For their first outing of 2026, Dee Laffan & Oisín Davis hit the road for county Mayo to record two episodes. The first of which features two local dishes from the team at Belleek Castle and each one was cooked and paired with single malts from their next-door neighbours at Ballina Whiskey.

Located in the small town of Ballina, Ballina Distillery sits on the banks of the River Moy in County Mayo on Ireland’s Northwest coast. Constructed on the site of the old Duffy’s bakery, the distillery was originally opened in 2015 and was the first to be built in County Mayo in 150 years. Over the last year, the distillery has undergone a full rebrand and recently launched its first two expressions. Their closest neighbour is the nearly two hundred-year-old Belleek Castle. With its turrets, stone columns, ornate vaulted ceilings, intricate wood panelling and breathtaking views and grounds, it's quite easy to see why Belleek has become one of Ireland's most beloved wedding and event venues. However, they are equally well known for being deeply committed to keeping the highest standards in their food & beverage program, and that was why we made the train journey for - although that backdrop was rather special!

For our first pairing, Belleek Castle's owner, Paul Marshall Doran, introduced us to his head chef, Andrew Lewis. He shared the exact detail as to how they take Irish organic salmon and cure it with Ballina Whiskey's triple distilled and triple barrel aged single malt, Ballina Triarach. This is a fantastic process, and while the prep is quick, the salmon needs a couple of days to cure. We'll be sharing a video of it all on the Beár Bia Instagram page. Enjoying this wonderful fish alongside the very same whiskey it was cured in was a real delight. The fruity notes and spicy character of the spirit were also a great counterbalance to the richness of the salmon.

Our second pairing came from the land and has been the signature dish of Belleek Castle itself for over 50 years. Known as "The Drunken Bullock" it is as visually dramatic as it is tasty. A fillet steak is cooked to order before being speared on a 16th-century sword, doused in Ballina Dúbailte Single Malt and set alight. An incredible sight to behold and a tradition normally reserved for the bride and groom of wedding parties! The flambéed whiskey imparts a mellow char and smoky character onto the beef, and when paired with the whiskey, the double-stilled single malt's deep character sat beautifully with each other. Warm earthy spice of the spirit with the decadently cooked fillet, a match made in Mayo heaven! The whole flambé process will also be going up on our social media, so please stay tuned for that.

Throughout our whole recording, Ballina Whiskey's head of blending and maturation Stacy Longworth, guided us through the unique methods the team employ with their signature styles of slower fermentation and distillation. She also talked about some exciting future releases the distillery will be bringing out. Belleek Castle's owner Paul Marshall Doran, walked us through not just the grounds themselves, but also, its remarkable history and how his family have acted as custodians of it since the 50's.

Enjoy! Dee & Oisín

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For their final episode of 2025, Dee Laffan & Oisín Davis of the Beár Bia travelling podcast wanted to celebrate Irish festive hospitality at its absolute finest - so they took a trip into town and hit up, The Shelbourne Hotel!

As one of the country's most iconic and beloved five-star hotels, the Shelbourne Hotel has over 200 years of history behind it. Praised as a Dublin city institution whose bars and restaurants are particularly vibrant during the Christmas period - the perfect time and place for some quintessentially Irish food & drinks! To get an understanding of what some of the recommended Irish food & drink pairings the Shelbourne have to offer the many merrymakers passing through its doors at the moment, we were honoured to spend some quality time with the hotel's General Manager, JP Kavanagh and their executive chef, Garry Hughes.

Recorded in the cosy confines of the 1824 Bar, we were treated to two excellent Irish dishes alongside two beautiful Irish beers.

Before we enjoyed our first pairing of the day, JP shared some remarkable key points in time around the Shelbourne Hotel before getting into some of the staggering numbers behind its meticulous operation. He himself has been there for 8 years and regards his role to be as much of a custodian as a manager. We were then treated to one of the most popular serves from the hotel, Flaggy Shore oysters and Guinness. On any given day, you can spot plates of these plump, juicy County Clare oysters in any of their bar areas or restaurant tables. Their saline sweetness is a great counterpart to the creamy hoppy notes of Ireland's most acclaimed stout, Guinness. A sumptuous and very traditional all-Irish pairing.

The second pairing was inland inspired and is a more recent addition to the menu - a signature sausage roll. Throughout his 18-year tenure as executive chef, Garry Hughes has created and overseen countless dishes, menus and banquets. With inspiration from his childhood, Garry crafted this dish as something fun yet fulfilling for the bars in the hotel as a comforting snack item. It's made with flaky butter pastry, Tommy Doherty's black pudding and pork mince, from Kells, County Meath, and Garry's secret mix of spices. The rich fattiness of the sausage roll was cut through with the citrus-forward, softly sweet Hopburgh Helles Lager we sipped with it. Brewed just across the river on Bow Street by Hopkins & Hopkins, think of it as an Irish-style lager but with a Vienna malt character. A refreshing combo to be had if you're planning a Christmas rendezvous in the hotel's Horseshoe Bar ,perhaps!

We hope you enjoy our Christmas Special episode and Happy Christmas & New Year to one & all!!

Dee & Oisín

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