St Kyran’s, Co. Cavan

Caroline and I joined Mark & Susan (of Ristretto Coffee fame) for a night at St Kyran’s Country House, Co. Cavan. Apart from it being a night away and a bit of craic with Mark & Susan, we where excited to sample the delights of Chef Eddie Attwell.

Since appearing in the semi finals of The Roux Scholarship in 2013, and working in the famous 2 star L’Enclume, Eddie has been carving a name for himself in the Irish culinary scene. Eddie is also appearing on this years Great British Menu as part of the Northern Irish team. It was our pleasure to be eat some of the best food we have ever had.

When we arrived at St Kyran’s we were greeted by the very friendly staff who promptly checked us in and showed us to our beautiful rooms (whilst pointing out the selection of DVD’s and books on the way down the hallway). We really did feel at home immediately.

Please excuse the ‘not so good’ food images! Had to use my iPhone light! 🙁

Once settled (about 30 seconds) we went back up to the lounge area and had a coffee and some delicious petit fours (always a welcomed combination with coffee).

While the girls relaxed in the rooms, Mark & I went for a dander outside.

As well as being a passionate forager, Eddie grows a lot of his own vegetables and herbs on the grounds of St Kyran’s. This was evident as we walked around the grounds.

A pint of Guinness was a definite when we returned to the lounge.

Thirst quenched, we returned to the rooms to collect our respective wives before going to the dining room for dinner.

To compliment all of the above, we opted for a delicious 2014 Château de Nacelle Mâcon Villages to start followed by a Terrana Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC for the later courses.

So, after a night of incredible food, great craic and very attentive service, it was time to hit the pit to recharge the batteries for Saturday! Breakfast started with a buffet of cereals, fresh fruit, yogurt, various nuts and seeds and a great selection of hot food (cooked to order)!

The homemade white bread and wheaten was absolutely delicious!

Suitable fuelled for the day, we went outside for a walk and bumped into the ever enthusiastic Eddie tending to his vegetables etc. He took us for a short foraging walk around the grounds and introduced us to a variety of delicious ‘weeds’ as well as some of the vegetables that he has been growing.