The Menu: Festival wrap
Showcasing the surprisingly large range of excellent produce from the region in its new home in the Cavan Equestrian Centre, there will also be demos from top chefs including Kevin Dundon and Cavan’s own most famous culinary son, Neven Maguire.
Closer to home, the John Saul Picnic & Vintage Fair (Aug 3), in the lovely grounds of the Castlemartyr Resort is always worth a visit with the option of bringing along one’s own picnic or availing of the many excellent dining opportunities at the fair itself on the day or maybe even pop into the hotel itself for afternoon tea. (www.castlemartyrresort.ie).
The Menu is freshly returned from a very pleasant few days in beautiful West Waterford, one of the loveliest if lesser-hymned spots in all of Ireland and a recent runner-up in the Irish leg of the EU-wide EDEN competition for gastronomic tourism. Based in the fine Seanachaí Holiday Cottages, noses were thumbed to the less than clement weather for an extended tour of the region, including a stop in delightful Dungarvan and visit to old friends Louise and Lucy in Nude Food, a trip out to a defiantly sunny Ring before returning home of an evening for a fine pint of porter in the thatched Seanachaí pub, next to the holiday homes. And if ever an excuse was needed for a rapid return, then the 21st Annual Helvick Sponsored Swim & BBQ (Aug 9) is a good a one as any.
Taking place from Helvick Pier, in Dungarvan Bay, the swim, in aid of the highly deserving RNLI, is just one part of what has become a fun day out for all the family; along with the BBQ, there is face painting, a dog show, King of Helvick competitions and a newly introduced Queen of Helvick, RNLI merchandise, music and a raffle for terrific prizes including: a night for two in the Cliff House in Ardmore; two nights in Dún Árd award-winning B&B in Ring; dinner for two with wine in An Seanachaí. www.facebook.com/DungarvanBayAndHelvickRNLIFundraising
When The Menu first encountered Lough Erne Resort chef Noel McMeel’s The Irish Pantry, last year, he feared the cookbook had been overly ‘greened’ to pander to the North American market but sticking with it, the tome revealed itself to be a clever and considered take on traditional Irish farmhouse cooking with a fresh contemporary feel and so it was no great surprise to hear it had recently been awarded the prize for third Best Cookbook in the World at the 20th World Gourmand Cookbook Awards (www.lougherneresort.com).
The Menu is fond indeed of fresh buttery shortbread and carries a special grá for that produced by Seymour’s of Bandon, a biscuit or two of same always going down very nicely with a freshly brewed cuppa. However, single digit consumption is no more for The Menu since happening across Social Circles — Seymour’s innovation, encasing aforementioned shortbread biscuits in delicate little chocolate cups, in two contrasting flavours.
Now, you hardly expect The Menu to declare his preference after a mere taste of either the Cardomom Orange or the Vanilla Pecan Chocolate — it invariably takes the entire box and, at that, still unsure, he has to start all over again! www.seymours.ie
Stockists: Matsons, Grange and Bandon; Galvins Carry-Out, Cork; Desmonds Next Door Raheen and Sundrive, McHughs, Deveneys Dundrum, Martins Fairview.
Niall Fitzgerald and Kevin McKinney launched Stone Barrel Brewing in November 2013 and have been slowly building a name for themselves. There are plans for a new IPA in the coming weeks plus the re-introduction of their rotation series of one-off batches.
Boom is a classic session ale made with US hops - bright citrus aromas (particularly grapefruit and lemon), soft and fruity on the palate with a lightly bitter mouth-drying hop kick, and a lingering lemon curd touch on the finish.
- Leslie Williams
