News and Reviews

Good Food Ireland’s independent review of our store:

“The very first thing we notice, on entering Darren Grant’s wonderful store in Blackrock, County Dublin, is how wonderfully colourful the space is and how eloquent the team are.

The shelves are stocked floor to ceiling with a vast and sumptuous array of goodies, all one hundred per cent, certified organic. We immediately realise that this is not a ’super’market in the proper sense. There is no bulk purchasing done here, no fixed pricing, no preferential product placing, just great produce at fair prices with fair prices paid to the producer or farmer. What does allow for the ’supermarket’ comparison, however, is the convenience of the one-stop-shop, albeit with ethical trading practices and real personalised service. And what a service it is!

Darren, manager Stephen Kenny and assistant manager, Maggie Markowska are truly passionate foodies. Each product is lovingly tasted and tested and they can tell you the provenance and journey of the food, its makers and even its optimum wine match, chosen from the organic cellar collection in the shop. For, although the health benefits of organic eating and growing are certainly one, important aspect of the shop’s philosophy, this is certainly not a ‘healthfood’ shop. Its emphasis is firmly on enjoyment even indulgence but with none of the social and health costs. Where possible, Darren sources Irish produce. Why not buy stunning, seasonal vegetables and pair them with some St Tola Goat Cheese, Beal Irish Organic or some Mossfield Organic mature cow’s milk cheese.

Start dinner with a bowl of steaming farm fresh soup, roast an organic chicken and bake a loaf of Sowan’s bread from one of their fantastic organic Irish bread mixes. Wednesday is ‘meat day’, when all the fresh, local and organic meat arrives, along with a new posting of the store’s thrice weekly recipes, available both in-store and on-line. These are a great way to gather and swap fresh ideas and all the ingredients needed for each recipe are available in the shop!

There is an extensive refrigerated section, where cakes, dips, patés, pestos and sauces are available, some from established artisan producers, some from emerging local talents such as the sumptuous Organic Choice chocolate and ginger slices or what about poached Connolly’s organic eggs and toasted Blazing Salads sourdough loaf as the perfect way to start your day!

Each Saturday, Darren invites a local producer to demonstrate his/her produce. This is the perfect time to meet with the farmers and artisans who will explain their methods and showcase some of the best ways to cook, store and use the products. It is also a way to really connect with the food we are eating and the process of labour and labourers who made it!

This is truly a wonderful store, a real treasure trove for food lovers. They offer an on-line, next-day delivery service which is a remarkable achievement, given the logistics of delivery in Ireland but the real experience lies in visiting the store and talking to Darren and his informed, articulate and incredibly passionate team. A real joy and a true gem!”

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