December 2022
Aimsir is a fantastic example of the high quality of craftsmanship and produce available on this island. Of course, the creative genius of Jordan Bailey is at the centre of the restaurant's success. Aimsir Restaurant is located on the Cliff at Lyons Estate just outside Cellbridge in Co. Kildare. The restaurant is one of only four restaurants in Ireland which hold two michelin stars. It has held two Michelin stars since it opened in 2020. Jordan Bailey and his wife Majken are the two creators and visionaries of this experience. When creating dishes at Aimsir, Jordan's key focus of Jordan (and his team) is the ingredients from the onsite farm, with flavour at the core of every component. All ingredients are sourced in Ireland apart from the sugar, with 80% being Irish and 20%
being as local as Kildare.
Jordan and Majken spent several months touring Ireland before opening Aimsir in order to find the best quality produce and tableware for their guests. They’ve managed to source everything from Ireland apart from the glassware. During this process they discovered a husband and wife team in Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry who were making beautiful pottery for the food service industry but hadn’t gained much recognition in Ireland yet. Jordan worked closely with Fermoyle to produce twenty six individual pieces for Aimsir. The collaboration was of huge importance to Fermoyle and gave them the boost they needed to gain a name for themselves on the domestic market. Their plates are now used in many of the top Irish restaurants such as Allta in Dublin and Aniar in Galway.
The gardens at Aimsir are run by head gardener Pavel Koldas. Since starting at Aimsir last year he has undertaken a huge amount of redevelopment at the gardens including adding a colony of bees who take pollen from the ivy, cornflower and fuchsia which has always grown on the grounds. Pavel is hugely passionate about organic farming and herbal remedies. As he led us around the gardens he pointed out different herbs and vegetables and what their medicinal qualities are. In the beds by the restaurant, they grow herbs such as liquorice, lovage, salsify, comfrey, fennel and also some smaller veggies such as kohlrabi, winter lettuces, radish and parsnips. There is also a cluster of apple, pear and quince trees outside the restaurant .
The rest of the fruit and vegetables are grown in more beds and a few polytunnels a short walk away further into the estate. Here they grow raspberries, golden raspberries, artichokes, sunflowers, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, squash, corn, kohlrabi, and endive lettuce.
These gardens took eighteen months of development from two gardeners, and a huge amount of thought went into the planning of the gardens. This point is wonderfully illustrated by the paths, which are six feet deep and run all the services, act as drainage and of course act as lovely, manicured walkways.
At the back of the farm a long, narrow field is home to five New Zealand Kuni Kuni pigs (fig. 2.11) which were selected by Jordan because of their high fat content and excellent temperament. The pigs have been raised at Aimsir and in the coming weeks will be sent to slaughter and then aged at the restaurant and added to the menu. The farm is also home to a small collection of chickens, whose eggs are used in the restaurant.
To finish our tour, we are shown the field where the Scottish Highlander cow purchased by the restaurant will be kept. She has been selected to form a part of the Aimsir family because of the 10% fat content in her milk and the excellent temperament of the breed. It is necessary for any animals kept on the farm to be of a good temperament because guests at the hotel can freely interact with the animals.
Aimsir is a fantastic example of the high quality of craftsmanship and produce available on this island. Of course, the creative genius of Jordan Bailey is at the centre of the restaurant's success, but he is surrounded by the bounty of a mild climate and excellent soil. Aimsir is paving the way for other Irish restaurants in how they think about everything from produce to the final details of the guest’s experience in ensuring that every part of it is Irish without compromising on the Michelin experience.
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