Northern delights: sample some of Ulster’s great gourmet options

Ulster has some great foodie options this autumn. If you're in the market for a little stately-home elegance, check into the Castle Grove hotel, whose four-acre walled garden has a press following of its own – food writers love it.

According to Karoline Sweeney, part of the family which owns the property, the gardens are far from ornamental and keep the hotel’s kitchens in top-quality produce for 11 months of the year.

Castle Grove, which played host to Daniel O’Connell, was in the same family from 1695 until 1968. The 250-acre estate in Letterkenny has been run as a hotel for the past 30 years by the Sweeney family, who have championed local producers since the beginning. “It’s a trend now but we’ve been farm-to-fork here since day one,” says Sweeney.

The gardens were designed by ‘Capability’ Brown and, given its location situated at the end of a mile-long avenue on the shores of Lough Swilly, it is the perfect base to explore beautiful Donegal and the Wild Atlantic Way.

The award-winning, fine-dining restaurant serves excellent cuisine prepared by master chefs who combine locally sourced produce with homegrown fruit and vegetables.

“We try to grow vegetables that are not commonly found in other restaurants. We grow various varieties of carrots, cabbages, kales, beetroot, peas, beans, Kohl rabi, celeriac, salsify, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, sweet corn, squash, pumpkins and peas etc, all outside,” says Sweeney.

“In the polytunnel, we have melons, tomatoes, eggplants, dwarf beans, cucumbers, herbs, chiles, flowers and so on. We start all our produce from seed in the tunnel and once seedlings are ready most of them are moved outside to mature. We are proud to say we have almost full sustainability all year round and only rely on the local veg guy for our citrus fruits and potatoes.”

It has a beautiful orchard with many varieties of mature and recently planted apple trees. “This year we launched our own Castle Grove Original Apple Cider and so far it’s going down a treat,” she says.

Its abundance of strawberries results in its annual Strawberry Festival in summer time and a very popular strawberry gin which provides a glorious taste of summer year-round. The property has also hosted a nine-course vegetarian extravaganza in its walled garden, where guests get a tour to see where they were plucked from first. In winter, it hosts a game night, in spring a seafood night.

Autumn is a great time to visit.

“On September 28th we are hosting our first Castle Grove Harvest Fayre, in association with Taste the Island, celebrating our walled garden produce using old-world and new-world cooking techniques and will have a lovely selection of pickled veg, chutneys, jams, baked pies with vegetable, seafood and Donegal beef fillings. We will also have sweet pies, apple, rhubarb, spiced pumpkin and so on for sale on the day,” Sweeney says.

There will be an oyster bar, seafood chowder, a barbecue with gourmet Donegal cuts on the grill and, of course, beautiful char-grilled veg. “We will have a lovely bar set up with CG cider, strawberry gin and our old reliable friends from Kinnegar Brewery. Wines Direct will also attend and talk about wines at the wine bar.”

There will also be themed games, straw bales, vintage tractors, live music “and the whole shebang!” she says. This autumn you can stay two nights B&B with one dinner, for €155 per person, based on two sharing. Or opt for seconds and stay three nights instead, for €255, including two dinners.

Feed your senses

To feed your senses, head for a little rest and relaxation at the award-winning Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort in Ballymena, Co Antrim, voted 'Global Luxury Spa Hotel of the Year'.

“In the past 10 years, the resort has invested over £35 million, with plans for further expansion of over £14 million over the next three to five years,” says Colin Johnston, managing director.

The resort is already home to a selection of guest rooms and lodges, and the jewel in its crown – the unique Thermal Spa Village, which is the first of its kind in Ireland.

A smorgasbord of heated and cool spa experiences awaits, including saunas, steam rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, snail shower, heated loungers and its famed snow cabin. Perched on the banks of the River Maine, with a scenic woodland backdrop, an hour in one of Galgorm’s eco-friendly wood-fire tubs is restorative bliss. When you have worked up a hunger, Elements Spa Cafe has refreshing drinks, indulgent snacks and nourishing nibbles for those feeling particularly virtuous.

After a day in the spa, guests can expect a meal that is just as indulgent, with head chef Chris Rees at the helm. The resort’s 3 AA Rosette River Room Restaurant was named the Best Luxury Hotel Restaurant at the World Luxury Spa & Restaurant Awards

Its River Room restaurant uses seasonal ingredients sourced from its own kitchen garden, as well as local artisan suppliers. Guests can enjoy an array of cuisine, from authentic barbecue smokehouse cuisine at Castle Kitchen + Bar, traditional Italian in Fratelli or the homely ambience of Gillies, which offers entertainment seven nights a week. The Conservatory, a great spot for afternoon tea, also houses Ireland’s largest gin collection.

Between now and November 28th an overnight B&B autumn package costs £198 per couple, including Thermal Village Experience, a three-course dinner with wine and a complimentary mini bar.

Four for flavour

Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival, aw shucks, September 27th to 29th.

Dingle Food Festival, taste trails and street entertainment, October 4th to 6th.

Food on the Edge, serving up the future of the food industry, Galway city, October 21st to 22nd.

Savour Kilkenny, now in its 13th year, lucky for us, October 24th to 28th.