From Nightclub to Green Oasis: A Sustainable Feast at Killarney's Urban Farm

 From Nightclub to Green Oasis.

 Sustainable Feast at Killarney's Urban Farm

 "Imagine feasting on fresh vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers grown in a former nightclub! This isn't a scene from a dream, but a reality at the Killarney Urban Farm, a pioneering initiative by the O'Donoghue Ring Group.”

Farm cocktail

Bug off! In the nicest possible way.

The farm's leafy utopia wasn't without its initial challenges. Uninvited guests with wings (of the insect variety!) discovered this green haven and started making themselves at home. But the O'Donoghue Ring Group didn't resort to spray. Instead, they outsmarted the insects with a strategic planting of their favourite treats just outside the doors – a genius 'green' solution!”

The Tour

Your eco-adventure begins at the Plaza Hotel, where your guide whisks you to the nearby Towers Hotel. Here, transformed from its clubbing days, the former Kube nightclub now houses a thriving vertical garden. Towering structures teem with vibrant chard, ruby red radicchio rossa, fragrant marjoram, and even edible nasturtiums – a visual and aromatic feast for the senses.”

Gubbeen Chorizo Croquette

 The Tastes

After witnessing the magic of hydroponics, it's time to tantalize your taste buds. Indulge in a selection of delectable canapés featuring farm-fresh produce paired with creative cocktails, some featuring honey harvested from the hotel's rooftop beehives – a taste of true hyper-local goodness!

"Following a delightful interlude, your journey continues back to the cosy confines of the Tan Yard restaurant in the Plaza where a three-course meal awaits, showcasing the farm's bounty in all its glory. The chefs themselves are on hand to answer any questions and share their culinary passion.”

Three satisfying courses lay ahead and there’s also a wine and beer pairing available. The beer includes the local ales from Killarney Brewing and Distilling in Fossa - enjoy a pint of their Blonde.

Lamb

Menu Highlights:

Canapés at the Farm

The Gubbeen Chorizo Croquette features fermented rainbow chard (from seed to plate) and an Urban Farm chimichurri and is a great starter. Next up could be the Lamb Rack (Pistachio Crust, warm Pearl Couscous, Onion, Pomegranate and Mint Lamb jus). Just perfect.

Finish with the delicious Yuzu Cake (lime sponge, white chocolate crumb, and buttermilk honey crumb - you can guess where that honey came from!). or perhaps enjoy an impressive plate of Irish Farmhouse Cheese, starting with Bluebell Falls Goats, going on to cheddar and blue, accompanied by grapes, nuts and crackers.

Yuzu cake

”The Killarney Urban Farm Tour & Taste is an experience that nourishes both body and soul. Leaving you feeling informed, satiated, and perhaps a touch greener, it's a testament to the O'Donoghue Ring Group's commitment to sustainability and innovation.”

Check out dates and booking at the Urban Farm’s website here. 

Cheese

Nuns Farts by Ryes and Shine is Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week

Have You Tried Ryes and Shine's Nuns Farts?

Don't let the name fool you! Angela at Ryes and Shine is serving up heavenly little treats at the Coal Quay Market and St. Luke's. These wickedly delicious morsels, also known as Nuns Puffs (the more diplomatic term!), are the perfect accompaniment to your morning or afternoon coffee.

Made with free-range egg whites, sugar, hazelnuts, organic dark chocolate, and a touch of vanilla and sea salt (both organic), these delights will surely put a smile on your face. Get to the Coal Quay (Saturdays) or St Lukes (Wednesdays) and grab a bag (or two!).

* Nuns Farts are a sweet pastry originally from France, where they are also known as pets de nonne.

Double Win for Cork's Market Lane Group at Failte Ireland Awards

Double Win for Market Lane Group at Failte Ireland Awards

 

Pictured at the awards are (l to r) Jenny de Saulles (Fáilte Ireland), Jerry O'Sullivan
 and Judy Howard (both Market Lane)

Cork’s Market Lane Group of Restaurants has taken two of the top gongs at The Fáilte Ireland Employer Excellence Awards 2024. 

The group’s Elbow Lane Smokehouse & Brewery took the overall Award for Best Employer Food & Drink, and Goldie restaurant took the award for Best Employer Ireland’s Ancient East.  They were the only restaurants to win in any of the 14 categories announced on the night, and the only business to win two Awards.  

 The Awards Ceremony took place on Wednesday evening 17^th April at Lyrath Estate in Kilkenny 

The Awards celebrate and spotlight Ireland's exceptional employers in tourism and they play an important role in highlighting the hardworking individuals and organizations that are committed to great employee engagement.  Aspiring to and maintaining high business standards are key to Ireland’s tourism offering, and these awards help attract employees into the tourism industry and to provide them with fulfilling, life-long careers. 

“We are honoured and humbled to have won at these Awards” says co-founder of the Market Lane Group, Judy Howard.  “Our team is everything” she said.  “They are the very heart of our operation. When we started on this journey more than 16 years ago all we wanted was to create a little restaurant with a big heart. Today we are 5 restaurants and a brewery, with a group of 8 owners who employ a team of 200 people, and our employees are still the lifeblood of our business. Empowering our staff with knowledge and skills, and trusting in their abilities are the essential ingredients in creating the warm, friendly, delicious experience that is the core of the Market Lane Group’s dining ethos.” 

press release

NEW FOOD TRUCK OFFERS LUNCHTIME ALTERNATIVE AT CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL

NEW FOOD TRUCK OFFERS LUNCHTIME 

ALTERNATIVE AT CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL

Pierce Lowney, Director of Food & Beverage, Trigon Hotels; Alex Petit, Group Executive Chef, Trigon Hotels;  Eoghan Murphy, General Manager, Cork International Hotel.  Pic: Brian Lougheed

The Cork International Hotel, which is located in the Airport Business Park, has launched a new food truck which will be operated by the hotel’s team of chefs.

“The New Yorker On The Go” will cater for the large number of businesses in the surrounding area.  Customers will be able to avail of a selection of sweet treats and sandwiches using locally sourced ingredients.  

The menu will include three different types of hot pressed sandwiches including the Cubano (West Cork pulled pork, gammon, house mustard, shaved pickles and Hegarty cheddar), the Monster Munster (Cheese trio of Smoked Gubbeen, Ardsallagh Goat and Hegarty cheddar, pickle jalapeno and tomato mayo) and the Tremendous Chuck (English Market poached chicken, soy mayo, Asian cabbage, pickled Coronado chilli and crispy onions).

There will be a chef’s weekly salad and three sweet treats including iced carrot cake, lemon and raspberry slice and chocolate fudge brownie.

Eoghan Murphy, General Manager of the Cork International Hotel said; “The head chef and his team take great pride in their menus and use the freshest of ingredients from suppliers from around Cork and surrounding counties.  These will be used to create a grab-and-go menu at the food truck which will offer the hundreds of people working in this area an alternative lunch offering that they can bring back to the office or enjoy outside when the weather is good.”

The food truck will be in operation outside the hotel every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10am to 2pm.  Payment is by card only.

A true blend of the Dão! Casa de Mouraz Tinto (DAO) 2020

Casa de Mouraz Tinto (DAO) 2020, 13.5% ABV,
 Mary Pawle

A true blend of the Dão!

According to the label, there are no less than nine different grape varieties in this blend, coming from assorted vineyard plots of different ages, heights and exposures. A true blend of the Dão indeed.

The label for this 2020 vintage lists Touriga-Nacional, Tinta-Roriz, Alfrocheiro, Jaen, Rufete, Caramate, Trincadeira, Tinto Carvalho and Baga. The grapes for this excellent red come from several vineyards of Casa de Mouraz “some of which are mentioned in documents from the 16th century”. They were no doubt organic then and are organic now.

It has an intense red colour with a violet hue and the legs are in no hurry to clear even though 13.5% ABV is not over the top. The aromas, with ripe rich red fruits, are quite intense. It is smooth and spicy, with a lovely kick of acidity, and a lingering finish. A serious drop indeed and Very Highly Recommended.

All the grapes are co-fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tank, followed by a long maceration. And 20% is aged for 8 or 9 months in used French oak barrels. Delicious with roast beef or barbecue, duck, rice and magre de canard. Also delightful with soft cheeses.

In 1997, Casa de Mouraz became the first biodynamic winery in the Dao. All went well until  October 2017. Late at night, their phone rang: Your warehouse is on fire! According to the excellent Foot Trodden, “savage forest fires.. had reached Dāo, thanks to Hurricane Ophelia…” Not only was the warehouse almost totally destroyed but the equipment around the yard and more than half of their 20 hectares of vines were also burned. A local news outlet put the cost at not less than €700,000.

Antonio and Sara were down. But not out. Helped by crowdfunding (from December 2017) they got back up and running and were soon producing this and other marvellous wines.

You can drink this French Albarino "with anything that lives in the sea"

Laurent Miquel Côte 238 Pech Gentille Albarino Aude (IGP) 2022, 12.5% ABV

€15.00 Dunnes Stores

You can drink this French Albarino "with anything that lives in the sea"

This bright Albarino comes in a lovely light gold robe. The nose is pleasantly perfumed with fresh citrus. And that zestiness (along with peach) is also a feature on the palate where it is light and elegant with a cloak of bracing freshness. 

Our Pech Gentille is a crisp, light and refreshing one produced from the Albarino grape. It may not be from the traditional areas of Spain’s Rias Baixas and Portugal (where it is known as Alvarinho) but is one to note. Highly Recommended. Be sure and keep an eye out for special offers in Dunnes; I got this for €12.80 during their French Wine Sale.

Looking out from a Roman hill-top fort, Oppidum d'Enserune, 
located near Béziers in the Languedoc, not too far from
Cessenon-sur-Orb where Laurent Miquel operates from.

The producers suggest trying it with Oysters Kilpatrick or any way you like the crustaceans! “You can drink it with anything that lives in the sea. By the sea, preferably.” Excellent also as an aperitif.

The wine’s name 238 refers to the coordinates of the vineyard plot that the fruit comes from. “All these plots all have their own little secret. A section that gets the right amount of sun and soaks up the right amount of natural water. These areas tend to grow the vines that grow the grapes that lead to wines really worth talking about.” The Pech Gentille is harvested at night, with clarification done at low temperature before ageing.

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Check my growing list of top wines for 2024

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Check out my Good Value Wine List here

Beer of the Week. Mescan Westport Saison, enhanced by longer ageing.

Beer of the Week

Enhanced by longer ageing.

Mescan Westport Saison, 5.8% ABV, 330ml bottle No 21 Coburg Street

The colour of this Mescan is mid-gold, slightly hazy 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, full of concentrated flavour. It is refreshing, and also very well balanced, with the New World hops matched by the earthy spicy yeast flavours, and you don't really notice the highish alcohol. But do sip rather than gulp!

Not just an excellent saison but also another superb beer from Westport's Mescan and Very Highly Recommended. It is the kind of beer that, once it hits the palate, makes you take notice. You may also want to note that it has an ABV of 5.8%.

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

On my 2023 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. In contrast, 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. 

CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL TEAMS UP WITH LOCAL ATTRACTIONS TO ENHANCE FAMILY STAYS

press releases Spring24

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CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL TEAMS UP WITH 

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS TO ENHANCE FAMILY STAYS

Edel Kavanagh, Deputy General Manager and Michael Murphy, Trainee Manager relaunch the popular Family Concierge Service at the Cork International Hotel. Pic: Brian Lougheed

 

The Cork International Hotel is boosting its family experiences with links to local attractions including Fota Wildlife Park and Leahy’s Open Farm. The hotel, which is located close to Cork Airport, has also relaunched the popular Family Concierge Service to ensure families get the most out of their stay.

 

The Family Concierge Team will contact families in advance of their stay to find out the names and ages of their children and what activities they are interested in.  They will offer to book tickets for suitable amenities in the Cork area as well as advice on some of the best places to eat during their day out.

 

Families can also enhance their stay at the hotel by booking the residents private cinema with delicious treat boxes or arranging for fun teepees to be in the bedroom for their little ones. The hotel also has a wonderful games room as well as a range of books and board games that are suitable for all ages.

 

The Family Concierge Team will also provide children with personalised storybooks upon their arrival.

 

Eoghan Murphy, General Manager of the Cork International Hotel said, "Our dedicated Family Concierge Team understands the importance of creating unforgettable experiences for families.  We have carefully devised and tested a variety of family amenities to ensure that parents can relax and enjoy their stay, while little ones are entertained and engaged throughout.  We have developed strong working relationships with many of Cork’s top attractions and we can make recommendations and bookings for families before they arrive."

 

Taste of the Week. Carraig Beag cheese from Carrigaline

Taste of the Week. 

Carraig Beag cheese from Carrigaline

Mild and Silky from the O'Farrell family in Carrigaline.

Padraig O'Farrell is the man behind Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheese these days. The O'Farrell cheese story began  over thirty years ago when Ann and Pat, Padraig’s parents, first produced their semi-hard cow’s milk cheese from their own herd, after Pat had undertaken a six-month cheese course at UCC. Now the family processes a variety of cheeses “based on our own unique recipe for both the national and international market. All of our cheese is handmade and available all year round”.

Made with pasteurised cow's milk, Carraig Beag is a full-fat semi-hard cheese and is suitable for vegetarians. This high-quality flavoursome cheese, silky and mild as claimed, is our Taste of the Week. Carrigaline cheese is widely available and we got this one in the local Dunnes Stores.

Classy Cuisine in Cork’s Comfortable Cornstore. Delightful dinner and superb service in Cornmarket Street.

Classy Cuisine in Cork’s Comfortable Cornstore

Delightful dinner and superb service in Cornmarket Street.

It wasn’t the best of evenings weather-wise but that was all forgotten for an hour or two on a midweek visit to The Cornstore, one of the most comfortable dining venues in the city. And it wasn’t just the fixtures and fittings because the cooking and the service were also superb. 

The menu is extensive and they still have an emphasis on steaks, seafood and cocktails here. But there is much more and we tried something from the different sections, seafood for a start, then vegetarian and pork and then a sweet finalee. By the way, quite a few of the regular dishes are also offered on the good value Early Bird, so be sure and consider it.

Comfortable!

We got the friendliest of welcomes from the team here, and were soon seated in those plush chairs, studying the menu (we also received copies of that Early Bird, the evening’s specials and the tempting drinks listings with cocktails included!).

Seafood appetisers included Chowder and Prawn Pil Pil and oysters of course but I already had my mind set on the Mini Lobster Rolls, with buttered brioche and the Atlantic Lobster (15). We were off to a flier here with this exquisite flavoursome combination, everything from the little brioche buns to the flavoursome lobster was spot on. Other starters included Heirloom Beetroot Carpaccio, Creamy Burrata (with Heirloom tomatoes) and Fillet Beef Churro. Something for everyone!

Lobster rolls

Choices galore also with the Main Course offering that highlighted their range of dry-aged steaks including a Chateaubriand (for two!). Also available were Braised Angus Beef Cheek Bourguinon, Citrus Half Chicken, Tuna Steak and more!

CL picked the Grilled Cauliflower Steak with vegan Café de Paris butter, grilled onion, oyster mushroom and chimichurro sauce (19.00). Quite a generous amount of cauliflower but there was nothing of it left on the plate. The accompaniments enhanced the experience and indeed that onion was a tasty surprise, reminding us of one that we enjoyed in the Michelin starred Nerua in Bilbao’s Guggenheim a few years back. 

Bilbao onion with cod skin.

At the other side of the happy table, I was tucking into my Slow Cooked Crispy Pork Belly Porchetta with braised red cabbage, crispy kale and a black pudding crumble (26.00), another dish that I can heartily recommend, so well executed with every element well chosen to contribute. The pork itself, “crackling” included, was packed with flavour and the red cabbage was the perfect partner.

Then our server, who were all friendly and helpful, gave us another dilemma, that of choosing something for “the best course”. Not easy. They had three Dessert Cocktails on the list plus more than a half dozen classic desserts including Vanilla Crème Brulée, Granny Smith Apple Tartan and Panna Cotta plus the Cornstore Cheeseboard.

Our choice was the traditional Sticky Toffee Pudding (right) with vanilla ice cream and an orange caramel sauce (8.00). And it more than lived up to its classic reputation, one of the best I’ve come across recently. It reminded me very much of the gem that I used to enjoy decades ago in an upstairs Emmet Place French restaurant. I cannot remember its name but Aroma is there now.

Like many restaurants, the Cornstore has been through the wringer over the past couple of years and it was great to visit and enjoy a meal that certainly confirms that they are in top form both in the kitchen and front of house!

My pic of the Pork Belly. To see how they plate it up (before the crispy kale is added), check their short Instagram video here