CORK’S BALLYMALOE FOODS SCOOPS MAJOR FOOD AWARD

 CORK’S BALLYMALOE FOODS SCOOPS MAJOR FOOD AWARD 

Ballymaloe Foods Beetroot product picks up Great Taste Award 

 

Ballymaloe Foods has received a one-star award at this year’s prestigious Great Taste international awards for its Ballymaloe Sliced Pickled Irish Beetroot. The Great Taste awards, run by the Guild of Fine Food in the UK, are known as the world’s most trusted food and drink awards.  

 

The entire range of Ballymaloe Sliced and Diced Irish Beetroot will now be able to display the unmistakable black and gold logo, a stamp of excellence that is recognised by retailers and consumers alike. 

 

All the beetroot used by Ballymaloe Foods is planted, pickled and packed locally in East Cork making it the only 100% Irish locally produced beetroot available nationwide. Two farmers, Joe Hartnett and Darren Allen, have set aside 24 acres to grow the purple vegetable every year.  

 

General Manager at Ballymaloe Foods, Maxine Hyde said the company is delighted with the Great Taste Award, “We are over the moon to get such great news about Ballymaloe Sliced Pickled Irish Beetroot. Our beetroot is a lovely example of a farm to fork journey, showing traceability, sustainability, and the benefits of using local produce to create something special.  We are very proud that this product has been awarded 1-star in the Great Taste Awards in 2021 and we share this honour with our two local farmers Joe and Darren as without their hard work this product would not be on shelves and in kitchens around Ireland.” 

 

The award judges described Ballymaloe Sliced Pickled Irish Beetroot as: “Darkly jewelled red with a translucency in the pieces of beetroot that vary in size and shape. Tender to cut but with good integrity so that there is a bite to them. Great flavour with sweetness then sharpness from the vinegar that then meld together with the typical beetroot earthiness. Versatile and probably delicious in a goat's cheese tart.  We enjoyed these pickles.”

 

In total, 5,383 products were given awards from more than 100 countries. 

 

The Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste awards was founded in 1994 and are seen as a stamp of excellence for food products. There are 355 judges and they include food critics, chefs, restaurateurs, retail buyers, cooks, producers, food writers and journalists. All products are removed from their packaging before being tasted. 

press release

 

Taste of the Week. Stonewell Tawny.

Taste of the Week

Stonewell's Tawny Cider.

At a discussion, featuring three cidermakers, on Beoirfest earlier this year, Stonewell’s Daniel Emerson was asked how his stunning Tawny came about. Through a collaboration with local brewer/distiller Sam Black was the answer. “El Dorado hops added complexity and helped balance the extra sugar. “ 

Tawny is truly special. It is a rich, opulent and viscous apple wine, dark in colour and possessing complex bittersweet flavour. Tawny can be consumed as a slightly chilled aperitif or it also performs excellently as an accompaniment to cheese or desserts.

It has been compared to sweet wine and sherry. Stonewell advise using it as “a slightly chilled aperitif but equally as cheese or dessert accompaniment”. 

At the Ballymaloe LitFest 2016, expert Pete Brown (author of World’s Best Cider) was impressed after tasting it and said it reminded him of a Canadian Ice Cider, “beautiful’.

“A well-produced cider can stand shoulder to shoulder with good wine,” says Daniel . “The reaction has been extremely positive, I haven’t heard one negative comment so far. It won a prestigious Pomme d’Or award at the Frankfurt Apfelwein Welweit."

It keeps well and has an abv of 15%. It is described as “an opulent complex cider with chewy tannins and hints of fruit. Delightful as a slightly chilled aperitif but equally as a cheese or dessert accompaniment”.

Natural flavours provide glistening glory for Ireland at Great Taste. Updated to include all Irish winners

  Press release

 

 

  

Natural flavours provide glistening glory for Ireland at Great Taste  

 

A diverse range of products from Ireland have shone at Great Taste, as this year’s list of award-winners was announced on Tuesday 21 September 2021. Out of the 5,383 products worldwide to receive a Great Taste 1-, 2- or 3-star accolade from the largest and most trusted food and drink awards on the planet, 377 are based in Ireland and these include; Ballyhoura Apple Farm’s Great Taste 3-star award-winning Glazing Syrup, an apple-based syrup made in Kilfinane, Limerick; Carlingford Oyster Company’s Great Taste 3-star award-winning Louet Feisser Select Carlingford Oysters; and Wexford Home Preserves’ Great Taste 3-star award-winning Seville Marmalade, a bright and lively marmalade packed full of Seville oranges grown on a family-run farm in Spain.  

Full results here now! See all the Irish winners.

                                 

Following 86 socially-distanced judging days in London and Dorset, Great Taste, which values taste above all else, has unearthed the very finest food and drink from every nook and corner of the UK and beyond. Regardless of branding or packaging, each product is judged on a level playing field, according to its texture, appearance, composition and of course taste. Food critics, chefs, restaurateurs, retail buyers, cooks, producers and a host of food writers, journalists and social media influencers are among the 355 esteemed palates to have rigorously blind tasted and judged the 14,113 entries from 108 countries, while providing detailed written feedback for the producer. 

 

Every Great Taste award-winning product will now be able to display the unmistakable black and gold logo, a stamp of excellence that is recognised by retailers and consumers alike. A wide range of these winning products are already available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the country.  

 

All Great Taste 3-star award-winning products will be re-judged to find this year’s regional Golden Fork Trophy winners and the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2021. These final results will be announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Reception on Sunday 17 October, set to be held at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate following the first day of Fine Food Show North, a trade-only exhibition organised by the Guild of Fine Food.  

 

A Quart of Ale± #69. On the craft journey with a session of Hope (on the double), Galway Bay and Ballykilcavan

A Quart of Ale± #69

On the craft journey with a session of Hope (on the double), Galway Bay and Ballykilcavan

Hope Handsome Jack IPA 6.6%, 440 can

This full-flavoured, citrusy and double dry hopped IPA has an orange colour with a touch of amber, hazy enough too, though you can see fountains of bubbles rising towards the quickly diminishing white head. Orange notes too in the aromas and onto the palate where you’ll find it a well-balanced and smooth juicy experience. The hop character is matched by the malty body and, even with the high-ish abv, the character of the beer shines through.

Recommended pairings are burgers and roast meat, pizza, Indian dishes, strong, salty cheese and carrot cake.

They say: Handsome Jack IPA is a balanced, smooth, intense and citrusy dry hopped IPA in the American west coast style.  It is well balanced between the high level of bitterness, thanks to unusual combination of American and Japanese hops, and the sweetness provided by Irish Pale malt.

A Tall Yarn: Jack Criss, the 17th century Irish pirate, was tall and handsome with blonde hair and eyes green as the sea. He set sail from Ireland, plundering his way to Spain and Italy. He didn’t die in battle but was stabbed to death in a Naples hotel. Probably by one of his four wives. Some bachelor!

The beer, by the way, has much more credibility than the yarn!

Geek Bits

Hops: Magnum, Cascade, Sorachi Ace, Simcoe, Citra

Yeast: American Ale

Malts: Minch Hook Head Ale, Weyermann CaraMunich II, Weyermann CaraPils, Weyermann Acidulated 

Hope Underdog Hoppy Lager 4.8%, 440 can

This modern hybrid style lager has a gold colour, lots of bubbles on show, with a delicate slow fading white head. Hops make their presence known in the nose. Very impressive introduction on the palate, with a terrific mouthfeel, richer than the normal craft lager, malt sweetness and hop bitterness get along very well indeed. It is deeply refreshing, full of flavour and persistent. 

The first tasting for me was at the back end of 2020 and I found it a big and pleasant surprise for me and one to note for sure. Not so much of a surprise this time and still one for the short list.

They say: The malts and the yeast we use are traditional, but the hops are not. We use lager malt and other European malt such as Munich malt for flavour, and we use a classic German lager yeast: a strain originally isolated from the oldest brewery in the world. We also use modern American hops for flavour, such as Citra, El Dorado, and Mosaic, furthermore we use the dry hopping technique which is associated with IPAs rather than lager. Underdog hoppy lager is the result.

When it comes to food pairing it’s a brilliant all-rounder, great with BBQs, pizza, spicy foods like curries and for anybody who doesn’t like wine with their food.

Malts: Lager, Munich, Melanoidin, Carapils, Acidulated.

Hops: Magnum, El Dorado, Mosaic 

Yeast: German Lager

IBU 25

Galway Bay Slow Lives Helles Lager 5.0%, 330 can CraftDirect

Slow Lives comes in a hazy gold robe and an attractive head that is not for hanging around. Aromas are fresh and a bit yeasty, bread-y. First contact on the palate is malt influenced; it  promises refreshment and that is delivered. Clean and crisp, excellent body and some hop bitterness on the finish. Quite a mix of German tradition and Irish skill from the crew at Galway Bay. Very satisfying indeed, with second can appeal, and a lip-smacking finish.

They say: Brewed with German Pilsner malt, Saaz hops, Galway water and our favourite lager yeast. Beautifully clean and crisp with classic bready malt.

Helles, meaning light and bright, is a bottom-fermented beer of Southern Germany. Pilsner (pils) typically has a distinct spicy hop taste. The Saaz hops used here is named after a Czech village and, like the Germans, the Czech make some excellent Pilsners.

Ballykilcavan Millhouse Session IPA 3.5%, 440 can CraftDirect

Ballykilcavan introduce this as “A light, refreshing session ale, double dry hopped for maximum flavour.”

It has a slightly hazy orange colour with a soft white head that flops slowly, no shortage of bubbles underneath. Citrus notes prominent in the aromas. There is a punch from the hops on the palate and the finish itself is refreshing.

The Millhouse, a Session IPA, is Double Dry Hopped with Citra, Amarillo and Mosaic. Organic Oats from Merry Mill, a nearby farm, is also used.

Nash 19 Takes Night Shift In Its Stride

 Nash 19 Takes Night Shift In Its Stride

Highlights on every corner from the 
Apple Mint (bottom right) to the Pickled Mushroom (top left)

Princes Street, and its many and varied restaurants and cafes, was quick to adopt outdoor dining and rapidly became the country’s poster child for the Covid enforced change to the undependable Irish exterior. 

We had our first visit there on Culture Night and it turned into an evening of delectation under the shelters of Nash 19 and owner Claire Nash.  Just the day before, Nash was awarded by the Georgina Campbell Awards as the person to represent being “the very best of community”, acknowledging Claire’s part in leading the Princes Street charge and in changing her dynamic daytime enterprise to an equally energetic day and night star.

Heirloom Tomatoes and Purple Basil

It was a double change for Nash, from daytime to night time and from indoors to outdoors. And immediately, they saw and began to work on the possibility of innovation that the double move allows. And it isn’t that Nash 19 just tagged along with the existing evening menus. No, if you know Claire, you know they jumped straight to the front and the menu is right on trend with a slew of small plates and no sectional guidance that you should follow the old three course pattern. Hop in to the menu, forget tradition, go free style and enjoy yourself.

But if you do like the comfort of a big feed, and we all do from time to time, some of us more than others, then Nash 19 have you covered well on that front also.

Crispy Chicken Confit of Leg

Claire is rightly proud of the menu and delighted too with the mini-menu she had drawn up for the Culture Night event going on simultaneously in her Stern Gallery (in the backroom of the restaurant). That included the new vermouth by two sisters from Valentia Island and that was our first drop of the evening.

Nash 19 have quite a wine selection now, some fifty bottles, mostly organic, some natural, all low intervention and quite a few by the glass. There’s sparkling wine, rosé, red and white of course, and sweet to finish. We thought we’d have white and enjoyed a glass of Izadi Larrosa Blanc (a Garnacha blanca from Rioja) and one of Von Winning Weissburgunder (Pinot blanc from the Pfalz in Germany).  Glass prices vary from €6.50 to 11.50 in white, roughly similar in red.

Smokers Plate via Hederman

We were soon down to the food. CL’s first dish was the Seared Scallops with Annascaul Black Pudding and apple mint. Superlatives all around here, even that apple mint was outstanding and, in any case, CL is a big fan of the Kerry blackpudding. 

Plum dessert

Mine was the Frank Hederman Smokers Plate (another 14 euro dish). Hard to describe the mix on that plate, ineffable. Let us say it was a delicious mix of mussels, crab, and salmon, all given the unique Hederman touch in his harbourside smokehouse (decades old and now itself an integral part of the smoking process) and even that pickled cucumber by Nash kitchen was quite possibly the best of its type.

Round one may have been a knockout but we were ready for round two, along with what remained of our colourful and flavourful side of the gorgeous Heirloom Tomato and Purple Basil Salad. 

Nash have employed new tasters for this menu.
Illustration from the menu

And we did our delicious duty again. Mine was the Garryhinch Wild Mushroom Ragu on Sourdough Toast with a generous coating of Parmesan. And it came with a steak knife. Superb texture, moist temptation, hardly time to share a morsel or two as I fought back the urge to rush but instead took an unwavering steady stroll to satisfy my senses with its warmth and savour. All for 12 euro!

CL bit into her Crispy Chicken Confit of Leg with Korean Dressing and Charred Corn (also 12 euro) and her casual tongue was immediately stung into alertness by the Korean spice. But, once she got the various elements together, the spice became a key though not dominant facilitator of amazing flavour, and she was as happy as any diner on the busy street.

It wasn’t the only busy street on Friday as quite a few folks were out and about taking in the many events of Culture Night. We began heading back to our hill. We crossed the river and headed for Harley’s Street and its little market and found the place rammed, the crowd there enjoying the bites and exotic music. 

Great craic evident too at St Luke’s Cross with Henchy's and the wine bar the main venues. Lovely to see Culture Night back on the streets and hopefully the English Markets will be back at the heart of it next year.

Lemon Meringue

As is the case with Nash by Day, the Nash by Night Menu provides lots of variety, not just throughout the menu itself but also via its daily changes.

Valentia vermouth
& strollers

Our culture night menu started with a bunch of “small plates” of which no less than five were fish; we picked two and the others, just to give you a hint of what may be coming your way if you call in (and you should), are Irish Prawns with Sea Samphire, Wild Irish Tuna Sashimi, and a “Taste” of Monkfish Tempura. We had two of the non-fish small plates and the others was Ham Hock Terrine and Free Range Chicken Liver Paté.

After that, you are moving into more serious platefuls including Rib Eye of Beef, Pan Seared Hake, their familiar and always superb Producers Plate Tapas Style; also a local Charcuterie Board plus there’s a Heirloom Tomato Pasta Penne with Toonsbridge Feta and an Irish Cheese Board with Fig Confit. Descriptions have been abbreviated in these two paragraphs.

And there are sides of course. Our Heirloom Tomato and Purple Basil Salad was a super treat and others on offer were Fries (smoked butter, sea salt), Waterfall Green Leaf and Herb Salad, Mediterranean Olives or Salted Valentia Nuts, along with Bread, Seaweed Butter and Olive Oil (all at 4.50 aside from the tomatoes at 6.00).

Homeward bound

Ballyvaughan to Kinvarra. Forts, Castles, Sheep and Dogs

Connemara Mountain sheep

Ballyvaughan to Kinvarra.

 Forts, Castles, Sheep and Dogs

Sometimes when I visit an attraction or exhibition, I find myself overwhelmed with information on boards and screens and I have developed a kind of easier way out by concentrating on the food element. And there is almost always a food element.

As there was on the 1st of September when I found myself in Dunguaire Castle (more of a tower house than a fortress) on the shores of Galway Bay, very close to Kinvarra. As it happened, there wasn’t that much info here (don’t get me wrong, there was enough) but the food element did catch my eye as we moved up through the four floors. 

Kinvara

It was also possible to get out on the roof and take in the views, possible if you were Johnny Sexton, perhaps not if you were one of the prop forwards on the Irish team, as the walkway between the parapet and the coned roof is very very narrow.

There are displays for each century and in the 17th you’ll see that Galway exported hides, tallow, wool, salmon, animal skins (hare, squirrel, fox and lamb), kelp, oatmeal, linen, pork and herring. Imports were salt, wine, iron, weapons, guns, spices, calico, flax seed, tobacco, potatoes, sugar, cotton and rum. Also at this time, the donkey was introduced to Ireland.

The castle takes its name from Guaire, a 7th century king of Connacht, noted for his generosity. He features in the legend of the Road of the Dishes, dishes filled with the good stuff from his table and transported to that of the hermit St Colman MacDuagh.

Merriman Hotel, Kinvarra

Tables are still often laden here at Dunguaire. It now belongs to Shannon Free Airport (since 1972) and they have developed it as a small scale banqueting hall. Here you may enjoy fine wines, “stories and excerpts selected to lift the soul and lighten the heart”. No banquets at present though due to covid but that could change soon!

Deep Fried Brie in Kinvarra

Later that evening, we ate dinner, some with a retro feel to it (anyone for Deep Fried Brie?),  in the well-located and popular Pier Head Restaurant and Bar at the heart of Kinvarra. A similar Brie dish was on offer in Hylands Hotel in Ballyvaughan on the previous evening.

Fire Pit (for cooking) in Caherconnell

Perhaps one of our better places to eat in this corner of Clare/Galway is Monks in Ballyvaughan. Go for their shellfish, especially those Kelly oysters, and you won’t go far wrong. Watch out too for seasonal trucks and cafés such as Julia’s Lobster Truck and Linnane’s Lobster Bar; I haven’t been at either (I keep missing them) but the recommendations are trustworthy.

Dog on guard Caherconnell

Places to stay? Our favourite is definitely Hazelwood Lodge where you get terrific hospitality, great comfort and a marvellous breakfast. Hazelwood is very well located for nearby Aillwee Caves, Caherconnell Fort and its Sheepdog Demos, and the ancient Poulnabrone Dolmen.

The 10-year old Kinvarra Guesthouse is right in the centre of that village and is bright, modern and spacious with a decent breakfast too (do watch out for the currant soda bread!).

Eagle at Aillwee

Of course, we visited Aillwee and did the fabulous Hawk Walk, details here. Another interesting call was to Caherconnell Fort. We started with the sheepdogs and marvelled at how they responded to the calls and whistles from their very informative handler to get the sheep to where he needed them and also to keep them there. Some of the dogs are also trained to handle the cattle in the hard rocky Burren fields.

I knew very little about the fort here but, amazingly, it dates back to 3,000BC. Our guide talked as she walked and when she stood still. She told us about the first artefacts (from 3,000BC), the first graves (from 500AD), the fire pit (650AD), the construction of the fort (900AD) and the last habitation (1700AD) right up to today (where a small exterior enclosure is used to shelter and protect weak lambs).

Salmon starter at Hylands Burren Hotel Ballyvaughan

Many kinds of jewellery and domestic tools have been found here and all are now in the charge of the national museum in Dublin. A human body was found just outside the fort and that too went to the capital. The remains of an adult female and an infant dating to 600AD were discovered under the fort walls. It seems that it was a mark of honour to them that they were left undisturbed at the time. And they have been left more or less undisturbed too by the today’s archaeologists as such an intrusion would disturb the now historic walls.

It is quite an amazing place and perhaps too little known. If you are in the area it is well worth a visit, well worth the modest fee. By the way, they have a lovely tea rooms here as well overlooking the calves in the adjacent field and vast sweeps of the grey Burren.

The Poulnabrone Dolmen

Just a few minutes away, you’ll come across the Poulnabrone Dolmen (no entry fee). This is a Portal Tomb built from great slabs of limestone, over 5,000 years ago (around the same time as the pyramids were being built). The remains of over 30 people have been found on this ancient site. It is indeed much smaller than the pyramids but still you look at it in awe. 

From it amazing Cliffs of Moher to the Burren to its caves, there is much in County Clare to look at with respect and awe. Time to go and visit!

* Sometime during the 12th century, the mute swan was introduced to the Irish dinner table. (ref: Dunguaire panel).

** Other places worth a visit in the Ballyvaughan to Kinvarra area are Hazel Mountain Chocolate (bean to bar makers) and the Burren Perfumery.

The Liberator Introduces Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey "Hilly Field"

press release

The Liberator and Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey

Release of The Liberator Storehouse Special Port ’n’ Peat.

Release of Batch 3 of The Liberator Malt in Tawny Port Finish.

Introducing the Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey ‘Hilly Field’.

Maurice, at home

The Liberator Storehouse Special Port ’n’ Peat

Wayward Irish Spirits is pleased to release Batch 2 of their latest Liberator Storehouse Special, the Port ’n’ Peat. A delicious Port finished Whiskey with a very subtle Peated Malt element. 

Founder of Wayward Irish Spirits, Maurice O’Connell says “Our Storehouse Specials are small runs of interesting Whiskeys from our Bonded Storehouse – we like to keep the Whiskey community in touch with our progress and also use it to test release potential new products. After the fantastic reaction to the Port ’n’ Peat at Belfast Whiskey Week we released 200 bottles of Batch 1 which sold out very quickly, so we’re doing a further small test release before deciding whether to add it to our core range”. 

Maurice explains “We’ve been playing with the wonderful effect a small element of Peated Malt has on our Port finished Whiskey. Too much or too little risks one overpowering the other but we found that around 5% Peated Malt was the sweet spot where the Peat highlights the Port, making a very moreish and approachable Whiskey”. 

Maurice continues “This is a premium blended Whiskey with a high (45%) Malt content. The unpeated Malt was finished in really fresh Tawny and Ruby Port Casks and half of the Grain component was finished in fresh Ruby Port casks, all for 9-12 months. The Whiskeys in this blend were sourced from Cooley and Great Northern. As with all our Whiskeys, we cut it gently cut over many weeks to avoid stressing it, borrowing from Cognac tradition. The colour is natural, it’s not chill filtered or otherwise messed with. As everything other than distillation - from maturation to finishing, blending and bottling - can be done on site, we can take the time to do things properly. 

400 numbered half (350ml) bottles (200 for the Irish market). Bottled at 46% ABV, RSP €35. Available now from Irish Malts, Celtic Whiskey, James Fox, Tiny Tipples and Carryout Killarney.

The Liberator Malt in Tawny Port Finish – Batch 3 

Hot on the heels of it making it into the Finals of the Blas na hÉireann Food Awards (medallists to be announced 2^nd October), we are proud to announce the latest release of The Liberator Malt in Tawny Port Finish. This is a premium rich and complex Whiskey with lots of fruit notes from the really fresh Tawny Port barrels. This is Ireland’s first vatted Malt in decades and led the wave of Tawny Port finishes, showing the innovation that Whiskey Bonders like Wayward Irish Spirits can bring to the category. Similar to Batch 2, the components are 2006 Cooley Single Malt (increased to 25% in this Batch) and 2015/2016 Great Northern Single Malt.

1,000 numbered bottles (450 for the Irish market) at 46% ABV with a RSP of €65. Available at specialist Whiskey shops (Celtic, James Fox, Irish Malts, Tiny Tipples, Carryout Killarney) and in Supervalu’s throughout Kerry. 

Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey

The hilly field is in the background

Wayward Irish Spirits is getting closer to the release of the first Lakeview Single Estate Whiskey from their 2018 Hilly Field barley harvest. This was small-batch malted in Naas and then distilled (by Great Northern Distillery) into Pot Still spirit to their 50/50 mash bill and specification in March 2019. Initially in Bourbon casks for 3 months before transferring into NEOC casks (First Growth chateau Bordeaux casks, hand shaved and re-toasted).

Maurice says “This is our first Whiskey from Barley grown on the Lakeview Estate and matured here. The Hilly Field, where the Whiskey was born, is adjacent to our Bonded Storehouse ‘The House of Contentment’ and I think people value that provenance and authenticity. There are many views on the effect of Terroir on the barley used to make Whiskey but there’s no doubt that the Estate’s constantly changing microclimate exerts a definite influence on maturation here. Even at 2.5 years, the Whiskey is impressing tasters with a maturity beyond its years and it’s already very drinkable.”

A small release of 800 bottles is planned to mark its ‘coming of age’ in March 2022. Pre-orders are being taken now based on a price of €95 for a 700ml bottle at 46% ABV. A small number of quarter casks (55-60L) with the same 2019 spirit are available at €5,000 +vat including 3 years further storage and bottling, representing around €50/bottle before vat and duty.

The lake view