A taste of Christmas: Festive food gifts to give this year

If food writer Joe McNamee isn’t writing about the finest Irish food and drinks, then he’s eating and drinking the stuff to beat the band, no more so than at Christmas. Here is his list of edible essentials to keep you well fed and watered throughout the holiday period

Here is his list of edible essentials to keep you well fed and watered throughout the holiday period

CHEESE

A feast is never a proper feast without a good cheeseboard and a good selection of Irish farmhouse cheeses can be world-class. Milleens, Durrus, Coolea, Gubbeen, Hegarty’s Templegall, Lost Valley Dairy’s Sobhriste and Carraignamuc — and those are just some Cork cheeses! Other fabulous cheeses from around the country include: Tom Burgess’ Coolattin Mature Cheddar and Mount Leinster Cheddar, Cashel Blue, Cáis na Tíre, Ballylisk Triple Rose, Corleggy, Cratloe, Rockfield … and I could go on in this vein for quite some time.