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Hugo Arnold ~ Irish Times food columnist
'Ireland is finally working hard at being recognised as a gourmet travel destination. Good Food Ireland’s launch party for Colman Andrews’s new book on Irish food at the Merrion hotel last week showcased just how many superb artisan food products we have, and the charming, passionate people who make them.
So it is heartening to see that A Taste of Rome – a specialist travel company that offers cooking breaks in Italy – has added Ireland to its list of holiday destinations.
The Madden family’s Hilton Park, in Clones, Co Monaghan, will host three-day breaks (€499, no single supplement) combining cooking lessons with Lucy Madden and her son Fred, who trained with Rowley Leigh at Kensington Place in London, with lavish dinners that make good use of the produce grown in the estate’s four-acre walled garden, along with lamb, pork, venison and trout reared on the estate. See atasteofrome.com '
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A Taste of Rome in Ireland , is something we have wanted to do for quite a long time. We feel that the quality and choice of Irish food is up there with the very best. We searched high and low for people that have the same feeling for food that we have , and for somewhere that would be a special place to stay . In Hilton Park in Co Monaghan , we feel we have found that . From the welcome we received from Fred and Lucy on our first visit, to listen to their passion for food and hospitality for their guests , we realised that is a special place with special people.
We hope you can come and share in this passion and leave as we did , enthused by Fred , Joanna , Lucy and Johnny for Hilton Park and both Modern and traditional Irish food.
Our idea for this Irish Cooking weekend , is from the moment you arrive on Friday until you leave on Sunday , you will be immersed in absolute comfort and tranquility at Hilton Park. The lessons with Fred and Lucy will have an emphasis on what is fresh ,what's in season and what we have available both locally and on the Hilton Park estate.
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Hilton Park has long been associated with culinary expertise and the much chronicled produce of the walled garden. Lucy is acclaimed as one of Ireland’s best cooks and food writers and has written The Potato Year, 365 ways of cooking potatoes’, a book that has met with much critical acclaim and approval. She is recently joined in the kitchen by her son Fred, who trained under Rowley Leigh at Kensington Place and more recently at the Carpenters Arms, famously awarded that rare thing, a five star review by A.A Gill. Their emphasis is on seasonal and local produce inspired by the fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in the four acre walled garden. Spring lamb, pork and vension as well as trout and freshwater fish are also sourced from the estate and regularly feature on the menu.
Dinner is served in the dining room, acknowledged by many to be one of the finest in the country. Guests dine amidst flickering candlelight while enjoying the marvellous view of the lake, shimmering with evening light.
“There is a special pleasure in sipping an aperitif while sitting beside a huge log fire in the drawing-room at Hilton Park, with its fine plaster work and ceiling and old, well-upholstered furniture, in the sure knowledge that dinner is the best that can be had anywhere in the counties.” Colm Toibin
Breakfast is served in the vaulted erstwhile servants’ hall. Choose from a wide array of fresh and marinated fruits, organic yoghurts and delicious homemade granola and freshly baked wheaten bread. Lucy makes wonderful preserves, ranging from strawberry and lavender jam to a memorable tomato jam. Johnny is still cooking his legendary ‘Full Irish’.
And to give you an idea of the food on offer over the weekend at Hilton Park , this is a typical welcome dinner menu.
Wild Garlic Soup with Parsnip Fritters
Ham and Cabbage Terrine with Bread and Butter Pickles
Fig, Cashel Blue and Hazelnut Tart
Courgette Flowers, Salmon Mousseline and Chive Oil
Shin of Beef and Guinness Stew with Colcannon
Seared Lambs Liver, Cauliflower Puree and Roasted Cabbage
Roast Duck Breast, Damson Jus and Balsamic Radiccio
Poached Trout, Sorrel Sauce and New Potatoes
Blackcurrant Leaf Bavarois and Pecan Praline
Iced Honey and Nut Terrine with Spiced Plums
Apple and Rosemary Tartlets with Lavender Ice-Cream
Sugared Omelette with Raspberries
And of course fine selected wines to accompany each course.
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Beautiful Hilton Park in Co Monaghan, home to the Madden family for almost 300 years. The 8th generation Johnny and Lucy are your friendly and welcoming hosts, who have earned a reputation for warm, award* winning hospitality and culinary excellence. They are now joined by the 9th generation, Fred and Joanna, whose youth and enthusiasm is reinvigorating the castle and the estate.
Together we provide luxury accommodation and an Irish cultural experience in a wonderful country house amongst paintings, furniture and heirlooms handed down over the centuries. We endeavour to create an atmosphere of indulgent relaxation for all our guests.
Hilton Park is the ideal country house retreat. Once you enter the front gates, leave your past behind as you drive up the winding mile long avenue. Set amidst 600 hundred acres of stunning woodland, park and lakes, the house is steeped in history whilst offering all the warmth and luxury associated with the finest Irish hospitality. Lose yourself in large bedrooms with beautiful views over lake and gardens; relax in elegant but comfortable reception rooms and let the wonderful peace and calm of the house seep into your soul.
Our aim above all is to make you feel welcome to our home and to show you true Irish hospitality; to this end, a member of the family is invariably on hand to greet guests and to help you get the most from your stay with us.
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