2020 and 2021 have been extremely unusual for the food Industry with all the restaurant,bars, hotels and cafes having to close because of COVID. So the Industry has had to adapt and the click and collect or takeaway option for a treat has become the new going out.
Instead of a Friday night out in town in a good restaurant and a few drinks in a bar or club after we are now looking for good food to takeaway and have at home and while most people would look for a restaurant or cafe for takeaway dinners I came across O’Briens Amber fuel station in Bishopstown where I did not expect to find a Carvery dinner menu on offer with roast rib of beef with all the trimmings, madras chicken curry and smoked haddock in a onion white sauce the day I was here.
If you didn’t want a dinner there is a huge selection of hot and cool food on offer like scotched eggs with Clonakilty black pudding filling, blue cheese and pork sausage rolls, sourdough toasted specials , handmade fresh rolls with over 30 different fillings and the best of all was the homemade Southern fried potato wedges .
O’Briens opened in 2014 by owners Michelle and Anthony O’Brien who over the years have built up a good reputation for food but in the last year they have really stepped up their game by hiring a new chef manager to improve there food offering and start using local food suppliers .
The job was given to award winning chef Patrick Kiely who really knows about great food . Patrick has been in the Industry for over 20 years and for the last 10 years was chef patron at the excellent |O'Connors of Bantry, winning awards from us and Michelin every year. It's not that surprising so that the food here is a cut above.
There is also a in house bakery and a grab and go sandwich and salad Selection that looked very appealing. So the next time you're thinking about having a takeaway maybe have a look in O’Briens.
In the next few months there renovating the shop to make the click and collect offering much bigger and there is definetely a market for really top quaslity ready meals to go. Add in the ease of access and they seem to be onto a guaranteed winner.
Try it out and definitely one to keep an eye on.
