Imbolc for Palestine
The ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc marks the coming of spring, an opportunity to celebrate the coming of light and longer days. It’s also a wonderful excuse to gather after the rigours of January and eat good food together – specifically Palestinian food cooked by chef Nour Elnono (pictured above), for a Gaza Fundraiser night in Waterford.
Edel Tobin, the founder of Waterford Walls, and Sarah Richards of Seagull Bakery have teamed up to bring Nour to the Seagull Bakehouse in Tramore on Saturday 1 February.
A Palestinian chef and storyteller who works at preserving and promoting Palestinian culture through food, Nour will work alongside local chefs to cook her signature dishes, with all proceeds going to the Nour Foundation to support vulnerable families in Gaza. There will also be live music.
Tickets (€50) can be booked at streetartink.ie/product/gaza-fundraiser-gig-imbolc-night-with-chef-nour/
Spring into Arán’s inspired brunch
The grand stretch is finally on its way and a visit to the ever-exciting Arán Bistro and Bakery in Kilkenny is a fine way to celebrate a brighter outlook.
Owned and run by Filipino and Polish duo Nicole Server-Pawlukojc and Bart Pawlukojc, who met while interning at three-Michelin-starred Copenhagen restaurant Noma, the Áran brunch menu highlights local producers and adds an international flair.
On a road trip to the Marble city recently, I picked the no-vocado toast – mashed green peas and chickpeas, with Velvet Cloud labneh, Riversfield organic pumpkin and a Ballon Farms poached egg on a slice of Áran sourdough – while the teenager devoured a plate of brightly coloured French toast made with the purple ube yam, which is native to the Philippines.
We couldn’t leave without a stroll across the road to the bakery, which has just expanded into the adjoining space, to pick up some bread (all made from locally grown and milled flour) and pastries, along with a couple of bottles of their irresistible Korean-inspired savoury-sweet Magic Sauce.
Try Arán’s latest release, Smoky Sesame BBQ Magic Sauce. Great drizzled on scrambled eggs, over a breakfast rice bowl or with a sausage and egg muffin.
arankilkenny.ie
Arán's owners Nicole Server-Pawlukojc and Bart Pawlukojc with their two Magic Sauce retail products. \Kirsty Lyons
Scéal on the rise in capital
After a whirlwind year involving the launch of their debut cookbook and a new baby, the duo behind Scéal Bakery in Greystones, Co Wicklow, have announced that they’re bringing Scéal back into Dublin city.
Charlotte Leonard-Kane and Shane Palmer started their bakery in 2017 from a rented kitchen on the Elmhurst Cottage Farm in Glasnevin, selling their delicious wares at markets around Dublin.
While they’re keeping their seaside location in Greystones, the second Scéal branch will open this summer at the Wilton Park development by Dublin’s Grand Canal.
They’re not the only food-focused opening happening in this location with chef, TV presenter and author Mark Moriarty scheduled to open a dedicated studio and dining space in the area this spring.
Scéal L-R Shane Palmer, Charlotte Leonard-Kane. \ Shantanu Starick
Grumpy Bakers are bigger and better than ever
With Valentine’s Day coming up, this month your Maître’D is celebrating couples who are making it work in the food sector. And it’s also looking like 2026 is the year of the baker.
Cork’s The Grumpy Bakers have just made the move to a larger space in Midleton from their petite bakery and café space on Broderick Street. Owned by Sharon Gleeson and her partner Cathal O’Mahony, The Grumpy Bakers hit the ground running during the pandemic, opening their first premises in 2020, followed – due to demand – by a branch on Washington Street in 2021.
With a focus on sourdough breads and seasonal pastries using flour from suppliers including Irish millers Kells Wholemeal and Oak Forest Mills, you might call in for their lemon curd Kouign Amann or a pillowly s’mores Danish but you won’t be able to resist their superb sourdoughs.
Amidst all their baking and flavour innovating, Sharon and Cathal have also somehow found time to renovate and transform the former O’Donovan’s Restaurant at 58 Main Street in Midleton into a welcoming space that is home to a sit-down café and on-site sourdough bakery.
thegrumpybakers.ie
Sharon Gleeson and Cathal O'Mahony of The Grumpy Bakers.
A Ferthard kitchen experience
There’s a focus on local in Fethard, Co Tipperary, at Sinéad Delahunty’s in-demand Kitchen Experiences. Cookbook author Sinéad offers half-day, hands on cooking classes where participants make traditional Irish bakes using Irish-grown grains and the best of Irish dairy in her spacious, light-filled kitchen.
This space is also the base of operations for the two arms of her food business – Delalicious – is private catering, cookery classes and demos, while The Little Deer is Sinéad’s brand of jams, chutneys and café treats like protein balls, brownies and flapjacks.
Her monthly Kitchen Experience days take place on Saturdays (currently dates released are 31 January, 21 February and 21 March), kicking off at 9.30am and running until 1.30pm, with tea or coffee and lunch included.
If you’ve seen Sinéad cooking on Virgin Media One’s Ireland AM, you know that she loves to cook seasonally.
Classes are €70 and can be booked at delalicious.myshopify.com/products/kitchen-experiences
Sinéad Delahunty holding some jams from The Little Deer range. \ Odhran Ducie
Imbolc for Palestine
The ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc marks the coming of spring, an opportunity to celebrate the coming of light and longer days. It’s also a wonderful excuse to gather after the rigours of January and eat good food together – specifically Palestinian food cooked by chef Nour Elnono (pictured above), for a Gaza Fundraiser night in Waterford.
Edel Tobin, the founder of Waterford Walls, and Sarah Richards of Seagull Bakery have teamed up to bring Nour to the Seagull Bakehouse in Tramore on Saturday 1 February.
A Palestinian chef and storyteller who works at preserving and promoting Palestinian culture through food, Nour will work alongside local chefs to cook her signature dishes, with all proceeds going to the Nour Foundation to support vulnerable families in Gaza. There will also be live music.
Tickets (€50) can be booked at streetartink.ie/product/gaza-fundraiser-gig-imbolc-night-with-chef-nour/
Spring into Arán’s inspired brunch
The grand stretch is finally on its way and a visit to the ever-exciting Arán Bistro and Bakery in Kilkenny is a fine way to celebrate a brighter outlook.
Owned and run by Filipino and Polish duo Nicole Server-Pawlukojc and Bart Pawlukojc, who met while interning at three-Michelin-starred Copenhagen restaurant Noma, the Áran brunch menu highlights local producers and adds an international flair.
On a road trip to the Marble city recently, I picked the no-vocado toast – mashed green peas and chickpeas, with Velvet Cloud labneh, Riversfield organic pumpkin and a Ballon Farms poached egg on a slice of Áran sourdough – while the teenager devoured a plate of brightly coloured French toast made with the purple ube yam, which is native to the Philippines.
We couldn’t leave without a stroll across the road to the bakery, which has just expanded into the adjoining space, to pick up some bread (all made from locally grown and milled flour) and pastries, along with a couple of bottles of their irresistible Korean-inspired savoury-sweet Magic Sauce.
Try Arán’s latest release, Smoky Sesame BBQ Magic Sauce. Great drizzled on scrambled eggs, over a breakfast rice bowl or with a sausage and egg muffin.
arankilkenny.ie
Arán's owners Nicole Server-Pawlukojc and Bart Pawlukojc with their two Magic Sauce retail products. \Kirsty Lyons
Scéal on the rise in capital
After a whirlwind year involving the launch of their debut cookbook and a new baby, the duo behind Scéal Bakery in Greystones, Co Wicklow, have announced that they’re bringing Scéal back into Dublin city.
Charlotte Leonard-Kane and Shane Palmer started their bakery in 2017 from a rented kitchen on the Elmhurst Cottage Farm in Glasnevin, selling their delicious wares at markets around Dublin.
While they’re keeping their seaside location in Greystones, the second Scéal branch will open this summer at the Wilton Park development by Dublin’s Grand Canal.
They’re not the only food-focused opening happening in this location with chef, TV presenter and author Mark Moriarty scheduled to open a dedicated studio and dining space in the area this spring.
Scéal L-R Shane Palmer, Charlotte Leonard-Kane. \ Shantanu Starick
Grumpy Bakers are bigger and better than ever
With Valentine’s Day coming up, this month your Maître’D is celebrating couples who are making it work in the food sector. And it’s also looking like 2026 is the year of the baker.
Cork’s The Grumpy Bakers have just made the move to a larger space in Midleton from their petite bakery and café space on Broderick Street. Owned by Sharon Gleeson and her partner Cathal O’Mahony, The Grumpy Bakers hit the ground running during the pandemic, opening their first premises in 2020, followed – due to demand – by a branch on Washington Street in 2021.
With a focus on sourdough breads and seasonal pastries using flour from suppliers including Irish millers Kells Wholemeal and Oak Forest Mills, you might call in for their lemon curd Kouign Amann or a pillowly s’mores Danish but you won’t be able to resist their superb sourdoughs.
Amidst all their baking and flavour innovating, Sharon and Cathal have also somehow found time to renovate and transform the former O’Donovan’s Restaurant at 58 Main Street in Midleton into a welcoming space that is home to a sit-down café and on-site sourdough bakery.
thegrumpybakers.ie
Sharon Gleeson and Cathal O'Mahony of The Grumpy Bakers.
A Ferthard kitchen experience
There’s a focus on local in Fethard, Co Tipperary, at Sinéad Delahunty’s in-demand Kitchen Experiences. Cookbook author Sinéad offers half-day, hands on cooking classes where participants make traditional Irish bakes using Irish-grown grains and the best of Irish dairy in her spacious, light-filled kitchen.
This space is also the base of operations for the two arms of her food business – Delalicious – is private catering, cookery classes and demos, while The Little Deer is Sinéad’s brand of jams, chutneys and café treats like protein balls, brownies and flapjacks.
Her monthly Kitchen Experience days take place on Saturdays (currently dates released are 31 January, 21 February and 21 March), kicking off at 9.30am and running until 1.30pm, with tea or coffee and lunch included.
If you’ve seen Sinéad cooking on Virgin Media One’s Ireland AM, you know that she loves to cook seasonally.
Classes are €70 and can be booked at delalicious.myshopify.com/products/kitchen-experiences
Sinéad Delahunty holding some jams from The Little Deer range. \ Odhran Ducie
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