Taste of the Week. Blacks Brewery KPA

Taste of the Week

Blacks Brewery KPA

I was sipping a Blacks Brewery KPA in the bar at the Celtic Ross Hotel the other night. It is one of my favourite ales. Blacks usually get it right and they have had this spot on from the beginning. It is consistently excellent, the perfect balance.

And it is that balance between malt and hops the I find attractive.Some brewers go too heavy on the malt for their pale ales but this recipe allows the hops, a mix of Cascade and Citra, to shine through, along with the grapefruit and lime and other citrus elements, while the malt too plays its part not least in giving a delicious mouthfeel. And there’s a good crisp finish there as well.

This 5% American style ale is indeed perfectly balanced just like the guy from the band who is putting in a very athletic solo display of Irish dancing on the bar floor. Don’t think I’d ever had that kind of timing and balance - I've always preferred a different kind of tap. By the way, will we all be dancing solo for the months ahead?

Blacks Brewery and Distillery

Farm Lane,

Kinsale,

Co. Cork, Ireland

Email: info@blacksbrewery.com

Waterford's Mezze wins in Shop of the Year 2020 Awards

Waterford's Mezze wins in Shop of the Year 2020 Awards

Shop of the Year 2020 winners announced

On Monday 9 March, the Guild of Fine Food crowned the UK’s best independent retailers, as Shop of the Year 2020 reached its exciting finale. Established to recognise and promote excellence in independent retail, the rigorously judged accreditation scheme presented six trophies at Fodder Farm Shop and Café in Harrogate, where the world of fine food gathered to find out the winners of each category.

Following two rounds of judging, which included an announced visit from one of the expert judges and a mystery shop by customer experience specialists, Insight6, Bristol-based Papadeli won the Delicatessen & Grocer category, The Courtyard Dairy in North Yorkshire scooped best Specialist Cheese Shop and Norwich-based Jarrold was named winner of the Food Hall award. Representing the Midlands, Farndon Fields Farm Shop in Market Harborough took top honours in the Farm Shop category, while the trophy for Specialist Food or Drink Shop went to London-based Andreas of Chelsea Green. The Newcomer award was presented to Mezze, a Middle Eastern inspired specialist food and drink shop in Waterford, Ireland.

Visiting the finalists on the hunt for this year’s independent retail stars, the panel of judges found excellence in every corner of the UK before giving out the gongs. Championing and supporting the remaining independent farmhouses cheeses, The Courtyard Dairy demonstrated a “dedication to cheese with no compromise on sourcing” and the judges praised owner, Andy Swinscoe’s “sense of adventure” and ethos. Andreas of Chelsea Green, which opened in 1994, was also applauded for its “honesty, integrity and palpable passion”, while Papadeli charmed the judges with its “general ambience” and range of homemade cakes.

Provenance proved its worth for family-run business, Farndon Fields, a creative, vibrant and inspiring farm shop opened in 1985 by Kevin and Milly Stokes, which impressed with its range of quality local products, with Jarrold also receiving high praise for its own brand products created by local producers. Having been trading for less than two years, Mezze was commended for its “warmth” and the “passion” of owners Nicola and Dvir, as well as the diversity and quality of its offering, much of which is made on site.

From overall shopping experience and financial performance to staff training opportunities and environmental initiatives in place, the panel of judges, which includes Edward Berry of The Flying Fork, Stuart Gates, former managing director at Fortnum & Mason and senior buyer at Harrods, award-winning retailer Tracey Colley and food writer, Patrick McGuigan, rated, scored and provided feedback on every aspect of the shops before agreeing on an overall category winner.

Shop of the Year 2020 winners and runners up

Delicatessen & Grocer sponsored by The Tracklement Company

Papadeli, Bristol

Runner-up:

181 Delicatessen, Edinburgh

Farm Shop (farmer owned) sponsored by Peter’s Yard

Farndon Fields Farm Shop, Market Harborough, Leicestershire

Runner-up:

Robertshaw's Farm Shop, Bradford, West Yorkshire

Food Hall sponsored by Le Gruyere AOP

Jarrold, Norwich, Norfolk

Runner-up:

The Barn at Severn & Wye, Westbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire

Specialist Cheese Shop sponsored by Le Gruyere AOP

The Courtyard Dairy, Austwick, North Yorkshire

Runner-up:

The Pangbourne Cheese Shop, Reading, Berkshire

Specialist Food or Drink Shop sponsored by Le Gruyere AOP

Andreas of Chelsea Green, London

Runner-up:

Latimer's Seafood, Whitburn, Tyne & Wear

Newcomer Award sponsored by Fine Food Digest

Mezze, Waterford, Ireland

Facts and figures about Shop of the Year 2020:

• Shop of the Year recognises and promotes excellence in independent retail
• Previously forming part of the Great Taste accreditation scheme, Shop of the Year is now a standalone accreditation, offering independent retailers a recognised stamp of approval from industry experts
• Shop of the Year is judged by a panel of experts with a proven track record of success in independent retail
• Insight6 provides valuable feedback, through the eyes of the customer, in an unannounced visit to each finalist
• There are five categories:
• Delicatessen & Grocer
• Specialist Cheese Shop
• Farm Shop (farmer owned)
• Food Hall
• Specialist Food or Drink Shop

Special Lunch Tasting Menu this Mother’s Day at Greene's

Treat your Mum to a Special Lunch Tasting Menu this Mother’s Day

Greenes Restaurant in Cork’s Victorian Quarter is offering a special Mother’s Day Five Course Lunch Tasting Menu this year - the perfect way to spoil your Mum! 

The menu has been designed exclusively by executive head chef Bryan McCarthy and will only be available for the weekend of Mother’s Day - Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd of March. As an extra treat, all mothers enjoying the special Mother’s Day menu at Greenes will be given a glass of bubbly to enjoy with their meal. 

Bryan McCarthy said, “Each year on Mother’s Day we welcome diners in to celebrate their mum and spend some quality time together as a family. We have put a lot of thought into this tasting menu, using the freshest new season produce and really pushing the boat out with our creativity resulting in something very special and fit for the occasion.” 

The Mother’s Day dining experience will be enhanced by views of the iconic waterfall at Greenes, which was named Ireland’s Most Atmospheric Restaurant at the Georgina Campbell Awards 2019. 

The ethos at Greenes celebrates the uniqueness and quality of the outstanding Irish ingredients, and the team works in tandem with the best Irish food producers to create their menus.

Diners can expect dishes such as Ardsallagh Goats Cheese with Texture of Pear, Walnut, Leek Ash, Spelt Crisp; Fillet of Monkfish with Roast Cauliflower, Romanesco, Sea Beets, Moqueca Sauce; Seared Flat Iron and Glazed Blade Beef with Onion, Wild Garlic, Potato, Red Wine Jus; and Chocolate Fondant with Barley Ice Cream, Salted Caramel, Chocolate Tuile.

The cost of the Five Course Mother’s Day Lunch Tasting Menu is €45 euro per person and is available on Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd of March from 12:30pm to 2:15pm.

A wine pairing option is also available for diners which is carefully selected by Greenes’ manager and sommelier Frank Schiltkamp.

Bookings can be made via www.greenesrestaurant.com or 021 455 2279.

Outstanding Dinner in Celtic Ross Kingfisher Restaurant

Outstanding Dinner in Celtic Ross Kingfisher Restaurant

Dome of delight. Irish Coffee Mousse.

There are some very accomplished chefs working in hotels and quite a few of them, Kevin O'Sullivan at the Garryvoe, Gemma Murphy at The Maryborough, Ciaran Scully at The Bayview and Stuart Bowes at Barnabrow are local examples that spring to mind, seem to fall under the radar, especially by comparison with their counterparts in standalone restaurants. I am thinking of this the other night in the Kingfisher Restaurant an the Celtic Ross where Executive Head Chef Alex Petit and Head Chef Shane Deane are offering their amazing West Cork Spring Menu.

It is short and tight, packed with local produce, and executed with top notch skill. The result is a meal that you’d be lucky to find in well-known standalone restaurants around the country. And not just one meal. Because, while the menu is short, there are enough combinations to enticingly engage you and your palate over multiple visits!

Monkfish

There are two evening menus in the hotel, one for the restaurant, one for the bar. We were heading for the restaurant and so picked from the West Cork Spring Menu 2020, which offers two courses for €31.00, three for €36.00.

Water, breads and the menu are quickly on the table and are soon followed by a pork based Amuse Bouche. They have a well balanced wine list but we hold off until we’ve chosen the food and we do that reasonably quickly. CL picks a red wine, a velvety soft and flavoursome Ciu Ciu Bacchus, Montepulciano, from the Marche in Italy. I’m on fish with different sauces for the night so take a punt on the rich Little Rascal Chardonnay from Victoria in Australia, a little cold at the start but soon warms up and blossoms into a little beauty as they might say down under.

Egg

This menu is available from Thursday to Saturday evenings and has four choices for each course. My starter is a good as anything I’ve eaten anywhere on the island in recent years. Poached monkfish in saffron with Beluga lentil caviar, fermented lemon aioli, charred Waterfall Farms broccoli, and radish. An amazing combination, pleasing to the eye, the palate and further down!

And CL feels much the same about her Sally’s smoked haddock Scotch egg - I reckon you’ll know Sally the smoker! It comes in a leek soup, curry oil, pickled golden raisins, and crispy leeks. Another imaginative combination! Other starters on the menu were Skeaghanore Goose Liver Parfait and The Waterfall Farm Carrot Dip.

Lamb

We’re on a roll now. And the high standard continues. My mains pick is Pan Roasted Cod (bouillabaisse, local wild garlic gnocchi, cavolo nero, saffron rouille). All the elements are spot on, each playing a part. Put them all together and you have a symphony of flavour sensations in the dish and it also looks well. Probably dish of the year so far!

Our other main course was Confit Drimoleague Lamb shoulder with puffed barley, carrot purée, charred pointed cabbage, reduced braising jus. The kitchen is playing a blinder here, scoring every time with delicious well-presented dishes. Other mains courses are Salt Baked Celeriac and Duo of Rosscarbery Sirloin of Beef and Featherblade.

Cod

Warm Orange marmalade pudding 

Time now for the boys to step back and allow Pastry Chef Alicja Samulik take the spotlight. Her new Irish Coffee Mousse is amazing, the perfect amalgam of white chocolate and Irish coffee, dark chocolate and hazelnut biscuit, honey and oat tuille and so much more.

We share that gem and also the equally delicious, if in a  different way, Warm Orange Marmalade Pudding with five spice créme Anglaise and rhum raisin ice cream, all excellent ingredients but superb in ensemble. Thumbs up all around for these two. Also available are Baked Lemon Tart and a West Cork cheeseboard that features Vintage Carbery Cheddar, Gubbeen, and Milleens.

As you can see, they’ve got quite a team assembled in that kitchen, and the results on the plate are up there with the best of them.

Mescan, the artisan beer for St. Patrick’s Day

press release

Mescan, the artisan beer for St. Patrick’s Day

Named after the monk Mescan who was St. Patrick’s friend and personal brewer, Mescan is surely the perfect beer to choose for St. Patrick’s Day. Appropriately, the Belgian-style beer is brewed on the slopes of the holy mountain Croagh Patrick, near Westport in Co. Mayo. The stylised Mescan logo is a simple, creative representation of the mountain and the curved swirl represents the water flowing from the holy mountain which is used to make all the Mescan beers, via a spring well beside the brewery. In medieval Europe it was common for monks to make and drink beer as an aid to sustenance during periods of fasting and prayer. We are sure Mescan's brew would had helped the saint during his Lenten devotions on the mountain.

Founders, owners and brewers are ex-veterinary surgeons Bart Adons and Cillian O’Moráin. Bart hails from Belgium and before launching, the pair spent four years perfecting their original recipes for beers inspired by Bart's homeland. Mescan produce artisan Belgian-style beers brewed in small batches with craft, care and attention to detail. They are matured for months before they reach perfection and are released for sale. The water for Mescan beers comes from deep underneath Croagh Patrick via a spring beside the brewery. Malts, hops and yeast for the beer come from Belgium.

The Mescan core stable of beers is: Mescan Blond, Mescan White, Mescan Red Tripel, Mescan Saison, Mescan Extra, Westporter Stout and Mescan Special Reserve. They also produce a seasonal Christmas Beer ‘Beoir na Nollag’ and Mescan ‘Seven Virtues’ which is a series of one-off brews taking the taster on an eclectic voyage for the palate. Seven Virtues Baltic Porter will be available later in the year. 

Mescan Blond beer is the flagship brew. It is a 5.5% golden ale with pear and floral notes and restrained hop bitterness perfectly balancing the malt flavours. Crisp, clean on the palate and flavoursome it is an excellent match for most foods making it the perfect beer to have on hand.

Mescan have produced an innovative Food-Pairing Guide, an easy way to match Mescan craft beers with the foods that complement each beer best. It is available in a printed format and also via the website. A simple click on a QR code brings you to the webpage. The Mescan Food-Pairing Guide was developed by Inge Roels, a Belgian food-pairing expert in who has worked with the brewery since its early days.

Mescan Beers are available through Faherty Wholesale in Connacht and Alpha Beer and Cider Distribution nationwide. 

There won’t be any green beer flowing at the Mescan Brewery on St. Patrick’s Day – but there certainly will be beer.

Le Caveau Portfolio Surprises include a Straw Winery and an Off the Grid Riesling. Not Surprised though by the Quality.

Le Caveau Portfolio Surprises include a Straw Winery & an Off the Grid Riesling.

Not Surprised though by the Quality.

Always something interesting at the Le Caveau Portfolio tastings. After all, Pascal Rossignol’s company has some 600 wines in stock so there’s bound to be something unusual. But I wasn’t quite prepared for the winery made from straw!

Domaine de L’Achillée is the Alsace winery, situated less than an hour south-west of Strasbourg. The Dietrich family have farmed in the Alsace since 1600. These days they concentrate on grapes and other fruits and have been organic since 1999. 

For the gap between white and red, via The Rocketman!

In 2016, the two sons of Yves Dietrich, Jean and Pierre, joined the adventure to give it a big boost, to become independent. Quickly accompanied by an equally passionate team, they built together a bioclimatic winery where they now vinify the nuggets of the family estate. Apparently, the heavily compacted straw bales are more fire-proof than the iron frame that supports them. Their website says this is the largest straw building in Europe.

And the wine? Well that was unusual also. The 2016 Alsace Blanc is a kind of Gentil with up to nine grapes in the blend. Sylvaner accounts for fifty per cent and the others are Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, with Auxerrois, Muscat and Chasselas. The wine is aromatic, floral with white and yellow fleshed fruit, with more of the same in the mouth, lively, elegant, persistent. Le Caveau also carry their 2016 Riesling.

Dario (right) fills me in on excellent Italian Il Pionere.

The first surprise of the tasting was not a wine at all! It was a perry, the Poiré Authentique produced by Éric Bordelet of Normandy. A superb low alcohol drink, full of flavour and refreshment. At the same table, I next enjoyed the Rosso Colfóndo, by Casa Belfi in the Veneto. The Colfóndo is the method, not quite the same as Prosecco, and the grape variety is not the usual Glera but a local variety called Raboso. Lively and lovely with tart red fruits before a sweetish finish. Something for the coming summer!

In the beautiful German town of Deidesheim, Von Winning produce some gorgeous wine including the 2106 Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc). “This is newish," said Le Caveau’s Colm McCan as we tasted. “They are a long established winery and this is a beautiful wine.” Sure is. I'll be putting that on my shopping list.

A wine and a half, in a magnum.

Colm was meeting and greeting but was back with me by the time I got to Oregon, to the Ovum winery in particular. Ovum, as you may know, means egg and the egg shape features prominently in the operations here, they use egg-shaped fermentors. Whatever they’re doing, they're getting it right if this Off the Grid Riesling is anything to go by. Ovum are well known from their Big Salt wine which gained them something of a cult following. 

Made a sparkling start with
this Colfòndo

Another American to engage the palate was Feints Red by Ruth Lewandowski from Utah. Apparently the grapes are grown in California and the fermentors are later moved to Utah. It is a very engaging blend of Arneis, Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo, an Italian quartet.

And, speaking of Italy, I found another gem in the Il Pionere, IGP Salento, Natalino Del Prete, new to Le Caveau. But not new to Dario who was with the Kilkenny company on the day and who also worked in this winery. He told me they were pioneers in the organic field. The fruit comes from low-growing bush vines of low density; “Great acidity, textured, no heaviness, between fruit and floral.” The main grape is Negromara and there is a little Malvasia Nera which enhances the aromas. Superb.

The trend towards lighter, drier and lower alcohol wines was evident in the tasting but room for the odd big hitter too including a quite excellent Saperavi by Georgia’s Ketevan Berishvili, that weighed in with 15.5% abv! Calcarius of Puglia had a series of low alcohol wines. I got to taste three: Hellen Rosso, the Roz and a lovely summery Orange. All good

Also impressed with the Roussette de Savoie (and its unusual Altesse grape); and three from Burgundy, Les Buées by Larue, the Givry “Clos de la Roche” from Parize and the Beaune “clos des Renardes” by Fanny Sabre. Loved too the gentle aromas and palate of the Mauzac Rose by Cazottes in Gaillac, the Bordeaux wines of Té Diem, the Burgundy red by Lacour, and the El Abasto Malbec from Argentina.

I had been thinking of skipping the Txakoli but I was persuaded to try the Ameztoi 2018. And glad that I did. It is lovely wine, just 10.5%, and the acidity doesn’t show as much as it does normally in this Basque wine. So I’m putting it on my list!

Towards the end, I came across a magnificent Pinot Noir, the Ahurani by Kelley Fox (US). This whole-bunch wine is up there with the best of them. But, if I had worn my overcoat, the one I would have been tempted to smuggle out would have been the Morgon “Le Clos de Lys” by Domaine Chamonard. Don’t think I’d have made it through though as it came in a magnum! And in any event, I noticed that it is very well priced by the bottle. So I’ll be honest and buy!

Well done to all at Le Caveau who managed to get over 100 of their 600 wines up on the shelves in the ancient Apple Market shed in the heart of old Cork. And a big pat on the back too to the Rocketman who supplied some excellent real food for lunch, very enjoyable indeed.

Kelly’s Putóg for St. Patrick’s Day

press release

Kelly’s Putóg for St. Patrick’s Day

 

Kelly’s Butchers won a gold medal for this ‘pint of pudding’ made out of Kelly’s Pudding and garnished with shamrocks.

St. Patrick’s Day is all about tradition – and there’s nothing more traditional than a Putóg. The ‘Putóg’ is the traditional Irish black pudding made in every farmhouse in the West of Ireland. The filling was a combination of oatmeal, onions, suet, blood, salt and pepper and other easily sourced ingredients. Originally it was made in the time-honoured casing of a sheep’s stomach. Award winning butchers, Kelly’s of Newport, are keeping tradition alive by producing the ‘Putóg’ in its original form. The word ‘Putóg’ actually translates from Irish as ‘gut’, or ‘belly’. Kelly’s Putógs are flying off the shelves coming up to the big day itself, ready to grace breakfast (and dinner tables countrywide).

In recent years there’s been a trend for Irish embassies worldwide to bring in Kelly’s puddings and sausages to impress their St. Patrick’s Day guests. This year is no exception – 1200 Kelly’s sausages are winging their way to the Irish Embassy in Helsinki, Finland and the Druid Chef, Rory Morahan is heading off to Cyprus with a stack of Kelly’s puddings under his oxter ready to cook up a storm for the celebrity guests.

Kelly’s Butchers, Newport, Co. Mayo are a traditional artisan butchers with a thriving retail shop. They still run their own abattoir, buy local stock and manufacture all their own products onsite. They do not outsource manufacturing. Products are available through specialist shops and supermarkets countrywide as well as through the website. Kelly’s are proud supporters of Newport 300, the town’s tricentenary celebrations. 

Sea Church Restaurant Opens in Landmark Ballycotton Venue

press release
Sea Church Restaurant Opens in Landmark Ballycotton Venue

Sea Church Restaurant has opened in the old schoolhouse in Ballycotton, East Cork this week. The new incarnation of this Ballycotton landmark sees a welcoming, laid-back restaurant overlooking the dramatic Atlantic coastline. It is part of a multi-million euro two year renovation by local businessman Pearse Flynn, which included a transformation of St Colman’s Church of Ireland into an iconic event space. Adjoined to the church by a glass atrium, the restaurant retains the schoolhouse’s architectural structure while inviting the contemporary styling of a modern restaurant.

The 82-seater restaurant has drawn on inspiration from the sea for both its menu and interior, the latter reflecting a contemporary maritime décor. Sea Church’s food philosophy is centered around fuss-free dining using the best of Irish ingredients and featuring a number of local suppliers.

Executive Chef Owen Davidson said, “I am delighted to be part of such an exciting project. The building’s setting by the sea and its history within Ballycotton makes it such a unique location for a restaurant. We hope that in tandem with the music venue, it will become a focal point in East Cork for both locals and tourists alike, really showcasing what this part of the country has to offer. The menus take inspiration from the surrounding landscape, utilising the fantastic fresh seafood and ingredients we have right here on our doorstep”.

Sea Church has a relaxed family-friendly atmosphere, serving classic dishes elevated by quality ingredients. For lunch, diners can expect classics such as Naturally Smoked Haddock Chowder with Homemade Wholemeal Soda Bread; Roast Chicken Sandwich with Carved Roast Chicken, Crumbly Sage and Onion Stuffing, Roasted Garlic, Basil Mayonnaise, Caesar Dressed Leaves, Grilled Artisan Bread; and Classic Margherita Pizza with Roasted Tomato Sauce, Basil, Macroom Mozzarella.

Weekend breakfast options include Eggs Benedict with Chargrilled Bacon, Grilled Sourdough, Hollandaise Sauce, Watercress; Buttermilk Pancakes with Stewed Fruits, Whipped Cream, Maple Syrup; as well as the classic Sea Church Full Irish.

The evening menu sees dishes of Whipped Ardsallagh Goat’s Cheese with Crispy Filo, Classic Tapenade, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Rocket; Golden Fried Fish and Chips with Smithwicks’s Red Beer Battered Haddock, Hand Cut Chips, Tartar Sauce, Buttered Garden Peas; and Mandarin and Honey Roasted Half Duckling with Apricot Stuffing, Cointreau Glazed Carrots, Duck Fat Baby Potatoes, Red Wine Jus. All desserts are homemade and include favourites such as Warm Apple and Calvados Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream, Orchard Thieves Custard, and Lemon Tart with Fresh Raspberries, Basil Sugar, Crème Fraiche.

There will also be seasonal specials available across all menus to reflect the changing seasons.

The restaurant is open year-round, Tuesday to Sunday 9:00am to 7:00pm, with later opening on Friday and Saturday until 9:00pm. 

Sea Church is located at Main Street, Ballycotton, Co. Cork. Bookings can be made by emailing reception@seachurch.ie, or by phoning (021) 234 0525. 

Keep up to date with the latest news by following Sea Church on social @seachurchballycotton.