Get set for the war of the pâtissiers
If you’re a fan of Is It Cake? on Netflix, you might be interested in the first-ever Irish Pâtisserie Championship, which was recently launched by Odaios Foods and organised by their training academy, Co-Lab. The event is also sponsored by the very fancy Valrhona Chocolate (I do love a bitta Valrhona). The winning pastry chef will win a trip to the l’Ecole Valrhona in Dubai, where they will spend time with some of the world’s best pastry chefs.
So, the six finalist chefs have been announced and the final will take place on 27 May at TU Dublin’s Grangegorman campus. The finalists will compete live; creating three desserts and a chocolate showpiece.
Taking the “craft” out of craft brewing.
Taking the craft-iness out of craft brewing
You’ve heard of greenwashing, but have you ever heard of ‘craftwashing’? It’s when big breweries make a slightly different beer, stick it in a trendy-looking can and call it ‘craft’. Well, to help address the problem the Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland (ICBI) have decided to take semantics into their own hands and change their name to the Independent Brewers of Ireland (IBI).
Chairperson Libby Carton (Kinnegar Brewing in Co Donegal) says the new name describes a broader change within the industry.
“Given the undefined nature of the word ‘craft’, many macro-breweries have taken advantage of consumer interest in high-quality, independently brewed beer by flooding the market with faux-craft brands.
“The consumer is still looking for alternatives to the mass-produced products. By focusing on ‘independent’ rather than ‘craft’, we’re making it easier for beer drinkers to distinguish our products. The craft ethos in what we do remains unchanged.”
The domes at Finn Lough.
Go Wilde – in the most civilised way
Your Maitre D’ likes her creature comforts – I don’t generally fancy roasting my own sausages over a campfire – but I am also of the opinion that Wilde Dining (a company which brings dining experiences to unusual venues) manages to bring the comfort I crave to the outdoors in a way which is both beautifully curated and really inviting.
In a new collab with Finn Lough Hideaway (a luxury accommodation on Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh), founder Cathy McGovern appears to be outdoing herself.
On 16 May, Wilde Dining X Finn Lough will take guests on a guided tour of Finn Lough’s kitchen gardens followed by a multi-course dinner in their Shoreline Dome, sounds futuristic, doesn’t it? Fireside chats and live music will also feature; making the whole thing sound positively magical. £150/€175 per person.
• finnlough.com/wilde-dining.
Jp McMahon and Rosa Collins Butler launch the Young Diner’s Tasting Menu at Aniar. \Andrew Downes.
Aniar 2.0 is doing it (free) for the kids
Kids these days are constantly getting one up on their parents. They were born with a smartphone in their hand, they practice expensive skincare regimens and now, they can experience a Michelin-star 12-course tasting menu free when dining with an adult.
Jp McMahon, chef-owner of Aniar 2.0 in Galway offers a “Young Diner’s Tasting Menu” all year. In fairness to him, where other fine-dining restaurants might frown upon you bringing your gaggle into their swanky establishment, he has always encouraged kids to come and experience Aniar’s approach to Irish gastronomy.
The children’s tasting menu is normally €85, but for the next month, he is offering it free of charge.
The only stipulation is that, for each child (aged between seven and 15), there must be one paying adult diner. I’d love to bring my crew – my question is, would they appreciate it? Perhaps they would.
As I understand it, the children’s tasting menu is suited to picky palates. My kids are certainly picky, but they also love a little bit of luxury.
I can hear my littlest one now: “Garçon, please bring me your finest chicken and chips.”
The old Midleton Dstillery, County Cork. \ John Sheehan Photography
Rare price for Midleton whiskey
If you thought the other whiskey offerings from the Midleton Very Rare collection were – well, rare – you should hold on to your hat. They recently launched the oldest Irish whiskey ever bottled, called The Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six. It’s a 50-year-old single pot still and costs an eye-watering €60,000 per bottle.
This whiskey comes from the old Midleton Distillery, which closed down in the mid-1970s – fewer than 250 bottles are available. Us mere mortals will likely never be able to taste it, but I am assured it is deliciously aromatic with a palateful of citrus-forward flavour and a long, chocolatey finish. I’ll have to take their word for it.
• midletonveryrare.com
Read more
Spilling the tea with Maitre D'
Spilling the tea with Maitre D'
Get set for the war of the pâtissiers
If you’re a fan of Is It Cake? on Netflix, you might be interested in the first-ever Irish Pâtisserie Championship, which was recently launched by Odaios Foods and organised by their training academy, Co-Lab. The event is also sponsored by the very fancy Valrhona Chocolate (I do love a bitta Valrhona). The winning pastry chef will win a trip to the l’Ecole Valrhona in Dubai, where they will spend time with some of the world’s best pastry chefs.
So, the six finalist chefs have been announced and the final will take place on 27 May at TU Dublin’s Grangegorman campus. The finalists will compete live; creating three desserts and a chocolate showpiece.
Taking the “craft” out of craft brewing.
Taking the craft-iness out of craft brewing
You’ve heard of greenwashing, but have you ever heard of ‘craftwashing’? It’s when big breweries make a slightly different beer, stick it in a trendy-looking can and call it ‘craft’. Well, to help address the problem the Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland (ICBI) have decided to take semantics into their own hands and change their name to the Independent Brewers of Ireland (IBI).
Chairperson Libby Carton (Kinnegar Brewing in Co Donegal) says the new name describes a broader change within the industry.
“Given the undefined nature of the word ‘craft’, many macro-breweries have taken advantage of consumer interest in high-quality, independently brewed beer by flooding the market with faux-craft brands.
“The consumer is still looking for alternatives to the mass-produced products. By focusing on ‘independent’ rather than ‘craft’, we’re making it easier for beer drinkers to distinguish our products. The craft ethos in what we do remains unchanged.”
The domes at Finn Lough.
Go Wilde – in the most civilised way
Your Maitre D’ likes her creature comforts – I don’t generally fancy roasting my own sausages over a campfire – but I am also of the opinion that Wilde Dining (a company which brings dining experiences to unusual venues) manages to bring the comfort I crave to the outdoors in a way which is both beautifully curated and really inviting.
In a new collab with Finn Lough Hideaway (a luxury accommodation on Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh), founder Cathy McGovern appears to be outdoing herself.
On 16 May, Wilde Dining X Finn Lough will take guests on a guided tour of Finn Lough’s kitchen gardens followed by a multi-course dinner in their Shoreline Dome, sounds futuristic, doesn’t it? Fireside chats and live music will also feature; making the whole thing sound positively magical. £150/€175 per person.
• finnlough.com/wilde-dining.
Jp McMahon and Rosa Collins Butler launch the Young Diner’s Tasting Menu at Aniar. \Andrew Downes.
Aniar 2.0 is doing it (free) for the kids
Kids these days are constantly getting one up on their parents. They were born with a smartphone in their hand, they practice expensive skincare regimens and now, they can experience a Michelin-star 12-course tasting menu free when dining with an adult.
Jp McMahon, chef-owner of Aniar 2.0 in Galway offers a “Young Diner’s Tasting Menu” all year. In fairness to him, where other fine-dining restaurants might frown upon you bringing your gaggle into their swanky establishment, he has always encouraged kids to come and experience Aniar’s approach to Irish gastronomy.
The children’s tasting menu is normally €85, but for the next month, he is offering it free of charge.
The only stipulation is that, for each child (aged between seven and 15), there must be one paying adult diner. I’d love to bring my crew – my question is, would they appreciate it? Perhaps they would.
As I understand it, the children’s tasting menu is suited to picky palates. My kids are certainly picky, but they also love a little bit of luxury.
I can hear my littlest one now: “Garçon, please bring me your finest chicken and chips.”
The old Midleton Dstillery, County Cork. \ John Sheehan Photography
Rare price for Midleton whiskey
If you thought the other whiskey offerings from the Midleton Very Rare collection were – well, rare – you should hold on to your hat. They recently launched the oldest Irish whiskey ever bottled, called The Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six. It’s a 50-year-old single pot still and costs an eye-watering €60,000 per bottle.
This whiskey comes from the old Midleton Distillery, which closed down in the mid-1970s – fewer than 250 bottles are available. Us mere mortals will likely never be able to taste it, but I am assured it is deliciously aromatic with a palateful of citrus-forward flavour and a long, chocolatey finish. I’ll have to take their word for it.
• midletonveryrare.com
Read more
Spilling the tea with Maitre D'
Spilling the tea with Maitre D'
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