Sullivan’s Country Grocer has been at the centre of the bustling little west of Ireland town of Oughterard for the last four years; but particularly during the last three months when most businesses were shut down due to COVID-19.

I can confirm it was the familiar comfort the locals craved while working from home – a coffee and one of the now-famous cinnamon swirls, a brownie or a signature sourdough loaf. Pre-COVID-19 when people would queue for their post-Parkrun coffee on a Saturday, one local credited Sullivan’s with bringing a little bit of “Notting Hill” to Oughterard; a cosmopolitan vibe. In the summer, it is a must-stop destination for people travelling to Connemara.

One local credited Sullivan’s with bringing a little bit of “Notting Hill” to Oughterard. \ Ellen Tuck

Norwegian-born Elizabeth Folgen and her son Sianaíl Sullivan run the charming grocer and bakery, which has sustainability, environmental soundness and supporting local producers as the core components of the business.

Elizabeth came to Ireland at the age of 22 and, despite spending time working both in South Africa and back home in Norway, it is now home. She came to Oughterard when Sianaíl was six and opened a successful bakery and restaurant in the town.

“That was in 2002 and I then sold it in 2007 when I had an opportunity for a job in South Africa for a year with an environmental organisation, which is what I wanted to do,” Elizabeth tells Irish Country Living. “I was working for a Pan African environmental organisation through the Norwegian peace corp. I started an elephant research project while I was there, I was the programme manager.”

Times were a bit hard and I was on my own with Sianaíl, so we decided to move back to Norway to take that job

After the year, they returned to Oughterard before another job opportunity Elizabeth couldn’t refuse came along in Norway. “This was moving towards 2010 when the recession hit and it was hard to get a really good job and I got one in Norway, managing an industrial bakery. Times were a bit hard and I was on my own with Sianaíl, so we decided to move back to Norway to take that job.”

In the summer, Sullivan's is a must-stop destination for people travelling to Connemara. \ Ellen Tuck

But it was always on the cards that they would return to Ireland once Elizabeth’s contract finished and the mother and son would start a business together.

Sullivan’s Country Grocer was born in 2016. Elizabeth planned on opening a very small grocer, with very little baking. Initially, there were just four baked items on the menu. But that didn’t last too long and they soon found out that Sianaíl (24) had inherited the baking talent.

Self-taught

As he shows Irish Country Living around his state of the art LEADER-funded “Bread Shed” at the back of the grocer, Sianaíl explains how his role, which they initially planned would be part time, has evolved. Like his mother, he has the natural knack for baking and now heads the bread side of the business, which offers customers a range of 10 different loaves daily.

Making sourdough is proper science

Apart from spending a week at Ballymaloe Cookery School in 2018, it is all self-taught. “Mum taught me the basics but I kind of just have a knack for it and it took off from there,” Sianaíl explains.

One at-home baking obsession to come from COVID-19 is sourdough bread, documented by many on social media. Sourdoughs are Sianaíl’s speciality and he bakes about 150 a week.

Fresh baked treats at Sullivan's Country Grocer. \ Ellen Tuck

“Making sourdough is proper science,” he says. “It took a long time to figure them out and find my rhythm. I have done so many different methods. But the one that works for me is actually the shortest as well. I leave it for 24 to 48 hours to rise.”

Sianaíl is in his baking shed by 4.30am every morning, ensuring the freshly baked breads are ready when they open the doors at 9am. “Since COVID especially, it has been 12-hour days. I do all the breads and Nathalie [Burtim] does all the cakes.

“We used to only do the sourdough bread ourselves and the others we bought in half-baked and frozen and then we got a grant from LEADER [for the bread shed]. We have a big oven and cold room and big mixer, so it’s perfect. It kind of just took off to be honest,” Sianaíl says.

Sustainability

Elizabeth is passionate about supporting local farmers and what started small has grown organically with the demand from the people for local produce – from eggs to fresh fruit and vegetables, jams, lettuce leaves and much more.

“The environment and nature has always been a focus in everything I do. So I knew, more so this time, that the sustainability and the environmental soundness would be the core of the business,” she explains.

Local business is central to the success of Sullivan’s, and they also attract a huge passing trade of holiday makers on route to Connemara. “We have a really good, strong local trade, which was always our main focus. We didn’t want to be way too expensive, like a city deli, with much higher prices. We wanted it to be a really local country grocer and obviously also cater for a big passing trade. So it was to get the balance between the local farmers and the D4s and to make them all happy.

Sullivan’s Country Grocer has been at the centre of the bustling little west of Ireland town of Oughterard for the last four years. \ Ellen Tuck

“We take whatever locally comes to our door. If we get local beetroot, I don’t buy beetroot from a regular supplier. I only sell one type and that is the local produce. We don’t do five types of something that brings a lot of unnecessary competition. There are a lot of garden hobby producers and we invite them as well.”

Since COVID-19, the vegetable range has grown a lot and also the sourdough sales

What is the most popular thing in the shop? “Coffee and cinnamon swirls,” says Sianaíl, both of which Irish Country Living can confirm are excellent. “Since COVID-19, the vegetable range has grown a lot and also the sourdough sales,” Elizabeth adds.

It took quick thinking from the team to adapt and keep their doors open during the pandemic. They transformed the front door area into a kiosk-style counter and customers formed a socially distanced queue outside. In recent weeks, the shop has opened but in a limited way and with only three customers allowed in at a time.

The support and demand was a great boost for us as well

“The number-one thing was we didn’t want to close, so we had to just find a way. The team in Sullivan’s are a very energetic, creative and enthusiastic gang, and when I say we, it really is the team. It was just about finding a way for the staff to feel safe to continue working,” Elizabeth explains.

“The support and demand was a great boost for us as well. We felt like we were an important part of the village, and we gave something back, so it kind of drove us on as well.”

The famous cinnamon swirls at Sullivan's Country Grocer. \ Ellen Tuck

Not for profit

The wonderful Redrhino scarves collection is the not-for-profit extension on Sullivan’s, created when Elizabeth was in South Africa. The silk and cashmere scarves are inspired by the wilderness and all the profit is donated to the Lapalala Wilderness School in the Waterberg, South Africa.

“When I did the elephant project in South Africa, I met with Dr John Hanks, who is one of the leading conservationists in Southern Africa, and he was the director of the World Wildlife Fund.

“He is the director of the Lapalala Wilderness School. There is no state support, it is in an amazing location, so he asked me if I would do some fundraising.

“We decided we would make a product and all the profit that we make is donated to the school on a two-yearly basis. We work with artists and photographers who donate their pictures and we digitally print it onto silk and cashmere.

“And since we started the shop, [local photographer) Jess Walsh came on board as one of our collaborators, so we have four Connemara-inspired scarves.

Sullivan’s has helped a lot because we have a platform to show the scarves and they have been selling really well. We also did two ranges of scarves for Ashford Castle.”

Another string to Elizabeth’s bow.

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