11th November 2010 by Burren Smokehouse.
Go Eat Give
US-American blogger Sucheta Rawal had the enviable task to find out what the old country has on offer for discerning tastebuds. She met up with two business women in the Burren to get to know the lay of the land.
"Over tea at the Burren Perfumerie, my new friends Birgitta Curtin (proprietor of Burrren Smokehouse, Roadside Tavern and speaker on Irish cuisine) and Sadie Chowen Doyle (perfume maker and owner at Burren Perfumerie) informed me that they have witnessed the evolution of Irish cuisine during their life in the Burren. 'Just 10 years ago, the only cheese they could buy was imported from other parts of Europe. Now, there are so many cheese makers in Ireland and our cheese is so good!' says Doyle.
Curtin smokes salmon from the northwest part of Ireland, which is organic and sustainable. Each fish is spaced out in clean waters and fed natural foods, so the salmon has three times more Omega 3 Fatty Acids than any other salmon. Her hot and cold smoked salmon can be found at many restaurants across the country and shipped all over the world. Of course, I tasted it throughout my trip!"
Click on picture to read
The Irish Times published a follow-up article on iconic Irish brands filled with brands that they had missed in their first article. Readers suggested lots and lots of brands, among other the Burren Smokehouse!
YesChef Magazine
There is a town called Lisdoonvarna, a town in the north of County Clare on Ireland's west coast, that is almost entirely known for the famous matchmaking festival and for featuring the only spa wells in Ireland.
This is our town. But there is so much more to Lisdoonvarna than just that. It is becoming a destination for foodies!
YesChef Magazine is featuring five of the culinary enterprises of Lisdoonvarna in their latest issue, in a colourful display of photographs.
Read more and see the article in our blog post.
Matador Network has gathered a few compelling reasons why anybody should be visiting Ireland, now or later.
One of the reasons is the many film locations - think Star Wars and Game of Thrones. There are many tours available now that add extra bonuses to the experience.
For some people it might come as a surprise that one of the reasons to come to Ireland is - FOOD! And the Burren Smokehouse is especially mentioned in that article:
"The cuisine evolution Ireland has seen in the last couple of years is nearly unparalleled — hence the French and Italians you might see visiting for the cheese alone. A good example is Gubbeen House, famous for their award-winning semi-soft cheeses. Gubbeen is located in County Cork and is all family owned and operated, as is much of Ireland's bubbling foodie movement. To get a taste, stop at Mannings Deli in nearby Ballylickey — they provide tasting plates of local food, Gubbeen included.
Next up: Burren Smokehouse, located in County Clare. It's about 15 minutes from the Cliffs of Moher, and it's where you should get your hands on some organic Irish salmon. Stop at the visitor center to see how the smoking is done, peruse the fresh samples, and best of luck not sending home a gift hamper. [...]"
Oyyster
Last February, German food journalist and editor in charge Rainer Schillings came to Ireland to not only learn about seafood and smoked salmon, but also about certain aspects of the Irish culture in general. He was fascinated by our way of celebrating wakes and funerals.
He meant to stay for an hour at the most, but was so enthusiastic about what we are doing here, and by what Birgitta, the owner-manager of the Burren Smokehouse, had to say about the challenges and joys of working in the food industry that he ended up overextending his stay by at least 3 hours!
The pictures in the article are heavily featuring the Burren Smokehouse, and Mr Schillings is expertly explaining the situation with the wild and (organically) farmed salmon.
Rainer Schillings is the chief editor and one of the two managers of the publishing house 99pages. The magazine is aiming at professionals from the catering world and foodie-orientated lay people. Twice already their cover photo became cover of the month.
Click here to open the article, in German (pdf)
Irish Independent: "Forkful's Speedy Supper" idea
Aoife McElwain from the Irish Independent newspaper wrote an article published in December 2016 which gives a recipe and some ideas what to do with Smoked Salmon.
One idea was to put together a colourful salmon platter for a socialising occasion like a potluck - easy to transport and it won't need to be reheated on arrival!
We were chuffed to discover that our Burren Smoked Irish Organic Salmon is the author's favourite smoked salmon!
An article in the Irish Independent published the result of a tasting of seven different smoked salmon - we were among the first three, and our Classic Burren Smoked Irish Organis Salmon was the tasters' favourite!
Burren Smokehouse Smoked Irish Organic Salmon, 100g, €6.60, 9/10 points:
Delicate smoking and lovely texture, this salmon from Clare was our testers' joint favourite.
Dunnes Stores Simply Better Oak Smoked Organic Irish Salmon, 160g, €10, 8/10 points:
Smoked over oak with honey and dill, this mild smoked salmon has a slightly sweet flavour that our testers liked. Made by Burren Smokehouse.
Follow this link to see the full article
These are times of economic uncertainty. We have probably all been taken by surprise by the outcome of the BREXIT referendum, when with a small majority the British decided to leave the European Union. This will probably have a negative effect on the Irish economy.
Birgitta Hedin Curtin, the owner of the Burren Smokehouse, was recently interviewed by the Irish Independent about her views on economic survival in a not so favourable climate. Is organically produced food the answer to economic uncertainties?
It is an interesting fact that last year organic sales to the UK were just 12 percent of the overall organic trade. So it is a sector that is not heavily dependent on imports to the neighbouring isle, which is of course a good thing.
The Burren Smokehouse is in the fortunate position to focus exclusively on organically farmed salmon.
Says Birgitta, "When you look at the Nordic countries, and France, Germany and Denmark, you will see that organic is here to stay so Irish farmers should really take a serious look at it.
"Ireland is way behind in terms of production and support, however that means that there are great opportunities out there for farmers," she enthused.
Read the full article in the Irish Independent to find out what has to say about this.
FFT.ie
Under the header "Michelin Star Chefs Give Food for Thought in the Burren", Ireland's Foodservice Platform FFT gave an account of the superb and fingerlicking event involving well-known and highly talented chefs from Ireland and the US.
You can read more on it by clicking on the picture, and see more pictures in our blog post. We also listed the full menu in the post.
Our Burren Smoked Irish Organic Salmon was used in three restaurants in Gothenburg and Stockholm on St. Patrick's Day.
This is what the Allt Om Mat food magazine wrote a few days ago:
"Taste the Irish delicacies at three taverns
Three restaurants in Sweden showcasing Irish delicacies: Hillberg and AG in Stockholm and restaurant Meet in Gothenburg. In the three restaurants you can enjoy premium Irish meat, oysters of the highest quality, organic Irish salmon from the Burren Smokehouse, whiskeys from Tullamore Dew and Jameson's, and craft beers from O'Hara. In the restaurants, the whiskey and beer producers cooperate and present common concepts, which fit into tonight's specially composed menu with oysters and meat. All accompanied by traditional Irish music."
An article showcasing the Burren Smokehouse and its Swedish owner, Birgitta Curtin, appeared in the Göteborgs-Posten newspaper in Sweden exposing us to more than 470,000 readers.
Tourism Ireland in the Nordic Region, in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland, invited journalist Anna Rehnberg to visit Ireland last October to interview and profile three Swedes living in Ireland – businessman Lars Pettersson, Sofie Skehan Larsson (married to chef Donal Skehan) and Birgitta Curtin (owner of our Smokehouse).
The article about the Burren Smokehouse appeared under the headline "Birgitta blir vis på sin rökta lax" (meaning "Birgitta gets wise on her smoked salmon" – a reference to the story of the Salmon of Knowledge!). Birgitta described what attracted her to this part of Ireland: "It was the music, the scenery but especially the people living here!".
Aileen Hickey, Tourism Ireland's Manager for the Nordic Region, said: "We are delighted with the excellent exposure for the Burren Smokehouse in Göteborgs-Posten, which is a great way of highlighting the Burren to a large audience of potential holidaymakers in the west of Sweden."
Irish Echo
Margaret Johnson, cook book author and journalist for different publications, published an article in the IRISH ECHO. It is the largest circulation Irish American weekly newspaper, with a 50-state subscription base. And as it was founded in 1928, it is also the oldest one.Margaret writes about the EDEN awards which were awarded to the members of the Burren Food Trail (who are part of the Burren Ecotourism Network), and includes a few recipes by her favourite foodie stops in this area - St. Tola's Goats Cheese and the Burren Smokehouse!Download the full article - page 1
Download the full article - page 2
DN.Resor
(Daily newspaper in Sweden)
by Lage Stone
"Discover Ireland's slow food movement"
Translation of parts of the article:
Ireland is growing an active Slow Food movement. DN Travel highlights some of the best on the island and meets Swedish national Birgitta Hedin-Curtin who is the producer of smoked salmon.
County Cork, the region around the city of Cork in southwest Ireland, is a center for eco-enthusiasts, vegetable growers, egg farmers, fruit growers, bakers and meat farmers.
In the 1960s, the area was attracting Dutch and Germans. They were looking for a quiet, non-commercial life. They found it in and around West Cork. It has fertile soils, a mild climate - the Gulf Stream influence - and an unspoilt, nontoxic landscape close to the sea and coast. [...]
Rupert is the son-in-law of "food mother"and cookbook author Darina Allen, who runs Ballymaloe Cooking School in Shanagarry, near Cork. Darina is Ireland Slow Food chairman, and an icon in the industry; charming, updated, fun and super active. In Ballymaloe, food students, cooks and individuals from all over the world are trained in the ecological cycle from raw material to finished dish. It offers courses in a few hours to several months. Darina and brother Rory are the hub of the school's 30-year existence.
A three-hour drive northwest of Cork is Lisdoonvarna in County Clare. The town is the center of the Slow Food movement here. Swedish woman Birgitta Hedin-Curtin is the energetic president. In addition to the presidency, Birgitta successfully manages her own company, the Burren Smokehouse, with smoked, organic and wild salmon, which in a few decades become a success, on a taste quality level and sales-wise. Today, she has 18 employees."It was funny when I was commissioned to deliver the wild smoked salmon from the historic lunch for Queen Elizabeth and President of Ireland, at their meeting in Dublin in 2011", says Birgitta. Wild salmon is exclusive, some 300 fish land in her smokehouse per year. [...]
The original article can be read online here.
Sunday Times - supplement "Irish Food Guide"
6 April 2014This is the second year that the food-related members of the Burren Ecotourism Network put together a summer series of interesting and tasty foodie events. Every Monday one of these events will take place.It is great to see that the Sunday Times has gotten wind of it and, through this big article, has made it widely known to the whole nation.
See here for more details about the Food Trail Series.
The article in the Daily Mail (Ireland) couldn't have summarised it any better: winning all the medals at the Great Taste Awards 2013 is another highlight in our history. The other highlight had been providing the Wild Smoked Irish Salmon for the state dinner in honour of Queen Elizabeth II.These are exciting times for the Burren Smokehouse: We won three 3-star medals and one 2-star medal for our Burren Smoked Irish Organic salmon products! Two of them are very new and creative additions to the different marinades (read more here). As the article says, right after the winner of the Great Taste Awards were announced, we were contacted by Fortnum & Mason (who we already supply with our organic salmon), and by Harrods and Selfridges. They all wanted to list our award-winning qualities. And we are proud to announce that as of now, our Burren Smoked Irish Organic Salmon can be bought in all three of the most prestigious department stores in London!The only little thing that the Daily Mail got wrong was the caption of the picture... We are not sure where they got this fairly old picture from, but it certainly doesn't show Birgitta's husband Peter Curtin, but former manager Greg Davidson!Click on the picture to read the text of the article.
IRLANDA Bell'Europa
Earlier this summer, we had two journalists from Italy visiting the Burren Smokehouse taking photographs and chatting to Birgitta. A few weeks later, an Italian family arrived at our visitor centre, with a copy of IRLANDA Bell'Europa in their hands. They instantly recognised Birgitta from a funny picture the journalists took during their visit.These people then excitedly talked to Birgitta who happened to work in the shop, and were kind enough to give her their copy of IRLANDA Bell'Europa! Click on the picture to read the text (in Italian).
Interview on Gardenville.tv
The Bloom in the Park show in Dublin's Phoenix park is an annual event where we regularly have a stall to meet with customers new and old. During the days of the show, Gardenville.tv interviewed Birgitta, and that gave her the opportunity to not only promote the Burren Smokehouse, but also the Burren region. Birgitta explains the smoking process and talks about the favourable characteristics of our location. The passion for the business is definitely showing!Here you can watch the video.
Burren Ecotourism Network launched - "Go on, go on, go on!"
Irish Times, 12 March 2011
After three work-filled years of training and putting into place, the Burren Ecotourim Network was launched on 3 March in Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan. The article in the Irish Times decribes the different kinds of businesses involved in the Burren area - and there really is a wide range!Read the full article here online.
Deal with Fortnum & Mason!
Irish Examiner 12 March 2011
The Irish Examiner published an article about the Burren Smokehouse's deal with Fortnum & Mason - we now smoke Organic Irish Salmon which is sold in a packaging exclusively created for this purpose by F&M. The article also describes how we are making every effort to export into countries we have not been presented by shops yet.
Read the full article online here.
Birgitta on Clare FM!
Clare FM, 10 March 2011
Birgitta was on Clare FM, our award-winning Clare Radio station, yesterday (10 March 2011). Ed Myers talked to Birgitta in the studio about her upcoming tasting session for customers at Fortnum & Mason on 16 and 17 March (St. Patrick's Day!). Of course, she brought also some salmon for him and his colleagues. When, at the end of the interview, Ed tasted the salmon, there were seconds of silence, only interrupted by his sounds of appreciation...
Irish Country Living / Farmers Journal
In the Irish Country Living section of the Farmers Journal - Ireland's leading weekly papers for everybody engaged in agricultural activities - there is a big, well put together article about the Burren Smokehouse and the Roadside Tavern. It also features lovely new pictures taken recently in the Smokehouse by Roger Overall.
Irish Times - Christmas Special
The Burren Smokehouse features in the Special Report supplement to the Irish Times called "It's Christmas". We were contacted by the author Caroline Hennessy, and a week later, a lovely little article with a picture appeared under the header "Food Glorious Food"!
Irish Country Living
Irish Country Living is a supplement to the Farmers' Journal. One of their writers came to the Burren Smokehouse recently to see with their own eyes what we are about:
"Looking for a visit to Clare with a difference? Think you've already seen all the Burren has to offer? Think again. Set in the scenic environs of Lisdoonvarna in Co Clare, the Burren Smokehouse has been honoured with Two Star Gold awards for their Irish hot smoked organic salmon with honey [...]. Call into their visitor centre and taste some of these treats. You can also experience the world that surrounds the smoking of salmon, discover mosaics inside and outisde the shop which depict the legend of the salmon of knowledge and look at the first kiln used by the Burren Smokehouse. They also sell locally produced crafts of the highest quality, including leatherwear, knitwear and pottery."
The Irish Times Magazine
A spot of free advertising was done for us by the Irish Times, undoubtedly triggered by our recent win of three Gold Medals at the Great Taste Awards 2010. Domini Kemp, a writer for the Irish Times Magazine, recommends especially the Organic Cold Smoked Salmon with Honey, Whiskey and Fennel: "The Burren Smokehouse has won plenty of awards for its great smoked fish. Its cold smoked organic salmon with whiskey, honey and fennel is to die for."
Clare Champion
Under the big headline "Yet another prestigious award for Burren Smokehouse", the Clare Champion reports about the winning of three 2-star gold medals at the recent Great Taste Awards 2010, an annual competition where the Guild of Fine Food in England invite food producers to send in their products for testing and tasting. The article describes how the Burren Smokehouse achieves to maintain a high quality standard, and how the Great Taste Awards decision process works. Quote: "Peter Curtin believes the thorough testing process means that winning three awards is such a great honour".
Sunday Business Post
11 July 2010 Under the headline of "Great Taste of Ireland", the article pays homage to the artisan food producers of Ireland. It picks up on the fact that food is not just a bare necesity you have to bring to the table to feed your family, but that it is becoming a source of excitement in this country! Among others, Birgitta from the Burren Smokehouse was given the opportunity to give her view on the importance of the Irish artisan food production:"There is also more awareness of farmers' markets, sustainable living, environmental concerns with packaging and travel impact. People are coming back to the purity of produce directly from the earth and the sea. People tend to buy cheap food in bulk, but they can get their nutrients from more expensive food in smaller, fresher quantities."
Michelle Darmody from The Cake Café in Dublin was writing about pollock, olive cake and other delicacies in her section of the Irish Examiner this weekend gone. Under the header CantLiveWithout, She is raving about the Burren Smokehouse products:
"At the Burren Smokehouse, they not only produce the most delicate smoked salmon, they also smoke a variety of other seafood. I had the good fortune to come across their smoked eel recently, it was delicious. I ate it with some horseradisch crème fraîche, the perfect accompaniment.
I am delighted to hear their Honey-glazed hot smoked Organic Salmon with Dill won a Gold Medal at the Great Taste Awards two years back."
Under the header "Great Irish breakfasts worth staying over for" in the Travel section of the Irish Times the Burren Smokehouse is being mentioned as providing part of the breakfast in Gregan's Castle Hotel: "The hotel serves a range of delights from the nearby Burren Smokehouse, including organic salmon, trout and peppered mackerel."
Irish Times Magazine
Clare People
Tony Killeen TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food recently officially opened the Irish Skipper - Inshore Fisheries Expo in Galway.
The annual event, which specialises in the inshore fisheries sector, showcases products and services for the fishing sector and the latest technologies.
Pictured with Minister of State Killeen is Birgitta Hedin-Curtin of Burren Smokehouse in County Clare. Birgitta and her husband Peter started to smoke salmon in 1987, and built the premises of the Smokehouse in 1989. Born in Sweden Nyköping, she studied Science at Lund's University with special studies in Marine Algae.
Galway Advertiser
"I also decided to try the marinated salmon as the description looked very inviting. It comprised Burren Smoke House salmon marinated in lemon and orange juice plus some secret ingredients. The serving size was big and the cost €9. As for the taste – fantastic, it will be my choice of starter when I return."
William P. Shaw tried the new Italian restaurant L'ARCO in Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, and was clearly blown away by his experience. Click here to read full article.
CheapEats.ie -positive comments by blogger Peter and his readers
We were delighted to discover what some people had to say about us - but see for yourself:
"Painful experience has gently nudged me away from impulse buys, but one small sample of hot smoked salmon shattered my caution. [...]
But it was the Burren Smokehouse Hot Smoked Organic Salmon, marinated in dill and honey, which relieved me of my €10 burden. [...] Delicious as it was, I was very reluctant to spend €9.95 for 160g salmon. After driving poor Jean insane with my tedious procrastination, I bought it.
Was it worth almost a tenner for a relatively small amount of salmon? Yes, if like me, splashing out means the occasional fancy chocolate, steak, or hand-milked organic natural knitted yogurt. I'm not crazy about salmon, and I particlarly can't abide the sliminess of cold smoken salmon, but I devoured this. The dill and honey perfectly compliment the salmon, bringing out the best flavours without overpowering the fish. It needed nothing more than a slice of good brown bread and a bit of lettuce and tomato on the side, and I've already ordered some for Christmas day. One for the occasional luxuries list."
Here you can read the full blog - including the reactions of other readers!
Burren Smokehouse on American TV!
In 2009, Mr. Food visited the Burren Smokehouse to sample our smoked salmon and to get explanation as to why our smoked salmon is so special and different from American smoked salmon. He was fierced impressed - but watch for yourself how Birgitta talks about our smoking technique in this short video.
The EatDrink section of the Sunday Business Post Agenda supplement reports about the Blas na hÉireann awards mentioning some of the gold medal winners, among others the Burren Smokehouse's great achievement.
"It's official - Clare has the tastiest food" is the headline in the Clare Champion, after the Blas na hÉireann Awards have been announced.
"Lisdoonvarna-based Burren Smokehouse took the top honour in the fish and seafood category at the Blas na hÉireann Awards. [...] The Blas na hÉireann Awards are the only Irish food awards that focus solely on taste, arguably the most important criteria for a food product, and the judging process, developped and overseen by the UCC Food Science Department is the most rigorous in the country. [...]"
Sunday Tribune
On the occasion of the National Organic Week, an article about the Burren Smokehouse and other artisan food producers was published in the Sunday Tribune with a 20% discount voucher for their readers when they order online with us.
"Fresh from the Sea" by Clodagh McKenna
RTE1, Tuesday 28 July 2009
Clodagh McKenna and her film team were at the Burren Smokehouse last September to film and interview Birgitta; Peadar Reilly, our master smoker, can also be seen. Birgitta explained how she came to Ireland and set up the company 20 years ago with her husband Peter in whose pub - the Roadside Tavern - the interview was held.
Clodagh McKenna also had a chance to sample our smoked fish products and was very impressed with the quality. - After the Burren Smokehouse, the film crew visited Moy House in Lahinch (just down the road from us) where the head chef Daniel O'Brien cooked a dish with Clodagh featuring our Smoked Salmon! Moy House has a great reputation for food, so no wonder our salmon is on their menu.
Here a quote from Daniel O'Brien: "[Burren Smokehouse salmon] is the nicest smoked salmon there is in the country actually..."
"Birgitta Curtin from the Burren Smokehouse in Lisdoonvarna offers Ireland's Ambassador to Sweden HE Barrie Robinson and Green Dragon skipper Ian Waler a 'taste of Ireland' at the Tourism Ireland promotion during the stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race in Stockholm last week. Also pictured is Maurice Keller of the Arlington Lodge in Waterford [from left to right]. Birgitta was one of a number of Good Food Ireland members who were invited to attend the event to showcase the very best of Irish food through a series of demonstrations and tastings."
Birgitta was with the Good Food Ireland team (Peter Ward/Country Choice, Maurice & Susan Keller/Arlington Lodge, and Andrew Cook/QC's Restaurant) in city centre Stockholm serving Burren Smoked Salmon to the Swedish travel trade and media in the well-known restaurant Operakällaren across from the Royal Castle. She met with the Irish Ambassador to Sweden Barrie Robinson. She also dined with the Swedish King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia in the City Hall for the prizegiving of the Volvo Ocean Race. This hall is also used for the Nobel Prize awards.
On TV - "Nationwide"
Follow this link to see Birgitta Hedin-Curtin on TV. 2 min 10 sec into the programme, you will see her present smoked salmon fingerfood at the Clare Tourism Forum launch of new marketing initiatives in Ennis earlier this year.
"Nationwide" is a programme on Irish television which presents things of interest from all over the country. It runs twice, sometimes three times a week.
Local and High Quality
Organic Matters, issue 107, May/June 2009
The month of May 2009 is a busy media coverage month for the Burren Smokehouse - having had two film crews in so far this month, and getting good print media coverage in "Organic Matters" and "Food & Wine" (see below).
In the page and a half article in the "Organic Matters", the Burren Smokehouse story is told, how Birgitta came to smoking salmon in the west of Ireland, but more importantly, the article focuses on the values of an artisan producer like us: Keep it local by sourcing all raw materials and products in Ireland (and as closely to home as possible), having a varied marketing strategy with different sales channels and the focus on developing new products and having an ear to the ground with regards to what consumers want.
Spot-on Description of the Burren Smokehouse
Food & Wine Magazine, May 2009
In the Gourmet Focus section of the Irish "Food & Wine Magazine", the Burren Smokehouse features prominently. Apart from the story of the Smokehouse, the article points out the other products besides smoked salmon that are available in our "impressive visitor centre", and all the awards our smoked fish products have received. It also mentions how Birgitta is "a bit of a dynamo in the local Slow Food movement".
The British Fine Food Digest magazine
(May 2009, vol. 10 issue 4) mentions the Burren Smokehouse in their ShelfTalk section where new products, packagings and promotions are highlighted. It also has the stamp of the "Accredited Fine Food Supplier" next to it."New Branding Celebrates Smoky StoryBurren Smokehouse is celebrating its 20th year in business by rebranding its entire range as well as introducing a new series of products.The new range has been marinated in honey and combined with lemon & dill or whiskey & fennel.Owner Birgitta Hedin-Curtin says: 'Honey is a form of preservative and adds great natural flavour of sweetness that balances the salt. It has been associated with smoked salmon since ancient times.'Dill and fennel add a herby taste and the green contrasts with the pink salmon, while the lemon and whiskey add zest and also alters the texture of the smoked salmon during the curing process.The Burren smoked Irish organic salmon with honey series all come in 170g and 500g sizes [...]."
Volvo Ocean Race - the Green Dragon and the Burren Smokehouse - winning teams!
Irish Independent, 4th November 2008
Good Food Ireland Award's Ceremony
Article in the Clare Champion, 26/09/08
The Clare Champion article highlights the importance of the only Irish (all-island) food tourism-marketing group "Good Food Ireland" through which the Burren Smokehouse was invited to take part in glamourous events like a media dinner hosted by Tourism Ireland at the Volvo Ocean Race in Alicante (Spain) early October, and a showcase dinner in the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin, on 29/09/08. The Burren Smokehouse delivers smoked salmon to both events - and also receive an award for the Hot smoked Organic Salmon with Honey and Dill.
Another great mention in an Irish Newspaper
Sunday Business Post, 31st August 2008
The cultural and lifestyle magazine of the Sunday Business Post featured 'food revoluzzis' in their focus called "Real food revolution - Food goes back to its roots". The feature quotes the owners of notable names in Irish food circles: Darina Allen (Ballymaloe), Michelle Darmody (The Cake Cafe, Dublin), Michael Keller (Arlington Lodge Country House, Waterford) and others. Of course, the Burren Smoke
house - Birgitta - got a place of pride as well among all these famous people and businesses. She is pointing out the increasing importance of buying locally due to the rising fuel and food costs. Apart from that she has always felt the significance for authentic Irish products being sold through the visitor centre and the website, for tourists and food lovers world-wide alike.
"With rising oil and food prices, it's becoming more important to buy locally and boost your own economy," she says. "There may be the perception that organic local produce is more expensive, but it doesn't have to be if you choose the right market. People are also more conscious of their health, and want flavour and texture in their food. The consumer has to make an effort to support local producers."
Great Free Promotion on Irish Newspaper!
Irish Independent, 12th June 2008
The Irish Independent chose the Burren Smokehouse as a typical example for a SME (small and medium enterprise) to explain how the rise in fuel costs hits especially those sized businesses. As serious as this subject is - for the Burren Smokehouse something good came out of it: National exposure mainly because of a large picture of our delivery van with all our contact details on it! An A4 ad like this would have cost a fortune...
ON AIR: The Burren Smokehouse on the 'Today with Pat Kenny' show!
aired on RTE Radio 1 on Friday 4th April 2008)
Pat Kenny talked to Rozanne Stevens from the Cooks Academy in Dublin about cooking recipes involving smoked salmon from the Burren Smokehouse. Before talking the audience through the recipes, she presented the idea of the Slow Food movement as something we all want - promoting and supporting locally produced artisan food, which is fair to those producing it and to animal welfare, and working with and for a clean environment. Over the next few weeks, she will highlight the great variety of the best of Irish artisan produce starting with the Burren Smokehouse who are part of the Slow Food organisation.
Everybody in the studio tried - and loved - the hot smoked salmon from the Burren Smokehouse - some of the exclamations were "Fabulous!" and "Gorgeous!". Rozanne explained that the Burren Smokehouse won the Bridgestone Award 2008, and also, what 'hot smoked' means and where the tradition of hot smoking comes from.
There was a general consensus among the studio guests that salmon is a great traditional Irish food that is a huge part of every celebration, be it communions, christenings, birthdays, weddings... They also pointed out how amazing it is that the old tale of the Salmon of Knowledge is backed up by modern science which found out that it is great brain food due to the high content of Omega-3 oils!
The two recipes Rozanne talks about are Farfalle with Burren Smoked Salmon and Leeks, and Salmon Parchment Parcels. It is easy to overcook salmon, and these simple-to-follow recipes are showing a great way of avoiding it.
Needless to say that the Burren Smokehouse is delighted to have been singled out as an outstanding producer of Smoked Salmon!
'Image' magazine: "Sinful! The Delightful Indulgent Gift Guide"
This glossy magazine published in Dublin aims at the high-quality end of the readership. Every issue reaches around 120,000 readers and potential customers.
We were delighted to discover that this prestigious magazine singled out the Burren Smokehouse as "the masters": '... Bring the traditional gift of smoked salmon up a notch with the Organic Selection hamper, €64.95, from the masters, The Burren Smokehouse, www.burrensmokehouse.ie ...'
The Burren Smokehouse was in good company: Other names mentioned in the same article were Fallon & Byrne, Harvey Nichols, Sheridans, Neil McFadden, Irish Provincial Hampers and Donnybrook Fair.
Bridgestone Guide
The Irish Food Guide
The Burren Smokehouse have been recommended by Food writers John & Sally McKenna in the Bridgestone Guide since 1996.
John and Sally McKenna have been tirelessly writing and publishing this guide for over a decade. They started their guide back in 1989, the same year that the Burren Smokehouse was built.
It has been a great success! You can buy the guides on their website www.bestofbridgestone.com. You can also read more about producers of fine foods, avail of new recipes or subscribe to their newsletter Megabytes.
"Burren Smokehouse wins international award" by Margaret O'Brien
The Burren Smokehouse in Lisdoonvarna has won a gold award at this year's Great Taste Awards.
The event, which is billed as the "International Fine Food Oscars", is sponsored by the British Guild of Fine Food Retailers.
The Smokehouse claimed its award for its Hot Smoked Salmon in the Cooked Smoked Salmon category.
According to company director Birgitta Curtin, the awards are very prestigious within the food industry.
"We are really delighted with the news. We not only won gold, but also got silver for our Organic Farmed Smoked Salmon and silver for our Smoked Mackerel."
According to awards organiser Anthony Murray, the Burren Smokehouse product was competing against the finest foods from Scotland, Northern Europe and America.
"It's a superb feat to receive a gold. The panel of adjudicators are experts in their field and they taste blind to ensure there is no favouritism," he said.
The Smokehouse claimed a bronze award at last year's event. Curtin said this year's wins confirmed the company's belief in the quality of its range.
Established in 1989, the Burren Smokehouse employs 12 full-time staff, with additional part-time seasonal workers. They sell their product via mail order through their website www.burrensmokehouse.ie and through specialist retailers.