Pat Clarke produces Irish strawberries of international renown. He tells Ali Dunworth how he became an “accidental entrepreneur” and the passion that goes into every punnet of strawberries. Partner content with Dunnes Stores Simply Better
Nothing quite says summer like an exquisite Irish strawberry. The first sight and smell of the bright, red, plump berries on menus and in shops signals the start of longer days, and although we can’t always guarantee summer weather in Ireland we know we’ll have gorgeous local strawberries to chop into breakfasts and desserts, perch atop cakes or simply enjoy fresh straight from the punnet, which is strawberry grower Pat Clarke’s favourite way to eat them. “Fresh, every morning”, as Clarke says.
Chatting to Clarke in the midst of a hectic June picking day it’s clear the passion he had for a pocket money project is very much alive to this day. Pat remains hands-on at the farm and hasn’t lost any of his enthusiasm for growing and selling fresh fruit. Passion, he believes, is the factor that sets his business apart. “You could go into ten different restaurants this evening and they might all have the same ingredients but they may not be all the same.
Taste is always at the forefront for Clarke but part of his success is that he’s always had a holistic approach to farming, “Our goal is always to grow the most wholesome and flavoursome food but sustainability, that would be what we are about here on this farm.” So although changing his crop to Malling Centenary meant technically the yield may be lower than the more common Elsanta the increase in operational efficiency along with the fruit shape, size and quality makes up for the shortfall.
With such obvious care and attention put into growing the fruit, I want to know what we need to do at home to make sure we’re eating our fruit optimally. “You need to treat your fruit like meat,” says Clarke, ‘Always store it in the fridge but make sure you take it out and allow it to get to room temperature before you eat it.”
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Irish Tatler Event: highlights from the Passoa x Irish Tatler party at Hyde rooftopThe invite-only event featured passion fruit cocktails, summer tunes and live mixology demos. Partner content with Passoa
Read more »
Why are the best film-makers signing up for franchise movies? Money might have something to do with itDonald Clarke: These days there’s only one way for promising directors to get their reward
Read more »
Pat Kenny breaks silence on RTE crisis and defends Ryan Tubridy and Noel KellyNewstalk presenter Kenny said he was watching the story unfold from afar, as he was on holidays when it erupted
Read more »
LOI clubs 'must remain the critical voice' in debate on Irish football's futureThe Premier Clubs Alliance has insisted that its clubs “must remain the critical voice”, alongside the FAI, in any discussions on the future of football
Read more »
Car bursts into flames on busy Irish road as gardai seal off sceneDramatic pictures show lots of smoke and the car engulfed in flames. Gardai closed the N40 southbound after the Jack Lynch Tunnel for a time.
Read more »
Irish car expert explains how to save money on tyres by doing these thingsExpert Marianne Conlon, who goes by AKD Detailing and Car Care online, chatted with RSVP Live on the steps we can take to save money when it comes to car and tyre maintenance
Read more »