Blarney Castle Gardens
March 2023
Pics taken 22.03.23
Pics Taken 07.03.23
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| Bare arch in the Poison Garden |
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| Budding |
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| Ester Barrett's "Catch" looking well after a clean-up |
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| Stone dead in the Poison Garden |
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| One of the earliest tulips |
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| That is a sculpture under the bridge! |
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| View of the large walled garden. Glasshouses on the right, with orchards, mostly, to the left |
MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2023 presents 20 new Bib Gourmand awards to restaurants offering great quality, great value cuisine.  Kinsale's St Francis Provisions is one of them!  Prior to the announcement of its MICHELIN Stars at the MICHELIN Guide Ceremony on Monday 27th March, the MICHELIN Guide is pleased to present the 20 restaurants which have been newly awarded a Bib Gourmand in its 2023 selection. Created in 1997, the Bib Gourmand award highlights restaurants within the MICHELIN Guide selection that stand out for their good quality, good value cooking. Bib Gourmand restaurants are much followed by those readers of the Guide who are seeking affordable meals out but don’t want to compromise on quality. The 20 new awards are spread throughout Great Britain & Ireland, with the South West leading the way when it comes to the number of new awards. Several pubs and brasseries feature in the selection, and there’s great representation when it comes to Mediterranean, European and Asian cuisines. Small plates and the concept of shared dining is also a particularly common theme. Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides commented: “With 20 new Bib Gourmand restaurants joining the 2023 edition of the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland, our inspectors have spotlighted establishments that stand out for their fine and generous cooking across a diverse range of styles; places that really deserve to be known by gourmets looking for their good quality, good value cooking. As chefs in Great Britain & Ireland face rising day-to-day costs – from the raw ingredients they purchase to the energy they use to keep their kitchens and restaurants running – it is heartening to see many of them also finding inventive ways to create affordable menus and keep costs down for their guests, while still offering creative and exciting culinary experiences.” In the South West, Bristol stands out for having three new Bib Gourmand awarded restaurants. Marmo is promoted to a Bib Gourmand, while the Blaise Inn and COR join the selection. Mediterranean vibes come courtesy of Marmo – an on-trend osteria-cum-wine-bar offering Italian dishes, accompanied by organic and biodynamic wines – and COR, which positions itself somewhere between a tapas bar and a buzzy restaurant. The Blaise Inn, meanwhile, is a traditional village pub, serving British classics with a modern twist. Somerset sees three new awards, with all three restaurants featuring in the Guide for the first time: The Chequers in Bath, the Queen of Cups in Glastonbury and Root Wells in Wells. Set amid smart Georgian terraces, The Chequers offers a choice of traditional pub dishes or more elaborate plates with international flavours, while former pub the Queen of Cups now houses a deliciously different restaurant serving colourful Mediterranean and Middle Eastern small plates. Root Wells also offers small plates – but this time vegetarian-led – as well as lovely views over the Cathedral. Still in the South West, this time in Devon, are two more new additions: Emilia in Ashburton and The Galley in Topsham. The name ‘Emilia’ refers to the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, which provides the influences at this classic osteria set within a former bank. The Galley provides a similarly cheery, welcoming feel – and it's cosy, rustic interior and appealing menu are the perfect fit for this delightful town. Further along the coast in the South East, Flint House in Brighton is promoted to become East Sussex’s newest Bib Gourmand restaurant. Appealing small plates with a European accent are served in a buzzy brasserie atmosphere, and the cocktail bar even comes with a terrace. London sees one promotion – Hām – and three new additions: Evernight, Plaza Khao Gaeng and The Pelican; all of which bring great diversity to the selection. Welcoming neighbourhood restaurant Hām serves assured yet unfussy Mediterranean dishes, as well as brunch until the early afternoon, while Evernight is a trendy take on an izakaya, where British produce is married with Japanese refinement. Plaza Khao Gaeng is set within the Arcade Food Hall and comes with a buzzy, vintage vibe; here the chef grows many of the Southeast Asian ingredients in a tropical greenhouse in Dorset, then turns them into punchy Southern Thai curries. The Pelican, meanwhile, keeps things more traditional: this big Victorian former boozer serves up satisfying pub food with a British heart. Moving up to the East Midlands, two new Bib Gourmands have been awarded. The Six Bells in Witham on the Hill in Lincolnshire has been promoted, while Kushi-Ya in Nottingham, joins the selection. Continuing further up the country to the North West, The Spärrows in Manchester has also been added to the Guide. The Six Bells is a bright, characterful spot which offers sophisticated dishes on its main menu, along with freshly cooked rotisserie chicken and pizzas from the wood-burning oven. Moving further afield, Kushi-Ya specialises in Japanese kushiyaki skewers cooked over a charcoal grill, while Eastern Europe is the focus at The Spärrows, with Poland and Russia leading the way. Wales’ new Bib Gourmand comes in the form of Yr Hen Printworks in Cardigan – another new addition to the Guide. A stone-built chapel and later, a printworks, it’s been lovingly restored and now houses this modern restaurant. Small plates are the order of the day and some of the meats come from their family farm; smoking and pickling are also a feature. Ireland also sees three new awards. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, EDŌ has been promoted, while Waterman features for the first time. In the Republic of Ireland Saint Francis Provisions also joins the Guide. A modish bistro in the heart of the city, EDŌ comes with a faux-industrial look and an international sharing menu, with many dishes cooked over wood. A bistro vibe is also found at Waterman, where unfussy modern dishes feature European flavours and Italy takes the lead. At the opposite end of the scale, the diminutive Saint Francis Provisions seats just 13; this endearing restaurant serves punchy, daily changing Mediterranean small plates, accompanied by all-natural wines. The list of new restaurants awarded a Bib Gourmand is available in the attached PDF and can also be found in the magazine section of the MICHELIN Guide website and mobile app. The full online listings for the 2023 Bib Gourmand awarded restaurants will be updated in the evening of 27th March, following the Great Britain & Ireland 2023 MICHELIN Guide Ceremony, when all of the new MICHELIN Stars, Green Stars and Special Awards will be announced. |
The aim of the Tom Crean Brewery in Kenmare.
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| Gold and Bronze at Blas for Aileen and Bill (right); also in pic is Artie Clifford (Blas); gold for 6 Magpies Stout, bronze for St. Brigid’s Lager |
Tom Crean’s Brewery in Kenmare is well known for its direct family association with the legendary South Pole hero Tom Crean but is fast making a name for itself for the sustainability of its operation under owners and founders Bill Sheppard (current brewer) and Tom’s granddaughter Aileen Crean O’Brien.
Latest move in that direction is the acquisition of an electric quad bike instead of the diesel van. The quad will be used to deliver to businesses outside/around Kenmare. It is the most recent in a long line of sustainability friendly moves, going back to the start as Aileen explained: We custom built the brewery with P.V. Solar Panels as we were anxious to include sustainability in our beer production from the outset. We worked with the Local Enterprise office with their origin green scheme and produced a video for them https://youtu.be/MzI6ZPFWs4U .”
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| The Crean family at the launch of the R.V. Tom Crean in Dingle last October. |
“Later, we changed from bottles to cans as they are more environmentally friendly. We learned how to convert the spent grain into silage and got a flock licence and had our own sheep in the front garden. The grain contains twice the amount of protein as lamb nuts. When the farmer (who sold them to us) saw them at the end of the season he was amazed at their condition and said they should be going to a show.”
“ We built a polytunnel in the back garden to house our biodigester. This is run on the brewery, kitchen and animal waste. Not only does it produce liquid natural fertiliser for the grass for the sheep and our polytunnel produce but it also gives us 2 hours free gas for cooking, daily.”
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| The original Bonane Babes arrive in Kenmare in 2021 |
Aileen makes dog biscuits from the spent grain, “for our customers 4-legged friends that are always welcome in the brewery. We are currently working on two projects – wind power and gourmet mushrooms. Our aim is to produce a pint that doesn’t cost the earth”.
When did you start up?
Aileen: We started contract brewing our Expedition Red Ale in 2015. We then custom built and opened Tom Crean Brewery Kenmare in Nov. 2019. To date we have brewed 11 beers, the majority are session beers, we normally have 6 in stock. They are all free from additives and chemicals and are vegan."
Seasonal Beers? "We brewed 2 summer beers – Kerry Surf & Turf and the Corner Boys and 1 winter- Tom’s Winter Warmer and 1 special -an E.S.B. F28 Fire Quencher."
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| A selection of the beers! |
The Beers:
Kerry Surf & Turf celebrates the Atlantic Ocean and the mountains. We use turf and forage for seaweed in Kenmare bay.
The Corner Boys is the only beer that has 5 ingredients i.e. watermelon – something for the Corner Boys to talk about i.e. watermelon in South Kerry. It has a subtle aroma and flavour of watermelon.
Tom’s Winter Warmer- has hints of Christmas spice and is 5.5%
F28 Fire Quencher – was a special E.S.B., 5.5%, brewed by Bill and his ex-watch from Homerton fire station London.
6 Magpies Stout was awarded Gold in Blas na h-Eireann in 2022 & St. Brigid’s Lager awarded Bronze; Last Man Standing, a 1% ABV, was a finalist. Unfortunately, Blas does not have a specific category for low alcohol beers."
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| Liam Griffin unveils a can of Tom Crean's Expedition Irish Red at the South Pole |
The Expedition Irish Red also made it to the South Pole in January this year. The owner of Addison Lee, Liam Griffin, whose father came from Glenbeigh, was reared with stories of Tom, and he completed the last degree to the South Pole in horrendous conditions and brought a couple of cans with him. Tom Crean or Aileen may not have made it to the South Pole but, thanks to Liam, Tom’s beer has.
Indeed, Aileen and family members headed off in 2016 to South Georgia to see at first hand what Tom had experienced in his third trip to the region. They certainly experienced the real thing and Aileen ended up with a broken leg. More on that story in a previous post here .
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| Aileen and Bill taking a break! |
Aileen explained about the Names of their beers-
Expedition Red – named after Tom Crean’s 3 Antarctic expeditions and the family 2016 centenary expedition to South Georgia.
St. Brigid’s Lager – she was a master brewer and as she was an abbess she could read and write and wrote her “wish was to create a lake of beer for the Almighty and all the heavenly hosts for all eternity”.
6 Magpies Stout – we had to start building the brewery to avail of an Enterprise Irl. Grant – none of the lending institutions would grant us a mortgage. One day, after completion, Bill spotted 6 Magpies in the garden and considered it a good omen – the bank called us the next day and offered us a percentage of our loan.
Druid’s Smoke Wheat Beer- celebrates our local pre-historic heritage.
Killowen Kolsch Style Lager – As the brewery is built on Killowen Rd. is a Kolsch style lager like based on the original beers brewed in Cologne.
The core beers at Tom Crean are St. Brigid’s Lager, Expedition Irish Red Ale, Scurvy Dog IPA, 6 Magpies Stout, Killowen Kolsch Style Lager & Last Man Standing 1%. They are always keen on developing new beers “but at the moment managing what we have keeps us busy”. And she confirmed that they “brew beers that we like to drink ourselves and hope that people like them as much as us”.
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| Look up! It's Tom Crean. |
They sell mainly kegs in pubs, restaurants and hotels. "We have taps in the two Five Star hotels in Kenmare. The Park has 2 taps (of their 3) and 1 in the Sheen Falls and cans in the Stables Brasserie. As we’re a very small family business, we distribute only in Kerry at the moment and Craft Beers Delivered in Dublin. We produce 440ml cans. We sell our beers at the brewery, off-licences, Supervalu’s, local Whyte’s Centra & Spar and restaurants.”
What’s your typical day like? No shortage of variety?
If it’s a double brew day it’s a straight 12 hours. The other days vary from feeding & checking the animals and the polytunnel, keg cleaning, vessel cleaning, distribution, sales, accounts, brewery tours, chatting and selling pints, off sales and merchandise in the brewery Tap Room.
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| Way down south - the family expedition 2016 |
“How is your beer/brewery connected to the local area?”
Aileen moved to Kenmare in the early ‘80’s and bought the restaurant and accommodation in 1992 with her late husband. She ran it for 30 years until last year. The brewery is built at the rear of the restaurant.
Both Bill and Aileen are well grounded here now and it looks as if the Tom Crean Brewery is here in Kenmare to stay.
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| Aileen at work |
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tomcreankenmare
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomcreanbrewery/
The brewery is easily found, in the town itself (just a few yards from the Lansdowne Hotel), at Killowen Road, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, Ireland V93 Y6KX
Links to my previous posts on Irish breweries
Ballykilcavan The Taste of Laois in your glass.
9 White Deer At Home In Ballyvourney. And On The World Wide Web
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Cork Convention Bureau invites event organisers and businesses to meet with Cork’s tourism, hospitality and events sector to facilitate more conferences, meetings and events in Cork.
“We’re encouraging businesses to think of Cork first for their next corporate event, an industry worth an estimated €14.4 million to the local economy last year,” Evelyn O’Sullivan
Cork Convention Bureau will host its 8th annual business tourism showcase, Keep Cork Meeting, at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Thursday March 30 from 7.30-11.30am. . The event is ideal for anyone involved in organising events and meetings in Cork.
With over 30 venues, conference, meeting and event companies exhibiting, companies, groups and individuals interested in organising meetings, incentives, conferences and events will be able to see first-hand all the support that is available to them in bringing their event to Cork.
The event is open to anyone to attend and registration is free. A buffet breakfast will be served and lots of prizes and goodies will be on offer for everyone in attendance.
Keep Cork Meeting, which is Ireland’s longest running meetings and events expo, will bring together a range of tourism service providers and event management experts to offer practical support and advice to those interested in bringing business tourism to the county. From accommodation to dining options, sight-seeing and venue hire, those attending will have the opportunity to speak with each of the providers about their ideas and requirements. Cork Convention Bureau and Failte Ireland will also be on hand to talk through the supports available to organisers in an effort to improve businesses levels post covid as well as the increased financial supports available for international delegates. .
In 2022, over 40 business events, from symposiums to large international conferences and global summits, brought an estimated 9,000 delegates to Cork, 80% of whom were international visitors. The value was estimated to be worth €14.4 million to the local economy.
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Visit Cork, the official tourism body for the Cork region with responsibility for attracting leisure (Pure Cork) and business tourists (Cork Convention Bureau), has a key focus on showcasing the region as a sustainable tourism destination. Cork continues to climb the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDSI), where it is currently ranked 22nd in the world, thanks in part to the county’s Green for Micro programme which includes strict criteria on how Visit Cork operates all of its events sustainably. This key future tourism trend is one that will appeal to organisers of future events. In addition, all business tourism clients who are hosting a conference or event in Cork, will be presented with CSR (corporate social responsibility) options to support Cork social, environmental and economic causes, and a legacy and social impact programme will be put in place for all future events.
Evelyn O’Sullivan, Manager, Cork Convention Bureau says, “Cork excels at international conferences, in sectors such as Agriculture, STEM, Space and Maritime. We want to grow that further and also expand into other sectors. We would encourage people of all areas and disciplines to come along to talk about their idea to bring an event to Cork. Whether it’s for 30 people or 3000, a range of supports are on offer. Event wise, we cater for all interests, be it an international meeting of a volunteer organisation or special interest group, a sporting event, a business or educational conference. Over the years we’ve had some fascinating events.”
She added, “The business tourist contributes three times more to the local economy than the leisure tourist and many business tourists are now beginning to extend their stay by 2-4 days, giving local tourism around the county a welcome added boost.”
Cork Convention Bureau has brought over 70,000 international delegates to the region, generating over €100m in revenues since 2010. For more information see www.corkconventionbureau.com
If you wish to know more about organising an event or conference in Cork, then register your place free of charge on clr.ie/133707.
press release
2023 IRISH BAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS - ENTRIES NOW OPEN |
| Applications Now Open for This Years Irish Bar of Year Awards |
| We are thrilled to announce that the 2023 Bar of the Year Awards is now open for entries. With over 25 categories to choose from, give your bar the chance to gain the recognition that it deserves! The deadline date for entries is the 5th of May. |
| To enter the Irish Bar of the Year Awards, bars must complete an online entry form, and a panel of industry experts will then review and judge the entries. The winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony, which will take place in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, on Monday, the 21st of August 2023. |
| The Irish Bar of the Year Awards is open to all bars in Ireland, whether they are a traditional pub, a modern bar, or a trendy cocktail lounge. The judges will be looking for bars that have a unique personality, offer excellent service, and provide an outstanding customer experience. |
| For more information on the Irish Bar of The Year Awards please visit https://baroftheyear.ie/ or contact the Events Team on (01) 640-1777 or email events@ashvillemediagroup.com. |
| Facebook: @BarOfTheYearAwards |
| Twitter: @BarOfTheYear |
| Linkedin: @BarOfTheYear |
| Instagram: @baroftheyear_ |
