With many of our staycation trips, we always try to take the road less travelled and this short trip was no different. Rather than take the motorway, we headed inland and drove down the middle of the country to get to our destination. Along the way, we stopped off at the tiny village of Cloughjordan for a coffee. There is also an eco-village there, which you can drive through to see some of the ‘passive’ houses and the large array of solar panels. It is also the birthplace of Thomas McDonagh, one of the leaders in the 1916 Easter Rising. We grabbed our coffee in Sheelagh na Gig which is also a small bookshop. I asked the owner how the passing trade was in this area. She said for her business it was always ok, although since Covid she no longer does table service, it is now just takeout coffee, which, funny enough, has actually increased her business.
Once caffeinated up, we hit the road again and headed towards Nenagh to grab some lunch. We popped into a place called Stock and Barrel. I had a plain chicken warp, C went with a BLT, both were nothing special but it sufficed.
Once finished in Nenagh we continued along some of the lesser roads which wind through some of the most lush countryside in the country. We made one final stop in the busy town of Mitchelstown for yet another coffee and a quick look around a shop or two before heading to Ballymaloe for our night’s stay.
We had booked a room in the main house which is always nice if you can get it, however, saying that, I do enjoy the courtyard rooms as I feel they offer even more privacy. Anyhow, once checked in we dropped the bags and as always, you are offered some tea or coffee and some cake, which is just what we needed, more caffeine. The tea was served in one of the conservatories which is always nice, as was the cuppa and the very tasty lemon cake.
After our little snack, we walked the grounds for an hour or so before returning to the house to chill for a bit before getting ready for dinner. As is always the way, one must have a pre-dinner drinkies in the front living room which is always a nice thing to do. C opted for a Pimms Summer fruit cocktail and I went with a local cider, which was really nice. While there, you are handed menus to look over for the evening and as always, the choice is fantastic.
Bang on our dining time, we were escorted to the dining room, which was busy. The dining room is actually made up of several different rooms, some are part of the original house while others are extensions that have been added on over the years. We were seated in one of the smaller rooms which was nice as there was only one other table. Now down to business, the food.
The menu consists of five courses, a starter, second starter, mains, cheese board and finally the always outstanding dessert trolley. To get things going C went with the oysters and I went with the simply named, green soup, which was made with peas, broccoli and well, other, green veg. It was also topped with some fried pancetta ham which was really tasty.
For my next course I ordered the pork terrine which came with a sweet potato chutney which was excellent, C went with the beetroot fritters which came with a herby aioli, very tasty. Our mains were duck for myself and C the herb crusted hake, both delicious. The mains were served with a side of carrots and potatoes. The potatoes were easily the best tasting potatoes we’ve had in a very long time. We actually asked and were told that they were British Queens grown locally in Ballycotton.
This was then followed by the cheese board selection which had included some local goats cheese, blue cheese and a little brie, there were also some homemade crackers and a crabapple compot. Just when you think you could not possibly eat any more, they wheel out the dessert trolley and the best part is, you can have just one dessert or sample them all. Between us we had some fresh plums, some chocolate tart, honeycomb ice cream, poached plums and a vanilla meringue with a lemon cream filling, as always, they were top notch. The meal, as always, was consistently good and the service was friendly and professional. While this meal was really good, it was not the best meal we had at the house but it was still fantastic, actually, on our previous visit, that was the best meal we had at Ballymaloe, you can check it out here.
Even after dessert, you get to try some homemade sweets, which went down well with a cuppa. After all that, all that was left to do was have one final drink in the lounge before calling it a night.
The next morning, breakfast is served in the same rooms as dinner the night before; however, we were seated in the conservatory this time, which was nice. Breakfast is always good, plenty of home baked scones and bread and a hot selection of your choice. I went with the full Irish, C had poached eggs with some bacon.
Just before we packed up and checked out, we browsed the on-site shop, which is always worth a look. You can pretty much buy most kitchen gadgets, along with cook books, food items such as the famous Ballymaloe relish and other bits and pieces. Once we checked out we hit the road, our plans was to visit Cobh for the day, which is about a 30-minute drive or so from Ballymaloe.
We arrived into a very busy Cobh, plenty of locals and tourists around; add to that there was a big cruise ship docked so this added to the crowds. After wandering for a bit, we decided to check out the Titanic Experience. We had not pre-booked so we were told it would be about an hour and a half wait until we could catch the next tour, which was fine; we did some more wandering and grabbed a light lunch in the Commodore Hotel, which was nothing to write home about.
Once we finished up, we made our way back to the Titanic Experience for our slot on the tour. So how was it, well, it’s not great, if like us, you have seen the fantastic Belfast Titanic Experience you will not really get much out of this and we felt it was very short, barely lasting 30 minutes. Still though, if you’re in the area and have some interest in all things Titanic then it may be for you.
Once back on the road, we headed towards Ballycotton via a stop off at the Fota Wildlife Resort for a coffee. We arrived into Ballycotton at around 4:00pm and checked into our digs for the night. As well as dining at Cush, we are also staying here. They have some rooms you can book which is handy as you won’t have too far to go for dinner. Interesting to note, when I booked the restaurant and the night’s stay, I was surprised at how good value the accommodation was. As we found out though, the room was really tiny, but it was clean and it was only one night.
Once checked in, we wandered around Ballycotton for a stroll. There is actually a long cliff walk that you can do but it takes a few hours, so we decided to do it when next we visit. We did however pop into the Bayview Hotel for a drink. Being Cork of course, I had a Murphy’s and C went with a cocktail. After our drinks, we headed back to Cush to get ready for dinner.
Once seated at our table, we perused the menu and ordered a drink to get things going, Kir Royals of course. The menu read really well so we were hoping that it tasted as good as it sounded.
To start I went with the croquette of slow cooked pork shoulder which came with celeriac, smoked eel, lovage and a granny smith apple chutney, it was fantastic. C went with the scallops, which were served with a cauliflower puree, iberico ham and some smoked almonds, it was equally as good.
For mains we ordered the roast breast of duck which was served with white pudding, glazed beetroot, black garlic, pickled cherries and a madeira sauce. We also ordered the sirloin of beef which came with slow cooked short rib, mushroom puree, lovage and some confit onions. We also ordered a side of charred cabbage and some more of those fantastic potatoes (after all they are grown in Ballycotton).
We finished a meal with a fantastic chocolate soufflé to share what was very nice. Overall the food in Cush was fantastic and we will certainly return again for the food. The service though, was just ok. The young staff, while not unfriendly, were not as well trained, as you would expect, given that the restaurant is going for the slightly more ‘upmarket’ crowd and when paying upmarket prices, it should be reflected in the level of service. After our meal, we went for a short stroll down to the pier as it was a nice evening, we were tempted with a nightcap but we were full after our meal so we called it a night.
The following morning breakfast is served in the same dining room which offers nice views out to the Ballycotton Lighthouse. Once checked out, we headed back towards Ballymaloe but this time towards the cookery school. Just like the shop at the house, you can buy kitchen gadgets, cookery books and a selection of food items including bread, vegetables, and jams. After picking up some marmalade, we hit the road for the journey home and once again took the road less travelled. We made a stop in Mitchelstown’ for two reasons, one, grab a coffee, the other, to pick up a bag of those amazing potatoes we had in Ballymaloe, which were for sale at the farmers market.
That’s pretty much it for our little road trip, Ballymaloe as always delivered on comfort, service and most important the food. Ballycotton was a pleasant stay and worth a stop if you find yourself in the area. We really enjoyed the food at Cush, there was some serious cooking going on there and we will certainly book again when next we’re in the area.
Until next time,
Bye for now,
C&J
cjfoodandtravel 