Taste of the Week. Christmas Special. The Nibbles Christmas Pudding

Taste of the Week. Christmas Special

The Nibbles Christmas Pudding

Once upon a time, Irish housewives made the Christmas pudding, some made three or four or more, in mid-summer. All windows and doors were thrown open and the steam drifted out, some aromas too, to the open air.

But then came the age of inconvenience and nobody was left at home to cook up the necessary battalions of puddings and now we rely more and more on providers. Some of those providers though are so much better than others and I found one last week who has served up my Taste of the Christmas Week.

Eleanor Leahy is the lady and Nibbles is the name of her Millstreet company; her puddings (and cakes, by the way) are available at farmers markets, at Nibbles Bakery and Café in Millstreet, and also in Roughty Foodie in the English Market where I got mine from Margo Ann.

The Nibbles pudding is not as dark as the traditional one but, packed with fruit, stout and whiskey too, it has the all the flavour you need and comes in a variety of sizes. Just add a slather of the Brandy Butter from Crossogue Preserves, also available from Margo Ann, and you have a festive treat that’s hard to beat.

The Nibbles Christmas Cake is pretty good too!

Seaweed ingredient in Mayo Pudding

Kelly’s Greenway Pudding

Pictured at the launch of Kelly’s Greenway Pudding yesterday (Monday 30th July) at Mulranny Park Hotel were Anna Connor (Walking Development Officer, Mayo County Council), Sean Kelly (Kelly’s Butchers, Newport) and Dermot Madigan (Manager, Mulranny Park Hotel).

Here’s a clever response to the highly successful Greenway walking and cycling trail. Kelly’s Butchers, Newport, Co. Mayo have introduced Kelly’s Greenway Pudding sporting a map of the Greenway trail on the label. The new pudding, which contains Atlantic seaweed, was launched at Mulranny Park Hotel by Anna Connor (Walking Development Officer, Mayo County Council) and Dermot Madigan (Manager, Mulranny Park Hotel). The Greenway goes through Newport and walkers and cyclists pass by Kelly’s door when they are on it.

“We’re part of the Gourmet Greenway food trail”, says Sean Kelly of Kelly’s Butchers, “We have a lot of cycling and walking tourists coming into the shop and we wanted to create something specially for them. That was the inspiration for Kelly’s Greenway Pudding. We find the tourists are fascinated by the label, they love a souvenir that shows the Greenway itself. It’s our modern twist on the old stick of rock.”

Seaweed from the wild Atlantic shore is the special ingredient in the Greenway Pudding which is available as both a black and a white pudding. The taste is distinct, with a delicate hint of the ocean, but still has the unique Kelly’s flavour and texture. As with all Kelly’s puddings it holds its shape very well when cooked, which chefs love.

Kelly’s have also introduced a brand new seaweed flavoured sausage to their range, bringing the total of speciality sausages to an impressive 15.

At just €6 a pop Kelly’s Greenway Pudding  is proving an irresistible draw for Greenway users and locals as well. It is exclusively available in Kelly’s Butchers Shop, Newport and at Knock Airport. You have to come to Mayo to get Kelly’s Greenway Pudding .

AVRIL: ON THE ROAD FROM ROSS

ROSSCARBERY RECIPES

On Friday morning, I drove down to Supervalu in Ticknock in Cobh to see Avril Allshire-Howe who was on duty with her samples of her Rosscarbery black and white pudding. The black is very good but the white is really amazing and is a great match with scallops. Avril is on the road regularly and will be travelling all over the county every day ‘til Christmas and still finds time to help the food movement in West Cork.

Avril is the public face of Rosscarbery Recipes and Caherbeg Free Range Pork but she will be the first to tell you that husband Willie and the rest of the family are major players on the West Cork farm. On Friday, she was also serving sample slices from her delicious Cheddar and Stout Cake which is not commercially available but which goes well with the puddings.

But don’t worry. The busy Avril also produces a newsletter and the latest edition contains the recipe for the cake and much more foodie information besides. You can read most of it, including the recipe, at the end of this post.

I hope to meet up with Avril again in the New Year and do a full post and I have also featured her here  in a Buy Local plea.


Speaking of local, there were quite a few people showing their wares in the Supervalu in Ticknock and I really enjoyed meeting them. Loved the in-house mince pies (with custard) and also the rashers from Truly Irish.  Very tasty.

Also met a few of the staff as I walked around and must say I’ve rarely met a nicer friendlier helpful bunch in any supermarket. Great atmosphere there.

For the Rosscarbery Recipes newsletter