New Organic Farm Shop and Café Development Planned for Boyle
Notice has been published this week of a planning application to be lodged by Liam and Justina Gavin of Drumanilra Organic Farm and Drumanilra Farm Kitchen, Boyle. The application will be lodged within the next two weeks. Liam & Justina, together with VHA Architects of Sligo, invite members of the community for coffee and a chat next Wednesday 1st May, between 3.30 and 4.30pm at the Drumanilra Farm Kitchen. There will be a chance to view the full plans, ask questions and give feedback before the final submission is lodged.
• The current café on the site, the Drumanilra Farm Kitchen, has won several awards in recent months. The awards recognise the business’s commitment to provenance and to locally produced, organic, ingredients. The new development will incorporate a more extensive cafe with open fireplace, comfortable seating, in-door play den for children, and a dog and child friendly outdoor garden to the rear. The menu will continue to showcase organic meat and vegetables from their own Drumanilra Organic Farm in Corrigeenroe, and from other local and organic Irish producers. The couple say they are particularly excited about the large farm shop space which will “enable us to fully do justice to the amazing organic produce and producers we already work with. “
• The shop will incorporate a deli counter, fresh organic meat counter with an onsite butcher, an organic bakery which will include a range of organic, handmade, “free from” baked goods, an organic vegetable market area, a nano-brewery to supply the café with own-brewed craft beer, and space for sustainable, eco-living style products and gifts. Outside, there will be parking facilities for both cars and bicycles. The building plans incorporate several green technologies to minimise carbon footprint. There is a large community meeting space, and a cookery classroom, both of which can be used for talks, work-shops, and cookery demonstrations, focused on sustainable living, food production and farming practices. The meeting space could also be used by community groups and as a venue for art, music and performance events.
• This is a dream come true for the Gavin family. They moved back from the UK with their three children, seven years ago this April, with a vision to build a business around local, organic food produced on their own farm, and supplied direct to customers who lived locally to the farm, or were visitors to the area. The farm has been in Liam’s family since the 19th Century and both his mother and grandmother were born there. Liam and Justina had built several successful businesses previously, including a chain of coffee shops in Dublin in the 1990s and a holiday business in the South West of England most recently. Justina said: “We wanted to use our experience with those previous projects, to create a social enterprise which could not only make a positive contribution to our community but also care for the land we had inherited and find ways to produce food which is both nutritious and environmentally sustainable. With the plans for our building here in Boyle now close to being finalised, it really feels like we are edging closer to seeing that dream become a reality.”
• Anyone interested in viewing the plans, asking questions or raising concerns, can drop in for coffee and a chat next Wednesday 1st May at between 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm to the Drumanilra Farm Kitchen in Boyle. The architects will bring along full layout plans and will be available to answer questions. Liam and Justina will also be there and would welcome feedback and suggestions from people living in the area to incorporate into the final submission.
• Justina said: “We want to thank everyone in this fantastic community of Boyle for showing such welcome to our family and our business over the last number of years. Many of you have already voiced huge enthusiasm for these plans and it really is appreciated. We hope you can join us next Wednesday!”
Justina and Liam Gavin, Drumanilra Organic Farm and Farm Kitchen
www.drumanilra.ie