brand & Communications Manager, Trigon Hotels.  Photo: Brian Lougheed

 

The Metropole Hotel has launched a new jazz inspired cocktail to mark the

EAST CORK RESTAURANT GROUP WINS DOUBLE AT PRESTIGIOUS GC AWARDS

EAST CORK RESTAURANT GROUP WINS DOUBLE AT PRESTIGIOUS GC AWARDS

Dan's Castletownbere cod at Cush Midleton

Chefs from Sea Church / Salty Dog, and Cush, were awarded Best Seafood Chef of the year at the 2025 Georgina Campbell Irish Food & Hospitality Awards 

The East Cork restaurant and hospitality group Flynn Cush Ltd is

Elbow Lane rebounding Bite by Bite. A new less formal menu!

Elbow Lane rebounding Bite by Bite.

A new less formal menu!

Bulgogi goat sausage

“As we gear up to open fully, we are hoping to introduce some new diners to a taste of Elbow Lane with this more relaxed format”, says Harrison Sharpe, head chef of Elbow Lane. We sampled that new format, under the heading Bites at Elbow Lane, last Tuesday, and were very impressed indeed by the Bites, their quality and variety.

Indeed, we got through quite a few Bites from this

In Praise of East Cork. Food. People. Place. Worth a Visit!

 

In Praise of East Cork.

Food. People. Place. Worth a Visit!

Superb fish at Sea Church, Ballycotton

Friendly people, great food, and coastal and inland attractions make East Cork a gem of a place to visit. From the fantastic 13th-century St Mary’s Collegiate Church in Youghal to high-class Gardens and Arboretum at Fota, and Barryscourt Castle in between, all free to enter, there is a treasure chest of places to visit in the area.

Featherblade, signature dish at Ferrit & Lee

Let me take you on a trip to see a slice of it. We’ll also enjoy some

Simon Zebo, Ernest Cantillon, and Finian Sedgwick in the front row as Black Emerald Irish Whiskey Launches this Month

press release

Simon Zebo, Ernest Cantillon, and Finian Sedgwick in the front row as Black Emerald Irish Whiskey Launches this Month 

Following a successful debut in Australia, Black Emerald, a bold new Irish whiskey brand, is officially launching in its home country this month.

Black Emerald stands for a modern, confident, and global Ireland. Founded by Ernest Cantillon (a lifelong publican), Simon Zebo (international rugby player), and Finian Sedgwick (whiskey industry veteran), the brand is built on a simple idea: No One Drinks Alone.

There’s no such thing as a Black Emerald, and there’s no

“Enjoy the wine,” Bordeaux's Pierre Lawton advised his Cork audience. “Don’t be prejudiced by what you read.”

Thursday Throwback

Bordeaux Evening at Crawford Art Gallery

First published: Saturday, July 13, 2013

A Bordeaux evening, that saw wine merchant Pierre Lawton in conversation with Ted Murphy (author “A Kingdom of Wine – the Story of Ireland’s Wine Geese"), drew many to the sculpture gallery of the Crawford on Thursday night. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the ongoing WineGeese series.

It was indeed a very good night for the WineGeese “committee” of Beverly Matthews, Colm McCann and Maurice O’Mahony. Maurice opened the evening: “We dreamt this up in January and now it’s true!”

Ted Murphy, widely credited as the originator of the Wine Geese concept, told us of the Lawton family, in particular how one of Pierre’s direct ancestors, Hugh Lawton, had been mayor of Cork city in 1776.

Four from Bordeaux.

Indeed, the Lawtons had a huge presence in Cork city and county and held many high offices, all the while continuing their trade with their relations in Bordeaux who, via Abraham Lawton, entered the wine business (buying and selling) in the 1700s.

And Ted was enthusiastic that the old trade links and cultural connections between the two Atlantic cities could be reinforced and new ones forged. He announced that UCC is to enter a student exchange programme with Bordeaux. And then showed us a very impressive recent tourist leaflet cum map from Bordeaux detailing the many Irish connections.

Café in Bages in the Medoc

He then drew our attention to the nearby John Hogan sculpture of The Drunken Faun who, he joked, had wasted some pretty expensive wine. Indeed, some of the wines that Pierre then introduced do not come cheap but there was no danger of them being wasted! Pierre explained: “Thus is a horizontal tasting. Same vintage but different wines.”

Pierre

1 – Chateau Clauzet Saint Estephe 2009

2 – Chateau Branaire Ducru Saint Julien 2009

3 – Chateau Clerc Milon Pauillac 2009

4 – Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac 2009

All kinds of wine related topics were touched on, in a light and humorous way, by Pierre, including the ups and downs of buying en primeur, the risks (and rewards!) of playing backgammon with Philippe de Rothschild (wine #3 above) and the Chinese involvement in the wine market.

When we came to the Lynch-Bages, he let us know that a M. Lynch, then Mayor of Bordeaux, once seriously upset a certain Napoleon! Pierre, in a cheeky aside, shared this tip: the taste of Lynch-Bages is close to that of Mouton, but cheaper!

Horizontal tasting!

Ted

And the famous Bordeaux bottle? Yes, you’ve guessed it. That was invented by an Irishman (Mitchell) so that bottles could be stacked on their sides. 

Pierre also had a very practical tip for these hot days. To cool wine, drop an ice cube into the glass for a few moments, then remove and taste the difference. 

One got the impression that Pierre is not a lover of some wine critics, particularly those that overly use technical terms. “Enjoy the wine,” he advised. “Don’t be prejudiced by what you read.” Sound advice from a man that knows!

Left to right: Pierre Lawton, Colm McCan and Ted Murphy

All the good stuff at Pop Crowley’s, Fancy Goods and Grocer, in Macroom.

 All the good stuff at Pop Crowley’s. Fancy Goods and Grocer, in Macroom.

In Pop Crowley’s, the one-year-old grocery in Macroom, the customers tend to shop small and support local producers.

Jack Buckley is the man behind the 2024 venture, and his wife, Carmel, is the woman. So where did the Crowley come from? Well, Jack’s grandfather, Pop Crowley, had a shop in Killarney in the 1950s, and the Macroom shop is named in his honour. Even the shop itself is a tribute to the business that preceded it on the town centre site. Twohig’s hardware store had a long tradition here, and here’s hoping that Pop Crowley’s will continue over the coming decades.

The motto here is

Elbow Lane ‘Bites’ Back!

 Elbow Lane ‘Bites’ Back

Head Chef Harrison Sharpe. Pics by Clare Keogh

Elbow Lane Smokehouse & Brewery has opened its doors again with a temporary new menu called ‘Bites at Elbow Lane’.  More informal than its usual offering, 'Bites' is packed with bold flavours, small and large plates and casual bites; all made in-house and paired with the drinks that regular diners know and love. The move follows a small fire at the restaurant earlier this month, which caused some external chimney damage and necessitated a temporary closure. 

Think small plates such as “Deep fried pork belly, fish sauce caramel, chilli & peanut crunch” and “ Koji Beet carpac­cio, pick­led wal­nut, gar­lic scape, water­cress and Cais na Tire” and sharing plates like ‘Slow smoked baby back ribs with house sauce’ and ’Pan seared hake, pis­ta­chio beurre blanc with glazed veg’.

“While the grill gets a makeover and everything comes back up to full steam, we are taking this opportunity to freshen things up and try out some new ideas on our menu,” says Harrison Sharpe, head chef of Elbow Lane.  "Although reservations can be made up to a week in advance, we welcome walk-ins and guests who just want a drink and a quick bite. As we gear up to open fully, we are hoping to introduce some new diners to a taste of Elbow Lane with this more relaxed format" he adds.

September visit to Kinsale's historic Charles Fort. A star-shaped military fortress that has stood firm for centuries

 September visit to Kinsale's historic Charles Fort

A star-shaped military fortress that has stood firm for centuries

Plan your visit at https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/charles-fort-military-fortress/ 

A pleasant view from the ramparts of Charles Fort last Friday. But the fort was built to keep 
an eye of a different kind of vessel and had a great view towards the mouth of the harbour (below)

Part of the artillery barracks.

Charles Fort Lighthouse (within the fort)

General view

In remembrance

The onsite café, the Lemonleaf.

Mosaic of the star-shaped fort

Sailing on an ideal afternoon, a perfect balance of sun and wind!

Starlings, on parade

The sailors may have enjoyed the stiff wind, but it proved a nuisance for this bridal party,
visiting the fort for a scenic photoshoot

If these walls could talk. Charles Fort was a little town in itself and well worth a visit.

The Stables. Now The Toilets

Welcome in, a very short video.