Samhain Festival of Food & Culture curator, Olivia Duff, on her life in food

A producer, hotelier, and festival curator, Olivia Duff has experience in many different aspects of the Irish food scene, and has amassed a wealth of knowledge over the years. With Samhain Festival of Food & Culture returning to Kells for its fifth year from November 2-5, we thought it the perfect opportunity to pick Olivia’s brain.

Outside of the Festival, Olivia plays a key role at her family’s hotel, The Headfort Arms, in Kells. She also produces the multi-award-winning Kells Gin alongside her brother, Vincent, is a member of the Irish Food Champions Network, and is spearheading the development of Ireland’s first Centre of Food Culture based in the Boyne Valley – making her a true Irish food ambassador.

Here, she shares everything from her earliest foodie memories to her go-to breakfast, favourite flavours, and culinary inspirations…

What are your earliest memories of food?

Typically Irish, I literally grew up over at The Headfort Arms Hotel in Kells, so it was that classic ‘family-run’ relationship of running in and out of the kitchen from a really young age in a rural business. My Dad was a great cook and I can still recollect the waft of liver and bacon, kippers, or kidneys being cooked in our house growing up. He always encouraged me to taste, it’s only with time that I began to appreciate these types of foods.

How would you describe your relationship with food?

My life revolves around it really. I just feel that food is the greatest common language we have, it transcends cultures, boundaries, and generations, it’s just so powerful in bringing people together. I get the greatest joy from picking a cherry tomato at home knowing that I’ve planted it with the kids months earlier, food just makes me happy.

What was the first meal you learned to cook?

Helen in our kitchen at the hotel taught me how to make apple tart from the neighbour’s tree when I was only about 5 years old and the lovely part is that Helen is still with us to this day at the Headfort Arms (now a few decades later!).

How did food become a part of your career?

It was such a part of growing up in a family-run environment. I did Hotel Management in Shannon. I strayed away from it for some years, focusing on event management and travelled quite a bit where I always took an interest in food and culture. But my heart lies at home in the countryside in Meath and I’m so grateful to be able to produce a lot of what we eat from home. Returning also to the family business in Kells allowed me to become really involved with the journey of the Boyne Valley as a food destination and it has been a joy to be involved in its evolution over the past decade.

What’s your go-to breakfast?

Baska sourdough toast, freshly laid eggs from my girls (the hens that is!), and a good spoon of White Mausu Peanut Rayu, (plus a little coriander or rocket if I have it to hand), with a nice flat white. I am also addicted to Oir Tonic, I can’t be without my Sea Moss drink each morning.

If you’re impressing friends and family at a dinner party, what are you serving up?

We have a wood-fired oven at home and it’s just the most social special thing. Learning to cook with fire is just a joy. Fire her up, put some good tunes on, and away we go! It’s usually several renditions of flatbreads and pizza that just keep going.

Who is your culinary inspiration?

Darina Allen, always. Not just on the culinary front, but for her vision, resilience, energy, and just the whole philosophy that she instils in everyone that she meets. Everything begins with the soil – that ground-up approach really resonates with me.

What would your last meal on earth be?

I’m a carnivore at heart so it would probably be a lovely piece of dry-aged ribeye, cooked over fire, and I’d be quite happy to eat that with my hands.

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Pie! Particularly in winter, there are lots of pies and soups made and consumed in our house. I’ve featured my Ham Hock & Leek pie in The Gathered Table recipe book for the Peter McVerry Trust, which focuses on recipes that mean home, and that for me is one which always says ‘welcome home!’

What’s the go-to quick meal you cook when you’re tired and hungry?

Really quick, it’s always a sourdough, pulled ham and cheese toastie. I’m a divil for cooking a ham. I’m blessed to be able to produce my own at home and finding as many renditions of it in the following days is so satisfying, including school lunchbox solutions!

What is one food or flavour you cannot stand?

I don’t enjoy celery. And as criminal as it is, I’ve never liked tuna, even in its best form.

Hangover cure?

Shakshuka, or possibly a Tayto crisp sandwich! A friend of mine converted me to Bloody Marys a few years ago with a good shot of Tabasco.

Sweet or savoury?

Savoury all the way.

Fine dining or pub grub?

Pub grub definitely. I’m a grazer.

Favourite restaurant in Ireland?

My favourite restaurant is my own kitchen table. It is where I’m happiest surrounded by friends and family.

Best coffee in Ireland?

It might be something to do with the location but I just love Bean in Dingle, not just for the coffee, but the energy and the vibe too.

Go-to beverage accompaniment?

My favourite local beverage is Cockagee Cider, a cuvée cider made by Mark Jenkinson in Slane. It’s just amazing, for me it’s the Champagne of Ireland. It’s a lovely drink to serve at the beginning of an evening, or even with food.

What are your thoughts on the Irish foodie scene?

I’m so proud of how far we have come in the past 20 years. We have this incredible green larder and wonderful producers who work it, but frustratingly we are still struggling to get local food on local menus. We need to grow confidence in our produce and the story behind it and then we all need to become great storytellers to bring people along with us.

What’s your favourite thing about cooking?

Just how it makes you feel! It’s the ultimate session in mindfulness. Regardless of the type of day you’ve had, cooking is so immersive and rewarding.

What does food — sitting down to a meal with friends, mindfully preparing a meal, nourishment, etc — mean to you?

Taking something from the fridge that I know has been carefully reared and produced with us, preparing it at home, and then sharing that with friends or family around a table is just one of life’s joys.

Food for thought — Is there room for improvement within the Irish food/restaurant/hospitality scene?

Well, it’s no secret that the majority of kitchens are under severe pressure at the moment, ‘chef crisis’, ‘skills shortage’, call it what you may…. we haven’t managed to fully address the perception of working in the hospitality sector as a vibrant, exciting and positive career path. Every employer needs to see themselves as an educator and mentor for those entering our sector and our talent needs to be nurtured.

Chef’s kiss — Tell us about one standout foodie experience you’ve had recently.

Well, it’s last year but Allta came to Slane and became tented on the banks of the Boyne for the most immersive hyper-local dining experience ever. It literally lifted the entire food scene in the Boyne Valley for the Summer and I think if something like this stayed it would have an incredible influence for the longer term in our region

Compliments to the chef — Now’s your chance to sing the praises of a talented chef, beloved restaurant or particularly talented foodie family member.

I worked with Conor Halpenny back in 2017 to bring the Boyne Valley Banquet to the Oxford Symposium of Food. That year Conor had just won the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year. Now he is President of Euro-Toques and heads up Square in Dundalk, a standout restaurant in our region which personifies the best of Irish in every sense.

Secret ingredient — What, in your estimation, makes the perfect dining experience?

For me, it’s not about formality, it’s about authenticity. A great experience must have a great story, and the company of course!

Photography by Kirsty Lyons.