10 Dec My Superheroes 2 – Local Producers in Waterford (Fruit & Veg)
Superheros.
Here at Momo we have 4 fruit and vegetable suppliers. You are probably wondering ‘why 4? Is one not good enough?’ The answer is no.
For us, seasonal and local produce is a must. Our suppliers are small, independent and local. They are all full of passion. They all work extremely hard. They have to deal with the rain, the cold, the wind, the sunshine (or rather the lack of it :)) and the seasons. They all offer something different. They don’t produce big quantities of crops but sometimes even they cannot keep up with the demand.
The Ballybeg Greens – Sean, Billy, Johnny and the rest of the team.
I met these guys during the Summer a couple of years ago in the New Street Garden. Sean has the biggest hands and heart. They always put a smile on my face. They have beautiful and fresh produce; the best herbs I’ve ever seen or tasted. Chocolate mint. Basil mint. Pineapple mint. Peppermint. Spearmint. Apple mint. Did you know that there is so many different types of mint?! Truly inspiring!
And the salad leaves, edible flowers and, of course, the vegetables! Watermelons – the best ones are from Ballybeg! Find them on Facebook.
The GIY guys – Michael Kelly, and the Main Grower Dermot Carey
I will always remember my first conversation with Dermot; at least 30 minutes on the phone explaining our ethos. Why do we want to have GIY vegetables? What are we going to do with them? Will we respect the produce? Are we serious about local produce? I adore Dermot. Every single conversation with him is inspiring and his knowledge is incredible. You can talk with him about vegetables for weeks! And, surprisingly, it is very interesting! I really don’t know how he does it. I know that he started to “grow his own” at the very early age of nine. So, if you would like to Grow It Yourself – do it! The GIY group is the way to go offering super support and knowledge. And they are fun, too! We had the pleasure to host a dinner during the Harvest Festival using GIY produce. It was a 100% vegetarian meal (4 courses) showcasing the fantastic vegetables that are so full of love and hard work. Baby turnips. Beetroot ice cream – so sweet and vibrant. Baby carrots. Leeks. Cauliflower. Spinach. Pumpkin. The list is long and changes in accordance with the seasons ?.
Tom Cleary – Wexford.
Every Friday, after lunch, Tom arrives in his white van. He parks cross the road, goes straight to the kitchen, takes the order and then delivers his beautiful vegetables. His wife is always with him. His hands are not afraid of hard work. He is funny. Every single time when we pay him, Tom gives back a €2 coin for good luck. His vegetables are stunning! Rainbow beetroots. Black curly kale. Leeks. Carrots. Super potatoes!
Dunphy’s of Annestown – Eoghen.
Look at these stunning rainbow carrots! Ok, you might think that I’m the weird one – getting excited about the carrots – but I really am. I love and adore the fresh produce; the colour and the smell. Eoghen has the biggest selection of fruit and vegetables. He provides us with exotic, top quality stuff from lemons to pomegranate and avocados to broccoli. He started to grow his own produce recently and as you can see – he knows how to do it!
So please buy local. Support these guys. They have families. They work hard. They really do care. It is personal. I have had the pleasure to get to know them all. I love having our little chats, the serious conversations and exchanging the funny stories. I prefer to buy from them – I know where the money will go.
Please go to the market. Try to Grow It Yourself. You won’t be disappointed. The taste of locally grown vegetables is different – very different. They taste soooo good! Our job is to do justice to their produce and respect the hard work of these amazing people.