RESTAURANTS AND FOOD

Saturday, March 28, 2026

Cherry Blossom Time At Blarney Castle Gardens

Cherry Blossom Time At Blarney Castle Gardens

Visit: 27.03.2026

Blossom all around you as you walk towards the garden

Prunus Shirotae close to the entrance

First days out for the cattle.
At least, the first time I saw them.

First flowers on the wild garlic.

In the Himalayan section, a hint of what's to come

Cyclamen, with is distinctive leaf pattern.

River, blossom and castle.

Time for a rest!

Friday, March 27, 2026

Food, Drink and Hotels Latest. Blas - Metropole - Hotels Gold Medal Dates - M&S - Fercullen - Fota Island

Food, Drink and Hotels Latest

Blas - Metropole - Hotels Gold Medal Dates - M&S - Fercullen - Fota Island

Tom Ford Experience with Sparkling Afternoon Tea at Fota Island Resort

Whether you’re deep in wedding mood boards or just looking for an excuse to gather the girls for an upscale catch-up, Fota Island Resort is dialling up the glamour and the aroma this spring. On Saturday, 18th April, the five-star resort teams up with personal shopper Fiona Lemasney from Brown Thomas Cork, along with fragrance specialists for a one-off afternoon of scent and indulgence in the elegant surroundings of The Cove.

A sensory masterclass for anyone planning a milestone, from brides-to-be searching for that elusive big day fragrance to groups of friends looking to elevate their signature scent for the next big party. With sparkling drinks, delicate pastries and savoury treats, bridal parties and anyone planning a special occasion can explore ways to personalise their celebrations with scent.

You’ll be guided by the experts through the bold, sophisticated world of Tom Ford, in an afternoon designed for those who know that the right scent can be the ultimate accessory. Learn how to choose an aroma that suits you, layer fragrances to create a lasting memory of your special occasion, and leave with a Tom Ford scented keepsake and a gift to ensure the afternoon is a lasting memory.

The Tom Ford Experience with Sparkling Afternoon Tea runs from 2pm to 4pm, tickets are €55 plus booking fee and spaces are limited, so booking is essential. Book via Eventbrite.

www.fotaisland.ie

Blas 2026 Dates

Entries now open for Blas na hÉireann 2026, inviting Cork producers to showcase the best of Irish food

Entries to Blas na hÉireann, the Irish Food Awards, are now open, calling on producers from across Cork to take part in the biggest competition for quality Irish produce on the island of Ireland. Now entering its 19th year, Blas na hÉireann has grown into the definitive benchmark for excellence in Irish food and drink, celebrating the producers who define the country’s dynamic food landscape.

Entries are now open at www.irishfoodawards.com. An early bird entry rate applies until Thursday April 2nd, with the final deadline for submissions on Thursday May 14th. Finalists will be notified in mid-August, with the Blas na hÉireann awards presented on October 2nd as part of the Blas Village celebrations in Dingle, running from October 1^st to 4th and featuring networking events, producer showcases, the awards ceremony and the popular Eat Ireland in a Day festival. Blas na hÉireann remains a vital platform for recognising the quality and creativity of Irish food producers and makers are invited to put their products forward and be part of Ireland’s largest celebration of food and drink.

METROPOLE HOTEL LAUNCHES NEW AFTERNOON TEA MENU AHEAD OF EASTER BREAK

Easter treats.

The Metropole Hotel has launched a new seasonal afternoon tea which includes a number of chocolate delights to mark the start of the Easter break.

The Cork hotel’s new Executive Head Chef, Eoghan O’Flynn, has included some of his own favourite ingredients from local producers including Maharani gin, Five Farms Irish cream liquor and chocolate ganache and Tim Mulcahy’s chicken.

The new menu will be available from Wednesday, March 25th and will be served from 12pm to 4pm daily at a price of €45 per person. Bookings can be made through the Metropole’s website https://www.themetropolehotel.ie/dine/afternoon-tea/

Entries open for 2026 Gold Medal Hotel Awards

Now in their 37th year, the Gold Medal Hotel Awards are recognised as the leading independent awards programme for the Irish hospitality industry. Judged by industry experts, the Gold Medal Hotel Awards recognise and reward excellence in hospitality and catering operations across the island of Ireland. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, the 26th of January 2027 at a gala awards ceremony hosted by Anton Savage at The Galmont Hotel & Spa in Galway.

Don't miss out on your chance to enter !

M&S launches NEW Speckled Egg Brownie

The M&S Food product development experts have done it again… introducing the latest addition to the M&S Foodhall… the NEW Speckled Egg Brownie is added to the line-up of iconic treats. The ultimate gooey brownie for your springtime cuppa. Made in small batches in, this rich, fudgy triple brownie is generously frizzled with white chocolate and scattered with our iconic, exclusive recipe Speckled Eggs. Chop into squares for sharing… or don’t!

Look out also for old favourite Colin the Caterpillar.

Fercullen 15 Crowned World’s Best Grain Whiskey at Global World Whiskies Awards

Powerscourt Distillery is proud to announce that Fercullen 15 Year Old Irish Whiskey has been named World’s Best Grain at the Global Finals of the World Whiskies Awards, held in London on Wednesday, March 25.

In a remarkable achievement, Fercullen 15 has now secured this global title for the second consecutive year — a feat rarely achieved at the World Whiskies Awards and a testament to its consistent quality and craftsmanship at the very highest level.

John Cashman, Head of Brand at Powerscourt Distillery, commented on the win:

“Fercullen 15 is a whiskey that truly showcases the elegance and complexity that grain whiskey can deliver at the highest level. The interplay between the bourbon maturation and the Madeira cask finish creates layers of dried fruit, gentle spice and a natural sweetness that defines its character. To see it recognised as the best in the world — and to achieve that honour for a second year in a row — is incredibly rewarding for everyone involved in its creation.” More at https://powerscourtdistillery.com/fercullen-awarded-worlds-best-grain/

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Fred’s Mediterranean Chowder a star of menu at Ballycotton’s Sea Church

Fred’s Mediterranean Chowder a star of menu at Ballycotton’s Sea Church

Chowder

Fred’s Mediterranean Chowder was the star of the show for me when we visited Ballycotton’s Sea Church at lunchtime last week. It may have been just after mid day but the full menu is available from then until closing.

Fred is, of course, Frédéric Desormeaux, the group Executive Head Chef who has quite a long history of chowder in the Cork area. His Sea Church special is "Creamy Tomato Based With Smoky Bacon, Saffron, White Wine, Potatoes, Mixed Fish, Prawns and Mussels Served With Stout Brown Bread. It is also available Gluten Free on request." My first taste of his chowder, a giant bowl of it, was back in 2013 at Charlie Mac’s in Fermoy.

Monkfish

It is not quite Irish traditional as you might expect from the name along with that smoked bacon ingredient. It is not a usual ingredient though I did come across one, an Irish-Spanish combination, with a little chorizo, an impressive entry in the 2018 All-Ireland Chowder Competition. It was the entry Dan Cronin’s Bar and Bistro in Newcastlewest, led by Chef Danny Martinez Doyle, and was indeed the champion in Kinsale that year.

Just like Fred’s, it was immediately engaging. I was delighted with mine last week, packed with a great variety of well cooked ish and veg. An early highlight for me so much so that, like WM Thackeray, I was inclined to write a poem about it (long-fingered!). According to a recently read book on the history of Florence, an Italian soup was supposed to have been the inspiration for the British writer but the only pertinent poem found online was a rather long-winded one about a French fish soup at a French Restaurant.

Massaman, with prawns

CL, meanwhile, was revisiting a Sea Church favourite of hers, the Breaded Monkfish Scampi, with Ballycotton Smoked Salmon Potato Salad, Basil and Lime Mayonnaise. Quite a few starters available including Glenbeigh Mussels and a Korean bbq slow cooked pork belly.

Prawns welcome (AI)

No shortage of choice for the main course either, though we each continued on the fishy trail, to varying degrees. The Baked Hake wrapped in pancetta with delicious Buttered Savoy Cabbage, Duck Fat Fondant Potatoes, and Chef Marcus’ Chicken Butter Sauce, was tidily presented and a super dish from start to finish.

I’m a big fan of Massaman Curry and it came with Creamy Coconut Broth, Asian Vegetables, Coriander Basmati Rice, Finished With Peanuts and Lime . It is billed as Vegan/Vegetable but there was an option of adding prawns which I did. It was quite a dish with a streak of that peanut and lime across the top. All kinds of crispy Asian vegetables including a few full pea pods, tomatoes too, along with a side of rice. The curry element was mild, very much so.

Hake

Other main dishes to consider seriously are Pan-fried Sea Bass fillets and a Roast Beef Sandwich. Not too seriously of course, you are after all out to enjoy and there are occasions (as many or as little as you like) when Fish and Chips or a Double Smash Beef Burger will hit the spot. Then time for a stroll in the village and maybe beyond to the cliff walk (where we had ventured earlier). If you venture, enjoy your day in the area.

The conservatory

Service was friendly and excellent from start to finish and the dishes were neatly presented, looked appetising and were! Sea Church is another culinary asset in the East Cork area and here a top-notch crew transforms quality local produce into dishes to remember. We sat in the main part of the L-shaped restaurant with views out to the sea. You also have the choice of ordering a table in the Conservatory, a once outside area now enclosed by glass walls and, siting in the bell of the L, it looks very comfortable indeed.

Cliff walk

Templegall from Hegarty Cheese named Best Irish Cheese at British & Irish Cheese Awards

Templegall from Hegarty Cheese named Best Irish Cheese

at British & Irish Cheese Awards

Templegall from Hegarty Cheese in Co. Cork has been named Best Irish Cheese at the British & Irish Cheese Awards 2026, winning this prestigious title at the 30th anniversary edition of the Awards, which saw a record breaking number of Irish entries being judged at the competition.

Named after the Irish for the village of Whitechurch (‘An Teampall Geal’) in the North of County Cork where the cheese is produced, Templegall is made by the Hegarty family, along with French cheesemaker, Jean-Baptiste Enjelvin. This Alpine-style cheese is made with raw milk and matured for at least nine months, delivering a sweet, delicate and nutty flavour profile.

Dan Hegarty from Hegarty Cheese commented: “We are all delighted here in Hegarty Farmhouse Cheese to have won the Best Irish Cheese award at the British & Irish Cheese Awards 2026. We are the 5th generation to milk cows on our farm and we have been making farmhouse cheese in Whitechurch, Co. Cork for the last 25 years. Templegall is made exclusively from our own grass fed cow’s milk. The cheese is made during the spring/summer season only, when the cows are at grass. We use the morning milk which is pumped directly into the cheese vat, this all results in its unique taste. We are so thankful to all our team, from those managing the grass, to milking the cows, to making the cheese and then maturing it for 9 to 18 months.”

The British & Irish Cheese Awards received a record breaking number of Irish entries into this year’s competition, as event organisers, The Royal Bath & West Society, worked alongside CÁIS - The Association of Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers, Bord Bia – The Irish Food Board, and the Specialist Cheesemakers Association in the UK, to improve logistics around entry consolidation and transport. 48 Irish cheeses were judged in a field of over 600 entries, highlighting a growing renaissance for Irish cheese in the UK, a decade after the Brexit referendum which led to many Irish cheeses disappearing from British cheese counters.

This year’s trophy winners were announced during the British & Irish Cheese Awards Dinner on the evening of Friday 20 March. The Supreme Champion trophy went to Dazel Ash from Rosary Goats Cheese, an ash-coated goat’s log made in the New Forest, while the Reserve Champion Cup went to Yarlington, a soft washed-rind cheese from King Stone Dairy in Gloucestershire.

All 600 entries were judged at The Bath & West Showground near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, on Friday 20 March, by over 60 experts including cheesemakers, cheesemongers, cheese experts, buyers and commentators. Gold, Silver and Bronze awards were decided in Round 1, before all Gold winners were judged again to identify the category trophy winners. Following a final round of judging with the category winners, the 2026 Supreme Champion was selected.

Cheese lovers were able to view the British & Irish Cheese Awards judging arena throughout the weekend, as part of the Bath & West Food & Drink Festival, and were given the opportunity to sample some of the trophy winners as part of the Festival’s expanded Guided Cheese Tours. Away from the judging area, the event also celebrated growers, producers and purveyors from the South West and beyond, featuring demonstrations, presentations and entertainment.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

A beautiful Beaujolais double from Château de La Chaize!

A beautiful Beaujolais double from Château de La Chaize!

La Chaize Beaujolais Blanc 2022 13.5%

€23.50 JN Wines

The 2022 , harvested at just the right maturity, has darker lemon/yellow colour than normal. Citrus notes and white flowers abound as the wine expresses the minerality of the eminently suitable terroir of southern Beaujolais. That minerality is evident in the classic finish, leaving one reflecting that all Chardonnay should be similar to this and that not all are.

Use as a delicious aperitif, or a natural accompaniment to firm fish in buttery or creamy sauces, roast chicken, sautéed mushrooms, and delicate cheeses. A delightful indication of the quality from La Chaize and Very Highly Recommended

Quite a few Chardonnays from northern Beaujolais are marketed, quite legally and openly, under the Burgundy appellation.

Château de La Chaize Fleurie Beaujolais 2023 12.5%

€23.50 at JN Wine

From one of the most beautiful French chateaux comes a stunningly beautiful Fleurie, full of juicy cherry and raspberry. It is round and supple with a slightly spicy finish. Very Highly Recommended.

“Good Beaujolais is delicious: mineral, focussed, with fruit of raspberries, black pepper, cherries; it's never overstated or blockbusting, but it has character, balanced acidity, lightness and freshness”. Oz Clarke and Margaret Rand speaking on Beaujolais in their book Grapes and Wine. They could well have been talking about this Fleurie.

Fleurie is one of the ten crus of Beaujolais, listed here from north to south

Saint-Amour (light bodied)

Juliénas (named after Julius Caesar)

Chénas (the smallest)

Moulin-à-Vent (“King of Beaujolais”)

Fleurie (“Queen of Beaujolais”)

Chiroubles (light-bodied, early drinking)

Morgon (deep, powerful wines)

Régnié (youngest cru, fresh and fruity wines)

Brouilly (intense fruity wines from volcanic soil)

Côte de Brouilly (Largest and most southern of the ten.

Château de La Chaize were in Cork recently with JN Wines and, for a brief report on the tasting, see here.

Celebrations at Vendricks as Head Chef Gary Fitzgerald is awarded Best Chef In Munster

Vendricks Head Chef Gary Fitzgerald Awarded Best Chef In Munster

Celebrations at Vendricks

Huge congratulations to Gary Fitzgerald, Head Chef at Killarney’s Vendricks, who has been awarded Best Chef in Munster at this year's Irish Restaurant awards.

Owner Angie O’Brien led the congratulations. “Gary’s passion, creativity and commitment to great food are what makes Vendricks so special and we are incredibly proud to see his hard work recognised. What a proud moment for all of us at Vendricks. Thank you to our amazing team and all of our wonderful guests for your continued support - we couldn’t do it without you.”

Cork diners will recall that Angie owned and ran El Vino in Douglas and in the Elysian. Read more about her Killarney restaurant here and at VendricksRestaurantKillarney on Instagram.