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| Sally and Joielene |
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| smokery |
I have to introduce you guys to Sally Barnes of the Woodcock Smokery who has been showing me all over Cork County, introducing me to butchers, cheese-makers, chefs and shop owners, markets and fishing docks...This is a trip that could not have happened with out her and just met through happenstance....
First off is The Woodcock Smokery with Sally and her daughter Joielene where they do this incredible smoking....tuna loin, kippers, mackerel and haddock....incredible artisans, this small shop, which pumps out literally TONS of smoked product to all of the small shops and cafe's right up to the Michelin Starred places throughout Ireland! You talk to the chef's here and everyone knows Sally, and not just for her product but for her knowledge of the pulse of Irish food, both land and sea and the work she puts into creating the west Cork Food scene www.westcorkfood.com and bringing together chef's, artisan food makers and people that love it. I will just run through quickly what and who she has introduced me to so far.
Starting with her own place "woodcock Smokery" we start with a little tour and intro to what they are doing there. Then its for a quick impromptu lunch in Sally's kitchen of some brown toast, smoked salmon and warmed smoked kippers.then it was off to Glebes to meet Peter and Jean Perry doing fresh garden/farm to table local stuff...then off to O'Driscoll's Butchery to talk with Paudy O'Driscoll and see his shop, pick up a few things and its off. Outside we run into Sally's friend Sacha Puttnam...a local yet world renowned, classicly trained musician here who does all of the film scores for his Dad's films, award winning producer David Puttnam...oh, and he was a member along with friend Gavin Rossdale of the group Bush. From there it was off to Spar, a grocery that is "run" by local farmers. A regular grocery, though small by our standards, that the local farmers have shares and say in. Chatting with the butcher, checking out the produce, having a fun talk about whiskey and beer and it's off......From there to the pub for a quick pint and a coffee....off to West Cork Hotel to meet up with GM Neil Grant and Chef Christian Pozimski.....a nice long chat with them about everything and off I was, leaving Sally behind for a Local Food meeting for the Celtic Culinary Competition. Next day its up early, into the car and off to the smokery....Joielene packs some order to be mailed and delivered to local shops. While she was doing that, the snow started and Sally too me for a walk to the top of her property, which sits on a hill. We get to the top and have a view, though snowy, of then entire bay, a small lake and hoses and sheep dotting the countryside. Then a few step up further is the "Ring" and ancient ceremonial spot, a ring of stone wall, some carvings some standing stones and tunnels beneath...noone is quite sure the meaning....just incredible..just standing in a spot that was used for some sort of ceremony during monolithic times....crazy
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| smokery |
So into Sally's car and off to Durrus....a small town in West Cork, about 40 mins away. Off to meet Jeffa and Peter of Durrus Farmhouse cheeses. A quick tour of the cheese facility and seeing the fresh/aging cheeses....its another impromptu lunch of Durrus cheese, fresh fruit and toast with jams..of course tea. After a really nice conversation and some great eating it was back in the car for a drive through the country to head to Clonakilty to make a few drops and a few hello's. First to Lettercollum Kitchen Project to meet Karen Austin the chef/owner, where they have a small shop of incrdible sweets and savory's...where I had to pick up a just made Quinoa Burger to try out, some bread, some cured meats, some cheese some fun chat, and off. Next up is Richy's bar and bistro, make a drop off and its a sit down with chef/owner Richy Virasawmy, who also happens to be the private chef for Michael Flatly of "Riverdance" fame... it's another coffee (which by the way is espresso over here, I am Wired!) finding running a restaurant is the same challenge in Ireland as it is anywhere else....yet the driving factor is passion and the love of what we do. Then quick tour of the kitchen and ding rooms....a really fun and refreshing talk with Richy about both of our views on food and what is going on in the industry....Things are winding down for the day, but we get an invite to stop over Chef Caitlin Ruth's house for a chat. She just made some home-made English muffins and wants us to stop by to chat. Caitlin is a 22 year transplant from New Hampshire, through way of California and Belgium. She is the chef at Deasy's Pub and Fish Restaurant in Clonakilty, and from what I hear, is one of the best around! She had made the fresh muffins and tea for us.....and what a great host....the conversation was just a blast....I could have spent hours, but after a couple of hours it was starting to get dark and late. It was back to Sally's and the Smokery to pick up the car and off to Baltimore...It was in incredible day of meeting incredible people...It's what tis trip was all about....Here's to good people, good talk, good food, good drink...new friends and coffee.....
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| Jeffa from Durrus Cheese |
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