Q2 2020

EU BUSINESS NEWS / Q2 2020 11 , The Pride of County Cork Situated just east of Castletownbere on the magnificent Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Berehaven Lodge Restaurant offers its guests stunning views combined with sumptuous fresh dishes and a warm Irishwelcome. Achieving success in the Irish Enterprise Awards, earning the title of Best Seafood Restaurant 2020 - County Cork, we invited owner Grace Delaney to tell us more about this hidden gem. At the Berehaven Lodge Restaurant, we’re delighted to have become a mainstay of County Cork’s culinary scene welcoming both visitors and local guests alike. Our policy of sourcing fresh, local ingredients wherever possible goes a long way to showcase what delights the peninsula has to offer. Our menu has been created to reflect the freshest ingredients mainly from the West Cork region with a focus on the Beara Peninsula. As a result of this policy, our menu changes with the seasons reflecting the various and sometimes unusual items that we can obtain from our suppliers. Due to our location, we use the freshest fish and shellfish caught locally and enjoy a personal relationship with many local fishermen. Castletownbere is Ireland's largest white fish port and a strong relationship with the local fishing boats ensures we always have the freshest fish and shellfish, aiming to have it brought from ocean to fork on the same day. We aim to ensure our wine list is high quality and reasonably priced and that our staff are trained in both wine knowledge and food pairings. The customer deserves to know that their server has tasted every dish and every wine and can converse and advise knowledgeably. Our supplier list features many local artisan products including Milleens Cheese, Gubben Bacon, Michael Moore Fruit & Veg, Beara Ocean Gin, The Laughing Oyster, Bere Island, Toonsbridge Dairy and O’Neill’s Irish Atlantic Sea Salt. These delicious ingredients need to be properly prepared, and as such the eatery boasts a skilled kitchen team run by my partner and executive chef Mark Funston. His extraordinary talent is the key to our business. Our focus on quality at the Berehaven Lodge Restaurant. All of our food is cooked fresh to order, and we make every sauce by hand. Mark asks that we do not put salt or pepper on the table, with his wish being that is that the guests taste the food first. He is confident he has seasoned every dish and side perfectly and is usually proved correct! Since beginning, we have adapted our service offering to ensure we remain ahead of emerging trends and developments in the restaurant market. Today the restaurant is beloved by locals and visitors alike thanks to its sumptuous meals and award-winning open- fire dishes, which we are eager to showcase. Our open fire cooking or Braai every Friday is something unique. Mark, our chef, is South African and he aims to bring a little of home to Beara. In the beginning it was difficult for the guest to understand the concept, they were expecting a BBQ with fixed pricing and more traditional BBQ food. Mark's excellence in open fire cooking has changed everyone's perception, there is nothing he will not cook on the flame and our Friday Night a la carte menu Jan20304 is unique in that every element is cooked on the open fire. It is now the most popular night in our restaurant. The addition of a gin bar, to promote the locally produced Beara Ocean Gin, just goes to show how Berehaven Lodge Restaurant has proven itself fully committed to showcasing the beautiful produce this naturally glorious region has to offer. Over the years Berehaven Lodge Restaurant has developed a strong reputation and we are fully booked most nights in season. The local market has had to book tables in advance, something not previously required. To meet diners’ ever-rising expectations we change our menu regularly, ensuring there is no boredom setting in with our regular diners and that each and every visit offers some new culinary delight not seen before. Ultimately, our aim is to become a food destination: we are exceptionally proud of the plates we produce and aim to continue to showcase the best of Country Cork. Our location is outstanding, and over the coming years we will continue to capitalise on this and offer our guests a welcoming, unique and memorable dining experience. Company: Berehaven Lodge Restaurant Contact: Grace Delaney