West Fork Summer 19

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Real Food, Real Life in West Cork

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! e s e e h C y Sa A bluffer’s guide

Book Now! 023 887 8111 Timoleague, Co. Cork

At Dillon’s we use the freshest, seasonal home-grown produce for the finest flavours

Opening Times: Friday - Tuesday / 6-9pm BOOKING ADVISED Tel: 023 886 96 09 | Online: www.dillonsrestaurant.ie

The Waterfront, Clonakilty, Co. Cork 023 887 8111 | www.thewhalestail.ie

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Published by

West Cork’s biggest selling newspaper with 50,000 readers every week and the area’s biggest digital audience across www.southernstar.ie and our social media.

Contents For Starters ............................................................................ 5 Say cheese – but which one? ............................................ 6-7 Too many cooks? Unfortunately not................................ 8-9 What’s the best thing since sliced pan? ......................... 12-13 Spuds and batter are what matter! ......................................15 How’s about VAT? ................................................................18

For all enquiries please call 028 21200 or advertising@southernstar.ie or www.southernstar.ie Publisher Editor Layouts Ad Design Advertising Sales

Competition .........................................................................19 Al fresco excellence .............................................................20

The Southern Star Niall O’Driscoll Michael Stephens Irene Paradisi, Muireann Brady Donnchadh Crowley, Brian McCarthy, Anne Kelleher, Jennifer Barron, Sue Ryan

Class coffee! ......................................................................... 22 Keep on truckin’! .................................................................24 Our man in Vancouver........................................................26

For all design and publishing enquiries please call 028 21200

A little extra on the side .......................................................31

design | publishing | digital | print

The Final Word ................................................................... 34

Located in Kilcrohane, along the Sheep’s Head Way, our restaurant can guarantee the best surroundings and a full menu to satisfy any appetite, from seafood to coffee & cake.

All ingredients locally sourced • All desserts made in-house • Tea & Coffee

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Kilcrohane Sheep’s Head, West Cork 027 67139

INTRODUCING THE NEWLY OPENED

We cater for all occasions using W the e fresh Cork produce We best cateroffor allWest occasions using the be

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Home - Homebest Cured Meats of fresh West Cork Cured produce Local - Local West Cork Cheeses West C - Sumptuous Home Cured Meats - Sumptuous fresh seafood - Extensive range of traditional & contemporary salads ra - Extensive Local West Cork Cheeses Delicious Delicious cakes made to order ca - Sumptuous fresh seafood Please traditional contact Kevin&on 02821400 or salads - Extensive range of contemporary Email fieldskibbereen@supervalu.ie - Delicious cakes made to order

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P E

For starters Attwell’s a hero!

UCC acquires Allen Archive

Eccles Hotel Head Chef Eddie University College Cork has Attwell was named Cork’s Local announced its acquisition of the Food Hero at the RAI Munster Myrtle Allen Archive of papers and Awards recently. The accolade that it is establishing the annual was in recognition of the efforts Myrtle Allen Memorial Lecture Eddie and his kitchen team are in honour of a pioneer in Irish making to improve upon the food. Spanning over 100 years, the already excellent food offering Myrtle Allen Archive is a treasure of at Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff. insight into a woman whose ethos cater all occasio Eddie isfor extremely passionate and approach to cooking and Irish sourcing the best of produce would come to frame, est ofaboutfresh West Co local produce, and many of structure and direct much of how the ingredients for the Eccles d Meats we engage with contemporary Irish menus are grown on-site. food culture.

Cork Cheeses

fresh seafood ange of traditional & akes made to order

cont

A Taste of West Cork

Innovation award

Please contact Kevin on 0 The 2019 A Taste of West Cork food festival Email fieldskibbereen@s 9 White Deer Brewery from Baile Bhúirne promises to be bigger and better than ever before 2019 with in excess of 260 events taking place between September 6th and 15th. This year will see a number of visiting chefs from Australia bring a wonderful taste of Down Under to the festival, while chefs from the UK, USA and Europe will also add to the truly international flavour of the event. The street market in Skibbereen on Sunday 15th, which is the big finale event, is a firm festival favourite.

This incorporates the Taste the Island All-Ireland Food & Drink Expo in Skibbereen Town Hall. See www.atasteofwestcork.com for more details or pick up a copy of the festival programme locally.

in the Muskerry Gealtacht was awarded its fourth innovation award at the recent Free From Food Awards. The brewery has once again received high recognition for the work they do in normalising life for people with Coeliac disease or an intolerance to gluten. They develop methods, recipes and products that are gluten-free so everyone can enjoy them.

9 White Deer collected the innovation award for bringing gluten-free draught beers to market and for being the first to boldly announce themselves as the country’s first brewery to go 100% gluten free. They also received a gold medal for their Black Lightning, a Black IPA, previous winner of Quality food and drinks awards in 2015 as well as a bronze medal for their pale ale Stag Bán and a merit for their Stout which won the innovation award last year.

Potential for growth

A new study on restaurant booking habits has shown that booking portals and online delivery services are still in an early stage of development but are playing an increasingly important role in the restaurant industry.

The study was undertaken to better assess the current market situation for booking portals and online delivery services. The study, conducted by a company based in Switzerland, shows that food delivery services and restaurant booking portals are playing a growing role in the Irish and European restaurant sector. This is leading to a more tailored and technology driven experience for customers. This was one of several trends in the restaurant and hospitality industry identified by the survey.

The study found that there is huge potential for growth in the online delivery sector because they are still at an early stage of development. It predicts that by 2023 revenue could grow by 10% annually.

5

Choices, choices

Say cheese ... but which one?

We are completely spoiled for choice in West Cork when it comes to great cheese – and supportive retailers willing to stock so many varieties. But lots of us still don’t know if we prefer camembert to blue so we just play it safe with Cheddar. Here’s something of a dummies’ guide to help you navigate the cheese counter this summer …

By Emma Connolly WE’VE all been there – standing at any one of the many wonderful cheese counters or stalls in West Cork, faced with a vast choice and wondering how on Earth we’re going to choose.

And when asked ‘how can I help?’ we just blindly point at any random cheese, or play it safe and stick with what we usually buy.

But this is the summer of change as our local experts want to get us tasting so we can figure out what we like – and what we don’t.

In the wonderful world of cheese that’s pretty much what it comes down to – personal taste. Yes, certain cheeses will compliment certain foods but the general consensus is to forget about any ‘sniffiness’ and just go with what tastes good to you, regardless of whether it’s mild Cheddar or the smelliest French Brie.

West Cork’s lush grass and community of producers means we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to fantastic cheese made right on our doorsteps, including the awardwinning range of cheeses produced by the Carbery Group in Ballineen.

We’re equally fortunate to have retailers supportive enough to stock these locally made products. One of the biggest cheese counters in West Cork has to be Scally’s SuperValu in Clonakilty who carry over 100 different varieties.

Don Cullen is head of their deli department and has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to cheese.

He’s ably backed up by Michael Mullins, their expert cheesemonger who has a lifetime’s experience while Kelly O’Connor is their cheesemonger in training.

The trio admit that it can be daunting picking from their huge selection of cheeses, but want to stress that they’re there to help – otherwise it’s a missed opportunity.

‘Tasting samples are always available on the counter and other cheeses can be sampled on request,’ they say.

‘We always have special offers on six of our cheeses at the counter, so it is an inviting opportunity for our customers to see our range we have available and to try new varieties they haven’t tried before.’

Their best sellers are Hegarty’s Cheddar cheese, Durrus cheese, Gubbeen cheese and Macroom Buffalo Mozzarella which are all made in the region. And their best all-rounder (eg suitable for a sandwich or burger topping or that will go down well with younger members of the family) is Hegarty’s cheddar.

‘It has great flavour. Other than that, Mexicana tastes lovely on a burger as it has a spicy flavour. Any smoked cheese will create a great burger,’ said Michael.

Eileen Collins heads up the cheese counter in O’Keeffe’s SuperValu Bantry where they stock up to 80 varieties including unpasteurised options.

‘Our best sellers are also Durrus and Gubbeen but also Coolea. Our goats and sheeps cheeses are also surprisingly good sellers,’ said Eileen who agrees customers can be a little shy when making their choices.

‘People can be slow to experiment but that’s where our tasters come in and I can see people getting more adventurous all the time. At this time of the year visitors are very keen to find out all about the locally made cheese,’ she said.

Of course a big part of the cheese experience is the accompaniments.

‘Again there are no right or wrong accompaniments for cheese – it all really comes down to

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personal taste,’ say the Scally’s trio.

‘Some love cheese with a relish or chutney, but others may prefer to enjoy the cheese on its own. Likewise with wine pairings, there is a huge selection of wines that can be paired with cheese and it all depends on what people like. Some may like a red wine with a strong cheese and others may like a white wine with a strong cheese. That is what’s so great about cheese – it’s so versatile!’

What is important though is storage, the experts agree. ‘It is important that all cheese is kept in the fridge and wrapped in parchment paper ideally to preserve it,’ says Don. And if you don’t want your cheese to taste like cardboard, remember to serve it at room temperature.

‘This allows flavours to be fully appreciated,’ said Don. Assembling a cheeseboard is something else that can throw even the most seasoned hostess. It’s easy to spend a small fortune without even knowing what you’re serving to guests.

‘The general advice for assembling a cheese board is to have five or six different types. We always advise our customer to start with a hard cheese, then soft, semi-soft, blue cheese and finally a flavoured cheese perhaps one with a fruit or nut. eg cranberry flavoured cheese.

‘After that, you can add fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, chutney or any selection of crackers or biscuits and quince to create the perfect board,’ said Don. When it comes to trends, fondue isn’t quite ready to make a comeback but wedding cheese cakes are still very popular.

Don says: ‘Each cake we assemble is different and we always ask our customers what they prefer in terms of flavour. Whether that is a cheese that has a strong flavour or if they like a light cheese or if they prefer to have fruit flavoured cheeses.’

Among the more unusual varieties shoppers should try right now in O’Keeffe’s is Cahill’s Porter Cheese, made in Limerick which looks like a cheddar infused in porter and looks like chocolate.

Scally’s most unusual cheese at

Eileen Collins of O’Keeffe’s SuperValu in Bantry.

Don Cullen and Michael Mullins, Scally’s SuperValu.

On the board!

present is the St Tola Ash log (a goats cheese made in Clare). It is rolled in traditional food grade ash when fresh, which helps to slow the development and maturation of the cheese. After a few weeks a beautiful smooth textured and full flavoured cheese emerges.

And the varieties we all need to add to our shopping lists to liven up our lunches this summer are: Haloumi, Feta, Mascarpone Gorgonzola Torte and Coolea cheddar.

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•

Best selling brands in West Cork include Carbery, Hegarty’s, Durrus, Gubbeen, Macroom Buffalo Mozzarella and Coolea – all of which are produced in the region.

•

Looking for a great cheese for a burger? Try any smoked variety or perhaps one with a touch of spice added.

•

With wine? Impress your dinner guests by pairing good cheese with good wine. Your best bet here is a cheese with a strong flavour, regardless of whether it’s red or white wine.

•

Getting married? – what about a savoury alternative to the traditional wedding ‘cake’ made entirely from delicious varieties of cheese?

Crisis in the kitchen

Too many cooks?

Unfortunately not.

The shortage of chefs in the Irish food industry is not a new problem, and if anything it’s getting worse. Niamh Hayes gets the views of some of those who are dealing with the situation on a daily basis THEY are the people who feed us when we don’t feel like cooking. They are the people who spend an extra few seconds making our food look irresistible. They are the people who work evenings and weekends while the rest of us are sitting at home. These people are of course, chefs.

Look at the local tourism industry in West Cork. Without chefs, the hundreds of restaurants, hotels and cafés would not be open. They keep the locals and visitors fed and watered every day of the week. They provide breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for anyone who is hungry.

However, more and more premises are being forced to take actions such as closing for several days a week or closing for a few months of the year to try and deal with a growing issue – the difficulty of hiring and retaining chefs.

One restaurant in Kinsale, Jim Edwards, has been advertising for a full-time chef since the start of the year but cannot fill the position. Owner Liam Edwards has tried locally and nationally, as well as contacting job agencies that say they have no chefs on their books. One would imagine that lots of chefs would jump at the chance of working somewhere such as West Cork, so why are restaurants and hotels finding it so hard to recruit them?

Richy Virahsawmy, owner of Richy’s Restaurant in Clonakilty, identifies one major obstacle when it comes to hiring and retaining chefs. ‘Owners are forced to offer huge salaries to chefs, who are sometimes just out of college, because they won’t be able to find

‘The pool we are choosing from is reducing considerably.

There are less and less passionate and enthusiastic young chefs out there’

Alex Petit, Executive Chef at the Celtic Ross Hotel.

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someone otherwise. The owner then cannot afford to hire anyone else and the chef is left to work 60 plus hours a week which is unsustainable. Because of this, chefs often burn out and the owner is back to square one, looking for a replacement.’

The one advantage that Richy has is that he is an owner who is also a chef. If he is ever stuck for someone in the kitchen, he can step in without any disruption to the restaurant, as opposed to owners who have never worked in a kitchen before, it is much harder for them.

However, Richy has had his fair share of difficulties when it comes to hiring chefs. ‘In the past couple of years I have been forced to utilise the non-EU work permit programme to employ two chefs because there was nobody available locally. We were turned down twice for this but after months of persistence, we got two great chefs. The process certainly is not easy,’ says Virahsawmy.

Perhaps hotels have somewhat of an advantage over restaurants because they also have revenue from functions and bedrooms, and maybe this allows them to be able to afford to pay their staff, including chefs, more than restaurants possibly could, or at the very least, maybe they are able to take the hit a bit better if their restaurant isn’t doing so well.

That being said, hotels also seem to be experiencing difficulties. Alex Petit, Executive Chef at the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery, says that the time it takes from the point of advertising for chefs to the time of recruiting them,

has increased considerably.

‘It can take up to three or four months. We now must come up with interesting offers such as accommodation for potential candidates to even look at the job description. The pool we are choosing from is also reducing considerably.

There are less and less passionate and enthusiastic young chefs out there,’ says Petit.

Is it that fewer people are choosing to be chefs nowadays? Dr Noel Murray is the Head of Department of Tourism and Hospitality at Cork Institute of Technology. He has seen a decrease in the numbers of people entering culinary courses, but it is not just in Cork. When he speaks to his colleagues across the country, they are also experiencing the same thing.

The decreasing interest isn’t the only reason for the hiring difficulty though.

‘Nowadays there are lots of alternative options when you finish a culinary course, rather than going to work in a hotel or restaurant.

Big multi-national companies have top-notch catering facilities and they are hiring chefs to do the work,’ says Murray.

These companies can provide good wages and sociable hours and can be more appealing to newly qualified chefs.

‘Accommodation shortages can also be a deterrent to chefs applying for

Liam Edwards of Jim Edwards bar and restaurant in Kinsale has been very vocal about the ongoing chef shortage in the Irish food industry. jobs in locations such as West Cork,’ adds Murray.

The message across the board seems to be that chefs generally don’t enter the industry for money, they do it because they have a passion for food and cooking. The key therefore to hiring and retaining chefs is to create a positive working environment, where chefs have a good work-life balance.

This coupled with a government and industry-led approach to education and training, to help attract new people into the sector, should lead to less difficulties for restaurants and hotels.

Noel Murray, Head of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality in CIT.

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Restaurateur profile

Richy Virahsawmy

THINK GLOBAL, EAT LOCAL!

Who are you?

Richy Virahsawmy, chef-owner of Richy’s Restaurant & RCafe in Clonakilty. We’ve had it since 2002, so 17 years! My wife Johanna does the payroll, books and some pastry and I do day-to-day running of the business, menu planning, cooking etc.

‘We’re all about the food’

How did you decide you wanted to be a restaurant owner?

I started working in kitchens when I was 14. I always felt I could do it and be my own boss so I set myself a goal to have my own restaurant before I was 26. I opened Richy’s 10 days before I turned 26!

What type of training have you had?

I trained in London Catering College. Then worked my way up through the kitchen ranks; kitchen porter, 1st commis chef, demi chef de partie, chef de partie, junior sous chef, sous chef, senior sous and then head chef and executive head chef. After all that I was ready to set out on my own.

What challenges have you experienced along the way?

In the beginning the enthusiasm, energy and excitement really keeps you going.

The amount of decisions that you have to make daily is sometimes overwhelming.

In your normal day one probably solves three problems in the first 10 minutes of the day alone.

How has the hospitality industry changed over the years?

The dining scene has changed. At the moment the trend seems to be towards more casual settings. Trends come and go a lot faster than before. As we are all more travelled, we see a lot more international cuisines too. Social media plays a huge part of engaging with guests.

What do you love most about your job?

I love that every day is different. I also enjoy problem solving and engaging with the guests.

What’s your least favourite part of the job?

Long hours probably, but in fairness as the business has matured I do manage to get a really good work-family balance nowadays.

What qualities are important for a restaurant owner?

Patience, ability to work well under pressure, problem solving and also to have a good understanding of finances. Also a positive outlook when shit hits the fan keeps you going!

H | DINNER TIES

Would you change anything about your journey so far?

No wouldn’t change a thing, it’s been a learning curve. We could have done without the floods for sure though.

Open daily from 5pm

Do you enjoy dining out or is it too close to work?

I love dining out. Its interesting to see different operations. We are spoilt having such good restaurants in West Cork.

1673 | ARISCAFE.COM

BOOK NOW 023 8821852 Wolfe Tone Street, Clonakilty

Any disasters early on in your career?

Six floods, a recession, two years of roadworks and now again two years of roadworks. The journey has been testing to say the least.

Any advice for anyone who wants to own their own café/restaurant?

Oh yes, do a basic electrician’s course – also plumbing and finance. Do the maths and business plan. Don’t just go into any business with rose-tinted glasses. Just because you love food doesn’t make one a great business person. It is not the easiest business to make a living.

www.richysrestaurant.com

What’s your favourite dish from Richy’s Summer menu?

Whole boat fish with baby potatoes and salsa verde – a cracking dish with summer flavours, just what I would order if on holidays!

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Bread culture

What’s the best thing since sliced pan?

Eaten bread is soon forgotten, but with the wide range now available, consuming this dietary staple can be a far more memorable experience, writes Aisling Meath BREAD is symbolic and sacramental, a food enjoyed since the dawn of civilisation, and in revolutions from Versailles to Cairo, history has shown it as one which every government must provide or risk a downfall.

An alchemy between water, flour and salt, bread is an essential part of the global diet, and since ancient Egypt has been enjoyed in both its forms either as leavened – bread that has risen, or unleavened – the flatbread variety.

The bakers of West Cork continue to provide the comfort of the traditional with favourites such as brown soda bread, while at the same time embracing the new in response to the surge of interest in ‘world breads’.

People are also becoming increasingly aware of nutrition and many supermarket bakeries now provide delicious ‘health breads’ which often suit people with gluten intolerance and those following a low-carb diet.

There has been a spectacular rise in global popularity for sourdough bread, which is proving to be a popular choice for people with gluten intolerance.

Marius Szczepinska, a Polish baker, has been with Collin’s Centra in Drimoleague since 2006. Along with his other baking skills he introduced

his own receipe for sourdough bread from Poland, which is being enjoyed for its light texture and great taste.

There are many versions of sourdough and Marius makes it to suit the Irish palette by reducing the sour content, and it is a welcome addition alongside the ‘Tim’s Table’ range available at the store.

‘It’s a big plus to have Marius and the rest of our baking team who consistently provide excellent breads to our customers’ said Sean Collins ‘It’s great to share our culture through food and we welcome our non-national community bringing new recipes and skills which we are delighted to incorporate into our range.’

There is also a sugar-free oat bread and a granary loaf enriched with calcium and iron, all freshly baked on the premises.

Andrew Healy of SuperValu in Dunmanway has also noticed the changing tastes.

‘There has been a consumer shift towards new breads of the world with sourdough being a typical example.’ he said.

‘Our experience is that the core customer is sticking with the basics of homemade brown, but treating

themselves on occasion to the new world breads; and they are not afraid to experiment with new products.

‘The pumpkin seed bread baked at Healy’s is proving to be a big hit with customers along with a great variety of other breads to suit all tastes and nutritional needs.’

Many people watching their diet often try to reduce their intake of carbohydrates, but really miss bread in all its tasty manifestations.

Liz Murphy, a Skibbereen solicitor decided to make her own when she couldn’t find an alternative that she enjoyed. She started Liz Murphy, who has developed a popular recipe making her grain-free, for grain-free breads. linseed and almond SuperValu, along with bread – at first for herself but soon their own range of delicious breads. people who tried it found it delicious, ‘It was very rewarding that people and good enough to share. with specific health conditions, such as Since 2017 Liz’s grain-free bread diabetes, told me they were enjoying it is produced at the bakery in Fields

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and including it in their diets.’ said Liz who is currently developing a dairyfree version.

‘We are finding our corn bread to be a big seller,’ said Eoghan Scally of Supervalu Clonakilty ‘and people are loving our chia bread as well.’

The bakery in Scally’s will be celebrating its 15th anniversary in November and their team of eight bakers are constantly trying out new

flatbread on sale at SuperValu in both Clonakilty and Skibbereen.

This ancient form of bread is made at the ‘Al Sham bakery’ by the Syrian community in Cork and it’s popularity is growing apace as people enjoy the authentic flatbread.

‘We currently make three types of bread’ said Mohamad Maarof, manager at Al Sham bakery. ‘We have a brown and a white flatbread and a

Baking fresh bread every day INCLUDING • White & Brown sliced • Brown Soda • Sourdough • Rye Loaf • Bracks • Fruit Brack

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Evangeline Kingston and Sheila Trunwit, Collins Centra Drimoleague.

recipes to bring to their customers.

Palestinian bread which is smaller and Sourdough is also proving to be a resembles a pitta bread’ he explained. big hit in Clonakilty, and the team at So, if you want to save on food miles, Scally’s welcomed a specialist baker West Cork has many options for locally from France who came to demonstrate produced global and healthy bread. the process of making it.

‘There are various stages to the process of making sourdough,’ explained Eoghan, ‘but above all you can’t rush it.’

The process of making leavened bread like sourdough was discovered, probably by accident, between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago when dough fermented and produced gas – and a risen loaf. Thus began the process of using a ‘leaven’ from one batch of dough to plum the rest.

The bakers at Scally’s are also currently developing turmeric bread as well as bread with aronia berries, which is a purple ‘superberry’.

Many people are also enjoying the availability Camilo Fernades, of Healy’s Dunmanway. of ‘unleavened’

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14

Fish & chips

Spuds and batter are what matter!

By Brian Moore WARS have been started for less. Here, in West Cork there are many strongly held opinions and there has been many an argument as to what is essential when it come to the best fish & chips.

In an attempt to provide clarity, West Fork set out to investigate, research and analyse, with the help of The Fish Basket in Long Strand and L’Escale in Schull, just why fish & chips in West Cork is so particularly delicious.

part of any fish & chips,’ Peter said.

Let’s face it, the batter brings another level of deliciousness, and it’s something that can’t be replicated with frozen fish, which is unfortunately to be found in some restaurants across the country.

‘Yes, the batter is very important, it has to

extremely important.’

There is an unmistakeable French flavour at L’Escale, that has proved extremely popular with customers.

This is enhanced by the lovely wine list, which is available to enjoy with your meal. However, in the early days of the business there was a major debate

Location, location ...

There is one more, and some might say vital, element to the perfect fish & chips experience and this is a factor that does add a truly special flavour.

‘Well, at The Fish Basket, we are steps from the sand and the waves on Long Strand, so you can eat your food outside at one of our tables with the taste of the sea air in every bite. There is nothing like a good fish & chips, freshly prepared and enjoyed overlooking the beach and the sea,’ Peter Shanahan said.

Marc Legrix at L’Escale totally agrees that the location makes all the difference.

‘Diners can see the fishing boats and yachts, just a stone’s throw away from the restaurant,’ Marc said.

‘The boats that deliver our fish are moored within walking distance of the kitchen and the sea air adds to the enjoyment of any meal at L’Escale.’

Fresh flavour

‘It’s not that difficult really,’ said Peter Shanahan who runs The Fish Basket overlooking the beach at Long Strand, and the newly located food truck in the grounds of the Celtic Ross Hotel as part of a joint venture.

‘It’s all about the quality of the fish, first and foremost. You have to get that right and we are luckier than most here in West Cork to have access to some of the finest fish anywhere.’

At The Fish Basket if you ask for the classic fish & chips you’ll get super fresh hake. However, the menu also includes scampi, lemon sole, squid and even ray wing. They serve a platter for two (or one very hungry person) and The Fish Basket is also famous in the area for their fish tacos.

At L’Escale, located on the pier in Schull, the freshness of the fish is also the utmost priority. ‘We’ve been in the fish business for over two decades and we only serve the freshest fish available,’ Marc Legrix at L’Escale said.

‘You can see the fishing boat tied up at the pier only a few metres away, that delivered the fish you’re enjoying from your table. Here we serve haddock when you order fish & chips.’

As with The Fish Basket, the variety and range of fresh seafood available at L’Escale is not limited to haddock.

‘We also have whiting, monkfish, mussels, prawns and grilled lobster.’

Marc explained.

On the batter!

Key to any great serving of fish and chips is the batter on the fish. ‘This has to be light and very crispy and we make ours fresh everyday – it’s an essential

between those who wanted to serve the much-loved ‘chip’ and those who wanted a more Gallic-style ‘French fry’ or ‘skinny chip’.

‘In the end, we just went ahead and put both on the menu, but they are all made with real potatoes and that’s only what we use,’ Marc explained.

Then is just down to whether you’re a tartare sauce, ketchup, or mayonnaise person. Personally, I say all three.

be crispy and also add some flavour, we have a very special and secret recipe for our batter,’ Marc said.

Clóna Dairy Products Ltd., Sand Quay, Clonakilty, Co. Cork 023-8833324

Attention to detail

Well, in Ireland we’re all about the spud, right? So the variety of the potato and how it’s prepared is as important as the quality of the fish and the batter.

‘Just as our fish is from West Cork, we use only local potatoes when we can,’ Peter Shanahan said.

‘We cut or ‘chip’ all our own chips and the most important element is that we achieve a fluffy interior and a really crisp coating on the outside of each one. That’s why we fry each basket twice to get them just right. Also we use vegetable oil, which we change every day at the weekends and every second day during the week, clean oil is

info@clona.ie | www.clona.ie |

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Staying competitive

Well, how’s about VAT? What effect is the increase in VAT likely to have on West Cork’s food and beverage industry? Paula Burns investigates OVER the past few months you may have noticed your morning coffee costs a few cents extra or that Friday night meal out left your pocket feeling a little lighter then usual. The reason for it could be a VAT hike for the hospitality industry that was introduced at the beginning of the year.

The VAT rose from 9% to 13.5%. Back in 2012 the VAT rate had been reduced to 9% in a bid by the Government to help the somewhat dwindling tourism sector. However, this year the Government took the initiative to raise it back up with the view of bringing an estimated €400m back into the State coffers. So what does this mean for us, the consumers?

The Restaurant Association of Ireland has come out against the hike saying that it could result in business closures and the loss of jobs. They also predict it will have a more adverse effect on

in prices when it comes to drinking and eating out.

An increase in the VAT rate that will inevitably trickle down to the consumer is something we, as a tourist destination, and consumers can’t really afford.

Local business owner – Sinéad O’Crowley of An Súgán restaurant and guesthouse in Clonakilty views the hike in VAT as a ‘nationwide solution to a Dublin problem’. Sinéad believes that when the government decided to restore the 13.5% rate they were not thinking about how it would affect smaller businesses outside of the capital.

‘In reality, businesses like mine are seasonal and therefore are only very busy for eight weeks of the year. It’s far too much of a jump and I really think it’s quite harsh,’ she explains.

Sinéad goes on to say how the government fails to realise that it is local businesses such as hers that employ a huge number of people and with the rise in VAT these could be in jeopardy.

‘Businesses like mine employ a wide range of people from the local community. Be it mums working parttime or students and other full-time employees, but these jobs could be threatened because it is a seasonal business. We’re not sure how the season will go so inevitably employers begin to look at their overheads to cover the cost of VAT,’ says Sinéad.

She is also aware that relaying the hike onto the customer isn’t always the solution. ‘I don’t want to raise my prices as it’s not just the tourists that would be affected but also the locals

regional and rural areas.

With this in mind, is the VAT increase going to having a negative impact on our tourist industry, an industry that many small towns and businesses rely on?

Let’s face it – most of us choose to go abroad for our annual holidays, not just for the sunshine but also the cheap food and drink that can be had.

What’s not to like when you can have a large gin and tonic for less than €5 on the south coast of Spain as opposed to €7 or €8 in Ireland? If the prices were cheaper, would this entice us to holiday more at home?

Currently, Dublin is the eighth most expensive city to visit in Europe – just ahead of Paris (ninth) and Copenhagen (tenth). While Dublin is renowned for being more expensive than the rest of the country, other counties aren’t lagging too far behind

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See you there!

who we rely on all year round,’ she explains. ‘For the winter months we’re looking to include a meal package with our bookings in the guesthouse. A lot of our guests during those months are retired so it would work well for them and us. We have also put off doing some renovations in order to keep costs down, too, this season.’

While her latest VAT bill took a ‘substantial leap’ from the one before, it isn’t all doom and gloom. Despite the most recent figures showing that tourism in Ireland was down 0.4% in May, Sinéad has had a good season so far. Most of her visitors are from England and the US, with a growing number of German and Dutch people holidaying here.

‘The Wild Atlantic Way is a huge draw for these tourists and has been a phenomenal success. In the early months of the season, we had a lot of retirees come and this will be the same for the latter end of September and into October,’ she says.

With three big wedding venues in the area, Sinéad also sees a high number of Irish visitors. ‘It’s great having the wedding venues nearby because quite often people coming down for a wedding make the most of it and stay for two or three days,’ says Sinéad.

Unfortunately, the VAT rate increase is a reality that cannot be escaped. As always, the towns of regional Ireland such as those of West Cork seem to come off worst. However, in another sense, big cities are no match for places on the Wild Atlantic Way. The beauty of the area, the friendliness of the people and the craic that can be had is free – leaving us a cut above the rest.

Sinéad O’Crowley of An Súgán restaurant and guesthouse Clonakilty.

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My perfect picnic

Al fresco excellence!

Emma Connolly asks some well-known local personalities what they’d pack for their ultimate picnic experience and where they’d go to enjoy it …

Patsy Puttnam

Costume designer and script reader Yikes, picnics, couldn’t bear them, not in the 1950s anyway. Fish paste sandwiches, sickly orangeade, an apple, rarely even a bag of crisps.

Sodden grass then cricket. My brother hogged the bat while I was condemned to be fielder.

Fast forward 1983. Kashmir, Srinagar a place of heavenly beauty. Sacha (my son) and I residing in a duck-egg blue Edwardian houseboat by a Mughal rose garden on Dal Lake. A picnic in the mountains amongst the shepherds was planned.

A crystal and sunshine filled day. An ancient carpet resembling the State flag was unfurled and thrown on beds of dried herbs. The long walk up had us ravenous.

when the rising sun would clip the top of the Caha mountains.

Next thing, over the mountain from the Laurach side arrived a NewAger Crusty with a dog on a rope.

And standing there he proceeded to expound on the wonders of nature.

I invited him to break his fast with us. And as the sun rose his animated commentary illuminated every shade, shadow and shaft of light. After the picnic, I asked our guest if he needed a lift anywhere. He said he’d gladly take a lift to anywhere we were going. So he came back to Cork with us and stayed for a week.

Just goes to show: Two’s company.

Three’s a bit of craic. (Fiona O’Toole is still with me - a quarter of a century later).

forget the experience of simple food at its freshest.

My favourite picnic would be such a lunch produced in West Cork by our amazing artisans transported to our green grass meadow overlooking the river Ilen.

Conal Creedon

Writer, playwright and documentary writer I grew up in downtown Cork city. The notion of eating al fresco was as far removed from my childhood reality as the antics of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five.

But 25 years ago I invited my new

Louise O’Neill Author

Patsy Puttnam.

In no time a fire was crackling, fishing rods were out by the rushing stream. A silver samovar for almond tea. Soft goats cheese wrapped in muslin and olives on a hand thrown platter.

Cucumber, celery, walnuts and tomato salad. Rainbow trout still squirming caught by Sacha and the men wrapped in wet paper and baked. I will never

Conal with partner Fiona.

I would insist on having honey and mustard sausages from MJ O’Neill’s Butchers in Clonakilty (my father makes them himself and they’re so good it’s practically a religious experience) and some Rosscarbery BBQ pulled pork in a floury bap.

girlfriend at the time – Fiona O’Toole to the Beara Peninsula, to watch the sun rise over the Caha mountains, from the crest of the Healy Pass. On a blanket draped across the low wall I laid out my spread of dainties and delights – fruit salad, orange juice, honey glazed ham, cheese, tomato, spring onions, olives, brown soda and a flask of tea.

We sat there in silence, looking out on the darkness on Adrigole, the land of my mother’s people, waiting in anticipation for the magical moment

Louise with boyfriend Richard.

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I’d pack olives, artichoke hearts and stuffed vine leaves, and there would have to be an excellent guacamole with chips. I’d throw in two containers of salads - watermelon and feta, and sliced fennel, orange, and almonds. I don’t drink but I’ll bring some Pimm’s mixed with strawberries and basil for my boyfriend, Richard.

Where am I heading on my picnic?

Inchydoney of course. The picnics of my youth on that beach consisted of sandy sandwiches and warm 7UP, but all I can remember now is the heat of the sun on my face, the salt drying in my hair, and the sound of my mother’s laughter as she sunbathed with her friends. They were the best of times

Adrienne Harrington, Chief Executive, Ludgate Hub

Saturday is the perfect day for our picnics as we’re not working and we can get great food at the Farmers’ Market in Skibbereen.

The food has to be easy to prepare and ready to eat. So we start with the bread, the basis of any good picnic and pick up some breads from the Baking Emporium. Next stop is Lisheen Greens for their wonderful salads and tomatoes, and then it’s on to Gubbeen for cheese and meats. West Cork Olives provide olives and pesto, and the final stop in the market is always Kalbos for their famous brownies.

A quick stop then to Field’s for Union Hall smoked mackerel pate as well as their cheesecakes, those traditional Cork buns that my husband George loves and which contain no cheese at all! And finally, we pick up some bones in Walsh’s butcher for our two rescue dogs Roxie and Ollie.

And then it’s back in the car and we

Attenborough; Joni Mitchell; Billy Connolly and Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand prime minister.

Joe O’Leary

Proprietor, Levis Bar, Ballydehob and formerly of the band Fred

Adrienne with her husband George and their dogs Roxie and Ollie. head to Sheep’s Head for the afternoon, to one of the small beaches there.

Before heading home with two very wet dogs, we pack everything away leave no trace.

As I’m pretty much chained to the bar in Ballydehob at the moment I’d enjoy my picnic out the back in the top corner of my garden – looking out on the 12 Arch Bridge when the tide is in.

That’s just the easiest place to get to at the moment although my ideal spot would be Heir Island although there’s slim chance of that right now!

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Christopher O’Sullivan Clonakilty, Cork County Mayor

My perfect picnic would have to be on a beautiful beach called Sands Cove near Ardfield.

It’s a great, hidden away spot that’s very private and quiet. It’s a popular spot for basking sharks and the like and a place I like to swim and kayak.

It’s one of my favourite places and where we’d have gone as kids.

Growing up my family and I would

Tel: 028 21277 info@westcorkhotel.com www.westcorkhotel.com Joe O’Leary with his partner Caroline O’Donnell.

Christopher O’Sullivan. have enjoyed lots of picnics here and for my ultimate picnic experience I’d pack everything I’d need for a West Cork tasting plate.

So I’d toss in some Ummera smoked salmon, Gubbeen chorizo, Durrus cheese, olives from the Stuffed Olive Company, Sally Barnes mackerel and spelt sourdough from the Baking Emporium.

I would definitely be a basket man but I’d have everything thrown in and I’d serve up on a board and wash it all down with a nice bottle of Rioja.

If I could choose my ideal guests to share my picnic it would be David

ev

Skibbereen, Co.Cork Tel: 028 21277 info@westcorkhotel.com www.westcorkhotel.com

So I’d gather Caroline, our two kids (aged two and a half and four months), our folks, friends and musicians and we’d have a BBQ feast.

I’d serve up black pudding burgers and sausages from Walsh’s Skibbereen; Gubbeen ribs; Gubbeen cheese and West Cork Olives.

For afters we’d have strawberry tartlets from Coolagh Bakes who are at the market here in Levis’ every Wednesday morning.

I’d also have my mother, Joan’s porter cake with lemon curd from Eithne McCarthy. And it would all be washed down by Bertha’s gin and tonic. Yum. (And Caroline says that after all that we’d also need to have a defibrillator on standby!)

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Career choices

Class coffee!

Paula Burns meets two West Cork school teachers who are running successful coffee businesses SWAPPING the grinds of the educational kind for those of the coffee kind is currently trending in West Cork. With two coffee outlets owned by teachers you can be assured the coffee is A+. But what was it that enticed these two to set up their own coffee businesses?

‘When I was younger I worked in bars and the hospitality industry and I loved it. I really enjoyed interacting with people, having laughs and now I get to do this serving coffee at Full of Beans,’ explains Patrick Hayes.

Instead of relaxing for the threemonth summer break; secondary school teacher Patrick is whipping up cappuccinos in his coffee trailer at Inchydoney beach. The students of Skibbereen Community School have nothing to fear though as this is just a summer gig for the moment.

The proud Clonakility man is delighted to be bringing something new to the beach of Inchydoney where he spent so much of his childhood.

‘Serving coffee here gives me a chance to welcome people to the area, especially tourists,’ he says. ‘As a local I’m able to chat away and provide people with some of the history and background of the area and I can advise

‘Serving coffee here gives me a chance to welcome people to the area especially tourists’

them on places to visit.’

With Clonakilty being close to his heart, using local produce was the only choice.

‘The coffee we use is roasted locally by Stone Valley, just two miles up the road in Clonakilty. It’s roasted in the shop so customers can go in and see the process. We have gotten great feedback and reviews and I’m delighted to be able to use a local company,’ he explains.

When setting up the trailer, Patrick was very conscious of any negative environmental effects it may have on the location. Instead of sachets of sugar that often find themselves on the ground rather then in the bin he opted to store sugar in glass jars. You can also often find him picking up other rubbish that may be littering the sandy

22

shores of Inchydoney.

‘Clonakilty is an award winning town and I hate to see any rubbish around. If I see plastics and recyclables I will take them and quite often people have come up to me with plastics they have picked up. I’m always glad to take them and have given free coffee in return!’ says Patrick.

In keeping with sustainability his coffee cups and lids are 100% compostable and he promotes the #keepcups on his Instagram page.

Customers can avail of

Above: The Full of Beans coffee truck at Inchydoney.

Patrick Hayes of Full of Beans with his girlfriend Tara.

20 cent off their coffee for using their keep-cups.

Although it has only been a few weeks since Patrick set up his coffee trailer he has been extremely humbled by the response of locals, friends and family.

‘My girlfriend Tara has been such a huge support and really helped in the setting up along with my friends and family. There’s no way I could have done it without their help,’ explains Patrick.

Colm admits there’s a huge difference from running a classroom to running your own business, though it has been a change he has fully embraced.

‘You get to meet a wide variety of people from in and around West Cork. You also meet tourists and those who have holiday homes down here.

The exposure to meeting fascinating characters who are now my regulars has been great.’ says Colm.

In the two years since opening,

At the WCC Roastery, Tony Speight specialises in roasting high quality, single origin coffee.

West Cork Coffee supply multiple artisan & sustainable cafes and restaurants such as Good Day Deli, O’Neill’s Coffee House, TWIG, Food Depot and newly awarded Michelin Star, Ichigo Ichie.

‘Sustainability and keeping things local are very important’ WCC have now launched a very popular coffee subscription service.

You can receive a 6 or 12 month supply of specialty coffee, roasted & delivered to your door.

Free postage in the ROI.

In Skibbereen, former Special Needs O’Neill Coffee House has become a teacher, Colm Crowley swapped the regular stop-off for many on their classroom for running his own coffee way to work or on their lunch breaks. shop two years ago and hasn’t looked Keeping things fresh and being able to back. Colm has transformed the create a space for more then just coffee well-known O’Neills grocery shop is something Colm has embraced. on Townshend St into the modern “I want to make better experiences for phenomenon of the coffee shop. my staff and customers. We have had Taking inspiration from the coffee pop-up afternoon tea and exhibitions shop scene he had enjoyed while from local artists. I’m always looking at living in Melbourne, Australia, Colm ways of keeping things fresh.’ brought the concept back to the place With nominations for Best he grew up. With the grocery shop as a Newcomer and Best Café in the Irish backdrop he has created an old worldly Restaurant Awards it seems the teacher vibe to the coffee house. has become something of a star pupil ‘When setting up the in the coffee shop world. coffee shop I decided to keep the old shop front which meant keeping the name.

I also retained the original countertop and some of the shelving. I wanted to keep as much as I could,’ says Colm.

Keeping old traditions Colm has ensured that local produce take pride of place. His coffee hails from the West Cork Coffee roastery in the Old Forge in Innishannon, while local dairy farmer, Kevin O’Donovan of Gloun Cross, provides his milk, in sustainable glass bottles.

‘Sustainability and keeping things local are very important.

Our cups are compostable and so are the sugar sachets. Both are from Down2Earth in Cork,’ explains Colm. ‘We give 10 cent back on keep-cups and offer refills of water for people using reusable bottles.’

Colm Crowley, O’Neill Coffee House.

For more information visit www.westcorkcoffee.ie

Dunmanway, Co. Cork | Tel: 023 8845236 Dunmanway, Co. Cork | Tel: 023 8845888 Set in the idyllic hills of the heart of West Cork, steeped in local Irish tradition and family hospitality reception@parkwayhotel.ie | www.parkwayhotel.ie Ideally situated in the heart of West Cork, steeped in local Irish tradition and family hospitality

SERVING FANTASTIC FOOD 7 DAYS A WEEK Carvery 12pm – 2.30pm, 12pm – 4pm Open seven days a Lunch week our Lounge Bar offersSunday Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and is the perfect place to meet for a relaxing drink, or dine with a friend or business client, or take time out to surf the net using our wireless broadband whilst enjoying a refreshing cup of Freshly Ground Coffee .

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Our Evening offers the best of traditional cuisine.

Catering for allmenu special occasions for over 40 years!

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Choose from a selection of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes thoughtfully prepared using only locally sourced produce.

A selection of mouth-watering home-made desserts are available.

EVENING Á LA CARTE MENU | 4PM - 9PM Guests may have a meal saved and ready for them when they return outside these hours

Mobile magic

Keep on truckin’!

David Forsythe gets an inside track on the evolution of food truck culture in West Cork IF you hadn’t noticed, there’s something of a quiet revolution taking place on the West Cork culinary scene.

The once humble (and sometimes best-avoided) chip van is undergoing a transformation. From Dursey Sound to Kinsale you will find them – food trucks, street food vendors and pop-up eateries offering menus as long as the queues forming to sample what’s on offer.

This new breed of eatery all share a commitment to quality, fresh, local ingredients. Yes there are burgers and fish & chips, among a wide variety of other delectable treats, but these are gourmet burgers, this is fresh, locallycaught fish, these are hand-cut chips, and that’s just for starters.

Back in 2014 Diana Dodog had recently returned to live in Courtmacsherry, her husband Michael O’Donovan’s hometown, after the couple had spent some time travelling and then living in New Zealand. They both worked in hospitality and Diana decided to enter RTÉ’s Masterchef TV show and to her amazement she ended up winning the competition and the €25,000 prize.

‘With Diana winning Masterchef it was important that we made the most of the publicity,’ Michael told The Southern Star. ‘We needed to do

‘If you are a young chef and you want to start something – to open a restaurant – then you really need serious backing financially. With this ... you can make a name for yourself and without the huge financial burden, it makes a lot of sense’ something relatively quickly so we started looking around Clonakilty for a possible premises for a restaurant.’ It soon became apparent however that setting up a restaurant would not be easy.

‘There was a lot of red tape, licensing issues, leases and all of that, it just seemed like it would take forever,’ said Michael. The couple were still determined to set up a business though and that’s where the idea for the food truck came from.

‘We had come back from New Zealand where food trucks are much more common than they are here,’ Michael explained. ‘So that’s really how it started – we were able to get up and running and it just went from there.’ That was six years ago and Michael and Diana haven’t looked back

24

since. The Food Depot Street Kitchen has become a permanent fixture in

Courtmacsherry, attracting loyal customers and curious visitors from miles around every weekend.

‘We keep relatively short hours, that way we hope people won’t get bored with what we are doing.’ The current bestseller at the Food Depot is their signature Vietnamese-style pork belly wrap made with pork from Caherbeg Farm in Rosscarbery. ‘It’s very important to us that we use quality local suppliers. It’s that quality that keeps people coming back.’ he added.

In Bandon the New Zealand influence is also apparent at O’Reilly’s

O’Reilly’s food truck in Band on ser ves gourmet burgers, fresh fish and hand-cut chips .

Service Station where a food truck was introduced just over a year ago.

Owners Sean and Siobhan O’Reilly asked chef Kevin O’Regan to come on board to improve the food offering at their Bandon and Cork city service stations and it was he who suggested the food truck idea.

‘We all come from restaurant backgrounds and I had seen in New Zealand what can be achieved with food trucks and that’s really where the inspiration came from,’ Kevin explained. ‘From the start this was all about quality. With this format you can keep the costs down, it’s very flexible and you can see how it goes and try things out.’ Locally sourced produce again is central to the offering with everything made from scratch – even the mayonnaise.

‘The demand has been phenomenal,’ said Kevin. ‘In our first week we had to go from two to six staff and a year later it is still as popular as ever. It just goes to show that if you provide quality and value people will keep coming back.’

Kevin believes that the flexibility and low cost of the food truck format will see more and more quality outlets opening in West Cork. ‘If you are a young chef and you want to start something – to open a restaurant – then you really need serious backing financially. With this you can focus on one or two things, do them really well and focus on your passion for food.

You can make a name for yourself and

Tasty collaboration between the Celtic Ross and the Fish Basket In Rosscarbery, one successful food truck business – The Fish Basket – has now put down permanent roots in the former Puffin Café at Long Strand and is proving to be a huge hit with customers. In addition to this, the truck itself won’t be retired anytime soon as it has found a new home at the nearby Celtic Ross Hotel. In this novel collaboration between the two businesses customers can enjoy fresh fish and chips al fresco in the new outdoor eating area at the Celtic Ross for the summer months.

Above: Husband and wife team Michael O’Donovan and Diana Dodog run the very successful, Courtmacsherry-based, Food Depot Gourmet Street Kitchen. without the huge financial burden, it makes a lot of sense. It’s also fun, you meet the customer face-to-face. It’s a very attractive option for people who are starting out in their careers as well.’

So, if you are out and about in West Cork this summer and you smell something delicious in the air, follow your nose, chances are there’s a gourmet food truck around the corner.

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www.skeaghanoreduck.ie | Tel 028 37428 Skeaghanoreduck @skeaghanoreduck skeaghanoreduck 25

On the grapevine

Our man in Vancouver Skibbereen’s Owen Thornhill is enjoying flying the flag for West Cork and Ireland at one of America’s leading wineries, writes Brian Moore SOME might say that it’s a long way from a family business specialising in electrical goods in Skibbereen to sampling and selling some of the best wines in America, but Owen Thornhill is living the American dream in more ways than one, surrounded by the lush vineyards of Washington State, USA. Owen, who has become known as the ‘Irish Ambassador’ at Maryhill Winery tasting rooms in Vancouver, Washington State, moved to the Pacific Northwest with his wife Kaitlin and after a few jobs in the local area, took up a job at the vineyards belonging to Maryhill Winery. This multi-award winning establishment is one of Washington State’s largest and mostvisited wineries. It attracts more than 75,000 guests to the area annually, and was named the Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year in 2015.

‘I didn’t know much about wine when I started working in the production facility at Maryhill, so I set about getting to know the different wines and learning about them,’ Owen said.

‘After a while I grew in knowledge and confidence and became a server and tour guide, and in time the company made me head guide at the winery.’

Owen moved to the 4,890-squarefoot tasting room at the waterfront

in Vancouver when it opened to customers for the first time back in April of this year.

‘Here at the tasting rooms in Vancouver it’s more about those who want to stop in after work for a glass of wine, grab a plate of food and hear some live music,’ Owen says.

‘At Maryhill we have over 60 different wines available so I began by learning as much about these as I could,’ Owen explained.

Washington State is the second largest wine producer in the USA, with over 50,000 acres producing varietals such as Merlot, the state’s most planted variety, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Syrah and Carménère to name a few others.

While the vineyards of Washington State are known first and foremost for heavier reds, there are some whites available as well, with Semillon, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris the highlights.

Back in the new tasting rooms in Vancouver, Owen oversees an impressive range of wines all produced at the Maryhill vineyards.

‘At the moment I have about 16 “favourites”. I’m learning something new everyday about the wines and at the moment topping my list is the

Carménère from the Rattlesnake Hills AVA, which is unique and fairly rare.’

Owen met his wife Kaitlin, who hails not far from Vancouver, at a soccer game in Cork City when she was studying there, and the couple have been married for six years.

When Owen, who became an American citizen two years ago while working at Maryhill, moved from the vineyard to his new position at the waterfront tasting room, he and his wife also set about purchasing their first home together.

‘I am really enjoying the lifestyle and the work here in Vancouver. While the food isn’t as good as what’s available in

A view of Maryhill W

West Cork, the climate here is good, with warm summers and cold dry winters. I won’t be going home for a while, as we are just settling into our new house, but my brother Richard has been over and he really enjoyed the outdoor activities such as mountain biking. My parents (Michael and Kathleen) were over to visit last year.

‘For now we’re settling into to our new home and I’m continuing to gain as much knowledge as I can about wine,’ Owen said. All in a day’s work.

There is one thing about home that he does miss however – ‘There are lots of good craft beers here in this region, but I do miss a good pint of Murphys!’

inery, overlooking th

26

e Columbia River Go

rge.

Sunday lunch 1 to 3pm.

Afternoon Tea 2 to 4.30pm.

Clonakilty, West Cork

ADRIFT RESTAURANT AT DUNMORE HOUSE

Clonakilty, West Cork. tel 023 883 3352 www.dhh.ie

INNOVATIVE, ORGANIC, LOCAL

Our Team, Your Food Innovative, Organic, Local A sense of place by the sea using the finest of raw materials from West & County Cork.

An interesting and varied bar menu offering crisp salads, fresh sandwiches, local seafood, the most tender steaks, and many more choices.

Irish Hereford for 30 days. s sourced from in Clonakilty.

Cork

cd

Bar Menu 12 to 9pm daily.

Sunday lunch 1 to 3pm.

Afternoon Tea 2 to 4.30pm.

Where possible we source our food locally; fresh seafood and shellfish from Union Hall, meats from Clonakilty craft butchers and organic produce from the surrounding West Cork countryside.

Clonakilty, West Cork. tel 023 883 3352 www.dhh.ie

CAROLINE MURPHY, THE HAPPY HEN LOVER ROSSCARBERY, WEST CORK, COUNTY CORK EGG LOVERS DIAL 086 6017677 INFO@WESTCORKEGGS.IE

cd

MOLLY’S CAFÉ & WINE BAR

Restaurant Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 12.00-8.30 Sunday 12.00-6.30

087 365 6826 Kirbys Korner Bar & Restaurant, Ballinhassig.

Award winning family run business Traditional, warm, friendly & welcoming ambience.

Diverse range of superb food sourced locally and available on a daily basis.

Child friendly, romantic & can accommodate groups, special occasions and private functions.

CLONAKILTY WEST CORK

Ballinhassig

Telephone :+353 (0)21-488-5282 Email: kirbyskornerbar@gmail.com Website: www.kirbyskornerbar.com 27

Family Owned & Family Friendly Eat in or Take Out All day breakfast available • Extensive Lunch Menu Large selection of Homemade baking and desserts Party food available (booking essential) OPEN 7 DAYS Mon to Sat 8.30 am to 5 pm Sun Open for breakfast and Teapot Treats 10 am to 2 pm

Sackville Street, Dunmanway 023 8855538 086 3547121 or 086 0854604

Bridge St, Skibbereen, Cork | www.thechurchrestaurant.ie | info@thechurchrestaurant.ie

Mizen Head

Ireland’s most Southwesterly Point on the Wild Atlantic Way

“One of the best attractions in Ireland...”

Pic: John Eagle

“... spellbinding”

Mizen Café & Gift Shop www.mizenhead.ie

GPS: 51° 27’ 0.59” N - 9° 49’ 5.99” W

028-35000 / 35115

28

Producer profile Richard Graham Leigh Who are you?

Richard Graham-Leigh, founder of Regale Biscuit Company Ltd. and West Cork Biscuit Co.

DELICIOUS HANDMADE

BISCUITS

Have you always had an interest in the food/beverage industry?

Since my mid-life crisis 30 years ago, when instead of going for a sports car and philandering, I abruptly changed careers – from retail management to cooking, as I was sick of retail and have always loved cooking.

OF TRUE CHARACTER

What is the extent of your education in the industry?

I went back to college at the age of 43 to gain some professional qualifications, so I could get work as a chef. Then, through being in the right place at the right time (several times!), I managed to work at some seriously good places, and learned a huge amount ‘on the job’.

What led you to the particular area of the industry that you’re in now?

Necessity. We had been restoring our old stone farmhouse near Dunmanway for about seven years, when we ran out of money (as you do), and needed some fairly quickly. At my last chef job in London I’d been making all sorts of top-quality hand-made foods, so it was simple to make some biscuits at home, and sell them at Clonakilty Farmers’ Market. They all sold the first day, and that was the start.

What have been the bigger challenges experienced along the way?

Two major practical problems – how to finance growth, and distribution.

Have there been any crucial turning points in your career?

The most important turning point was the day I linked up with my business partner, who is good at all the stuff I’m terrible at (selling, marketing, negotiating etc.).

Any early disasters?

Many. Starting a business from scratch is a great big learning curve (especially if you’re in it by accident), and you don’t know something is a mistake until you’ve done it. You need to be resilient and flexible – or possibly stubborn and in blissful ignorance.

What do you love most about your job?

Looking at the business, and seeing something which wasn’t there before: a number of high-quality products of which anyone could be proud – our own West Cork Biscuit Co. range plus more than half-a-dozen private label brands - and a number of people working who otherwise might not be.

FINE IRISH INGREDIENTS are at the heart of our biscuits: Irish butter, local free-range eggs, top-quality Irish oats

Describe a typical day at work Having reached an age when everything is starting to slow down a bit, I’ve tried to reduce my hours at the bakery. I still go in every day for a few hours, but the day-to-day running of the business is now down to the really excellent triumvirate of general manager Marion, bakery manager Piotr, and operations manager Vincent, while I focus on the general direction of the business and keeping the customers satisfied. I try not to interfere too much.

Regale Biscuit Company Underhill, Dunmanway, Co Cork t: +353 (0)23 889 5155 e: admin@regale.ie www.regale.ie

Any advice for anyone who wants get involved in the industry?

Be sure there’s a market for your product, and that there aren’t loads of other people with the same idea. Go for quality and service – you’ll never be able to compete with the big players on price.

What makes West Cork such a vibrant place for food/drink producers?

A lucky combination – temperate weather – no extremes of anything as a rule; fantastic grazing which makes for great dairy products and meat; a tradition of making food from scratch which never really disappeared here, and which has found new life in the last three decades. And of course, the people.

If you could do one thing to improve the lot of the producer in West Cork, what would it be?

At the moment I’d like a nice hassle-free distribution network. Tomorrow it’ll be something else, but that’s the nature of business!

29

Seaview House Hotel & Bath House Ballylickey, Bantry. Tel 027 50073 info@seaviewhousehotel.com Perfect for Beara & Sheep’s Head walking or a trip to the Islands 4 Star Country Manor House Hotel, set in mature gardens.

Highly acclaimed by Michelin & Good Hotel Guides as one of Ireland’s top destinations to stay and dine & 100 best in Ireland.

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Enjoy an Organic Seaweed Bath in one of our Bath Suites, or a Treatment in the newly developed Bath House with hand crafted woodburning outdoor sauna and hot tub; a perfect recovery following activities such as walking and cycling.

Two AA Rosettes award For the perfect Day Out join us winning Restaurant. for Afternoon Tea /Afternoon Sea Finest country house cuisineserved Join us for Dinner nightly or Sunday or our famous Sunday Lunch with with an emphasis on prime Lunch in our Restaurant.

House Dessert Hotel &Trolley.

Bath House aSeaview Traditional seafood and local produce.

Located in the heart of Kinsale overlooking the Harbour Food Served Daily in Sidney’s Bar and Garden Lounge from 12noon – 9:00pm

Afternoon High Tea served Saturday Seaviewon House Hotel & Bath House by reservation.

The ideal setting for a relaxed dining experience with a wide variety of freshly prepared dishes

Enjoy an Organic Seaweed Bath in one of our Bath Suites, or a Treatment in the newly developed Seaweed Bath House & SPA. 4**** Manor House Hotel- Ideal for Small Intimate Weddings, Special Events, Private Dining and Afternoon Tea. 4**** Manor House Hotel- Ideal for Small Intimate Weddings, Special Dining and Afternoon Tea. Set within fourEvents, acres ofPrivate beautifully manicured and mature gardens set

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Se

4***

Set ba aw disco

Ballylickey, Bantry, Co. Cork. | Rela www.seaviewhousehotel.com | info@s prid Ballylickey, Bantry, Co. Cork. | Tel: 027 50073 back from the Sea. Seaview House Hotel is West Cork’s finest multi Set award within winning four acres of beautifully manicured Country Manor Escape.

Thisand is amature perfectgardens location set for back from the Sea. House is West scenery Cork’s finest discovering some of Seaview the worlds mostHotel spectacular alongmulti the Wild award winning Country ManorAtlantic Escape.

This is a perfect location for Way. discovering some of the worlds most spectacular scenery along the Wild Atlantic Way. Winning Restaurant, which Relax after your exploring in our Award

Ballylickey, Bantry, Co. Cork. | Tel:itself027 www.seaviewhousehotel.com | info@seaviewhousehotel.com prides on its50073 excellent seafood and locally sourced produce. Our Relax afteropened your exploring in our Award Winning newly Seaweed Bath House will alsoRestaurant, help you relaxwhich and www.seaviewhousehotel.com | info@seaviewhousehotel.com prides itself on its excellent seafood and locally sourced produce. Our

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30

ne

Top tips

A little extra on the side eaview House Hotel & Bath House

To tip or not to tip, that is the question. Tipping, or giving gratuities, is an almost natural thing to do in restaurants, bars and hotels in places like the USA and mainland Europe, but traditionally it has been somewhat less common here in Ireland over the years, writes Niamh Hayes

THE culture of tipping has hit pocket tips are going in, are we still headlines in recent months as it willing to give them here in Ireland? has come to light that Ireland has In an online survey conducted by a problem with the ownership of The Southern Star, readers were asked tips. Do the employers who run the to give their opinions on the tipping establishments or the employees who culture. When asked if they give tips tips from restaurants and hotels, all of those ** Manorreceive Housethe HotelIdealthe forcustomers Small IntimateinWeddings, them?

The Government is Afternoon looking who Specialown Events, Private Dining and Tea.responded said that they do tip or at addressing this problem by changing usually tip. lawoftobeautifully protect those working in mature gardens When asked within fourthe acres manicured and set how much they give, the service industries areCork’s finest majority said they usually give between ack from thethe Sea. Seaview House where Hotel istips West multi Regina given and, Manor on Monday, July 8th is 10 and 15for percent of their bill amount. ward winning Country Escape.

This a perfect location Doherty, Minister for spectacular Employment Others more ‘set’ amounts overing some of the worlds most scenery along thesuggested Wild Atlantic Way. received Affairs and Social Protection of between €3 and €10.

Government approval on a draft Heads Cash is the preferred method of ax after yourofexploring in our which a Bill which willAward regulateWinning practicesRestaurant, payment of tips, and when asked if tips des itself onaround its excellent seafood and locally sourced Our tips and gratuities.

The Heads of produce. should go directly to the employees, ewly opened Seaweed Bath willintends: also help youagain relaxeveryone and Bill set out how theHouse Minister had the same response.

• To amend the Payment of Wages They all agreed that tips should be Act to ensure that tips and gratuities given to the workers rather than the cannot be used to ‘make-up’ or satisfy employers, with one respondent saying a person’s contractual wages; and that the tips ‘should be shared between • To provide for a requirement on front of house and kitchen staff ’. employers to clearly display, for the Finally, readers were asked if tips benefit of workers and customers, should be subject to standard income their policy on how tips, gratuities tax laws. The majority said that tips and service charges are distributed. should be exempt from tax, with just Speaking on the issue, the Minister one respondent saying they should be said: ‘It has become clear over the past subject to income tax laws. number of months that in a minority Sounds like good news for service of establishments, workers are not staff, with the majority in favour of being treated fairly with regard to tips. giving tips. However, one must look at As I said previously, I will not tolerate the other side of the coin too. this on my watch and now, having In the USA, the tipping culture received approval from Government, I makes doing certain things more look forward to introducing measures expensive for customers. Not only are which will improve the situation and, you supposed to tip in restaurants, crucially, have a sound legal basis. I bars and hotels, you are also expected am determined to always stand up for to give a gratuity when you are getting fairness and the employment rights of your hair or nails done, when someone low paid and precarious workers.’ packs your groceries away in the Under the proposed changes, supermarket, or when someone parks employers would no longer be allowed your car. All of these people are getting to use tips to bring their employees’ pay paid to do their jobs anyway, but rely into line with their contractual wage. on tips and gratuities to make up the Currently in some establishments, shortfall in their wages or to make a albeit a minority of them, service staff little extra income. are receiving less than their contracted At present the federal minimum wage from their employer, on the basis wage in the USA is $7.25 per hour but that their pay is supplemented by tips each individual state can declare its from customers. own minimum wage, which is either But what if the customers don’t give the same as, or more than, the federal tips on any given day? Well the service rate. However, an employer of a tipped staff could be going home with less employee is only required to pay $2.13 than what it states in their contract. per hour in direct wages if that amount The new legislation would protect combined with tips at least against this. equals the federal So, with the uncertainty of whose minimum wage.

If it doesn’t, the employer must make up the difference. Does that mean that in establishments where customers are good at giving tips, employers get away with paying very little wages as the customers make up the shortfall?

It certainly looks that way. However, workers need not worry about this happening here in Ireland if the new legislation comes into effect, as there will be a protection against it.

Tel: 027 50073 seaviewhousehotel.com

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So, while It is unlikely that the tipping culture here will turn as extreme as the USA or mainland Europe any time soon, if you are provided with a service, and if the person providing you with that service does a good job, and if you can afford it, it might be nice to show your appreciation to that person by giving them a tip.

An Chistin Beag

Open Mon-Thurs 9.30-5.30pm Fri-Sat 9.30-9pm Closed Sundays & Bank Holiday Mondays

mp03.5-03.9 sruTh-noM nepO mp9-03.9 taS-irF

Deasy’s Harbour Bar & Seafood Restaurant

syadnuS desolC syadnoM yadiloH knaB &

forClonakilty DINNER Ring Open Village, Wed-Sat 6pm 9.30pm.

Tel: 023 8835741 Early Bird Menu available.

Fine Food Home Cooked Locally Produced

“homecooked locally produced food” 46 Bridge Street, Skibbereen, Co. Cork | 028-22019

”doof decudorp yllacol dekoocemoh“ 91022-820 | kroC .oC ,neerebbikS ,teertS egdirB 64

Serving LIGHT LUNCHES daily SUNDAY LUNCHES 1pm - 3pm RING, CLONAKILTY, WEST CORK

Serving Breakfast Lunch & Dinner

For Bookings Call 023 8835741

Open Tue, Wed & Thur 9:30am - 5pm Fri & Sat 9:30am - 9pm Closed Sunday & Monday

Opening Hours:

Open for Dinner Wednesday - Saturday 6pm - 9.30pm Open for DINNER Wed-Sat 6pmMenu - 9.30pm.

Early Bird available Early Bird Menu available.

Serving LightServing Lunches Wednesday - Saturday 12.30pm - 3pm LIGHT LUNCHES daily Sunday lunch 1pm - 3pm SUNDAY LUNCHES 1pm - 3pm

OPENING HOURS

46 Bridge Street, Skibbereen, Co. Cork | 028 22019

Dinner Served Wed - Sat 6.00-9.30 For Bookings Call 023 8835741 Early Bird 6.00-6.45 Sunday Lunch 1.00-3.00 Light Lunches served Wed-Sat 12.30-3.00 RING, CLONAKILTY, WEST CORK

Choose from a range of Wholesome Meals, Homemade Cakes and Desserts or Coffees & Teas

Berehaven Lodge Restaurant Waterfall, Castletownbere, Co.Cork.

Stunning Seaview Deck

Open 7 days Lunch 12-5pm, Dinner from 5pm Open Fire Cooking or Braai every Friday from 12pm

New St., Bantry, Co. Cork | Tel (027) 55809

Phone 027-71306 to reserve 32

28 ADVERTISING FEATURE

THE SA

Download our App now at www.southernstar.ie

Welcome to to the new look Murph Murp Welcome WE ST COR K SuperValu, Castletownbere SuperValu,

BUSINESS & TOURISM AWARDS

New bakery Our relocated and expanded in-house bakery will continue to offer our customers a choice of freshly baked breads and confectionery throughout the day, using traditional artisan methods. The last bakery to operate in Castletownbere closed down in the 1970s and we are proud to bring this tradition back to Castletownbere.

2019

ARE YOU A FOOD BUSINESS IN WEST CORK? Have you entered yet? alu Castletownbere are aine Downey at Murphy’s SuperV We, Chris and Lorr

store which has recently undergone

to our new look our customersup welcomeenter delighted tocan Entry is free •You categories exciting shopping experience and g you a2new brinto to r orde in t men bish extensive refur , locally sourced products at nt to our customers by providing fresh our commitme A great way tounbe toshowatab raise your company’s profile le value. tly expanded 1840, our family run store, has recen A presence in Castletownbere since ring many new exciting featu e, spac floor of feet sq 00 to provide shoppers with 15,0 additions and innovations.

Award winnin counter

Based in Ireland’s largest white fish p fish counter has now increased in si pier just yards from the store. Our e are happy to give you advice on coo Our fish is guaranteed fresh, if it hasn have it!

Murphy’s Super Valu has over eigh ence. All the meat sold on our butch 100% traceable back to the farm.

Local food: supporting local producers

HERE’S A REMINDER OF SOME OF yLAST YEAR’S WINNERS. Chris & Lorraine Downe COULD THIS BE YOU IN 2019?

West Cork is feted as one of Ireland’s premier food destinations.

We are committed to showcasing the best local artisan produce including Beara Eggs, Milleens Cheese, Beara Distillery, Irish Atlantic Sea Salt, The Laughing Oyster, Beara Preserves, Joe Hanley Milk Supplies and Shellfish d la Mer. We have been part of SuperValu’s Food Academy range for some time, and our new look store, will now enable us to fully display this range. We are committed to promoting healthy living and have also expanded our health and wellness section.

Best Artisan Food Company CAHERBEG FREE RANGE PORK

‘It’s great to win international awards but to win in the home place, there’s nothing else like it.’

Avril Allshire

Best West Cork Festival A TASTE OF WEST CORK

Best Customer Service MURPHY’S SUPERVALU Best wishes and

Murphy’s of Castletownbere

Come and see our

‘This is truly brilliant. Thanks to oursuccess 60 staffto continued Chris & Lorraine from: who are at home and still working.

We treat our customers like our family, because that’s what they are.’

Construction Ltd Lorraine Downey

GAVIN POWER

NEW LOOK STORE

www.drin

JOIN IN THE CELEBRATIONS Best New Business

23 NOVEMBER: It’s incredibly special this award hasTHURSDAY come • Official ribbon cutting at 11am to us; a huge thanks to all the businesses • Come in West Cork because we wouldn’t have a & See Hector our MC for the festival without them; you are A Tasteevent of all morning • Cooking Demo with Kevin Dundon from 12pm West Cork.’

• Spin the Wheel Competition Helen Collins

C

WEST CORK EGGS

RD

with lots of prize giveaways

Best Wishes to all in Castlet

‘This means the world to me; thanks to everyone in West Cork for their support. It’s just amazing to be recognised by your peers.’

Caroline Murphy

MICHAEL HARRIN

Castletownbere | 086-8046846

Kevin Dundon

Main contractor to Murphy’s SuperValu

T:

FRIDAY 24 NOVEMBER: 11 AWARDS CATEGORIES TO ENTER IN 2019 TH

E

IZ

PRI

• Spin and Win - last chance to win

OPENING HOURS

ENTER HERE

Best wishes and continued success to Murphy’s Super Valu from:

7. Best Use of Digital • Spin the Wheel Competition continues Murphy & O’Connor Ltd • Meet our local producers 8. Most Innovative/Unique Business BUILDERS PROVIDERS Hector Ó hEochagáin Bantry Best West Cork Festival SATURDAY 25TH9.

NOVEMBER: Tel: 027-50024 • Family Fun Day with10. face Best painting,Tourism Experience balloons and games LOCHBEAG 11. West Cork Young Business Person of the Year • Christmas Colouring Competition PR

Best Artisan Food Producer Best Customer Service Best Marketing Initiative Best New Business Best Not for Profit Organisation Best Small to Medium Enterprise

PRIZE

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

• In store food tastings from some of our amazing suppliers

ZE

PLUMBING & HEATING

Spin & Win

Monday – Saturday: 8am - 9.30pm Sunday: 9am - 9.30pm

Commercial & Industrial

Castletownbere | T: 086-3516687 Proprietor: Diarmuid Dudley All types of heat pumps supplied & fitted Well Boring All your plumbing and heating requirements

corkcountybusinessandtourismawards.ie

33

Congratulations Lorraine and C F Bank of Ireland Bu Kerry and

Wishing Murphy's Super Valu continued success.

Stro

F a b r i c

STRUCTURAL STEEL

Killowen, Ennis Tel: 021 733820 www.strokerf info@strokerfa

Wishing Murphy’s su

The Final Word

‘It’s the West Cork effect’ Rob Krawczyk of the Michelin-starred Restaurant Chestnut in Ballydehob is emphatic about the importance of West Cork, its people and its produce in their success WHEN Elaine and I were setting out to open our own restaurant we looked at a lot of different places, but when the little pub in Ballydehob became available I knew that we had to jump at the chance to set up in West Cork.

I grew up not far from Ballydehob, near Dereenatra, and while we had come back many times to visit my parents and to relax for a while I somehow took it for granted just what this area of West Cork had to offer when it comes to lifestyle and the incredible produce that is available right here on the doorstep.

I started my cooking career, after I finished art college, with chef Richard Corrigan at his restaurant – Bentley’s – in London and then I headed to Berkeley, California to work with the champion of local sustainable food production, Alice Waters at her restaurant Chez Panisse.

It was at Chez Panisse I saw first hand how important it is to have really good produce, and equally that with good local produce you should do as little as possible to it.

We have the very best growers, fishermen and butchers in West Cork, all of whom are very passionate about their produce. With this incredible local produce, it makes our job so much easier because you don’t have to do too much to it.

Elaine and I, having worked abroad for so long, knew exactly what we wanted our own restaurant to be all about. The Chestnut, the village of Ballydehob and West Cork in general, ticked all the boxes because from day one we wanted to focus on quality over quantity. We wanted a small restaurant, where we could showcase the very best that is available from the local producers.

We also wanted a place where we could have a good work-life balance as well, and this is why we decided to ensure that we would work hard to evolve with the food available to us and so ensure that our philosophy at the restaurant was maintained and consistent, while staying true to what I suppose you’d call the West Cork spirit.

When we set up in Ballydehob we were immediately struck by the incredible people and the community spirit that is so evident – even to those who are just visiting the area. This, for us here in The Chestnut is very important as we want to be able to enjoy the area and the community. Ballydehob is a very creative and social place.

Also as a chef here in West Cork I am very lucky because there is an incredible network of people who produce fantastic local food all within a few miles of each other.

34

The weekly farmers’ markets are perfect places to meet these producers and to get to know them and to work with them.Most chefs would love to have this kind of access to such fantastic growers and we have it all here, on our doorstep in West Cork.

The last year has been a bit of a whirlwind really. One minute, Elaine and I were setting up our small, 18seat, perfectly formed restaurant in an old and tired, but full of character, rural pub, then the Michelin inspectors turn up.

We haven’t changed our philosophy, we are concentrating on maintaining our standards and showcasing the very best food that is produced in West Cork.

We know that we couldn’t have achieved all we have anywhere else, it’s simply the West Cork effect.

Hotel Seafood Restaurant Traditional Pub Craft Brewery Open daily for Breakfast, Lunch & Evening Meals Baltimore, West Cork | www.caseysofbaltimore.com Reservations please Tel: 028-20197 or email us at info@caseysofbaltimore.com SUMMER OPENING HOURS: Tuesday - Thursday: 3 - 10pm Friday & Saturday: 1 - 11pm Sunday: 1 - 10pm

Local Fresh Fish & Burgers

ay Takeaw Main Street (Fields carpark), Skibbereen Call & collect 028-23332

Willie Pa’s

Licensed Restaurant Open Thursday to Sundays 12 to 9pm Open Daily 12 noon to 9.30pm

Lunch Menus & À La Carte Menus Available Locally Sourced Produce ● Fish Specialities ● Prime Irish Beef Homemade Desserts ● Daily Blackboard Specials All Group Sizes Catered For

Private Parking Colomane Cross, Bantry Tel: 027 50392 Email: williepasbantry@gmail.com

The Copper Pot Restaurant & Bar @ The Clonakilty Hotel Wolfe Tone Street, Clonakilty, West Cork reception@theclonakilty.com | www.theclonakilty.com www.facebook.com/thecopperpotrestaurant.com

T 023 885 8866

35

CLONAKILTY

36