Ireland for Food Lovers
I just returned from a business trip to Ireland with my client, the Irish Dairy Board, hosting some VIP guests on a culinary tour of the Emerald Isle. For people who plan their vacations around their passion for food, it’s the perfect place to visit.
Contemporary Irish chefs who have worked at high-profile restaurants abroad are returning home to apply their talents to fabulous food using local ingredients — lamb, salmon, duck, fresh garden vegetables, dairy products and grains. Traditional Irish breads are stellar, and there is nothing more satisfying at breakfast or any time, than hearty Irish brown bread slathered with Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter.
So hot is Irish food today that Saveur devoted most of its March issue to Ireland. “With its wealth of raw materials, its burgeoning artisanal food scene, and its innovative chefs, Ireland is fast growing into a food lovers’ paradise,” the magazine raved.
Ireland is founded on a centuries-old cattle culture — more specifically, a dairy culture. The country is verdant almost year-round, and cows grazing exclusively on the tender grass produce milk rich in beta-carotene, resulting in butter of the most amazing natural golden color. The Irish dairy industry is made up of small family farms raising cows that are hormone-free. The industry is sustainable due to the Irish Dairy Board, a cooperative that turns the milk produced on these small farms into delicious butter and cheeses sold around the world.
Here’s a round-up of some tried-and-tested places to eat, stay and visit in and around County Cork:
Restaurants
- The Tannery Restaurant–Dungarvan, County Waterford. Paul Flynn has a sophisticated, international way with fresh Irish ingredients. He’s putting the village of Dungarvan on the culinary map. Stop at the Dungarvan Farmers’ Market if you are lucky enough to be in the village on a Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Cafe Paradiso–Cork City, County Cork. Imaginative vegetarian dining featuring local produce and cheese.
- Jacobs on the Mall–Cork City, County Cork. Good food using free-range and organic ingredients; the restaurant is a converted 1600s Turkish bathouse.
Places to Visit
- The Cork Butter Museum–Cork City, County Cork. Provides a good introduction to the history of Irish dairying and the role of the dairy industry in the culture and commerce of Ireland.
- Ballymaloe Cookery School–Shanagarry, County Cork. Stop by the world-famous cooking school to tour the vast gardens, which include the Herb Garden, the Kitchen Garden and the Ornamental Fruit Garden. Cooking classes are residential and vary from one day to three months. The cookery school was founded in 1983 and operates year-round.
- The English Market–Cork City, County Cork. Built in 1786, this vast covered market is an Irish institution. The original market dates from 1610. Wander about the stalls in the central area to find cheeses, breads and other baked goods, meats, poultry, produce and charcuterie, and the side hallways for cafes and shops.
Places to Stay
- Longueville House– Mallow, County Cork. This beautiful, late Georgian manor house is situated on a 500-acre wooded estate. Longueville House raises its own animals and produce for the exquisite meals prepared by chef-owner William O’Callaghan. William’s wife, Aisling supervises the accommodations.
- Ballyvolane House–Fermoy, County Cork. Built in 1728, the manor house is run by Justin and Jenny Green, who are hotel school graduates with international hotel experience in Hong Kong, Dubai and Bali. Dinner in the main dining room is brilliant and congenial — the atmosphere is more like a house party than a restaurant. Ballyvolane has breathtaking gardens, with rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas, magnolias, blue bells and more. The foundation for the gardens was laid out in the early 18th century with many mature deciduous trees.
- Hayfield Manor–Cork City, County Cork. A newer luxury hotel with every modern amenity, it has the look and feel of a large period house.
And if a trip to Ireland is not on your travel plans, experience the flavors of Ireland at home with Kerrygold butter and cheeses imported from Ireland and cook up contemporary Irish dishes from delightful cookbooks by Margaret Johnson.
