Following the flavour trail..
Maud Travers sampled the culinary delights of Tyrone
Dungannon, has a long history as the seat of the mighty O’Neills and a former railway junction where branch trains from Cookstown joined the main Great Northern Line from Portadown to Omagh.
The Flavour of Tyrone is running a series of promotions, highlighting the produce and notable eateries around the county. There are special initiatives aimed as specific seasons such as Autumn and Spring but in my experience, its worth visiting at any time!
I recently tried my own ‘flavour’ tour over a period of two days which was highly enjoyable and most interesting, but you can work out your own programme with the very helpful people from Flavour of Tyrone and Sperrins Tourism.
I started with morning tea at the Valley Hotel, Fivemiletown. A good, strong cuppa accompanied with a selection of scones and pastries which were hard to resist. The hotel was totally refurbished in 2006 and now has 22 rooms. Prices here are extremely reasonable and their ‘Taste Tyrone’ signature menu costs £10. A sample offering would be goats cheese in puff pastry or pate as a starter; followed by either lemon and peppered chicken, or braised beef or slow cooked pork belly with rice. Desserts include home-made chocolate brownies or sherry trifle. Rates range from £40pps or £50 for a single.
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Later that morning I visited the nearby Fivemiletown Creamery which is now celebrated for its range of award-winning cheeses. Ian McGlure’s family has been raising their purebread Friesian and Jersey cows at Riverside Farm since 1910. If you like goat’s cheese then you are for a treat with Cooneen – soft, lemony, creamy, earthy..devine! Also produced here is Ballyblue, soft blue cheese, Ballyoak soft smoked cheese, Ballybrie and two types of cheddar. Another Fivemiletown Creamery product worth checking out is Boilie which is soft cheese marinated with herbs and peppercorns in a garlic infused oil, which is ideal for salads and snacks.
After looking around Omagh town centre, it was time for lunch at Silverbirches Hotel near the town. This is a very comfortable three-star establishment with a well-deserved reputation for good food. One of the house’s specialities is steak and Guinness pie, served with champ. Memorable desserts include a scrumptious home-made cheesecake.
After lunch a chance to visit Camowen Green organic farm. Organic potatoes and a wide range of seasonal vegetables are produced on the farm as well as Aberdeen Angus organic beef. Also available in the farm shop is a range of organic meats, fruit, groceries and dairy produce.
It was then on to the first overnight stop at Tullylagan Country House Hotel at Cookstown. This is a most attractive hotel, set in 30 acres of grounds and situated about halfway between Cookstown and Dungannon, and only about 45 minutes from Belfast. It is very popular for weddings – only one wedding per day! – notably because of its setting and fame for food. Rooms can be had for a very reasonable £40 per night. Just time to book in, change and to dinner!
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The Otter Lodge restaurant is close by and when I visited it was extremely busy. It was easy to see why as the food is excellent and reasonably priced. This is bistro grub at its best: unpretentious, well-presented and in ample portions. Not surprisingly it is featured in the Bridgestone Northern Ireland guide. Back to the hotel for a nightcap, or two, and then to bed after a memorable gastronomic day! |
Mindful that I was also having breakfast at Dungannon Golf Club at around 10, I had a very light breakfast at Tullylagan before heading off to Cloughbane farm shop near Dungannon.The farm sells beef and lamb produced on its farm, as well as pork, chicken and turkeys.This is a proper farm shop on a real farm. Its beef is hung for 28 days to ensure maximum flavour and tenderness. It has been awarded UK Farm Shop of the Year runner-up prize as well as being selected as a Gary Rhodes good food hero.
After another fill at Dungannon Golf Club, it was good to stretch the legs with a stroll around Dungannon, its lofty hilltop position offering ample opportunity to walk off some of those calories! It has a long history as the seat of the mighty O’Neills and a former railway junction where branch trains from Cookstown joined the main Great Northern Line from Portadown to Omagh. One of the most popular attractions of the town is Ranfurly House which houses an exhibition centre and interprets the history of the O’Neills.
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My final meal before returning home – and before dieting for the following two weeks! – was in Cano’s Pizza in Dungannon. I am a pizza fan and my offering did not disappoint: plentiful toppings on a well-cooked base. So often a pizza can full short because the base is either soggy or overcooked, but Cano’s have it spot-on. |
And, well fed and watered, I took my leave of Tyrone after what had been an extremely enjoyable sojourn. I packed a lot into my two days, but you can tour at a more leisurely pace and eat less! If you are interested in visiting the area and enjoying the culinary gems and produce on offer, contact Flavour of Tyrone with your requirements, e.g. if you are travelling as a couple, a group, which types of food you favour, how long you wish to stay, etc.
Further information:
Flavour of Tyrone, Killymaddy Tourist Information and Craft Centre, 190 Ballygawley Road, Dungannon, Northern Ireland BT70 1TF.
Tel: 0044 28 87728651
Email: info@flavouroftyrone.com
www.flavouroftyrone.com
