Is it just me or does preparing a meal sometimes feel like an overwhelming task? We all have a fondness for tasty food, yet between our jobs, children, and the endless to-do list of life, devoting time to meal preparation, particularly during the week, can feel draining. What if instead, you preferred to embrace the sunny day or relax with your loved ones? Many of us lead incredibly busy lives and coming home to prepare a meal from scratch isn’t always appealing after an exhausting day at work. Plus, quality time with family should be spent enjoying each other’s company, rather than being occupied with grocery shopping, preparing, and cleaning.
There is a certain appeal to immediate gratification every so often. I’m referring to handy techniques, smart ingredients, and multitasking solutions – things that help create a delightful dinner with minimal effort. If this sounds intriguing, Donnybrook Fair can make it a reality with a convenient shopping trip. It makes those precious Friday family nights and weekend meals incredibly easy with their delicious pre-prepared dinners that are already portioned, simple to warm, and serve. Just pop them in the oven, and within 30 minutes, you’ll have a steaming, hearty dish that tantalises your taste buds – a premium ready meal to savour.
Nik Dillon, an operator at Alkamee, a boutique brand agency, and a busy mother to two ravenous teenage boys aged 13 and 16, is an immense fan of Donnybrook Fair. She speaks highly of their incredible food quality, often comparing the store to a food version of Disneyland due to its wide variety of delectable food options available. She appreciates that they not only support local Irish artisan food producers but have a knack for making healthy foods appealing in a way that other stores struggle with. However, it’s their pre-prepared ready meals that earn the standing ovations in her home.
“Each bite at Donnybrook Fair is meticulously crafted, prioritising high-quality ingredients and distinct taste,” she opines. “The assortment of recipe choices, perfected through the keen skills of expert chefs, holds a magnetic charm for our family. Each day presents a fresh gastronomic exploration. We each have our cherished dishes and the wonderful aspect of ‘Donnybrook Fair evenings’ is our ability to choose our individual meals, conveniently portioned. Adam, my husband, unequivocally opts for lasagne, being an ardent pasta enthusiast. In contrast, my elder son often switches between Thai green curry, chicken korma and chicken tikka masala, due to his predilection for spicy food. Spaghetti bolognese holds a special place in my youngest son’s palate, while I am particularly fond of their seasoned seabass. Truly, it’s challenging to single out just one dish, they all taste divine.”
John Dunne, the Executive Head Chef, meticulously selects and endorses ingredients poised for use, ensuring the best quality in their meals. “Our chefs conduct frequent tastings across all food varieties, keeping the standards elevated, always. There’s a cognisance that our reputation is as good as our most recent serving; hence, that needs to be exemplary enough for your table. Such a belief inspires us to maintain a consistent quality. We urge our chefs to embrace and exude pride in their culinary endeavours, and it’s my responsibility to ensure this pride converts into exceptional dishes, across the kitchen operations.”
Each new dish is prepared with a hands-on approach in their culinary centres in small consignments to uphold freshness, excellence and uniformity. “To ensure our flavour and texture standards are met, new recipes are developed in micro batches initially; thereafter, a team of chefs take over the creation process. Regardless of the scale, our cooking techniques remain fundamentally attached to a small-batch philosophy,” he asserts.
Alongside Donnybrook Fair’s prestigious gourmet dishes like beef bourguignon, traditional comfort foods – shepherd’s pie and cottage pie, have attained legendary status. Perhaps, the lavish use of Irish butter, lean, top-quality beef mince and a rotation of potato varieties used in their mashed potato coverings contribute to their immense popularity. Some followers have even taken to bringing in their pie dishes to their nearest store, requesting the staff to serve their preferred Donnybrook Fair classics, enabling them to pass off these delicious dishes as home-cooked to their book club members, sports night attendees or mid-week visitors.
Dillon comments, “At the end of a busy day, I find it incredibly convenient that I can just pop over to Donnybrook Fair in Dundrum or the SuperValu in Knocklyon near me and quickly grab a scrumptious dinner guaranteed to make everyone grin from ear to ear. What’s great is that whenever I get their dishes, I know I can expect the same satisfying taste. I trust I’m getting my money’s worth as the servings are generous and the meal deals perfectly fit our four-person family. What’s even more persuasive for me, is knowing that every single dish is filled with protein and free from artificial flavours and colours. Discovering healthy food that my boys eagerly await is a rare treasure… They’re even keen on the salads — the potato salad, the creamy coleslaw, and the carrot and roasted pumpkin seed salad are loved by all of us.
The meals crafted by hand are the real winners in our household.
“I strongly believe that Donnybrook Fair takes pride in going the extra mile for its patrons in every endeavour. I’m an experienced home baker, and I can’t figure out how they make their baked goodies and treats so irresistible, but our children are just in love with their chunky rocky roads.
“As a family, we enjoy a splendid meal out and we also enjoy cooking. However, in this rapidly moving world, finding time to whip up a mouth-watering, hearty meal can be a tough task. Therefore, whenever possible, we love to relax and enjoy restaurant-standard food within our home’s cosy environment. This saves us hours spent in the kitchen and the invaluable time we spend together as a family, just enjoying each other’s company, is simply irreplaceable,” she winds up her opinion.
The meals and baked treats prepared by hand at Donnybrook Fair are accessible at its Dublin outlets and also at select SuperValu and Centra stores across the nation.”