Ireland's Brighton -- The fashionable seaside resort of Bray filled with bars and culinary treats

Bray

Less than 13 miles from the centre of Dublin is Ireland's original seaside resort.  Bray is a fine town straddling the Dublin Wicklow border. In 1854 the railway was built out as far as, what had been up to this, a sleepy market town and thus sparked a building boom.

The town was transformed into a fashionable seaside resort and it became known as the "Brighton of Ireland".  Today there are still magnificent terraces of houses along the sea front and a lovely promenade with views up to Bray Head.  On a sunny day there is no where better to blow the cobwebs away.

Bray has really become a destination in it's own right with lots to do and see and has some fantastic bars and restaurants.  The Lonely Planet recently listed The Harbour Bar the best bar in the world.  It's cosy, quirky and full of character.  It is also a great live music venue.

There is almost a little Italy developing with restaurants, cafes, gelaterias and even a risto-market selling Italian cheese, charcuterie and coffee as well as pizza, panini, Italian breads and baked goods to eat in or take away.

Pastries and biscuits in the
risto-market

We had a lovely lunch here, the-day-after-the-night-before, a panino and a glass of  "hair of the dog" whilst watching a chef prepare ravioli for the newly relocated restaurant across the road.  Campo di fiori was originally located where the risto-market is now.  It is owned and run by an Italian couple, Marco and Laura from Rome.

There is a Farmers' market in the town every Saturday which is small, but there is an excellent vegetable and fruit stall selling all organic produce from a farm run by the Dominicans in Wicklow town.  They also sell some of their own free range organic pork, lamb and beef.

We bought really fresh fish from a selection of sea bream, hake, langoustines and sole amongst many more while bantering with the Chinese owner.  He supplies a lot of the restaurants in the town and loves to talk.

Bray has lots of little gift and coffee shops perfect for a Saturday morning browse. There are some real gems down the side streets and also some great boutiques. 

When I was a child Bray had degenerated into somewhere slightly seedy and run down. It's former grandeur reduced to has-been status.  My memory of it were dodgems and one armed bandits.  Today it has been transformed into a sophisticated, multi-cultural and cosmopolitan town and I really love spending the weekend here and return feeling as if I have really been away.

Waste not want not - throwing out food in a culture of fear

The best before on this is August 2003

Apparently we consumers throw out on average 30% of the food we buy in supermarkets to the value of €1000 a year. A pretty staggering statistic if it is multiplied by the 1.6 million households in the country. And that is just in Ireland.

I heard a discussion on the radio last evening about the subject.  The most memorable comment was that food is now viewed as something that is dangerous.  Food can poison us, make us fat, give us heart disease or diabetes.  New food safety legislation enforces this belief amongst consumers who have developed a real fear of food. 

Dates on processed food are inspected and if not compliant then the item is binned.  What has happened to common sense and instinct? How did the human race survive before refrigeration and "best before"?


The multiples sell two items for the price of one or buy two - get one free.  The one free is a cost if you end up throwing it out. 

When I was a child I grew up in a household where nothing was wasted and very little food was ever binned.  I remember my mother and grandmother casually scraping mould off jars of homemade jam and marmalade and then passing it around.  Cheese was treated similarly and items in the fridge were sniffed and then pronounced fine. 

Another comment made was that consumers don't plan.  They go grocery shopping when hungry, with small kids in tow, or race around the supermarket after work before collecting the children from the childminder.  Sorry, but having being there and done that, I don't appreciate that comment.  I was never superwoman and most people are not.  Plus it is very difficult not to be swayed by the cunning marketing of two for the price of one, especially when you are on a tight budget.

What is needed is common sense and to trust your instinct. Believe it or not the human race has evolved over time to know instinctively if something is good to eat or is potentially dangerous.  Trust your senses. Use "best before dates" and "use by" dates as a guideline.  Don't buy extra unless you can freeze it or store it. 

€1000 per household per annum is a lot of waste.

I plan on opening the can of soup pictured in August 2013 10 years after it's best before......