Food Academy

Foraged & Infused

I run a small family run bar & restaurant in Monaghan Town. During the Pandemic in 2020 we only had a food takeaway business at the weekends. I saw a gap in the market to offer really high end pre-batched cocktails/gins to our customers during this difficult time. The popularity of the drinks grew – particularly our homemade Rhubarb and Sloe gins. In 2022, I was runner up in Bar of the Year competition under the Gin Bar Category, in 2023 I lifted the All-Ireland title and repeated the feat again in 2024. Later that year Rhubarb Gin won Gold at Blas na hEireann. And in 2025 Sloe Gin took the Gold and Rhubarb won Silver.  

I offer the only gin on the market that is sold with a six month sell-by-date, our rhubarb gin liqueur. I forage Rhubarb in Portadown, Co. Armagh and the sloes are foraged from the hedge roes of Co. Monaghan. I use Carrick Gin which is locally sourced from Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan. Small batch gin production is regarded as 1000 litres our production is a mere 50 litres! · Our rhubarb gin liqueur is sweeter, fruitier, and more dessert-like than traditional gin, with a bold rhubarb tang and a refreshing finish. On the nose it is fresh, slightly fruity, with a crisp, almost “green” scent from the rhubarb. 

I offer a bottle return scheme - €1 on the return on each bottle. My hamper packaging is 100% biodegradable. Gin is purchased in 50 litre stainless steel kegs to save on bottles and packaging. My bottles are now purchased from Vitro Elite the same company that Carrick Gin use, orders are combined from Italy to save on shipping.   

With support of my local LEO office in Monaghan, I have been able to take on one full time staff member. 

SuperValu Food Academy; 

My Blas na hEireann success partially credited to James Burke. James informed me about the awards and encouraged me to enter. The Food Academy Programme advised me on many aspects for example the various types of barcodes that exist, advice on product insurance. The finance modules were critically important. The average weight symbol on bottles was a gamechanger. I even had a brand makeover base on the advice I received.  The rebranding is modelled on the work of William Morris and the arts and crafts movement of the mid 19th century. The movement espoused the ideas that I represent - the return to handcrafted goods, simple and honest craftsmanship and the use of natural ingredients.