Tipperary Food Producers launch Artisan Food Hamper

Tipperary Food Producers launch Artisan Food Hamper                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Offering a taste of Tipperary to the nation of Ireland, The Tipperary Food Producers, a network of Tipperary’s artisan food and beverage producers has launched a new “Taste of Tipperary” Hamper in conjunction with Hampers & Co, Ireland’s leading luxury hamper company which was founded in Tipperary in 1993. 

The luxury hamper features products from ten Tipperary producers, with many award-winning products among the selection. 

Creating a Tipperary Hamper offering has been a goal of the Tipperary Food Producers said Con Traas, Chairman of the network which was established in 2008. Commenting, Con said, “We are delighted to launch our first ‘Taste of Tipperary’ hamper and to share some of the fantastic food and beverage products produced here in Tipperary. As a network, we have discussed on many occasions about creating a Tipperary hamper offering, available year-round. I guess you could say that the recent lockdown has given us that extra “push” to get this initiative up and running and we are thrilled to be working with Hampers & Co on this Tipperary collaboration. We are very proud of our homegrown produce here in Tipperary and we hope that everyone can enjoy a taste of Tipperary no matter where they are in the country.”

With something for everyone to enjoy in the hamper, products include; The Apple Farm – Con’s Apple Cider; 3 Men in a Trailer - Artisan Ketchup; Cooleeney Farmhouse Cheese; Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers - Cashel Blue Cheese; Crossogue Preserves Chutney; Vera Miklas Freeze Dried Strawberries; Rivesci’s Cashew Chilli Crush; Irish Hedgerow, Elderflower Refresher drink; Galtee Honey Farm, Wildflower Honey and Ayle Farm’s homemade granola. 

Commenting on the collaboration, Thurles native Emer Purcell and founder of Hampers & Co said, “I am very proud to partner with the Tipperary Food Producers to create this wonderful Hamper. Since I established Hampers & Co over 27 years ago, I have featured many products from Tipperary’s food producers in our hampers and they have always been much loved by everyone. When the opportunity came around to collaborate with the Tipperary Food Producers to create ‘A Taste of Tipperary’, I jumped at the chance. It’s great to reconnect with my home county and to celebrate Tipperary’s wealth of artisan food and beverage producers.”

The “Taste of Tipperary” Hamper is €70 and for more information and to purchase visit www.tipperaryfoodproducers.ie or hampersandco.com

Dooks Fine Food. Fethard’s Medieval Walls. And a call to the Apple Farm.

Dooks Fine Food. Fethard’s Medieval Walls.

And a call to the Apple Farm.

Salmon and salads at Dooks in Fethard

My latest trip to Tipp saw me take a walk along the medieval area of Fethard, lunch in Dooks restaurant, and call to the Apple Farm, near Cahir, on the way home. 

People go to Fethard to mostly visit the Coolmore Stud and dine or drink or both in John McCarthy’s famous establishment on the Main Street but I did neither, holding them back for the next trip! McCarthy’s, by the way, is a busy spot. It is one of Ireland’s oldest unchanged pubs, is also a restaurant and, believe it or not, an undertakers. Be careful which menu you ask for.

No such problems at Dooks Fine Food which has a prime position at the bottom of the main street, alongside the Clashawley River, at the junction of the Clonmel and Urlingford roads and opposite a large car park. Richard Gleeson’s restaurant and deli is spacious and bright, lots of local food for you to enjoy inside, or on the seats outside and, of course, at home if you shop at the deli.

Chicken and salads at Dooks

Fethard, by the way, is hardly an hour from the east side of Cork city - you have the M8 motorway for the majority of the way and that leaves just about 16 kilometres on secondary roads.Take the Cashel exit and you’ll have no problem finding the little town. And no problem finding Dooks either.

Richard was preparing a large plateful of a colourful Mozzarella salad when we arrived. It was eye-catching and tempting and featured in our lunch, well at least one serving of it. Dooks had opened long before that of course as they do breakfast here, served from 7.30am. Quite a choice including a very interesting looking fry of Rosemary, orange and fennel sausage, oven roasted tomatoes, fried eggs and Dooks white yeast toast.

The walls of Fethard

But back to the lunch. My pick was the Roast salmon fillet, with horseradish cream and pickled shallot and that came with my choice of two salads: Roasted aubergine, balsamic reduction, toasted mixed seeds, feta and mint, and the second one of roasted carrots, toasted sunflower seeds, pickled shallots, Dooks ricotta and tarragon. Quite a plateful (for 13.50), full of good stuff, even those seeds a lovely feature.

It was the OBC (official blog chef) who got the delightful cherry tomato, Toonsbridge Mozzarella and basil salad. She also choose the Roasted aubergine and her meat was the Lemon, Garlic and Buttermilk marinated chicken supreme with rocket pesto, another plateful of well cooked produce, well presented and well dispatched.

North Gate in Fethard

We did have a look at the short but “well-formed” wine list, spotting some favourites there such as the Bodegas Menade Verdejo from Rueda and the Domaine Chaume Arnaud Vinsobres from the Rhone. But we stuck with the non-alcoholic, a refreshing Sparkling Elderflower by local producers Irish Hedgerow. With the sun beating down outside, we also skipped the coffee and were a little sorry for that omission when we spotted some delightful pastries as we paid at the counter. Next time!

Apple Farm

We had walked around the very impressive medieval remains, before lunch, following the long stretch of wall (parts dating from 1292) by the river and moving by the various gates, Water Gate, East Gate and, most impressively, North Gate, also the cluster of two castles and the old Holy Trinity Church (key available at O’Sullivan’s pharmacy).

The Fethard Town Hall (right)

Holy Trinity Church
Fethard

The Town Hall has had variations and alterations and various functions since its 16th century beginning and is now in use for tourist purposes. Here too you will find the Fethard Horse Country Experience and from here you may arrange a tour of Coolmore Stud. Check it all out here.  I’ll be doing just that the next time I’m in Fethard.

On the way back to Cork, we made a short detour from the M8 to the Apple Farm on the Clonmel road. And stocked up on jams, cider, and fruits, including some of the delicious juicy sweet cherries. It is a busy spot but the drought is taking its toll and plums, we heard, may not be as plentiful as last year when the harvest comes in.

Indeed, a day after our visit, owner Con Traas was tweeting: The last rain fell at our farm on 19/6, a mere 0.2mm drizzle. Since May 11th (2 months to the day) we have recorded 23.2mm total (about a weeks rain here in normal circumstances). We have exceeded the criteria for both absolute drought and partial drought.

I know the constant sun has been great this year but we could do with some rain now! Wonder what the weather was like in Fethard when those Norman builders were hard at it all those centuries ago.

Recent Tipp calls:

Mikey Ryan’s Cashel 

Stef Hans Thurles 

French Quarter Tipperary town 

Holycross and Farney Castle 

Not so recent:

Glen of Aherlow 

Swiss Cottage Cahir 

Cahir Castle 

The Vee 

Rock of Cashel 

The Lakeside Hotel Ballina 

The Grubbs. Blessed be the cheesemakers. 

The Apple Farm Cahir 

Aherlow House Hotel