Food & Drink
Jameson highlights craft makers at free event in Connacht Tribune
The Jameson Black Barrel Craft Series, a collaborative series of projects between Jameson and some of the brightest lights of the Irish craft community, comes to Galway for the first time on Wednesday March 4th for a special event in The Old Printing Works Building on Market Street. The Jameson Black Barrel Craft Series is not only a chance to shine light on a very special whiskey but also to collaborate with independent modern Irish craft makers whose thoughtful work and passion for their craft is shared with Jameson.
This year, the journey of three incredible Irish crafter makers will be showcased at Jameson Craft Series events over the coming months. Chosen for their ability to put a modern twist on traditional craft techniques, the craft makers hail from all corners of the country and their work reflected the unique cultures of those regions. The selected craft makers were asked to create a modern product inspired by Jameson Black Barrel using their own traditional Irish craft methods.
The Jameson Craft Series event in Galway on March 4th celebrates the work of talented Donegal based textile designers, Molloy and Sons, who created a bespoke tweed blanket inspired by the colour, beauty and quality of Jameson Black Barrel. The Molloy family have been in the textile business for 5 generations and are synonymous with what great craftsmanship is today. Visit www.molloyandsons.com to explore their unique work.
PERFECTED THROUGH CRAFT
The father and son duo were invited to the Jameson Distillery in Midleton, Co. Cork, where Master Cooper Ger Buckley showed how each barrel used in the production of Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel is skillfully charred to specification, using the same traditions and tools passed down through generations of Jameson Coopers. The unmistakably smooth taste of Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel would not be achieved without the hand-crafted flamed charred black barrels that it is matured in. The resulting tweed blanket, which will be showcased at Jameson Black Barrel Craft Series event, is both visually outstanding and testament to Ireland’s thriving craft culture.
“The Jameson Black Barrel Craft Series has continued to support some of Ireland’s finest emerging crafts people, making it the perfect partnership to showcase the craft and heritage that goes into making Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel’, commented Grace O’Sullivan, Prestige Whiskey Brand Manager, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard.
The Old Printing Works at the Connacht Tribune, 15 Market Street, Galway City will be completely transformed into a craft workshop for the event. Guests will also have the unique opportunity to witness 5th Generation Jameson Master Cooper, Ger Buckley giving a spectacular live charring demonstration while 5 piece folk rock maestros, Corner Boy provide the entertainment.
Follow the journey of Molloy and Sons for the Jameson Black Barrel Craft Series and register for free tickets to the event on March 4th on apps.facebook.com/JamesonBlackBarrel/
In the three weeks since The Filling Station Eco Store opened its door on Abbeygate Street in Galway City, this shop’s mission to rid our cupboards of single-use plastics has caught the imagination of people far and wide.
Opened by John Tedders, a farmer from Shrule, and his children Keeva, Jonathan and Jess, The Filling Station is no ordinary shop. The outside of this small unit that once housed an XL convenience store has been transformed with bright colours and, through the window, you see an image of a grocer’s store that might look at home in 1960s Ireland.
But the thought process behind this shop is very much of today’s world, where the wasteful use of plastic is dominating our collective consciousness – and images of floating islands of the stuff in our oceans etch on our minds the impact it’s having.
While it’s nigh on impossible to avoid plastic in supermarket aisles, John has made it easy. He buys everything in bulk – from organic and local suppliers where possible – and customers bring in their own reusable containers to fill up.
Your container is weighed while empty, before you fill it to your heart’s content. Then it’s weighed again and you only pay for its contents – with everything priced per kilo or per millilitre. Unsurprisingly, that means savings for customers, something we’ll come back to later.
Setting up a shop like this had been a long-term ambition for John and one he finally realised this year when the unit, on the corner of Abbeygate Street and Market Street, came up for lease.
For full story see this week’s Connacht Tribune.
The city enjoyed the sweet taste of success over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend as the Galway Food Festival attracted an estimated 80,000 visitors – a record for the annual event in this its sixth year.
Visitors enjoyed the many in-house tasting events, food tours and talks, the open-air market at Fishmarket Square, and Breaking Bread on Easter Monday.
Halla Bia at the former Connacht Tribune Print Works was Galway’s first temporary indoor food hall, where almost 30 indigenous food producers from along the Wild Atlantic Way showcased their produce.
It was a huge hit with foodies and, according to organisers, has reignited the debate around the need for a permanent indoor market in the city.
Festival organiser and owner of Builín Blasta Café and Bakery in Spiddal, Heather Flaherty, said: “Halla Bia opened a dialogue among traders, the public and the City Council about the importance of a permanent indoor market for Galway.
“The support from all parties indicates that the drive and desire is there for a permanent space to showcase and highlight the fabulous products and producers in Galway City and County. A permanent indoor market would give small businesses a great place to start and grow their business and would contribute hugely to Galway’s already thriving food industry.”
Breda Fox, Head of Local Enterprise Office Galway, sponsors of the indoor market, said: “The Food Hall was an essential element of the festival for small producers. It allows small producers to showcase their range and quality of food and meet with customers including locals and visitors on a busy bank holiday weekend.”
Businesses around the city also confirmed a bumper weekend of sales resulting from the thousands of visitors who flocked into Galway to avail of the 100 food-based events celebrating food and the community during the five-day festival.
Another festival hit that attracted huge crowds was Breaking Bread on Easter Monday. Several community groups living in Galway prepared and shared their traditional and modern dishes with up to 9,000 visitors who got to taste dishes from around the world.
The ethnic groups showcasing their delicacies included the Indian, Malaysian, Lithuanian, Traveller, Mexican, Nigerian, Polish, Ghanaian, Japanese and French communities.
It also included members from One World Tapestry Group, as well as asylum seekers who are residents of the city’s two Direct Provision centres, the Great Western at Eyre Square and Eglinton House in Salthill.
Ms Flaherty said: “Breaking Bread brought over 14 different cultural communities together in one place to share their food and their stories, and the variety and diversity at the event was staggering. Galway is a melting pot of different communities and it is time to embrace them, welcome them and learn about their culture and their food.
“It was an event that opened doors and hearts, inspired new projects and collaborations and highlighted the importance that food has in bringing people together.”
Gary McMahon from Galway City Council, the main sponsor, said: “Now a five-day event, we have a spectacular and sustainable festival celebrating our gastronomy, our hospitality and our sense of fun and congeniality that engages both residents and visitors to the city.
“Galway City Council looks forward to next year when, as part of our designation as European Region of Gastronomy 2018, we will build on this year’s great success and visibility for everything foodie in the city of Galway in partnership with Galway Food Festival.”
Galway Food Festival 2017 was the first official outing and major public awareness campaign since Galway, West of Ireland was designated a European Regions of Gastronomy for 2018.
Alan Farrell, Senior Executive Officer with Galway County Council and one of the drivers of the ERG said: “The weekend was a phenomenal success and an excellent example of how a strong partnership and cooperative working can have a huge impact. ERG is about all of us, it needs buy-in from all members of the community in order for it to reach its potential and if last weekend is anything to go by, that is there in abundance.”
For your chance to win tickets to #JamesonCraftSeries event in Galway on March 4th and one of the bespoke Molloy and Sons tweed blankets created especially for the event and inspired by the colour, beauty and quality of Jameson Black Barrel. Celebrating those who believe in craft, tradition and making something that lasts. Answer the below question:
The unmistakably smooth taste of Jameson Black Barrel would not be achieved without the hand-crafted flamed charred black barrels that it is matured in.
- True
- False
Email your answer to competitions@ctribune.ie no later than 5.00 pm on Monday 2nd March 2015
Follow the journey of Molly and Sons on apps.facebook.com/JamesonBlackBarrel/ All entrants must be over 18. (Enjoy Jameson sensibly, visit DrinkAware.ie)
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