• Home
  • Travel UK
  • Travel Europe
    • Belgium
    • Croatia
    • Czech Republic
    • First Visit
      • Bulgaria
      • Netherlands
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Slovenia
    • France
    • Germany
    • Greece
    • Italy
      • Sicily
    • Ireland
    • Portugal
    • Spain
    • UK
  • Travel General
    • Caribbean
    • Ecuador
    • Egypt
    • India
    • Mexico
    • Oman
    • Sri Lanka
    • USA
  • Recipes
    • Soups
    • Lunch
    • starter
    • Mains
    • side dish
    • Desserts
    • Cocktails and Drinks
    • Cakes and Sweets
    • 5:2 Diet Recipes
    • Vegetarian
    • Fish and Shellfish
    • Poultry
    • Meat
    • Balcony Gardening
  • Restaurants
    • Chelsea
    • Kings Cross
    • Knightsbridge
    • Marylebone
    • Mayfair
    • Oxford Circus
    • Soho
    • South London
    • North London
    • Victoria and Pimlico
    • West London
    • Out of London
  • Events
    • London Life
      • Foodie London
      • Visiting London – Five Must Do Sights
      • Visiting London – London Travel Tips
      • Miscellaneous
  • Giveaway
  • April 21, 2018

London Unattached - London Lifestyle Blog

Luxury London Lifestyle Blog for the over 40s with food, travel, diet and restaurant reviews - London Unattached

In Search of the #PerfectPorridge – Ireland

April 3, 2015 by Fiona Maclean 31 Comments

The vexation of an itinerant Scot – #PerfectPorridge in Ireland:

What was I doing getting on a plane to fly to Cork?  Every Scottish lassie (even those who have lived most of their life in London) knows the best porridge comes from Scotland.  The ‘backbone of many a sturdy Scotsman’, I grew up on porridge made with water and salt, dressed with a little jam or honey and if I was lucky with a dollop of top of the milk.  National pride apart, migration over the centuries of the Irish to Scotland (and at various times in history, of Scottish people back to Ireland) means there is much in common between the countries.  Both Scottish and Irish Gaelic originates from Old Irish, there are commonalities in cuisine, from black pudding to rubbledethumps or colcannon and both Irish and Scottish men wear kilts – though I have no idea whether the Irish keep with tradition;).

Flahavans perfectporridge - paul flynn

What about oats though?  It turns out the Irish do a pretty good job there too.  It’s the climate of Southern Ireland which makes it particularly suited to growing oats.  Oats need less sun and tolerate more rain than many other cereal crops and so have formed the mainstay food for countries like Scotland and Ireland.

View from the Roof Flahavans

Flahavan’s oat mill is based in the village of Kilmacthomas, a small village sheltered by the Comeragh mountains and just a few miles from the sea.  It’s a part of Ireland where the temperate microclimate makes it particularly suitable for growing oats so that the mill can source all of its conventional oats from within a 50 mile radius of Kilmacthomas.  Seven generations of the Flahavan family have run a mill here and John Flahavan still runs the business, helped by his son James.  We have an opportunity to dine with the Flahavan family and are delighted by the oaty menu which included soup thickened with oats, a meat and oatmeal lasagne and a crumble with a crunchy oatmeal topping.

Flahavans oaty crumble 2

It’s a great endorsement for the brand when the family who own and run the mill use their own products so thoroughly; Mary, our hostess and John’s wife,has produced a recipe booklet and many of her other recipes are on the Flahavan’s website.  Worth trying as a substitute for wheat, oats are a healthy ‘superfood’ which can help lower cholesterol and which, with a relatively low GI, will help keep you feeling full for longer.

Flahavans - Steve Morrissey

Visiting the mill itself, we find a production process that is is semi-automated but still depends on human beings to ensure the perfect porridge oats.  Meeting some of the staff it becomes clear that the mill is very much part of the community too.  Stephen, for example, started here aged 13 after he pestered John Flahavan for a job.  Fifty years later, he is still going strong – and the mill celebrated his contribution in style last year.

Flahavans Feel the Heat

The old part of the mill is where the oats are processed.  First the husks are removed from the oats, then rather than being wasted,  are burnt to provide steam for kilning and cooking.

Flahavans - Separation

The grain is then shelled, cleaned and polished.

Part processed oats

Here the processes alter depending on what the end product will be.

Jumbo rolled oats are made by softening the oat grains with steam before rolling them to create a large, flakey oatmeal.

Pinhead oats are made by chopping the grain in two or three.  Oats can be  are dried and left in this format.  Pinhead oats are perfect for nutty oat biscuits .   You canalso use these for porridge, either alone or mixed with oatmeal to give a creamier result

Steaming and rolling pinhead oats creates standard rolled oats, the sort most people will eat for breakfast.

Milling pinhead oats still further creates oatmeal or oat flour both of which can be used for cooking as a substitute for wheat flour.

Flahavans - packing

Everything is then packed for distribution in Flahavan’s distinctive tins and bags.

There’s a slightly retro feel to the design, it looks perfect on the old Ford delivery van parked outside the mill.  And there’s a real feel of community about the place.  I get the feeling that if you happened to drive through Kilmacthomas or Dungarvan and asked anyone in the street about Flahavan’s you’d get a positive response.

Flahavans Furnace

Flahavans Deliveries

Dinner and breakfast at The Tannery restaurant seems like an extension of a big family affair, with John and James Flahavan joining us in the evening and with Paul Flynn himself cooking us his own version of #perfectporridge for breakfast.  Everyone has something to share, everyone seems intent on making us feel welcome.  Dinner at the Tannery is worth a separate post – exquisite food including the only surf and turf I’ve ever enjoyed;).

With many thanks to our hosts, John and Mary Flahavan and Paul Flynn for a great insight into traditional Irish oat production and traditional Irish hospitality.

 

 

 

Related Post

Swissli Muesli Bar #Giveaway #Closed
Autumnal Dublin – Halloween, Bram Stoker and...
A Simple Cranachan Dessert
Take Time for a Better Breakfast

Filed Under: Ireland, Travel Tagged With: dungarry, flahavans, Ireland, oats

About Fiona Maclean

London based freelance writer and marketing consultant. I edit London-Unattached.com and write for a number of other publications

Comments

  1. Mellissa Williams says

    April 3, 2015 at 4:12 pm

    I have to say I do love porridge with lots of sugar and soya milk. It’s good to know some companies are still doing things with traditional methods too.

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      April 3, 2015 at 8:11 pm

      Ireland was a bit of a step back in time

      Reply
  2. Janice says

    April 3, 2015 at 8:51 pm

    Well I may be a Scottish Lassie, but I’m a latecomer to porridge and it was Flahavan’s porridge that converted me! That thin runny salty stuff my Dad extolled never did it for me at all. Looks like you had a lovely time there, I am so envious!

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      April 3, 2015 at 9:36 pm

      My dad really did try to feed us on porridge made with water and salt. I don’t think we ever really appreciated it. But later on I made my own…and now it’s a favourite if I want a breakfast that will keep me going all day.

      Reply
  3. Lilinha Espindula says

    April 3, 2015 at 9:25 pm

    Porridge is one of my favourite breakfast, I love it with a good pinch of cinnamon and raisins. Yummy! x

    Reply
  4. Danielle Did What says

    April 3, 2015 at 10:15 pm

    What a cool post, i am not a fan of porridge, but my daughter loves it!

    Reply
  5. Jennifer says

    April 4, 2015 at 7:40 pm

    I’ve never tried porridge – that said you’ve certainly reminded me of a trip to Ireland and I’d love to go back and try some of the things you mentioned. Great post!

    Reply
  6. Carol Colborn says

    April 4, 2015 at 8:26 pm

    Porridge is a comfort food for all. We have a rice porridge called champorado that I can have over and over! Even oatmeal with drk brown sugar is good. And in America, grits I love a lot!

    Reply
  7. Christy says

    April 4, 2015 at 8:43 pm

    Mmm I think I might have to try soup thickened with oats now. I’ve never heard of it, but it sounds yummy!

    Reply
  8. Jeremy Scott Foster says

    April 4, 2015 at 9:18 pm

    Gotta love some porridge!

    Reply
  9. Leah says

    April 4, 2015 at 10:02 pm

    Wouldn’t have thought something as simple as porridge could look so delicious! Backbone of a sturdy Scotsman hahaha…indeed!

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      April 6, 2015 at 12:32 pm

      thing is, the weather in scotland and ireland is too wet and cold for many cereal crops. Oats grow just fine and survive even when things like potatoes don’t!

      Reply
  10. Claudia says

    April 4, 2015 at 10:38 pm

    I think I may have tasted porridge once in my life, and I did not care to taste it again. It surely isn’t big here in Italy!

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      April 5, 2015 at 1:00 am

      you clearly haven’t really read the feature;)

      Reply
  11. Stevie Wilson says

    April 4, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    I had no idea that so many things came out of an oat mill or that the texture could be modified so much.
    I loved reading about it

    Reply
  12. Laura Lynch says

    April 4, 2015 at 11:41 pm

    Wow, I just learned more about porridge in 5 minutes than I’ve ever learned. We don’t eat much porridge, but it’s interesting to learn the history and process.

    Reply
  13. Meg @ Mapping Megan says

    April 5, 2015 at 2:16 am

    Interesting – who knew there was so much to know about Porridge! It sounds like quite the art-form actually; interesting to find out it’s a source of national pride – I would have never guessed!

    Reply
  14. Heidi Roberts says

    April 5, 2015 at 12:37 pm

    Looks like a great trip, we love their porridge in our house.

    Reply
  15. Nayna Kanabar says

    April 5, 2015 at 5:34 pm

    I use oats a lot in my baking and cooking , knowing and reading more about them has broadened my knowledge about them.

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      April 6, 2015 at 10:21 am

      I was suprised at how versatile oats are as an ingredient. I’ll be using them a lot more going forward

      Reply
  16. Sylvia says

    April 6, 2015 at 9:08 am

    I never liked porridge probably because when I was little the only (and my favourite) breakfast was sandwiches and cereals so I had a chance to try porridge for the first time when I moved here and hated it 🙂 Then everything changed when I had my dental surgery – I had to relay on porridge almost for 3 months and slowly started to like it – now I love it!

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      April 6, 2015 at 12:33 pm

      cooked properly with tlc it’s wonderful stuff

      Reply
  17. Uncover Your Caribbean says

    April 6, 2015 at 12:25 pm

    Love porridge. We often go in far search of Irish oats. This is such a heartwarming piece 😉

    Reply
  18. Pamela Morse says

    April 6, 2015 at 4:34 pm

    I love oats, and do them in the crockpot over night for creamy texture. This tells me much more about how the grain is grown and processed. These oats are positively romantic.

    Reply
  19. Karen says

    April 7, 2015 at 10:05 am

    I am a HUGE porridge fan and this is such an interesting post Fiona, plus, it’s lovely to see so many “oaty photos! too! What a unique and fabulous opportunity you had. Karen

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      April 7, 2015 at 12:35 pm

      It was great fun! I was a little hesitant because the trip was almost immediately after the montefalco visit, but I really loved the visit!

      Reply
  20. ManjiriK says

    April 8, 2015 at 3:49 pm

    I love the fact that oats are so full of goodness, low on GI and really do help with lowering cholesterol, what a fab place to visit Fiona , lucky you !

    Reply
  21. Helen at Casa Costello says

    April 21, 2015 at 9:50 am

    Oh there’s no better place on earth than Southern Ireland – I love that you said it felt like like an extended family gathering. My girls devour porridge – I just can’t swallow it but love the smell

    Reply
  22. Loren says

    April 18, 2016 at 3:28 pm

    Absolutely first rate and coptre-botpomed, gentlemen!

    Reply
  23. CAROL PATRICK says

    March 8, 2017 at 3:21 pm

    I love porridge and it’s interesting to read about the Flahavans company. I have actually just purchased some of the oats to have a go at making my own.porridge. The packet varieties are a bit of a letdown compared with making your own, so I have read. My first attempt will be tomorrow morning.

    Reply
  24. Teresa sheldon says

    November 22, 2017 at 7:08 pm

    I love porridge with milk and sugar sometimes a splurge of golden syrup i know sugars bad for you but i do love it in a bowl of porridge, probably because my dad used to make it for us and always put loads of sugar in it, really enjoyed reading your article, its lovely to think a company is part of the community and employing the next and past generation, love supporting companies like this

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Me

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Find Me

blogl

About London-Unattached

  • About Fiona Maclean
    • Writing for Other Publications
  • Enquiries/PR
  • Links to Other Sites
  • London Unattached Contributors
  • London Unattached Privacy Policy
  • Travel Bloggers Influencer Network

London Unattached Tumblr

  • April 12th  - National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

    The USA celebrates National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day on April 12th.   Well, why not?   Regarded as one of the top comfort foods in America, the version we eat today originated in the 1920s when sliced bread and American cheese became easily available.  

    image

    Of course, those of you from the USA and those of you wishing to join the celebrations can do so in London!  Head for the glamorous art-deco inspired Colony Grill at the Beaumont Hotel and you’ll find the menu offers a Grilled Cheese sandwich with Dill Pickle, perfect for National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day.  While you are there, enjoy a cocktail or three - and perhaps a couple of other American classics - we love the Buttermilk Fried Chicken and perhaps Bananas Foster flambeed in dark rum for dessert. 

    Enjoy!

    Colony Grill
    The Beaumont  Brown Hart Gardens
    Mayfair  London  W1K 6TF 
     

Recently Published

  • What To Wear To Quebec In Winter – Cold Weather Packing
  • Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams
  • Cinnamon Kitchen comes to Battersea
  • Top Things to do in Lincoln
  • Secrets Of The Empire at The VOID – Westfield Stratford City
Find My 5:2 Diet Recipes quickly and easily

Search London Unattached



copyright © london-unattached.com

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy