01/18/2016 - Living Slow at The San Francisco Fairmont

Slow Living Radio visits the historic Grand Dame of San Francisco, The San Francisco Fairmont, to catch up on all their latest news, their honeybee program and gardens, honey beer series and wine program, and the iconic Tonga Room 70th anniversary.  We welcome Tom Klein, General Manager, Executive Chef Andrew Court and Food and Beverage Director, Eric Overstreet, to bring us their fabulous story!

 

 

 

 

 

World-renowned, Fairmont San Francisco presents an awe-inspiring picture of historic San Francisco. The grandeur of the luxury hotel atop Nob Hill coupled with its reputation for impeccable service promises a truly memorable experience during a San Francisco vacation. Known for turning moments into memories for leisure and business travelers alike this luxury San Francisco hotel has been host to some of the most influential meetings and events, breathtaking weddings and personalized special occasions of the century. 

 

With a panoramic view of the City and the Bay from high atop Nob Hill, Fairmont San Francisco hotel presents an unmatched blend of luxurious accommodations, elegant meeting spaces and superb services, which make for an unforgettable stay.  Centrally located, this luxury San Francisco hotel is a short cable car trip from the bustling Downtown, Financial District, Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf. In fact, Fairmont San Francisco hotel is the only spot in San Francisco where each of the City's cable car lines meet.  

 

Fairmont San Francisco offers three fabulous dining options.  Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar offers exotic Asian cuisine, along with the City's best Mai Tai, in the unforgettable setting of a tropical rainforest. Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar offers a true San Francisco fine dining experience featuring local ingredients and fresh seafood from San Francisco Bay, paired with one-of-a-kind wines from the area's top boutique wineries and local craft beers in San Francisco.  Inspired by the cafes of Europe, Caffé Cento combines the coffee of illy with the chocolate of Ghirardelli and the hospitality of Fairmont. 

 

In June 2010, Fairmont San Francisco, in partnership with Marshall’s Farm, installed honey beehives in the hotel’s culinary garden. This home-harvested honey is used in soups, salad dressings, pastries and as an accompaniment to the hotel’s time-honored afternoon tea service.  It is also used in Fairmont San Francisco’s own Honey Saison Beer, which is offered on draft in Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar. 

 

Tom Klein, Andrew Court and Eric Overstreet

 

Tom Klein

Regional Vice President - California & General Manager of The Fairmont San Francisco

“Select, lead, train and recognize,” is Klein’s mantra and personal mission statement toward providing exceptional guest service. Klein focuses on the customer and finds creative ways to satisfy guests’ needs while prioritizing colleague training to ensure that staff continues to provide uncompromising levels of service. Two years ago, Mayor Newsom presented a “Certificate of Honor” for his tireless public service and philanthropic contributions. During daily interaction with staffers at all levels, he constantly inspires colleagues to provide exceptional guest service. Klein brings the same intense level of engagement to his charitable endeavors. In 2012, Klein led an unprecedented city-wide crusade that united San Francisco hoteliers in a “Million Dollar Mission” (MDM) benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Enlisting colleagues’ specialized skills and corporate support, this groundbreaking campaign raised funds for financial, education and social services for those affected by blood cancer. Tom’s hard work on this campaign positively affected not only the Hospitality Industry, but the community as a whole. In 2012, Klein was honored with CH&LA’s GM of the Year Award and in 2013 he received the Hotel Council of San Francisco’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Executive Chef Andrew Court,

 

 

 

 

Executive Chef Andrew Court brings three decades of experience and a lifetime of passion for cuisine to his role at the iconic Fairmont San Francisco.  Court has worked with inspiring chefs from Europe to the Caribbean, gaining a strong combination of technical knowledge and personal connection to food that now enables him to present guests with the very best of Northern California’s celebrated fare. 

 

In his role, Court leads The Fairmont San Francisco’s culinary operations, including banquets and catering as well as the hotel’s signature Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar and Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar.  Prior to joining The Fairmont San Francisco, Court served as Executive Sous Chef at another landmark hotel, The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, Ontario.  

 “As a chef and new resident of the Bay Area, I am excited to continue and grow the strong relationships that The Fairmont San Francisco has forged with this wonderful region’s best purveyors,” says Court. “These local ties are what enable our hotel to create authentically local, seasonal menus and create vivid dining memories for our guests.”  

 

Court believes in being a hands-on executive chef and enjoys working in the kitchen alongside cooks to teach them and collaborate in developing new dishes and techniques. Despite his expertise and varied roles throughout his career, Court very much considers his own culinary education ‘a work still in progress’ and continues to seek out ways to add to his gastromonic repertoire. 

 

Court’s progressive career in culinary leadership began in his native Birmingham, England and kept him in the UK until 1990, when he took an opportunity to work in Cologne, Germany then the island of Madeira.  Next he headed to Bermuda, where he was employed by the famed Fairmont Hamilton Princess for a period of his time there.  In 1997, he arrived in Canada, working as Sous Chef at The Fairmont Algonquin Hotel in New Brunswick, before making his way to Vancouver.   Thereafter he held executive positions at several other hotel brands and award-winning restaurants and attended the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics, representing Canada and Jet Sports, for their VIP guest attendees.  He also oversaw a Vancouver casino’s $5 Million food & beverage renovation in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics. 

 

In addition to culinary pursuits, Court counts motor sports, sailing and rugby amongst his favorite pastimes.   

 

Eric Overstreet

Director, Food and Beverage

Eric has many years of progressive experience in the Food & Beverage division. His career began when he was selected in 2004 as Banquet Manager for Hyatt Regency Westlake, in Westlake Village, California. In April of 2006 he transferred to the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, Illinois as their Beverage Manager. He was subsequently promoted to Director of Outlets at the same property, a role he held from 2006 to 2008. In April 2008 Eric joined the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa, San Antonio, Texas as Assistant Director of Food & Beverage and held that position until 2010, when he transferred to Hyatt Regency Denver, Denver, Colorado as Assistant Director, Food & Beverage. Eric re-located to New Jersey in 2011 as Director of Food and Beverage, Hyatt Regency New Brunswick.  He is currently the Director, Food and Beverage at Fairmont San Francisco.

 

Tonga Room

The Fairmont San Francisco created an indoor 75-foot swimming pool on its Terrace Level in 1929.  Known as the "Fairmont Terrace Plunge", the elaborate tile pool attracted local crowds as well as celebrities such as actress Helen Hayes, actor Ronald Reagan and members of the Water Follies.

In 1945, Metro Goldwyn Mayer’s leading set director, Mel Melvin, was hired to transform the Terrace Plunge into the Tonga Room.  The pool became a lagoon, a floating stage for the orchestra that entertained guests each evening.  Not surprisingly, Tonga Room was an instant success.

Tonga Room has been recognized as one of the nation’s hottest bars by InStyle, Gourmet, Travel & Leisure, Harper’s Bazaar and Wallpaper magazines and has been recently featured on ABC, Travel Channel & Food Network.

Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar has delighted guests with its tropical décor, decadent libations and Asian cuisine since 1945.  Having reigned as a swanky outpost of South Seas high style for much of its storied history, Tonga Room more recently gained a following as an icon of tiki’s pop culture heyday of the 1940s and 1950s.   Following a $1 million restoration by Gensler San Francisco, Tonga Room has rekindled the excitement of its unique and time-honored décor to recapture the glory of one of the nation’s first tiki palaces.

 

Beehives and gardens

In June 2010, The Fairmont San Francisco, in  partnership with Marshall’s Farm, installed honey beehives in the hotel’s culinary garden in order to help support the bee population, which has decreased in number by 90 percent since the 1980s.

Beekeepers established four nascent beehives, each containing approximately 20,000 bees, in the culinary garden that is located outdoors on the hotel’s lobby level.  Currently beehives each house up to 50,000 bees. 

 

The United States Department of Agriculture believes a virus is responsible for the collapse of honey bee colonies.  This situation is often called “CCD” or Colony Collapse Disorder.  Without honey bees, pollination is not possible.  The decrease of the honey bee population is extremely significant since one out of three mouthfuls in the diet is affected by the honey bee population.

 

The installation was the first step in cultivating the culinary garden, which now measures 1,000 square feet.  The garden contains rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, chives and cilantro along with lavender.  Guests can view the culinary garden through floor to ceiling windows in the foyer leading to the hotel’s Pavilion Room.

 

“The cultivation of honey beehives marks the latest step in The Fairmont’s history of environmental stewardship.  Our hotel has been part of the fabric of San Francisco for more than a century and its success can be attributed to an enduring commitment to the local community and environment,” explains Regional Vice President and General Manager of The Fairmont San Francisco Tom Klein.

Wine Program:

 Hotels and Resorts in Fairmont’s West Coast Collection worked hand-in-hand with the award-winning winemakers at Raymond Vineyards to develop the exclusive Gen F California Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Our Cabernet Sauvignon envelops the palate with red fruit flavors of raspberry, cherry and red plum with subtle notes of white pepper and vanilla. The elegant Chardonnay offers floral notes of honeysuckle and orange blossom with hints of almond balanced with bright citrus flavors and a touch of vanilla.

 Both varietals will be our signature offering for catering and group events

 







1/11/2016 - The Gardening Show

Slow Living Radio brings in the New Year by going back to the ultimate basics.  Your hands in the ground, giving life to the food that will eventually grace your plates and the plates of others.  What more perfect way to get the year off to a more mindful, healthy, tasty, active and sustainable start!  May it inspire you to build your own.  We have the honor of three esteemed guests: Graham Kerr, Celebrity Chef, Author, Teacher and now gardener; Aaron Keefer, Culinary Gardener for the coveted French Laundry in Yountville; and Matt Gunn, Farm Manager for the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.

Graham Kerr

(aka "Galloping Gourmet")

AT THE AGE of 76, Graham Kerr decided to rip out his front lawn and plant a kitchen garden. And with that seemingly simply act, he set out to change the world. Again.

“For so many years I lived in the tyranny of the urgent, with deadline after deadline,” he says. “But planting the garden allowed me to slow down and watch the miracle of life and nature unfolding.”

Knowing how fruits and vegetables grow, “I understand food properly for the first time, so I cook with greater understanding and simplicity,” he says. “Now you can’t hold me down. I finally discovered what enthusiasm for food really means.”

Flash of Silver

Flash of Silver, the leap that changed my world” is more than a celebrity memoir. It contains a powerful remedy for indifference in just one word…resilience!

Resilience has begun to outstrip “sustainability” as the action to be taken to preserve many species, including our own.

Kerr uses his whole life, so far, to show how consumption habits are often formed and how these can, if taken to excess, become harmful to both individuals and to our planet.

Kerr, as the “Galloping Gourmet” was referred to, during his international TV series, as the “High Priest of Hedonism”. He had learned how to eat, cook and profit from some of the finest and richest foods in the World and he used those gifts with enormous enthusiasm and good humor.

Suddenly everything changed as an accident severed his success with one blow.

Searching for a return to resilience for himself and his family he began an ocean sailing adventure that took them 24,000 miles in 2 years. He learned a whole new way to eat and how to “get to his food fast before someone got there first”.

Then follows one of the most observed U-turns ever made by one man. The Kerr’s went from a conspicuous gourmet lifestyle to that of a small family living their lives beyond immediate self-interest and they did this in plain sight!

Following this radical change, the Kerr’s begin to experience another motive and another voice. Their time at sea had introduced them to a life with less distraction from the media and the resulting value of silence when being “set apart”.

Graham uses the literary practice of the “extended metaphor” to enquire how habits are both formed and relinquished. He does this by comparing his life with that of a wild pacific Chinook salmon. Using poetic license, imagination and good science he asks his readers to hear from the salmon…direct and to see how both man and fish have somewhat similar rites of passage.

They are swept “downstream” where they face continuous discovery, some of which are difficult, some joyful…even hilarious.

At no time is the life of either “narrator” without the twists and turns of the unforeseen when life itself is both threatened and then filled to overflowing with love and being loved.

It’s a wild ride as a faith beyond their immediate self-interest emerges as the scent of their natal river begins to provide direction for their way back home, where it all began.

Aaron Keefer

Culinary Gardener
The French Laundry

As Culinary Gardener for The French Laundry, Aaron Keefer grows and harvests specialty vegetables for Chef Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry, Bouchon, Ad Hoc, and Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, CA. The desire for excellence goes beyond Chef Keller’s kitchens—Aaron collaborates on a daily basis with each culinary team to ensure that they receive only the very best produce possible.

Aaron’s path toward working for one of the most respected chefs in the world included a series of serendipitous moments, beginning with his first memory of picking sun-warmed strawberries from his grandfather’s farm in upstate New York at age 5. Growing up in a farming culture, he was exposed to the rhythms of the land from a very early age and understood that cultivating with care translated to delicious and healthful food at the table.

In his late teens, Aaron was drawn to the chaos of the kitchen. He liked the idea that a chef could conduct so many moving parts and distill them onto a plate, and ultimately, into a refined experience for the guest. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he moved to California and honed his kitchen skills under Bay Area Chefs Michael Chiarello from Tra Vigne in St. Helena and Julian Serrano at Masa’s in San Francisco. He subsequently became the Executive Chef at Marin Country Club and was later promoted as its Food and Beverage Director. 

His desire to continue learning from the best restaurant in the industry led him to do a kitchen trail at The French Laundry. Part of his training involved spending time in the culinary garden, as Chef Keller believes that everyone needs to gain an understanding and respect for where food comes from. 

This immersion rekindled Aaron’s childhood connection and led to his transition from cooking to farming in 2009. Accepting the position of Culinary Gardener last January, Aaron continues to strive on a daily basis to make improvements upon the quality of the produce, the soil, and the grounds, in order to supply the chefs with only the very best.

MATT GUNN

Farm Manager
The Culinary Institute of America

Matt Gunn is the farm manager at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone. Gunn is responsible for all functions of the college’s four-acre farm, including propagation, cultivation, crop planning, soil health, harvest, and student coordination and education. The farm is located at the Charles Krug Winery adjacent to the campus in St. Helena, CA in St. Helena. Gunn also oversees the herb terrace on the Greystone campus.

Students pursuing a concentration in American Food Studies: Farm-to-Table Cooking in the CIA’s bachelor’s degree program work closely with Gunn during their semester at the Greystone campus. The students plan, prepare, and serve five-course public dinners on Friday and Saturday nights at The Conservatory restaurant on campus, based upon ingredients harvested from the farm.

Before joining the CIA in 2014, Gunn was an assistant grower at Oakhill Farm in Sonoma, CA. He worked for Bob Cannard at Cannard Farm in Sonoma, which provides produce to Chez Panisse, and he studied under well-respected agronomist Bob Shaffer at Kona Keei Farm in Honaunau, HI.

During his career he also worked at Muleheart Farm and Green String Farm in Petaluma, CA and was a volunteer with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms in Argentina and Washington State.

Mr. Gunn holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature/writing from the University of California, San Diego. He has served as an Americorps Volunteer with the Conservations Corps North Bay, where he also was a crew leader for the Sonoma County Youth Ecology Corps.

12/28/2015 - Cocktails to Bring in the New Year and an Exciting New Designer Cider, Appleman

Slow Living Radio welcomes Megan Broberg, creator of Appleman Cider and Paul Martin of Napa Valley Distillery to bring in the New Year and say farewell to 2015.  We hear of Megan's inspirational path from advertising to winemaker to creator of the fabulous designer line of Ciders.  Paul Martin brings his mixology prowess to the show with new ideas, trends, tipples for parties and more adventures.  Sit back, pour yourself your favorite beverage and enjoy!

Megan Broberg

Appleman Cider

Megan Broberg started her career in the advertising industry, spending over 15 years working for some of the biggest agencies in the world. Then, through a chance temp job at Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley, she began the transition to winemaker.

 

Thanks to the wonderfully symbiotic relationship between advertising and alcohol the transition was a relatively easy one. Trading high heels and city glamour for work boots and a ute, Megan enrolled in Wine Science at Charles Sturt, and continued to expand her winemaking knowledge with vintage roles at Rosemount Estate, Domaine Chandon, then working as a production winemaker in the Southern Highlands in NSW.

In 2013, seeing the explosion of popularity of cider, and not finding any cider that she liked, Megan launched Appleman with at desire to bring the sensibility of winemaking to cider production. But also, to have the experimental freedom in flavor development that traditional winemaking does not allow.

The first cider, Primo, launched in January 2013 was an apple cider with a touch of fresh pear. This was followed in August, by the launch of Apple with Green Tea, and Apple with Rosewater. All the ciders are made with 100% fresh fruit (not concentrate) from the Snowy Mountains of NSW, and are flavoured with the purest natural ingredients; using the finest hand milled Matcha green tea from Japan, and organic distilled Roses.

 

The ciders are sold in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore, and all going to plan she will be expanding into the US by summer 2016.

 

Paul Martin

Tasting Room Manager/Brand Ambassador
Napa Valley Distillery

Tonight, Paul brings us ideas for celebration, trends and tipples for the new year, and some great recipes.

Paul had been enjoying “mixed” beverages since 2001, but it wasn’t until 2008 that he learned the difference between good and bad “booze” and became “intoxicated” with the industry.  Working his way through all aspects, from tour guide, to production, bottling, tasting room management, and of course, mixing, Paul has an acute sense of  the defining levels of many spirits including vodka, gin, brandy, tequila, rum, whiskey, absinthe, liquor, and the accompanying world of bitters.

Leading the tasting room of Napa Valley Distillery, Paul is often seen guiding large groups through a more extensive selection of beverages than one would ever see in a wine tasting room.  One could wonder whether his goal was to educate or inebriate?

Family owned and operated by Arthur and Lusine Hartunian, Napa Valley Distillery was founded on one basic principal - Make it different!

 

12/14/2015 - Ireland's Magnificent Ashford Castle

Slow Living Radio brings you a very special show, coming from the magical Ashford Castle in Cong, Ireland.  Here, Stephen and Sally interviewed the hotel's General Manager, Niall Rochford, Restaurant and Wine Program Manager, Robert Bowe, and Debbie Knight, owner of the acclaimed Ireland School of Falconry.  Hear their fascinating stories, and the story of the castle. And then, venture over for a visit yourself, we promise you, it will be one of your most memorable vacations - you'll be telling your own Ashford Castle story for years after!

From the moment you are greeted by the grandly robed footman at the towering greystone Entry Arch that welcomes guests to Ashford Castle, you are enveloped in that warm and generous Irish hospitality – right up until that sad time when you have to depart the estate grounds of the palatial 12th century property.

A trip to Ireland would not be complete without at least one night at this iconic estate, Ireland’s oldest castle hotel. Every experience is a treasure to hold, from the amazing meals and high teas, or whiskey at the historic bar, to the abundance of unique activities, and the lure of the property's many "nooks" where you just want to snuggle up and dream of times past.

This medieval castle turned 5-star hotel, proudly sits on 350 beautiful acres on the shores of Lough Corrib, and is just over 2 hours from Dublin, on the Mayo Galway border.  With a history dating back to 1228, when it was founded by the Anglo-Norman de Burgo family, it is a castle in the truest sense of the word, even with its own soaring turrets and resident ghost.
 

Throughout history, the castle passed through numerous illustrious hands, each contributing to its elaboration and character. In 1589, The Lord President of Connaught called it home, adding a fortified enclave, and in 1715 the Oranmore and Browne family took ownership adorning the property with a French-style Chateau.  Sir Benjamin lee Guinness (of the famed beverage) purchased the estate in 1852 adding 26,000 acres of new roads, thousands of trees and two Victorian style extensions. He bequeathed the estate to his son, Lord Ardilaun, 16 years later who was an avid gardener, and soon the property was soon surrounded by massive woodlands and landscaping. 

In 1939, the public gained access to the castle when it was purchased by Noel Huggard, an experienced hotelier from Kerry, who brought the hotel notoriety as one of the most desired hotels in Europe.  At this time the hotel was a playground for royalty, dignitaries, actors, British officers, French and other European elite who would come to enjoy its country pursuits – to fish, shoot and relax in the lush surrounds.

Nineteen fifty sees the arrival of film director John Ford to the west of Ireland, scouting a location for his movie, The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne, and Ireland’s own Maureen O’Hara.  Ashford Castle won his vote, and the grounds became the backdrop for much of the movie.  The Quiet Man plays daily and on request in the hotel’s own cinema.
 

Yet another ownership change brought a picturesque 9-hole golf course when, in 1970, avid Irish-US golfer John A. Mulcahy became the new owner.  In 2013, Ashford Castle came under the caring hands of Bea and Stanley Tollman of the Red Carnation Hotel group in 2013, who undertook a massive refurbishment and enhancement to restore the fabric of the buildings and bring the castle back to its historical grandeur. 

Included in the renovation was the cinema, an archery range, wine cave, equestrian centre, fishing, falconry and tree climbing facilities – just to name a few of the activities guests can now enjoy in their castle escape. 

Among the guests to grace the corridors of Ashford Castle over the years are George V, Queen Mary, George Harrison, John Lennon, Oscar Wilde, John Wayne, Princess Grace and Brad Pitt, to name a few.  And awards abound – 2015 Virtuoso Hotel of the Year (the first Irish hotel to be shortlisted in this acclaimed industry voted award), Number 3 Best Hotel in the World by Travel + Leisure in 2015, and Number 4 in the Top Resorts in Europe by Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2015.

 

Ashford Castle is somewhere you will experience that warm Irish hospitality, polished service and 5-star luxury, amidst exquisite décor, plush fabrics and antiques, individual touches and unique artwork.  You’ll be surrounded by some of Ireland’s most beautiful woodland and landscaped gardens, where you can roam at your own pace, or partake of some of the vast range of activities offered, from a boat ride on the lough, falconry, or more strenuous pursuits such as cycling and kayaking.  The property boasts what some would say is the best trout fishing in Europe, whilst the nearby Cong River is frequently hailed as having the best salmon fishing in Ireland.

And for food and wine experiences, you have every choice at your fingertips.  Try an ornate high tea in the Connaught Room, or a pre-dinner beverage in the Wine Cave, housed in the original coal bunker and underground walkway. Here, you can peruse the hotel’s extensive collection of vintage wines while absorbing the atmosphere of another time.  Dine like a royal in the lusciously formal George V Dining Room where Chef Philippe Farnieau crafts what he describes as “Irish produce with French heart”, or partake of traditional rustic Irish fare at Cullen’s at the Dungeon.




George V Dining Room

To bring you more of the castle’s essence, I interviewed three of the hotel staff, asking their picks for a day at Ashford Castle....

Niall Rochford

General Manager
 

Sally with Niall Rochford

Niall was just 16 when he entered the hospitality industry, working as a “junior bar guy” at a rural hotel. It wasn’t long before he realized this industry was his calling, warming to the caring nature required to be successful. After graduating in Hotel Management in Dublin, Niall worked at every given opportunity to gain experience, including 11 years at Ashford’s sister castle, Dromoland. His passion is customer and team care, and describes his 14 years with Ashford as a privilege, rather than a job.  To him, Ashford is a hotel of character and characters, with an “OMG” moment around every corner.  But more so, it’s a real castle with genuine caring people.

For Niall, the falconry is a must! In fact it’s the oldest established falconry school in Ireland.  Follow this with a cruise on the lough, either the history cruise or one that docks at Inchagoill Island, where a local musician will entertain you with music, stories and song.   

Philippe Farnieau

Executive Chef

Philippe is a Chef with world class experience, from his beginnings as Trainee Chef at the famous Grand Vefour, a two Michelin star restaurant in Paris, before moving onto Le Bristol.   Having left his native country of France and the city of Paris in 1998, Phillippe came to Ireland to work in a number of the country’s finest hotels (K-Club, Dromoland Castle, Hayfield Manor and Mount Falcon) before joining the Ashford Team in April, 2015.

At Ashford, he has the pleasure of extensive gardens to grown much of his produce, supplemented by local organic suppliers, and farmers of grass fed lamb, gleamingly fresh oysters, lobster and salmon minutes out of the water.  Overseeing the property’s restaurants, he has huge diversity in offerings – traditional dishes such as Irish Stew in the dungeon, European and South African influences in the cottage (South Africa from the Red Carnation influence) and dining with finesse in George V.  Breakfasts are a highlight, buffet style, with elaborate platters of smoked fish, Irish cheese, eggs in all styles, black and white pudding, ham cooked overnight, bakery items, smoothies and juices – just for starters.

 
Robert Bowe

Restaurant and Wine Program Manager

Robert has been with Ashford for over 28 years, starting his career as a waiter, before moving up to oversee room service.  Being extremely interested in wine, Robert would come and assist the sommelier on his days off, and in I992, his dedication paid off being given charge of the hotel’s wine program.  At that time there was a wine boom happening and their cellar grew from 200 to 900 bins in just 5 years. A very exciting time for Robert indeed!  While in Robert’s hands, Ashford became the first hotel in Ireland to win Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence in 1999.  And no wonder, as he sources the best he can find from each region of the world. 

 
Guinness and cider are not overlooked, both having an extensive in house program and Robert works with local microbreweries to help create the quality of brew his clientele desires.  Irish whiskey is featured in the Billiard Room with tasting flights for guests to compare with Scotch. Being his favorite, you’ll often see Yellow Spot on that list.

Over the last 15 years, Robert has noticed a much greater interest and knowledge in wines in their guests, who take time to read the labels while browsing the extensively stocked Wine Cave. This is his favorite “room in the house” undoubtedly. The long limestone tunnel maintains the perfect temperature for storing wine, and oozes a wonderful historical ambience.

Since being under the ownership of Red Carnation, Robert has had the joy of working with their own South African boutique winery, Bouchard Finlayson, makers of a range of award winning New and Old World style wine from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (translated, Heaven-and-Earth), just half an hour south of Cape Town. 

For Robert’s day at Ashford, he’d check in early, rent a bike and ride to the local village, Cong, where they’d enjoy lunch.  Then he would return for a cruise before retreating to the calming and ultimately peaceful spa, with panoramic views from the conservatory across the lough. He’d indulge in one of their signature treatments, perhaps the four hand massage featuring two therapists, or the Indian Head Massage, I wonder. 

 

 

 

Go to http://www.ashfordcastle.com/ and discover your dream visit to Ashford Castle.

Debbie Knight

Ireland School of Falconry

The oldest established Falconry School in Ireland offers you the chance to fly a Harris hawk around the spectacular grounds of Ashford Castle in a one hour private Hawk Walk. Within minutes of arriving, you will have a hawk on your glove and be setting off to fly your hawk or hawks in the gardens and woodlands surrounding Ashford Castle.

You will never forget the moment when your hawk first swoops down from a tree and lands on your gloved fist – Flying a hawk is an experience of a lifetime.

Stephen tries his hand at some falconry.......