Advertise on podcast: Cork Food Stories with Clara Cooney

In this weeks episode Clara is talking to Loretta Kennedy from MamaBear Foods about her life around food, her career to date and taking a leap of faith creating her very own tomato ketchup for her kids to now where her products are available across many stores in Ireland. A great story of a mum wanting a better product for her kids and turning it into a business.

In this weeks episode, Clara is talking to Jason Linton owner of The Cottage Garden in Kinsale. Jason arrived on our shores in 2010 to study permaculture. He is a lover of all things health, yoga and living a life of sustainability. Jason turned his passion into a career where he wanted others to be able to get the best fresh plant products directly to their door wherein 2017 he set up The Cottage Garden. A fresh food delivery service using the best of Irish produce currently covering Cork with an aim to go national over the coming years. 

In this weeks episode, Clara talks to Jenny Twomey and Jill O'Brien from Green Towers Ireland, which are Aeroponic towers to grow your own greens in your kitchen, a fabulous story of Jenny bringing the first grow tower into Ireland for home use and how she and Jill saw a gap in the market and have a growing business from residential towers for your kitchen to more restaurants taking up the opportunity and to building tower farms around Ireland.

Clara is talking to people who have started their food business in the past few years. First up is Siobhán Quirke Ó hAilpín, married to GAA legend Seán Óg, after a very successful career in finance and food, Siobhan started the Quirkey Kitchen last year based in Innishannon selling beautiful coffee and treats out of a french converted Citreon HY where she also is available for hire for private events.

On this weeks Podcast Clara chats to Brian Murray, Head Chef and owner of The Glass Curtain, based in the building of the iconic Thompsons Bakery on McCurtain Street in Cork. Brian opened the doors of the Glass Curtain in December 2019 and recently won the Cork Business Award as the Best Restaurant in Cork. Prior to this, Brian had travelled the world cheffing in amazing locations with some of the worlds top chefs but his dream was always to return home and set up a restaurant that would showcase the amazing produce we have here in Cork by local producers.

On this weeks podcast, Clara talks to Justin Green from Ballyvolane House in Cork. Ballyvolane is a historic Irish country house, family-owned and run, situated near Fermoy in Co. Cork with idyllic landscaped gardens, wooded grounds, glamping tents, tree houses and a gin distillery.  Clara talks to Justin about growing up there as a child when it was a working farm to turning it into a successful business and growing that business to what it is today with his wife Jenny.  They also talk about Bertha's Revenge Gin that is distilled on the grounds in a converted barn using whey from a Cork cheesemaker 

On this weeks Podcast, Clara talks to Tony Speight from West Cork Coffee. All about how he went from being an electrical engineer to building his first Coffee roaster in 2004 as a hobby and from there creating West Cork Coffee, roasting and supplying speciality Artisan Coffee both wholesale and retail. www.westcorkcoffee.ie Find out all about host Clara's business and get some fab recipes on claracooks.ie

On this weeks podcast Clara talks to Denis Good from Good Fish. Denis was born and raised in Currabinny near Crosshaven in County Cork where he still lives today. Clara talks to Denis about his days as a boat builder to being out in the high seas as a fisherman to starting his first Fish shop in 1988 to now growing his business as a very successful supplier both nationally and internationally with his son Donagh. You can find out all about Good Fish on www.goodfish.ie and the locations of their 5 stores in Cork where you can get amazing fish produce. 

On this weeks podcast, Clara talks to Ernest Cantillon a well-known Cork businessman. They chat about starting out at the young age of 22 with his first pub, his years in the bar and restaurant trade, his passion and involvement in the Cork Simon Community, his events company and also the success of his business Kinsale Spirit Company with his partners Tom O'Riordan and Colin Ross.

On this weeks Podcast, we talk to Orla McAndrew of OM Catering. Orla is from Donoughmore in Co. Cork and started her wedding and event catering business in 2018. Over the past year, Orla has changed her business adding some excellent services for in-home dining and freezer meals made from the best produce by Corks finest producers. Listen to Orla's story on how she got started, her passion for food and how her business has grown over the past few years. 

Clara Cooney of Clara Cooks speaks with Tom Durcan from Tom Durcan Meats at the English Market. She listens to his story from where it all began when his Dad got him a job at a young age at Kidneys Butcher Shop in Carrigaline. A butcher Clara used to frequent as a child with her Mum regularly. After a wonderful opportunity in Denmark smoking and curing meats he then took a leap of faith at 22 years of age opening his own shop. Now a family run business, Tom is one of the best suppliers of the finest quality meats, an award-winning butcher who made fame with his wonderful spiced beef! A wonderful story from another wonderful Cork Supplier. 

This weeks podcast we are talking to Margo Ann Murphy who owns the Roughty foodie in the English Market, originally set up by Michael Murphy in the 1960s as the Roughty Fruit King now 3rd generation family business where Margo took over the business in 2011. They supply fresh farm seasonal fruits and vegetables from local producers however they are mostly known for supporting small local businesses with a variety of delicious non-perishable foods. They stock an array of artisan food from producers based in Ireland's most rural communities. The stall is a platform for them to showcase their amazing products, which include homemade preserves, chutneys, farmhouse cheeses, raw Irish honey, free-range eggs and West Cork flowers. Listen to Margo talking about her passion from her childhood right through to today, a big believer in teaching them young and supporting local.