HIKE AND HERITAGE AT CAHERNANE HOUSE HOTEL, KILLARNEY

HIKE AND HERITAGE AT CAHERNANE HOUSE HOTEL,

 KILLARNEY, CO. KERRY (IRELAND)

Window view from Cahernane House

With the hope of better weather on the horizon and longer summer evenings ahead it’s time to get those walking shoes on and explore the great outdoors!  Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry (Ireland) is the perfect destination to explore the best attractions that Co. Kerry has to offer. With its stunning surroundings, elegant and cosy drawing rooms and homely interiors, this country house hotel is a real life, Irish ‘Downton Abbey’.

The Hike and Heritage package (from €255 per person sharing) includes a 2 night / 3-day experience at Cahernane House Hotel . The package incorporates the rich and interesting history of the stunning 19^th century, Cahernane House as well as giving guests the opportunity to explore the great outdoors including the nearby Killarney National Park and lakes.

This historical package will appeal to the culturally curious and includes breakfast each morning and two evening meals along with a drinks reception on arrival, a history tour of the house and complimentary use of bicycles. A two course meal on your first evening will be served in the Cellar Bar which is located deep in the heart of the Manor House. Before dinner, guests will be given a welcome drink and brought on an historic tour of Cahernane House.

The next day you will be given a packed lunch for your walk of Killarney National Park and walking maps of the area will be provided with advice given on the best route for your fitness level. Cream tea will be served at 4pm in the Drawing Room by the fire place or in the gardens (weather permitting) before guests return to their room to freshen up before dinner. Dinner on the second evening will be served in the multi-award winning 2 AA Rosette Herbert Restaurant.  Cahernane House Hotel is the perfect location to let history come alive and explore the best of Ireland’s landscape.

On the final day guests can make use of the complimentary bicycles provided by the hotel and cycle to Torc Waterfall or Ross Castle before they depart. Ross Castle sits on the edge of Killarney’s lower lake and was built by O’Donoghue Mór in the 15th century. Legend has it that O’Donoghue still exists in a deep sleep under the waters of Lough Leane. On the first morning of May every seven years he rises from the lake on his magnificent white horse and circles the lake before going back to rest. The story goes that anyone who catches a glimpse of him is guaranteed good luck for the rest of their lives.

Cahernane House itself is reminiscent of times gone by and the charm in which it was built upon in the 1800’s has never been lost despite the changeover of owner’s numerous times throughout its history. There are six main rooms on the ground floor of the property: the Atrium, the Pembroke Suite, the Herbert Restaurant, Drawing Room, Library and Reception. Each of these rooms contain historical artefacts and original antiques including items such as the Herbert Family Crest which is depicted above the front door of the hotel.

The house was originally built in 1877 by Henry Herbert and his wife Catherine. Many of the original pieces from the house remain in Cahernane House Hotel today, including the wooden staircase, the Killarney Davenport table in the foyer and the pillar caps in the lobby, which feature the first letters of each of Henry’s first four children’s names. His fifth child, Gwendolyn, was born the same year the house was built (August 1877) and the story goes that Gwendolyn’s ghost still roams the house on occasion!

Located just outside the centre of the thriving town of Killarney, the 48-bedroom Cahernane House Hotel is still far enough away from the hustle and bustle of Kerry’s major urban centre to offer a secluded and tranquil getaway. Situated on 6.4 acres of verdant grounds and on the edge of the Killarney National Park, the property offers a peaceful retreat from a busy world. Its neighbours include the magnificent Muckross Abbey, a 15^th century monastery and Muckross House which is the sister property of Cahernane House and was once the residence of Henry Herbert’s brother.

Set on the edge of Killarney National Park and lakes, the historic country house enjoys a tranquil location yet is just a twenty-minute walk into Killarney town itself. Built in 1877 the property has been extensively renovated by the owners, PREM Group who have spent over €7.8 million on an ambitious renewal programme. There are 12 bedrooms in the original Manor House, 28 in the Garden Wing and the former Coach House, once home to the horses and carriages of the Herbert family who built the house is now the setting for 8 new luxurious bedrooms.

PREM Group, also operate 38 properties throughout Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and the UK. The group is also renovating and extending some of its other properties including The Osprey Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare and Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort, Blessington, Co. Wicklow.

For more details or to book the Hike and Heritage package now see www.cahernane.com or call Cahernane House Hotel on +353 (064) 6631895.

Kilmainham Gaol 1796-1924. So Many Tales. So Many Tears.

Kilmainham Gaol 1796-1924.

So Many Tales. So Many Tears.

The (more modern) East Wing

I am looking at a pair of spoons in a case with a glass cover. Just two spoons, a little bit bigger than tea spoons. They look, in the dim light, as if they are made of plastic, maybe (but more unlikely) of bone.There is a caption alongside. It explains that they were once used by inmates of the gaol, that they were made with horn so that they could not be sharpened and used as weapons or tools in an escape.

I am in the museum rooms of Kilmainham Gaol (opened in 1796, two years later Henry Joy McCracken became its first political prisoner). There is quite a lot to see here (over 10,000 objects have been donated). Quite a lot to read also. We have just completed the mid-morning prison tour. I must be thinking about lunch because, instead of reading all the details, I find myself selecting items to do with food.

Here, Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford married

One inmate is quoted: ‘One thing that struck me in Kilmainham was the semi-starved aspect which all the convicted prisoners presented. They seemed to be utterly dejected and weak, and unable to undergo any amount of physical fatigue… I do not think that we are entitled to enfeeble the bodies of prisoners in order to reform their minds.”

The quote is from none other than Charles Stewart Parnell. He was in fact a prisoner here but a first class one. He was treated very well indeed because he was an elected politician.

In the 1916 corridor

For many years, the jailers benefitted from the extraction of fees through the sale of food and drink. It was one of the perks of the job. You read much the same about some South American prisons today. By the late 1830s, the arbitrary regime under which the rich prisoner could dine in relative style while his penniless fellow inmate starved in miserable conditions was finally eliminated. Yet, Parnell was imprisoned in 1882 and lived in some style, even able to interact with visitors.

The Great Famine (1845-49) saw an explosion in the prison population. One reason was the introduction of the Vagrancy Act in 1847. Intended to clear the streets of the unsightly poor, its effect was to swamp the prisons with those found begging in the streets. At least in prison you had the “luxury” of a meagre but life-saving prison diet but there was a downside, the chance that you’d succumb to the disease ridden overcrowded conditions.

And then there’s that box of chocolate. In March 1921, a Black and Tan officer presented death row prisoner Thomas Whelan with the treat. In the hours before his execution (14th March 1921), Whelan sent the box to a young girl Alicia Mann (8) with a message that if he were reprieved they could eat them together, if not she could eat them herself. Alicia never opened the box.

A poignant story indeed. And this is one of the saddest tours. Very popular though and, even in off season, you will need to book. Our guide was Erin and she did a great job taking a bunch of multi-national visitors through the old gaol. Men, women and babies, even young children on their own (5-year old Matthew Rossiter, for example), were imprisoned here for often trivial offences.

It was only in the latter stages of its existence as a functioning prison that Kilmainham began to hold political prisoners in large numbers, those from the rising, from the War of Independence and then from the Civil War. One of the first places you visit is the chapel, the scene of the eleventh-hour wedding of Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford in May 1916.  Plunkett was executed just hours later and Grace would be back in a few years as a Civil War prisoner.

Here James Connolly died

The Stonebreakers’ Yard where the leaders of 1916 were shot is visited later. A cross marks the spot where most of them fell. But the already seriously injured James Connolly could not make the walk across the yard and so he was shot by the opposite wall. Tears are never far away here.

The most bitter tears though are reserved for the deaths of the Civil War, inflicted by Irishman on Irishman, not just in Kilmainham (which closed in 1924) but throughout the country. If you visit, make sure you read Peter Cassidy’s final letter to his mother. He and three 19 year olds were the first executions of the Civil War. Many more would follow.

Grace Gifford's Cell

While it may be tough going at times, a visit is highly recommended. There are some light notes too from our excellent guide, including at the end when she tells us with some relish that we are "free to go". Also, did you know that films such as The Italian Job, In the Name of the Father, and Michael Collins, were partly filmed here, also RTÉ’s Rebellion drama series, along with a U2 video?

Just a tip, if you are walking. If you come from Heuston Station, follow the signs for the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Go through the IMMA entrance and courtyard and then walk the avenue through the grounds and, when you exit through the castellated gates, you’ll find the gaol directly across the road. Go back the same way and you’ll find the excellent Kemp Sisters café in the basement of the IMMA where I enjoyed a lovely lunch!

If you are intending to go, even if you are unable to go, then you will benefit hugely from visiting the excellent website here. 

Also on this trip
Hands On Fun during Roe and Co Whiskey Tour

It’s Blas na hÉireann time – entries for the 2020 all-island food awards will open on 17th March!

It’s Blas na hÉireann time – entries for the 2020 all-island food awards will open on 17th March

Blas na hÉireann - the all-island food awards that recognise the very best Irish food and drink products, and the passionate people making  them

It’s the 13^th year of Blas na hÉireann, the Irish Food Awards, the largest blind-tasted food awards on the island of Ireland, designed to recognise and celebrate the very best Irish food and drink. Entry opens to producers across all categories of food and drink on March 17^th with the early bird discounted rate for entries running until 8^th April, before entries finally close on 25^th May.

“We have been told first hand that the Blas na hÉireann awards have a significant impact on any winner’s bottom line,” says Artie Clifford, Chairperson and founder of Blas na hÉireann, “whether it’s raising the profile of a producer’s product, or getting the attention of chefs, restaurants, retailers or general food lovers. The independent endorsement of a Blas award is a recognised quality guarantee that can help get a product onto the shelves of a particular retailer or onto a restaurant menu. It’s also always a huge boost for an individual producer, an appreciation for all their hard work and allows them to savour their achievements which they don’t often have time to do. The Blas na hÉireann awards event in Dingle each year has become an unmissable event allowing the general public, media and trade to meet, discover and appreciate some of the country’s best producers but, more importantly, it has become an opportunity for the Irish food community to come together and celebrate their successes.”

Winners are always the competition’s best ambassadors, something to which over a decade’s worth of small producers, farmers, growers, bakers and artisan food makers who have won a Blas award and proudly put the winner’s sticker on their product can attest. Research has shown that the Blas accreditation has the highest recognition among Irish consumers and having the award logo on products encourages shoppers to buy – it is a recognised guarantee of a top quality Irish product.

Supreme Champion 2016

A survey of over 100 past winners showed that 81% had seen an increase in sales after displaying the Blas na hÉireann sticker with 28% of those surveyed saying that they saw an increase in sales of over 20%. In the survey many winners noted the credibility that the awards gave to their products with one saying, “Since being awarded at Blas, we have seen our sales increase significantly online and in high profile visitor locations throughout Ireland and abroad.” Another winner surveyed found that a Blas award helped to build relationships with their customers, “I have found that the Blas Award has been great for communicating with my customers in the shop. They really recognise the value of the award and have faith in it and the other products which I stock which have the award logo on their packaging.”

These are exceptionally rigorously-judged awards, as Blas na hÉireann use an innovative blind-tasting judging system developed by Blas with the Food Science Dept of UCC and the University of Copenhagen that is now recognised as an industry gold standard worldwide. Products entered are blind-tasted, meaning that all packaging and identifying features are removed from products before being presented for judging, creating a level playing field for products from both large and small producers. Judges come from a range of food backgrounds from chefs to restaurateurs, academics, journalists, authors, food champions, caterers and enthusiastic home cooks.

The founding mission of Blas – establishing quality benchmarks for Irish produce on a level playing field – is strictly adhered to and measurably applied.

“In this our 13^th year of the Blas na hÉireann awards, our sector continues to become more innovative and exciting than ever,” says Artie Clifford, Chairperson and founder of Blas na hÉireann. “We aim to assist Irish producers to tell their stories by marking them out as special, and worth exploring. Winning a Blas award has been shown to work for our previous winners in bringing them to the attention of food-lovers both at home and abroad and we are looking forward to doing it all again for Blas na hÉireann 2020.”

Entries for Blas na hÉireann 2020 received online between 17^th March and 8^th of April are at the discounted early bird fee of €60 per entry (ex VAT). The full entry fee, applicable from 9^th April to 25^thMay is €75 per entry (ex VAT).

http://www.irishfoodawards.com

Often dubbed the Oscars of Irish food, Blas na hÉireann, the Irish Food Awards, are the largest food awards on the island, open to all 32 counties, with judging taking place during June and July, finalists notified in August, and finalist judging in Dingle, the home of the awards, in October. With workshops and masterclasses in Dingle, final Blas na hÉireann 2020 awards will be presented alongside producer networking events on 2^nd & 3^rd October during the Dingle Food Festival, always an unmissable event for food lovers.

Blas na hEireann 2020 Categories

1.    Bacon products a) Rasher b) Other bacon products 

2.    Beef (Value added) a) Fillet b) Sirloin/Striploin c) Ribeye d) Burger Style e) Roast f) Bone in g) Other

3.    Cold Meats, Cured Meat, Charcuterie a) Beef b) Ham c) Poultry d)Other

4.    Lamb (Value added) a) Lamb Prepared b) Lamb

5.    Other Meats (Value Added)

6.    Pork (Value added)                                                     

7.    Poultry (Value added) a) Chicken b) Chicken (Prepared) c) Duck & Other Poultry d) Turkey

8.    Puddings a) Black pudding b) White pudding

9.    Sausages a) Breakfast sausages b) Flavoured sausages c) Other Meat sausages

10. Dairy a) Butter b) Butter (Flavoured) c) Cream d) Cream(Fermented) e) Milk f) Milk (Other) g) Yoghurt (Flavoured) h)Yoghurt (Plain) 

11. Ice Cream & Sorbets a) IceCream b) Sorbets c) Frozen Yoghurts                     

12. Cheese a) Blue b) Goats c) Hard d) Hard (Added Flavour) e) Soft & Semi Soft

13. Seafood Products a) Cold Smoked b) Hot Smoked c) Prepared Fish d) Prepared Shellfish

14. Terrines/ Pates   a) Meat b) Seafood c) Vegetarian

15.  Savoury Pies/ Quiche

16.  Soups & Chowders a) Soups (Meat) & Chowders b) Soups – Vegetable

17.  Ready Meals & Prepared Foods (Hot) a) Fish b) Meat c) Sausage Rolls d) Stuffing e) Dough Based f) Vegetarian g) Potato

18. Ready Meals & Prepared Foods (Cold) a) Fish b) Meat c) Vegetarian    

19. Baby Food & Childrens Foods 

20. Bread a) Craft Bakers Soda Bread b) Craft Bakers Yeast Bread c) Sourdough

21. d) Packaged White Bread e) Packaged Bread (Not White)  

22. Traditional Irish Barm (Yeast) Brack

23. Sweet Dough Goods (Including Teabrack & Sweet Buns)

24. Morning Baked Goods (Including Baps, Teacakes & Scones)

25. Continental Style Breads (Including Brioche, Ciabatta, Focaccia, Bagels)

26. Pastries & Tarts a) Pastries (Inc Danish, Croissant, Pain Au Chocolate) b) Tarts

27. Dietary Specific Foods a) Dietary Specific Bread b) Dietary Specific Gluten Free Products & Ingredients c) Dietary Specific Gluten Free Baked Goods d) Dietary Specific - Other (Certification to verify product claim required)

28. Ready Mix Cakes & Breads a) Breads & Other Savoury Ready Mix b) Cakes & Other Sweet Ready Mix

29. Puddings & Desserts          

30. Cakes a) Chocolate b) Other c) Chocolate Biscuit                                            

31. Christmas Cakes & Puddings a) Christmas Cakes, Pies, Crumbles, Other b) Christmas Puddings

32. Biscuits/ Snacks Sweet a) Biscuits b) Other sweet snacks c) Popcorn Sweet

33. Chocolate a) Bars b) Collections c) Individual Chocolates

34. Confectionery

35. Breakfast Cereal  a) Granola b) Muesli c) Porridge & Cereals       

36. Savoury Sauces, Condiments & Pantry a) Chutney b) Dressings c) Hummus d) Jellies e) Mustard f) Oils g) Oils Flavoured h) Pesto i) Pickle j) Relish k) Salt l) Salt Flavoured m) Savoury Sauces & Dips (Egg Based) n) Savoury Sauces (Tomato Based) o) Savoury Sauces (Other) p) Seasonings q) Vinegars

37. Sweet Sauces, Preserves & Pantry a) Conserve b) Honey c) Marmalade d) Preserve e) Sweet Spreads f) Sweet sauces & Dips  

38. Savoury Snacks a) Crisps b) Popcorn c) Other

39. Hot Beverages a) Coffee b) Tea c) Other Hot Drinks                                                  

40. Non alcoholic Drinks a) Carbonated b) Cordials c) Fruit based d) Vegetable based

41. Spirits & Liqueurs a) Dark Spirits & Liqueurs b) White Spirits & Liqueurs                       

42. Beers a) Ale b) Beer & Lager c) Stout                                                                

43. Ciders a) Medium/Dry b) Sweet c) Special (such as sparkling)

44. Chef's Larder (Includes subcategory for Eggs) This should be an ingredients, specialist product or recipe staple which a chef would find to be a valuable part of their larder. This can include, but is not exclusive to catering/food service products

Taste of the Week. Blacks Brewery KPA

Taste of the Week

Blacks Brewery KPA

I was sipping a Blacks Brewery KPA in the bar at the Celtic Ross Hotel the other night. It is one of my favourite ales. Blacks usually get it right and they have had this spot on from the beginning. It is consistently excellent, the perfect balance.

And it is that balance between malt and hops the I find attractive.Some brewers go too heavy on the malt for their pale ales but this recipe allows the hops, a mix of Cascade and Citra, to shine through, along with the grapefruit and lime and other citrus elements, while the malt too plays its part not least in giving a delicious mouthfeel. And there’s a good crisp finish there as well.

This 5% American style ale is indeed perfectly balanced just like the guy from the band who is putting in a very athletic solo display of Irish dancing on the bar floor. Don’t think I’d ever had that kind of timing and balance - I've always preferred a different kind of tap. By the way, will we all be dancing solo for the months ahead?

Blacks Brewery and Distillery

Farm Lane,

Kinsale,

Co. Cork, Ireland

Email: info@blacksbrewery.com

Waterford's Mezze wins in Shop of the Year 2020 Awards

Waterford's Mezze wins in Shop of the Year 2020 Awards

Shop of the Year 2020 winners announced

On Monday 9 March, the Guild of Fine Food crowned the UK’s best independent retailers, as Shop of the Year 2020 reached its exciting finale. Established to recognise and promote excellence in independent retail, the rigorously judged accreditation scheme presented six trophies at Fodder Farm Shop and Café in Harrogate, where the world of fine food gathered to find out the winners of each category.

Following two rounds of judging, which included an announced visit from one of the expert judges and a mystery shop by customer experience specialists, Insight6, Bristol-based Papadeli won the Delicatessen & Grocer category, The Courtyard Dairy in North Yorkshire scooped best Specialist Cheese Shop and Norwich-based Jarrold was named winner of the Food Hall award. Representing the Midlands, Farndon Fields Farm Shop in Market Harborough took top honours in the Farm Shop category, while the trophy for Specialist Food or Drink Shop went to London-based Andreas of Chelsea Green. The Newcomer award was presented to Mezze, a Middle Eastern inspired specialist food and drink shop in Waterford, Ireland.

Visiting the finalists on the hunt for this year’s independent retail stars, the panel of judges found excellence in every corner of the UK before giving out the gongs. Championing and supporting the remaining independent farmhouses cheeses, The Courtyard Dairy demonstrated a “dedication to cheese with no compromise on sourcing” and the judges praised owner, Andy Swinscoe’s “sense of adventure” and ethos. Andreas of Chelsea Green, which opened in 1994, was also applauded for its “honesty, integrity and palpable passion”, while Papadeli charmed the judges with its “general ambience” and range of homemade cakes.

Provenance proved its worth for family-run business, Farndon Fields, a creative, vibrant and inspiring farm shop opened in 1985 by Kevin and Milly Stokes, which impressed with its range of quality local products, with Jarrold also receiving high praise for its own brand products created by local producers. Having been trading for less than two years, Mezze was commended for its “warmth” and the “passion” of owners Nicola and Dvir, as well as the diversity and quality of its offering, much of which is made on site.

From overall shopping experience and financial performance to staff training opportunities and environmental initiatives in place, the panel of judges, which includes Edward Berry of The Flying Fork, Stuart Gates, former managing director at Fortnum & Mason and senior buyer at Harrods, award-winning retailer Tracey Colley and food writer, Patrick McGuigan, rated, scored and provided feedback on every aspect of the shops before agreeing on an overall category winner.

Shop of the Year 2020 winners and runners up

Delicatessen & Grocer sponsored by The Tracklement Company

Papadeli, Bristol

Runner-up:

181 Delicatessen, Edinburgh

Farm Shop (farmer owned) sponsored by Peter’s Yard

Farndon Fields Farm Shop, Market Harborough, Leicestershire

Runner-up:

Robertshaw's Farm Shop, Bradford, West Yorkshire

Food Hall sponsored by Le Gruyere AOP

Jarrold, Norwich, Norfolk

Runner-up:

The Barn at Severn & Wye, Westbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire

Specialist Cheese Shop sponsored by Le Gruyere AOP

The Courtyard Dairy, Austwick, North Yorkshire

Runner-up:

The Pangbourne Cheese Shop, Reading, Berkshire

Specialist Food or Drink Shop sponsored by Le Gruyere AOP

Andreas of Chelsea Green, London

Runner-up:

Latimer's Seafood, Whitburn, Tyne & Wear

Newcomer Award sponsored by Fine Food Digest

Mezze, Waterford, Ireland

Facts and figures about Shop of the Year 2020:

• Shop of the Year recognises and promotes excellence in independent retail
• Previously forming part of the Great Taste accreditation scheme, Shop of the Year is now a standalone accreditation, offering independent retailers a recognised stamp of approval from industry experts
• Shop of the Year is judged by a panel of experts with a proven track record of success in independent retail
• Insight6 provides valuable feedback, through the eyes of the customer, in an unannounced visit to each finalist
• There are five categories:
• Delicatessen & Grocer
• Specialist Cheese Shop
• Farm Shop (farmer owned)
• Food Hall
• Specialist Food or Drink Shop