Buy Before You Fly

It is over three years since we first began to supply the well respected and long established food retailer Wrights of Howth who operate a number of outlets at Dublin Airport in both terminals. Up to recently, we'd have to deliver our biscuits to storage underneath Terminal 1 and endure probably Dublin's most nerve-wrecking lane-changing maneuvers both entering and exiting! Nowadays, thankfully, we deliver a few miles off-site so happy days.
Wrights are one of Ireland's foremost fishing business and are based on the West Pier in scenic Howth where they have a fabulous fish shop stocked to the brim with the morning's catch. Back at Dublin Airport, they have a number of food outlets to entice travellers with a selection of Ireland's gourmet delights ranging from biscuits to cheeses and alot in-between. Wrights also arrange food hampers throughout the year but especially towards Christmas where Seymours biscuits feature amongst wild smoked salmon and Irish whiskey.

The Length of Ireland

We are delighted to say that Seymours Biscuits now covers the length and breadth of Ireland following our most recent retail listing in Co.Donegal. It's a fair distance from our doorstep to Dunfanaghy which lies on the uppermost coastline of Donegal and when we were handing over the boxes to our local courier yesterday, he remarked that we sure were getting bang for our buck in the delivery rates on this one! McAulliffes Craft Shop run by Anne Mac Namara specialises in promoting the finest of Irish craftware from woodwork to pottery and everything in between including our good selves. Being so far away, Donegal rarely features for us as an immediate getaway destination however a few years ago, I spent a great few days touring the county - even trying a spot of surfing after a tortuous effort in fitting into the wetsuit! Glenveagh National Park is a spectacular area and well worth a visit with a breathtaking walkway into the castle itself. Typically we ventured here at the tailend of our day and paid only a fleeting stay. Bundoran has developed into a renowned surfing location as well as boosting a fairly lively nightlife and down around Killybegs you can appreciate the importance and history of the fishing trade to the area. All in all Donegal has plenty to offer.

Murphys IceCream & our new Cafe Bites

Dingle is a fantastic spot especially when the weather is as great as it has been for the past few weeks. A few years back we began to supply Dingle's foremost artisan food producer Murphy's IceCream with some of our retail packs and while mostly delivering to their Killarney outlet, sometimes the trip to Dingle yearns to be made. Murphys are a family owned business who have expanded recently with the opening of new stores in Dublin bringing to 5 in total. Needless to say the icecream is superb and can be found supplied to other fine food stores nationally as well. They've also incorporated a cafe element in some outlets where naturally the brew is top drawer and often comes complimentary from Gavan or Ailish when I drop into Killarney! An example of being customer driven, a suggestion from Murphys as to how they can further pamper their cafe customer led us to our new Cafe Bites which we're from this week beginning to supply. Basically, alongside a customers coffee or tea, a shortbread bite will be added to the saucer as a complimentary gesture from Murphys. We think it's a nice idea and hope to make more of them in the coming months.

When in Dingle, there is so much to do and I can recommend a cycle around the tip of Slea Head where on a fine day you can get a great view of the Great Blasket Island. Mind you, if its fairly windy, this cycle is not heartily recommended like the gruelling day I attempted it! But keep thinking of the abundant seafood and pints of stout waiting to replenish you back in town - once you've popped into Murphys for an icecream and a bite.

The New Cinnamon Cottage

On Saturday I visited the recently revamped Cinnamon Cottage in Cork City where Kieran and Carol Corcoran run a real gem of a food business with natural ease. Being one of our first customers when we started out, we were surprised to learn last year of their closure for a new fit-out lasting nearly 6 months. During that time, Kieran and Carol travelled a fair bit constantly considering new ideas and products for the store and you could not be but impressed with the end result. The new layout has added considerable space internally with a newly created kitchen-wear section as well as extended food shelves and fridge area. A foodies paradise is a most suitable description and you'd have to congratulate Kieran and Carol on their achievement in all respects.

More often than not they are busy when I'm making a delivery but there is always time for a quick chat and catch up on what's happening. Their own selection of pastries, soups, cakes and sauces combined with really unique artisan food items provides the shopper with a mouth watering selection that makes it almost impossible to leave empty handed. Their business is an example to all and well worth a visit.
The Cinnamon Cottage,Rochestown, Cork City. Tel.:021 4894922

A bit of Blarney

Few places compare to Blarney Castle just outside Cork City. Apart from the legendary Blarney stone, the village and the surrounding grounds are enough in themselves to draw and keep you there for an afternoon. A few years ago, when once again I was doing a tourism Ireland unpaid service (!), I took a few friends to kiss the stone and managed to do so without anybody even noticing I had more than usual to say afterwards!

From tomorrow, Seymours biscuits will be available to purchase in the recently revamped Mill Cafe and we'll be supplying the Carrigaline Cheese biscuits also. I haven't checked out the cafe but have been reliably informed it's a great spot for passing the time of day. If only I had the time......

Timoleague Blue Skies & Ummera Smoked Duck

A friend of ours was visiting from Germany for St Patricks Day and putting on my tourism Ireland hat, and particularly because it was a super sunny Friday morning, I made contact with Anthony Cresswell of Ummera Smoked Products and hastily arranged a guided tour of his smokery by the banks of the Argideen river outside Timoleague.I've known Anthony for a number of years as we are both members of West Cork Fuchsia Brand and Good Food Ireland so I was in no doubt that he would ensure my guest would receive a cead mille failte and of course he duly did. The Ummera product range comprised of smoked fish up to a few years ago but has since been increased to include smoked chicken and duck. Infact, the smoked duck won the coveted 3 gold star award at last years Great Taste Awards in the UK. It was refreshing to see how well Anthony has set up his business and the emphasis he has for providing good food of the highest quality. He exports to many of the leading stores across the UK and Europe and can be found on the menus of many of Ireland's leading restuarants.
I couldn't resist the smoked duck on offer and later that evening tried it with our Carrigaline cheese biscuits and a plum sauce. Absolutely fabulous if I say so myself. So simple and quick to assemble, it makes the perfect gourmet snack. Yesterday my friend emailed from Germany to express thanks for the brief holiday, the trip to Anthonys and for the splendid good weather - which I'll try and take credit for! 

St.Patrick's Day on the horizon!

You know the year is beginning to whiz by when already plans are being made for St.Patrick's Day and so it is with our bakery. The gold ballotin boxes and the emerald ribbon arrived last week and so without much further ado, we're off baking our first batch of Shamrock Shortbreads!
For us anyway, the biscuit buying begins in earnest around March 17th which I've always put down to the wearing thin of new year's resolutions and general glee about the return of Spring. The harsh winter chill has left the bakery and a more friendlier enthusiasm is received when calling on retailers for orders! We'll be updating our website to faciliate online purchasing of the biscuits so wherever they're required in the world, we'll get them delivered. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank photographer Ayna O'Driscoll of Baltimore for producing an amazing set of photos in such a short turnaround also. Now, it's time to get baking......   

Shamrock Shortbread

In a blaze of patriotic duty, Seymours will soon make available for a temporary period, our St.Patrick's Day inspired Shamrock Shortbread. We're just putting the finishing touches to the packaging and hope to have it available to purchase online from next week. Presented in a bow-tied gold embossed ballotin, and weighing around 200g, these will be the finest Irish biscuits available to purchase for our national day. We'll also be promoting them in selected stores nationwide as well as through some exclusive gourmet hamper companies. We'll update the Seymours website as soon as all the finishing touches are completed so keep an eye on events there!

Picture Perfect - Peter O'Donnell

There is nothing like the start of a new year to take stock and review aspects of the business, the bakery, the product flavours - even the personal new years pledges which have already bit the dust! However, over the past two weeks I've had time to assess where things are going and see what changes are required. Reviewing packaging can nearly turn into a paranoia as it's the first impression customers have of your products and you want it to be spot on.
We spent a great deal of time getting the packaging design of our Irish biscuits ready and thanks to the splendid professional help of Michelle Jones of Microstreet in creating the ideas we gave her into a tangible expression. Michelle works hard and quitely at her business and is ably assisted by her husband Peter O'Donnell. Peter is a fantastically gifted photographer and concentrates on landscape pictures primarily. Based outside Lisnagry village in Limerick, Peter has his own gallery in Castleconnell and sends me emails from time to time with some of his latest shots taken right around the country. He also does some product photos as well as family portraits and you can visit his website here. His latest photo 'Winter Frost' is a perfect example of his skill.  

Seasons Greetings From Seymours!

We're having a white Christmas in Bandon and while the freezing conditions have made it particularly difficult in getting deliveries to shops for the past three weeks, everybody is putting their economic woes behind them and getting into the spirit of things big-time! We've turned off the ovens here until next week, everybody is racing around getting out to do the annual festive shopping so it's about right that I pen a few words here and wish eveybody who looks at our blog and facebook page a really happy Christmas and hope you all make it safely to the dining table surrounded by family and friends. Retailers and town councils have really put in an enormous effort to brighten up the ambience and I hope our retail customers are rewarded for all their efforts. Once again, until my next post, wishing everybody a great Christmas holiday!