Whip It Up

Oran Colhoun & Darryl Haynes SAT1APR23

ext weekend at Windgates’ rather beautiful Belmont Demesne, it’s all about doubling your pleasure.

Not only do you have one of the wildest and most wonderful chunks of nature to inhale but some of the finest food this side of Osteria Francescana will be on the table.

On April 8th and 9th, acclaimed chefs – and Greystones buddies – Oran Colhoun and Darryl Haynes will be taking over Arthur’s Barn in Belmont for a two-day pop-up of top-of-the-Aga-range grub.

And what a menu. For Easter Saturday from 11am to 4pm, you can indulge in a brunch that offers north Wicklow eggs served with house potatoes, choosing from Eggs Benedict (hone roast pork belly, spinach, poachies and smoked hollandaise), Eggs Royal (whiskey-cured salmon, spinach, poachies and, yep, smoked hollandaise) or Barn Breakfast (sausages, honey roast pork, pudding, hash brown, tomato and beans on toast).

If eggs don’t get you eggcited, you can choose from their Huevos & waffles, with Huevos Rancheros (nachos, chorizo and three bean salsa, poachies and smoked Knockanore) or Belgian Waffles (hot and sticky buttermilk chicken & avacado, chocolate, strawberry & vanilla ice cream). All brunch beauties are in the €14.50 to €15.50 range.

For Easter Sunday lunch, from 12pm to 5pm, the 2-course is €34 and the 3-course is €38, and you can choose for starters Asparagus & Spinach Soup (with soda bread, bacon & onion butter), Whiskey-Cured Donegal Salmon (with apple, horseradish and stout crumb), Bluebell Falls Goats Curd (with beetroot, walnut, pomegranate and molasses) or Lamb Croquettes (with wild garlic, salsa verde and aged parmesan). For the main, it’s roasts, with Aged Hereford Beef, Wicklow Spring Lamb or the vegetarian Red Pepper & Macadamia Roast, served with roasties, gratin, honeyed roots, spring greens, yorkies and jus, while the Wild Atlantic Hake comes with prawn farce, chorizo cassoulet, crispy chicken plus tomato and basil emulsion.

Emulsion is a food thing, right…?

For dessert, you can indulge in a hazelnut chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream, sticky toffee pudding with rum & raisin ice cream or north Dublin strawberries with cream cheese, roast white chocolate and sorbet.

For the kids, it’s half-portion roast chicken goujons & chips or sausages & chips with dessert a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream or a selection of ice cream with butterscotch sauce. Costing €12.50, the main and dessert come with a juice.

All prepared by two of Ireland’s finest, Oran and Darryl having graced some of the country’s most famous kitchens, with the former even picking up Chef Of The Year in 2019 and the latter helping Circa Terenure pick up a Michelin bib gourmand. Yaba-BOOM!

Happening on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th of April at Belmont Demesne, you can book your spot for this one-off pop-up cuisine cruise by calling 0831759631 or emailing [email protected].

In the meantime, we met up with the lads this afternoon to find out how and why two chefs are heating as one…

You can find out more about Oran Colhoun right about here, and follow the bould Darryl Haynes on Instagram here.