Hot tip

Ponaire Coffee Limerick: Ponaire (Irish for bean) import their own raw coffee beans from around the world and roast, blend and package them in their roastery in Annacotty, Co Limerick.

They serve this excellent coffee in their Deli Coffee shop and also supply numerous restaurants listed in Georgina Campbell's Top 100 Restaurants in Ireland. They have won three Bridgestone Awards for their coffee, a classic artisan product.

Jennifer and Thomas Ryan can be contacted on 061-339801, 087- 9095242 or email, [e-mail] www.ponaire.ie

* Stuffed Olive Gourmet Store in Bantry, Co Cork have a good selection of freshly made salads to eat in, sitting on a high stool by the window or to take away, a delicious, crunchy alternative to a heavy pub lunch.

They also serve very good coffee and bake cakes daily. Their shelves are stocked with a very tempting array of locally produced goodies such as jams and preserves from Gingergirl www.gingergirl.ie, Seaweed Sausages from Lo Tide 098-42616, handmade artisan chocolates from Skellig www.skelligschocolates.com and Cocoa Bean Chocolates www.cocoabeanchocolates.com.

Margie Kelly and Trish Messom opened this little gem of a shop in December 2006 and can be contacted on 027-55883 or email [e-mail].

* The Slow Food Bantry Middle Eastern Barbecue starts today at Mannings Emporium in Bantry at 2pm, while the Barbecue Festival in Bantry starts on Friday, July 31, and runs until Monday, August 3.

There will be a Food Fair and Barbecues on the town square with cookery demonstrations by local chefs on Saturday with the Hot House Flowers performing a free concert later.

On Sunday and Monday, sample food from the barbecues outside seven pubs free of charge. Contact Danny Collins 087-2956225 for more information.