I’M CONTINUALLY surprised by how thrown waiting staff in many restaurants seem to be if one asks about the provenance of the food. They immediately seem to go on the defensive and it can take three or four attempts to find out the source of a piece of meat, fish or cheese.

WHERE would you get it?

HEATHER Lodge, at Gubbeen, Schull, is described by West Cork wordsmith/auctioneer, Jim O’Keefe, as “an original Shaun and Matt”, referring to its builders, the O’Sullivan brothers whose building skills and quality of finish are highly regarded in the peninsula.

DON the wellies - you’ll need them for your trophy hobby farm and seashore paddling.