Flavours of Christmas (but may be tried at any time of the year!)

Flavours of Christmas

(but may be tried at any time of the year!)

Bubbles from the Loire

Ummera Smoked Chicken (served with a Cajun Potato Salad). Lovely contrast after days of turkey!

Rwandan Coffee, the Cup of Excellence award winning Maraba Sovu 2012 lot #14,  via Robert Roberts Connoisseur Club.

Organic Pink Bubbles (made from Cabernet Franc) from Chateau Miniere and Domaine du Clos d’Epinay Vouvray Brut. Souvenirs of the summer holidays in the Loire Valley.

Mella’s Rum & Raisin Handmade West Cork Fudge.

Ummera smoked chicken.

Cashel Blue mature and Warre’s LBV Port (2002).

The Cornstore’s Plum infused Whiskey.

Dungarvan Coffee and Oatmeal Stout, by now a Christmas standard.

Eight Degrees Zeus Black IPA, 7%. Looks like a rich dark porter but tastes like a pungent IPA.

Fleming's fantastic Orchard Chutney.

Fleming’s Orchard Chutney (Apples, Pears and Green Tomatoes from their own orchard).

Barrie Tyner’s Pates (from the local Farmers Markets, inc. Mahon).

Pandora Bell’s Honey Nougat with Almonds and Pistachios.

Cashel Blue

EASTER PARADE

EASTER EGGS FOR ADULTS & MEALS FOR KIDS

Chic, petite and delicious. No. Not me. But Pandora Bell’s Real Eggshells filled with Praline Chocolate, the perfect gift for loved ones and, yes, even me! You can get them singly for €2.95 and a basket of five for €16.00.

BUYING IRISH

BUYING IRISH

NEED TO BE AWARE & AWAKE

Must admit I don't always have the green flag wrapped around me when I’m shopping, even for food. But If the Irish product has the quality and is price competitive, then I’ll

Pandora Bell in Limerick

PANDORA BELL

Irresistible. Walked into Nash 19 last Tuesday morning and didn't get past the very first display in the shop: a stand of tempting colourful lollipops from Pandora Bell. Grabbed a bunch and went to work on the tasting.

I’m a big kid now but these lollipops – or suchettes as the French suckinctly call them – are big enough. You get quite a few licks for your €2.50. They come in various flavours: strawberry, lemon, orange and mint and all colours and flavours are natural. Beautiful.

But then I expected nothing less from the Limerick confectioner Nicole Dunphy. Already she had tempted us with her honey nougats and salted caramels not to mention her Easter special: gorgeous real shell chocolate eggs. Keep up the sweet work, Nicole.

REAL EASTER EGGS!!

PANDORA BELL RINGS THE CHANGES


Limerick’s Bridgestone Irish Food Guide entry Pandora Bell has a new twist for the good old Easter Egg as Nicole Dunphy goes back to basics, taking a real shell and filling it with Praline Chocolate. All you have to do is crack the shell, peel and enjoy!

And enjoy you will if past performance is anything to go by. The company hit speed from its launch in the second half of last year. They first came to my attention with their irresistible range of Honey Nougat and they also do Salted Butter Caramels and Handmade Lollipops.

Nicole puts their success down to the fact they use only the best ingredients and timeless traditional recipes. They certainly have turned the clock back with this one, right back to the real good old days!

See earlier reviews on this site

Pandora Bell products are stocked by independent retailers nationwide and are also available from www.pandorabell.ie

CONGRATS

Great to see places that we’ve been praising here acknowledged in the current round of Bridgestone Awards. Congratulations to all and in particular to Ann at O'Keeffe's in St Luke’s and to Nicole Dunphy of Pandora Bell in Limerick. Coincidentally, you can get Pandora Bell products in St Luke’s (who also stock wines from Bubble Brothers. O’Keeffe’s is a food treasure house.

SAY I LOVE YOU WITH A LOLLIPOP

All you need is love…… and Pandora Bell Lollipops!

Sassy, retro and indulgent, a Pandora Bell Handmade Lollipop is a quirky way to say ‘I love you’ on Valentines Day.

Something sweet and beautiful is the classic way to show love (or that little crush).  Pandora Bell’s Handmade Lollipops go back to a time when colours and flavourings were natural and sweets looked as beautiful as they tasted.

Pandora Bell’s Nicole Dunphy says their lollipops are made in the traditional way, by stretching and rolling sugar syrup.  "The only extras, are naturally based colours and flavours; to make the lollipops look pretty and taste gorgeous."

For centuries Valentines Day has been a day to celebrate love whether, eternal love, the buzz of passion, a long term friendship or a first teenage crush.

Chocolate is a classic way of expressing love.  The Pandora Bell range has two gift sized nougat bars coated in rich dark chocolate.  Honey and Hazelnut Nougat in a Chocoate Coating and Coffee Nougat with Hazelnuts in a Chocolate Coating.  Both are perfect with a desert wine or coffee after that stay at home romantic meal (a desert guaranteed not to be ruined in the oven).   For non chocoholics there is the Italian favourite, Honey Nougat with Almonds and Pistachios and the sweeter, Honey Nougat with Orange and Almonds.

Pandora Bell’s Handmade Lollipops and Honey Nougat bars are available from independent retailers nationwide.  For a list of stockists log onto www.pandorabell.ie.  Valentines web specials include  a Valentines Lollipop and luxury box of chocolates (200g) for E9.99 and a lollipop and chocolates (400g) for E19.99.

Pandora Bell is a confectionery label based in Co Limerick. The Pandora philosophy is based on old fashioned culinary values, high quality ingredients and exceptional tastes. The Bridgestone Irish Food Guide has named Pandora Bell it’s Newcomer of the Year.

Not everyone is ‘romancing’ for valentines, if you don’t have a cosy dinner for two planned, take the opportunity to treat yourself anyway… take the 

Pandora Bell in Limerick

PANDORA BELL - The Sweetest things...

My sweetest thing this Christmas? Pandora Bell's honey nougat. Sense-ational. Picked up a couple of packets at O’Keeffe’s (St Luke’s). Gorgeous. No wonder the Bridgestone Irish Food Guide has named this new Limerick confectionery label as its Newcomer of the Year.
Bridgestone’s John McKenna says of Pandora Bell, “You want to see and taste perfection? Here it is, again. Nicole Dunphy's salted caramels and nougats and lollipops are of a standard no one in Ireland has ever achieved, and she has just started her Pandora Bell business, so what awaits us in the future? We can't wait.”

Neither can I.

Check out my review of Pandora Bell - I am cork - on Qype