taste the island in carlowwww.carlowtourism.com

woodford dolmen hotel

Address: Kilkenny Road, Carlow R93 N207t: +353 (0)59 9142002w: www.woodforddolmenhotel.iee: info@woodforddolmenhotel.ieGPS: 52.813761, -6.951320

Local Suppliers: Coolanowle Farm,The Village Dairy, Ballon Meats,Malone’s Fruit Farm,Carlow Farmhouse Cheese,Bertram Salter Chicken,Silver Spear Gin, O’Hara’s Craft Beers,Walsh Whiskey – all Carlow based.

Head chef Laurence, along with his dedicated team, carefully designs seasonal menus to emphasise the goodness of fresh, local produce. Service all day from breakfast to carvery lunch and a full and varied evening menu until 9 p.m. Sunday – ursday, 9.30 p.m. Fridays and 10 p.m. Saturdays.

Awarded Carlow’s Best Hotel Restaurant and Best Casual Dining by the Restaurant Association of Ireland, the Plum Tree Bistro is highly renowned for its fabulous traditional Irish and international cuisine.

Tasty Treat – One Night Getaway – Dinner B&B1st September – 30th November 2019 (subject to availability)

Offering a one night getaway with two course dinner based on a menu designed using local produce and suppliers. On checkout guests also receive a little taste of Carlow to take home

with them.

Midweek from €129 and weekends from €149.

the chocolate garden of ireland

Address: Rath, Tullow, Co. Carlow R93 PY82

t: +353 (0)59 648 1999e: mary@chocolategarden.iew: www.chocolategarden.ie

GPS: 52.795927, -6.661862

Products: Handmade chocolates and confectionery, luxury artisan ice cream, free-from chocolate bars and other chocolate products.

Open: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm.Sunday/Bank Holidays: 1 – 6pm.Seasonal closure: 25th December –31st January.

CHOCOLATE MOULD MAKINGis is a hands-on chocolate-making session where you get to make your very own uniquely

decorated chocolate product with premium quality milk and white chocolate. Take your creation home with you afterwards, complete with mould. is is a great multi-sensory experience and can

be enjoyed by all ages and abilities, once you can hold a paintbrush!No booking required, groups (8 plus) should ring in advance. €10 pp.

AFTERNOON TEA – CHOCOLATE MAKING EXPERIENCEis experience begins with a multi-sensory tasting and interpretation of chocolate samples

especially chosen to give visitors an insight into chocolate quality, texture, taste and even sound!Skilled staff will explain the finer points that make our chocolate special, and give some background to our business, our cocoa suppliers and the importance of sustainability. Following this, make and decorate your very own chocolate moulded creation to take home, complete with its mould. en

enjoy afternoon tea with a choice of barista coffee/speciality teas/award-winning hot chocolate along with fresh finger sandwiches, fresh scones and a selection of cakes and handmade chocolates. To round off enjoy a luxury chocolate, strawberry and mallow chocolate fondue. Minimum party – two, duration

two hours. Advance booking required. €32.50 pp.

e Chocolate Garden of Ireland, based just outside Tullow, is a working chocolate and ice cream factory producing a range of luxury artisan chocolates, a varied selection of confectionery,chocolate spread and premium organic ice cream

malone’s fruit farm and farm shop

Address: Closh, Ballon, Co. CarlowR93 KX30

t: +353 (0)59 91 59477m: +353 (0)86 8472765e: info@malonefruitfarm.comw: www.malonefruitfarm.comGPS: 52.733183, -6.744693

Products: Jams, fruit (fresh and frozen), juices, gluten free or organic products, store copboard products, cheese, cured meats, chocolate, sweets and seaweed products.

Available: Malone’s Farm Shop – September and October, 9am – 6pmMon. – Sat., 11am – 6pm Sun.,November: 10am – 6pmWed. – Sat. 1 – 5pm Sun.

Strawberries are the main crop but the range includes raspberries, gooseberries, loganberries, tayberries, red, white and blackcurrants and blueberries.

e farm shop sells a large selection of artisan food and gifts with particular attention to local and Irish products. Visitors will enjoy browsing through Malone’s own range of homemade fruit jams and preserves, free range local eggs and baking. Fresh fruit is available in the farm shop from mid-May to early October while frozen fruit and a full range of homemade products are available all year round.

Malone’s Fruit Farm and Farm Shop is a family-run business growing a variety of soft fruit and is located just outside Ballon Village. e Malone Family have been growing fruit since 1988, while a charming farm shop was set up in 2012.

Farm Tours – hosted by James or Tom MaloneEach Friday and Saturday, 4.30 and 5.30pm, 1st September – 30th November 2019

Farm tour features a guided farm walk to view the different fruits grown and the systems in operation. Visitors will be introduced to the origins of this family-run business and the progression and challenges involved over the years. Each tour finishes with a tour of the

kitchen area in which Malone’s jams and chutneys are made. Price €8 per person.

thrive café

Address: Market Square, Tullow,Co. Carlow R93W3K8

t: +353 (0)59 91 51607e: thrivecafetullow@gmail.comw: www.thrivecafe.ie

Suppliers: Sourdough bread – local supplierVegetables – Moyleabbey Organic FarmMeat – Slaneybend free range chicken,Murphy’s Craft Butchers, Tullow,Coolanowle Meats, BallickmoylerTeas – House of Tea.

At rive Café everything served is made fresh from scratch with the highest quality nutrient based food. Numerous options for vegetarians, paleo, gluten-free and whole food loving visitors... because after all, you were made to thrive! Visit their café on the square in Tullow Town. rive Café host a range of events and classes promoting a healthy lifestyle from within.e purpose of each course is to introduce a topic of health in a fun environment and demonstrate how to cook local foods that bring specific health attributes to the body.

rive Café is dedicated to providing processed-free, refined sugar-free, nutrient dense breakfasts, snacks, smoothies and lunches to customers. e focus is on selling healthy food and drinks to customers to support people’s wellbeing and provide energy to fuel their day.

UPCOMING CLASSES:BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

Wednesday 9th October – 7.30 – 9 p.m. – rive CafeFind out how teas, elixirs and foods can help you winter ready. €35pp

INTRO TO VEGETARIAN COOKINGSaturday 12th October –10 – 4 p.m. – Grove House

Learn to cook delicious, healthy and balanced vegetarian meals as well as how to get the mostnutrition from your foods while reducing nutrient inhibitors found in some vegetarian foods. €95pp

COOKING FOR HORMONAL HEALTHSaturday 16th November –10 – 4 p.m. – Grove House

Learn how to find hormonal balance with the right nutrition. Class also yoga for hormonal health.We will be discussing nutrition for endometriosis, fertility, PMS and menopause. €95pp

the coach house café @ shankill castle

Address: Shankill Castle, Paulstown,Co. Kilkenny R95 T8X7

t: +353 (0)86 397 1748e: info@shankillcastle.comw: www.shankillcastle.com

Suppliers: Ballon Free Range EggsDavid Ward Organic Veg, KilkennyGoatsbridge Trout Farm, ThomastownLarry Reilly (beekeeper at Shankill)Salters free-range pork (Fenagh),Matthew Dunne Butchers, BagenalstownSpeltbakers, GowranMr Jeffares Blackcurrant Cordial, WexfordThe Village Dairy, Killeshin

Apple and blackcurrant fizzA brunch mocktail with our own zingy apple juice, Mr Jeffares blackcurrant cordial and

sparkling water – €3

Smoked trout and free-range eggs Creamy scrambled Ballon free-range eggs, Goatsbridge smoked trout and slow-roast

tomatoes on toasted Speltbakers sourdough – €9 (vegetarian €7)

Open bacon samboHome-baked free-range bacon open sandwich with home grown apple chutney and

homegrown rocket leaves – €8.50

Homemade granola bowlHomemade nutty granola with Irish organic oats, seasonal fruit compote from the garden,

organic Glenisk yoghurt, drizzled with Shankill’s own honey – €6.50

Set in Shankill Castle’s beautiful 170-year-old stable yard, the Coach House Café offers seasonal light lunches, homemade cakes, organic coffee and speciality teas in a lovely rustic setting with indoor and outdoor seating. Everything is made from scratch on-site, with the seasonal ingredients grown in the walled garden or sourced from local producers, and organic where possible.

lorum old rectory

Address: Kilgraney, Bagenalstown,Co. Carlow R21RD45

t: +353 (0)59 97 75282e: info@lorum.comw: www.lorum.com

A warm welcome is assured at Lorum Old Rectory where guests can enjoy luxury bed and breakfast accommodation in a charming [1863] country house. Situated in the River Barrow Valley at the foot of the Blackstairs Mountains this area is renowned for its beautiful scenery, numerous activities and rich

Learn how to make Lorum Old Rectory’sSignature Brown Bread

Each Monday in October at 2pm in Lorum Old Rectory

Join Rebecca as she demonstrates and shares her signature brown bread recipein the kitchen at Lorum. Tea, coffee, biscuits and bread will be served.

Attendees are welcome to view the house and garden. Cost: €15 per person.

heritage. Here Bobbie Smith, a member of ‘Euro-Toques’ (the European Community of Cooks) and her daughter Rebecca have built an international reputation for delicious and imaginative home cooking that incorporates mainly local and organically grown produce. Each of the guest bedrooms at Lorum – from the largest to the most intimate – is uniquely charming, providing delightfully relaxing accommodation with exquisite bed linens and distinctive decorative touches.

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carlow big houses festivale Carlow Big Houses Festival is your chance to peek behind the doors of some of Ireland’s most lavish manor houses. Discover the splendour of Altamont Gardens, a jewel in Ireland’s gardening crown, and delve into the mysteries of Huntington Castle. Take a wildlife walk at Borris House or simply enjoy a guided tour of any of these fabulous houses and their historic gardens. Renowned national speakers provide a rare and entertaining insight into the great houses of Carlow, the secrets and stories of the people who owned them and their significant roles in Irish and international history. A Day With e Ducketts will bring visitors back a century or more at the magical location of Duckett’s Grove with a bustling and vibrant recreation of life as it was for the family and estate workers.

For bookings: www.carlowtourism.com/bighousesCarlow Tourism, College Street, Carlow t: +353 59 130411 e: info@carlowtourism.com

e following is a selection of Taste the Island food events happening as part of the festival programme. For the full event programme visit www.carlowtourism.com/bighouses

6th October, 12 noonTalk/Tour and Victorian Tea Party in Borris House and GardensIn a talk given by Dr. Emmet Jackson, discover the intriguing Lady Harriet; her travels, life and letters. Enjoy a Victorian inspired light lunch and a demonstration of the stunning artistry of making Borris Lace. Visitors will see Lady Harriet’s private painting collection, not normally on display. Lunch includes Duncannon smoked salmon served on Rosie Fitzgerald’s brown bread, homemade quiches using Ballon free-range eggs and Carlow Farmhouse Cheese, Charlie Nolan’s homemade sausage rolls and a range of homemade cakes, scones and sweet treats using free-range Ballon eggs and fresh fruit from the Walled Garden at Borris House. Cost: €25.

12th October – light lunch in the Garden Cafe in Altamont GardensT: +053 937 6388 to pre-book a light lunch in the Garden Cafe, featuring O’Neill’s Meats, Gorse Farm organic Carlow salad, Carlow Farmhouse Cheese and a delicious chocolate dessert featuring produce from the Chocolate Garden of Ireland. Cost: €15.

carlow big houses festival

19th October Long table candlelit dinner with Kevin Myers in Huntington CastleEnjoy a special evening of dining in Huntington Castle’s wonderful barn theatre. is atmospheric three course meal, served with wine, features fantastic local produce including: O’Neill’s dry cured bacon, Gorse Farm organic Carlow salad, Malone’s Fruit Farm, Carlow Farmhouse Cheese and top quality, local Carlow Lamb. Includes a speech from journalist Kevin Myers.At 7.30pm. Cost: €65 Pre-booking is advised at www.carlowtourism.com/bighouses

26th October Long table banquet in Lisnavagh HouseJoin Dr Terence Dooley in the atmospheric dining room of Lisnavagh House. Enjoy a delicious three-course meal with wine, featuring Michael Kealy Butchers, Tullow, cheeses from Carlow Farmhouse Cheese and vegetables and fruit from Lisnavagh Walled Garden and OrchardAt 8pm. Cost: €65 Pre-booking is essential at www.carlowtourism.com/bighouses

27th October Historical Play – Pop Up Plays in Lisnavagh HouseClare was born into wealth and privilege, but all is not as it seems. Join us as we follow her around Lisnavagh House and witness her enviable life begin to fall apart. Enjoy pre-play drinks in the library, followed by a delicious supper.Time: 7pm, play starts at approx. 8pm. Adm: €50 includes dinner. Pre-booking is essential at www.carlowtourism.com/bighouses

Gill Meller of River Cottage fame, returns to The Green Barn in Athyfor Discover Ireland’s ‘Taste the Island’

Address: Burtown House,Athy, Co. Kildare. R14 AE67

t: +353 (0)59 86 23865e: info@burtownhouse.iew: www.burtownhouse.ie

Gill Meller returns to e Green Barn in Athy on November 2nd to work with head chef Rodrigo Gonzalez and his team to cook an amazing day of wood fired food. Using only the bounty of the gardens, tunnels and hedge groves with their organic Dexter cows, the day will consist of wood-fired ovens, pits and spits being used to cook an incredible wood-fired feast.

Guests will gather in a special part of the Burtown House gardens for an autumnal outdoor cookery demonstration. is will include watching part of the evenings’ feast of local lamb and organic vegetables from the gardens, placed into an earth oven and cooked below the ground for several hours before being unearthed later that evening and brought to the table. ere will be three fire cooking stations, a fire pit above ground and a rustic log fire. During the afternoon Gill, Rodrigo, and Dermot Carey – head gardener will take guests to the kitchen garden and polytunnels to gather herbs, flowers and veg which the kitchen team will prep in the open plan kitchen, allowing for conversation and interaction between the chefs and our guests.

Dinner, which you will have witnessed being prepared throughout the day will be served at roughly 7pm, family-style on long tables with sharing platters. is will be an incredible day, not to be missed.

Tickets for this event which are limited, are available via Eventbrite https://bit.ly/2OQTSv2

royal oak distillery

Address: Royal Oak, Co. Carlow R21 E086

t: +353 (0)59 91 86653e: info@royaloakdistillery.comw: www.royaloakdistillery.com

GPS: 52.7019793, -6.9857588

How to find us: On the main Carlow/Kilkenny Road R448 take turn off onto R724, first left turn on to Royal Oak Road. Royal Oak Distillery will be300m on the right.

Located at e Royal Oak, Co. Carlow, the distillery is dedicated to the production ofpremium handcrafted Irish whiskeys.

It is unique as the only distillery in Ireland where all three forms of Irish whiskey (pot still, malt and grain) are distilled in the same still room. e distillery is manually controlled so that the spirit it produces is guided by the expertise of our team of twelve local distillers. It is one of the largest distilleries in Ireland capable of producing 650,000 cases or 8 million bottles of whiskey a year.

Visitors to Royal Oak relax in a sylvan setting while learning about Irish whiskey distilling by interacting directly with our team of twelve local distillers. ese craftsmen expertly distil each batch of new make spirit that will ultimately become one of our premium whiskeys. Smelling and tasting whiskey at various stages of its development is part of what is an immersive experience that extends to the grounds of the Royal Oak estate.

Visitors to Royal Oak can stroll around the grounds and take in our ongoing renovation of the estate’s original centrepiece, Holloden House. is stately home was built in circa 1755, some four years before the legendary Guinness brewery at Saint James’ Gate in Dublin. It also predates the French revolution, American independence, the births of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Jane Austen and the establishment of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Dating from this era of Emperors and Royalty goes someway to explaining why the renovation will ultimately cost a King’s ransom when completed several years from now!

Visit Royal Oak Distillery where centuries of history rhyme with the hope of a new era.