A wee while back we suggested that there was a Beer-Bread-Bacon revolution going on in Irish artisan food.
Visit the Saturday morning market at Harry's Restaurant at Bridgend, Donegal, and you can see that we were a wee bit right, and a whole lot wrong. Yes there is beer - thank you, Kinnegar Brewery. Yes, there is bread - thank you Slow Food Co. Yes, there is bacon - thank you Hamilton's Farm.
But, that's only a wee bit of what there is for sale on Saturday at Harry's. There are splendid vegetarian pies and treats. There is goat meat. There is artisan pork and beef. There is the most amazing fish and shellfish from Greencastle. There are fabulous vegetables from Harry's own walled garden. In short, there is pretty much everything you need and, Donal Doherty of Harry's tells us, what we saw is but a fraction of what the market can offer during the height of the season.
But, there's more. With the shopping done, you head into Harry's for eggs benedict and other brunchy treats from this crack team. It's only mid-morning when we visit, but the place is buzzing. Come the summer and it's going to be jammers in here.
And here is little tip for getting a special kick from the Harry's Market. Get a cooked Hamilton's farm pork sausage, and ask Mick from Glenview Lodge to open an oyster for you. Pour a glass of Kinnegar Rustbucket rye ale. Now, take a bite of hot sausage, follow it with a cold oyster, then a sip of beer. Hot; cold; wet.
It doesn't get better than that.
