Brothers David and Aidan O’Brien always loved upcycling, and when their father’s retirement was looming, they decided his workshop would be the perfect space for all their restored projects and the furniture they had amassed over the years.

But as they prepared to open a vintage shop, a business course made them realise that the old workshop, just five miles from Cork city, would make the perfect destination for a tea room.

“People wouldn’t travel much for a vintage shop, but they will travel for a treat, to sit somewhere with a nice atmosphere, where they can switch off. We’re so close to the city, but it really feels like the middle of nowhere,” Aidan explains.

ADVERTISEMENT

He has worked with young people and David previously worked in recruitment in London, so going into the hospitality industry was a huge leap for them.

“We weren’t nervous though, somehow we both just had a feeling it would work,” says David. “It was such a family affair, our dad and ourselves did a lot of the labour, bar the electricity and plumbing.”

Aidan explains the support they got from their nearest and dearest, as well as from the community, was overwhelming.

“We are so grateful to all the friends and family who came to help out of the goodness of their hearts. It’s a lovely thing to see in this day and age,” he says.

All around the tea room, inside and out, there’s a nod to the family connection and history of the building. Their mother’s family, the Forrests, were farmers in the area for generations, so they have relations living all around the workshop.

“Our dad used to pull tug of war for Ireland and the local club, so the weights they used for training now hold open our gates and doors,” says Aidan. “The silvercross pram on the porch was ours when we were children, there are five of us in the family, and the glass counter came from an old sweet shop 40 years ago, and when we were kids we played with our Lego in it. Thank God we never got rid of it,” he laughs.

The pair are proud that there are so many unique touches about the place. They have a dozen chickens, which their friend Pat takes to shows. The chickens are washed and blowdried before the shows.

“One bird won the Cork show and another represented Cork in the All-Ireland bird show, it’s hilarious,” says Aidan.

The pair admit that they were so caught up in the physical work of renovating the place for purpose, that the menu was the last thing they decided on, but that’s not to say it isn’t a well-thought out and delicious offering.

“Everything is local and fresh,” says David. “The bread is from Arbutus, this fantastic bakery in Cork, and our goat’s cheese and relish are from Ballinhassig, which is just three miles down the road.”

They opened two years ago this July, but say the support locally was outstanding from the very first day.

“I laugh now to think how worried we were, because we thought no one would come that first day but there was great support from the community, it was amazing. Now we have people travelling from all over and we also never predicted the appeal of the airport,” says Aidan. “We take no notice, but people are riveted by the planes. We’re practically bordering the runway here.”

Dare we say The Workshop is a runaway hit?

Find The Workshop on Facebook here.