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Just Ask Restaurant of the Month for February - The Draft House

The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for February is The Draft House, Strandhill, Co Sligo

The Draft House - Food

Since May 2015, Daniel McGarrigle's gastropub The Draft House has proved a very popular addition to the surfing hotspot of Strandhill - a village that’s already a food lovers’ destination with a diverse range of interesting eating places. With its casual ingredients-led food, focus on craft drinks and laid-back vibe, The Draft House fits in perfectly.

It’s a characterful spot - the bar was designed by local artists and made from reclaimed materials and, with a wood-burning stove and inviting leather chairs upstairs, and a large outdoor dining area at the front where you can take advantage of the sea views, there’s a good choice of places to be in all weathers.

Head chef Lee Mastin arrived at The Draft House via several highly regarded kitchens, including that most esteemed of gastropubs, The Oarsman in Carrick-on-Shannon, so he came well prepared to embrace the house motto: ’We don’t do ordinary'.

Lee’s menus change with the seasons, all meat and poultry is 100% Irish, and The Draft House takes particular pride in its Irish suppliers. Some famous produce popular in this kitchen includes Thornhill Duck from Cavan, black pudding from Kelly’s in Co Mayo and Irish chorizo from Gubbeen in West Cork.

But, whether it’s meat sourced from local Sligo butchers - Sheerin's Meatin' Place in Ballymote (pork, beef, chorizo, sausages and bacon), and Sherlocks of Tubbercurry (beef, chicken) - locally caught fish and seafood from John Flynn Fish of Clogherevagh, Co Sligo, quail eggs from 12 Quail Farm at Fenagh, Co Leitrim, salad leaves from Croghan Organic Garden in Co Roscommon or Donegal rapeseed oil, all are credited on menus and the website.

Lee Mastin - Chef in The Draft House

With those delicious, carefully sourced ingredients providing a sound base, the offering confidently ticks a lot of the typical gastro pub boxes: seafood chowder with homemade bread, Hot & Spicy Sherlock’s chicken wings with a Cashel Blue sauce, a juicy homemade burger with Knockanore cheese, slow-roasted Castlemine pork belly, or fish ‘n’ chips are all on offer.

More unusual choices could include shredded pork and coriander croquettes to start, a superfood salad of the day, a vegetarian Irish cheese and beetroot plate, or perhaps Lime and Dingle Gin marinated cod. Vegetarian, gluten free and vegan dishes are available, and highlighted on the menu.

A classic dessert such as dark chocolate mousse or Eton mess could be a lovely way to end a meal, although a Retro Dessert Plate featuring that old friend the Wagon Wheel among the treats might also be tempting.

To wash it all down, there’s coffee supplied by the excellent Art of Coffee in Carrick-in-Shannon, a good range of draft and bottled Irish craft beers from five breweries, with the local White Hag Brewery featuring strongly, or one of the whiskeys and gins from an extensive list - which offers a selective range of international craft drinks as well as Irish favourites such as gins from Dingle and Drumshanbo.

Working busily under the supervision of the manager, Nicholas Ryan, the friendly and menu-savvy staff add to the fun atmosphere - all this, and an enviable seaside location, make The Draft House a good place to know about on the Wild Atlantic Way.

The Draft House - Food

SAMPLE LUNCH MENU:

START HERE

SEAFOOD CHOWDER 8.50 GF
homemade brown bread

HEIRL00M TOMATOES 8.00 GF V
mozzarella, basil, gazpacho and pea shoots

HOT ‘N’ SPICY SHERLOCK'S CHICKEN WINGS 8.75 GF
celery sticks and a blue cheese dip

SHREDDED PORK AND CORRIANDER CROQUETTES 9.00 GF
pickled julienne of vegetables, spiced peanut and carrot puree

SANDWICHES
All sandwiches arc served with Croghan's mixed salad leaves.
Add chunky chips or a cup of soup for €1.50
Add sweet potato fries for €2.00

CAJUN CHICKEN BREAST 8.50
toasted brioche bap, pineapple and raisin chutney Creole mayo

FETA CHEESE, SUN DRIED TOMATO AND ROCKET 8.50 V
nordic flat bread, chickpea & chia seed puree confit red peppers

ASIAN STYLE PULLED PORK 8.50
toasted focaccia bread, pickled vegetables and hot pepper mayo

BIG BITES

SUPER FOOD SALAD OF THE DAY 10.50 V
add chicken breast - 13.50

LEMON a HERB BREADED COD 14.50
chunky chips, Thai-scented pea-puree lemon mayo

BREADED FIVEMILET0WN GOATS CHEESE BURGER 14.75 V
flat cap mushroom, red onion marmalade in a toasted brioche bun with chunky chips

HOMEMADE BEEF BURGER 14.50 GF
smoked bacon, tomato chutney knockanore cheese, in a toasted brioche bun with chunky chips

SWEET NOTHINGS

DARK CHOCOLATE AND OLIVE OIL MOUSSE 6.50
honeycomb, vanilla cream and shortbread buscuit

SUMMER BERRY ETON MESS 6.50

GREEK YOGURT AND VANILLA PANNAC0TTA6.50GF
poached rhubarb, brandy snap, rhubarb jelly and orange confit

MARSHMALLOW AND COCONUT ICE 6.50 GF
strawberry compote, chocolate puree mixed berry jelly

SELECTION OF ICE CREAM 4.50

THIRSTY?

Why not match your food selection with a real craft beer or homemade cocktail?

ASK ABOUT OUR GLUTEN FREE OPTIONS!

Please be aware that some of our food may
contain one or more or the 14 known rood allergens
Please make your server aware if you have any dietary requirements.
Please ask for our allergens booklet for details

Meat & poultry is 100% Irish & locally sourced.
From Farm to fork at The Draft House, we pride ourselves on using local, organic and artisan food suppliers in order to offer our customers an exceptional sensory experience.

Our Suppliers

Our sensational pork and beef hails from Sheerin’s Meatin’ Place, Ballymote, Co. Sligo. Sheerin’s butchers supply us with their delicious award-winning sausages, chorizo sausages, beef and their own sweet-cured bacon.

Derek Sherlock Meats, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo provide us with the finest selection of beef, our chicken supremes and chicken wings.

Our quail eggs are sourced at 12 Quail Farm, Fenagh, Co. Leitrim and our duck from Thornhill Farm, Blacklion, Co. Cavan.

Our salad leaves, herbs and vegetables are freshly delivered from Croghan Organic Garden, Croghan, Co. Roscommon.

Last but not least, John Flynn Fish, Clogherevagh, Co. Sligo supplies us with the best of locally caught seafood and fish.

The Draft House - Pork Special

SAMPLE DINNER MENU

START HERE

Seafood chowder GF*
Served with homemade brown bread

Hot and Spicy Sherlock's Chicken Wings GF
Crunchy celery sticks, Cashel Blue cheese sauce €8.75

Irish Cheese & Beetroot Plate V
Macroom Farm buffalo mozzarella pearls
harelnut-crusted Fivemiletown goats cheese bonbon

Macroom Farm feta cheese crispy wontons
trio of beetroot - jelly, carpaccio and puree with hibiscus
€9.00

Pan-fried Kanturk Black Pudding
Gubbeen, chorizo, 12 Quail Farm scotch egg, apple & sage compote
€9.00

Crayfish and Crab Cocktail GF*
Lemongrass-ginger infused pickled carrot & cucumber
Bloody Mary mayonnaise, crispy rice noodles
Sheridan's brown bread crackers
€10.00

MAIN EVENT

Lemon and Herb Breaded Cod
Chunky chips, Thai scented pea purée lemon mayonnaise
€14.50

Homemade Beef Burger GF*
Smoked bacon, tomato chutney, Knockanore cheese toasted brioche bun, chunky chips
€14.50

Spaghetti Vegetables Vegan GF & Rice Noodles
Crispy tofu, ratatouillc sauce, black olives nutritional yeast flakes
€14.50

Breaded Fivemiletown Goat's Cheese
& Mushroom Burger V Red onion marmalade, toasted brioche bun chunky chip*
€14.75

Castlemine Farm Slow Roasted Pork Belly GF*
Pork and crab croquettes, piccolo parsnips, carrot & sage purée, Longmeadow cider jus
€17.50

Lavender Infused Irish Organic Chicken Supreme GF*
Fondant potato, butternut squash, baby carrots grain mustard & honey cream sauce
€20.00

Lime and Dingle Gin Marinated Baked Cod GF*
Hegarty*s cheddar cheese & smoked bacon crust boulangère potato, samphire, apricot compote Bloody Mary purée
€21-50

Adrian Sheerin's Dry Aged 10oz Irish Sirloin Steak
Baked flat mushroom, tomatoes, red onion marmalade chunky chips, green peppercorn sauce
€25.00

SWEET NOTHINGS

Black Forest Trifle
Chocolate brownie, cherries, chocolate custard
kirsch jelly, vanilla cream €6.50

White Chocolate & Poppy Seed Mousse GF
Blackberries, meringue, macaroons €6.50

Apple and Almond Tart
Calvados cream, toasted nuts, dried fruits €6.50

Retro Dessert Plate
Wagon wheel, fig pastry roll, Turkish delight honeycomb ice cream, creme Anglaise
€6.50

Selection of ice cream GF €4.50

ALLERGENS

Some of the dishes on this
menu may contain allergens.
Please ask your server or sec our
allergens booklet for details
OOO

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VIEW ALL JUST ASK RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH WINNERS

“Just Ask!” is a public awareness campaign that aims to encourage consumers when eating out to look for information on where the food (particularly meat) on their plate comes from, and encourages chefs to provide this information on their menus. The programme supports both large and smaller artisan suppliers, encouraging both Irish diners and visitors from abroad to support restaurants that are in turn supporting their suppliers.

Here at Georgina Campbell Guides we have always been avid supporters of the ‘eat local’ concept, and we always enjoy reading menus that have a real sense of place. The dining experience is greatly enriched by knowing that the food on your plate is inspired by the produce and traditions of the area, and sourced nearby – and we would love to see more chefs sharing that precious information with their guests.

If you are a visitor to the area, learning a little about local food and the people who produce it adds a special extra dimension to the visit – and, for residents, it reinforces a natural pride in the good things of their locality and makes a meal all the more enjoyable.

So, we are delighted by the high standard of menus that continue to be submitted for our ' “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month Competition', menus that really speak of the best of Irish foods – and the dedication of both the people who make them, and the chefs who select them to create wonderful dishes with real Irish flavour for our enjoyment.