We speak to Bree Allen, co-organiser of the Ballymaloe Festival of Food, about falling in love with East Cork, the special charm of Ballymaloe and why the Festival of Food is THE place to be this summer
When Australian-born Bree Allen decided, at the age of 25, to “take two years out to go travelling and see a bit of the world”, her plan fell into place with an ease that in hindsight proved deceptive.
The Irish working visa application was very straightforward, and during a follow-up call to the embassy, “this gorgeous woman” on the line announced that “we’d love to have you” and stamped her passport.
“It was such a lovely welcome,” Bree recalls.
And it was the first warm welcome of many. Bree had sent her résumé to Ireland’s Blue Book – a collection of country houses, manor houses, castles and restaurants – seeking work at a member establishment. She received a charming reply from Hazel Allen of Ballymaloe House in County Cork, offering a waitressing job at their seminal farm-to-fork restaurant. “I got four or five replies … there was something about [Hazel’s] email that was particularly welcoming.”
“I still drive up that driveway, 20 years later, thinking about that first time I saw the house,” Bree remembers. “It was this beautiful sunny day in May, and the wisteria was out. Coming from Australia, where everything is 200 years old, to arrive into something that was built in the 1400s and was so beautiful…”
The special charm of Ballymaloe
Stunning setting aside, Bree soon discovered that she was somewhere special. In addition to being a charming destination, Ballymaloe House holds a special place in Ireland’s food scene, with the late Mrs Myrtle Allen and her daughter-in-law, Darina Allen, both household names.
“I worked as a waitress for a while and then I moved to reception and worked closely with Mrs Allen,” she says. “She was an absolute phenomenon, as were Hazel and Darina. It takes you very little time to realise that you are in this extraordinary environment with these extraordinary women doing extraordinary things.”
The deceptive ease of Bree’s globe-trotting plans had one flaw: that smooth integration made it impossible to leave east Cork.
“My three months as a waitress turned into 20 years of working in every department. I ended up falling in love here and getting married. Hazel, who was so welcoming on day one, ended up being my mother-in-law and I couldn’t have asked for a more extraordinary mother-in-law and family.”
The festival years
Bree did get to travel the world. After a career break to have children with her husband Cullen Allen, the couple embarked on “this really amazing trip for a year and a half with our kids, backpacking”. On her return, she began to help out with festivals at The Ballymaloe Grainstore, an events space developed by Hazel and her husband Rory Allen on the grounds of Ballymaloe House.
Today Bree runs The Ballymaloe Grainstore and co-runs the annual Ballymaloe Festival of Food with her Swedish brother-in-law, Ted Berner. “We work very well together,” Bree says. “He brings an element of coolness and relaxation to our festivals, whereas I micro-manage and run around.”
Now in its third year, the three-day Ballymaloe Festival of Food incorporates elements from previous festivals at Ballymaloe that took place over the years. There are cooking demonstrations, dinners, guided walks, talks, tastings and conversations showcasing the best in modern Irish and international food and drinks. A highlight is the dinners in the pop-up Woodshed Kitchen, hosted by some of the world’s top chefs, as well as intimate vegetarian dinners in the walled garden, disco brunches and afternoon tea as you’ve never had it.
At its heart, though, the festival still retains the convivial intimacy that made previous events, such as the Ballymaloe Litfest such a famously fun knees-up.
Creating a unique atmosphere
“Not having a VIP area is important to us,” Bree says. “The guests coming through the door get to mingle with all these people who have come over for the festival. The festival bar area on a Friday or Saturday evening is just a wonderful atmosphere, whether you’re a drinker or a non-drinker.”
Many of the visiting TV personalities are regulars who love coming and letting their hair down. “You get to see Matt Tebbutt on the dance floor with Rachel Allen. Last year Anthony Worrall Thompson and his wife Jay got tattoos [from our tattoo stall]. It’s a fun, joyful weekend for everybody – for our guests and the chefs – and it’s all accessible and everyone in it together.”
The captivating Cork food scene
Of course, a visit to the festival is also an opportunity to linger longer and dip into the thriving, innovative gastronomic scene of Cork city and county, with its acclaimed restaurants and bars. Some of those recommended by Bree include the Michelin-Bib Gourmand-awarded fish restaurant Goldie; cocktail bars Cask and Paladar; The Glass Curtain, with its seasonal-focused tasting menus; and Italian-inspired Sonflour. As Bree notes: “Every one of them is doing something different and exciting.”
Outside of the city, there are similarly exciting things happening food-wise. Kinsale is a famously excellent food destination, but Bree also recommends Ballycotton where fast-food seafood favourite The Trawler Boyz cooks up a storm. Then there’s Midleton, with Cush restaurant, which recently relocated from Ballycotton, as well as the newly renovated Midleton Distillery, with an excellent café. And that’s not all, of course… “We have such beautiful beaches and beautiful towns and villages, waiting to be discovered,” she explains… No wonder she found this part of the island of Ireland such an impossible place to leave.
For the full Festival of Food line-up see https://www.ballymaloegrainstore.com/ballymaloe-festival-of-food
