These days, the highlight of the beautifully displayed and well-stocked counter at On The Pigs Back in the English Market is the vast array of home-produced Irish farmhouse cheeses that take up almost three-quarters of the fridge space. Isabelle has always been a staunch supporter of Ireland’s artisans and her Irish-produced foods don’t stop at cheese.

 

In this treasure trove of a stall you can find home-cured charcuterie, fabulous handmade fresh sausages from Rosscarbery and Wexford, Fillegan’s wonderful local artisan preserves, chutneys, jams and dressings, and much, much more.

 

Isabelle sources all her stock directly from the farmer or producer and, this way builds up a solid working relationship with them in order to get their products at the best and in optimum condition.

 

This personal connection, Isabelle believes, is essential to getting the quality she insists on. Her ethos is simple: there is no point in getting something, not at its best – it gives a bad representation of the product and her customers won’t buy it anyway. Based on this philosophy, one thing you can be absolutely sure of here is that every item has been chosen with love and care, and produced with a passion to match.

 

Another boon is the seasonal aspect; if you are going to find the first Irish asparagus, samphire, or wild garlic anywhere, it will most definitely be here, perched atop the glass counter, waiting to be snapped up. Get in quick though – these items never sit there for long.

 

All these years later, Isabel is still working as hard as she ever did to maintain standards and choice. This marvellous French cook still rises early to make her own pâtés and rillettes from West Cork pork, silky smooth terrines with fresh duck and goose from Cork farms, and traditional French jambon persillé – a beautiful mould of chopped ham speckled with fresh parsley in savoury meat jelly.

 

The takeaway service here is popular with city workers and market-goers. You can grab a sandwich on a crusty handmade baguette or enjoy homemade, freshly baked pizza with a selection of toppings on a sourdough pizza base. A choice of quiches made with Isabelle’s buttery pâté brisée pastry and served in slices makes for a delicious quick lunch.

 

It’s fair to say that Isabelle Sheridan is an icon of the Irish food scene and On The Pig’s Back is one of Cork’s – and indeed Ireland’s – superstar food haunts. The English Market wouldn’t be the same without it.

Those who love good food know the name Isabelle Sheridan. This French lady from the Loire Valley set up On the Pig’s Back in Cork’s gourmet English Market in 1992, and her stall has grown to become one of the leading lights of food shopping in Cork.

Isabel’s success was driven by her background in France. She says when she first came to Ireland, she missed her home produced cheeses so much she started the business in order to bring them in and enjoy them herself. Cheeses and charcuterie were imported from her homeland and she began to make her own pates and rillettes to compliment the range – her famous rustic textured pork and plum terrine and velvety chicken liver pate with garlic and brandy are firm favourites with customers and her pâté forestiere takes you right back to that holiday in the French countryside. Her food really is a marvellous marriage of French cuisine and Irish ingredients.

In fact, Isabelle was awarded the medal of the Chevalier de l’ordre National du Merite – one of the highest awards a French person can receive – in recognition of her ceaseless championing of Irish and French foods.

On The Pigs Back has a thriving an exciting online food & drink offering. For those who live close by, you can order a range of their pates, terrines, ready meals and more for collection. Those living further afield, can purchase hampers, cheeses and other artisan produce online for home delivery.