Taste the Nation: Lovebirds from Tipperary Town make Tasty plant-based treats
Myriam Quinn is one half of Tipperary Town's My Tasty.
It was 2002 and romance was written in the stars for two young lovebirds in Tipperary Town. Myriam and Barry were teenagers working part-time shifts at the Imperial Garden Chinese restaurant – Myriam’s family business – and it was love at first sight.
Following her family’s footsteps into the hospitality business, Myriam enrolled in a management training programme at Dromoland Castle when she finished school, while Barry studied in Wales, but distance would not keep this couple apart.
Qualified and full of plans for the future, Myriam and Barry moved to Canada to make a life for themselves “We had a great life there,” says Myriam.
“At one point we were working for the same company – it was great.” Of course, as they do – children change everything and the arrival of baby Ellie four years ago made the couple decide to move back to Ireland after nine years in Canada. “Children make you realise the importance of having family close by.”
They came home with the idea of setting up a café in the premises where the Imperial Garden had been, but then Covid hit. “Our plans were dashed immediately, so we had to put our thinking caps on,” says Myriam.
Known for her wizardry in the kitchen, Myriam had garnered something of a name for herself and her batches of granola, gifted to friends and family. One night over a glass of wine, the seeds for My Tasty were born. “One minute we were having a glass of wine, and the next minute Barry had the bags ordered. It happened so quickly.”
The first bag of MY...Granola – a tantalising mix of nuts, chia seeds, dried fruit and maple syrup - was sold in their local greengrocers, Jerry's Fruit & Veg, during the summer of 2020. “Jerry said, ‘bring up five or six bags, and we’ll see how it goes.’ That day we sold ten bags and it seemed like we might be onto something.”
With a little help from the Local Enterprise Board, Barry built a website and an online shop, and they secured a spot at Cahir Castle Farmer’s market. “This spot has been our baby,” says Barry. “It’s where we test new products, where we get customer feedback. It’s been extremely important for us.”
Local support was immediate and far-reaching. “I can’t say enough about the support that we have received from our community since we started the business.
Hats off to Tipperary Town – we couldn’t have done this without them,” says Myriam.
Since that day in 2020, the couple has expanded their range to include a pecan nut butter and lots of plant-based sweet treats for those of us who are following a vegan or flexitarian way of eating. Myriam is one-quarter Lebanese, and her heritage is evident in the flavoured hummus and pickles that she sells. Her cooking was lauded in October at the Blas na hEireann awards, taking home gold awards for her My Hummus and My Granola and a silver award for her My Turmeric, Ginger and Dill Hummus.
Selling both through their online store at mytasty.ie and their local NeighbourFood, the couple has expanded their reach significantly, and are stocked in store as far as Limerick now. For Christmas, they will be offering a range of hampers and goodies and have just opened for pre-orders on Myriam’s famous vegan Christmas cake this week. With baby number two on the way, and due on Christmas Day, this festive season looks to be the most productive one yet.
