What’s on offer?
Steve Mercer headed up the kitchen at Ballyvolane House and was responsible for cooking for the royal entourage in 2018 when then-Prince Charles and Camilla made a four-day official visit to Cork, and stayed in Ballyvolane. In 2021, he invested in a horse box and travelled around Tipperary and Cork as The Chai Kitchen, catering for various events as well as running a pop-up cafe at Kilcoran Garden Centre. Now trading as The Oven, on Fridays and Saturdays Mercer offers a limited menu of vegetarian food cooked from local ingredients, many of them sourced from the farmers’ market.
What did we order?
One langos (a flatbread with vegetables), and one South Indian dal.
How was the service?
Very friendly. You order at the food stall and Mercer is happy to chat about his food and how he cooks it. While you wait, it is worth wandering around the small food market where there are stalls with free range chicken and pork, fish, vegetables, speciality salad leaves, tea and cakes.
Was the food nice?
The food here is extremely good. The yeast flatbread, which has potato through it, is light and fluffy. On top are fresh peas and asparagus, that have been gently sautéed before being piled on to the bread and finished with dollops of crème fraîche and pickled red onions. The dal, which was topped with diced cucumber, courgette, corn kernels, red onions, coriander leaves and a squeeze of lime, is deliciously earthy, with a touch of heat coming through, complimenting the aromatic topping.
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What about the packaging?
The bowl is a recyclable (if clean), brown cardboard tub with a plastic recyclable lid, and the pizza carton is recyclable if cleaned properly.
What did it cost?
Lunch for two people was €20 – vegetable flatbread, €10; and dal, €10.
Where does it deliver?
There is no delivery, the food is available at The Oven food truck only. Find it at the following: Clonmel Quay Car Park, 10am-2pm on Fridays; and at The Farmers’ Market, St Peter and Paul’s CBS, Clonmel, 10am-2pm on Saturdays.
Would I order it again?
Most definitely, the food is absolutely delicious and has broad appeal, not just for vegetarians. There is a pretty park across the road from the market with picnic tables, a perfect spot for lunch.
