ANDREW MOORE APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER CONRAD DUBLIN

ANDREW MOORE APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER CONRAD DUBLIN

A seasoned hotelier with a hospitality career spanning more than 20 years, Moore brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his new role. Andrew is a graduate of GMIT, Galway with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Hotel & Catering Management.

 

After completing his college training, Andrew began his hotel career at Conrad Dublin. Over the years Andrew has climbed the managerial ladder with Hilton, a multi award-winning hotelier working with some of the most recognised names in the industry in key destinations such as London, Belfast before venturing further afield working at the prestigious Hilton Beijing and the brands flagship Conrad Seoul, as Hotel Manager.

 

Steve Cassidy, managing director UK and Ireland for Hilton, said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Andrew back to Ireland as General Manager of the iconic Conrad Dublin. He brings rich experience from across the globe and most recently at our fabulous Conrad Seoul. With his drive and passion for hospitality we are excited about the future of the hotel and the amazing team under his leadership.”

 

Born in the USA, Moore grew up in the industry having spent most of his childhood in hotels across the states and Middle East prior to returning to his Foxford, Co. Mayo roots. Andrew is a second-generation Hotelier, so hospitality runs through his veins.

 

Andrew is delighted to be back at Conrad Dublin and has always had a grá for both the property and its location.  With significant investment plans Andrew is eager to make his mark at the hotel, enhancing the luxury experience for guests, supporting the talented hotel team and ensuring the hotel offers a uniquely luxurious Dublin city destination.

 

“Our new owners have committed to a multimillion reinvestment programme and Conrad Dublin is set to undergo a major transformation and expansion, and I cannot wait to oversee this project.  It’s great to be back in Dublin and I’m very excited for our future plans and developments.” said Andrew Moore

 

With any new job, Andrew’s work life is hectic, but he manages to balance it albeit with a toddler to entertain.   A cycling enthusiast, Andrew managed to cycle the length of Korea before departing (a mere 630 KM in three days!), and when things settle down workwise, he’d like to find some spare time to indulge his passion for travel.

press release

 

BALLYMALOE FOODS AGREES DEAL WITH CANADIAN DISTRIBUTOR

 BALLYMALOE FOODS AGREES DEAL WITH CANADIAN DISTRIBUTOR

Ballymaloe's Yasmin and Maxine

Ballymaloe Foods has secured its first major distribution partner in Canada. It means that customers in Canada will soon be able to purchase products such as Ballymaloe Original Relish in stores for the first time. 

The new partnership is with CBF Imports and will see seven products from the Cork-based company on the shelves of small chains and independent food stores across Canada.

Ballymaloe Foods' entry into the Canadian market comes a year after their arrival in Australia with a listing in Coles Supermarket. Its products are now stocked in more than 10 countries worldwide including Germany, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

Ireland’s links with Canada date back centuries with fishermen from Cork travelling to Newfoundland in the 1500s. Now millions of Canadians are of Irish descent and tens of thousands of residents are Irish-born.

Maxine Hyde, the General Manager of Ballymaloe Foods says with Canada being a hub for Irish expats it is the perfect next market to bring their products to:

Maxine said: “Increasingly we get messages from people asking if our products are available in Canada and with this partnership, we are excited that we can finally tell people yes. Many Irish people have travelled far and wide with a jar of Ballymaloe Original Relish in their suitcases and without this love for our brand, expanding into export markets wouldn’t be possible, so thank you to all our customers.”

Last year Ballymaloe Foods announced that Ballymaloe Relish would be available to purchase in 120 Coles stores across Australia. Coles is a national full-service supermarket retailer operating more than 800 supermarkets across Australia. Coles has over 100,000 employees and along with Woolworths, accounts for more than 80 percent of the Australian supermarket business.

press release

Cheers on Beer, Wine and Spirits. With The White Hag, Stillgarden, Wines of the World, St Mel's, O'Briens Wine, and The Corkscrew

 Cheers on Beer, Wine and Spirits. #210611. 

With The White Hag, Stillgarden, Wines of the World, St Mel's, O'Briens Wine, and The Corkscrew

Welcome to Boxtravaganza! For the second year running, we’re going semi cyber for our annual birthday beer festival live on Saturday August 7th. 

 

How’s this going to happen?

We’re getting freshly packaged beer sent to us from across the globe, by some of the world’s most interesting brewers. We’ll assemble 24 of these individual beers in one box, and send it out to 500 lucky participants, along with some other goodies, in time for a live stream virtual beer festival on Sat 7th August. We’ll have live tastings, interviews, music, comedy and a tonne of continuity and tech issues!

All the details here.

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INTRODUCING BERRISSIMO  An Irish Blackberry Spritz Aperitif - The Perfect Summer Serve! Stillgarden Berrissimo is an Irish Spritz Aperitif that has been macerated with a vibrant mix of locally sourced and foraged Irish Blackberries, Gentian, Orris, Hibiscus, Rhubarb Root, Bitter Orange, Coriander Seed & Wormwood. Berrissimo is our O'MARO's sister product – an Irish take on the classic Italian Spritz. Enjoy socially as a "Stillgarden Spritz" with prosecco, soda water, and an orange slice.  Now available online and from the Distillery Shop. Pop by to try a Stillgarden Spritz!

SHOP NOW

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Wines of the World

Would you like wine selected by experts delivered to you every month?
 

 

The perfect subscription for you - The Wine Lover!

Our wine experts select 6 delicious wines from around the world and send to your door each month.

Includes:

• A mix of 6 different wines each month

• Free Delivery Nationwide

• Tasting Notes for each wine

• Details here

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St Mel's New Beer Alert

June’s new beer really is something special. This beer is hopped and dry hopped with the rare Neomexicanus variety Zappa alongside two Neomexicanus hybrid varieties, Sabro and Talus. These hops combine and give the beer a piney bitterness and powerful tropical and citrus aroma. 

The story of this beer began back in 2015 when we read an article about a native American variety of hop called Neomexicanus, these were hand grown by monks in New Mexico, and the hop varieties used back then were called Latir and Amalia. We were far to excited about this and chanced our arm in asking the monks to deliver us some hops. To our surprise they agreed to do so. We were the first brewery outside of the USA to use the hops and we brewed an amber ale with them.

6 Years later we have revisited a variation of the beer and it's available to order now. A really incredible beer be sure to check it out!

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THE BEST NEW WINES TO TRY THIS MONTH

By Lorcan O'Brien | Wine Content Specialist

The O'Briens Wine Buying Team generally spend the first half of the year deciding on the new wines that will be added to our extensive range. So, as we approach the halfway point of the year, many of the wines that made the cut are beginning to appear in our stores and online. This week I introduce four great new wines to hit our shelves.

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The Corkscrew

The Eternal Soul Of Champagne

June has got off to a really positive start, we've had the long weekend, some glorious sunshine, restrictions have been lifted and life is finally returning to normal. Just as we thought things couldn't get much better, we secured a small allocation of one of Champagne's most sought after cuveés; Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises. This is an exceptional,  extremely rare wine, a Champagne enthusiasts dream come true and the icing on the cake so to speak, is that we have two different vintages available. 

More details here

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Visiting The Home of Clonakilty Black Pudding.

Visiting The Home of Clonakilty Black Pudding

The late Edward Twomey, a leader

When you visit the Clonakilty Black Pudding Visitor Centre in the town, not alone will you see and hear the history of the famous product made right here but you’ll also get to taste it! So you get an hour’s entertainment and a mini-lunch! Well worth the tenner admission (though we two seniors paid just €7.50 each).

And of course, you get a friendly welcome. The tour is self-guiding but you are aided by an audio device that fills you at each stage. Much the same info is covered on a number of illustrated panels. You’ll also get a “chat” with the grocer and the butcher (they’ll have their eyes on you) both of whom have a good sense of humour. 

Nostalgia: the delivery bike, bus stop, petrol pump

Colette Twomey

And you get to know some of the key characters in the story, that began in the 1880s. It was then that the recipe originated in the town of Clonakilty; it hasn’t changed in that time. Since the Twomey family took responsibility for the secret recipe in the 1980’s, the popularity of the Blackpudding has continued to grow in Ireland and now around the world. Over the years they have extended the product range to include sausages, rashers and most recently Veggie Pudding!

The first Clonakilty black pudding maker was Johanna O’Brien, a farmer’s wife, from nearby Sam’s Cross who wanted to subsidise the household income making black pudding for Harrington’s butcher shop - to this day you’ll note “Original Harrington’s Recipe” on the label. When Johanna died, the recipe, which included Johanna’s secret spice mix, was faithfully handed down to Philip’s family and for over a century, the black pudding was made by Dan Harrington, Con O’Callaghan, Paddy Allman.

In 1969, the butcher shop was sold as a going concern to Patrick McSweeny. In 1976 the butcher shop which included the black pudding recipe was bought by his nephew Edward Twomey.

Edward wasn’t that keen on the product but realised his customers were and eventually he became hugely enthusiastic. Edward’s personality and belief in the product helped propel Clonakilty Blackpudding to get the recognition it deserved. 

Michael Clifford, was one of Ireland’s most famous chefs, holder of a Michelin star, was an early and influential supporter of the Clonakilty product. And it is acknowledged here that his signature dish of black pudding elevated the humble breakfast staple to being acclaimed as an excellent starter. (Lots of recipes on their site here).

Covid reminder

It wasn’t long before Clonakilty Blackpudding was being mentioned in the press and media. And eventually that led to Edward appearing on the Late Late Show (you can view that excerpt during the tour).

Edward and his wife Colette were very much in demand at food shows and exhibitions all over Ireland the UK and an export market began to grow. In 2005 Edward Twomey died. Colette now led the company forward and still does.

And that included building a brand new production facility that was opened in Clonakilty in October 2017. The new production facility also includes administration offices, new product development facilities and distribution along with this new visitor centre that reflects the company’s pride in the town. The story of the building of the local church and that of the local GAA club are also highlighted here. 

The butcher

There are quite a lot of artefacts from the history of the company and the town to be seen on the tour and you may also view part of the production through special windows to the factory floor. 

And, at the end, there’s that treat. Some freshly cooked black and white pudding, also that new and tasty veggie pudding, some sausages and a big cup of tea or coffee. There is also a lovely little café here but that can’t be used at the moment (June 2021) because of Covid restrictions. Hopefully, that restriction won’t last to long more and you’ll get even better value from your visit.

The newly opened visitor centre is another indoor attraction in the progressive town, great on a misty day (as was the case with us). Other indoor places (that I know of) are the Michael Collins House and the Clonakilty Distillery. Part of the Model Railway Village is indoors too.

Also on this trip:

Ron D's Food Truck Ballydehob

Superb Dining at Garden Restaurant in Liss Ard Estate

Come on down!

Open Monday – Sunday

10am-4pm (last entry 3.30pm) 

Booking is essential 

Contact:

Phone: +353 (23) 8834835

Email: visit@clonakiltyblackpudding.ie

Adults: €10

Seniors & Students: €7.50

Children (5-18): €5

Under 5: Free

Family ticket: 2 adults, up to 3 children (under 18) – €25

LIMERICK STRAND CELEBRATES WITH A STUNNING NEW BAR & RESTAURANT. HEARTBEAT OF THE CITY

 press release

LIMERICK STRAND CELEBRATES WITH A STUNNING NEW BAR & RESTAURANT.

A dining destination that has the heartbeat of Limerick city.

Limerick Strand River Restaurant Bar 

 The Four Star, multi-award winning Limerick Strand hotel, has completed a stunning €400k revamp of their popular bar & restaurant.

The new look River Bar & Restaurant was designed by Millimetre Design and drew inspiration from the River Shannon that breathes life into Limerick city, and it is the water of this mighty river that has driven the overall design aesthetics. The flow, the movement, the teal and blue tones of the water, mixed with the botanical inspired theme captured from the trees and foliage that line the river frontage close to the Hotel, together they inspire to create a calm and relaxing experience. Adding impact and warmth, the autumnal colours of burnt orange, rich walnut timbers, amber and gold features are brought through the spaces, giving a sense of energy and luxury to the more open plan layout.

The botanical touch points of feature trees and foliage, the botanical inspired wallcovering, the tree inspired screens and trestles are all key to creating a tranquil and relaxed environment throughout. The movement and wandering nature of the river water inspired the materials used from the luxurious carpet, the natural stones, to the exquisite wallcoverings and fabrics. The reflective nature of river water is also realised through the use of mirrors throughout the space, bringing a sense of calm and insight.  And to enhance and exude a sense of luxury, art deco features of lighting, brass details and soft flowing furniture forms are visible throughout.

“We sought to create a relaxed, comfortable and inviting dining and bar experience influenced by the river and its surrounds, that is fresh and light in the mornings, cool and lively throughout the day and sensual yet energetic in the evenings, making the River Bar & Restaurant the perfect place for any occasion, celebration or just for the fact we can meet again” says Ronan Holohan, Managing Director, MILLIMETRE DESIGN.

The team, the setting and above all the food ensure that the AA Rosette, River Bar & Restaurant is considered to be one of the best restaurants in Limerick City. A relaxing bright space overlooking the River Shannon in the heart of Limerick City is a popular meeting point throughout the day.  Al fresco dining has never been so important, so guests can enjoy the wrap around outdoor terrace from morning till night.  Not only has the physical space being transformed, the menus also have been given a refresh.

The menus demonstrate Limerick Strand’s commitment to support local suppliers and offers incredible value for money, partnering with local farms and dairies where possible to source the finest fresh ingredients which take pride of place in their unique menus. The new River Bar & Restaurant is open daily from 7am-10pm serving award winning breakfast, 7am-10am weekday and until 11am weekends,  lunch 12noon-4pm daily and brunch daily from 10am-2pm, dinner 4pm-10pm daily plus their famous Limerick Afternoon Tea 2pm-4pm daily from €26.50 per person and €13 per child.

The new bar offers a superb local and international selection of beers, wines and spirits and with daily cocktail specials from €8, 3-gin or whiskey tastings with mixers for €25, it is a superb venue to sit-back, relax and unwind in sophisticated surroundings without spending a small fortune.

Stephen O’Connor, General Manager of the hotel commented “To re-open with a brand new bar & restaurant, has really given our team a renewed passion for the hospitality industry and we cannot wait to show her off. This represents a further commitment by the MHL Group to investing in Limerick Strand following the recent upgrading of 184 contemporary bedrooms,13 suites and bedroom corridors making it Limericks’ only fully refurbished hotel”. 

For details on Limerick Strand visit www.strandlimerick.ie 

Instagram: @limerickstrandhotel Facebook: @LimerickStrandHotel www.strandlimerick.ie

Do you remember Mateus Rosé? Here’s to Rosé, Rós, Rosado, even Pink!

Do you remember Mateus Rosé?

Here’s to Rosé, Rós, Rosado, even Pink! 

Back to the rosé theme again, a very pleasant one, for this post. For the past few weeks, I’ve been telling you about various rosés from the South of France, mostly from Provence and the Languedoc. This post we’ll take a taste of two from outside of that country, one from Italy and one from Spain, both imported and distributed by O'Briens Wine.

Did you remember what started you on this style of wine? I can tell you that I started with Mateus Rosé and its unusual flask bottle shape (made an attractive candle holder!). It was at one point the best-selling imported wine in the U.S. market and was indeed very popular here in Ireland a few decades ago, mainly in the 70s. It is still very much on the market and you can buy a bottle for around €10.99 in supermarkets. The Portuguese wine is produced from Baga and Shiraz grapes.

The fact that we have a Spanish one below reminds me of a 2012 trip to Rioja, to the famous wine town of Haro and to the old premises of R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia in particular. I was taken with their aged whites, the Viña Gravonia Crianza 2002 and the Viña Tondonia Reserva 1996, and bought some of each.

Sampling in Vina Tondonia

But there was still some disappointment when I left. I had been hoping to get their famous Viña Tondonia Rosado Gran Reserva, another aged wine, but there was none available and, because it is not made every year, I was told “none will be available for another year or two”.  The current vintage that is available from the winery (perhaps not in Ireland) as far as I can see is 2011. If you come across it or a later vintage of this rosé do buy a few and include one for meë

Not surprising that you can find rosés all over the wine world. Indeed, many winemakers produce just enough for themselves. Back in 2013, I visited Chateau du Petit Thouars near Chinon. At that point, they had yet to harvest their first Chenin Blanc and every wine they had was produced from Cabernet Franc and that line-up included a very agreeable rosé.

Not quite in the same league, sales wise, as Whispering Angel and its sister Rock Angel (both available from O’Briens) or the many celebrity rosés such as the Bongiovi’s Hampton Water, or bottles from Sarah Jessica Parker, Sting, Kylie Minogue and Drew Barrymore. Rosé’s popularity continues to grow. According to winemag.com, referencing Nelson data, sales in the US grew by 40% from 2018 to 2019.

 

Pasqua “11 minutes” Rosé Trevenezie (IGT) 2020, €14.21 (18.95), O'Briens Wine.

Quite a mix of local and international grapes in this delicious Pasqua Rosé from Verona. The name refers to the minutes of skin contact (which give the wine its delicate and subtle colour, aromas and overall style). Just under the “11 Minutes” I noted these words Odi et Amo. Not Italian but Latin and meaning “I hate and I love”. I wonder why the three words have such a prominent position!

I brought a magnum to a back-garden party and four of the five present gave it a big thumbs up; the fifth started and stayed with the beer! It was our first little get together since the recent lockdown ended so there was more talk than note-taking. 

The pale, very pale, salmon colour was the first talking point. Also mentioned around the table were the beautiful (if mild) aromas on the nose. The fine fruity (strawberry, raspberry) flavours as well, along with the refreshing acidity and the pleasing dry and crisp finish, also drew the kudos.

Hiding in plain sight..

Think I’ll now let the vineyard have its say: “The Corvina varietal, which dominates in terms of percentage, was chosen for the floral aromas as well as the significant acidity it gives to the wine. Trebbiano brings elegance and a long finish; Syrah gives fine fruit and spice notes to the glass and finally, Carménère creates structure, ensuring stability over time. This a fresh, enveloping rosé with an intense and complex bouquet, created to accompany spring or summer evenings and more.”

This relatively new rosé interpretation by Famiglia Pasqua has been much awarded, including a recent 91 points from Decanter. Served chilled, between 10 and 12°C, it is ideal as an aperitif and as an accompaniment to the most delicate dishes (eg salad, fish and white meat). 

You will notice a circular opening on the front label and if you look that bit harder you will see a classical lady seemingly in the body of the wine. The technique is not unique in the industry but can be quite a talking point. No magic here, though. The head and shoulders you are seeing is on the inside of the back label.

Rós Rosado Navarra (DO) 2020, 14.5%, €12.71 (€16.95)

O'Briens Wine

The darkest, and the strongest, of my recent set of six O’Briens rosés is a Spanish-Irish cooperation. All the info is given, very concisely, on the back label. The two words to note most are Alicia and Lynne. 

Alicia and Lynne are the wine-makers, Alicia from Tandem and Lynne from O’Brien Wines. Lynne is the Wine Director at O’Briens and made this rosé with Alicia Eyaralar, founder and wine-maker at Tandem (not to far from Pamplona in Navarra). It is an ongoing partnership. I’m quite happy to admit to having a grá for the wines of Tandem, many of which are available from O’Briens.

The is produced from Garnacha grapes grown in sustainably farmed vineyards in the cooler Yerri Valley close to the Pyrenees and the Atlantic Ocean. After hand-picking and a short skin maceration, the grapes are fermented using wild vineyard yeasts and a minimal intervention regime follows in the winery. 

Colour is a deepish rose, with orange hints. Strawberry and raspberry on the nose and those summer fruits also feature in a most pleasant way on the dry and crisp palate. Indeed, this is one of the most flavoursome rosés on the market. Pretty decent finish too. If you don’t fancy anaemic looking and weak tasting rosés, then try Rós from the other end of the spectrum.

Handy wine to have in the house these days. Excellent as an aperitif and welcome for sure at the summer table in the garden. 

This is the selection or rosés that are reduced by 25% by O’Briens Wine:

Revino PostCard Organic Pinot Grigio 2020 Veneto €11.96

Delheim Pinotage 2020 Stellenbosch €10.46

Petit Bourgeois Pinot Noir 2019/20 €11.96 Loire Valley

Langlois Rosé D’Anjou 2020 €11.96 Loire Valley

Pasqua 11 Minutes 2020 €14.21 Veneto*

Laurent Miquel Les Auzines Alaina €12.71 Languedoc Roussillon*

MiMi en Provence Grande Réserve 2020 €14.96 Côtes de Provence

Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses 2020 €14.21 Languedoc Roussillon*

Famille Bougrier 2020 €10.46 Loire Valley

Domaine L’Ostal 2020 €11.96 Languedoc Roussillon*

Château de Gairoird 2020 €14.21 Côtes de Provence*

Rós Rosé 2020 €12.71 Navarra*

Passe Colline Rosé Ventoux 2020 €11.21 Rhone

Previous posts covered four of the selection of samples. You’ll find the reviews on the Gairoird and the Bertrand here, those on the Laurent Miquel and JM Cazes here.