fbpx

Tag Archives: smoked trout

Christmas at Goatsbridge Trout Farm

Christmas at Goatsbridge Trout Farm… it’s coming!

eKnyGTERS5-4

No one knows what anticipation is nowadays as everything is so immediate. Anticipation is the electricity of childhood. I can distinctly remember one year as a ten year old asking my mother how many days left till Christmas. I then spent the next 252 days counting down until the day arrived.

I can still feel that anticipation for the hope of Christmas as I felt the presents rustling at the end of my bed at four in the morning, much to my mother’s horror. Christmas was always a long day of tinned sweets, card playing and an excess that rarely happened in our house with nine brothers and sisters.  When Christmas Day comes there is still that same warm feeling that enfolded our hearts, as we had as children.

I somehow remember the year after my father died and my mother telling me we were going to have a great day regardless because Christmas was compulsory. And guess what! Santa still came and brought his usual apple or orange which we always thought very strange. I guess it was symbolic for my mother of her Christmases long ago when an orange was a luxury and she just wanted to make her case. We did not mind as long as we did not get anything too practical like clothes as there is nothing as mean as giving a child something useful for Christmas don’t you agree?

How times have changed for me over the following 40 years. Now I spend my time obsessing as I try and persuade everyone to consider using Goatsbridge trout as part of their festive celebrations. We will find any excuse to promote our trout recipes, encourage online trout sales and insist on support for our delicious home-grown smoked fish over the holiday period.

But somehow my kids kick me back into reality and I am catapulted back to my childhood as I read my youngest daughters Christmas letter to Santa. I think Santa should also throw in a spelling book!

Christmas at Goatsbridge Trout Farm

So let’s compromise and make Christmas the keeping-place for memories of our innocence but also Goatsbridge trout!

 

Impress Your Friends

Goatsbridge Smoked Trout

Some ideas for trout treats –

Trout with mayonnaise and ground almonds

Take two Goatsbridge trout fillets, place under a grill, in an oven or simply on an electrically-heated clamshell grill (like a George Foreman Grill). Spread mayonnaise across them, cover with ground almonds, cook until golden brown and serve with a fresh green salad and homemade brown bread.

Guaranteed to impress!!!

Darina Allen

I think we have a new generation of Celebrity chiefs. None will compare with Darina Allen. She is a champion of local artisan food producers and a woman close to my heart.

I met her for the first time last year at the Harvest Festival in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.She was busy and did not have time for a chat, much to my disappointment.I gave her ‘minder’ a packet of smoked trout to give to her later. Two days later I got a hand written letter from Darina thanking me for the” lovely treat” she had on her return home that evening.I could not believe it.! What a lady and she certainly had time for a chat a few months later when she graced us with her presence at my open day here on the farm in Goatsbridge.

Alas she is unable to come to the launch of our ‘Taste of Kilkenny ‘ food trail on April 19th.She will be greatly missed but she will be with us in spirit.!!May she continue to inspire for many years to come.

Goatsbridge Trout exibit at SHOP09

Shop 2009

We met a lot of our existing retailers in the 3 days spent in the RDS, Dublin. It is very important to be there to cement relationships and we will certainly be there next year. We did a lot of networking and learned a lot of useful information from fellow food producers. Alas, we did not get any prize for our first added value product, our hot smoked rainbow trout fillet which is the first boneless one to be available in Ireland. Maybe next year!