The picturesque countryside of counties Armagh and Down makes for great touring, with tasty food and drink pit-stops along the way. That’s why we asked Armagh country house hotel owner John Mathers to draw up an itinerary custom-made to please Dublin-based restaurateur Keelan Higgs. Here’s how they got on.
How would you describe yourselves?
John: I own and run Newforge House, a small, six bedroom country house in Magheralin, Co Armagh, with my wife Louise. I'm a chef by trade so I do all the cooking and Lou does all the baking. We're half an hour west of Belfast and Newforge has been our family home for six generations.
Keelan: I'm a Michelin star chef and owner of Variety Jones restaurant on Thomas Street in Dublin. I cook every day and scrub the kitchens every night. When the opportunity came up to do this, I jumped on the train.
To find out more about visiting Northern Ireland, visit discovernorthernireland.com
Hillsborough Castle and Gardens
John, why did you choose it?
It’s just 15 minutes away from me! Seriously though, in the past year Hillsborough Castle has had a huge amount of money invested in it by Historic Royal Palaces to create a tourism experience that is like day and night compared to what it used to be. It’s a beautiful castle, the official residence of the Queen when she’s here, with a massive walled garden, terrific grounds and now they do guided tours as well. Hillsborough itself is a lovely town to visit, with beautiful Georgian architecture and lovely coffee shops and restaurants, and it’s just off the A1/M1 from Dublin.
Keelan, what did you think?
I hadn’t been there before and I didn’t know much about it, other than it had a connection to the royal family in England. It was really picturesque. Unfortunately it started to rain, then hail, then snow, but the walled garden was just lovely. It had a kitchen garden in it and there was a lovely coffee shop with an ‘Avoca’-type feel to it and I assume they grow and use their own herbs and veg for the kitchen - and the more of that the better!
To find out more about Hillsborough Castle, visit here
Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen
John, why did you choose it?
We were supposed to go kayaking on Strangford Lough after visiting Hillsborough but unfortunately one of the storms blew in so that wasn’t a good idea. Instead we went straight to Tracey Jeffery’s traditional cottage. Tracey has a small holding and it’s not like a coffee shop or anything, it’s her actual cottage farmhouse and you book to visit for a full, immersive experience of baking in her kitchen. Tracey trained (as a patissier) in Paris so she’s really good. Her cottage is tucked away slightly off the beaten track in the northwest corner of Strangford Lough and she is passionate about local ingredients. I love Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen because it’s just such a genuine, authentic tourism experience.
Keelan, what did you think?
We drove from Hillsborough for around half an hour and then started going down little windy country roads till we got to this little country cottage right on the water front. Tracey was straight out to meet us and then straight in to put the kettle on for tea and get us fed. She brings tourists in for workshops to make things like white and raisin soda bread. Her baking was just delicious. I ate half my body weight and had five cups of tea. She’s just so warm and welcoming, a really nice down to earth person who is really passionate about her area.
To book your visit to Tracey's Farmhouse Kitchen, see traceysfarmhousekitchen.com
Wine & Brine Restaurant
John, why did you choose it?
This is a restaurant in Moira, just five minutes from Newforge House, and my guests will often go there if they are staying two nights with us and want to eat something different on the second night. Its owner, Chris McGowan, is a well known chef who stars on TV’s Great British Menu. He is always in the kitchen while his wife Davina runs front of house. Chris cooks in a modern, really precise style with lots of different techniques and in a way that’s very different from my more traditional style of cooking. It’s one of Lou’s and my favourite restaurants.
Keelan, what did you think?
Chris McGowan is very well known in the industry and has run Michelin started restaurants for Richard Corrigan, so he is a chef who comes with a very strong pedigree and who is serving up some very tasty food. We visited on a Sunday and it had a lovely, relaxed, family-type vibe and I could see the menu was slightly influenced by the countryside, with starters such as a pressed ham and chicken terrine with mustard fruits, and lamb flatbread and smoked yogurt. The mains included dishes such as wild rabbit with carrot and parsley, and roast woodcock with salt baked celeriac. All very tasty and seasonal and just great.
To book your table at Wine & Brine visit wineandbrine.co.uk
Armagh Cider Company
John, why did you choose it?
There’s a lovely old house here and orchards that date back to the plantations in the 1600s. You start the tour in a little hut overlooking orchards and sample its lovely mulled apple juice while you hear about the history of the orchards and all the different varieties. Armagh is famous for its apples, it is known as Ireland’s orchard, and the Armagh Bramley Apple has European PGI (protected geographic indication) status. From there you go to see the production lines and watch how they press the apples for juice and ferment them for cider. There’s a cider tasting at the end.
Keelan, what did you think?
It was very interesting to meet the cider maker Philip and hear all about the history of the orchards and the changing trends in the industry and how they impact on him. He talked us through the process and we had tastings too. I always like to support artisanal producers. You might have to pay a few cents more for each item but it is worth it. Philip is super passionate about what he does. And I do like a cider as well!
To take part in the 'blossom to bottle tour' see armaghcider.com
Armagh
John, why did you choose it?
Armagh is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland with two Cathedrals, one Catholic and one Protestant. The Catholic cathedral is an iconic building situated on a slightly elevated site with an amazing interior. Ok I have to be honest here, by that stage we were running late for Keelan’s train home so we had to cut that bit short. But I’ve been before and it is fabulous and Armagh is well worth visiting anyway, it has an observatory too.
To discover Armagh properly, see visitarmagh.com
The verdict
All in all John, why did you do it?
I wanted to create a tour that was a mix of counties Armagh and Down, with everything being within an easy drive. But there’s still so much more for Keelan to see. Lough Neagh is just 20 minutes away, and the Mountains of Mourne the same again, and after that you’ve got all this coastline and Strangford Lough, which is tidal. There are also lots of National Trust properties to visit, including Mount Stewart, and Castle Ward, a quirky house with a split personality – part gothic and part classical – where a lot of Game of Thrones was shot.
In fact, there’s a new Game of Thrones studio tour on the way just outside Banbridge, so lots of reasons for him to come back. No matter where you go in Ireland people are warm, generous and hospitable and in Northern Ireland we haven’t been a tourist destination for ‘forever and a day’ so we don’t take it for granted, it’s why people are met here with such genuine warmth.
All in all Keelan, what did you think?
I’ve been to Northern Ireland a few times, it’s on the up and up in terms of restaurants thanks to places like the Muddlers Club and Ox in Belfast and Noble in Holywood. My mother is from Belfast so I’ve lots of family up there too but I just don’t get up as much as I’d like and I’d never been to Newforge House before.
It’s a beautiful country house. When you’re in the city it’s all go go go so it was lovely to go somewhere so quiet and peaceful. I didn’t know John and Lou before either but they’re lovely down to earth people and when you work in hospitality, as we do, it’s kind of like an international language – and you’re never stuck for things to talk about either. All weekend I met warm and friendly people who are excited about what they are doing. I’ll definitely go back up with my partner and stay at Newforge House, and I’d hope John and Lou would come to us too, so we can build our relationship.
To find out more about visiting Northern Ireland, visit discovernorthernireland.com