3 September 2024
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Where: ‘Camus Farm Field Kitchen’, Camus, Ardfield, Clonakilty, Co Cork, P85 PX57 – www.FieldKitchen.ie
Vic Sprake and Deborah Ní Chaoimhe are the husband and wife duo behind the 30 acres Camus Farm, and this summer celebrates their destination restaurant The Field Kitchen’s fourth season which opens annually from Easter to Christmas (Friday and Saturday throughout the full season, with additional days of Thursday and Sunday during summer months). Serving a seasonal 4 course set menu, The Field Kitchen offers an authentic field-to-fork experience with much of the produce served grown or reared on the farm. As an organic Farm, sustainability, biodiversity and animal welfare are at the heart of everything at Camus Farm.
Head Chef of The Field Kitchen, Bob Cairns and his talented culinary team create magic in the restaurant, which a focus on transforming simple, seasonal ingredients into sensational dishes. Shortlisted for Chef of the Year 2024, Chef Bob Cairns curates seasonal set menus, including carne, vegetarian and vegan offerings, prioritising where possible the organically certified produce on-farm. With zero food metres and zero food waste ethos at the restaurant’s core, the farm’s herd of grass-fed dexter cattle provides the 28-day aged, organic dexter beef, which is currently showcased on The Field Kitchen’s August set carne menu in their Chargrilled Striploin of Organic 28-day-aged Dexter Beef with Orla Potatoes, Garden Greens & Jus.
Head grower at Camus Farm is Jason Linton, supplying daily a large range of organic vegetables to Bob Cairns’s crafted menus at The Field Kitchen. Camus Farm is licensed with the Irish Organic Association and has an acre of land dedicated to horticulture growing salad and vegetables. The Field Kitchen’s summer menus feature produce from their own soil including the dish Courgette Caponata with Panelle and Roast Tomatoes, Pangrattato, Feta, Greek Yogurt with Summer Herbs & Sourdough Flatbread (vegan variation available). The 4 course set menu at The Field Kitchen is updated monthly with a focus on showcasing what crops are in season.
Camus Field Farm Kitchen near Clonakilty, owned and run by Deborah Ní Chaoimhe and Victor Sprake. The view from the top of the farm. Photograph: Andy Gibson.
Vic and Deb bought Camus Farm nearly 20 years ago in 2006, beautifully renovating three derelict stone barns from 1850 in which they raised their children and continue to live at the Clonakilty farm to this day. Having spent years planting thousands of trees and nurturing the fields, the couple decided to open The Field Kitchen sharing their passion for biodiversity, delicious high quality seasonal food and open up their panoramic views of Clonakilty to diners and visitors from Easter to Christmas annually.