A Bit of Banter. At Old Butter Roads Launch in Blarney

A Bit of Banter

At Old Butter Roads Launch in Blarney

Joe McNamee with, from left, Martina and Tricia Cronin and Lenka Forrest

“Sometimes you need to be broken to get stronger”, said Martina Cronin, Chef at the Square Table where her twin sister Tricia is front of house and manager, at the launch of the 2018 Old Butter Roads Food Trail in The Church Of The Resurrection Blarney on Saturday.

Martina was responding to journalist Joe McNamee whose gentle prompting drew some terrific answers from the chefs and producers on stage. Martina paid tribute to her mother: “The house was very food oriented.” But she was in transition year before she made her mind up to be a chef.

Ciaran Scully, teacher and chef, “had me ready for Dublin” where her education continued under top chefs Ross Lewis and Graham Neville. One of the things she learned along the way and which she and Tricia implemented at the Square Table was to use local as much a possible. “This way we met and got to know the local producers and that in some ways led to this festival.”

Hegarty's cheese

Joe asked Tricia how customers reacted to local produce. Her years in Jacques gave her a good grounding and introduced her to local produce. “I enjoy engaging with the customers on local produce and local producers. But you do need to know your stuff. There’s a lot of homework to be done, especially with new dishes. I find too that now locals and international customers are talking about the Old Butter Roads.”

Lenka Forrest who runs the Old Blarney Post Office Café in the village started here about two years ago and immediately “clicked” with the Cronin twins and Maire, the chair of the Old Butter Roads. “It is important to promote the great food that's within this area to locals and tourists. I was happy to get the call to join the OBR. And happy too to see how Irish food has changed over the past twenty years.”

Victor of Bluebell Falls

Pat Mulcahy

Lenka, originally from Czechoslovakia (“the Czech side!”), didn’t really have a food background. But spotted the closed-up Post Office and rented it. “I didn’t know anything about the business, about the margins. It is a tiny place - you can see us make everything. We use the right ingredients and give good customer service. I like sharing food and love to see people enjoying our food.”

Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Enjelvin is helping Dan Hegarty of Whitechurch make his great cheese for the past two years or so. He admitted he had no idea about Irish cheese but soon discovered “other amazing cheese makers, Gubbeen, Milleens, Coolea”. Hegarty’s are long renowned for their cheddar but Jean-Baptiste told us that the range is expanding, a Comte/Gruyere style, and had some delicious samples to share.

Zwena McCullough of the nearby Hydro Farm Allotments said she is passionate about growing. “We share everything in the allotments, including the fruit cage. It is organic, no chemicals, we have a great community from tiny tots to the quite elderly. A great variety of nationalities including a Moroccan lady who makes a great tagine! We help educate by running courses and so on.”

Victor from Bluebell Falls was also on the platform - they weren't all up together! And he told Joe his story. We visited his farm recently and you can see all the details here. 

Hydro Farm Allotments 

Pat Mulcahy from Ballinwillin Farm told us his business includes deer, wild boar, and goats, B&B, lunch, evening meals. He has about 40 meat products, all through organic farming. He found lots of obstacles at the start: “You need to be determined, lots of walls to jump.” Now he works with many chefs to get his food message across.

And while he meets some of the biggest names in the industry it is often at home that he feels the big pride. “The chest expands,” he admitted, “when I’m sitting around the breakfast table with guests from many countries enjoying the farm food as was the case this morning.” You’ll probably be hearing more from Ballinwillin about wellness and the link with food as they are seriously looking at the influence of quality and authenticity on good health.

All together now!

Pat also imports his own wine from Hungary. “Some of the best winemakers in the world are in Hungary but they don’t sell. We were lucky to get into partnership in a cellar and now bottle and import our own range of wine. Growing grapes is like farming - that's what attracted me."

The Aubane community seem to be ahead of the posse on the Old Butter Roads as they celebrated the 250th anniversary 20 years back and Celeste Buckley told us on Saturday about another celebration on May 18th next, the 270th, with a five course meal at the local community centre to be followed by music and dancing. “We have a very exciting menu for the event and are really looking forward to the night.” Details on here. 

Jean-Baptiste

Kanturk too will be involved and we heard from Timmy McCarthy, the 5th generation butcher from the town. “We can't move forward without taking inspiration from the past. We have a rich array of producers and it all needed direction. This is a platform to promote the area!”

Joe McNamee then officially declared the event open. “This is a tremendous initiative. Food and tourism are intertwined and contributed to the country's recovery. The quality of the food and the movement of small premium producers led to this. But don’t reserve your support for special occasions. Support these producers in your weekly shopping.”

Chairperson Maire Ní Mhurchu, a founder member, then invited us to sample the trays of tasty bites laid out for us and so we did. “We all have a passion about food,” she said earlier. “We are a  cooperative group and intend to show the area at its best. Our new website has been launched. As you know our logo is the Milk Churn.”

Joe McNamee launches the 2018 event.

“This is a great unspoiled area, yet very close to the city. There is a great heritage here and that shouldn't be forgotten either and the Aubane celebration is part of it as it the cart outside built by the local mens shed.”

Soon the celebrations began. Indeed, I suspect they had already begun in nearby Blairs Inn. Next stop after the church opening was Lenka’s cafe where Pat Mulcahy was roasting one of his wild boars. Lots of events coming up over the month so do stay in touch with the website and also their Face book page. 

Also of interest:

Ballinwillin House and Farm

Bluebell Falls Visit

My North Cork Collection

Visit to Hydro Farm Allotments 

Old Butter Roads Food Trail Festival. Launch April 29-30 in Blarney

Media release

Old Butter Roads Food Trail Festival

Launch April 29-30 in Blarney

A Food Festival to launch the Old Butter Roads Food Trails will take place in Blarney from 29/4 to 1/5 2017. The initiative is being developed by the producers, eateries and visitor attractions to celebrate the range of foods grown and produced in the Muskerry, Duhallow and Avondhu areas of County Cork. The idea started in Blarney through which the Old Butter Road used to bring produce from Kerry via Millstreet into the Butter Market in Shandon to serve the great maritime trade.  

The Old Butter Roads Food Trail escorts visitors through the fertile valleys—the breadbasket of Co Cork—where the rich pasture lands provide the most wholesome and delicious dairy, meats, grains, fruit and vegetables in the country.

The Festival will start on Saturday 29/4 with butter making demonstrations at 12pm and 2pm at the Butter Museum. In Blarney there will be talks between 2pm of 4pm at the Hydro Farm Allotments near Tower on the importance of growing food. A pony and trap will leave the Hydro Farm Allotments to deliver milk churns, the symbols of the Old Butter Roads, to businesses involved in Blarney on the Saturday afternoon about 4pm and be displayed by businesses involved in the Food Trail throughout the year.

Butter and Iron-age bread (by Declan Ryan)

Michael Creed the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine will formally launch the Food Trail at the Church of Ireland, Blarney at 6pm on the Saturday, followed by food tasting from the producers and eateries of the trail.

On Sunday 30/4 there will be a ‘walk & talk’ with Tom O’Byrne at 2pm at the Clogheen Milken on the importance of the ecology. The Gab storytelling competition will take place at 3.30 in the Church of Ireland, followed by Smokin’ Good Time event at 6pm at the Old Blarney Post Office Café showcasing smoked produce of the area. Guest speakers include Tim McCarthy of Kanturk, Patrick Mulcahy of Ballinwillin House and Longueville Cider makers.     

The Square Table restaurant Blarney will be hosting a food event at 8pm. It is a tasting menu which will showcase all the producers on the Old Butter Road Food Trail.  The Farm in Grenagh is holding an open weekend with butter making demonstrations on Monday 1/5 – International Butter Day.

Local food

The Old Butter Roads Food Trail will host events in Kanturk, Macroom, Mallow and Mitchelstown in the following few months to celebrate the food and drink produce of the area.

For Further information Contact      OldButterRoads@gmail.com

Maire ni Mhurchu      Tricia Cronin Rupert Atkinson     

Chairperson Secretary                     Mallow    

Activity Days                             The Square Table                    Longueville House Beverages

Tim McCarthy             Patrick Mulcahy                     Lenka Forrest

Kanturk            Mitchelstown                         Treasurer  

McCarthy’s Butchers  Ballinwillin House           The Old Blarney Post Office Cafe

Sat 29/4	12.00 & 2.30pm 2- 4pm      5pm 6pm                               8pm	Butter Making demonstration at Butter Museum, 1 O Connell Square Cork (beside Shandon Bells)at 12am and 2.30 pm (€4 entry) Talks on growing foods at Hydro Allotments Blarney Pony & Trap deliver butter churns to Blarney businesses, start at the Hydro Allotments and arrive in Blarney Cobh Animations Ladies in the Square 5-7pm Michael Creed the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine will formally launch the Food Trail at the Church of Ireland, Blarney at 6pm on the Saturday, followed by food tasting from the trail. Film The Old Butter Roads by Jasper Wynn in garden of Old Post Office & food from members ( or Church of Ireland if raining)
Sun 30/4	all day 2pm    3.30 6-9pm 8-10pm	Farm Grenagh Open day Walk at Clogheen Milken Fenn with Tom o Byrne Ecologist on the importance of Balance of the Environment Gab storytelling competition final on topic of ‘Old Butter Roads’ at the Church of Ireland Blarney organized by Toasmasters and the Gab. Free Event/donations Smokin’ Good Time an event at the Old Blarney Post Office Café showcasing smoked produce from the Food Trail Area. Guest speakers amongst others include Tim McCasthy of Kanturk and master of the art of butchery and Patrick Mulcahy of Ballinwillin House. Delicious  Longueville Cider will keep all refreshed.      Taste of the Old Butter Roads at the Square Table, Blarney  (tasting menu showcasing all producers from the trail; pre booked  €55)
Mon 1/5	all Day	Butter Day - Demonstration of Butter making at The Farm Grenagh all day
Week 1 May		Blarney Library - display of books on Cookery, Farming, Dairy Science and  Old Ireland and Cookery Meeting to discuss cookery books on Wednesday am. Thurs 4th Historical Society   Magic, Faries and Stories at Secondary School

A Happy Lot in Blarney. Hydro Farm Allotments

A Happy Lot in Blarney. 

Hydro Farm Allotments

Hot Seat

Okay, so you have your own plot. But you are not alone. You have “neighbours” to the left and right, to the rear and in front. You chat, they chat. You help. They help. They have different levels of experience, different experiences. They are from Crosshaven, from Ballincollig, from Russia, from Latvia, from Nigeria and from the Blarney area of course.

I am talking about the Hydro Farm Allotments where you may “come and join the buzz”. They held an open day last Sunday and hundreds turned up to see the place, to have a bite and a cuppa and to chat.

Flourishing

Save the water. The buckets (right) are used
in German wine industry

It was all very well organised and I had quite a few chats myself as I worked my way around the various plots, all much the same size. The growing of vegetables, including the regular spuds and cabbage, seems to be the main occupation. But no shortage of fruit and flowers either.

Some plots are like your own back garden with colorfully painted sheds, tables and chairs out and little patio areas. Here, the gardeners get the chance to talk, to exchange ideas and plants. And all seem very happy with the experience as most of them have been there for eight, nine, ten years.

A Lovely Plot

And, if you want to learn from the experts, you get that opportunity as well via organised courses. This past Spring for example, the gardeners learned how to make Strawberry and Herb Wheelie bins, how to keep bees, all about composting and recycling. Earlier this month, you could have learned how to design and maintain a herb garden and there was also an opportunity to go foraging.

Everything you need to go gardening is right here. The water is deep well water and there is one shared tap per 4/5 plots. There is an abundant supply of well-rotted manure and mulch on site, free to all ‘Plotters’ for their plots. There is a Tool Shed available to keep your garden tools. Some plotters opt to have Sheds/Poly Tunnels/Glasshouses on their plots where they keep them.

All neat and tidy

There is even a Tea Room and Potting shed.  This is off the Courtyard where there is a fridge to keep milk, sandwiches etc. while in the garden. This is a fun place where people can have a chat or a sandwich or even pot a few plants on a rainy day. The farm even have Free Range Eggs (when available) from their poultry in the fridge.

Hydro Farm allotments are part of a private farm between Blarney and Tower, Co Cork. A hidden piece of paradise that even people living in the area may not be aware about.

Visitors on Open Day

 The allotments are located on a secluded raised site, bounded by trees which form a shelter belt. Security is not a problem as the allotments are only reachable by private roadway and Zwena McCullough  the allotment owner lives on the farm

There is a large all weather car park adjacent to the Plots and Toilets on site for your comfort. The Allotments are open from 1st February to 31st December each year and open all day every day during this time.

Zwena McCullough

Hydro Farm Allotments, Tower, Blarney, Co. Cork.

Tel: 087 2333183 Email: hydroallotments@gmail.com

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