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Overview
On the Pig’s Back has a reputation that precedes it. Owner Isabelle Sheridan has long been known in the English Market in Cork for her flagship stall selling homemade deli items from her native France and a whole host of cheeses from Ireland.
Her venture to Douglas has provided a well-stocked Deli and Cafe which echoes the ethos of a lady who was always well ahead of her time. This establishment is tucked away off the beaten track in Patrick’s Woollen Mills. An unusual location for a gourmet’s delight – but well sought out by food lovers from Cork and beyond.
Dining
On The Pig’s Back, Deli & Cafe opened in Douglas in Cork in 2009 and sells artisan food as well as serving lunch in the cafe. The cafe is also the site for food tastings and special events, such as art exhibitions and concerts. It truly is a hub in the heart of the community.
On The Pigs Back Cafe serves food that is simple and lets the ingredients shine. The daily homemade soup always has a vegetable slant. Follow it with a local cheese or charcuterie plate with pickles and bread, or a crusty baguette from the local bakery stuffed with whatever you fancy. Hot plate choices include rich home-baked quiches and savoury tartlets or French Tartine, a version of cheese on toast, on sourdough. All dishes come with house salads and organic local leaves.
For those with a sweet tooth, the rhubarb or apple tart with proper puff pastry is deliciously comforting and there are desserts and cookies from many artisan producers.
Wines come from France, with an especially good selection from the Loire Valley where Isabelle’s grandparents lived. House wines are available by the glass and you can also enjoy some Normandy cider. Non-alcoholic options include Ballycross juices, an extensive choice of teas and fresh coffees and hot chocolate too.
If you are here in summer, grab a cafe table outside on the small paved terrace and enjoy the sunshine as you dine on your delicious lunch.
This cafe has gone from strength to strength since opening. The indoor seating area has doubled in size from an extension into the unit next door. So now there is plenty of room to sit back and enjoy some good wholesome food made with the finest artisan produce.
On The Pig’s Back Shop and Deli is well-stocked with home-cooked meats, artisan charcuterie, cheeses and house salads. Fresh bread comes daily from the local bakery and a chill cabinet holds a host of Cork-produced artisan specialities including smoked salmon, cheeses and charcuterie. You’ll also find Isabel’s own pâtés and other delicacies to take home. A range of oils, dressings and wines line the walls and there are shelves laden with honey, jams and preserves.
This is the place that gourmands can shop till they drop, then sit down and enjoy a snack and coffee in the café which is part of this magnificent shop.
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.
This marvellous French cook still rises early to make her own pates and rillettes from west Cork pork as well as making silky smooth terrines with fresh duck and goose from Cork farms, traditional French Jambon Persille – a beautiful mould of chopped ham speckled with fresh parsley in savoury meat jelly – and she cooks a large joint of ham for the deli counter each day. 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 Pig’s Back has a thriving and 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 artisans produce online for home delivery.
Experiences
