Chef John Coffey – Homegrown Haute Cuisine in the Hidden Heartlands – Day 1
Taste Ireland…more specifically, taste the Hidden Heartlands of the Irish Midlands through a completely original cuisine designed around the fresh local produce from surrounding farms, on offer at Athlone’s Michelin Bib Gourmand culinary destination, Thyme Restaurant.
Chef John Coffey conjures up his ever-evolving menu around the vegetables local organic farmer Shannon is pulling or plucking from her nearby farm that day.
Local flavors, regional aromas, beautifully presented courses all plated by the Chef/Owner himself, the lively chatter of diners sitting down to what they know will be a memorable meal, the warm welcome and flawless service from the staff and the understated, unstuffy, intimate surroundings combined to provide a multisensory sendoff to Irish Stew’s “Off the Beaten Craic" series, the audio chronicle of podcast hosts John Lee and Martin Nutty’s eight-day ramble through Ireland's Hidden Heartlands, starting in Athlone, the geographic heart of Ireland astride the River Shannon’s “brightly glancing stream.”
Chef Coffey relates how he opened Thyme in November 2007, just months before the financial crisis devastated Ireland's economy, surviving days with no customers, weeks of no salary, and months of operating with a skeleton crew. Maybe it was his unwavering commitment to hyperlocal sourcing that pulled him through. The menu changes constantly depending on seasonal availability of local produce—plums for three weeks, game in autumn, heritage potatoes in varieties like Purple Rain that supermarkets abandoned decades ago. Coffey's outlook is based on community interdependence, where farmers, butchers, and their families create a self-sustaining economic ecosystem.
Don’t look for Reality TV chaos in the kitchen, as Coffey creates an aura of focused calm in his domain, even when diners fill all of Thyme’s 56 seats.
On the podcast, Chef Coffey explains why he’s rejected expansion opportunities, so you’ll have to get to Athlone to sample his ballotine of quail with yuko leaf and heritage potatoes or anything else he creates.
So, lend an ear to Irish Stew as it begins its Midlands meanderings with a celebration of Ireland's culinary transformation and the growing appreciation for slower-paced, ingredient-focused Irish dining experiences that await in the Hidden Heartlands.
Go raibh an bia blasta!
LINKS
Thyme Restaurant
Shannon's Eco Farm
Hidden Heartlands Travel Resources
Irish Stew Social Media
Episode Details: Season 7, Episode 30; Total Episode Count: 133
00:00 - Introduction
05:06 - Origin Story
07:45 - How Thyme Restaurant Came To Be
13:28 - Thyme's Organizing Principles
19:43 - Dish Composition
24:15 - Shifting Menus
25:45 - Keeping Sane
29:46 - Staying Calm and Team Building
33:34 - Front of House
35:53 - Seamus Plug
36:54 - John and Martin Recap
40:43 - Credits