It may be just over two months since Blackrock Cottage Pantry opened its doors, but the fine food store is already proving to be extremely popular with the people of Knocknacarra and Salthill.
Located at the former Spinnaker House Hotel, the Pantry offers some of the quality produce that visitors to the nearby Blackrock Cottage restaurant will be very familiar with.
The team at Blackrock Cottage Pantry are adding to their list of products every week and the ‘grab and go’ range on the shelves provides options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Martin O’Donnell, the award-winning executive head chef at Blackrock Cottage, has also been centrally involved in getting Blackrock Cottage Pantry up and running.
“It’s the pantry of Blackrock Cottage so the amazing things we’re doing at the Cottage are now also being used in a retail environment,” he explained. “The quality that people have come to associate with Blackrock Cottage is now available to take home in an easy way for the home cook.”
“The first few months have been really exciting to see this new venture take off, and it’s been a pleasure to meet everyone who’s called in, especially the people from the local area,” added Michelle Higgins, who runs the Pantry on a daily basis.
“We work hard, together with Martin and the chefs at Blackrock Cottage, to create a variety of delicious and nutritious food.
“We have a wide variety of produce and baked goods, ranging from our famous freshly-baked brown bread, which is our number one best-seller, to gorgeous pastries and organic soup and toasties.
“Our savoury pies and Spanish frittatas are a big hit with our customers too.
“Some of our other favourites, and I know a big hit with my family, are the Birdhouse sauces like Bucky Barbecue and Sticky Korean. .
The Builín Blasta smoked onion mayo is proving really difficult to keep on the shelves as well, they are so popular. The Slieve Aughty honeys are also so good, and the fact that all these are locally produced means that we are supporting other local businesses.”
Mathieu Teulier, the general manager of Blackrock Cottage, has also created a lovely wine list to go for the Pantry.
“We would be delighted to help our customers choose a nice bottle of wine, and maybe some cheese or crackers or a dessert for any occasion,” explained Michelle Higgins.
“We cater for all tastes, we have a range of gluten-free products, and we are really trying to help people to make a meal extra special.”
Blackrock Cottage Pantry is open from 8am to 6pm Tuesday to Saturday, and from 9am to 3pm every Sunday.
