Don’t just visit the Burren, Taste it!
The Burren Food Trail members organise an annual series of Long table events, taking place at unusual locations around the Burren. They are a celebration of local, wild and seasonal produce of the Burren, as well as a chance to meet the producers, mingle with local people and learn about the Burren way of life.
The dates for 2019 are:
Friday 7th of June, Ennistymon
Thursday 21st of November, Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan.
2018 saw the completion of 3 events:
Nan’s long table event in June took place at Pot Duggans in Ennistymon, the 50 available spaces sold out within 2 weeks of its announcement. The evening started outside in the glorious June weather with pre-dinner drinks, followed by 3 amazing starters that consisted off: Organic radish with seaweed butter, Sliochain with a hint of Poitín, organic beetroot carpaccio with pickled samphire, samphire salsa verde & Dulse marmalade. Starters were followed by a tasting plate of home baked bread and 3 flavoured home made butters that the guests eagerly dug into.
For main course the ox tongue was served cold on a buckwheat crouton with potatoe salsa. That was followed by freshly BBQ’d herb marinated lamb chops and cauliflower tabouleh followed by creme brulee pork belly confit with rhubarb and rose petal jam and fresh lettuce leaves from Moy Hill Community Garden. Starters and mains were accompanied by carefully selected white and red wine from Burren Fine Wine & Food.
Desserts consisted of goats milk panna cotta with gooseberries and elderflowers and cheese platters with home made seaweed crackers. To finished off the meal Anam Coffee cocktails were served in fabulous glasses decorated with edible flower petals.
The John Blake Dillon Table event was the second in the 2018 series and took place at Burren Fine Wine & Food in Ballyvaughan. The evening started with a welcome glass of Champagne and Oysters followed by an array of delicious canapés in the garden as locals and visitors mingled with the Burren Food Trail members and producers.
Main Course consisted of Fresh Salmon accompanied by a feast of Chef’s delights following the rhythm of the season and enlivened with his Savage Craic pickles and condiments. Linnalla Ice cream opened the decadent dessert choices as well as a selection of Burren Gold Cheese. All courses were served with a carefully selected French Organic wine from the award winning Domaine de Trepaloup Domain.
The Nuala O’Faoláin Long Table event was the last on this year’s series, taking place in the most unusual and mysterious venue of Doolin Cave. The evening started with a descend to the main chamber of the cave, where guests savour some local canapes: Red Bank Food Oysters, Burren Smoked Salmon, Smoked Mackerel mousse and St Tola’s Goats Cheese croquettes, wash down with prossecco and wild blackberry cassis. Musicians played their tunes while guests mingled and admire one of the world largest free hanging stalactites.
Back upstairs a buffet style dinner was served by a team of chefs from award winning Hotel Doolin, with the theme “a porking good feast” serving Burren Free Range pork in three ways, ribs, mini burgers, sausages and paella came accompanied by a selection of wild salad and potatoes from Ballinsheen House & Gardens. Last by not least a trio of desserts were served Stonecutters Kitchen Wild Blackberry Pavlova, Doolin Cave’s wild Hazelnut Parfait & Ballinsheen House & Gardens home-grown Apple cake. To finish off the evening Gerry Howard performed Brian Merriman’s “The Midnight Court” while guests savoured Chef’s Danny mulled cider.
All 3 events were completely sold out in 2018!
