ICL Food News: Back to business at Taste of Dublin

allta heads to Meath

The allta box created quite a name for itself during lockdown, as it was one of the few food boxes that could be delivered nationwide. In fact, in a recent interview with Irish Country Living, it was revealed that the team actually got on the road themselves, delivering boxes from Galley Head in West Cork to Cruit island in Donegal. Now they are once again travelling beyond their Dublin city centre location to set up a pop-up allta summer house in the picturesque setting of the Boat House Field, on the banks of the Boyne in the grounds of Slane Castle, bringing outdoor dining to another level.

The space has been decorated with bespoke furniture from Toby Hatchett with a Boyne Valley wild flower roof installation, a big bar and a fire pit, all open along the river with gorgeous views. There is plenty of room to enjoy a drink before or after dinner, but when you sit down to dine, the menu is sure to impress, featuring summer broth, Cromane oysters, lobster with créme fraiche and green strawberries, as well as Boyne Valley Bán goats cheese served with flatbreads followed by tamworth pork. For dessert lovers, it’s a brioche feuilletée with goat’s milk ice, whipped honey and strawberries. To finish, there are cocktails with local foraged ingredients.

The set menu is supporting local farmers, fishermen and foragers and costs €95 per person. Book now on www.alltasummerhouse.ie

Back to Business at Taste of Dublin

Food aficionados will have been disappointed this week with the delay to indoor eating in some of our favourite restaurants. However, there is a food event on the horizon and the thought of being back at the Taste of Dublin would lift any food lover’s spirits. One of the first big food events to get back to business, Taste of Dublin will return from 1-5 September in the beautiful Iveagh Gardens. To enable social distancing, it will run over five days with 12 sessions at reduced capacity compared to the usual four day experience. The line-up hasn’t been announced yet, but we’re excited to hear who will be cooking up a storm, and after a long lockdown, it will be great to sample dishes from some of the capital’s best restaurants again. We’ll keep you updated.

Tickets start at €20 (excluding booking fee) and are now on sale at https://tasteofdublin.seetickets.com/tour/taste-of-dublin.

Mayo for Sam

We had a good laugh recently when we heard of the innovative Irish way that Heinz is welcoming back the GAA season. The brand has launched a new, limited edition bottle bearing the famous fan slogan, ‘Mayo for Sam’, referring to the Mayo football team’s quest for the Sam Maguire Cup.

To mark the 70th anniversary of Mayo’s last win at the All-Ireland Final in 1951, just 1,951 bottles of Heinz [Seriously] Good Mayo for Sam will be available to buy for €3 through www.heinztohome.ie. No doubt there are plenty of Mayo fans looking to get their hands on a jar.

Heinz are also running a competition to celebrate Irish food producers. They are looking for the best sandwich filling in the country to celebrate the fact that we all love a good sandwich on match day. To nominate your county’s best local food producer, visit @heinzirl on Facebook and Instagram and pop your favourite filling in the comments. Nominations are open until 23 July.