Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer are often referred to as "the Honeys" in reference to Honey & Co, Honey & Spice and Honey & Smoke, the three Middle Eastern food businesses they run in central London.
The nickname could equally be taken as a representation of their charming personalities, as those who met them at their Litfest appearance a couple of years ago will know.
They’ve just published their second cookbook, and it isn’t a restaurant book, it’s the antithesis.
Honey & Co At Home (Pavilion, £26), has suggestions for dishes "For us two", "For friends", "For the weekend", "For a crowd", and "For the kitchen". Each section, indeed almost each recipe, comes with a beautifully crafted introduction by Srulovich which are a joy to read.
Slice of sustainability
The Dough Bros woodfired pizza business in Galway gets through 200,000 brown bags, the same number of disposable knives and forks, and 150,000 paper napkins each year. Now, thanks to sixth class students at Scoil Íde in Salthill, who were investigating sustainability and wrote letters to some of their favourite places to eat, the business has made the switch to biodegradable.
"I was blown away by the letter," says Eugene Greaney, co-owner of The Dough Bros. "As soon as I read it, I ran down to a local cafe, Gerona. I knew they were using combustible disposables and asked for information on the supplier. Within 20 minutes I had rung the supplier, Vegware, arranged a meeting and a quotation on changing our cutlery, napkins and brown bags."
"The students in Scoil Íde are our customers and we are so encouraged to see this next generation taking action and telling us how to be better, " says co-owner Ronan Greaney.
The restaurant is investing significantly in the students’ suggestion. “It’s a huge shift and it comes with a cost, but it’s not all bad. The cutlery, for example, is four times the price, but we will encourage people to use less. It’s up to us to educate our staff and customers,” Eugene Greaney says.
“The response alone was good, but the fact that the students can see that they made real changes happen will show them that each and every one of them can make change happen,” said Ms Conneelly, the students’ teacher.
Anyone for tennis themes?
Lais Cintra, the 26-year-old Brazilian pastry chef at The Address at Dublin 1, the Amiens Street hotel, is serving a Wimbledon-themed afternoon tea. Of course there are strawberries and cream, finger sandwiches and Pimm’s, but Cintra, who has been in Ireland since 2014, has taken the theme even further. “The tennis theme really allowed me to get creative, from icing tiny tennis rackets to tennis court sponge cakes.” The tea is being served until July 15th and costs €24.95 per person (€34.95 with a glass of Pimm’s).
Trek and treat
Trail Kilkenny Outdoor Festival is in full swing (it runs until July 15th), and there are two Trek and Treat tours coming up that combine a scenic walk with a group meal. The walks will be led by Paddy Lawlor, a qualified walking guide, cycle coach and canoe and kayak instructor.
The Thomastown Trek and Treat tour on Wednesday, July 11th follows the river Nore as well as heading into the woods, before ending up at Bassett’s Restaurant for lunch. The Inistioge Trek and Treat on Saturday, July 14th explores the scenic Woodstock estate and winds up at the Woodstock Arms pub in the village. Both run from 10am to 3pm and cost €30 including lunch. Bookings can be made by telephoning Lawlor on 086-0233533.
