Abbert” is not just the townland where sisters Aoife and Siobhan Flaherty grew up; it’s also the old Irish word for “offering”. Which is why they thought it would be the perfect name for their newly established grocery, deli and lifestyle store in Tuam, Co Galway. And what an offering lies within; from savoury dishes like Friendly Farmer chicken soup, Brady’s beef hot pot and Andarl farm bacon and Galway goat's cheese quiche to sweet treats including cinnamon swirls and espresso and Tia Maria soaked brownies, along with fresh produce from local farms and Irish-made gifts.

Abbert also stocks gifts from Irish designers.

And if there is one positive to be taken from the pandemic, it’s that COVID-19 made Abbert a reality after Aoife and Siobhan were forced to diversify their restaurant, Gather, during lockdown.

“It was always in the pipeline,” says Aoife of their dream to open their shop, “but we would have been way too busy; and it would have been far too daunting”.

Sister Act

Aoife and Siobhan opened Gather in 2016; but their involvement in the food industry goes much further back.

Raised on a small holding near Abbeyknockmoy, they both worked at the neighbouring Sloe Hill organic farm as teenagers, before following their respective career paths.

For Aoife, that meant studying science and nutrition in university, before going on to open Il Vicolo with her former partner in Galway city, having worked in cafes and restaurants through the years. Siobhan, meanwhile, studied culinary arts and also ran a restaurant, An Scioból in Monivea, with a group of friends, before taking time out to go travelling, later returning to complete her honours degree and also work with Aoife in Il Vicolo.

And it was actually Siobhan who first spotted the potential for Gather after a premises came up for lease in Tuam; though she did omit one important detail when pitching the plan to her sister.

“At the time, I was actually five months pregnant with my second child, but I hadn’t told Aoife because I really wanted to do it, no matter what the circumstances were,” she says. “I thought we’d just figure it out!”

“I thought she was absolutely insane,” adds Aoife. “She was working here up until the day before she had Iarla. She went home after working a shift; and had him the next morning!”

Local focus

Both sisters agreed, however, that there was potential in Tuam for the type of restaurant that they wanted to open.

“Tuam is a commuter town. It’s got a massive population, it’s got people of our own age profile and it’s got people in their 60s, 70s, they’re retired as well, that are willing to go out and enjoy good food,” says Siobhan.

“The Galway market is flooded, so we were very unique to Tuam when we opened.”

Abbert specialises in the kind of comfort food that customers are craving right now.

Guided by the seasons and community focused, local suppliers were to the fore from the get-go, including chickens from Athenry’s Ronan Byrne (AKA The Friendly Farmer), pork from Andarl Farm in Glenamaddy, Galway goat cheese from Dunmore and sheep’s milk yoghurt and cheese from Velvet Cloud in Co Mayo.

“We’re actually very lucky to be positioned where we are,” says Siobhan, who runs the kitchen, while Aoife takes care of the accounts, atmosphere and aesthetics.

Change amid COVID-19 crisis

The sisters had just finished their busiest year at Gather when COVID-19 forced them to shut their doors in March. But even when they could re-open, they knew that social distancing would mean that it would be at a much reduced capacity; for instance, where one of their three dining rooms could previously seat around 26 people. This was now reduced to eight.

“So during lockdown, we decided to change one of the rooms into a small grocery story,” says Aoife.

“We got a friend to come in and put up some shelves. We bought a fridge, we stocked the shelves and that was it and it’s taken off and it’s been phenomenal.

“We started off doing two days a week and now we’re doing six days a week; and the support that we have has been amazing.”

Just some of the products available at Abbert in Tuam.

Little wonder why. Abbert, which opened on 12 June, specialises in the kind of comfort food that customers are craving right now, as well as treats such as local cheeses, charcuterie and chocolate, along with giftware such as Irish pottery, skincare, art and jewellery. The sisters will also be doing hampers for Christmas, as well as festive delights ranging from gingerbread cookie mix and Christmas puddings to side dishes and stuffing.

Although Gather reopened at a reduced capacity in July, once restrictions were reintroduced in October, the sisters shut their doors and are now just doing takeaway two nights a week, plus all day on Sunday. Realistically, they think it will be 2021 before they reopen the restaurant properly.

Right now, though, they are grateful that despite the many challenges – or rather, because of them – they have been able to create a new “offering” through Abbert.

“This was an opportunity for us,” concludes Aoife. “If we had carried on as normal and the world was still the way it was before COVID-19, Abbert wouldn’t exist yet.”

Visit www.gatherrestaurant.ie

Read more

Keeping it country at Sullivan's Grocer

McCambridge's: Serving the City of the Tribes for almost 100 years