Latest news with #Ballymaloe
RTÉ News
03-06-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Profits up 5% at Cully & Sully soup owner to €3.07m
Pre-tax profits at the Cork-based food firm that operates the Cully & Sully brand increased by 5% to €3.07m last year. New accounts filed by the Irish arm of global health and wellness company Hain Celestial show that the business recorded the increase in profits as revenues rose by 7% from €26.39m to €28.32m in the 12 months to the end of June 2024. "Cully & Sully" co-founders, Colum O'Sullivan and nephew of Ballymaloe's Darina Allen, Cullen Allen - shared a multi-million euro windfall from selling their business to the New York-based organic products group, Hain Celestial in April 2012. At the time, Hain Celestial confirmed that it paid €10.46m in cash for Cully & Sully and a further €4.5m was to be paid based upon the achievement of specified operating results during the period up to June 30, 2014. Mr O'Sullivan and Mr Allen are directors of Hain Celestial Ireland Ltd and Cully & Sully soup is just one of a number of brands the company sells in the Irish, EU and UK markets. Other brands include Linda McCartney frozen meals, Cadbury spreads, jam and jelly under the Hartley brand, Dream non-dairy rice plant based drinks as well as other household brands such as Sun Pat peanut butter. The directors state that one of the key brands, Cully & Sully soup, is manufactured exclusively in Ireland. The company's operating profits declined by 15% from €2.37m to €2m and the company increased its pre-tax profits as interest income almost doubled from €546,576 to €1.07m. The company recorded a post tax profit of €2.58m after incurring a corporation tax charge of €492,392. Addressing the company's going concern status, the directors state that the company has considerable financial resources and a good business model including strong relationships with its customer and supplier base. They state that "as a consequence, the directors believe that the company is well placed to manage its business risks successfully". The firm's balance sheet continued to strengthen last year with accumulated profits rising from €24.27m to €26.85m. The company's cash funds increased from €16.24m to €19.89m. Numbers directly employed by the firm last year increased from 14 to 15 as staff costs increased from €1.11m to €1.4m. Six directors served during the year and directors' pay increased from €405,464 to €422,607. Globally, Hain Celestial recorded revenues of $1.73 billion in fiscal 2024 and recorded pre-tax loss of $80.28m.
Irish Examiner
03-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Pre-tax profits increase at owner of Cully & Sully to €3.07m as revenues climb
Pre-tax profits at the Cork-based food firm that operates the Cully & Sully brand declined by 5% to €3.07m last year. New accounts filed by the Irish arm of global health and wellness company, Hain Celestial show that the business recorded the increase in profits as revenues rose by 7% from €26.39m to €28.32m in the 12 months to the end of June 2024. 'Cully & Sully' co-founders, Colum O'Sullivan and nephew of Ballymaloe's Darina Allen, Cullen Allen - shared a multi-million euro windfall from selling their business to the New York-based organic products group, Hain Celestial in April 2012. At the time, Hain Celestial confirmed that it paid €10.46m in cash for Cully & Sully and a further €4.5m was to be paid based upon the achievement of specified operating results during the period through to June 30th, 2014. Mr O'Sullivan and Mr Allen are directors of Hain Celestial Ireland Ltd and Cully & Sully soup is just one of a number of brands the company sells in the Irish, EU and UK markets. Other brands include Linda McCartney frozen meals, Cadbury spreads, jam and jelly under the Hartley brand, Dream non-dairy rice plant based drinks as well as other household brands such as Sun Pat peanut butter. The directors state that one of the key brands, Cully & Sully soup is manufactured exclusively in Ireland. The company's operating profits declined by 15% from €2.37m to €2m and the company increased its pre-tax profits as interest income almost doubled from €546,576 to €1.07m. The company recorded a post tax profit of €2.58m after incurring a corporation tax charge of €492,392. Addressing the company's going concern status, the directors state that the company has considerable financial resources and a good business model including strong relationships with its customer and supplier base. They state that "as a consequence, the directors believe that the company is well placed to manage its business risks successfully'. The firm's balance sheet continued to strengthen last year with accumulated profits rising from €24.27m to €26.85m. The company's cash funds increased from €16.24m to €19.89m. Numbers directly employed by the firm last year increased from 14 to 15 as staff costs increased from €1.11m to €1.4m. Six directors served during the year and directors' pay increased from €405,464 to €422,607. Globally, Hain Celestial recorded revenues of $1.73bn in fiscal 2024 and recorded pre-tax loss of $80.28m.
Irish Examiner
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Colin Sheridan: Bloom is the crowning jewel of our capital city
Ah, Bloom! That annual horticultural hootenanny where the scent of freshly turned soil mingles with the aroma of artisan sausage rolls, and where the only thing more abundant than the flora is the flurry of floppy hats. This year, Bord Bia Bloom 2025 blossomed once again in Dublin's Phoenix Park, transforming 70 acres into a veritable Eden of eco-consciousness, culinary delights, and enough garden gnomes to march on the Aras and stage a coup. The earth laughs in flowers, so said Ralph Waldo Emerson, yesterday, it was in stitches. First, an admission of guilt. As a novice, the name of this festival confused me. Bloomsday falls on June 16 each year. That celebration of Joycean pomp is no relation to Bord Bia Bloom, but the timing and title caught me a little off guard. Were there enough Ulysses nuts to warrant a five-day celebration in the largest public park in any capital city in Europe? No, it turns out, there isn't. Which is a relief. This is something else entirely. It's reductive to compare festivals — each lives and dies on its own merits — but given the scale and logistical footprint of Bloom, the National Ploughing Festival is an obvious and worthy inspiration for Irelands premier gardening and horticultural festival. Beginning on Thursday and running throughout the Bank Holiday weekend, Bloom will have attracted over 120,000 punters through its gates by the time the last tent is collapsed on Monday. If the ploughing is Glastonbury, Bloom is Electric Picnic. The setting is majestic and the mood more than a little mischievous. The variety on display from the moment you enter is so rich it'd make a willow weep. Puns aside, Bloom means business. I'm no sooner in the gate but I'm watching the Ballymaloe crew do a cooking demo on the Dunnes Stores stage. Chef Neven Maguire is hanging in the wings signing autographs like he's a member of Metallica. Maisie Carton, aged 15, from Dundrum, was prepared for moody weather in the Phoenix Park. Picture: Moya Nolan If there are politicians about, they are keeping a low profile. The weather, too, is appropriate; wet on Thursday, Friday brings dark clouds broken up by brilliant sunshine. Good gardening weather, right? Weather so rich you can feel the grass grow beneath your feet. Excited school kids follow patient teachers like mini climbers trailing their sherpa. Grownups who should know better sip Aperol spritz from recyclable plastic cups. With a taste of summer already lingering in the back of our throats, the timing of Bloom could not be more apposite. The heart of the festival lies in its show gardens — 21 verdant visions ranging from the sublime to the surreal. Take, for instance, the 'Make A Wish Foundation Garden' by Linda McKeown, a space so enchanting it could make a grown man weep into his compost. Then there's the 'GRÁ' garden by Kathryn Feeley for Dogs Trust, a canine-centric paradise where even the shrubs seem to wag their leaves in approval. Not to be outdone, the 'Tusla Fostering Garden' by Pip Probert offers a vibrant tapestry of colours and textures, symbolising the diverse journeys of foster families. Bloom, though, is not just about seasoned green thumbs; it's also a fertile ground for budding gardening superstars. The 'Cultivating Talent' initiative, now in its third year, continues to nurture and showcase the next generation of garden designers. This year's standout is Dr Sarah Cotterill — an assistant professor at UCD — whose 'Into the Woods' garden pays homage to Ireland's Atlantic rainforests, proving that even civil engineers can have a soft spot for ferns. Billy Alexander of Kells Bay House and Gardens in Kerry brought his Chelsea Flower Show-winning fern garden to Bloom. Picture: Moya Nolan For those of us whose idea of gardening involves little more ingenuity than picking herbs for a G&T, the Food Village offers enough distraction to fill a day. I unwittingly followed one chap who easily reached his daily calorie quota by exclusively eating free samples. It was an admirably frugal tactic, if a tad unnecessary. Unlike other festivals, the food was ample and reasonably priced. The village — which features nearly 100 Irish producers — is a smorgasbord of local delights. I'd eaten two gourmet burgers and a hot dog before lunchtime. Not every day in the trenches is like this, and this one-man army marches on its stomach. The food stages are accessible and unfussy — culinary luminaries like Neven, Darina Allen, and Fiona Uyema are on hand to whip up some dishes that would make an intermittent faster reconsider their life choices. The atmosphere is collegiate, the food divine. Sure, there are plenty of healthy options on display, too, but Bloom is not the space to suddenly become precious. There is lots of cream and butter, and the fun and food police are conspicuous in their absence. A key theme running throughout the festival is sustainability, with the Sustainable Living Stage hosting 40 talks on topics ranging from food waste to natural skincare hacks. The festival walked the walk — quite literally — by offering free shuttle buses, ample bicycle parking, and ensuring all food and drink packaging was compostable or recyclable. There were even volunteers on hand at each bin to advise you on what goes where. Keen not to take itself too seriously, Bloom isn't just for the horticulturally inclined; it's a family affair. The Budding Bloomers area offered a range of activities for the young and the young at heart, from bug workshops to interactive performances. Chef Tricia Lewis giving a cookery demonstration to a crew of hungry festivalgoers. Picture: Moya Nolan For those looking to bring a piece of Bloom home, the Grand Pavilion and Plant Emporium offered everything from handcrafted garden sculptures to rare plant species. It's the kind of place where you go in for a packet of seeds and come out with a bonsai tree and a newfound appreciation for macrame rope. In its 19th year, Bord Bia Bloom continues to be a testament to Ireland's love affair with all things green and growing. It's a safe, creative space where gardeners, foodies, and families converge to celebrate the simple joys of nature, nourishment, and community. In a time when the deforestation of the island is a hot topic, Bloom offers an antidote to the doom and gloom that can sometimes suffocate green-adjacent conversations. The jewel of the crown of this festival, however, is not any one of the celebrity gardeners, chefs or even Juniperus Communis on display. It's not even the extra-mature cheeses, of which I consumed quite a few. No, it is unquestionably the venue. The Phoenix Park frames this event and makes it a masterpiece, a celebration of nature its creators and organisers can absolutely be proud of. Verdant and resplendent, the vastness of the park itself makes access and egress easy. The walled gardens within the festival compound act as a spine for a sprawl that is beautifully organised, but never contrived. Great oak trees provide shelter from the infrequent showers. The grass acts as a quilt to lie on and bask in the brilliant sunshine. Just outside the fence, a herd of fallow deer skip by, as if curious about the din inside. There is a lot wrong with our capital city, and, understandably, we spend plenty of time talking about it. Bloom is an example of something done incredibly right. A festival of nature, food, colour, and life, hosted in a public park at an incredibly reasonable price. Accessible to everybody, and not a Joycean scholar in sight.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gordon Ramsay insists his 'unspoilt' kids will never be nepo babies and 'aren't dependent on their parents' as they forge their own careers
Gordon Ramsay has insisted that his 'unspoilt' kids will never be nepo babies. The famous chef, 58, has children Megan, 26, twins Jack and Holly, 25, and 23-year-old Tilly with his wife Tana. The also have younger kids Oscar, 6, and one-year-old baby Jesse. But in a new interview he was adamant that none of his children are 'dependent on their parents' and are forging their own successful careers without his input. His daughter Tilly has made the decision to follow in his footsteps by training at Ireland's Ballymaloe Cookery School. But Gordon has now told Closer magazine: 'She paid for herself - worked, saved the money, and has gone off to culinary school. 'I said goodbye and put her on the ferry and I thought, 'F***, why didn't she ask me to teach her? Is that my first big major f*** up?' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'I can't wait to ask that question - but it just goes to show how unspoilt my kids are. They're individually following their own path and aren't dependent on their parents. I think that's a good call.' Meanwhile, Gordon pointed out his son Jack has decided to avoid the trappings of fame by joining the Royal Marine Commandos where starting salaries are only £17,549. Tilly started at the cooking school last autumn. Sharing a snap of her donning a white chef's jacket and trying on several pairs of black clogs at the time, Tilly gushed she was 'so excited for this next chapter'. She wrote: 'So I went a different kind of uniform shopping yesterday.... @gordangram took me out to buy my first chef whites as I am off to culinary school this September!! 'I am so excited for this next chapter and dad and I had the most exciting day getting all my uniform and equipment. P.s I think this look is kind of a vibe'. Culinary schools comes as the natural next step for Tilly, after she has already shown an affinity for cooking and built an impressive career as a budding chef. Her famous father Gordon is well known for the likes of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Hell's Kitchen, Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip and Kitchen Nightmares. Tilly started at the cooking school last autumn And showing the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Tilly has starred on several cooking shows and even published her own cookbook when she was just 15. In 2015, she bagged her own cooking show on CBBC, called Matilda And The Ramsay Bunch, following her as she whipped up dishes for her family on holiday and running until 2019. She also appeared alongside Gordon on This Morning in a series of cooking segments called Big Chef Little Chef, and was judge on the ninth season of MasterChef Junior with her dad. While she also competed in series two of Celebrity MasterChef Australia, finishing in second place. The star also enjoyed a spell at Gordon Ramsay's Academy as she took to Instagram to share her array of impressive recipes including her six ingredient carbonara and lamb koftas. Tilly also had the pleasure of cooking with Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds as she and the Deadpool star went head to head against her dad and Hugh Jackman in a chimichanga challenge. In 2021, Tilly swapped the kitchen for the dancefloor as she competed in Strictly Come Dancing alongside professional dance partner Nikita Kuzmin.
Irish Examiner
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Darina Allen: Three recipes to try at home inspired by the London food scene
This week, an update from the London food scene. I was over for a wedding lunch at Corrigan's in Grosvenor St, and chic, delicious, and wonderfully convivial it was too. I particularly loved the new seasons' English asparagus swimming in nori seaweed butter. They used yakisushinori-roasted nori seaweed and added a bunch of watercress as a garnish — delicious! And guess what? I managed to get a table at the Yellow Bittern in Caledonian Rd. It felt like winning the Lotto! It's owned and run by Hugh Corcoran from Belfast and his lovely daughter Frances. Open just for lunch Monday to Friday and closed at the weekend — two sittings, one at 12pm and the other at 2pm, and for just 20 people. The food is simple, comforting, and delicious. The super fresh ingredients are laid out on the worktop in the tiny kitchen at the end of the restaurant. Hugh and his assistant work their magic on two stove tops and a tiny oven. We ordered radishes with butter and flaky sea salt, brown crab with mayonnaise, and freshly-baked soda bread. The flavour of the mixed brown and white crab meat reminded me of the flavours of early Ballymaloe. Myrtle always served both brown and white crab meat to encourage the fishermen to catch and sell whole crabs rather than just claws. Many other good things included a succulent beef pie and one of the best crème brûlées I've ever tasted. Always fun to catch up with Ballymaloe Cookery School alumni when I'm travelling. George Williams and Beth O'Brien have recently opened the Fat Badger over Canteen on Portobello Rd, a super cool bar with live music and a restaurant with an open kitchen on top. It was really rocking, and, once again, I enjoyed a delicious dinner. I particularly loved the intense nettle soup and a dotey little individual soda bread with good butter and a custard tart extraordinaire. Bravo to all again. A tough place to bag a table but definitely worth a try (tell them you read about it in the Irish Examiner!) So proud of 'our babies', next stop Stevie Parle's Town on Drury Lane. This is a much larger space designed by North End Design. It was absolutely throbbing with enthusiastic diners on its second night. Stevie offered me many tastes from his super creative menu, I particularly loved the deliciously fresh winter tomatoes with cod crudo and tomato water. He's been experimenting with lots of heritage citrus from Todoli Farm in Spain's Valencia, which provided little bursts of tart flavour. The wine-cured wild-farmed beef with candied walnuts and cheese whizz was another intriguing combination — all the more interesting because the cheese came from his brother, Mike Parle, who hand makes several artisan cheeses in The Lost Valley Dairy and Creamery in Inchigeelagh in Co Cork. He and his partner sell from his stall at the Skibbereen Farmers' Market every Saturday. Add these to your London list, plus a sweet little place in Hampstead called La Cage Imaginaire, where I had a lovely lunch with my dear friend of many years Claudia Roden, author of A Book of Middle Eastern Food, and many others, and who introduced us all to hummus et al in the 1990s. Devotees will be happy to hear that Claudia, now in her late 80s, is working on yet another book — her 22nd… what an icon! The Cage Imaginaire is the perfect place for a catch up. Cooking is done from scratch and there's no loud, throbbing music so we could hear each other rather than having to lip read. Claudia Roden's Hummus bi Tahina recipe by:Darina Allen Hummus bi Tahina is brilliant as a starter served as a dip with pitta bread. It is also delicious as part of a mezze. This recipe is from Claudia's Middle Eastern Food, first published in 1968 by Thomas Nelson. Servings 4 Preparation Time 15 mins Cooking Time 60 mins Total Time 1 hours 15 mins Course Side Ingredients 110-175g cooked chickpeas (see below) or use tinned for meals in minutes freshly squeezed juice of 2-3 lemons, or to taste 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed salt 150ml tahini paste (available from health food shops) ½ to 1 tsp ground cumin To garnish 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp paprika 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped a few cooked chickpeas pitta bread or any crusty white bread, to serve For the pitta crisps 3 mini pitta breads (about 9cm in diameter), halved crosswise 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp freshly ground cumin ½ tsp salt Method Cover and soak the dried chickpeas overnight in lots of cold water. Drain the chickpeas, cover with fresh water. Add a good pinch of bicarbonate of soda, bring to the boil and cook until tender, this can take anything from 30 to 60 minutes. Drain and reserve the cooking liquid. Remove any loose skins and keep a few whole ones aside for garnish. Whizz up the remainder in an electric mixer or blender or food processor with the lemon juice and a little cooking water. If necessary, add the crushed garlic, tahini paste, cumin, and salt to taste. Blend to a soft creamy paste, add more cooking water if necessary. Taste and continue to add lemon juice and salt until you are happy with the flavour — the texture should be soft and silky. Pour the creamy mixture into a serving dish, mix the paprika with a little extra virgin olive oil, drizzle over the surface, do the same with the chopped parsley. Sprinkle with a few cooked chickpeas. Serve as a dip with pitta bread or as an accompaniment to kebabs. For the pitta crisps Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Cut the pita into triangles. Brush evenly with olive oil, sprinkle with cumin and salt. Spread pita strips in a single layer on a baking tray and bake in the middle of the oven for three minutes or until crisp and golden. Serve immediately to scoop up the hummus. Stevie Parle's Cod Crudo with Tomato Water and Basil Oil recipe by:Darina Allen Clean, vivid and elegant — this crudo balances the sweetness of tomato, fragrant basil oil, and bright citrus over delicate slices of cured cod. Servings 4 Preparation Time 10 mins Cooking Time 4 hours 0 mins Total Time 4 hours 10 mins Course Main Ingredients For the cod cure 300g caster sugar 600g coarse sea salt zest of 1 lemon zest of 1 orange For the tomato water (yields 400g) 400g Marinda tomatoes 400g vine tomatoes 20g fresh basil 4g fish sauce (we use colatura di alici) 16g sea salt flakes 16g sherry vinegar 16g white wine vinegar 10g caster sugar 4g black peppercorns For the basil oil (yields more than needed): 228g fresh basil leaves 900g sunflower oil To serve 1-2 Marinda tomatoes, sliced as thinly as possible with a sharp knife 180g cured cod (sliced) 100g tomato water basil oil, to drizzle a few segments of pomelo or grapefruit (optional) Method To cure the cod, bliitz the sugar, salt, and citrus zests in a food processor. Coat a cod loin evenly in the cure and refrigerate for four hours. Rinse well, pat dry, and chill. Slice thinly just before serving. Make the tomato water by roughly chopping the tomatoes and combine with the remaining ingredients. Marinate for 20 minutes. Blend everything, then strain through muslin cloth overnight without pressing. For the basil oil, blend the basil and sunflower oil in a Thermomix at 90°C for nine minutes. Alternatively, heat in a saucepan for a couple of minutes and use a blender to emulsify. Strain through muslin cloth and chill. To serve, lay a few very thin slices of Marinda tomato on the base of each chilled plate. Arrange slices of cured cod on top. Spoon over around 25g of tomato water per portion. Finish with basil oil and citrus segments if using. Fat Badger's Brown Sugar Custard Tart recipe by:Darina Allen Thank you to Beth O'Brien, pastry chef extraordinaire, for sharing this delicious recipe, best custard tart I've ever tasted. Servings 4 Preparation Time 30 mins Cooking Time 1 hours 30 mins Total Time 2 hours 0 mins Course Baking Ingredients For the pastry 80g butter 80g icing sugar 1 egg 240g plain flour 35g ground almonds pinch of salt 1 egg, to egg wash For the custard 240g milk 900g cream 2 200g dark brown sugar pinch of salt 12 egg yolks caster sugar, Maldon sea salt and crème fraîche, to finish Method Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for two minutes until combined but not aerated. Add the egg and mix well, then add the flour, almonds and salt and mix to combine. Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Roll out to an even disc around 3mm thick. Line a deep tart tin (25cm in size), pushing the pastry into the corners and pushing against the edges of the tin. Chill for at least 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Trim the edges and line the tart with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then remove the baking beans, brush generously with egg wash and bake for a further seven minutes. For the custard, eat the milk and cream to just about a simmer while you combine the sugar, salt and egg yolks in a bowl. Pour half the hot milk and cream over the yolks, whisk to combine, then pour this mixture back into the pot and whisk thoroughly. Reduce the oven temperature to 155°C/Gas Mark 3. Pour the custard into the blind baked tin and return to the oven. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until there is only a very slight wobble in the centre when baked. Chill fully before slicing. To serve, sprinkle a generous amount of caster sugar on top of each slice and use a blowtorch to brûlée. Put a pinch of flaky salt on top and serve with crème fraîche. NOTS Inaugural Agri-Homeopathy Conference 2025 Don't miss the Inaugural Agri-Homeopathy Conference run by the National Organic Training Skillnet taking place on Thursday, June 5, at Avalon House Hotel in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny. In person or online event. Taste of Dublin: The Recipes Cookbook Taste of Dublin. which is celebrating its 20-year anniversary this year, has just launched its first cookbook Taste of Dublin: The Recipes with 20 recipes, all of which were demonstrated at the festival over the years. The festival has partnered with Dublin Simon Community to donate a portion of each sale directly to the charity's vital housing and healthcare services. The cookbook is available to pre-order for click and collect at the festival via or for postage on Read More Darina Allen: My top basic baking tips and three of my favourite recipes to try
