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This week (9th July 2021 – -) on Chew The Fat we chat to Máire and Paul Flynn of The Tannery in Dungarvan about a quarter century in business together and - whilst in Waterford ourselves - share our favourite spots to eat, drink and pick up produce in Waterford as well as sharing snappy updates in the Chew The Fat Noticeboard round-up of food and drink news across Ireland.
Hen’s Teeth HenzoCluck Cluck! Hen’s Teeth launches Henzo Mix, a range of pre-mixed cocktails in conjunction with their neighbours, Stillgarden Distillery. All distilled, hand-mixed and bottled in Dublin 8, choose between three flavours: Euphoria Crush, Hollier Negroni and Ninety Nine Spritz, in two sizes: 250ml (€14) and 750ml (€35). Available to buy both in-store at Blackpitts and online –– their store is amazing both in-person and online, so check it out! hensteethstore.com
Chef Supper ClubImagine an evening spent in the comfortable surrounds of your own home, being guided through a dining experience by the likes of Ahmet Dede, Enda McEvoy, Ciaran Sweeney, Grainne o’Keeffe, Mike Tweedie, Aisling Moore and Killian Crowley, with wines chosen by esteemed sommelier Cathryn Bell of WineRover. Damian Grey of Michelin-starred restaurant Liath has concocted Chef Supper Club, with five-course menus from esteemed chefs delivered (or collected) and a blended model of live interaction and hands-on culinary action, as well as delicious dining. A dash of theatre, a heap of knowledge and a tailored experience for those who snap up each sitting, guaranteed. For more details, and to book, see thechefsupperclub.com
The Courtyard at Slane Castle: Cocktails & TaqueriaIt seems all roads lead to Slane in Co. Meath in summer 2021. You might have already heard direct from Niall Davidson himself about Allta Summer House on a prior episode, which has now opened behind the stunning Slane Castle for its summer residency –– bookings open every couple of weeks. You may have also heard Keith and Aisling from Roots at Slane on a slightly earlier episode of this series where they talked about their plans at Slane Castle, which - they too - have now launched! The Courtyard at Slane Castle is the casual counterpart to the Allta stuff, slinging amazing cocktails by Gillian Boyle, wines and beers alongside an innovative taqueria with tacos that sing and ZING in local produce, pickles, papas, salads and sweets in the covered courtyard of the castle itself. Pre-book a table, grab a small group and lavish in every sip and bite. Operating Friday - Sunday, 4pm - 11pm, pre-booking is essential so pop over to slanecastle.ie to reserve.
Woodcock Smokery Masterclasses with Sally Barnes40 years of smoking wild fish makes you more than an expert, and now the incomparable and esteemed Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery is handing down her skills to those who wish to learn. A full-day smoking class is €240 and details her tricks of the trade, from knife skills to hot and cold smoking, plus lunch and a special visit. There’s also special salmon feast dining events and aperitivo tastings planned, so if you’re heading to Skibbereen this year check out woodcocksmokery.com to book for a unique and incredibly rare experience!
Where to eat in Waterford?Since this week we're in Waterford, we also wax on about our favourite spots in the city and county, from Ardkeen Stores and Grow HQ to Everett's, World of Wine and Bodega as well as spots in the coastal towns of Dungarvan (The Tannery, & Chips) and Tramore (Mezze, Seagull Bakery -- and forgot to say Beach House, but we adore them too!). Plus, you'll get an insight into our once-fraught relationship with Waterford and how our friends Walsh's Bakehouse came to our defence. What's more, Waterford Harvest Festival 2021 will return (after a year's hiatus) between the 6th and 12th of September –– details still to be published but expect a week-long celebration of Déise food and drink! VisitWaterford.com #ILovesMeCounty #ChaosBilly
Paul and Máire Flynn, The Tannery, Dungarvan Co. WaterfordPaul and Máire Flynn really need no introduction, but whether they want it or not they're getting one! The couple combine flawless front of house, personable service with - let’s face it - flavour bomb dishes with a fine dining slant from the kitchen. This pair single handedly put Dungarvan on the dining destination map in 1997, and in summer 2021 are celebrating their 25th summer season in the seaside town in Waterford.
Having spent the guts of the week in the county ourselves we had to nab them for a chat, and in fact we’ve threatened for about three years to get them BOTH (because they come as a truly talented pair, effortlessly complementing one another) behind the microphone and they finally agreed, so tune in to this week's episode for a chat you’ll want to hear…
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This week (25th June 2021 – -) on Chew The Fat we chat to acclaimed pastry chef Aoife Noonan about her brand new venture in food education paired with restaurant-style pastry creations, personally delivered! We also delve into the more unconventional methods of bringing wine to the table by discussing boxed and canned wine.
IN OUR SNAPPY CHEW THE FAT NOTICEBOARD SEGMENT OF FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS, WE’RE COVERING:After a year’s hiatus, Food On The Edge is back for its sixth outing in the form of a blended symposium comprising both in-person and virtual events. Swapping Galway for Dublin for the first time since it began in 2015, the venue will be urban farm Airfield Estate in Dundrum on the 18th and 19th October. Founder JP McMahon this week announced the theme as ‘Social Gastronomy’ as well as several first-time speakers in the line-up including Garima Aurora, the first Indian woman to win a Michelin star, acclaimed chef and restaurateur André Chiang, and food writer Alice Zaslavsky as well returning to Food on the Edge: Mark Best, star of Netflix’s ‘Chef’s Table’. Virtual tickets will go on sale in July priced at €95, while in-person tickets will go on sale later in the year from €350 for two days and from €195 for one day. foodontheedge.comA new barbecue pop up from the team behind The Glass Curtain is called Birdsong In The City and arrives on Cork’s Harley Street in a limited form on the 24-27th June and 1-4th July. Chef Brian Murray is cooking on a bespoke Basque-style grilling rig, using Irish beef, daily-landed seafood, Skeaghanore chicken, and seasonal local veg. Think grilled cod collar, ocotpus and piquant ceviche, meltingly tender short ribs and spicy piri-piri chicken, as well as ice-cream sandwiches. @birdsong_inthecityChef Danni Barry is turning her hand to gastronomic getaways joining The Wicklow Escape as Executive Chef. Danni has designed a 3 day foodie immersion at the escape aimed at couples and groups of friends, as well as small gatherings, celebrations and occasions. Danni’s menu will showcase the local larder of the South East of the island as well as bringing global inspiration through Danni’s travels and 20 years in kitchens. Formerly known as The Elbowroom Escape in Donard, Co. Wicklow, this new iteration is a rustic and elegant country retreat comprising seven deluxe bedrooms, bookable individually, with an outdoor kitchen, garden terrace and wood-fired hot tub set in an acre a countryside idyll. thewicklowescape.comWin 5% at Listoke Distillery! The closest distillery to us here in Co. Louth, Listoke Distillery is hosting a novel raffle offering 5% C shares in their business as well as a second and third prize of £10,000 and £5,000 respectively! So one ticket could potentially win an entrant back 250 or even 500 times its initial value. You could be the newest part-owner of the award-winning family business based in Tinure just outside Drogheda which produces a series of gin expressions under the Listoke brand as well as a new Wise Owl Whiskey and is eyeing up serious international expansion. Entries cost £20 and the competition is open to entries from all over the world until 9th July and, naturally, all entrants must be over 18! raffall.com/listokedistilleryMaking up for precious lost time, Taste of Dublin has announced the festival will return after a year away on September 1 - 5th, 2021. Returning to the Iveagh Gardens, Taste of Dublin will run 12 sessions over five days with tickets starting at €20 (excluding booking fee) on sale from today, Friday, June 25th. Additional sessions have been added to reduce capacity far lower than usual for the outdoor event and the organisers are primed to adapt the festival as it happens in accordance with current restrictions. The line up of chefs and traders is still to be announced but details will be announced over time social media as well as their website: tasteofdublin.ieBoxes & Cans of WinesIn our discussion section we chew the fat all about the more unconventional and unusual ways to bring wine to market, like boxed wine or canned wines and we talk about options including Wines Direct's Boxes of Wine (€49 incl. delivery) as well as the Canned Wine Company, available from WineLab.
Aoife NoonanThe pandemic has prompted lots of people to take new directions in their careers and start exciting new chapters, and very much among them is talented pastry chef Aoife Noonan. Formerly of Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Glovers Alley and John Farrell's stable of restaurants in Dublin, Aoife is now striking out alone, swapping the kitchen fro more personal food experiences including exclusive cookery classes hosted online and hand-delivered restaurant quality pastry creations and desserts. Tune it to the episode to hear more...
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On this week's episode of Chew The Fat we have some news freshly released about allta's exciting summer residency pop-up concept at Slane Castle in Co. Meath as well as a long overdue listen to our visit to Teresa Roche at Kylemore Farmhouse Cheese.
On the Chew The Fat Noticeboard - our weekly round-up of the interesting stuff to happen in the food and drink scene - we talk:
Pride –– With Pride being celebrated this month around the world, many establishments are creating and sharing some colourful and beautiful products, donating to very deserving LGBTQ+ charities in the meantime, too, including Bean and Goose chocolate and The Cupcake Bloke. Support your LGBTQ+ makers, creators, creatives, foodies, farmers, activists, thought leaders. Pride is protest at its heart, still fighting to be seen, heard, understood and treated as equals to all others, and so important –– even still in 2021.
New Nook –– Nádúr is the new sibling to Sligo's Nook! Opened this week in Collooney, the new restaurant and cafe has limited outdoor seating, currently split down the middle with half for reservations and half for walk ins, due to a large amount of queries!
Holy Cannoli –– In Dublin, Dinetown in the Liberties has a brand new sweet addition - Ciao Cannoli. Ciarán and Federico - the guys behind Catch Events - are selling 7 different flavours of this stunning tube shaped, fried and filled Italian pastries from their pink Citroen van. From classic, there's something for everyone. Dinetown is open seven days a week at the Iveagh Market on Francis St, and also features Ethiopian cuisine from Gursha, pizza pies from Serious Dough, and the OG in the location, The Sambo Ambo.
Silks Gin –– A brand new gin launched this week on the market from Boann Distillery. Silks Gin follows after the family-run distillery scooped Best New Make Spirit at the World Whiskey Awards just three months ago so has a serious pedigree behind it –– and that’s carried through in the nod to horse racing and jockeys’ silks in the branding and name, inspired by the nearby famous Bellewstown racecourse in Co. Meath.
ALLTA SUMMER HOUSEOne other major bit of news that’s breaking in the detail but has been teased for weeks comes from the team behind popular wine bar and destination restaurant Allta on Dublin’s Setana Place. After feeding thousands of homes throughout the pandemic with the alltabox, the team led by Hugh Higgins, Kevin Burke and Niall Davidson have been teasing on social recently about an allta summer house, set outside the capital. In the episode we chat to Niall a bit further about the inspiration, setting and the menu that lies ahead... If you would like to make a booking for the allta summer house visit alltasummerhouse.ie. Tickets cost €95 per person, and more details are on the website regarding accommodation and transport in the area, too.
KYLEMORE FARMHOUSE CHEESENow, before we started this current series of Chew The Fat, we mentioned we had a few episodes recorded out in the field ready to be broadcast and you can listen back to the first episode of this current series, series 5 of Chew The Fat, to learn a little more about why we chose to hold them back and ride out the wave of a pandemic before bringing them to you. Now we want to share one we’ve been dying to bring you since the day we recorded it, almost exactly 18 months ago…
A new kid on the cheeseblock by all accounts, Theresa Roche has been quietly producing one of the finest cheeses to be created in Ireland in years under her Kylemore Farmhouse Cheese brand. An alpine style ‘hard cooked’ cheese (think French Comté or Swiss Gruyère) except switch the Alps for East Galway and you’ve got it. Based just outside Loughrea, Theresa is a former nurse from a family farm and returned home from abroad and set about totally switching up her career and devoting all her time to her own herd of Holstein Fresians and creating and ageing her stunning cheese. Though this chat took place in January 2020 it’s as fascinating now as it was then and Kylemore Farmhouse is an incredible example of a contemporary Irish cheese from a traditional and humble Irish family.
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On Episode 4 of Chew The Fat, we are speaking to some more fascinating people from the world of food & drink in Ireland.
First up is Brian Treacy of The Bartender Collective. This is a new project where bartenders acoss Ireland have come together to create their very own spirits company. You can support their Kickstarter at thebartendercollective.com
We also speak to Philippa Duff & Sinead Foyle of The Sea Hare in Cleggan, Co Galway. Their pop-up dining experience is very much on the bucket list for many of us visiting the region this summer. They've recently launched their Tamarind Sauce as a product in supermarket and speciality food shops across the country and have great plans still on their horizon.
We also discuss hotel occupancy in the big cities, as well as some news from the food world this week.
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This week (4th June 2021 - -) on Chew The Fat we go under the hood of the food industry and chat to some people you may not be entirely aware of just yet –– a future publisher shaking up the cookbook scene and the couple behind one of the most successful pieces of technology to arrive to the Irish food industry whilst a pandemic was ongoing: Kristin Jensen of Blasta Books and Suzanne Rigby and Mark Hooper of Click And Collection.
In our snappy Chew The Fat Noticeboard segment of food industry news, we're covering:Lotts & Co.'s new Terenure shop, opening summer 2020 –– and now hiring! Weekl.ie's brand new Harold's Cross physical food market, opening Saturday 5th June and an enhancement of their online marketplace and subscription service, which will be open Thursday-Sunday weekly, 10am - 5pmD-8TE kicks off its summer pop-up residencies at Roe & Co Distillery, beginning with Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded Spitalfields, continuing with Sunil Ghai's Pickle and then following will be Nightmarket, Bahay, Matsu and closing the summer will be Nico Reynolds' Lil' Portie. Running Thursday to Sundays weekly in fortnightly stints, the first two traders already have their availability online, so book via roeandcowhiskey.com/outdoor-dining Michelle Lawlor's Nude Wine Co. launches the monthly Nude Wine Club, a new subscription service where three hand-picked bottles from independent producers are delivered to customers' doors each month, all singing to a similar 'theme' with an accompanying interactive tasting session via Zoom. €55 a month, no contract! Pre-Order a Picnic! Outdoor Dining and Al Fresco kitsWe also delve into the ongoing summer of staycations picking out some great picnic options that are popping up almost daily across Ireland... Including:
Project Picnic DublinThe TanneryPudding RowCafe RuaBurren SmokehouseTiller + GrainScholar's TownhouseHeadfort ArmsOverends Kitchen at Airfield EstateSuzanne Rigby & Mark Hooper of Click and CollectionWe’ve all ordered our fair share of take-away throughout the pandemic, and - as more and more restaurants have emerged into that scene - boxing up the restaurant experience has been pivotal to the hospitality industry surviving. Yet in order to get product into customers hands a lot of technology behind the scenes has to be employed to ensure the smooth, seamless running. That’s where Click and Collection has come in...
Kristin Jensen, Blasta BooksHas the cookbook publishing industry gone a bit stale? Kristin Jensen, think so, and has set places at the table for a whole new generation of authors from Ireland's diverse food industry. An experienced editor by trade, Kristin is shaking up the system as the founder and publisher of upcoming imprint Blasta Books, which is currently far surpassing its initial funding round on Kickstarter. She describes the soon-to-be-published series - which will publish Tacos by Lily Ramirez-Foran of Picado, Hot Fat by GastroGays (that's us!),, United Nations of Cookies by Jess Murphy (Kai) and Eoin Cluskey (Bread 41) and Wok by Kwanghi Chan, all in 2022 - as being what street food is to restaurants: casual, accessible, diverse and exciting...
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On the first episode of the reinvented Chew The Fat, we introduce a new format and a slightly different direction. First up, some bits of food news which we think will be interesting and useful to know. We also speak with sommelier, wine educator and lockdown Instagram hit, Brigid O'Hora (AKA Bridey's Wine Chats) as well as link in with the latest double act to take to the main stage at Slane Castle: Keith Coleman & Aisling McHugh of Roots Slane. We also ponder the future of the meal kit - with restrictions easing and many meal kits and DIY/At Home experiences being retired, is there much demand for it as we get back into restaurants (or outside of them at least..)?
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*Taps mic*...is this thing on?
It's been exactly a year to the day since the last episode of Chew The Fat was published, and we feel maybe it's time to just drop by and chat for a bit and share some insights into ourselves over the past twelve months, some hints at the future and answer the question of "when is the podcast coming back" once and for all!
Twitter: @gastrogays
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If you know Cork, you know the name Miyazaki, and you probably know Takashi himself too. Japanese-born, now Cork-based with his growing family, Miyazaki is a chef who has transformed the culinary offering in Cork, first opening his casual-but-skilled ramen bar Miyazaki on Evergreen Street and later opening his fine dining kaiseki restaurant Ichigo Ichie on Sheare's Street, both in Cork city centre.
Now, you may be wondering why on earth we're sharing a chef and restaurateur podcast in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Don't worry, we recorded this just before the restrictions came into force and just at the beginning of the public health guidelines, so travel was still available and restaurants were still open to eat-in in. Why are we sharing this now? Because Takashi's story is a story that truly needs to be heard, and this - too - will pass, so why not now? You *need* to hear about his love of U2 which brought him to Ireland; his experience as a chef in an Irish pub in Japan when he'd never eaten the cuisine in his life; his thoughts on Japan's Michelin stars and where he personally likes to eat out; and why he is so dedicated to and inspired by the producers of Ireland. Plus, due to the restrictions, Takashi has had to completely change up his offering and his business (still open for collection and deliveries) so he's still out there, fighting to survive and feeding those who are interested.
We first met Takashi several years ago when we happened to be staying in the same Galway hotel, then later crossed paths down in Dingle at the Dingle Food Festival where he was demoing on stage. We've eaten in Miyazaki several times over various trips to Cork and loved it, but never Ichigo Ichie, and Ichigo Ichie is why we're here. Five months after opening his experiential kaiseki restaurant, Michelin awarded him his first Michelin star, and Cork went from zero Michelin stars at the time to three. (Restaurant Chestnut in Ballydehob and Mews in Baltimore were also awarded on the same day as Ichigo Ichie, but Mews has sadly now closed though chef Ahmet Dede is planning another restaurant in West Cork; Bastion in Kinsale was awarded a star the following year so there are still three stars across the county of Cork at the time of writing.)
Ichigo Ichie is challenging. It's experiential. It's a sensory exploration through texture, colour, flavour and taste. Some might say it's 'once in a lifetime' or 'a pure moment in time'. Skill is on show in abundance.
Refinement is on every dish, but it's a place which has its own Cork charm, Japanese skill and Irish ingredients. But don't let us tell you that, listen to Takashi tell in you in his own words.... then book a table here, STAT.
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Set a short drive from Rossaveal, the port village linking the Aran Islands to its mainland base in Connemara, lies an incredible exercise in aquaculture –– and at its helm is mother-and-daughter team Cindy and Sinéad O'Brien.
Mungo Murphy may be a fictional character, devised by Sinéad (and drawn like a seafaring rogue by her boyfriend) to become the face of her brand, but what they're doing here is very real. With Connemara's pure water and temperate (read: temperamental) climate, the O'Briens are producing the finest abalone, sea cucumber, sea urchin and seaweed products at their aquaculture farm in Baile na hAbhainn, south Connemara.
Native to Japan, the particular type of abalone they produce is not Irish but these abalone have been naturalised in our part of the world since the 1980's and the climate and conditions in Connemara are perfect for its growth.
Abalone is a type of sea snail, and a true delicacy (particularly in Asia). Four, if not five, years of work and careful attention from hatching seed to shipping means this type of business is very delicate but abalone are highly-prized and carry a high price for a premium product. Patience is a virtue, but patience and TLC also pay off.
With strides for environmental consciousness, energy efficiency (using wind power on-site) and long-term sustainability, Cindy and Sinéad's story is a fascinating one –– and one of the lesser-heard ones in the grand scheme of Irish food and drink production. We took a trip to their farm on a windy, wet, ripe Autumn day to see what it's all about, and we're taking you along with us in this episode of Chew The Fat.
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From Cavan to Camden, in this episode of Chew The Fat we catch up with a culinary comrade of ours, our friend Chef Adrian Martin to find out his plans for flying the coup and opening up his debut restaurant, Wildflower, in London.
Well-known in Ireland for appearing regularly in the media, on TV and radio, and also being the author of two cookbooks to date (Fakeaway; Create), Adrian is a trained chef having earned his stripes in both Enniskillen and Killybegs before working in restaurants for a number of years, including Neven Maguire's MacNean House in Blacklion, Co. Cavan.
Since leaving professional kitchens, Adrian has been a fixture in Irish media and the food industry, whilst also collaborating on pop-ups and menus for the likes of Manor Farm and Insomnia. For the last year, however, Adrian's been working on a secret project that's about to come to fruition –– quietly relocating to London to set up his very first restaurant, called Wildflower at Buck Street Market developments in the heart of Camden, north London.
Famed for its repurposed stables market, punk heritage and eclectically diverse population, Buck Street Market is set to symbolise the newest regeneration of Camden as a true casual dining hotspot, of which Wildflower is going to be at the centre with its fine-dining-as-casual-dining slant, local and foraged ingredients at the forefront and just a handful of covers for that cosy, intimate atmosphere.
We catch up with Adrian after only getting to see each other fleetingly over the last few years at festivals and events to have a proper chat about how things have been going and what he's been up to in the madness of opening up his own restaurant..
If you want to support this 100% free and independently-produced podcast, you can ping us the price of a couple of coffees (to chug whilst we edit and travel!) over at buymeacoffee.com/chewthefat where you'll help shield the price of our little production and keep it continuing!
If you're interested in other chef podcast episodes from our archive, check out fellow Irish chef in London Anna Haugh of Myrtle Restaurant, Galway-based Michelin starred chef JP McMahon, Jordan Bailey and Majken Bailey of two Michelin-starred Aimsir, Gaeltacht-based chef Martin O'Donnell of The Twelve Hotel, Chef Niall Davidson formerly of Nuala in London now at Allta in Dublin, Brian McDermott of The Foyle Hotel in Donegal, and a chef who needs no introduction, Kai's Jess Murphy.
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Don't call Allta a restaurant. It's a wine bar with food. The interior is incredibly important, and considered. The experience of the music and lighting is as key as the food and drink. Whatever you want to call it, you can't deny that it's taken Dublin city by storm since opening just before Christmas 2019. Set on Frederick Street South/Setanta Place, a stone's throw from Trinity and a street or two away from the shopping highway of Grafton Street, this is THE dining room in Dublin everyone can't stop talking about, and Niall Davidson is the main man behind it.
A farmer's son, born in Scotland and brought up in Derry, Niall Davidson took the indirect route to Dublin city. Having defected from London to Dublin specifically to open Allta, he's held roles in the likes of Chiltern Firehouse and St. John Bread and Wine before opening up his own venture, Nuala, in London (which, yes, we do touch on as it had an untimely closure). But he's not alone...
Hugh Higgins, formerly of the much-lamented subterranean designer Italian Luna on Drury Street, is leading the kitchen as head chef. Christine Walsh, formerly of Enda McEvoy's Michelin-starred Loam in Galway, comes from a fine dining pedigree having worked in Chapter One, Noma and Benu and rounds out the talent.
Not necessarily commanding particular sections, this is a collaborative kitchen where house-made charcuterie and pasta are championed, but are not the limit nor the extent. So, like everyone else, our interest was piqued after dining there ourselves, so we went to meet all three to talk Allta, Dublin dining, Irish food and more...
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The largest of the iconic Aran Islands, which lie off the coast of Connemara along Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, Inis Mór is one of the most unique destinations you can find in Ireland.
The capital of its cluster of islands and a Gaeltacht (Irish language-speaking) community, Inis Mór - quite literally, 'Big Island' - certainly has a big personality and punches well above its weight in terms of food and drink. Tourists adore delving into a toastie and pint at Tigh Joe Mac's or singing along with the trad music in the electric atmosphere of Tigh Joe Wattys whilst Teach Nan Phaidí is certainly in contention for best cafe in all of Ireland.
However, aside from notable places to eat, food production has always been central to this island community –– and we've had our eye on it for some time for its food producing credentials. In this episode, we meet two of them: Gabriel Faherty of Aran Island Goat Cheese and David O'Halloran, one half of the couple behind seaweed brand Blath na Mara.
Gabriel takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the island (as he generally doubles up duty as official tour guide of the island) including his own production unit where his 100-strong herd of goats produce milk which he turns into a variety of cheese styles.
Whilst David's wife Jenny was working away on the mainland, he then shows us around their little purpose-built factory, where they dry seaweed that's hand harvested right here by the shore and turned into a variety of seaweed-based products, both edible and cosmetic.
Read more about our visit to Inis Mór here. LISTEN TO CHEW THE FAT ON APPLE PODCASTS, SPOTIFY, GOOGLE PLAY MUSIC, ACAST, GO LOUD AND STITCHERBuy me a coffee
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Chef, Restaurateur, Activist, Author, Columnist, Festival Director and Curator, Semi-historian –– Is there anything JP Mc Mahon can't turn a hand to? We've wanted to get this esteemed, Michelin-starred chef on Chew The Fat since series one and now for our debut episode of series four, back with a bang for 2020, we finally got to sit down and talk all things Irish food with the Galway-based chef, as JP launches his long-awaited The Irish Cookbook in early 2020.
The man behind Michelin-starred Aniar, set on Galway's West End, alongside his more casual offerings in the city, Cava and Tartare - plus the Aniar Cookery School to boot - JP McMahon is known nationwide for his chef-restaurateur credentials, as well as appearing regularly in the media, with a weekly column in The Irish Times, stints on RTÉ Today as well as frequent appearances on radio.
Also, no mean feat, he's also created and spearheaded the global success of Food On The Edge, the annual chef's symposium. Bringing the greatest minds in the chef industry together in Galway, FOTE's mission is to discuss and dissect where the industry is right now and what the future holds for food globally, whilst highlighting more ethical and sustainable approaches across the board. Taking place once again in October, 2020 marks the sixth year of the hugely popular non-profit, non-commercial festival.
There's no doubt JP McMahon is a force within Irish food, so much so he was tasked by publishers Phaidon to create the ultimate book on Hiberno cuisine, The Irish Cookbook, set to be released in February 2020.
A terrific tome, in which the chef went far far back in the annals of time from the earliest settlers on the island to the present day, The Irish Cookbook compiles just shy of 500 recipes and delves into the identity and ingredients of the cuisine of Ireland. Almost three years in the making, this is a cookbook that's gotten anyone and everyone who's passionate about Irish produce all excited to see it in the flesh, and as he prepares to launch it we sit down with the chef to learn a little more about his approach, what makes up the book and hear a bit more about his experience of Irish food and operating three successful restaurants in Galway.
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A virgin, a tart, and a complete batch. Susan Jane White has been them all, penning no fewer than three cookbooks whilst juggling family life in Dublin. Author of Extra Virgin Kitchen and The Virtuous Tart, Clever Batch is her third cookbook - released in 2019 - and a deserved finalist for the An Post Book Awards. Why that backstory? Well, we have to admit, we fell in love with her words before we fell in love with her in person, and we've been dying to get her on our podcast Chew The Fat since we began gestating it almost two years ago!
SJW's words are engaging, exciting, cheeky, playful, coquettish and ultimately incredibly endearing. How she moulds language together, like a child playing with building blocks, warms our hearts. How she describes food, or a recipe, or indeed an ingredient, turns how you think about food on its head, and we're all all the better for it. She's thoughtful and incredibly smart, and writing like hers takes restraint and editing to seamlessly craft the perfect combinations of words and sounds –– we know that from writing for the guts of the last decade, but she's also fearless. She's not afraid to take risks, to stand out, to throw every colour of the crayon box at the canvas and see what comes up.
As for her cookery, it's exciting in that much like her wordsmith chops she creates beautiful, harmonious (at times exotic and intriguing) combinations of ingredients, whipping them - into submission, she might add, with a cheeky wink - up with gusto into a dish greater than the sum of its parts, and probably pretty great for you too.
She's passionate without being preachy, health-focused but mainlining treats like there's no tomorrow and both angelically knowledgeable and devilishy deviant in equal measure. For this episode, we found ourselves perched on her couch in front of the fire for a good hour and a half before we even hit record, but once we did we got the BEST stuff... listen at your ultimate leisure, to the incomparable Susan Jane White...
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Christmas is coming and the geese are getting fat. Though, so are the turkeys at Maperath Farm in Kells, Co. Meath. Our guests on Chew The Fat this week are Eoin Sharkey and Olivia Duff who run - as a family, with their three little girls - this small-scale, fully certified free-range turkey & geese farm – which is beyond organic in practice, but not in certification –– we'll discuss that!
As consumer minds are moving more and more towards local produce once again, sourcing and investing in quality, their farming business is going from strength to strength. As passionate about welfare of their own animals as they are about educating the wider world about best farming practices, Eoin is a regular at food festivals around Ireland, taking his educational-focused mobile unit to help show-and-tell young and old all about where their food comes from.
Olivia is a stalwart in the Irish food community - a food champion, specialising in hospitality and food tourism in particular, she is the powerhouse behind the inaugral Samhain 2019 (where we recorded the most recent live episode of Chew The Fat too) and the woman behind Kells' Headfort Arms. Both Eoin and Olivia could vie for the title of 'busiest person in the world', individually, but somehow they keep everything moving and somehow we managed to eke out an hour or two with them on a bright Saturday morning in December...
If you're reading this close to publication, you'll know that Christmas 2019 is fast approaching and orders will soon be closing for Christmas birds, so if you're listening to this episode and interested in ordering your Christmas goose or turkey, head along and order from their website here.
Plus, if you want to find out about more Boyne Valley Flavours producers just like Maperath Farm please check out the BVF site! It's not only the area we call home, we're also proud to be brand ambassadors for the region too!
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There's a food truck that's a firm fixture on Ireland's 'Wild' western Atlantic coast. A fixture that's not permanent, but amasses a following wherever it pitches up. If you haven't heard of Julia's Lobster Truck, we guarantee you're going to know the name and hear a lot more... and this week we're chewing the fat with Julia Hemingway herself.
With her beaming smile and bright blue truck, Julia serves all manner of seafood to her adoring public. Lobster is the mainstay, grilled to-order and dripping in garlic butter, but there's a whole line-up of deep see and shoreline treats that she turns her hand to, running the stall with her husband Chris.
We catch the pair just at the beginning of the Dingle Food Festival, where they've pitched up for three days of deliciousness, and whilst they're prepping their van and gathering their ingredients before they open the hatch, we sneak in for a quick chat...
We delve into how it all began, how Julia has witnessed Irish food change and adapt over the years, her favourite local produce, what a moment street food is having in Ireland and also about the successes and challenges of her industry.
We've written about some of the people like Julia who are doing amazing things where street food and food trucks are concerned, which you can read here.
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Chew The Fat is back! And we're delighted to be back with a special live episode of the podcast recorded at Samhain 2019, a wonderful celebration of 5,000 years of Irish food & culture which took place in Kells, Co Meath in November 2019.
Sit back and ponder along with us as we put Irish food on trial. What is Irish food? What can we class as Irish food? What do we learn from the past that can help our future. We don't have answers but we do have questions and you as the jury can decide for yourself what the verdict is. Delighted to feature two amazing guests too in this - Marita Varley from Drummond House Garlic (who you will remember from our very first episode!) plus Janice Casey-Bracken, chef, local food champion, real bread advocate and instructor at the Irish Country Woman's Association HQ, at An Grianan in Co Louth.
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This week on Chew The Fat we chat to the man of the moment where pop-ups in Dublin are concerned: Nico Reynolds of Lil’ Portie.
Serving up Jamaican recipes (with inspiration from his mother and grandmother’s own home cooking) with subtle nods to South American cuisine and using great Irish produce where possible, Lil’ Portie burst onto the scene around a year ago and has certainly gotten people talking since. He immediately caught our attention a good few months ago and this week we sit down after hours in his home-for-the-moment, Two Fifty Square in Rathmines.
Nico is an interesting anomaly –– he’s been away from Ireland more in the last decade than he has been on home turf. He spent around six years in Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires. Yet he’s the name on everyone’s lips right now. He’s also got no professional chef training. But what he has got is tonnes of energy, endless ideas, charm by the truckload and he’s really landed on his feet and made a name for himself in the city. Spotting that there was a market for something different, something he grew up on and something to bring bold flavour to the capital’s table, Lil’ Portie has stood out since day one and has legions of loyal fans already, having hosted a series of recurring pop-ups in this very cafe/restaurant as well as prestigious stints at Taste of Dublin and The Big Grill. 2019 has been good for this young food entrepreneur, and without wanting to use a cliché, the future is incredibly bright for him and his business.
We sit down, break bread with Nico and go unusually deep. We delve deep into his cookery style, his training, his background but more than that we get lost in fascinating, lengthy discussions which illustrate just how tuned in to his own mind and the world around him Nico actually is. He’s philosophical, and everything is woven into a story. So sit back, get comfortable, and bed in for a fascinating hour or so hearing everything Nico has to say…
THIS IS NOT JUST A PODCAST, THIS IS CHEW THE FAT – PRESENTED BY RUSSELL ALFORD AND PATRICK HANLON – AND THIS IS A MARKS AND SPENCER-SPONSORED PODCAST. WE’VE TEAMED UP WITH THIS ICONIC RETAILER, WHO REALLY NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION, TO TELL THE STORIES OF FASCINATING PEOPLE IN FOOD AND BEYOND THIS SUMMER AS THEY CELEBRATE 40 YEARS IN IRELAND. PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, AS THEY SUPPORT US! #THISISNOTJUST #CHEWTHEFAT #MYMARKSFAVELISTEN TO CHEW THE FAT ON APPLE PODCASTS, SPOTIFY, GOOGLE PLAY MUSIC, ACAST AND STITCHER -
Walking into a former butcher's shop on main street in Tullamore, it's incredible to see the small production unit for the behemoth that is Inch House –– fast becoming one of the premier black pudding producers in the country. This week, we're in Tipperary and we're chewing the fat with Máirín Byrne, a second generation blood pudding producer (but the third generation making this recipe, as granny Mary Ryan was the true originator, as we find out).
We've been "online friends" with Máirín for so long and have long, long loved this fresh blood pudding for its unique flavour, shape and texture. It's somewhat hard to find (becoming available in more and more places) because it's produced in a very small-scale in a little unit in Templemore with Máirín being hands-on in every way, from doing the orders to making the black and white pudding, packaging it and even delivering it too, not to mention the roadshows, tastings, exhibitions, festivals et al that a food producer is expected to show face at too.
So she's a busy lady and we were so delighted to get an hour or so of her time to learn more about this incredible product –– that now counts Nigella Lawson amongst its many fans!
THIS IS NOT JUST A PODCAST, THIS IS CHEW THE FAT – PRESENTED BY RUSSELL ALFORD AND PATRICK HANLON – AND THIS IS A MARKS AND SPENCER-SPONSORED PODCAST. WE’VE TEAMED UP WITH THIS ICONIC RETAILER, WHO REALLY NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION, TO TELL THE STORIES OF FASCINATING PEOPLE IN FOOD AND BEYOND THIS SUMMER AS THEY CELEBRATE 40 YEARS IN IRELAND. PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, AS THEY SUPPORT US! #THISISNOTJUST #CHEWTHEFAT #MYMARKSFAVELISTEN TO CHEW THE FAT ON APPLE PODCASTS, SPOTIFY, GOOGLE PLAY MUSIC, ACAST AND STITCHER -
The Twelve is 12! This week on Chew The Fat - our podcast sponsored by Marks & Spencer, celebrating 40 years in Ireland - we're back west and pulling up at one of the great, modern hotels along the Wild Atlantic Way just outside Galway city – The Twelve Hotel and West Restaurant in Barna/Bearna, overseen by MD Fergus O'Halloran with Head Chef Martin O'Donnell at the pass.
We sit down with the pair to hear more about their approach to hospitality and their commitment to local producers in this gorgeous modern bolthole just a 20 minute drive outside the city, leading the path to Connemara. Martin grew up in the town - which traditionally is an entry point to the Irish-speaking (Gaeltacht) region of Connemara and still has a large portion of Irish speakers, given that it's now a satellite town being absorbed into the outer city limits.
This chef is passionate about foraging and, in particular, seaweed and it would be remiss if we didn't head out for a brief little forage along Silverstrand... stay tuned for snippets of that throughout this episode!
Language-aside, local community and producers are at the heart of everything The Twelve is about, and we hear so much more about how The Twelve stands out from the back, how they source their menu, the ways in which they celebrate the local community, the vast array of dining experiences and also their successes and challenges over the years, plus what they next 12 years may have in store!
THIS IS NOT JUST A PODCAST, THIS IS CHEW THE FAT – PRESENTED BY RUSSELL ALFORD AND PATRICK HANLON – AND THIS IS A MARKS AND SPENCER-SPONSORED PODCAST. WE’VE TEAMED UP WITH THIS ICONIC RETAILER, WHO REALLY NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION, TO TELL THE STORIES OF FASCINATING PEOPLE IN FOOD AND BEYOND THIS SUMMER AS THEY CELEBRATE 40 YEARS IN IRELAND. PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, AS THEY SUPPORT US! #THISISNOTJUST #CHEWTHEFAT #MYMARKSFAVELISTEN TO CHEW THE FAT ON APPLE PODCASTS, SPOTIFY, GOOGLE PLAY MUSIC, ACAST AND STITCHER - Daha fazla göster
