Mrs. Myrtle Allen has been awarded by Monsieur André Cointreau with an honourary award of distinction from Le Cordon Bleu in France. It was in association with The 21st Cork French Film Festival's Gala dinner that was held in Ballymaloe yesterday evening. The Gala dinner was followed by a screening of the popular film of 'Julie & Julia'.

The February 2010 issue Lonely Planet magazine includes the spring wine course at Ballymaloe House in Co Cork among their listing of 10 BEST WEEKEND COURSES. It is the only wine course to be chosen in a wide-ranging article about 52 interesting weekend breaks in many different countries. There is an appealing symmetry to the accolade, too, as these wine appreciation weekends at Ballymaloe are now in their tenth year.

Celebration is all around as we welcome the latest addition to the Ballymaloe Farm. A lovely, healthy litter of piglets.

Adrian Wisteich from Kinsale Pottery & Arts Centre is running a one-day workshop in Ballymaloe on Saturday, February 27th 2010.
In one day you will learn to throw on the potter's wheel, hand-build figures and pots and produce some unique coloured clay work.
The course will include the following;

- Hand-building sculptures with coiling
- Throwing at the wheel
- Pinch Pebble Sculpture
- Slab-building porject with pre-pared slabs
- Slip Decoration
- Talk on glazing

All your pieces will be transferred to Kinsale Pottery for glazing and can be either collected or sent on to you.
Times ~ 10:00-5:00pm with lunch included.

Why not come to stay in Ballymaloe and enjoy a night with dinner, bed and breakfast included.
To book, please call 021 4652531 or see special offers. Vouchers also available.

Hazel Allen, Ballymaloe, pictured with some of the Award winners.

Ballymaloe House were delighted to be awarded The Georgina Campbell Wine Award of the Year 2010. In announcing the award, Georgina Campbell spoke about how the cellar at Ballymaloe  has built up over 45 years and began with the late Ivan Allen when he and Mrs. Myrtle Allen opened Ballymaloe in 1964, a year marked on the current wine list by Chateau Canon 1964. In tune with the educational philosophy of Ballymaloe as a whole, many wine events and courses are held throughout the year, including visits by many guest experts such as the enormously popular twice yearly intensive wine weekends with wine writer Mary Dowey - to be held next time in Ballymaloe's beautiful new music venue, The Grainstore. Current Sommelier's Colm McCan and Samuel Chantoiseau have overseen the development of the 'new' wine cellar, which was designed by Rory Allen, and located in the ancient rock foundations of the old castle and as well as being naturally temperature controlled, is also an atmospheric space, effectively spotlit and lined with new wine storage bins made from Ballymaloe beechwood by Sacha Whelan. There is also a bank of pratical Eurocave tepmerature controlled wine cabinets for dining room service.

Hazel Allen, Ballymaloe and sommelier, Colm McCan, with Georgina Campbell.

Last Tuesday, September 22nd, Ballymaloe celebrated their 45th year in business. The Allen Family held a celebration dinner in honour of the occasion and especially to thank senior staff members who had worked there from the beginning.

Ballymaloe House was opened as The Yeats Room Restaurant in May 1964, by Myrtle and her late husband, Ivan Allen. After travels abroad they concluded that the quality of Irish food was better than any other they had encountered. This gave them confidence to start a restaurant which would serve mainly their own high quality produce often cooked in a traditional way.

Myrtle paid a special tribute to those members of staff who helped to build up the business in all departments and to those families who had worked there through several generations giving the place a cohesion and continuity. The following were presented with long service awards, three of whom have been employed by the Allen Family for 50 years.
They are as follows; Mick Cullinane, who single handedly looks after the vegetable garden, starting work on the farm in 1950. Joe & Rita Cronin, well known to many Yeats Room customers, who started work there in 1951. Jack Ryan, who recently retired and Johnny Daly, both working on the farm for many years. Ann MacNamara, head morning waitress. Maura Daly in charge of office and accounts. Mary Morrissey, Eileen Eaton, Margaret Lahive, Margaret Archer, Mary Hayes, Deirdre Walsh and Mary Walsh, housekeeping and laundry. Rosie McLeod worked as a chef for many years and now teaches at the Cookery School, Tom Morrissey groundsman.

The original ‘Yeats Room’ team from 1964 was Pat Swanwick, Rosie McLeod, Mary Morrissey, Wendy Whelan and Myrtle Allen. All were present.

Ballymaloe has just aquired two new beehives and are hoping to collect a swarm of bees from around the local area. If we are sucessful then the Ballymaloe chefs will hopefully be using their own honey by September, it will only be a small amount but Ballymaloe means the 'place of sweet honey' so it is fitting that there are beehives here.

It has been a busy time in the glasshouse, planting lots of lettuce seeds, herbs and flowers for the garden. We are of course hoping for a lovely warm summer which is great for the growing of vegetables that you will find on the menu, it will soon be aspargus time - such a treat! Last weekend we planted strawberries, carrots, and tsatsoi outside and tarragon, pakchoi, beetroot, sorrel, pea shoots and calendula inside. In the woods the wild garlic and bluebells carpet underfoot and we have had lots of sunny days to enjoy long walks on the beach.

Cully & Sully recently won the Global Sial d'Or Awards in Paris. These are the Oscars of the food world internationally and Cully & Sully are the first Irish food company to ever win!

On top of that, we are delighted to have recently received the Good Food Ireland Top Overall Member Award.

Good Food Ireland Top Overall Member Award sponsored by Independent Newspapers. This award was presented to Ballymaloe House & Ballymaloe Cookery School , Shanagarry, Co Cork - the member who most represents the philosophy of Good Food Ireland and is a benchmark for all others, Ballymaloe epitomises what it means to be a member of Good Food Ireland.

September We are waiting patiently for our blackberries and apples to come, the weather this year has not been very kind so they may not be in plentiful supply as we would hope.

Both Terre Madre ( Slow Food) event in Waterford and Midleton Food Festival have just taken place these last two weekends. A wonderful turnout for both events and visitors to both events enjoyed all that was on offer.

September 17th - 21st inclusive East Cork Early Music Festival, a great week of music from very talented musicians.

September 20th We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Ballymaloe Cookery School. Darina has invited all her past students and teachers for lunch at the school to meet up and enjoy a day together. For lunch Darina has invited many of the small local producers who will bring their produce and a wonderful variety of food will be available.

Last week Darren purchased some rare breed hens from Giana Fergusson. The hens are called Houdan and are a French breed that are a mottled black and white, with five toes on each foot. See if you can spot them in our enclosed bird sanctury when you are out for a walk. The summer has finally arrived and we have been enjoying some beautiful warm sunny days, great for lounging by the pool, walks on the cliffs in Ballycotton and cocktails out front in the sunshine.

Last week our sow had 11 piglets! We hope to see them out of their house this week, so if you have your wellies, and want to take the kids down to have a peek do!

The daffodils are brightening up the front and back drive with their golden heads and there is a lot of wildlife around at the moment. A few pheasant have been spotted scuttling across the front lawn and a white egret was also seen, hare are a common sight as well as rabbits.

In three weeks we have the Introduction to Wine Appreciation Course with Mary Dowey which is already booked out, but dont worry she is hosting another wine course - Classic Blends and New Trends in April, check out our home page for more details.

Spring is here with the arrival of the daffodils popping their bright heads above ground all over the farm. The chefs are keeping guests warm with delicious hot soups:...mushroom soup, white vegetable soup, leek and potato soup, while it snows outside!

Last week we hosted the annual Life Boat Dinner which was a huge success and raised funds for a worthy cause.</p><p>Don't forget to book a romantic night out for Valentine's Night, a great night out.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

The leaves are turning red, orange and gold and leaving multicoloured carpets around the trees. The weather has been bright and sunny with a fresh breeze. Red Cabbage, Savoy cabbage, leeks and curly kale are also bursting with goodness in the garden, all of which you will find in the menu in the evenings. Take a walk through the woods and admire the shades of autumn and afterwards enjoy a hot whisky or port beside the fireplace in the drawing room.

For the next three months we can all enjoy the beautiful produce from the gardens, new potatoes, garden vegetables and all fresh fruit and berries. The walled garden and woodland are in blossom with sweet pea, hydrangeas and wild summer flowers. The swimming pool is now filled, bicycles tyres are pumped, tennis court swept and the croquet lawn ready for use. Why not enjoy a lovely Pimms or a glass of Summer bubbles on a Saturday afternoon before dinner and music in the drawing room.