Georgina Campbell
Less
Laura McEvoy and Stephanie Myerscough won hearts fast in 2019, when they opened this delightful destination café and bakery hidden in the heart of west Wicklow’s lesser travelled, tree-lined backroads. And no wonder: when a café serves their signature grilled cheese sandwich of Corleggy Drumlin raw milk cheese and caramelised balsamic onions together with a pot of Corleggy's port jelly ‘for dipping crusts’ of their house-baked sourdough, you know you’re in good hands. Everything on their lovingly conceived range of menus is infused with this joyful approach to maximising the pleasure offered by impeccably sourced ingredients.
A pair of fluffy baps may be packed with free-range roast chicken, dressed leaves, avocado, tomato, mayonnaise and a house-made chilli sauce, for example. Followed by a very hearty orange and pistachio cake to share with barista standard coffee from Sligo’s Carrow Coffee Roasters, it would make for a most satisfying lunch in a pretty garden where picnic tables shelter under a stretch tent for protection against the fickle Irish weather.
The pandemic brought a change of direction, with the focus shifting to takeaway brunch dishes and baking - especially sourdough loaves - and wood-fired pizzas laden with delicious artisan toppings, either to take away or for weekend evening garden dining in the heated tent.
What isn’t made from scratch in the café’s own kitchen is well-sourced from local producers, on a seasonal menu that packs plenty of punches with bold Mediterranean flavours. A deli counter heaves with sweet treats as well as take-away meals like freezer-friendly, oven-ready chicken and leek pies.
The baking hits that sweet spot between wholesome and indulgent, from pots of apple and blackberry crumble doused in cream and custard to GK granola bars (featuring oats, pecans, sour cherries, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, apricot and honey), with chocolate doughnuts at weekends. Gluten-free options are no less tempting, such as a flourless coconut cake with a chocolate ganache.
The brunch menu (which finishes promptly at 2pm) is full of imaginative options with great use of some well-sourced ingredients. Harry’s Pure Peanut Butter turns up on house sourdough with banana, organic maple syrup, sunflower seeds and candied hazelnuts; Ballyhubbock Ricotta and the Villager Dairy Buttermilk feature in the buttermilk ricotta pancakes with roasted rhubarb, zesty orange curd, creme fraiche, toasted flaked almonds; avocado toast on house sourdough comes with the option of organic poached eggs to top sweet potato hummus, Ballyhubbock halloumi, pickled red onion, dukka and housemade chilli sauce.
With its burbling brook and heritage buildings, the village of Grangecon is idyllic and you can see why this is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike - especially given the picturesque setting of this handsome cottage, with its leafy side garden and atmospheric outdoor dining space.
One to seek out.
