When Anne Neary left Clonmel for Cuffesgrange in 1984 to take over the family farm with her husband Pat and their three children, it was a little daunting to say the least.

“I cried for three solid weeks when I came here,” Anne admits. Though over 30 years on, as the well-known proprietor of Ryeland House Cookery School, it’s hard to imagine the Kilkenny food scene without the domestic doyenne with her down-to-earth attitude and her trademark red lipstick.

The latter – expertly applied – is a nod to her past life as a make-up artist with Estée Lauder, but food has always been her first love.

It’s a passion she attributes to her French ancestors, though she grew up in Co Wexford where her father had a small farm and fishing boat, while her mother ran the local shop.

Having originally trained as a chef with CERT and worked in hotel management, she met her future husband (“the poor, long-suffering Pat”) and settled in Co Tipperary. But after 13 years of marriage, the family inherited Ryeland house and farm from Pat’s aunts and moved to Co Kilkenny.

By 1991, however, the farm was not generating enough income, so they had no option but to diversify: Pat by setting up a skip hire company and Anne by teaching cookery classes in her kitchen having upskilled at Leith’s School of Food & Wine in London.

“There were a couple of friends of mine who were always saying, ‘give me a recipe for this’ or ‘give me a recipe for that’ and in 1991 I did my first class here,” explains Anne of the humble beginnings of the cookery school.

“There were eight people I knew, and they told eight and they came, and they told eight…”

Fast-forward to 2017, however, and people come from London for her classes; with one loyal customer even travelling from Chicago every second year.

With no shortage of cookery schools in Ireland, or even Kilkenny, today, what seems to set Anne apart is the location of Ryeland House itself –which dates back to 1812 – on their drystock farm, as well as her no-nonsense attitude.

“I’m very family orientated,” she explains. “I just want to do recipes that people understand. I don’t want too many ingredients because most people are put off by too many ingredients. I like tasty, wholesome, beautifully presented food.”

Classes range from “stress-free Christmas cooking” and “curries from around the world” to “family meals on a budget” and “one-pot wonders” for up to 16 people, with most of the demonstrations including either lunch or dinner, as well as camps for kids and teenagers. She dispenses practical tips as effortlessly as she cuts Irish Country Living a generous slice of her lemon butter sponge.

For instance, when baking her Christmas cake, she always places a tray of water in the oven to keep it moist. Or to make sure there are no grease particles in her mixing bowl when making meringues, she washes it first with warm soapy water before rinsing it off with warm water, and then rubs a lemon along the inside of it before rinsing again.

As well as demonstrations, Anne also offers private one-to-one classes, exclusive catering and private dinners for corporate clients, with many the high-flying CEO preferring the privacy of Ryeland House over a city centre restaurant.

And as if she didn’t already have enough on her plate – literally – she is a regular contributor to KCLR, has self-published two cookery books, helped raise over €10,000 for the Cois Nore cancer support centre by performing the paso doble in her local Strictly Come Dancing (“I’d safely say it was one of the best things I did in my life!”), has travelled throughout Asia and is one of the founding members of the Savour Kilkenny Food Festival, which celebrates its 11th year this weekend.

She also loves spending time with family, though they are scattered at the moment. Her son Dudley works in Asia as a financial director with Kerry Group, daughter Andi is the nurse manager with Beacon Care Fertility, while youngest daughter Clarie is a divisional director with Savills.

“Other than the cookery school, they wouldn’t be where they were today,” says Anne of the impact that herself and Pat’s decision to diversify had on their ability to provide for their family. Though it’s clear she would not have had it any other way.

“It has been a wonderful life and I feel I never worked a day in my life,” she smiles. “I just got out there and did it.”

For further information about upcoming classes at Ryeland House Cookery School, visit www.ryelandhousecookery.com or call 056-772 9073. CL

Anne Neary’s Lemon Butter Sponge

225g/8oz(1/2 lb) of margarine

225g/8oz(1/2 lb) self-raising flour

225g/8oz(1/2 lb) caster sugar

4 eggs

½ tsp baking powder

Grated rind of half lemon

For the filling

450g (1 lb) icing sugar

225g/8oz unsalted butter

Juice and rind of half a lemon

1 tbsp boiling water

For the lemon curd

2 eggs plus egg yolk free range if possible whisked together

2 lemons rind and juice

50g/(2oz) butter

110g/(4oz) sugar

Method for curd

1 Melt the butter gently in a saucepan and add the remaining ingredients.

2 Stir carefully over a gentle heat until it coats the back of a wooden spoon.

3 Remove and pour into a sterilised jar and use as required.

Method for filling

1 Beat the sugar, butter, lemon rind and juice together.

2 Finally, add the boiling water to make a creamy filling.

Method for cake

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan-oven/gas mark 4.

2 Place all the ingredients except the lemon rind in a bowl and beat for approx two to three mins. Finally fold in the lemon rind.

3 Now place in an 8” greased tin and smooth the top. Bake for approx 40 to 45 minutes or until firm to touch and turn out on a wire rack and cool.

4 When the cake is cold, split in two and fill with half the butter filling and about 2 tbsp lemon curd.

5 Decorate the top with the other half of the icing and put a few teaspoons curd with a few small meringues to decorate if desired (as in picture).

Don’t miss

As part of the

Savour Kilkenny food festival on

Saturday 28 October, Anne Neary and Edward Hayden will be demonstrating how to make the perfect rustic Irish beef burger on the black and amber stage at 2pm. Free entry.