LET'S TALK FOOD WITH THREE IRISH PRODUCE PIONEERS

Across endless rolling fields of lush greenery and an infinite coastline, a strong agricultural heritage is embedded across the land. It comes as no surprise Ireland has to offer top tier food from grass fed beef to award winning oysters and superior produce. Not only is sourcing locally an integral part of keeping the Irish food and drink industry thriving, at Around Noon, we want to tap into and showcase the vast range of remarkable food products which are crafted on the island. We've picked three Irish products which have stood out for us, and spoken with the people behind them.

1. Young Buck Cheese

We spoke to Mike of Mike’s Fancy Cheese to learn a little more about his journey and follow the ever-growing success of his products. "We have been making a raw milk blue cheese in Ards called ‘Young Buck’ for about eight years now. Three years ago, I decided to open a shop in Belfast to showcase Irish farmhouse cheese. There, we work directly with every cheesemaker and with a few other local farmers and crafts people to highlight local bread, eggs and so on".

2. Clonakilty Blackpudding

Heading south for our next star ingredient, we chatted to Colette Twomey, Managing Director of Clonakilty Blackpudding Co.: "Clonakilty Food Company is a family-business, passionate about bringing our family of great tasting products into your home. Our story dates back to the 1880s where this now famous black pudding was first made in Clonakilty, West Cork using a secret spice mix. This recipe was passed down through generations in Harringtons Butcher Shop, and in 1976 my husband Edward Twomey bought the shop and with it, the secret recipe."

3. Irish Black Butter

We spoke to Alastair Bell, founder of Irish Black Butter to understand a little more about the magic of his product. This unique apple based product has grabbed the attention of foodies and chefs alike. It has featured on BBC Dragons Den, been raved about by James Martin and collected a range of accolades from the Irish Food Awards, Great Taste Awards three stars, Nantwich International Cheese Awards and regional winner of the Great British Food Awards. Locally it has been made into ice cream, sausages, yoghurt, biscuits and been used as a glaze for ALDI Ireland Christmas hams.

What makes your product so special?

Mike on Young Buck:

We are the only producers of a raw milk cheese in Northern Ireland and very few across UK and EU make a raw milk blue. We use low interventions too, so the cheese changes throughout the year to reflect what is happening on the farm. We work with one farmer, Smyth McCann, who has a great, reliable and healthy milk supply. This is one of the most important parts of our cheese!

Colette on Clonakilty Blackpudding:

What makes Clonakilty Blackpudding special is our wholesome ingredients, traditional methods, and that memorable taste of home. Its secret spice mix gives it a distinctive flavour, a crumbly texture and a unique taste that makes it Ireland’s favourite black pudding. Our food story and our products are filled with a strong sense of family, tradition and Clonakilty pride. The Clonakilty story begins with Johanna O’Brien, a farmer’s wife, from Sam’s Cross, Co. Cork, who wanted to subsidise the household income by making black pudding for Harrington’s butcher shop in Clonakilty. Their award-winning recipe remains a secret to this day, and I am now the only person in the world who knows the secret ingredient mix.

Alastair on Irish Black Butter:

Irish Black Butter is a unique Irish product inspired by a tradition reaching back to Medieval times whereby people preserved locally grown fruit. The ‘butter’ element of the name, links to the consistency and spreadability of the product. This modern black butter interpretation, which uses EU PGI status Armagh Bramley Apples grown in Ireland’s ‘orchard county’, conjures up a sweet and savoury taste sensation which simultaneously offers a new choice for adding flavour and enhancing dishes. It is a non-dairy ‘butter’ and contains local cider, brandy, treacle, sugar and spices, and is suitable for vegan and vegetarian uses. Drawing on the heritage of apple growing in County Armagh, Irish Black Butter has a decidedly Irish heritage which resonates both locally and further afield. Irish Black Butter is an all embracing local, and sustainably produced product. It offers heritage, tradition and authenticity. The breadth of flavour and the diversity of diets which it can cater to means that Irish Black Butter embraces an incredibly wide family of users and lives up to its aim of spreading a little happiness.

How best do you serve and eat your product?

Mike on Young Buck:

I'm a simple man so just on a digestive with a tonne of butter or, even on a chocolate one! Delicious. We are lucky to work directly with restaurants and local businesses, and it's fascinating to see how talented chefs incorporate the cheese into their cooking to create beautiful dishes.

Colette on Clonakilty Blackpudding:

Clonakilty Blackpudding is so versatile the possibilities are endless. What was historically known as breakfast meat is now incorporated into all meal occasions. We engage with our consumers, professional chefs and retailers to create unique and flavoursome Clonakilty Blackpudding recipes, all of which are now available on our website and through our Clonakilty Black & White Cookbook. Most recently we worked with Great British Chefs and Lewis de Haas of Crispin to create a tasty Clonakilty Blackpudding hash, wild mushrooms, spring onions and tarragon steak dish for us using our Clonakilty Blackpudding. Our website has a number of recipes on it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and canapes.

Alastair on Irish Black Butter:

Often at events when we are outlining the myriad of uses; from being the perfect cheeseboard accompaniment, spread on toast, as a dip for crisps, baked with your apple crumble, to glazing your BBQ meats with, someone will voice “You mean everything!”. Whilst it may not go with absolutely everything, there are an extensive array of ways to eat Irish Black Butter all year round in cooking, baking, spreading or mixing. First up, breakfast. Irish Black Butter is a delicious addition to your warm porridge, or overnight oats. Otherwise it’s a new staple in the weekend fry up and delicious paired with sausages, eggs and bacon, or stir into bakedbeans to create beautiful savoury beans. Coincidentally some local producers incorporate Irish Black Butter into their sausages! At lunchtime, it's a perfect addition to a cold meat sandwich, bagel or toastie. With a salad, simply thin down the Irish Black Butter with balsamic and use as a dressing. For dinner, it is great for basting and glazing roast ham or chicken, even great with turkey, duck and venison. It's a new go-to for cooking cocktail sausages in, which I can guarantee will please your guests! Also, it's beautifully served with scallops, mackerel, monkfish or eel. The applications in sweet treats are unlimited. My favourite is when it is cooked in apple crumble.

What is your favourite Irish cuisine or signature Irish ingredient?

Mike from Young Buck:

We are lucky to be used as a ‘pick-up’ point for an organic vegetable box scheme so we always have plenty of amazing locally grown vegetables. You can't beat a cooked cabbage smothered in butter. Also we stock amazing sourdough baguettes from ‘Benchmark Breads’. I can easily eat an entire baguette from them with only butter no problem!

Colette from Clonakilty Blackpudding:

West Cork is renowned for its quality food made from local ingredients. Including exceptional seafood, grassfed dairy products, and seasonal fruit and veg. A favourite of mine is our wide selection of artisan local farmhouse cheeses.

Alastair from Irish Black Butter:

This is a tough question as we have so much great local produce here in Northern Ireland. Coming from a farming background I have had plenty of experience, planting, growing and harvesting potatoes and I do enjoy a deliciously cooked potato! If there are no potatoes on the plate then dinner just wouldn’t be the same. I enjoy the diversification that comes with cooking potatoes. Which we all know is endless. One I admire most is the home baked potato bread or ‘fadge’ as it’s traditionally known as. Setting the day off strong, amidst a fry it nestles perfectly between bacon, eggs and sausages. However, there is a caveat to my admiration of the extensive potato dishes; no hash browns please!

Roasted, mashed, creamed, fried, dauphinoise, chips or fries: You name it. For me the humble potato is superb, and the Comber Earlies are something else. In terms of local produce I thoroughly enjoy local cheeses and some in particular include the ‘Young Buck’ by Mike’s Fancy Cheese, and the ‘Triple Rose’ & ‘Single Rose Brie’ by Ballylisk of Armagh. All of these cheeses are super with Irish Black Butter. However, in their own right they all bring a touch of class to the cheeseboard, salad or sandwich.