Posts Tagged ‘James Whelan Butchers’

It never ceases to amaze me the number of teenagers that can’t cook or at least claim they can’t. They certainly won’t starve as they are capable of placing cornflakes in a bowl, pop tarts in a toaster, a ready meal in a microwave or ordering a takeaway, but when it comes to long term […]

A good friend of mine used to describe the highly organised as both anal and smug. Of course now that she has advanced in years, learned the art and the benefits of planning ahead and joined the tribe she once so despised, her view has changed. I tease her mercilessly about it, but her good […]

Looking out my window today I watch as the elements enjoy a high octane party. Leaves are bobbing around on the wind, swept into swirling dancing groups, moving at a terrific pace into mini tornado shapes and then disappearing quickly past my first floor window. The sky is ominously dark and I have no doubt […]

The last time I checked, most human adults were in possession of a decent enough brain. The brain, that vital organ that sits between our ears, helps us survive, work and raise our young without doing them too much damage. It is our ability to assess and make choices using the brain that largely separates […]

Had the great pleasure recently of talking to Bobby Kerr on his Saturday Newstalk radio show, Down to Business. We talked about Beef Dripping and family business in general. I’ve put up this link should you be interested in listening to the show.  

The winners have been announced for this year’s Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards with James Whelan Butchers celebrating their Gold Award win – beating more than 1,000 products in 85 categories. The Dry Cure Rack of Bacon won the ultimate award but three other producers won Gold awards too: The Gold Small Producer award […]

The 2015 Tipperary Food Producers “Long table Dinner” attracted more than 170 people last Wednesday night. The beautiful, idyllic Coolbawn Quay was the location for this wonderful night of culinary delights. In keeping with the Long Table Dinner custom, only food from Tipperary was served at the sumptuous traditional feast. Fresh, seasonal produce from over […]

Following the success of last year, James Whelan Butchers Beef Dripping has replicated last year’s success with another 3 Star Great Taste Award and inclusion in the 2015 Top 50 foods in the UK and Ireland.Of 10,000 entries to the Great Taste Awards, just 130 were awarded the highest and most coveted rating, 3 Stars […]

Thanks to a combination of the recent spell of good weather, a lovely customer and a leg of lamb, I enjoyed a truly great barbecue experience. I know I’ve mentioned barbecuing quite a bit recently, but one of the hallmarks of the traditional Irish barbecue is that we tend to play it safe and cook […]

I love to hear my own kids shout “stop” if we see someone with a plastic table overflowing with strawberries and it warms my heart that their cries for fruit are still just as loud as they are when they see the golden arches. From a father’s point of view I rarely refuse the shout for strawberries but often choose to ignore the pleas for a cheeseburger. As takeaway food goes, strawberries are possibly the perfect choice and with Wimbledon approaching the annual spotlight will shine upon the age old tradition of strawberries and cream.

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 […]

Given that I work with meat, I suppose it is hardly surprising that the subject of food comes up in my conversations a great deal. I’m often asked for advice about cuts, preparation and cooking and while some will just indulge and join me in a nice chat about things that taste great, the other […]