James Whelan Butchers Ireland - Page 29 of 46 - Ireland's First Online Butcher

James Whelan Butchers – AIM Awards Winner 2012

Posted on Friday, June 1st, 2012 by Pat Whelan in Good Food | No Comments »

The trophy cabinet at James Whelan Butchers is close to bursting as Pat Whelan, innovator and owner, picked up yet another gong at the 2012 All Ireland Marketing Awards held recently at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin. The glittering ceremony, one of the finest in Ireland’s annual business calendar, was hosted by RTE’s Brian Dobson. There are just seventeen categories and James Whelan Butchers was up there among other winners that included household names such as Vodafone Ireland, Harvey Norman, Today Fm, Supervalu and Heineken.

James Whelan Butchers won the Small Business Marketing Award; a huge achievement as it is chosen from the entire country. In the world of marketing these awards are taken very seriously and considered the ‘oscars’ for the marketing profession.

James Whelan Butchers has had an incredible year. While maintaining the integrity of a traditional business built on solid values, Pat Whelan has also managed to successfully harness social media, drive innovative product creation and establish fresh markets despite a time of recession. His ongoing work in introducing Wagyu beef to Ireland was recognised along with the opening of the James Whelan Butchers’ concession in the acclaimed Avoca store in Monkstown, Dublin last December. Pat Whelan was also applauded for developing the profile of his business by expertly using social media. Through Facebook and Twitter platforms, Pat continues to grow a loyal following of people with a special interest in food.

Pat Whelan said, “I’m genuinely thrilled to have won this award, particularly when I know the fantastic small businesses that are doing such great things all over the country. Awards are never the reason for doing anything but it is an honour and I’m humbled and very grateful to receive it.”

However awards do not make Pat Whelan complacent. He has just completed an overhaul of his popular shop in the Oakville Shopping Centre. The ongoing development of Whelan Wagyu beef is a huge passion and will be released to customers in the next few weeks and his continuing search for new ways to connect with people is always at the forefront.

You can experience James Whelan Butchers first hand at the Oakville Shopping Centre in Clonmel or his new butcher shop in Avoca, Monkstown or purchase James Whelan Butchers meat online 24/7 at www.jameswhelanbutchers.com.

Tags: All Ireland Marketing Awards 2012, Berlington Hotel, Best SME 2012, James Whelan Butchers, Pat Whelan

James Whelan Butchers: Butcher Apprentice Programme

Posted on Wednesday, May 30th, 2012 by Pat Whelan in Good Food | No Comments »

Love meat? Love people? You may be the person we’re looking for to join our team.

With a 50 year tradition in producing and retailing the finest meat, James Whelan Butchers is looking to recruit trainee butchers for our retail stores in Clonmel & Dublin. We believe in “nose to tail” butchery and have a “farm to fork” philosophy and as an artisan Butcher, we want our customers to enjoy cooking our meat as much as we enjoy breeding rearing & selling our finest produce to them.

We’re looking for happy, enthusiastic people with a great customer service ethos who want to learn butchery skills, both on our shop floor and through structured sponsored training with Fetac (Level 5 qualification). We need people with great interpersonal skills who want to commit to a career in butchery with one of Ireland ‘s best butchers .

Do you think you have what it takes? Please tell us all about yourself and why you want to join our award-winning team by emailing [email protected] by 15^th June 2012

Find out more about what we do at https://www.jameswhelanbutchers.com/

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

Tags: apprentice, artisan, Butcher, Butchery Skills, Clonmel, Dublin, Fetac, James Whelan Butchers, Monkstown, Pat Whelan, programme

James Whelan Butchers: Racking up the Wow factor

Posted on Wednesday, May 30th, 2012 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food | No Comments »

One of the greatest secrets to excellent food is the old and familiar adage, “keep it simple!” If you are really clever you will also have twigged that sometimes the ingredients of any dish can do the talking for you. A good quality, flavoursome piece of meat and the freshest vegetables you can find are often all you need to have them cheering in the aisles and marvelling at your culinary skills. The difficulty is that somewhere along the line simplicity was traded for the smoke and mirrors antics of the professional and celebrity chef. The idea that some things can never be reproduced in a domestic kitchen to any great degree of competency is, in my opinion, nonsense.

Now before I insult all my good friends in the industry, I don’t deny the talent, craft, skill and dedication of the professional, but it depends on an entirely different set of criteria to that of your average family cook. My thesis is that while Joe and Josephine Blogs will always marvel at the labour intensive ‘handmade, truffle filled, star shaped ravioli with a little butter and mushroom jus’ on their occasional visit to a restaurant, it doesn’t mean that the rest of the time at home means bland food hell. We eat every day!

What we sometimes need is a sense of adventure; a desire to try something new but not necessarily anything too complicated. For example at this time of year why not cook a rack of lamb? This is something that is often seen as only perfected by the professional. I disagree. The key to this is buying the best lamb you can get your hands on and then following the traditional rules of cooking it. With a little preparation, the meat itself and the oven do all the work! The same theory applies to the accompaniments. Two excellently chosen sides will trump quantity or variety any day.

So why are people so afraid of rack of lamb? I suppose it is considered quite a luxurious dish, probably stemming from the fact that it is the most tender part of the lamb and therefore considered quite exclusive. It also has quite a regal look about it and that’s why sometimes you see those little paper hats covering the ribs. Preparing the rack involves cleaning the fat of those ‘sticky out’ bones, (this technique is called ‘frenching’) however, if you go to a good butcher they will do that for you. I would suggest three to four cutlets per person.

Take your time when preparing the lamb. I like to coat it in a little oil mixture that I make using olive oil, chopped fresh rosemary, two garlic cloves (chopped) and a pinch of mustard powder. I lightly coat the rack with this mixture and then I heat some oil in an oven proof pan and sear the meat. Do not put the meat into the pan until it is good and hot and then be very careful not to let it burn. It will only take approximately 2 minutes on each side to sear. Do not leave it go past 3 minutes or you could be in trouble. Once it is seared, wipe any excess fat from the meat, cover the bone tips with a little tinfoil to stop them going black during cooking and put the meat, bone side down onto an oven proof dish ready for the preheated oven. You could, if you wanted to, roll the whole piece in breadcrumbs at this point, but that is optional.

Usually you are trying to achieve a nice brown colour on the outside with a little pink still in the centre of each cutlet. Have the oven preheated and then the general rule of thumb is 20 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium rare; the latter being my preference. Once again I make the comment about owning a meat thermometer. It is a foolproof way of checking if the meat is cooked through and no kitchen should be without one.

Like any meat it should be left to rest for 10 to 20 minutes before carving and if you want a real sense of theatre then do so at the table! This is not for the fainthearted and I prefer to cut and plate up out of sight, that way you can wipe away any drips before you present it to a guest.

At James Whelan Butchers we take particular pride in our naturally reared, wholesome Tipperary lamb with its deep red colour and remarkably sweet, grass fed taste. Prepare to wow your guests with this sophisticated roast that makes for beautiful presentation and is easy to carve, making it a perennial dinner party favourite. There are several spring lamb recipes and serving ideas on our website so do check that out also and don’t let anyone tell you that a perfect rack of lamb is only achievable in a restaurant. Try it out this weekend and see if home cooking a rack of lamb is not only delicious but tremendous value as well.

Tags: foodie articles, James Whelan Butchers, Pat Whelan, Rack of Lamb, Spring Lamb

James Whelan Butchers: Cooking with Adam Perry Lang on the Big Green Egg

Posted on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food | 1 Comment »

Recently, I was delighted to host Adam Perry Lang, who came to spend some time with me after first meeting him a year ago while on an official visit to Ireland. His passion for beef is unparalleled and the respect he shows to the artisan production of beef is to be celebrated. In his latest project, he has created a completely unique grilling and bbq concept restaurant in London, partnering with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver called Barbecoa, which opened in October 2010. Adam is a classically French-trained chef hailing from Brooklyn, New York with a passion for grilling and bbq using the best quality produce. As part of this London concept, he has opened a fantastic butcher shop in the city with an amazing array of great Irish beef.

During his visit, Adam and I spent time on the farm appraising and judging our livestock and I had the great opportunity of introducing him to my Wagyu herd of cattle. The Wagyu project is really very exciting for us and one Adam expressed great interest in. During his visit we also spent some time in the abattoir which afforded him the opportunity to see first hand the great respect, care and attention to detail that we pay to the entire process – Day in the Life of a Real Butcher

On one of the days we took from the abattoir some “hot” hanger steak which we cooked on the Big Green Egg. Cooking unmatured beef was something that I had never done before and as an experiment was very enriching. Adam shared some great techniques of cooking with the Big Green Egg including using a hairdryer to fan the heat and also cooking the hanger steak directly on the coals (see images below)! The winning meal that we cooked on the Big Green Egg was the “Boston Butt” or Gigot of pork which we cooked for 5 hours at 150˚c constant. I’ve eaten pork all over the world and if I’m to be honest it’s probably one of my favourite meats but I have never tasted anything as good or unctious in my life. Visit Adam Perry Lang’s website for great recipes

I’ve posted some images here to share with you. I would strongly recommend the pork roast! Happy cooking.

Adam Perry Lang and Pat Whelan on the Big Green Egg

Tags: Adam Perry Lang, James Whelan Butchers, Pat Whelan, Tipperary

James Whelan Butchers at Avoca Monkstown

Posted on Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food, Press | No Comments »

James Whelan Butchers new butcher shop at Avoca Monkstown

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Food Market Monkstown and Avoca Rathcoole. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

Tags: Avoca, Dublin, James Whelan Butchers, Monkstown, New Butcher Shop, Pat Whelan

James Whelan Butchers: Groupon Spring Hamper

Posted on Friday, March 30th, 2012 by Pat Whelan in Good Food | No Comments »

Spring Hamper Offer

Please note that you cannot place an order online – until 24hours after receiving your groupon code.

You can place your order online after 24 hours of receipt of code. Just remember there is only one spring hamper per voucher. If you have bought more than one voucher, each order will have to be placed separately.

To place the order:

Add the Spring Hamper to your basket

Click on view/checkout at the top of the screen
Click on checkout at the bottom of the screen
input your delivery details
input your security code from the groupon voucher (in Discount & Gift certificate)
Click Applied
Click accept T&C
Click checkout
Input your payment details for €10 euro delivery charge.
order is now complete

James Whelan Butchers: Spring Cheese Celebration

Posted on Friday, March 23rd, 2012 by Pat Whelan in Good Food | No Comments »

Join Avoca for an Irish Spring Cheese Celebration at Salt, Monkstown on April 3.

with Patricia Michelson from La Fromagerie, the highly regarded UK cheese shop, Kevin Sheridan from Sheridans Cheesemongers and master butcher, author and all-round food guru, Pat Whelan.

There will be a big focus on local artisan cheeses and ingredients in the menu, with a section of Patricia’s new book, Cheese (what else!) dedicated to Irish Cheese.

Enjoy a 3 course cheese-themed dinner and wine menu specially designed by Salt head chef, Mark McGillycuddy, with lots of chat about seasonal cooking, sourcing locally and of course, cheese.

Salt Café, Avoca Monkstown on Tues., April 3rd at 7pm
€50 per person – booking is essential, so please call us 01 274 6900 to reserve your place.

Salt Café & Avoca Food Market
The Crescent
Monkstown
County Dublin

James Whelan Butchers: Planning the Difference

Posted on Wednesday, March 21st, 2012 by Pat Whelan in Good Food | No Comments »

While much of what I learned in school is buried deep in the mind’s recesses, probably never to see the light of day again, I still frequently go back to a saying by one of my teachers; “Proper planning prevents poor performance”. He would refer to it as the 5 Ps. Leaving aside the clever alliteration I can add to his by saying “Proper planning prevents unnecessary stress” and, of even greater concern these days, “Proper planning saves you money”. Easter is on the horizon and Confirmation and Holy Communion parties are also in the lens of many right now. Whether it is a buffet style party for thirty or an Easter Sunday lunch for ten, it can all be accomplished relatively fuss free and without needing to remortgage the house to finance it, with a little forward planning. How many times have you tried that free style approach only to end up with far too much food left over, a kitchen that looked like it had been hit by an earthquake, and an ulcer inducing level of stress and exhaustion? If that sounds all too familiar stick with me and the lessons learned can be used at any time of year.

Dinner Party Beef Fillet

Not only should you plan the main event you should also have a plan for the leftovers, even if you never get around to using it. Professional chefs do it all the time. What is a main course today becomes a starter tomorrow if it isn’t used entirely. What isn’t too popular on Tuesday as a side, becomes the soup for lunch on Wednesday. Isn’t that the old joke, “I never order Soup du jour, it tastes different everywhere I go!”

Planning isn’t rocket science, and all it requires is a pen and paper, (or ipad/computer for the tech savvy) and a few obvious questions:

a) How many are coming?
b) What time of day will we eat?
c) What will I cook- a general Menu outline
d) How much of this menu can be done the day before?
e) Are there any clashing oven times/temperatures and if so what’s the solution?
f) Can I simplify this even more?

Now write down the list of ingredients you need for every dish and then check what you actually have in the cupboard and fridge and mark them off. Do not go to the shops without doing this check as I guarantee the fear of not having something will make you buy it just in case. This is where money and food are often wasted.

While a one pot is often the answer for a large crowd, traditional joints are also a great solution. A roast dinner with beef or lamb as the star of the show rarely disappoints. A joint of meat also needs adequate time to rest before serving and so that 30 to 40 minutes between coming out of the oven and serving creates the perfect window for finishing off sides and making great gravy.

I love getting everyone around a big table and particularly enjoy the special days such as Christmas and Easter. I have long since taken the stress out of these events by simplifying as much as I can and remembering why I’m doing it. It’s not about me and how good or bad my culinary skills are: it is about enjoying the company and sharing great food. Even if I have discovered some amazingly chef-y way of tying up asparagus bunches with lemongrass strips I’m careful not to try and impress with such overly fanciness if the numbers are too large. Tying small bunches of greens in dramatic fashion is just about fun for a lunch for four but becomes downright tedious to prepare for a dinner for 12. (That’s assuming of course that you don’t have an army of kitchen staff, in which case there are no limits.) We are often tempted to show off with some TV cookery programme inspired dessert frippery that needs more attention than a newborn baby, but my advice is, don’t do it! Choose a popular dessert that can be made the day or night before and left in the fridge ready just to plate up; the same goes for starters if possible. If you’re super organised you could even prepare them in individual dishes. Trust me when I say your guests will prefer something common and delicious and an unstressed and present host over a stress inducing frilly dish any day. Buying the best ingredients you can get your hands on will also remove a great deal of the work. Good quality meat will need no disguising and fresh, local, in season vegetables will taste great naturally and will create the ‘wow’ for you.

Fresh Carrots

You are also allowed to buy in some of the courses, in part or entirely, if it makes it easier. I don’t know where we got this idea that unless we do everything ourselves that we are cheating! In Tipperary when there are so many excellent artisan producers on the doorstep we should definitely avail of their help. I agree entirely with the philosophy of fresh and natural, but that need not be compromised. From local breads, preserves, cheeses, desserts and sweet treats, herbs and vegetables and meat, there is a world of wonderful local food at your disposal. If you are in any doubt check out the Tipperary Food Producers network website for a full list of what’s available locally. I would also encourage you to drop by the James Whelan Butchers site for inspiration and of course, you are always welcome at our shop in the Oakville Shopping Centre in Clonmel. Planning well is definitely the key to keeping great family occasions ‘great’ and avoiding that awful feeling of being an indentured kitchen slave to a bunch of ungrateful relatives.

Tags: Dinner, Easter, foodie articles, James Whelan Butchers, Pat Whelan, Planning, Roast Dinner, Tipperary

Butchery Classes – James Whelan Butchers May 2012

Posted on Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 by Pat Whelan in Good Food | 2 Comments »

Butchery Classes at James Whelan Butchers are carried out by our team of skilled butchers. We offer a range of evening courses aimed at teaching you all about the meat, where it comes from, how and when it is used and also a range of basic butchery skills. Our butchers are fully trained skillful professionals, that are well versed in all aspects of cutting meat and the aging process. Our next class will be held at our Shop in Monkstown, Dublin and for further information on how to book or purchase a voucher contact us by phone or email

Dry Aged Meat Rotating in Our New Butcher Shop

Our next butchery is course on Tuesday 15th May 2012 at 6.30pm in James Whelan Butchers at the Avoca Food Market, Monkstown, Co. Dublin -€99 per person. 12 places per course. Book now by contacting us by phone or email.

Places are limited to small numbers which helps us to give you the best one to one tuition possible so book one of our classes today. Private Group bookings are becoming more and more popular on the Butchery Classes, we have taken group bookings for a range of things including Corporate events and Staff Parties. To make the class a private event, you will need to book out the full 12 places.

James Whelan butchery courses at our new shop in Monkstown

Tags: Avoca, butchery courses, Butchery Skills, Food Market, James Whelan Butchers, May 2012, Monkstown, Pat Whelan

James Whelan Butchers: What’s cooking?

Posted on Thursday, February 23rd, 2012 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food | No Comments »

With the annual pancake fest just behind us and a general feeling of spring in the air it is the perfect time for a little shift in gear and preparation for the lighter days that are now, at least, on the horizon. The idea behind having pancakes on Shrove Tuesday came from the need to clear out the eggs, fat, flour and sugar just before the start of lent when the consumption of such was traditionally restricted during the associated ritual fasting. Today Pancake Tuesday is simply about the indulgence in pancakes but I think we should rethink this period and have our own modern day clear out. Not because you want to go off anything in particular for lent, but because the amount of food we have stashed in the back of cupboards and at the bottom of the freezer is quite remarkable.

At least once a year store cupboards and freezers should be thoroughly purged. It is a good idea to try eating from the freezer for a week in order to clear out or at least run down the stock. I understand it could mean a week of pot luck and given that the average house hold freezer always contains at least one or two unlabelled (and probably unidentifiable) items, it is both a challenge and a risk. This type of ‘shopping your own house’ can dramatically improve imagination with your cooking. It lends itself to trying new combinations and adding unusual ingredients to standard recipes. At a time when everyone is conscious of value and cost, the virtuous feeling in using up things from the cupboard is highly rewarding.

A few weeks ago in this column I also mentioned in passing that a new survey suggested the slow economy was also prompting a new found interest in old fashioned gadgets such as pressure cookers and crock pots. It came as no surprise therefore when I opened the recently published March issue of Good Food that they had devoted a whole page to slow cookers and their merits. I have always advocated long slow cooking as an ideal way to get the best from the more inexpensive cuts of meat but I’m only a recent convert to the actual electric crock pot. They are relatively inexpensive gadgets, very elegant in design as the settings are simple and practically fool proof and not only do they work well with cheaper foods they are also very energy efficient. What’s not to like? On average to cook a meal in a crock pot uses less than a third of the energy of a traditional oven. The other good thing is that most slow cooker recipes are very quick to prepare and the units themselves are designed so that you turn them on and leave the house for several hours.

My personal tip with red meat and slow cookers is to brown the meat before putting it in the slow cooker. This is an extra step but if you don’t, you may have to add gravy browning as food cooked in a slow cooker is usually pale. Corn flour is the best way to thicken sauces and if you want to add cream or crème fraiche don’t do it until the last minute. I would also recommend that you buy a slow cooker with a glass lid as removing the lid frequently during the cooking process can slow it down considerably. With a slow cooker all the preparation is done at the beginning of the day so all that is left to do after a hard day’s work is to serve it up. The other notable difference with cooking in a slow cooker is that the liquid doesn’t reduce as it does when cooking on a hot plate. For this reason if you are adapting non slow cooker recipes for the slow cooker always reduce the liquid needed by about a third. All in all they are great for busy people and they can transform cheaper cuts of meat into something really special. The other night I cooked a ham in coke with onions. I left it for 8 hours and the result was melt in the mouth delicious. Recently I’ve cooked lamb shanks with wine, a slow cooked bolognaise and a spiced butternut squash and sweet potato soup worked out even better than expected. Okay you have to be a little organised and allow that time in the morning for the preparation before you do anything else but the lack of effort at the other end of the day when energy stocks are depleted make it all very worthwhile. It’s also quite a healthy way to cook as there is little or no extra fat ever added. As a general rule of thumb recipes such as casseroles, stews and braises are most suited to slow cookers and the long cooking time really allows the flavours to develop.

Tags: James Whelan Butchers, kitchen experiments, pancakes, Pat Whelan, slow cooking

James Whelan Butchers: Pass the Pesto

Posted on Saturday, February 18th, 2012 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles | No Comments »

Having a mildly rebellious spirit the idea of Valentines Day leaves me a little cold. I don’t like being told that on any given day I should be particularly loving or affectionate. It always seems staged, lacking in spontaneity, and the mere fact that I am expected to do something makes me not want to do it at all. I like to think of myself as a romantic for the other 364 days a year and then I take a break on the 14^th of February! Still, that’s probably just the grumpy old man surfacing so this year I am trying to conform. There is, however, one very good aspect of Valentines Day and that is the amount of cardboard hearts that seem to appear everywhere. If nothing else it makes me think of that organ and how we really take it for granted. That little pump in your chest keeps everything going and yet we give it little thought on a day to day basis. Modern humans are very funny. We’ll spend time and money having our cars serviced, heating boilers checked, water pumps assessed and yet in the main we pay little attention to our internal pumps and filters, many of which are irreplaceable!

The month of February is a great opportunity to think about the heart and how we treat it. Obviously heart health is about more than food, but diet definitely plays a part. We can help our hearts by cutting back on salt and losing the bad fats particularly the man made chemical versions. It can be a bit of a minefield, but rather than stopping certain things it might be easier to approach it from an adoptive path. How about becoming a little more Mediterranean in your outlook? Countless studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet reduces risk of heart disease. Personally I think the nice weather could have something to do with their overall health as well, but the diet is rich in fruit, vegetables, nuts, olive oil and avocado. In essence it is a diet very much based on real food; fresh fish, fresh and cured real meat, vegetables, fruits and grains using fresh herbs to add flavour.

Pesto is a basil based Mediterranean concoction that we mainly associate as a partner for pasta, but this bright green sauce is fantastic with so many other things and heart healthy. You can buy green or red pesto but it is easy to make and you won’t have to worry about it having too much salt. Pesto is based on five main ingredients; fresh basil, olive oil, parmesan, pine nuts and garlic. A classic pesto can be whizzed up really quickly in a food processor by using 3 generous handfuls of basil leaves, a handful of pine nuts, a handful of grated good quality parmesan, 5 to 6 tablespoons of olive oil, a clove of garlic, a pinch of Maldon salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Process the lot to a smooth sauce. You can always play with the basic recipe by using walnuts instead of pine nuts and while basil is traditionally the herb of choice, rocket, parsley or baby spinach make interesting alternatives. You can also add a little red chilli or even an anchovy for an extra taste kick if you are feeling brave.

Pesto is not just for pasta. If you are making a risotto, stir through a few teaspoons of pesto and it really lifts the taste. Pesto works well on chicken, chops or steak. It makes a really nice, fresh alternative to calorie laden creamy sauces. From what I can gather chicken breasts seem to be the dieters’ choice, particularly at this time of year. I often hear women in the shop asking about interesting things to do with chicken breasts. Pesto will certainly cheer it up. Slice the breast lengthways, without cutting all the way through. Fill the pocket with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Add a little spinach and secure with a skewer. Bake or grill until the chicken is cooked. It works equally well on fish. I often put some white fish on baking paper spread each fillet with a little freshly made pesto, then fold over the paper to make a parcel and bake for about 10 minutes at 180 – 200°C/Gas 6 or until the fish flakes when tested with a fork. A friend even uses pesto on sandwiches in place of butter and if you have left over potatoes, then this adds something special to potato salad. Just mix the pesto with some sour cream or mayonnaise, add some chopped spring onions, snipped chives and combine it all with the cold potatoes and serve. For a super snack thinly slice a French stick then spread each piece with pesto and top with some grated parmesan or mozzarella. Bake at 180°C/Gas 4 for about 15 minutes. You can mix it through eggs before you scramble them or add it to white wine vinegar and a little more olive oil in a jar, shake and you have a great Italian style dressing for anything. I’m sure there are a number of other ways it can be used also and the only limit is the imagination.

There are many other things we can do for our hearts when it comes to eating well but the best thing is to eat as much fresh, real food as possible. You won’t go far wrong by eating local food grown and reared in Co. Tipperary. For more information and recipes on fresh food check out my website, Jameswhelanbutchers.com and the tipperaryfoodproducers.com site as well.

Tags: healthy, James Whelan Butchers, Mediterranean, pasta, Pat Whelan, pesto

James Whelan Butchers: It’s A Good Year So Far

Posted on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles | No Comments »

I have a funny feeling this is going to be my kind of year! I love 2012 already even though it is still but a pup. My excitement is twofold; first of all Tipperary is starting the year with an award, and a food award at that! Oh yes, in case you haven’t heard Tipperary has just been given the much coveted accolade of Food County of the Year in the well recognised 2011 Bridgestone Guides Megabytes Awards. The competition in this category is fierce every year but, according to the well known judges John and Sally McKenna, “Tipperary really has its act together managing to present a pop up shop selling the produce of 14 Tipp producers at Electric Picnic and organising their superb annual Long Table Dinner”. High praise indeed and I am delighted for the multiple Tipperary Food producers involved in both of those events under the umbrella of the Tipperary Food Producers Network. Lads, when it comes to prizes we’re gaining on the hurlers everyday!

Tipperary is Bridgestone’s Food County of the Year 2011

The other reason for my sunny outlook is the predicted food trends for 2012. Now I’ve never been one to follow fashion and have always believed in doing my own thing but this year I’m in agreement with most of the trends and I seem to find myself on the same page as many of the respected food commentators.

One of my favourite 2012 food predictions is that elimination diets are so last year, if not altogether last century. Finally the world has come around to the idea of portion control being a better approach. Instead of bluntly cutting out fat, protein or carbohydrate, all of which the body need, it is instead reverting to the more sensible and healthy route to wellness of ‘a little bit of everything but keeping it all in balance.’ I love this philosophy and it is the perfect diet for someone who loves good food.

I could also hardly contain myself when I read of the emerging and sustainable focus on real, locally grown and produced food. Yippee – finally the gospel that the Tipperary Food Producers Network has been preaching for many years now, is no longer a voice in the wilderness. All over the world people have realised that the food produced in their own environment is probably better, fresher and more nutritious and ultimately better for the local economy in these straitened times. Real food is also seeing a healthy renaissance. ‘God made’ rather than ‘man tampered’ is having a revival. Real butter, real sugar, real juice, and ‘real’ everything is finally taking over from the artificial. I’m ecstatic. Actually when you think about it, the mere fact that we were happy to consider something ‘artificial’ could be equal or better than the authentic, is disturbing. At last our brains have caught up with our senses and we have seen the light. The real food movement brings with it an increased interest in farmers markets and smaller specialist retailers; alleluia! Obviously this is great news for independent butchers, bakers and green grocers. It’s also been discovered that the pre millennium penchant for bigger, busy and impersonal has given way once again to smaller with a more community based spirit. People want to be recognised as a regular customer and engaged in the pleasant banter that goes with such recognition and familiarity. People are also more inclined to talk about food. They are interested in its provenance and in learning from the ‘experts’ inside the counter where it comes from and what best to do with it.

Tipperary Food Producers

The economy is having a huge impact on food trends but it’s not all negative. People are being careful and frugality is fashionable, but it’s driving a return to home cooking. Eating out is once again becoming a treat and we are looking for ways to feed our families by doing more with less. A recent survey from America saw sales of crock pots, pressure cookers and other old fashioned kitchen gadgets go up unexpectedly. Along with resurgence in such tools and appliances our palates have also gone retro. Maybe we are craving a taste of the past; creating an emotional connection to a more secure time. Or maybe we just realised that our parents and grandparents enjoyed good plain food that tasted great and didn’t break the bank! I’m very fortunate as I’m a fan of those homely one pots and traditional recipes that were common for most of us who enjoyed a 1970s childhood. Such a trend is no hardship for me and in my opinion those dishes are to be wholly embraced. With a bit of a modern twist I can’t think of anything nicer that a creamy beef stroganoff, a luscious steak and kidney pie or homemade beef burgers. Talking of retro and simplicity, steak is also making a ‘Saturday night dish’ comeback.

Eating out has not gone away but people are looking for value so only the best will survive. For that reason we can expect to see changes in our restaurant menus. The exotic will no doubt be replaced by pasta and other inexpensive ingredients as restaurants find ways to keep the prices down while still providing an overall experience.

Finally on the dessert front the charts are suggesting that the cupcake has had its moment in the sun, but I personally diverge with general opinion on this point. To be honest I could never quite get my head around the ‘cupcake’ as an Irish concept as I never saw it as anything other than a big bun with an overly fancy icing hat! As far as I’m concerned buns, or their more glamourous Irish sister, the fairy cake, never went out of fashion and I don’t think they ever will. Ditching this new desire for six inches of piped icing on the top might not be such a bad thing, but your basic Irish iced bun with a cuppa, mid morning or afternoon, is hard to beat for sheer, hedonistic pleasure. Leaving the buns (or cupcakes) aside it looks like being a very good year for those of us who love our food. Roll on the rest of 2012 and don’t forget to stop by our website or drop into our store in the Oakville Shopping Centre where we will be delighted to help you with new or retro recipe ideas for great family food. And don’t forget to spread the word that Tipperary is, for the rest of 2012, The Bridgestone Guides Megabytes Food County of the Year! Hooray!!!

Tags: Bridgestone Awards, Food County 2011, James Whelan Butchers, Megabytes, Pat Whelan, Tipperary Food Producers