ZANNA COOKHOUSE
Wednesday 23 June 2010
Life really is too short for us not to be doing what we really want to do and no matter what you might think it is never too late to have a bash whether it be baking cup cakes, sloshing on oil paints, or writing poetry, you might suddenly discover the real you. The times we are in bring about extraordinary creativity in all fields, when sometimes people think, “well I’ve nothing really to lose so I might as well have a go.”
Owen Mullins spent nearly 30 years in the transport business, but always had a passion for cooking, which he attributes to his mother “who used sell her home baking from the door in the summertime when visitors from Dublin would flock to the beach at Carne.” Three and a half years ago he took the bull by the horns and headed for Ballymaloe Cookery School where he did a 3 month course, and also worked in the kitchen in Ballymaloe House at night whenever the opportunity arose. Returning to Wexford, he got a job in Dunbrody House “under the stewardship of Kevin Dundon” whom he describes as “a perfect gentleman.” Shorly after joining Kevin’s team, Owen began making quiches in his home kitchen for the Farmer’s Market and, in May 2007, he and his wife Lorna presented themselves with their products, under the banner of Zanna Cookhouse, in Wexford Town and sold out. It is strange how things work out for in August 2007, as the slowdown in property began to kick in, Lorna was made redundant from her job in an Auctioneer’s office so she was immediately roped into the kitchen to cope with the increasing demand for Owen’s food. In September 2007 he left Dunbrody House to concentrate on Zanna and, that Christmas, they had to work all night, with the help of their son David, who had worked as a commis chef, and subsequently qualified from GMIT with an honours business degree in Hotel & Catering Management. They then rented a commercial kitchen before approaching the Wexford Enterprise Board and Bank of Ireland and, with their help, bought a bigger unit. They “grew the business by 35% in 2009 and their target for 2010 is 100% growth”. Their repertoire now includes quiches, such as goats cheese with spinach and sun kissed tomato, asparagus and Wexford cheddar, smoked salmon and tarragon, in two sizes retailing at €4.99 and €10.99. They do pies at €5.99 including chicken and ham, spicy lamb, steak and Guinness, and forest mushroom and fresh herb. They now have 15 varieties of soups including cauliflower and Wexford cheddar, broccoli, leek and potato and tomato and basil. What I really fancied were their desserts for they do a lovely Tuscan plum pie as well as Tunisian Orange Cakes, Chocolate and Rum Tortes, Pecan Pie and more… They supplement these products at the Farmer’s Markets with pate, muesli and they also make crepes on site. They have cottoned on too to the Meal Deal idea which is proving popular and they offer a 3 Course meal for 4 people at €20 which consists of soup or pate, large quiche and a large dessert. At the moment they cover Wexford and Enniscorthy Markets on Friday and Saturday respectively and would like to come to Dublin on Sundays but are finding it difficult to get a pitch in the Dublin markets as there is a waiting list.
Owen is emphatic about keeping the home cooked taste in their produce and uses only natural ingredients with no additives or preservatives. He also believes very much in supporting local producers and buys his beef from Jim Whelan, of which more anon, and lamb from John Murphy of Kinnock Farms. Herbs come from Crossabeg, Irish salmon is smoked locally by Millstream, free range eggs come from Kevin McKenna in Waterford and so on and so forth. Having worked in Jury’s Hotel in Bristol for a year, David is now home working at Zanna to help bring the business forward. In March this year they joined the Wexford Bord Bia cluster group which was set up with a view to pooling resources and in particular transport. They have found this association to be a huge step forward in getting their products to Dublin. Zanna Cookhouse products can be found in Fresh outlets at Smithfied, Grand Canal Square, Camden Street and Northern Cross as well as Supervalu Mount Merrion and Nolan’s of Clontarf. They can also be bought at Nellie’s Farm Shop in Kilkenny, widely in Wexford and Ardkeen Stores in Waterford.
Owen says they work hard and sometimes the days are long, but it is a labour of love.
Zanna Cookhouse can be contacted on Tel: (053) 913-1714/085 851-7085