As we enter the cosy autumn and winter months, you and your clients can hunker down and follow Dermot O’Leary on a foodie tour of the island of Ireland through your TV sets. But as the year slowly draws to a close, why not go one step further and suggest clients cross the Irish Sea for an immersive food experience of their own?
Dermot’s Taste of Ireland aired on ITV1 last month and the five-part series is available to view now on ITVX. Tune in to follow the primetime TV favourite as he meets the chefs and locals that champion and celebrate the island of Ireland’s gastronomic heritage.
Speaking of the programme, O’Leary quips: “It’s exciting to see modern Ireland through second-generation eyes – and to show that Ireland’s food is more than cabbage and stews... although all their cabbage and stews are also great.”
It’s time to further whet your appetite with some of the best experiences taking place throughout the last three months of the year, which are sure to “fill your hearts with Ireland” – and your clients’.
Taste and place
Imagine warming your cockles with seafood chowder in a coastal pub as the wind whips up the sea, or settling down for an Irish stew after a bracing walk through an 18th-century town… food in Ireland isn’t just about the taste; it’s about the place, and the people who lovingly produce and present it.
The island of Ireland is bursting with incredible food experiences, and farmers’ markets are a great starting point. Think busy stalls laden with artisan cheese, beech-smoked Irish salmon, soda breads and mountain lamb. Markets offer a great opportunity to meet local food heroes, too. Suggest the English Market in Cork, St George’s Market in Belfast and the Temple Bar Food Market in Dublin.
Many locations offer up expert food guides too, who can help visitors cook a supper they’ve caught on the soft white sands of the Wild Atlantic Way, for example, or delve into the deep traditions of Ireland’s whiskey.
Communities across the island of Ireland retain strong connections to land and water, and producers are reviving small-batch production and reimagining old traditions with local produce.
These unique immersive gastronomic products and experiences, and exciting seasonal festivals (see box) offer visitors a deep connection to Irish traditions:
1. Irish Premium Oysters, County Donegal
From the crystal-clear waters of west coast Donegal, the Gallagher family exports plump, fresh Atlantic oysters to a worldwide fanbase. They make sure, too, to hold back glistening samples for visitors lucky enough to join the semi-retired Jimmy Gallagher on the shores he has worked for decades.
2. Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery, County Laois
Your clients can join 13th-generation farmer David Walsh-Kemmis on a guided walk of the barley fields and hop garden where he grows the raw materials used in his on-site farmhouse brewery. David shares stories of his family’s 400-year farming history before a tutored tasting of traditional stouts and ales.
3. Aran Goat Cheese and Food Tour, Inis Mor, County Galway
Charismatic Aran islander Gabriel Faherty was a deep-sea fisherman who now makes award-winning goats cheese and extols the heritage of Inis Mor. Travellers can also visit the Blath na Mara seaweed producers to learn how this traditional resource is being reimagined by a whole new generation.
4. Echlinville Distillery, County Down
Visitors can work up a thirst exploring the nature trails that weave around the Echlinville estate before joining a Tour and Tipple experience to sample this family-run farmhouse distillery’s commitment to field-to-glass production.
5. Woodcock Smokery, County Cork
Sally Ferns Barnes is renowned for her environmentally-friendly and traditional preservation methods. “All our fish is wild, with no colourants or artificial nonsense,” she says. Sally has teamed up with conservationist Max Jones of Up There the Last to create The Keep: an educational centre in the coastal hills of West Cork to share the art. Seasonal events include coastal foraging, fish smoking courses and summer evening aperitivo tastings.
6. Broughgammon Farm, Ballycastle, County Antrim
Regenerative farming and ethical meat production drive the Cole family’s smallholding farm just off the Causeway Coastal Route, with an on-site butchery, cafe and farm shop. Farm tours can be pre-booked, along with seasonal supper clubs and hands-on workshops. You can also drop in for a self-guided tour of the no-dig vegetable gardens.
