Orchard Acre Farm

Cookery School, Training Centre and Organic Produce Farm

Right at the very heart of Orchard Acre Farm's success and certainly central to its charm is Teresa O'Hare. It is she, together with husband Hugh who is the driving energy of an operation so diverse in its offering that is hard to confine its labeling to any one category. It is a cookery and training centre, a gardening and vegetable hive, a wedding, conference or party venue, a voluntary work opportunity and most of all a sanctuary.

For the most part, activity centres around the fantastic 'eco-barn', a delightful wooden barn (soon with accommodation in the eaves) with a large, homely kitchen at its heart and a bright and open dining room, capable of holding up to thirty five (twenty seven seated), people for buffet dinner and party! Here in this room, Orchard Acre have received visitors in many guises and run events as different as green conferences, hen parties and weddings. It is in this space too that Teresa runs her famed gourmet evenings, often themed and always using produce from the garden where possible and from local producers where not. The barn (soon with bedrooms in the eaves) is as green as could be with solar panels, grey water toilets, insulation hemp and many other hidden green features. The barn can be rented for any of the above type events and there is a tipi pitched right in the garden with accommodation for up to eight and plenty of supplementary beds in local hotels and guesthouses.

If self-catering is not on the agenda, Teresa will cook up a storm. Breakfast could be some home baked wheaten bread, organic eggs from the hens (fed on scraps from the kitchen), a jar of local honey, a plate of crispy bacon from fellow Good Food Ireland Member Pat O'Doherty's famous black pig pork. Add to this a glass of cold pressed apple juice from the eponymous John Muir apples and you're off to a great start to your day! Dinner, at our last visit, was a juicy steak (usually source from either Ted Maguire in Irvinestown or nearby Stephen Miller), a bowl of buttered, Navan potatoes, fried courgettes and buttered cabbage from the garden and a jug of Teresa's famous pepper sauce...quite quite delicious! It is this ethos of 'plot to plate' that informs many of the activities at Orchard Acre. Teresa runs cooker classes with just this title, along with courses designed for a healthy heart, a vegetarian or vegan diet or a refresher course in Ulster Scot's Breadmaking!

Central to the farm is the sense of soul and inclusion, the sense of mutual respect and especially the sense of the necessity to protect and renew nature's resources. This is underlined in a gentle and non-preaching way and there are any number of events and courses designed to complement this theme. Woodland willow planting is a particular passion of Teresa and willow sculpture and basket weaving are courses offered as part of weekend retreats or as day only events. At Christmas, there are several hamper making events, designed so as to utilise the natural, seasonal produce of the farm; from pickles to jams, preserves and chutneys. Add to this creative craft-work, gardening, painting and even organic cosmetic making and you can see that Orchard Acre is a world of possibilities with one warm and very dynamic woman at its heart.

Click Here for more information on Orchard Acre Tipi Holiday Packages>>>

Contact Details

To Contact a Member Directly, please click on the email or website below

36 Moynaghan North Road
Lisnarick
Irvinestown
Co Fermanagh
BT94 1LQ
+44 (0) 28 68621066
Email: info@orchardacrefarm.com
Web: www.orchardacrefarm.com

 

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