Fresh thinking

WITH Blackrock Castle Observatory focused on all things astronomical, it’s apt that trials on a growing system in the attached cafe should involve ... rocket.

he trials involve the use of hydroponics, the growing of plants without soil, which is replaced by different media fed by nutrient-enriched water.

Takeoff of the hydroponic system has moved to the second stage, following the success of mint, and the Castle Cafe envisages a whole new world of herbs and vegetables on its doorstep in the coming months.

You could call it fresh thinking, but Castle Cafe owner Conrad Howard says he is always looking at enhancing the dining experience, including linking up with UCC to develop the restaurant’s own beer, Angel Stout, on top of creating an exclusive coffee.

Unsurprisingly, then, that his appetite was whetted when he read about hydroponics, particularly as he saw it as a chance to build on the castle’s high-tech ethos.

“What is important for us is that we are part of a science partnership within the walls of the castle,” said Tramore native Howard. “The building is managed by Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), with the city council acting as landlords. CIT have a strong science focus and we work very closely with Niall Smith of CIT and Claire McSweeney, the centre manager.

“Part of their mission is to promote science to the greater community and we think this is a way to promote the science of growing in a way that is relevant to our customers and in a way that people can understand,” said Howard, who launched the Market Lane restaurant in 2007, building on his success with the Castle Cafe and, last September, opening the Mediterranean-influenced Orso.

While another astronomical link sees NASA focusing on hydroponics for its long-duration missions, for many people, the concept is associated with the growth of marijuana and its legalisation for medical use in some US states is expected to lead to a boom for hydroponic kit manufacturers.

Ellie Donovan is an organic gardener and would have been a traditionalist, a staunch advocate of soil. Then she discovered that “hydroponics has been on the go forever”.

“The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was a hydroponic system and the Aztecs also used it,” said the Kinsale-based Kilkenny woman charged with installing the system at the Castle Cafe.

“Worldwide, hydroponics is widely used and, if you go into a supermarket, with any fruit or vegetables, there is a 70% to 80% chance they will have been hydroponically grown. As much as 99% of cut flowers will have been grown using hydroponics. It maximises space and output, with the best utilisation of water: You only need 10% of the water used in a traditional soil-based system, as the water is circulating and you just need to top it up occasionally.”

Donovan is liaising with the cafe chef about the produce that will become available once the system is fully operational, such as tomatoes, chillies, courgettes and herbs.

“The flavour is fantastic, especially with the greens; once anything with chlorophyll is cut, within a few hours you have lost up to 80% of your water-soluble vitamins. Just taste it. The proof is in the pudding,” she says.

Howard’s exploration of hydroponics took him across the ocean.

“I was contemplating a trip to New York and the idea of visiting this chef who was using aeroponics [a mist around the suspended roots] firmed up the notion. He entertains schoolkids at his restaurant, Bell, Book and Candle, in Greenwich Village, liaising with the educational facilities in New York. We started to put together the connections here, about how useful it could be, as there is a steady stream of schoolchildren already coming to the castle.”

The hydroponics system at the cafe is in its infancy, but Howard is confident it will be an integral part of their kitchen and will ultimately determine much of what is on the menu.

“We plan to expand out into the courtyard and construct the greenhouse so people can enter and see first-hand, once it is feasible from a health-and-safety viewpoint. At the very least, we want our customers to be able to see that what they are about to eat is growing just feet away, with no food miles attached, and it is sustainable,” says Howard, whose next project is a “brew restaurant” with an equal focus on food and beer.

“We wanted to see how we can do this commercially and keep things local. We are not flash in the pan. This is a long-term commitment.

“We used the mint in the restaurant and everybody likes a story like this. It feeds into the ethos of the restaurant and the whole set up at the castle. Science in action, such that everyone from five to 50 can grasp.”