Food File: Good neighbours, quality soy and island delights

EVERYBODY NEEDS GOOD NEIGHBOURS Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, is taking locavore eating to heart by teaming up with its next door neighbours, Kilmullen Farm, to highlight the superb quality of Wicklow lamb. Kilmullen Farm has been in Eamon Bourke's family for three generations, and he believes the lamb he raises has a unique flavour, coming from the herbs, including wild mint and wild garlic, in the hedgerows. Executive chef Tim Daly has devised a Taste of Kilmullen lamb dish using loin, cutlet and slow-cooked leg, served with lamb jus, fondant potato, black garlic, salsify and cabbage, using the farm's clover and grass-fed herd. The dish is now available at Hugo's Restaurant at the resort (€32). The hotel also serves Kilmullen Farm's own apple juice. druidsglenresort.com

SOY SPICY Fiona Uyema studied international marketing and Japanese and lived in rural Japan for three years. She is the author of Japanese Food Made Easy, published last autumn by Mercier Press, and has branched out into food production. With the help of the SuperValu Food Academy, she has just launched a range of soy sauces. Fused by Fiona Uyema comes in Clever Classic, Cheeky Chili and Glorious Ginger varieties.

“During my visit to Japan last year I visited a soy sauce factory to learn about the process of making a good quality soy sauce. I sourced a supplier for an excellent quality Japanese soy sauce, which I then fuse and blend with spices before bottling. All of this takes place in Kildare.” The sauces (€2.99) are available online from fionauyema.com and from SuperValu stores in Kildare, Knocklyon, Lucan, Templeogue, Rathfarnham, Tallaght and Firhouse, where she will be doing an in-store demo today.

FOOD FESTIVAL The Savour Kilkenny food festival takes place on October 28th-31st, and to celebrate its 10th anniversary a launch party will take place on September 25th in Butler House gardens in the city. A pig on a spit, drinks from Wines Direct and dessert from A Slice of Heaven are included in the €25 tickets (savourkilkenny.com).

On September 23rd-25th, the Hans Sloane Chocolate & Fine Food Festival – named in honour of the Killyleagh-born physician and naturalist Hans Sloane, who is credited with bringing the recipe for drinking chocolate to Europe from Jamaica – takes place in Killyleagh, Co Down (hanssloane.com). Blas na háite is an event to promote local food production in Macroom, Co Cork,taking place on Sunday, September 25th. Coffee cupping, sourdough bread baking and cheese tasting are on the menu (macroomfoodfestival.com).

BUTCHER A PIG If last weekend's charcuterie feature on these pages got you interested in giving it a go, you may be interested in a course at Dingle Cookery School in Co Kerry. The class, called 'Ultimate Butchery and Curing Weekend with Fingal Ferguson from Gubbeen Smokehouse' runs on Saturday and Sunday, October 15-16th. You'll learn how to butcher a pig, and how to use the entire animal, including curing. There will be cookery classes included as well and the cost is €320. dinglecookeryschool.com