We (the students and chefs of WIT Culinary Arts) were lucky
enough to be brought to Ballymaloe for a tour of the gardens and lunch at the
house by the lovely folk @ Failte Ireland before we started our countdown to
exams and inevitably heading out into the big bad world of hospitality all
alone.
I had visited as part of the Litfest 2013 and fell in love
with the place but had not had the opportunity to enjoy lunch, nor did I
realised the extent of their gardens, nor the organisation, planning and love
that has gone into the land surrounding the school and house.
The morning we arrived was a stunning early summer’s day
with blue skies and a warm sun shining. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day!
We were lead through the gardens by senior gardener, Eileen, who seems to
have lived the evolution of the gardens from a small scale idea to the sprawling
landscape of abundance and beauty they are today.
We visited the herb
gardens, strolled through the dragon’s meadow past the shell house through the
rose garden and into the glasshouses, popped our heads into the chicken house
and tried to entice the piglets out of their pen but they were obviously having
their mid-morning snooze!!
Darina Allen kindly dropped everything when we arrived back to the
school to walk us through the kitchens where the new recruits were
busily getting to terms with what’s what with salads and mushrooms, which were
being prepared for their lunch that day. Lucky students!!
We headed to Ballymaloe House Hotel and were greeted by Executive
Chef, Gillian Hegarty, before enjoying an amazing 5-course lunch….. My choices were St. Tola’s
Goats cheese, walnut and honey salad (although I did have food envy at the Ballycotton shrimp with homemade mayonnaise!), Ballycotton John Dory with braised leeks
and maitre d’hotel butter followed by a bit of the lot from the renowned
dessert trolley which has been in service since the house opened to the public
50 years ago. And finished off by a plate of the most delicious petit fours and
coffee. D.I.V.I.N.E.
A wonderful day with my much loved class and chefs. A day to
remember.
Cheers Failte Ireland!!
