Just a few miles inland from the beaches and surfers of Garrettstown, you’ll find the village of Ballinspittle and the Diva Boutique Bakery. Shannen Keane also found this village a few years back and named her enterprise after a coffee house in her native Seattle. The story goes on.
Although the pandemic closed the much-loved café in 2020, the Diva bakery and food store is very much alive and well.
Everything here is down to earth real, with meats coming from local butcher, Lordans (now closed for retail but still selling wholesale), greens from nearby Horizon Farm and free range eggs from Beechwood Farm - and, of course, all the breads and baked goods are made here in their own bakery.
The breads are very special, many of them made by the sourdough process, which takes two days to complete - and there are some outstanding ones in the range, notably a handsome seeded loaf that’s reminiscent of a sea urchin; then there are yeasted breads, including the unusual golden potato loaf which is made with 50/50 mashed potato and wheat flour; and some classic treats like brioche, croissants and Danish pastries...and that’s before you even think about the likes of cakes (many, many cakes), tarts, cupcakes and more - some of them available gluten free, too.
And they sell all sorts of other gorgeous things in the shop too, including products from another local businesses such as, Toonsbridge Dairy, both their buffalo cheeses and the Real Olive Company’s olives, olive oil and delicatessen products. Quality is paramount and the producers selected are as local as possible..
There’s a great range of casual food on offer, incljding an exceptional roast beef sandwich (rare roast beef baked in-house, red onion, cheddar and horse-radish cream) and a superb BLT, packed with tasty rashers, tomatoes and a crunchy salad - and of course, an irresistible array of cakes to choose from.
After the closure of the retail side of Lordans butchers, Shannen and her business partner Tim O'Kennedy took on the premises and opened the sustainable product store, Leafling Mercantile - providing another good reason for locals and visitors to come to Ballinspittle.
