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We visit ‘Clydesdale & Morrow’

Posted: 26 February '10 by Kelly

Niall and I recently visited Clydesdale & Morrow, Belfast’s only fromagerie. It wasn’t our first time there – we go there when we need a particular cheese for a recipe, or as a treat for ourselves – but this time we thought we’d tell you all about it.

When we first walked into the Lisburn Road shop we were greeted by one of the owners, Antoinette Morrow – and by the smell of all that cheese which is like a tangible, marvelous assault on your senses. The shop is small but packed to the rafters with lots and lots of goodies, far too much to take in at first glance. It’s a real foodie’s dream – you’ll find yourself spending some time just looking around the store, just as we did. 

What we particularly liked was that they stock a good range of British and Irish cheese – although there are plenty of continental varieties too. All of this choice might make selecting your purchase difficult, but help is at hand – Antoinette and Anne are very passionate about their stock and clearly enjoy talking to their customers. You’re also encouraged to ‘try before you buy’ which is a great way of making sure you choose the perfect cheese. You’ll also find lots of different types of biscuits, crackers and chutneys, perfect for that after-dinner treat.

You can catch up with Antoinette at our wine tasting night on March 12th, but until then here is a taster of how and why she got in to the world of cheese…

Kelly: Who are “Clydesdale & Morrow”? What are your backgrounds?

Antoinette: Anne Clydesdale and I have worked together since 2001 when Antoinette joined BIC Systems, one of NI’s most successful indigenous IT companies, and where Anne was already working as one of the company’s directors.

Kelly: How did you make the decision to open a specialist cheese store? What was your inspiration?

Antoinette: We both shared a love of good food and wine and in late 2007 saw an opportunity to indulge in this passion on a commercial basis. Inspired by Sheridans in Galway where customers can combine their purchases with a glass of wine in the winebar above the shop, we initially thought to replicate this set-up. Unfortunately, licencing costs in Northern Ireland ruled out this option but, undeterred, Anne and I still saw an opening for a specialist cheese shop.

Kelly: Your site mentions “artisan cheese” – what does that mean?

Antoinette: As far as possible, we try to stock cheeses that are made in small, family run dairies where the provenance and quality of the milk is guaranteed. Sometimes, we have to opt for more commercial cheeses but we still endeavour at all times to stock high quality products.

Kelly: You’re Belfast’s only fromagerie – did you see a niche in the market? Two years on, have you noticed a growing interest in food in the public?

Antoinette: There are a few delicatessens in Belfast selling cheese, but we wanted to bring a new experience to customers. We pride ourselves on our knowledge of the cheeses we stock and encourage people to taste and experiment with difference cheeses in a relaxed atmosphere. We believe this is one of the reasons why our reputation has grown within and beyond Belfast.

Kelly: How open are most people to new tastes?

Antoinette: People love to experiment and, again, it is down to the unpretentious and relaxed nature of our customer service.

Kelly: Is there much knowledge about the selection and serving of cheese out there?

Antoinette: For the most part, people know the rule of thumb in terms of selection for a cheeseboard – a hard, a soft and a blue. We just help customers be a bit more adventurous. However, there are no hard and fast rules – good quality cheese that the customer enjoys is more important than sticking to specific rules.

Kelly: Where and how do you source your cheese from?

Antoinette: I would love to say that we travel around Europe choosing cheeses from artisan cheesemakers but, unfortunately, we would not make any money at all! We depend on a few trusted suppliers in Ireland and the UK to provide us with quality cheese and other artisan foods.

Kelly: Your site mentions “wedding cheese cakes” – what are they? Have you been commissioned to make many?

Antoinette: This is an offering which has met with great success and we regularly recieve commissions. A cheese wedding cake is definitely a talking point. We consult and advise the couple on what cheeses would suit within their remit and budget – some cheeses are more suitable than others. We suggest appropriate decoration and accompaniments and deliver to the venue.

Kelly: What are your favourite cheeses?

Antoinette: Wow – that’s a difficult one. I adore blue cheese and, to be honest, a really good Stilton – Colston Bassett or Stichelton for instance – is hard to beat. However, I also love flavourful mild cheeses like Ossau Iraty, a Basque sheep’s milk cheese. Or, Ardrahan, a fantastic Irish washed rind cheese. Or….I could go on!

Kelly: Which accompaniments would you choose to go with them?

Antoinette: We have a fabulous range of crackers, from the locally made Ditty’s Oatcakes to crackers with Fig or Fennel – all of which are great with cheese. We also stock fantastic chutneys from small producers in Ireland and England.

Kelly: Are there any tips you could give about creating the perfect cheeseboard?

Antoinette: A cheeseboard can be an informal and sociable ending to a dinner party with everyone hacking away at a selection of perhaps three large pieces of cheese. Or it can be more elegant with small portions laid out on each guest’s plate – again three to four pieces. The cheese should be chosen to represent a balanced range of cheese types, levels of flavour and milk types (goat, cow, sheep).

Kelly: To your mind what are the greatest difficulties and joys in owning a business and a specialist cheese shop in particular?

Antoinette: Probably the greatest difficulty for us in the past year or so was starting a business in the middle of a recession. We are so grateful to our customers for supporting us during this time and for spreading the word about what we do. The most enjoyable part of the business is talking to and establishing relationships with customers, tasting cheese, introducing new cheeses, tasting more cheese…!

You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3

What we think

Clydesdale & Morrow is great – just the sort of store that Belfast needs, and the sort of friendly and interested store-owners we need too!

It’s quickly become one of our favourite places.

Other information

You can find Clydesdale & Morrow at:
Clydesdale & Morrow
581 Lisburn Road
Belfast
BT9 7GS
T: 028 9066 2790
E: enjoy@clydesdaleandmorrow.com
W: www.clydesdaleandmorrow.com
You can alsofind Clydesdale & Morrow on Google Maps.

Tags: cheese, local producers

Categories: Local Food Heroes > Northern Ireland > United Kingdom

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Carluccio’s now delivering to Northern Ireland!

Posted: 22 February '10 by Niall

When Kelly and I visit London our itinerary always includes at least one meal (and a bottle of wine or two) at a Carluccio’s restaurant. Aside from the delicious, authentic Italian food, the friendly staff, and the pocket-saving prices, the in-store deli is a treasure-trove of mouth-watering treats: from truffle butter to dried porcini, imported Italian liqueurs and wines to specialty chocolates.

Carluccio’s was founded in 1991 by chef Antonio Carluccio and has flourished ever since, with 43 locations across mainland UK. When we noticed that they had opened a branch in Dublin (March 2008) Kelly and I were over-the-moon, hoping that a Belfast location was on the cards.

While we’re waiting, however, we can now get our Carluccio’s “fix” online. Until recently they couldn’t deliver to Northern Ireland – but that has all changed! So, as a special treat for Kelly, I ordered a box of Italian delicacies..

You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2

The delivery from Carluccio’s

• Limoncello Di Sorrento 70cl – £19.50
• Vin Santo D.o.c. 37.5 Cl – £16.50
• Cantucci Al Cioccolato (Chocolate Cantucci Tuscan Biscuits) 300g – £4.95
• Burro Al Tartufo (Truffle Butter) 80g – £4.95
• Sugo Al Nero Di Seppia (Cuttlefish Ink Sauce) 140g – £2.95

Limoncello Di Sorrento

Limoncello is a lemon liqueur from Southern Italy, and Sorrento in particular. Served after a meal, it’s an intensely lemon-flavoured digestif that was particularly to Kelly’s liking.

Vin Santo and Cantucci Al Cioccolato

A Tuscan dessert wine, and similar in some ways to sherry. We followed the directions from Carluccio’s an dunked our Cantucci biscuits into the sweet, fiery drink which really enhanced the almond flavour of the biscuits. Delicious, and a nice way to finish a meal when you have guests for dinner.

Burro Al Tartufo

The truffle butter is the one product that we longed for when Carluccio’s didn’t deliver to Northern Ireland – we’d lament the delivery policy as we salivated over the thought of the white, creamy butter infused with the dark, earthy flavours and aromas of the truffle. We enjoyed ours on toasted crusty bread, which was delicious – but I have a feeling that the scrambled eggs with a dollop of truffle-butter melting over the top that we have planned will be amazing.

Sugo Al Nero Di Seppia

We haven’t tried this yet – but I have a great recipe for Spaghetti in Squid Ink Sauce. Make sure you check the blog in the near future for the recipe and photos of how I got on.

What we thought

Finding ingredients and specialist goods in Northern Ireland can be frustrating – impossible, at times – but with the change in the delivery policy at Carluccio’s a world of authentic Italian tastes are a mouse-click away.

We both loved the various products – each and every one was delicious and had us looking up the site to see what else we could order.

The delivery charge was £5.60 – it sounds a lot but, considering the weight of our parcel, I thought that it was fair enough.

You might have already picked up on the fact that we love Carluccio’s.

Other information

You can visit Carluccio’s online at: www.carluccios.com/.

After some wrangling over their rental agreement for the Dawson Street premises in Dublin, and after the reported closure of the Dublin branch, I’m pleased to report that all is well. A week after closing it’s doors an agreement was reached between the restaurant chain and the landlord, saving around 60 jobs and ensuring the future of one of our favourite restaurants in Dublin.

You can find Carluccio’s in Dublin at:
Carluccio’s
53 Dawson Street
Dublin 2
T: (01) 6333957
W: www.carluccios.com
You can also find Carluccio’s – Dublin on Google Maps.

Tags: italian food, news

Categories: England > Local Food Heroes > News > Product Reviews > United Kingdom

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Super Market sweeps up the plaudits

Posted: 19 January '10 by Niall

The City Food and Garden Market in St. George’s Market is one of the highlights of our week – it’s a great start to the weekend – and is seems that The Guardian think so too, having named St. George’s as one of the top 10 markets in the UK. You can read the original post in The Guardian here.

The Saturday market is a real treat for all the senses: the air is full of exotic spices and the aroma of exotic delicacies for you to try; the happy murmur of shoppers talking to stall-holders about their produce; the sense of expectation that turning the next corner will reveal another stall of new and never-tried-before cuisine; and the strains of the live musical entertainment weaving through the crowds. Perhaps the best thing about the market, however, is the atmosphere – people genuinely care about the produce on display, from the proprietors to the customers. Freshness and flavour is the order of the day.

Many of the stalls actively encourage you to “try before you buy” too, with plates of free-to-sample food allowing customers to mull over their choice before handing over their hard-earned money. The choice is really bewildering, and everything looks so good. A word to the wise though – you will want to buy everything – like a recovering compulsive gambler in Las Vegas, you will have to take yourself aside and have a quiet word with yourself (or with your partner when your monthly statement comes in)!

Our favourite stalls include: the olive oil from Biostore; artisan chocolate from Co Couture; cold meats, olives, and cheese from Love Olive; bread from The Yellow Door; and free-range, organic rare-breed meat from Pheasants Hill Farm.

All of this walking about and tasting is hard work mind you. Fortunately, there are also a wide variety of hot food stalls (and seated areas) for you to take a break. You’ll often find us enjoying those tasty crepes from the French crepe stall, or trying something a little more fiery from the Jamaican food stall (the heat from those little pasties really sneak up on you!). There are also stalls selling filled sodas, tea, and coffee.

Having criticised the poor organisation of and motives behind the Belfast Christmas Continental Market and the Belfast Taste and Music Fest 2009 I think it’s only fair to say that Belfast City Council have really gotten this one right – St. George’s Market is something for Belfast to be proud of. Well done BCC!

You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image 4Image 5Image 6Image 7Image 8Image 9Image 10

Other information

Variety Market
Day: Friday
Opening hours: 6am – 1pm
Details: Stalls sell a variety of products including fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, antiques, books and clothes.

City Food and Garden market
Day: Saturday
Opening hours: 9am – 3pm
Details: The market offers a huge range of local, continental and specialty foods including meat and fish, cheese, coffee beans, tapas and organic products. There’s also entertainment and music on most Saturdays.

St. George’s Market
12-20 East Bridge Street,
Belfast
BT1 3NQ
T: 028 9032 0202
W: www.belfastcity.gov.uk/stgeorgesmarket
You can also see St. George’s Market on Google Maps.

Tags: belfast, st georges market

Categories: Local Food Heroes > News > Northern Ireland > United Kingdom

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Healthy “eating”? You should just graze.com

Posted: 09 January '10 by Kelly

Now if your New Years’ resolution is anything like mine (to eat less!!), then listen up! With all the food and drink I consumed over the Christmas and New Year celebrations nothing now seems to fill me for long and I am constantly thinking about eating.

So when Niall told me about the ‘Graze box’ I was excited. Graze.com are a UK based company that deliver (by post) different boxes of food to your desk for as little as £2.99. You can choose what you want in your box, ranging from fresh fruit to nuts and Olives. Your food is then hand picked, boxed and sent to your home or your office with free (yes free!!) first class delivery – far better than picking up a curly pre-packed sandwich from a garage on the way into work.

It is also worth adding that ‘Graze’ boxes are from a sustainable forest, biodegradable and recyclable.

Niall’s mum is a big fan of grazing throughout the day, instead of eating three big meals a day she snacks regularly. Research shows that snacking on natural foods throughout the day can maintain and control blood sugar which helps to lose weight.

Graze were kind enough to send us a ‘nibble box’ to try and I absolutely loved it! When it came through the door it was like getting another present!!  In my box of treats I got -

• Apple strudel – Dried Apple, naturally dried apricots and dried cranberries
• Macadamia nuts
• Yin and Yang -  extra dark chocolate buttons with cherries and almonds
• Cajun seed mix

Now, I thought I would be able to eat them all in one go, but they are surprisingly filling.  So I was able to snack throughout the week with them.

I have to say my favourite was the ying & yang, it was delicious.  Meaning the unity of opposites – the dark chocolate is in perfect contrast  to the blanched almonds and the sweet dried cherries to create a really tasty snack.

For the calorie-conscious it’s important to remember that even though it’s healthy the content still has calories. Nuts have a high fat content as well as dried fruit being high in sugars – even though it’s natural. The Yin & Yang pot, for instance, was 296 calories.  Now this may seem slightly high for a snack but keep in mind you are getting some chocolate (which is extra dark so therefore has many health benefits), you are also getting lots of nuts and dried fruit.  More importantly this will keep you sustained until your next meal and you wont feel tempted to snack again in between. If you thought that the 296 calories was too high then the apple strudel of Dried Apple, naturally dried apricots and dried cranberries could be the one for you.  This only had 172 calories (but unfortunately no chocolate)!!

You can personalise your Graze box by choosing what goes into it, so you can have as many or as few calories in your box as you want.   I will be ordering another box for sure, the only problem I am having is what to order?

You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3

Our verdict:

I really loved the Graze nibble box – it’s a healthy way of snacking throughout the week.  They never use any artificial colours, flavours or preservatives in their products and the boxes are environmentaly friendly.  The box also provided me with a few of my ‘5 a day’ which is a real bonus.

So get grazing!!

Other information

You can find out more by visiting www.graze.com

Tags: healthy eating, lunch

Categories: England > Local Food Heroes > United Kingdom

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Cupcake Heaven

Posted: 05 October '09 by Kelly

We decided to head off to the West Coast of Ireland at the weekend to celebrate our friend Orlaith turning 21 again:)  As you all I’m sure would agree, no birthday celebration is the same without a nice cake.  But if your like me and cant decide between chocolate, lemon, white chocolate, strawberry, plain, double chocolate… well you get my dilemma…. Then cupcakes are the perfect choice. 

As both Niall and I were working all week we decided that instead of baking them ourselves we would order them.  We found a company in Belfast called ‘Cupcakes and Fairy Cakes’ that specialised in celebratory cupcakes for birthdays, weddings, christenings, or any other excuse you can find to eat cake… I have many. 

I wanted all 14 I had ordered to be different flavours and thought this might prove difficult but Bernadette and Martine from ‘Cupcakes and Fairy Cakes’ were extremely helpful even suggesting flavours they thought would be nice…. I particularly loved the alcohol infused cupcakes. 

The cupcakes went down a treat at the party and everyone had their favourite flavour.  Niall’s favourite was the Strawberry cupcake – it had strawberry jam mixed through the cupcake mixture which made it really moist and sweet.  Ciara and Orlaith loved the Buttercream ones And I preferred the chocolate… no suprise there then :)

Everything that we tried from ‘Cupcakes and Fairy Cakes’ was moist, fluffy and packed with flavour and I have already put my order in for Halloween.  I’m looking forward to see how they are decorated – i’ll post the photos as soon as we get them.

Other Information

If you would like to order cupcakes or a cake from Bernadette and Martine you can contact them on 07879400177 or Email them at cupcakesandfairycakes@hotmail.co.uk

Prices start from £1.00 per cupcake and they also do gorgeous gift-boxes if you are giving them as a gift.

Contact information

Cupcakes and Fairycakes
T: 07879400177 or 07968225732
E: info@cupcakesandfairycakes.com
W: www.cupcakesandfairycakes.com

Tags: belfast, birthday celebrations, Cakes, Chocolate, Cupcakes, strawberry

Categories: Local Food Heroes > Northern Ireland > United Kingdom

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