Chew The Fat

Chew The Fat

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Chew The Fat episodes

  • Donal Skehan | Episode 11 | Chew The Fat
    In this week's episode of Chew The Fat, the penultimate episode of series one of our podcast, we sit down with Donal Skehan to talk penning cookbooks, family life, presenting entirely in Swedish, travel inspirations and his guilty pleasure – Eurovision!
    Source: Donal Skehan (Instagram)
    Before you knew him as the accomplished food writer and TV presenter fast becoming a household name the world over, Skehan worked in TV production, spent summers cooking in Sweden (to woo his future wife, Sofie) and even had a fledgling music career in the short-lived band Industry. He also vied to represent Ireland at Eurovision once upon a time and was only narrowly beaten by a fowl-mouthed, out-of-tune puppet named Dustin The Turkey – the less said about that debacle the better!
    https://www.instagram.com/p/BkErNRQAYVF/?hl=en&taken-by=donalskehan
    We've met Donal a handful of times over the years and he's always a joy to chat to – however brief. Always smiling, always joking around, and with boundless energy and excitement we're so excited we got the chance to sit down properly and Chew The Fat about the many lives he's had already and try to get to know the guy behind it all a little better – we could have talked for hours, in all honesty!
    Donal Skehan is quickly becoming one of the most successful cookbook authors, presenters and social media personalities in the food sphere and beyond. Originally from Howth in Dublin, but now based in Los Angeles, Skehan has penned no less than eight cookbooks, fronted countless TV shows (Saturday Kitchen, Junior MasterChef, his own cookery and travel programmes for Food Network and RTÉ) and is an incredibly accomplished food writer and photographer. He's incredibly hard-working and it's inspiring to see his star rise and rise on a global scale, not just in Ireland and the UK.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/BkLQywVgHBH/?hl=en&taken-by=donalskehan
    Forever on-the-go and one of the most in demand of his ilk in the industry, we managed to nab him on-set for a half-hour chat on a very busy trip back to Dublin to film his next RTÉ series, Donal's Meals In Minutes.
    IF YOU’D LIKE EARLY ACCESS TO FUTURE EPISODES OF CHEW THE FAT, OR JUST OFFER SUPPORT TOWARD WHAT WE DO PLEASE PLEDGE ON OUR PATREON PAGE! ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN MAKE A ONE OFF DONATION ON OUR PAYPAL PAGE.
    42 min
  • From Millstreet to Masterchef : Niamh Kavanagh | Episode 10 | Chew The Fat
    Okay, we are pinching ourselves that in this week’s episode of Chew The Fat we are speaking with a Eurovision legend, who actually loves talking about food as much as we do. Yes, this week, we are coming to you from Niamh Kavanagh’s kitchen for a very different edition of the podcast.
    Eurovision Song Contest winner AND Celebrity Masterchef Champion, we find ourselves having a long and amazing chat with Queen Kavanagh in her Carrickfergus kitchen all about how she was almost the star of The Commitments, how a lesser-known session singer from Dublin stormed Millstreet in Cork to win Eurovision for Ireland for a fifth time and swapping cooking tips, recipes and bits of food knowledge. 
    Niamh won Eurovision at one of the smallest contests of recent times, and well and truly adores the contest still to this date. She represented Ireland once again in 2010 with the track "It's For You" which we chat about during this podcast. We also talk in depth about her time as a contestant and winner of Celebrity MasterChef 2017, where she beat the likes of Samantha Mumba and Simon Delaney to win the coveted trophy, which still has pride of place in her kitchen.
    We do know that this is a significantly longer episode than all of our other Chew The Fat episodes so far, and a bit of a curveball, but it was so good we could hardly leave anything on the cutting room floor. We spent hours with Niamh, so this is just a snippet of our afternoon chatting away with her. We think you’ll agree that Niamh’s passion is infectious and we loved chatting food and music with a real Idol of ours! There are a lot of laughs throughout, and a lot of great stories and tales!
    IF YOU’D LIKE EARLY ACCESS TO FUTURE EPISODES OF CHEW THE FAT, OR JUST OFFER SUPPORT TOWARD WHAT WE DO PLEASE PLEDGE ON OUR PATREON PAGE! ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN MAKE A ONE OFF DONATION ON OUR PAYPAL PAGE.
    1 hr 25 min
  • Indie Fude | Episode 9 | Chew The Fat

    Comber, a town outside Belfast in Northern Ireland, is fast becoming a food destination – because of one pair in particular, really. In this week’s episode of Chew The Fat, we drop by Indie Fude – a deli and speciality food shop that’s a Mecca for food lovers, wonderfully-stocked with small, artisan, craft producers from the island of Ireland exclusively.

    Throughout this debut series of Chew The Fat we’ve spoken to distillers, chefs, restaurateurs, food producers – all people immersed in the food industry and playing different parts in bringing tastes and flavours to the palates of the general public. So, naturally, we now turn to those who champion other producers.

    Those who fill their shelves with gorgeous, must-try produce and act as a treasure trove for people looking to try new things – whether that’s seeking out something exotic in flavour or just wanting to support and stock up on local produce.

    We chew the fat with Johnny McDowell and Laura Bradley who co-run Indie Fude as they open the doors to their new, larger premises. We met them a year or two ago at the Blás na hEireann awards, then earlier this year we took a first-time visit to their previous space in the same town, but now we find them in Indie Fude version 3.0… or is it 4.0? Tune in to hear more!

    IF YOU’D LIKE EARLY ACCESS TO FUTURE EPISODES OF CHEW THE FAT, OR JUST OFFER SUPPORT TOWARD WHAT WE DO PLEASE PLEDGE ON OUR PATREON PAGE! ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN MAKE A ONE OFF DONATION ON OUR PAYPAL PAGE.
    29 min
  • Behind The Big Grill: Andy Noonan | Chew The Fat Series 1, Episode 8
    Cluck, cluck! In this week’s episode of Chew The Fat, we chat to Fowl Play owner, The Big Grill co-founder and all-around BBQ genius, Andy Noonan. 
    Chatting to him in his restaurant within a pub - the live fire chicken joint Fowl Play within the Square Ball Pub around Grand Canal Dock - we ask about how we chose to open his first kitchen in such a unique place, as well as some BBQ tips for those who feel amateur in their grilling skills and asking where he derives his global inspiration from.
    The Big Grill Festival is Ireland's biggest BBQ and craft beer festival, which takes place every August in the leafy confines of Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. A celebration of the art of cooking with fire & smoke, with local chefs and international talent coming together in a big barbecue love-in, this year (taking place 16-19 August) the line-up is stellar including some of our personal favourites: Jess Murphy (Kai, Galway), Paul Flynn (Tannery, Dungarvan), Robin Gill (The Dairy, London), Grainne O'Keeffe (Clanbrassil House, BuJo) and Fingal Ferguson (Gubbeen), plus so, so many more.
     
     
    IF YOU’D LIKE EARLY ACCESS TO FUTURE EPISODES OF CHEW THE FAT, OR JUST OFFER SUPPORT TOWARD WHAT WE DO PLEASE PLEDGE ON OUR PATREON PAGE! ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN MAKE A ONE OFF DONATION ON OUR PAYPAL PAGE.
    43 min
  • Abide By The Klaw: Niall Sabongi | Episode 7 | Chew The Fat

    This week’s episode of Chew The Fat is all about the spoils of the sea, from the captain of the ship steering Ireland as a whole towards enjoying more seafood – Niall Sabongi. Sitting in his Seafood Cafe on Fownes Street in the heart of Temple Bar, we ask about his beginnings in the restaurant industry, how he built a shellfish-led empire across the city in the form of his trio of KLAW restaurants and also the wholesale arm of his business and the plans for an ‘urban monger’ changing up the idea of a fishmonger in the capital.

    From beginning with Rock Lobster to taking over with his trio of KLAW restaurants dominating the seafood game in the Irish capital, Niall is a man with an undying passion for seafood, and wants to change the way we all perceive the spoils of the sea. We should respect it and sustain it, but we should also buy it, cook it and enjoy it much more than we have been doing.

    So more than a man with a taste for the sea, Niall Sabongi is a man on a mission. Coaxing his customers into trying new things whilst also trying to change both the conversation and the landscape as a Fáilte Ireland Food Champion, Niall is someone everyone knows, and if you don’t yet, you need to get to know him. 

    We also ask those burning questions you always wanted to know – like where does one find the best chips in Dublin and can cheese and fish ever get into bed together? What else would you expect?

     
    IF YOU’D LIKE EARLY ACCESS TO FUTURE EPISODES OF CHEW THE FAT, OR JUST OFFER SUPPORT TOWARD WHAT WE DO PLEASE PLEDGE ON OUR PATREON PAGE! ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN MAKE A ONE OFF DONATION ON OUR PAYPAL PAGE.
    35 min
  • The Best of Butter: Abernethy Butter | Episode 6 | Chew The Fat
    Golden. Delicious. Creamy. Salty. Rich. Butter.
    In this week's episode - which marks the half-way point of series 1 of our new podcast Chew The Fat - we find ourselves in the beautiful rolling emerald hills of Co. Down at the home of Abernethy Butter, the award-winning, handmade butter brand based out of Dromara, created by husband-and-wife duo Allison and Will Abernethy.
    Driving through Northern Ireland admiring the stunning natural beauty is always time well spent, if you ask us. As we traversed the border northwards into Northern Ireland from the Republic, the scenery gets even more beautiful, all lush fields of every shade of green, rolling hills, endlessly thick forest and tiny towns dotted around. Back to that lush grass though, you can imagine how the cows grae endlessly, happily and leisurely on it – their resulting milk resplendent in silkiness and lush creaminess. Naturally, that same milk must make exceptional butter, and it does. Abernethy happens to be the best, that's a fact. Check the awards.
    Revered by critics, championed by Michelin-starred chefs, adored by bakers, and coveted by home cooks in-the-know, this Co. Down butter is a Great Taste Award winner, Blás na hEireann recipient and remarked as one of the Top 50 Foods in Europe. Did you ever think you would find a cult-status butter? A simple product of two ingredients – cream and salt? Well, you better believe it, and that's because this butter is so sensationally special.
    Over scones and piping hot coffee, we chat to Allison at her kitchen table about how she and her husband turned a sometime hobby into a fully-fledged business. Then, we head in to their fairly tiny production unit to see the magic happen – churning, paddle slapping and curling the butter into those simply iconic Abernethy curls, then chilling, wrapping in their iconic paper packaging and adorning with their traditional and beautiful labelling. Simple, but skilled, and allowing the finest raw produce to shine without bells and whistles.
    We ask all about how Abernethy, the brand, came into being, what the couple has learned over the years in business, how chefs and social media helped spread the word and how a little butter making team in Co. Down became the toast of London town, their product served on all the finest menus.
    As Nigella has said: "Abernethy Butter is everything".
    We'd have to agree.
    IF YOU’D LIKE EARLY ACCESS TO FUTURE EPISODES OF CHEW THE FAT, OR JUST OFFER SUPPORT TOWARD WHAT WE DO PLEASE PLEDGE ON OUR PATREON PAGE! ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN MAKE A ONE OFF DONATION ON OUR PAYPAL PAGE.
    34 min
  • Her Name Is Lola: Las Tapas De Lola | Episode 5 | Chew The Fat
    We've talked to producers, tour guides, distillers and brewers so far in the first few episodes of Chew The Fat, now we're talking to our first restaurateur. Actually, a pair of restaurateurs. Las Tapas De Lola burst onto Dublin's dining scene in 2013 and five years later it's stronger than ever. Positioned on arguably the casual restaurant highway of Dublin running from Dame Street straight to Rathmines, Anna Cabrera and Vanessa Murphy are right in the middle of it all with their traditional Spanish neighbourhood restaurant and bar.
    We've already written about how special and important this place is personally to us - it was where we shared our last supper of sorts with some of our closest friends before moving to London - and we've long been fans of this little slice of Spain in the centre of Dublin, a stone's throw from Stephen's Green.
    The Flavours of Spain; The Spirit of Dublin
    But we wanted to delve a little deeper into the story of how Lola's became what it is. We wanted to get to know Anna and Vanessa, the couple behind - and co-owners of - the business, a little bit better. We ask them all about how they got their inspiration to open the best Spanish restaurant in Dublin; what some of their most iconic dishes are; what the challenges over the past five years have been; and whether Lola will get a little sister of one these days...
    IF YOU’D LIKE EARLY ACCESS TO FUTURE EPISODES OF CHEW THE FAT, OR JUST OFFER SUPPORT TOWARD WHAT WE DO PLEASE PLEDGE ON OUR PATREON PAGE! 
    41 min
  • Behind The Black Gates: Guinness Open Gate Brewery | Chew The Fat #4
    Guinness. Love it or hate it, there's no denying the global impact this Dublin-born and Dublin-made beverage has had on the world, no more so than in Ireland itself – it's still the most ordered and most recognisable pint in every pub in the country. But this podcast episode is about the Open Gate Brewery – a brewery inside a brewery.
    One of the most recognisable drinks the world over, the black stuff is an iconic stout, and St. James' Gate in the heart of Dublin is the epicentre of it all. The Guinness Storehouse is among the most visited attractions in Europe, with over 13 million people through the doors since it opened in 2006, and is the most popular tourist attraction in Ireland. Its Gravity Bar is also the tallest bar in the city, you might not have known, with a vista overlooking bustling Dublin below.
    However, the Storehouse isn't our focus in this edition of Chew The Fat. Instead our focus lies on the Open Gate Brewery and two individuals who live and breathe this place. Back in 2015, a new section of the iconic St. James' Gate site was opened to the public for the first time. This space wasn't anything new to many of the employees of Guinness, but it was a place very few would go to. Sort of like a brewer's playground, this was where teams would come up with new ideas, flavours, styles and innovations for about 100 years. Now it's where Guinness experiment and push their profession of beer brewers to the limits. Keen to note that they aren't a craft brewery, it's easy to see why many might wrongly call it so. It's an experimental brewery, churning out keg after keg of new and exciting products every day. Some, such as Hop House 13, Citra IPA or the Pure Brew Non-Alcoholic Lager, have progressed from a 12-keg project into staples in bars both nationally and internationally.
    Here, we talk to two of the men who are at the forefront of the Open Gate Brewery and Guinness as a whole: Pádraig Fox, general manager of the Open Gate Brewery, is infectiously passionate about the beers produced here. We've met him many years ago and it's his mission to show people that there is really a beer for everyone. Ian Colgan, who is the Food & Drink Expert on the site, is the man with the difficult task of bringing the food offering at Guinness and the Open Gate Brewery to the forefront, to make it a food & drink experience, rather than a drinks-only one.
    Warning: this podcast about Guinness' Open Gate Brewery will make you thirsty.

    So press play and delve into this beer brewing palace and a Mecca of experimental brewing in Ireland.

    If you fancy finding out about some more of Ireland's other drinks producers, please click through to this post.

    DrinkAware.ie - Always Drink Responsibly
    44 min
  • Bertha’s Revenge | Episode 3 | Chew The Fat
    Sometimes this blog has allowed us go on pilgrimages of sorts. This episode of our podcast Chew The Fat really was just that. For years, we've loved Bertha's Revenge, a small-batch Irish milk gin, made on the grounds of Ballyvolane House, Co. Cork. Behind the magical spirit is business partners Justin Green and Antony Jackson, who as experienced gin drinkers really struck a cord with those of us most enthusiastic about the spirit when they launched this whey-based product (named after the oldest cow in the world) on the market a couple of years back.
    We met the pair at the Irish Embassy in London back in 2016 at an event called "Spirit Of Sharing" organised by Bord Bia, which linked us up with so many of Ireland's finest drinks producers over the years. In the most part, it became the basis of our incredibly popular "Best Irish Drinks To Try" post, which showcases many of them, but it also gave us a chance to try new innovations which people like Antony and Justin have been doing.
    We've long championed this gin and are happy to say it's among our absolute favourites- and a trip to visit Bertha's home has been on the cards for some time. You see, gin is commonly made using a grain spirit, but Bertha's Revenge is different. It's made with milk whey, a byproduct from dairy production which gives the gin a smoothness. The botanicals used are spicy and citrusy, full-on flavour from both the scent and taste.
    We always say that Bertha's Revenge is a gin lover's gin, but we believe all should try at some point. It's at the premium end of the market, but a very special product which we have a lot of love for.
     
    From botanical to bottle, Bertha to Ballyvolane, we hear about the process in this edition of Chew The Fat, and learn more about the men behind it. We were lucky to be able to get a full experience too of Ballyvolane House which you can read here. A gorgeous guesthouse that you may never want to leave!
    41 min
  • Belfast Food Tour | Episode 2 | Chew The Fat
    One of our favourite activities to do whenever we visit a city is to link up with some local tour guides and explore the city through their eyes. Among the top tours we've done without doubt is the Belfast Food Tour, founded by Caroline Wilson. Now an empire consisting of several tours around Belfast and beyond, Caroline knows this city inside and out, and as you listen to this edition of "Chew The Fat", you'll hear just that.
    Belfast, and Northern Ireland in general is really one of the most exciting food scenes in the UK & Ireland right now. Producers who are making award winning food and drink, restaurants are constantly becoming more and more prominent within the critic circles and beyond, but Belfast really is the epicentre of it.
    This podcast is also chock-full of up-to-date recommendations for where to eat in the city, so have your notebooks at the ready! With an ever transforming dining scene, Caroline knows exactly where to try out and what selection you should make whenever you visit.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/BiC0qDmFaBL/
    We spend the first section of the podcast chatting with Caroline at Co Couture, Belfast's best chocolatier, getting Caroline's opinion on the dining scene in Belfast before hitting the streets to catch a glimpse of her tour. If you'd love to book on one of Taste & Tour's offerings, visit their website. Caroline and her team will give you a fantastic couple of hours on the Belfast Food Tour.
    For more on Belfast and Northern Ireland, visit the travel section of our website!
    IF YOU’D LIKE EARLY ACCESS TO FUTURE EPISODES OF CHEW THE FAT, OR JUST OFFER SUPPORT TOWARD WHAT WE DO PLEASE PLEDGE ON OUR PATREON PAGE! 
    39 min

About Chew The Fat

From the publisher's feed

"Chew The Fat" is the podcast by food & travel bloggers "GastroGays", otherwise known as Russell Alford & Patrick Hanlon. Each Friday, a new episode will be available featuring a casual…