Wednesday, February 24, 2021

UK – Here We Come. The Skibbereen Food Company's Piggy Products Hit the Shelves in Sainsbury’s in March.

UK – Here We Come

The Skibbereen Food Company

Piggy Products Hit the Shelves in Sainsbury’s
Matthew with some of his "hogalicious" products

Nine years on from an idea Matthew Brownie had from CIT in Cork, to winning the Best Business Plan for The CIT Innovation Award 2013, The Skibbereen Food Company (TSFC) goes from strength to strength from National coverage in Ireland to international markets in the UK with his successful Scratch My Pork and Pork Crunch ranges.

Amazon in the UK has been a great exposure for The Skibbereen Food Company which now has a 30 different snack products offering from 250g bulk bags of Pork Crackling to Pork Crunch to the branded 30g bags on the ready to go Clipstrip.

Matthew tells me that his “hogalicious products” are still selling strongly in his local area in West Cork. The Irish market continues to grow with new establishments stocking The Skibbereen Food Companies piggy products. Not forgetting Pembrokeshire in Wales where the first breakthrough came for him in overseas markets.


You'll find these in Sainsbury's next month.


The latest big news came at the start of December 2020 when four of Matthew’s products got accepted to be placed in 219 Sainsbury’s superstores that go live in March, which is something Matthew had been set on since the day he started his company

“This is very exciting news for me and my family, but pressure also comes with going into a major retailer in the UK. Being able to deliver and having scalability is a must in meeting all of Sainsbury’s requirements.

The company is going exactly where I want it to go and I set my goals 3 years ago to achieve this. From a local perspective I’m delighted to share the success with Skibbereen and West Cork, knowing that The Skibbereen Food Company logo will be proudly showcased around Sainsbury’s stores with the UK consumer enjoying my snacks.

SECAD Partnership / LEADER / Cork County Council and AIB bank has been a big part of TSFC moving forward with funding along Local West Cork Enterprise board. I have also started my own cooking YouTube channel that is proving to be a big hit."


What next from the Kiwi, the self-styled Culchie Chef?





Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Taste of the Week. Stone Valley Coffee

 Taste of the Week

 Stone Valley Coffee



You get music notes with your coffee notes when you buy from Stone Valley Coffee Roasters. 

I've a preference for Central and South American coffees so when I saw the selection at their stall in Mahon Farmers Market, I bought a pack of their "Some Day You'll Return", the name of their coffee from Peru, the pack illustrated with a guitar, the well-known (?) 1937 14-fret National Style "O" Resonator. 

Well, I might be able to tell one end of a guitar from another - just! So that pic didn't impress me much but the coffee, with notes of Caramel, Orange and Castillo certainly did and it quickly became our Taste of the Week.

Stone Valley have a shop in Clonakilty so you can get your fix there. They'll talk to you about music and coffee - anything it seems except decaf! By the way, I didn't remember (or maybe never knew) that Some Day You'll Return is a Dire Straits tune.

Don't know either who did One Last Drag or if it was even a song but hey do have a whole choir mentioned on the pack. The coffee though is as they say "something special" with all the "classic Ethiopian flavours but without too much of the floral notes" (which suits me very well indeed). This would do equally well as Taste of the Week.

So just take your pick! And do check out their full range  - they (John and Tom) have even snuck in a decaf! They also do wholesale and a subscription service.

They say: We roast small batches of high quality single origin coffees in our micro-roastery in West Cork. We focus on sourcing the highest quality beans and through every step of the process we focus on flavour, traceability and sustainability.

Stone Valley Roasters

35 Ashe St, Clonakilty

Co. Cork P85 N286

info@stonevalleyroasters


Monday, February 22, 2021

A Quart of Ale± #36. Moving on over to craft with a quartet of Pale Ales. Blacks. Crafty. Dungarvan. Rascals.

A Quart of Ale± #36

Moving on over to craft with a quartet of Pale Ales.  


Blacks Kinsale KPA Pale Ale 5.0%, 500ml bottle via O’Donovan’s Mayfield

A mid gold with unceasing fountains of bubbles rising are what you see when you pour a bottle of Black’s Kinsale Pale Ale. Flavours are masterfully balanced here with both the hops and the malt getting a chance to shine. But I knew all this as the Kinsale KPA has been a favourite of mine since the start.


In the first quarter of 2020, I enjoyed a pint (or two) at the Celtic Ross….

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 Centennial, Cascade and Citra, to shine through, 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?


That was written last March…back to the present now. Going by that last sentence above, perhaps I should take up prophesy. Maybe I’ll just repeat it for the months ahead in 2021! And hope I’m wrong.


They say: An American style Pale Ale bursting with hoppy tropical and juicy citrus fruit flavours, masterfully fused with biscuit and caramel malt aromas to produce a fantastic taste sensation. Medium in body with perfect carbonation, this beer will zip around your mouth reaching a beautiful clean finish.

American Pale Ale - Top Fermented

Centennial, Cascade, Citra

2013 release

Pair with: Burgers, Steaks, BBQ Meats


Crafty Hopster Brewing “All Hail” Pale Ale 4.0%, 330ml can via Ardkeen QFS 



A small can with a big fluffy head that lasts a fair bit, over a hazy mid-amber body well populated with micro-bubbles. Citrus aromas prominent - it is packed with Citra hops. No shortage of hoppy citrus-y flavours on the juicy palate either, with a balancing malty presence entwined. And there’s a lip-smacking finish as well. The malt, by the way, was grown locally in the Hook Peninsula (Wexford), a terrific place to visit.


They say: It is great with pizza, great with burgers, and let's be honest, pretty great with just about anything! Brewed and canned in Waterford for Crafty Brewing Waterford.




Dungarvan “Main Sail” Pale Ale <0.5%, 500ml bottle via Bradley’s



Dungarvan’s “Main Sail” is a light gold, plenty of bubbles rising. The white fluffy head quickly reduces to a thin disc. Hoppy aromas and a fair old hoppy punch too on the fruity palate, the citrus you’ve met in the aromas again resident here. No alcohol but still Ireland’s first non alcoholic ale has quite a bit of character, both in the mouth and through the finish. Ireland’s first micro-brewed alcohol free beer and one of the better ones. Was a favourite here Christmas 2019 and repeated the trick (smaller audience though) in 2020.


They say: This beer has been developed to give a refreshing hoppy flavour without the alcohol content. Coming in at 0.4% abv it is defined as an alcohol free product and can be enjoyed in place of a regular beer. Plenty of hops give a lively, refreshing citrus and herbal flavour to this light bodied pale ale.


Beer Info:

Style: Pale Ale

ABV: <0.5%

Hops: Amarillo, Challenger

Malts: Munich, Caramalt, Crystal Malt, Cararoma

Allergens: Contains Barley


And where did the name come from? From the Pogues’ “When The Ship Comes in”




Rascals “Fruitropolis” Pale Ale, 4.3%, 330 can via Bradleys


Light gold is the colour of this Pale Ale from Dublin’s Rascals who love their fruity ales, with a head that puffs up clean and white, looks attractive for a mo, and then vanishes like the air from a punctured balloon. No worries though. What’s left behind in the glass is excellent, unless you’re a dedicated hophead. Tropical, zingy and fresh, is the web banner for this and they are telling the truth! More exotic fruits than you can shake a lei at. Say Aloha and let the moment linger as the waves wash that distant shore.


So lots of fruit (orange zest and tropical fruit purées are adjuncts here) but it also has a refreshing dry finish as this little beer is pretty well balanced. 


For the Geek!

Malt: Pale, Crystal, Wheat.

Hops: Magnum, Amarillo, El Dorado, Mandarina Bavaria.

Yeast: WLP001

Other: Orange Zest, Tropical Fruit Purees.

ABV: 4.3%

Unfiltered. Unpasteurised. Keep Cool. Drink Fresh.

Sunday, February 21, 2021

The Cask Box opens onto a magic road. Variety, colour, flavour, texture

The Cask Box opens onto a magic road.

Variety, colour, flavour, texture

Beef Short Rib Chimichanga


Open the Cask Box onto a magic road. Exotic signs along the way: Chimichanga, Empanadas, Koftas, Bravas. This is a food trail that we are on, guided by a Brazilian chef and packed with surprising variety, colour, flavour, texture. Six major stops on the delicioso camino.

.


The box itself, which we picked up from the front door in MacCurtain Street, looks small enough but it is packed with a generous amount of good stuff. Some unlisted items are included. Big green olives, as large as pigeon eggs, big but exquisite. Some bread too and a trio of colourful and tasty dips to be starting with as we begin to make sense of the directions (don't worry, nothing at all too onerous here). Indeed the few minutes preparations for the courses encourages you to get up and chat and sip a little wine.


Cask are justly famous for their cocktails and you have the option of adding two or more to your order. But I had a bottle of wine on hand that I figured would go well with Cask in a Box. And the Menade Verdejo Ecologica Vino De La Tierra De Castilla Y Leon excelled itself across most of the “courses”. I didn’t chance it against the Chocolate Empanadas but it stood out when paired with Monkfish Croquettes, Prawn & Chorizo Stew and especially (and slightly surprisingly) with the Lamb Kofta (with Raita sauce). 



In no time at all, the Patatas Bravas with their sauce were on the table and, in no time at all they, along with the garlic aioli, had vanished. By then, the Monkfish Croquettes were at hand and, served with a tasty salad of large peas and with a lime and honey aioli, were thoroughly enjoyed.



An impressive surf and turf combination followed: the Prawn and Chorizo Stew that sat atop a bed of rice. The wine sang in tune with this beauty. And stood out too when paired with the next round: Lamb Kofta in a tomato sauce. Tasty stuff with the raita providing a cooling touch.


While all these are classed as Tapas, they are not your one or two bite Spanish style tapas. These are more like small plates, designed for sharing, quite generous portions indeed as was certainly the case with our next plate.



This was Beef Short Rib Chimichanga. Chimichanga I had to look up and found this definition: a tortilla wrapped round a filling, typically of meat, and deep-fried and may have originated in Mexico or even in Arizona.


Our Chimichanga was multi-layered and was packed with the shredded beef and took just seven minutes in the oven. Then it was cut in half and placed on the delicious guacamole and tomato salsa. Another superb dish from @chefvictorfranca and the team at Cask.

Dessert


And still there was one more stop on this fabulous food journey, the sweet one, of course. And it was wickedly sweet, sugar laced Empanadas with a shot of the chocolate in the pocket, just a shot but a strong one! We just about finished one and kept the other for the next day; not as crisp then but still delicious.



So now you know. If you’re looking for something different, order that box (a vegan selection also available) from Cask (€40 for two people). They have other choices as well, including Prawn Empanadas, Chicken Empanadas and Taquitos. Not all “exotic” boy - you could well be tempted by the Beef and Beamish Pie (covered with Parmesan cheese)!


More details here


#cask #VictorianQuarter #LeCaveau #Greenes #purecork #tapas #smallplates #wine #tablepath #AtHome #takeout #chefvictorfranca

Friday, February 19, 2021

Blood and Passion by the Blackwater. Bittersweet Taste of Love in the Club

Blood and Passion by the Blackwater

Bittersweet Taste of Love in the Club



Blood and Passion were all the fashion in Ballyduff, the hottest spot north of Fungarvan. 


But fear not, on Valentine’s night, the Blackwater Distillery team were chatting, via Facebook, about nothing more "bloody" than the ingredients in their Tasters Club Valentine’s Day offerings: Blood Orange Gin and Love Potion No. 5.


When it comes to passionate speakers on drink, then you’d be hard pushed to beat Susan Boyle, the creator of the Love Potion. On hearing the invite from Blackwater’s Peter Mulryan, another passionate drinks enthusiast, there was no hesitation, no delay: “I’m on board!”


And soon her thoughts began to take shape, pomegranate prominent in the melange. “..the proliferation of the seeds..the association with fertility.. and it’s also in season. I like to think that maybe Adam and Eve were tempted by pomegranate rather than the apple.”


And so the new spirit (25% abv) was based on pomegranate and, as Susan “was looking for balance”, Cardamon and Orange also came into the equation. As a result, Peter pointed out that there is a slight sediment in the bottle and it will haze when chilled.


At the finish, you’ll note a “final bite of gentian”. “Love,” affirmed Peter, “is bittersweet!” The bite here is close to what you’d get from an Italian Amaro. Susan: “Bitterness is an acquired taste, eg dark chocolate, coffee, but a brilliant taste.” As usual, Blackwater had cocktails in mind but Susan says the spirit is terrific when topped with pink Champagne or crémant. “It ticks all the boxes,” she enthused. “A multi-layered drink, ..all enveloping… romantic..and red-coloured. I had so much fun coming up with this idea, I hope the love potion works its magic for everyone who tries it.”



John Coleman, the resident cocktail creator here, called this one The Look of Love. But why did he used condensed milk with the Love Potion? He had started with cream but found that it stifled the citrus while the milk allowed it through. Honey and chocolate at the finish added to the smoothness.


Blood in the Bronx was John’s riff on the classic Bronx cocktail and, according to Peter (right) and lots of Facebook watchers, “perfectly showcases our Blood Orange Gin”. Very refreshing and quickly put together with, like all Blackwater cocktails, no extra alcohol involved (the gin itself is 40%). There is sweetness from the maple syrup and that is countered by the lemon juice (if you want it sweeter, tone back the lemon).


The Blood Orange Gin itself, designed by Kieran Curtin, started with "a bit of drama" before he decided to pare the whole thing back, leaving “obscene quantities of blood orange..in the dry form.. take the spotlight. “A post distillation infusion of blood orange slices with elderflower gives a bare hint of colour and a vibrant fresh orange palate.”



Not enough orange for some. One Facebook follower: Really enjoyed the blood orange gin with fresh orange juice and a touch of lemon juice .. I froze ice cubes with slivers of oranges in it . So they froze and look beautiful !


Blackwater’s “official” perfect serve is: Plenty of ice, a crisp tonic water and a wedge of blood orange.


#BlackwaterTasters #drinkresponsibly

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Cheers on beer, whiskey and wine. With Bord Bia, Local Enterprise Office, O'Briens Wine, Rascals, Wines of the World, Waterford Whisky,

Cheers #211802, on beer, whiskey and wine. With Bord Bia, Local Enterprise Office, O'Briens Wine, Rascals, Wines of the World, Waterford Whisky

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Bord Bia's The Food & Drink Starter Programme

(Via Local Enterprise Office South Cork)



The Food & Drink Starter Programme is an essential programme for anyone who wishes to go into the Food or Beverage business in Ireland. A Bord Bia programme, sponsored by the LEO, the programme is run on our behalf by Conor Hyde of Bullseye Marketing. By expressing your interest in completing the programme, we will contact you when the next one is available to book. It is delivered over 2 full days in person, or over 4 half days through online Zoom webinar.

Click here for more info

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O'Briens Wines invite you to

Spring into this week's offers (one of which is Very Rare!)


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Milkshake Time Again at Rascals!

Here’s a milkshake that will bring all the boys to the yard a smile to your face this week. Brewed with coconut, vanilla and chocolate from The Proper Chocolate Company, the much-loved Rascals Milkshake Stout is back and it’s on sale now! You can get a 24-can mixed case or a 12-can mixed case; there are plenty of options online right now. Don’t forget we are donating €1 from every webshop order, throughout February, to our local National Council for the Blind shop.

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March Virtual Wine Tasting
from Wines of the World


Our next virtual tasting will go live on March 12th.

We have included 6 wines in our surprise wine case - 3 different wines- 2 of each wine.

This will include white wine and two different red wines.

One of each wine to taste on our virtual tasting and a second of each to enjoy at a time of your choice.

Join us for our virtual tasting on March 12th at 7pm on our social media platforms @WinesIreland on Instagram or Facebook.

The video will remain on our social platforms Facebook & Instagram @WinesIreland for viewing at your convenience from 7pm on March 12th onwards so you can view at a later time or date if it suits you better.

Click the button below to purchase yours now.




Surprise Mixed Case - Virtual Tasting March 12th







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THE WHISKY TERROIR PROJECT

READ ACADEMIC PAPER

The first rigorous, academic paper in our ongoing Whisky Terroir Project – "The impact of terroir on the Flavour of Single Malt Whisky New Make Spirit" – has officially been published in the peer-review journal Foods.
 

The game-changing research using the very latest Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrum Olfactometry (GC/MS-O), demonstrates analytically and sensorially that terroir influences the flavours in both barley and the spirit distilled from that barley.

Though we of course knew it all along, this paper proves once and for all – beyond denial and intuition – the influence of terroir on single malt whisky new make spirit.



Early February Stroll In Blarney Castle Gardens

 Early February Stroll In Blarney Castle Gardens

All pics from 3rd Feb 2021

The Wishing Steps. Make a wish, then walk up and down. Better results if you
close your eyes and walk backwards.

Heron

Fern Garden






Fern Garden







Blarney House (not open to the public)

Dolmen

Don't know. Anyone?



Picnic anyone?

Primrose


Putting down roots

Sculpture




Snowdrops








Trees with castle in background.

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Taste of the Week. Woodside Farm Pork

 Taste of the Week. 

Woodside Farm Pork


We've missed out on the Farmers Markets over the past few months before a quick visit to the one at Mahon Point (Cork) recently.

A few days later, at the weekend, we realised what we had been missing when the slow-cooked pork shoulder landed on the table. The pork, raised free-range by Woodside Farm in East Cork, is incomparable. Packed with amazing flavour, juicy and tender, it is Taste of the Week.

The Woodside pigs live outdoors all of their lives where they root and forage. They sleep in movable arks on straw bedding."We don't feed our pigs commercial ration, instead they are fed mainly rolled wheat and we also grow Kale and Swede Turnip.They are rotated onto fresh pasture regularly."

Oldcourt
Ballincurrig
Leamlara
Co. Cork



Tuesday, February 16, 2021

A Quart of Ale± #35. Moving on over to craft with a variety of IPAs, inc. 2 Big Bangers.

A Quart of Ale± #35

Moving on over to craft with a variety of IPAs, inc. 2 Big Bangers. 


 

Salt “A Different World” No Coast IPA 5.4%, 440ml can via Bradley’s


From a brewery that is roughly equidistant between the west coast and the east coast of England, comes this No Coast IPA. But the No Coast on the can refers to the US and the beer purports to bring the best of both American styles together.


Colour is a light amber and you’ll see - you’ll have to peer through the cloudiness - loads of bubbles streaking up towards a rapidly vanishing head. Aromas are citrusy. The first sip is quite promising and the promise is maintained as the citrus is balanced by a finely honed bitterness.


Enjoyed this superb beer, like the feel of it, its flavours, and the results of the balance between hops and malt. Probably impossible to reconcile the two main US styles but this is indeed a worthy attempt. And, in any case, the result is an excellent beer in its own right. Is there any Irish brewer doing something similar. By the way, is there a Mid-West style?


They say: SALT is a micro-brewery on a mission to unify heritage and modern brewing. Our homeland, the UNESCO village of Saltaire, was built by a super-progressive pioneer of workers' rights in the 1800s. We adopt the same progressive spirit through our modern brewing styles. The inspiration of our forefathers can be seen in our name, throughout our brewery, and the textiles used to name our beers.


Quite a few SALT beer names are associated with textiles, including Seersucker, Alpaca, and Ikat.


Details:

Hops (Kettle and Dry-Hop): Mosaic, Citra, Amarillo, and Centennial.

Malts: Pale, Oats.


12 Acres The Far Side Hazy IPA 5.1%, 440ml can via Ardkeen Store 



Colour is a mid-orange, hazy as you’d expect from the name. Soft white head keeps up appearances for quite a while as micro-bubbles gush upwards. This “New England” style contains some oats and there’s a creamy mouthfeel. It is heavily hopped though with Simcoe, Mosaic, Citra and Amarillo, yet the results seem toned down so the fresh hops, from the late additions, are not very obvious. Banana seems to be the main tropical fruit. Not bad but not my favourite IPA from the brewery. I’d prefer the Make Hay.


They say: The by-products of the brewing process are the spent malting barley grains, spent hops and excess yeast. All of these by-products will be used as animal feed on our farm, resulting in zero solid waste from the brewing process and a full life-cycle of our ingredients. This ensures a sustainable environmentally-friendly process from ground to glass.



McGargles Francis’ Big Bangin’ IPA 7.1%, 500ml bottle via O’Donovan’s 



Francis comes to your glass in a bright mid-gold colour, streams of bubbles rising towards a head that has little staying power. This “modern take” on the US West Coast IPA style has been “hopped to hell” in genteel Kildare with US hops Mosaic and Simcoe and so “tropical fruits” are more or less guaranteed and they appear first in the aromas.


The tropical character continues on the palate where the Marris Otter malt also shows up well. And a fruity yet dry finish follows. Quite a good finish, quite a good beer but do note that high alcohol count. It’s not called Big Bangin’ for nothing.


What’s in a name? This is my first McGargle. I ignored these beers for years, thinking it was a Trojan horse from one of the majors, a mockeyah (a good old Cork word for pretender) craft beer. However, it is produced, along with other lines (such as the Crafty series that you’ll find in Lidl), by Rye River Brewing which is listed in the Beoir directory. Must say though that while this IPA appeals to me, the McGargle name does not (nor for that matter does Crafty - haven’t bought one yet). First impressions and all that.


They say:  Tropical assault, restrained malt, gentle balance, fruit finish, unfiltered, unpasteurised, natural refermentation may occur, best served chilled.


Dot Brew “Throw Away Play” DIPA 8.2%, 440 can via Bradley’s



Pull the tab on this one and you get a message: Hops be here. The aromas are full of them. Colour is a murky amber, not much to seen in there. Pretty dense too on the palate with the hops,  Citra and Vic Secret, keeping their secrets close in a concentration of complexity.


Thought I might get a hint or two on their website but nada there other than a request for €300.00 of your euro “to join the fun”. They are based in Dublin but, being guerrilla brewers (apparently), can turn up anywhere. This is a quote from them, on fourcorners.ie: “We are adopting maturation and blending techniques from the Whiskey and Wine industries and applying them to break the boundaries of beer production.”


The label gives some info:  “Full and fruity - Vermont Ale Yeast, Malted and flaked oats and double dry hopped with a healthy amount of Citra and Vic Secret.” I did see somewhere that they do a session beer, might try that next if I can find it.


They use a lot of barrels and do lots of collaborations. Redmond’s of Ranelagh, Bradley’s of Cork, Wicklow Wolf, and Brú Brewery, were among recent partners. And it seems as if most of these collaborations are high in ABV. As is this “Throw Away Play”. 




Previously:

A Quart of Ale± #33. Moving on over to craft with St Mel’s Brewery.

A Quart of Ale± #32. Moving on over to craft with Lambic and Geuze