Staying with Oranmore, I called in to see the newly opened Homefarm Butchers shop. It is located to the side of the astroturf pitch on your way to Scoil Mhuire girls’ school.
It is a traditional type butcher’s shop selling locally sourced products such as Kinvara lamb and great value free range ducks, also from Kinvara (currently out of stock now due to demand and back in a week or so ). It sells free range chickens, beef finished on Homefarm’s own farm, and potatoes from Kinvara, Ardrahan, and Tawin Island. It has a really good se
lection of fish from The Fisherman in Galway, and a range of locally made jams, chutneys, and apple tarts from Mary O’Rourke. I sampled the pineapple chutney and the damson jam and they were excellent. The homemade apple tarts are €4 and are also made with her own apples and homemade pastry.
My recommendation from the butcher’s shop are the striploin steaks, dry aged for up to 28 days, and the rack of lamb which contains eight chops for €12.99; both make a perfect Sunday dinner and taste great. I rate Kinvara lamb as among the best in the world and so simple to cook, the golden rule being to not overcook. An easy to cook item for the kids is deboned chicken legs stuffed with apricot and breadcrumb stuffing, 99 cents each.
There are some special opening offers which are hard to beat — centre loin chops €13/kg, housekeeper’s cut €6/kg, six homemade steak burgers €4.99, and 10kg of Kinvara records €3.99. It is open from early till late in order to accommodate people going to and from work, 8am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday.
Parking is a doddle as long as you don’t hang around too long. The phone number is (091 ) 790109 and I wish Vincent Finn, Nicholas Quinn, and Tom Reilly all the very best for the future.
