Ireland
Armagh Food & Cider Weekend
Article and photography by Cherie DeLory
An apple a day in County Armagh, Northern Ireland is as easy as, you guessed it, pie. I had the good fortune in early September to experience the annual Armagh Food & Cider Weekend, and one of the many highlights was visiting the orchard at Crannagael House, where the county’s first Bramley apple tree was planted in 1884 by the owner’s great grandfather. The “Orchard County” is known for its Bramley apples that are particularly good for cider and not so much for eating off the tree, unless you favour tart and sour. After rambling through the apple orchard I enjoyed a luscious four-course meal (including cured trout from Lough Neagh Lake) and cider tasting hosted by John and Jane Nicholson of Crannagael House and Greg MacNeice of MacIvors Cider.
My artisan food and cider experience in the Irish countryside began at Killeavy Castle, an hour’s drive from both Dublin and Belfast airports, set amidst the Mourne Mountains and Slieve Gullion, the highest point in the county. A quintessential farm to fork experience, the chef creates seasonal menus inspired by the estate’s walled kitchen garden, honey apiary and cattle and lamb farm, as well as fresh fish from the nearby Irish Sea. I enjoyed an atmospheric meal whilst watching the long-horn cattle and sheep grazing in the field; and wouldn’t hesitate to order the unforgettable lamb sausage infused with Killeavy honey, sweet potato and bok choy on a return trip.
Bean to Bar Chocolate, Irish Coffee and Cider
Armagh Cider Company’s 80 acres of apple trees at Ballinteggart farm were in full bloom and ripe for the picking, as we sat down to a tasting of the ciders pressed at the Troughton family orchard since 1898. I recalled how when my first time trying cider in the UK I naively didn’t know it had alcohol. This time around I knew to pace myself.
Northern Ireland’s first stoneground bean to bar chocolate factory, NearyNogs, collaborated with Killowen Distillery for a sensational chocolate and spirits tasting. Husband and wife chocolatiers, Shane and Dorothy Neary craft single origin bars evocative of Northern Ireland’s landscape and cuisine; like Soda Bread, Gorse Flower and Irish Seaweed, Irish Whiskey with orange bitters and burnt sugar. Their latest is a prototype Irish Coffee, and Peat Smoked chocolate is coming soon.
A Scenic Drive in the Country in County Armagh, NI
You don’t have to be a fan of the Game of Thrones TV series to be won over by the studio tour at Linen Mill Studios. My group sat down at the Chef’s Table for a scene-stealing culinary experience; after touring sets and posing in green screens it was a chance to break bread while discussing favourite scenes shot across Northern Ireland.
Truth be told, the star of this trip is Armagh, the oldest city in Ireland and its spiritual capital. The city was founded by St. Patrick as the centre of Christianity. I visited St. Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral (Protestant ), the site where the patron saint of Ireland built a church in 445 AD, and the magnificent St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Roman Catholic), perched on the hill offering lovely views of the nearby green pastures.
Continuing our countryside culinary journey we drove along the Mourne Mountain coast, through cozy coastal villages of Warren Point and Rostrevor, and visited Tayto Castle for a tour of Ireland’s beloved potato crisps factory. Then we were treated to a whimsical high tea party in the garden at Blackwell House, a luxury 5-star country house with gourmet dining and spa. Heading to the Causeway Coast we stopped by Bakehouse cookery school near Bellaghy to bake soda bread and go foraging for sloe berries at River Bann Retreat to make gin.
At the Coleraine Marina we tucked into fresh Irish seafood at Lir: Native Seafood before sailing aboard the 30 ft MV Kingfisher on the River Bann for a whiskey, charcuterie, and Irish Coffee tasting with Bushmills Distillery, the world’s oldest whiskey distillery. The boat was built in 1947 by world renowned Harland and Wolff shipbuilders (Titanic) in the historic Belfast Shipyard.
Back at home, as I pull out my souvenirs from Armagh, I spy a red Bramley apple from the orchard at Crannagael House. I take a bite, and another, until I’m at its juicy core. Tart and sour and deliciously divine.
