RESTAURANTS AND FOOD: Hansum

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Visiting The Boatyard Hot-Food Market In Cobh

Visiting The Boatyard Hot-Food Market In Cobh

Karen, at Hook'd

Just over twelve months ago, Cobhman Rob Coughlan opened up the Boatyard, a multi-stall hot-food venue, on a harbourside site near the town, sandwiched by the car ferry terminal and the family solid fuel depot. Earlier, muscle and money combined and the site was cleared and readied for the July 2022 opening and, now, 12 months on, Rob has expanded by adding five new stalls.

So what can you get at the Boatyard? Lots of different hot foods, from pizza to coffee, from burgers to rotisserie chicken, of course, but you may also get your nails done and other beauty treatments as well.

We were there for the food when we called last week. Where would we park? Why, on their own site of course. And here too you'll see lots of outdoor tables and benches with views of the busy river, including that regular ferry that crosses to Glenbrook, alongside.

Hansum salad

After a walk around, we called to the Hook'd stall. A local had recommended the fish and chips here. We got the warmest of welcomes from Karen and, once our buzzer did its thing, we were soon tucking into a generous serving of fresh haddock and some really excellent fries as the sun shone (a little windy too but we got over that!).

And just because it is "wild" dining, you don't have to do without the extras. You do get your mushy peas while the usual tartare sauce and a less usual garlic mayo were also available. Bottles of Irish water and more soft drinks also. In addition, Hook'd also serve Scampi and Calamari and more, all with those gorgeous chips and sauces (do try that garlic mayo!). And you can get a cup of coffee at Roast! Something sweet? Then try Milis!

We enjoyed chatting with Karen before she got really busy and having shared that tasty fish we began to think What next? Would have loved a burger or a pizza but that might have been going too far. Hansum, also popular in the Marina Market, has a stall here and we checked out their list and settled on the salad, leaving their well-loved Chicken Ciabatta for another day.

Jamie worked his magic on the salad, all the while keeping up a lively and friendly conversation, and the salad was superb, a fantastic ensemble of Rotisserie chicken, baby gem, semi-sun-dried tomatoes, pickled onions, herby croutons, crunchy chickpeas, Parmesan cheese and a smoked garlic dressing. Not too many restaurants will match the superb standard of this divine dish that doesn't break the bank at €9.50.

And Jamie can even do better. If you don't fancy any one ingredient (hardly the chicken though!), he can make an ingredient switch to suit you. He checks on how much parmesan you want. If you do like the salad as it is, he'll offer to spice it up a little the next time you call.

You can get a mega lunch here, even a dinner, by ordering a full (or half) Rotisserie Chicken, with or without wedges. There's a

packed

Hansum Ciabbatta, Hansum Wings, various wedges offerings, including spicy wedges in Arbutus bread.

No surprise with the source of the bread as Hansum was founded a short few years ago by Colin Ryan, whose

grandparents Declan and Patsy Ryan owned and managed The Arbutus in Montenotte, Ireland’s first-ever Michelin star restaurant

. His parents own ever-popular Isaacs in MacCurtain Street while his uncle Declan is the active owner of, you guessed it, Arbutus Bread. Colin is carrying on a long tradition.

Rob Coughlan is a busy man these days and is delighted that he now has five new containers on site. Three are food outlets and the other two may surprise you. Read on to the end:

Harbour Burger - A brand new burger container, created by top Cork chef’s Vinicius Almeid and Rob himself. Juicy beef patties made with the highest quality beef sourced from Tom Durcan Meats, topped with a variety of tasty ingredients.
Milis - Bringing a sweet touch to the market, Milis, the Irish word for sweet, does not disappoint. Sarah O’ Driscoll brings crumble pots to The Boatyard along with the highest quality local ice cream and sweets
Roberto’s Pizza - Rob Coughlan and Sarah O’ Driscoll are bringing a little piece of Italy to The Boatyard with their pizza napoletana made with the freshest local ingredients that make for the best pizza in Cobh.
Samisa Beauty - This is Rob Coughlan’s new creation for Nail Technicians and Eyelash Specialists to come rent out a salon chair and provide customers with beauty services while overlooking the water.
The Black Poppy Tattoo Parlour- Jake and Barbra Stahlecker have created a stunning tattoo parlour at The Boatyard with a unique waterside location. This is the pair's second location in Cork.