There are all sorts of reasons why a holiday can become one of the best of your life. Activities, attractions, food (of course)… but more often than not it’s the people you meet and interact with. And in Cork, both the city and surrounding county are filled with the friendliest, most hospitable people you can imagine.

It’s these same people who are responsible for Cork’s incredible food scene. This is where quality is championed above all else; the county is a place of lush, green farmland, and that comes through in the fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy that make their way into its shops and restaurants. Corkonians (as they’re known) really care about where their food comes from, and buying local is the norm for many.

Our few days in Cork, with chefs Robin Gill and Richard Bainbridge, only scratched the surface of what this seriously foodie part of the island of Ireland can offer, but we came away with a huge list of recommendations for when we return. East Cork, in particular, feels like an undiscovered gem, and the food-focused market town of Midleton was somewhere we all started dreaming of moving to. Here’s the best of what we ate, drank and did in the culinary jewel of Ireland’s crown.

When the COVID lockdowns hit in 2020, teacher Sharon Gleeson decided it was time to turn her love for sourdough into a full-time job. So with her partner Cathal, she opened The Grumpy Bakers in Midleton, a small market town east of Cork City. Six years later, it’s responsible for the best loaves of bread in Cork and has opened a second outpost within Cork City itself.

The Grumpy Bakers is everything you want in a bakery – the bread is the draw, but it’s the pastries (think Paris-level patisserie flavoured with the likes of matcha, yuzu and black sesame, or local strawberry compote infused with fig leaf oil) that really set it apart. And that’s before you get to the excellent coffee and deep-filled sandwiches as big as your head.

Locally milled grains and organic flours are at the core of everything the team makes daily, and there’s real thought and innovation when it comes to the flavour profiles on offer. There’s traditional classics there, for sure, but they sit alongside buns flavoured with wild blackberries and foraged meadowsweet (an almond-like herb). The result? A very special bakery indeed.

thegrumpybakers.ie. Open Weds-Sun.

If you’ve ever picked and eaten a ripe tomato straight off the plant, you know how intensely sweet – and far-removed from supermarket tomatoes – they can be. That same logic applies to pretty much all fruit and veg, and at Conor McCauley’s farm on the outskirts of Midleton, even the carrots are a revelation.

Yellow Belly Farm is the definition of a passion project. Conor’s day job sees him working as a high-up software engineer in the city, but you can tell his heart lies with the four acres of farmland he has built up with his partner Elena. Many of the best restaurants in the world spend decades building up their own small farms to ensure they’re getting the best produce possible; Yellow Belly is only four years old and is already responsible for some of the best organic vegetables in the county.

While you can’t just turn up whenever you like to the farm, you can attend yoga and pilates classes every Saturday morning, and there are plans for glamping yurts around the corner. Yellow Belly veg boxes are highly coveted and available to pick up, but the produce is also sold at Cork City’s English Market and is on the menu at Midleton’s local restaurant CUSH. If you see any leaves, vegetables or fruits bearing the Yellow Belly name, snap them up – your tastebuds will thank you.

yellowbellyfarm.com.

The best butchers always seem to be family-run, and Murphy’s is the textbook definition of one. Run by Frank Murphy and his son Brian, Murphy’s (which has been on Midleton’s high street for over 200 years!) simply works with the finest local farmers and makes the most of multi-generational experience to ensure only the very best ever reaches the counter. Any cut you see can be traced back to a Cork farm and the Murphy’s even have their own local abattoir, which ensures a level of traceability few other butchers can offer.

Everything you see for sale in Murphy’s Butchers is brilliant, but if there’s one thing you need to try it’s the black pudding. Most black pudding today is made with dried blood; at Murphy’s, they make it using fresh, just like it’s supposed to be, and the difference in taste and texture is phenomenal. If that’s not your thing, then go for the porterhouse steaks – they’re dry-aged in-house and have a depth of flavour few other steaks could ever achieve.

murphybutchersmidleton.com. Open 9-6pm; closed Sundays.

If you think it’s difficult to get excited about milk, you’ve clearly never paid a visit to Rostellan Farm. This third-generation dairy farm is home to one of the best farm shops in the whole of Co. Cork, which is enough reason alone to make the trip (it’s a half-hour drive east of Cork City) – but it’s the milk that farmers Joe and Olivia produce and sell on-site which really draws the crowds.

From their specialist vending machine, you can either place your own bottle or one of their own under the nozzle and be rewarded with some truly incredible milk. It has a sweetness that’s unlike anything else we’ve tasted; we likened it to drinking melted vanilla ice cream (a true ‘cow-to-cone’ experience!). It’s the result of generations of experience combined with the lush farmland of Cork and a herd of happy, well-fed cows.

You can enjoy the milk as is (which is ours – and farmer Joe’s – recommendation), but it also comes in flavours including chocolate, strawberry, mint and caramel if you prefer. There’s also ice cream, great lunches and a whole host of incredible things on offer from other local farms and artisans in the shop itself, so ample opportunity to stock up on proper Cork produce.

rostellanfarm.ie. Open Mon-Sat, 9-5pm.

Ballycotton is a little fishing village on Ireland’s east coast with a huge amount to offer. The views across the coastline, especially overlooking its famous island lighthouse, are second to none, and there are sandy beaches and great seafood to be enjoyed. It’s about 25 miles east of Cork City, and well worth the trip.

One thing you must do if you visit, however, is to get a pint of stout (Murphy’s and Beamish are locally brewed alternatives to Guinness) and sit out front of The Salty Dog pub, ideally as the sun sets over the lighthouse and the fishing boats bobbing away in the harbour below. It’s a warm, friendly place which often hosts live music, and it serves good food too; a mixture of pub classics and locally caught seafood. You can even stay in one of the rooms there if you plan on making a night of it, offering more time to take in the beauty of Ballycotton Bay.

saltydogballycotton.ie. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Incredible farmers, world-class artisans and passionate producers can be found in every nook and cranny of Cork – but The English Market in Cork City is where you can find all their wares under one roof. This covered market is one of the region’s top attractions for a reason; not only is it a beautiful building that’s packed come rain or shine, it sells literally every consumable you can think of.

There’s the fresh fruit, veg and meat Cork is known for, of course, but there’s also specialist ingredients from every cuisine you can think of. Irish charcuterie and cheese are sold alongside the best olive oils and vinegars; butchers sell traditional specialities next to trendy wine merchants. And once you’re done browsing and those shopping bags are starting to feel a little heavy, there are plenty of stalls selling pies, sushi, sandwiches, sausages and more so you can perch somewhere and enjoy a bit of lunch.

corkcity.ie/en/english-market. Open Mon-Sat, 8.30-6pm.

Many of the producers we’ve highlighted above are based in Midleton, but that’s only a snapshot of what this special little market town has to offer. It’s well worth putting a day aside to really appreciate its food scene; if you happen to be in the area on a Saturday then Midleton Farmers’ Market is a must, and it feels as though every other shop on the main high street offers up a window full of culinary delights.

The most well-known attraction in the town is the Old Midleton Distillery, one of the biggest in the world, and where the likes of Jameson, Redbreast and Greenspot (among other whiskies) are produced. Going for the guided tour here isn’t just a lesson in how whiskey is made; it’s a history lesson which really hammers home just how culturally important the spirit is to Ireland.

It’s not just food and drink in Midleton, however. The famous Fota Wildlife Park is nearby, and Midleton’s own Bailick Park is famous for its Kindred Spirits sculpture. There are beautiful sandy beaches and incredible coastal walks just a short drive away, too, making it an ideal HQ for enjoying everything east Cork has to offer.

visitmidleton.ie.

The above recommendations offer heaps of reasons to visit Cork, but there’s so much more the county has to offer. West Cork has its own culinary charms, and there is of course the internationally renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School with its farm and gardens – a destination in its own right. It’s somewhere we can’t wait to return to, but until then, recreate the simple, produce-led dishes which Robin and Richard cooked up for all the wonderful producers we met during our short time there while you plan your own trip to Ireland’s food capital.