27 September 2021
Our first foray into experiential learning was a visit to the ancestral home of the Brabazon family, Kilruddery House and Gardens. This beautiful place is situated on the outskirts of the town of Bray, set against a backdrop of the magnificent Wicklow Mountains and surrounded by ancient woodlands.
The walk from the carpark to the café provides a tantalizing glimpse of what lays ahead. Rare breed pigs muddy, fat and slightly smug looking, busy hens and cockerels and a crooked little bridge with handrails made from indigenous branches. The scene appeared almost sepia to me, a snapshot of the potential ahead. The plan for the afternoon included lunch followed by a tour of the gardens hosted by head chef Niall O Sullivan. It was immediately obvious that Niall was entranced with his place of work, it was his day off! New to the role Niall peppered his tour with talk of what he hoped to achieve, the challenges they faced and his unwavering belief in the potential of Kilruddery to become self -sufficient. Passion can be displayed in many ways, none better than through the showing of a bountiful garden.
As we made our way through the Victorian walled kitchen garden, the newly added tunnels and the formal gardens it became clear that a real purpose was at play here. The gardens were full of autumnal colours, edibles spiked throughout the cut flower patches, umbels allowed to go to seed for the birds, texture, colour and fragrance everywhere. The tunnels and vegetable gardens are packed full of produce. Neat drills of rainbow beets, several varieties of tomatoes, beans, brassicas, marrows, majestic Jerusalem artichokes, Tree spinach, herbs galore and a seemingly endless variety of salad greens were spoken about with reverence and potential, but also with a hint of frustration. Niall spoke of the endless culinary opportunities that these plants (and lots more beside,) presented for him. The timeless quest for dealing with a glut of one vegetable while praying for a few extra of the poor performers. Preserving the glut through culinary techniques both old and new is an integral part of the Kilruddery kitchen team. Niall spoke of making ‘Ash’, a technique that goes against the grain for most chefs, we generally try not to burn anything, but this will preserve and add a bitter note to the organoleptic qualities of many dishes. He also outlined practices of fermentation, pickling, drying, making syrups and shrubs, all pointing to the importance of taste and flavour and how that can be gained from truly understanding the characteristics of what is being grown. This was a standout moment for me.
Kilruddery has a number of revenue streams that are made possible purely from what can be cultivated in their gardens. A cut flower business, a farm shop, the café and special events to name a few. Niall brought it all together when he spoke of the need for food businesses to have clear goals but, to continuously push forward. Allowing his chefs, the time to collaborate with the gardening team, getting to know how to grow what they need, what works, what doesn’t and why. A lesson in cultivating creativity.
Lunch
A sense of place screamed from the menu. Plant centric, what few ingredients weren’t produced on the grounds were thoughtfully sought out, hyper locally. Alongside that sense of place creativity shone. My dish of smooth, sharp goats cheese offset with a rainbow of beets prepared in a variety of ways, heritage apple discs, among a wreath of bitter and peppery salad leaves, a hint of spice and sweetness from the Togarashi spice blend was truly delicious. The menu was sprinkled with Asian influences, classic French techniques, modern methods and foraged herbs and berries. As a chef I desperately wanted to taste everyone’s dish, but Covid 19 and the fact that I was with a group I had barely met stopped me from dipping in. Just about. Dessert was kindly offered to us, a warm chocolate mousse with a sea buckthorn ice-cream. This ice-cream was a revelation. Sea buckthorn berries were transformed into a taste reminiscent of exotic fruits, foraged from an invasive (ill-conceived) plant grown widely on the east coast. I am inspired to seek this berry out locally and see what I can do with it.
The learning
Throughout time gardens have been planted for many reasons. A grand display of wealth, providing food, architectural and artistic muses, but this garden is planted for potential. The potential to grab back the best of bygone times and blend them with the contemporary. The need for diversity, cultural awareness and creativity has never before been so urgent, Kilruddery showed me how those needs can begin to be met through passion and belief in people and place.
This first learning experience for the Botanical Cuisine group brought the start of cohesion of many thoughts for me. The importance of leadership, vision and collaboration was evident in every step I took around this beautiful place. Putting it altogether is more than the well-used “farm to plate” tag. Niall’s determination, ability to acknowledge and accept challenges, diversify and educate is admirable, but mostly, his ethos of allowing the sense of place shine through in his food is one to be embodied by all interested in today’s foodscape.
“Everything we need to survive, and all that nourishes us comes from the earth, her soil, the atmosphere, the sun and the stars beyond. We are simply walking pieces of earth”
Mary Reynolds, 2018
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