For those of you who missed it, Taste of Dublin was back for another year and I must say it was a great day out. I went on the Saturday afternoon session. It was great to sample some of the great Irish brands as well as some of the favourites.

BLACK CASTLE  SODA

Black Castle Soda was created by John and Riva and got the name Black Castle from the infamous Black Castle in Co Wicklow.

The non alcoholic Irish craft soda is something I haven’t tried before and I must say the boutique, hand made range left a great impression. They are perfect alone or as a mixer.

They currently have 3 flavours and they are all very unique.

My favourite is the Spiced Red Lemonade made with infused water of All Spice Berries and Cardamom Seeds, natural flavouring and colourings and low levels of real cane sugar to create an adult version of a childhood favourite!

The other flavours are Fiery Ginger beer which is packed full of flavour and just the right amount of heat! Made with rich Muscovado sugar, Ginger Root Extract and infused with a blend of warm Cinnamon and Cardamom spices. Lightly carbonated to make the perfect alternative to alcohol on a night out or as a mixer to high quality rums!

and Berry Bamble Sting a refreshing mix of fragrant Blackberries and stinging Nettle using Demerara sugar to create a fruity and sophisticated sparkling soft drink that’ll bring you back to early autumn walks down country lanes.

It is definitely something we will be seeing more of.

THE NATURAL BAKERY

If you are living in Dublin then you probably have heard of The Natural Bakery . It is the only bakery in Ireland who have a farm-to-loaf initiative. The flour is milled in-house and supplied by a Dublin tillage farmer, which keeps everything local.

Their range of bread and cakes is amazing. They have everything from seeded, white, wholemeal, gluten free – You name it they have it. They also specialise in custom cakes from their Stillorgan bakery.

I tried the cupcakes and also purchased a loaf of bread and I can honestly say the freshness and taste was beautiful. It was definitely one of the nicest loaves of bread I have tried in Ireland……and if you thought it couldn’t get any better, The Natural Bakery deliver directly to your door. Check out their website for delivery locations.

TOONS BRIDGE DAIRY

If you are a cheese lover like me, you can see why I stopped by Toons Bridge Dairy . Weather it’s ricotta, mozzarella, pecorino or haloumi (to name a few) these guy have you covered. The mozzarella is to die for. They also have olives and lots of antipasto dishes which are available from The Real Olive Co . If you happen to be in the west of Cork they have a shop and pizzeria open in Toons Bridge at weekends where they sell and serve their cheeses, along with our Real Olive products.

Cafe : Fridays & Saturdays 12:30-4:00 / 6:00 – 9:00   Sundays 12:30 – 6:00

 Shop: Fridays & Saturdays 11:00 9:00      Sundays 11:00 – 7:00

THE CUPCAKE BLOKE

I have seen The Cupcake Bloke on social media a lot lately but I had never tried the cupcakes, that was until I was at Taste Dublin. Now I can see why everyone is talking about him. Not only do the cupcakes look great, but they taste great also. From the cute boxes, to the great flavours, next time you see The Cupcake Bloke pop up stop by and try him.

If you are in Dublin you can find him at

Coppinger Row Market, beside Powerscourt Townhouse , Dublin 2

Hours:
Thursday: 10:30am – 4:30pm
Friday: 10:30am – 4:30pm
Saturday: 10:30am – 3:30pm