The English Market and Farmgate Cafe

The English Market Cork - A Foodies’ Paradise

Peter Morrell, AMG’s Food and Drink Editor meets some of the driving forces that make this market one of the best in Europe.

Cork, in the South West of Ireland, has emerged as one of the foremost cities to enjoy the very best of Irish Food. If any evidence were needed about the sheer quality and diversity of food available then the Cork visitor need look no further than the famous English Market.

The market, which takes its name from the fact that originally traders could only be of English extraction, has a long history dating back to 1788. Re-designed by Sir John Benson in 1862, it was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1980. Sympathetic repair work by Cork City Council retained the original building's design and won a Gold Medal from the Europa Nostra heritage foundation for conservation. One of the more intriguing architectural details is the decorative 19th century fountain at its centre that was made locally by W.R. Harris and used to be the main source of water for the traders.

My wife and I were in Cork for a gastronomic weekend and a visit to the English Market had to rate as one of the highlights. It was a busy Saturday lunchtime when we arrived and the place was heaving. Local shoppers outnumbered tourists by at least 20 to 1, a sure sign that this is a real market. 

Our first stop was a visit to ‘On the Pig’s Back’ a deli that has been run for the last 16 years by the charming Isabelle Sheridan who came to Ireland from Tours in France.  Her stall was mobbed with people and just taking a glance at the cornucopia of cheeses, pates and charcuterie on display it was easy to see why.

Isabelle Sheridan

Despite this being the busiest time of the week, Isabelle was very generous with her time and gave us an in depth tour of the fantastic array of food. We started with an introduction to the truly remarkable range of Irish cheeses made by independent producers. Some examples were the St Gall - a Gruyere style cow’s cheese made in Fermoy and packed with flavour as was the slightly softer handmade Durrus. The soft cheeses also showed their class with the rich and creamy Cooleeney, and the flavoursome Gubbeen. From the samples we tasted, the pungent Milleen and the tangy Cratloe sheep’s cheese emerged as my personal favourites

Isabelle’s home-made pates and terraines were a real treat. Pork and Plum, Duck and Rosemary and the Country Terraines all competed for the title of ‘most delicious’ but were seriously rivalled by the Chicken Liver pate with Garlic and Brandy. All of the tastings were served on slices of superb, locally made, French style brown bread.

Charcuterie products from the Gubbeen Smokehouse, home baked crispy pizza, jams and chutneys rounded out this culinary altar for the devout foodie.

Our next stop was lunch in the Farmgate Cafe, an eaterie on the upper level of the market, founded by the irrepressible Kay Harte some 14 years ago. All the food served here comes either from the market below or within 30 miles of Cork. An entire wall is devoted to a gallery of black and white photographs of Kay’s local suppliers with whom she deals direct. The cafe is divided into two. On one side there is a counter serving sandwiches and salads. On the other side is a slightly more formal area with waiter/waitress service where you definitely need to book as this place is a Cork institution and very popular.

Farmgate Cafe Special's Board

We should have tried the traditional Cork dish of Tripe with Onions and Drisheen, a type of black pudding made from a mixture of sheep and cow’s blood, but a combination of a full Irish breakfast and the tastings at Isabelle’s stall made us go for the lighter option of grilled Irish Goat’s cheese salad. It was delicious, with lightly pickled cucumber, walnut and beetroot. The most amazing discovery, however, was the brown Irish soda bread. Homemade and straight from the oven, it was divine. We finished with a selection of Irish cheeses and they were all superb. Kay, her charming staff and the pianist providing background music all made this a meal to remember. (you can read about two other Cork restaurants we visited by clicking here... )

Our final port of call was to meet Declan O’Flynn, founder of O’Flynn’s Gourmet Sausage Company. Declan was almost genetically programmed to become a sausage maker as his Grandfather, William, made gold medal winning sausages in the 1920s.

Declan has now given the art of Irish sausage making a brand new twist with a range of spiced and herbed flavours made with the very best local ingredients. He also makes a range of international favourites including Polish Kielbasa, South African Boerewors and North African Merguez. However he has not forgotten his roots and the traditional breakfast sausage and Drisheen are still among his best sellers.

Declan O'Flynn and colleague

For those who can’t wait to get home to sample the sausages there are Gourmet Sausage sandwiches being cooked on the stall,.  There’s a choice of regular or foot long with sweet chilli, onion, ketchup or mustard garnishes

The sheer passion and enthusiasm for producing, supplying and serving the best locally sourced food was the overriding characteristic of all those we had met. They are also all part of an organisation called Good Food Ireland, which is committed to promoting the interests of Irish food producers, suppliers, restaurants and hotels.

Reluctantly after our three-and-half hour tour we left he market. It would have been easy to spend at least that time again looking at the huge variety of cuts on the butchers’ stalls, the superb displays of seafood at the fishmongers’, with oysters bigger than a hand and the well stocked greengrocers selling their plump, fresh fruit and vegetables.

This market was one of the best we have visited, with so many unique tastes and flavours to be discovered in such a thriving and enjoyable atmosphere.

"On the pig's back" is derived from an old Gaelic expression "ar muin na muice", meaning to be in a fortunate situation, or living an easy or luxurious lifestyle. And that just about sums up how you feel after a visit to Cork’s English Market.

For more information click on the links below

Tourism Ireland
Good Food Ireland
On the Pig’s Back
O’Flynn’s Gourmet Sausage Company
The Farmgate Cafe