Barnabrow House Launches New Tea Rooms

Barnabrow House Launches New Tea Rooms 

The sun shone brightly as the guests gathered in front of a splendid Barnabrow House and owner/director Geraldine Kidd welcomed those coming to help her launch the new Tea Rooms.

The sun was something of a symbol for Geraldine and her team, as they emerged from the Covid induced restrictions. “Thanks for coming. I’ve been here a lot of the time…, trying to maintain the place.. it’s been difficult. The Tea Rooms, a combination of ideas from all the team here, will change all that and allow us welcome people in.”

Guests gather

The Lord Mayor Cllr Colm Kelleher had earlier cut the ribbon with a perfect snip and wished Geraldine and Barnabrow all the best with the venture as we sipped Prosecco or lemonade in the noonday sun.

Soon we were inside the beautiful high-ceilinged room that is the Tea Room, a really splendid venue. And in no time at all we were enjoying a sampling (tapas style) of what is usually on the menu. Geraldine also indicated that menu will change to reflect the “change in season”.

Stylish cut by the Lord Mayor as Geraldine looks on

Last Thursday it was Ham Hock Terrine, Egg Mayonnaise on Brioche, Salmon Rillette with pickled Cucumber, O’Connell’s Beef with pickled garden beetroot and horseradish cream and Arsallagh Goats’ Cheese with Organic Tomato Salsa from their walled garden. 

The desserts (see video above) were Raspberry Delice, Chocolate Marquise, Lemon Tart with Cream, Creme Anglaise custard tarts with summer berries, Carrot Cake,  Poppy Seed Cake and Scones with cream and homemade raspberry jam,  Homemade Chocolate Fudge and organically grown (in the garden) grape pastilles.

Savoury!

There is a new head chef here and Adrian Kazsinski got a strong round of applause when he was introduced to the gathering at the end. Adrian is well used to Barnabrow as he worked here with the previous chef, Stuart Bowes, for some ten years.

As you can gather, much of the produce is their own and they support local producers too. Geraldine: “We are using Drury’s coffee, roasted in Youghal.” Nick, the coffee roaster, was there on Thursday. The Tea Rooms opening hours are 12 noon to 4.00pm

And she has lots of plans for Barnabrow, for both the house and the grounds. “Over the Winter, we are planning to have Afternoon Tea every Saturday and hope to have small parties from less significant birthdays, to genteel Hen Parties  (we had one in the Summer that got dressed up on Downtown Abbey-style costumes) to poetry reading and perhaps small Christmas parties.”  

Geraldine with Donie O'Brien
of Eno Wines

"Next Summer we plan to have picnics, providing guests with a box of food and a blanket to find their own spot on the grounds.  We also will try to organise 'Teddy Bear Picnics’ and we hope to create walk ways around the grounds and up the hill to allow people to explore more and perhaps walk off the calories.  The Pygmy goats and the donkeys like to have visitors!” 

And there’s more, including a Santa Lunch. Stay up to date by checking their Facebook page here. 

What is the fuss about?

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Just to give you an idea of what you can get if you are in for lunch, I’ve listed items from the current menu below:

Soup of the Day €5.50

Ham Hock and Chicken Terrine with Spinach, Serrano Ham, Fig and Port Puree, Crystalized Nuts €9.50

Salmon Rillette on Brown Soda Bread, Sesame Pickled Cucumber €8.50

Ardsallagh Goat’s Cheese Brochetta, Tomato Salsa, Garden Herb Pesto €8.50

Spiced chicken Wrap with Roast Red Peppers, Sweetcorn, Cheddar €8

Roast Beef Sandwich with Horseradish Mayo, Pickled Beetroot, Forrest Mushrooms Dressing €8

Ham & Cheese Toasted Sandwich €5

See Tea Rooms video here 

Sweet Treats

Scones €3

Coconut and Poppy Seeds served with Mango Puree €5.50

Hazelnut Brownie €5.50

Carrot Cake €5.50

Lemon Drizzle Cake €5.50

Plum and Frangipane Tart €5.50

Lemon Tart €5.50

Chocolate Chip Cookies €2.50

Power Balls €2.50

All Homemade at Barnabrow House

Doneraile Park, where the Awbeg River runs through 166 hectares.

 Doneraile Park

15th April 2021

The Awbeg River runs through the Park's 166 hectares where you also see groups of deer (all fenced off, so you may bring the dog but on a lead of course).  Also there is the recently restored Doneraile Court and Tea Rooms, also a playground. One of Ireland's most popular attractions has plenty of parking and may also be accessed directly from the main street.

Start with a little movie!

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The Workshop. Pairing Teas and Desserts!

The Workshop

Pairing Teas and Desserts!

Had an unusual pairing exercise at the lovely Workshop Tea Rooms near Cork Airport on Tuesday. In the “gap” after the mains, I was trying to match teas with desserts. That's a new one! It worked out well though and indeed the excursion into the narrow country road at the rear of the airport proved well worthwhile overall.

The Workshop itself, in an old carpentry workshop, is a little bit unusual. True, it is a restaurant, tea rooms and coffee shop but it is also a display of vintage and antiques, everything from old style cups and saucers to a cart full of flowers, writing boxes to antique chairs, even including a large poster of Bertie Ahern. Everything, or almost everything, is for sale here!

Having passed the old family pram on the way in, you’ll have a warm greeting and then realise that that is really a record player in the corner playing some old style music. As you visit the bathroom (do, whether you need to or not) you’ll enter through a pair of haberdashery doors (from East Cork in the 1820s) and you’ll wash your hands in an old ship’s sink. And do check in the vampire mirror before you exit!

The Workshop, just a year on the go, is busy for lunch and soon we see why. Some great sandwiches here and you may get a cup of soup and and a sandwich for just €7.50.

We ventured a little upmarket! I went for the special of the day, a chicken pie (8.50) while CL took their Tapas, really a chicken salad (8.00). The Pie was top notch, lots of very flavoursome chunky chicken pieces topped with creamy potato and a couple of slices of Arbutus bread on the side. Arbutus too with the excellent chicken salad, another very attractive dish.

Coffee is by Badger & Dodo, so that spells quality. They have a lovely list of teas and, as I hinted above, we took our time picking ours. Mine was the Workshop Cream (roast coffee beans, jasmine flowers and natural aroma). “It’s creamy,” they say, “with a pleasant coffee/Bailey’s taste.” In any event, it went very well indeed with my perfect slice of Coffee and Walnut cake.

And the second match was also spot-on! The tea here was the Rain Forrest (named after their mom's family). It poured red, and exotic flavours were provided by hibiscus, apple pieces, currant, candied mango, pineapple and banana chips. A superb drink and went ever so well with the really well made Apple Crumble, complete with real fruit chunks and real crumble.

Desserts costs €4.50 each and the teas came in at €3.50 for a large pot each. We thought we were getting a cup each so I'm afraid we left a lot of tea behind. We’ll know better the next time. And there will be a next time as we very much enjoyed the whole experience, including the unusual setting and friendly service.

The Workshop

Lios Cross

Ballygarvan

Co. Cork

Phone	Call 021 2373033 or text 085 7666755
Email	theworkshopcork@gmail.com
Website	http://www.theworkshopcork.com

Hours

Tue - Sat: 10:00 am - 5:30 pm Sun: 11:00 am - 5:30 pm

My Irish Tea Rooms

Irish Tea Rooms Worth Noting!
(in no particular order)

What are your own favourites? Use Comment facility below to reply.

The Workshop, Ballygarvan, County Cork

The Ardmore Gallery & Tea Rooms

Welcome to Ardmore, Co. Waterford

Drumcliffe Tea House (Sligo)

Ben Bulben from Drumcliffe

Scrummylicious Bakery and Tearoom (Dungloe, Donegal)

Donegal sunset

Doneraile Court Tea Rooms (Doneraile, Cork)

The Awbeg river in Doneraile Court

Tea and Garden Rooms, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare

The Phoenix Park Tea Rooms, Dublin

Pancake Cottage, Strawberry Field, Sneem to Moll's Gap Road, Co. Kerry

Duchess Tea Rooms, Bandon, Co. Cork

The Tea House at the Walled Garden, Kylemore Abbey, Co. Galway.

Tea Rooms at Camden Fort Meagher, Crosshaven, Co. Cork

Tea and a view over Cork Harbour

Adare's Old Creamery

Doll's House in the shop.

Tea Rooms at Camden Fort Meagher

Tea Rooms at Camden Fort Meagher

Room with a View

Other Irish Tea Rooms

Adare's Old Creamery (Limerick)

Drumcliffe Tea House (Sligo)

Scrummylicious Bakery and Tearoom (Dungloe, Donegal)

Doneraile Court Tea Rooms (Doneraile, Cork)

Tea and Garden Rooms (Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare)

 Phoenix Park Tea Rooms (Dublin)

Pancake Cottage (Co. Kerry)

Duchess Tea Rooms in Bandon (Co. Cork)

Read more on Camden Fort Meagher,

A superb visit on Cork's doorstep!

here

From Dungloe to Kenmare: Eight Irish Tea Rooms

Irish Tea Rooms

Adare's Old Creamery

Never heard tell of the Adare Old Creamery store until a recent visit. Now feel like I should tell you all about it. It is just a few hundred yards from the County Limerick village and it quite fascinating.

Maybe you want to buy a doll’s house or furniture for it. Some beautiful scented candles perhaps. Maybe high quality china such as Aynsley or Belleek. Well, this is the place to check out – see it on Facebook.

Downstairs there is an old style sweet shop (including ice-cream) and upstairs a gorgeous tea-rooms (with the best apple pie ever!). Fun animations all over the store. Books and clothes and much much more in this treasure house. And later in the year it turns into an incredible Christmas store. A must visit.

Three Tea Rooms: one in a church, one in a churchyard and one in a "big house" kitchen.

Drumcliffe Tea House (Sligo)

Ben Bulben

“Under bare Ben Bulben’s head” sits Drumcliffe church and the churchyard where poet William Butler Yeats is buried. “Horseman pass by” is the last line of the famous epitaph.

Today’s horseman though is more likely to sup at the Drumcliffe Tea House, also in the church grounds, before turning the key in the ignition.

Here, just outside Sligo on the road to Donegal, they serve good teas and coffees (Bewley’s), “mouth-watering cakes and desserts” and good “wholesome food”, including soups and tarts.

There are Yeats and Irish interest books to browse through and a selection of good quality original souvenirs. Plenty of parking for the churchyard and there are well kept toilets in the tea rooms.

Scrummylicious Bakery and Tearoom (Dungloe, Donegal)

The old chapel in Dungloe

Another famous Irishman, happily still with us, Daniel O’Donnell, famously used to serve tea to the world and mainly to the world’s wife. That function has now been taken over by the unusual Scrummylicious Bakery and Tearoom in Dungloe, County Donegal.

You’ll find this friendly place in the old chapel at the top of the main street.  Not alone does the cafe offer teas and coffees (Robert Roberts) but they also have a full bakery service. The products can be taken home to enjoy or enjoyed in the unique tearoom within the old church building.  “Our tearoom has a select menu of gourmet sandwiches, wraps, bagels, light meals and delicious homemade soups”.

The converted building also hosts the tourist office, the library and other local services, and, yes, toilets!

Doneraile Court Tea Rooms (Doneraile, Cork)

Doneraile, with outside eating area.

Tea Rooms in the old kitchen, open daily, and a Farmer’s Market  are among the recent attractions added to Doneraile Court in North Cork. The old pile itself, just off the main street in Doneraile, is surrounded by hundreds of acres of parkland where you have a great selection of walks.

Called in there the other day for a sandwich. This was filled with real ham, cut from the bone, and was a bargain at four euro. A toasted sandwich, packed with chicken and served with a salad, came to €4.50. But there is quite a menu here. Soups, sandwiches and curries and also breakfast dishes and a specials board for during the day. You can even order some items to take away. Lots of picnic tables scattered around the park also.

Four Tea Rooms: Town, city, coast, mountain.

Jam and cream in Bandon

Lovely scone and  gorgeous plate at the Duchess.

Never really associated myself with tea rooms but I’ve been in at least four over the past few months.

Began with a call to the lovely Tea and Garden Rooms in Ballyvaughan (Co. Clare); next up was the Phoenix Park Tea Rooms; up the Kerry hills next to the Pancake Cottage before the most recent call to the Duchess Tea Rooms in Bandon.

It was a bitterly cold morning in Bandon and after a visit to the local Farmers Market a hot cup was required. Just happened to be passing the Duchess Team Rooms and popped in. Nice bit of heat there and three or four welcoming sofas, just like home.

Sat myself down and soon I was tucking into a really well made fruit scone with no shortage of cream or jam. Coffee was excellent but next time, I must try the tea as they have a massive selection.

There is great degree of comfort here, lots of calming colours all around and perhaps the ideal place for afternoon tea with a wide assortment of finger sandwiches, scrumptious mouth-watering delicate pastries, little cakes and scones to choose from.

It is the best part of two years since I indulged in the full afternoon tea. Wonder if the Fota Island Resort Hotel are still doing it.

Just like the Duchess Rooms, you may enjoy a little lunch or a light meal in all the tea rooms. Had a great Fish Pie in the well situated Tea and Garden Rooms in beautiful Ballyvaughan. This is a lovely spot, right alongside Galway Bay, and with gardens front and rear. But if you go here, you will not be able to avoid the sweet cakes. As you go in, you’ll see them in all their tempting colours, the table groaning underneath.

The Phoenix Park Tea Rooms, just across from the entrance to the Dublin Zoo, looked splendid under the Autumn colours of the many nearby trees and, as we ate, the squirrels were hopping around outside.

They are open all day long and include some terrific organic stuff on the menu, including the coffee and tea. All the vegetables, salads and fruits are from Kinneden Organics in Roscommon, the chicken is from Cootehill in Monaghan. And their sourdough is by Arun Bakery.

On the road from Sneem (Co. Kerry) to Moll’s Gap, there is a place called A Strawberry Field  where you will find Pancake Cottage, which is open all year round. The views from the garden are splendid, weather permitting!

While you may enjoy a cuppa here, maybe with a Dutch Apple Pie, their speciality is the pancake. The selection of pancake toppings just goes on and on, sweet and savoury, and also a kids menu.

Another tea room well worth a call, just like the other three.

Tea Rooms, Farmers Market at Doneraile Court

Tea Rooms, Farmers Market at Doneraile Court

Tea Rooms in the old kitchen, open daily, and a Farmer’s Market (on the 1^st and 3^rd Sunday of each month) are among the recent attractions added to Doneraile Court. The old pile itself, just off the main street in Doneraile, is surrounded by hundreds of acres of parkland where you have a great selection of walks, including some that take you past herds of deer and by the banks and bridges of the River Awbeg. And, believe it or not, entrance is free.

This set of bells, in the Tea Rooms, was used to attract the attention of the servants.

Gents become Lords
but ladies still Ladies!

There is plenty of parking by the children’s playground and here too you will see some information panels that you should consult before going for a walk, as I didn’t see any leaflets or info at the house itself. The Court itself and the tea rooms are a short stroll away though the beautiful parkland and trees.

Doneraile Court above and below where you can see
some outdoor seating for the Tea Rooms

Called in there the other day for a sandwich. This was filled with real ham, cut from the bone, and was a bargain at four euro. A toasted sandwich, packed with chicken and served with a salad, came to €4.50. But there is quite a menu here. Soups, sandwiches and curries and also breakfast dishes and a specials board for during the day. You can even order some items to take away. Lots of picnic tables scattered around the park also.

After lunch, we had a great walk around the the grounds (though not all of the 166 hectares!). Some terrific specimen trees standing on their own (deliberately so) in the landscape and also some pleasing water features and then we got very close to one of the deer herds.

After that it was a pleasant drive home to the city via Castletownroche (pity that Annes Grove is closed), Killavullen (where we saw a huge bank of wild garlic in flower at the side of the wooded road), by the Blackwater river for a while and then via the Nagle Mountains to a sunlit Glenville before arriving in Ballyvolane. Try it sometime!

Wild garlic near Killavullen.