We reopen today and are delighted to welcome guests back to Ballymaloe House Hotel ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿฅฐ ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

We reopen today and are delighted to welcome guests back to Ballymaloe House Hotel, with a wonderful new addition at the heart of the house, a brand-new, purpose-built kitchen.

For over sixty years, we have cooked with the seasons, using produce grown in our gardens, on the farm, and from local producers and with a deep respect for the ingredients. Now, that philosophy is matched by a kitchen designed to the highest modern standards, created to support our team and the next generation of chefs.

Custom-designed by Trevor Oโ€™Sullivan Cork Bar & Catering Equipment Ltd and manufactured in Italy by Marrone Custom Cooking the new space brings chefs, pastry, prep, and wash-up together in one open, beautifully organised layout, built for calm creativity and seamless service.

โ€œMy team and I are very excited to reopen today and to begin cooking in our newly rebuilt kitchen,โ€ says Executive Head Chef Dervilla Oโ€™Flynn. โ€œAfter years of reimagining the space, we have created a calm, beautifully organised kitchen that supports both chefs and front of house. It is the heart of the house, and a real milestone for our team.โ€

We look forward to welcoming you back. Book your table or stay: ballymaloe.ie

Happy International Womenโ€™s Day and thank you for everything you do ๐ŸŒŸ @flahavans #IWD2026

flahavans

โ€ข

  • Today, weโ€™re celebrating the incredible women at Flahavanโ€™s HQ who help drive our business forward every single day. Your passion, commitment and hard work shape who we are and the progress we continue to make.

    Happy International Womenโ€™s Day and thank you for everything you do ๐ŸŒŸ

    Meet some of the amazing women behind our brandโ€ฆ

    #InspireInclusionย #IWD20262h

Sharon Hearne Smith’s Porridge Bread is SO easy to make! @RTEToday


By Sharon Hearne Smith

Food Stylist & Writer

More from
Today

Sharon Hearne Smith’s Sesame Seed Porridge Bread from Today with Maura and Dรกithรญ.

Ingredients

This is an unusual bread recipe, based on porridge oats and yoghurt instead of flour and water. It is quick, easy and virtually foolproof to make.

Use any selection of seeds you prefer instead of sesame seeds, or omit them altogether for a plain bread. Alternatively, add other flavours like nuts and dried fruits or sundried tomatoes and basil or a swirl of pesto would be delicious too. This bread stays quite moist and fresh for a few days stored in an airtight container.

Makes: 1 loaf (about 12 slices)

  • Sunflower oil for greasing
  • 500g tub natural yoghurt
  • 100ml milk
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds + extra for sprinkling
  • 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 x 500ml yoghurt tubs of porridge oats (or 400g)
  • butter for serving, optional

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C), 400F, Gas Mark 6. Grease a 1Lb loaf tin (approximately 3 x 5 x 7 inch) with parchment paper and grease again.
  2. Scoop the yoghurt into a large bowl. Add the milk, oil, sesame seeds and bicarbonate of soda and mix until well blended.
  3. Fill a clean and dry yoghurt tub with oats and tip them in. Repeat with aย second tub of oats. Alternatively, weigh out 400g of oats on a scales.
  4. Mix everything together until well blended.
  5. Spoon into the prepared tin, spreading the top level. Scatter a small handful of sesame seeds on top.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when pierced in the middle.
  7. Remove from the tin and return the loaf to oven, directly on the shelf, for another 5 minutes to dry out the crust.
  8. Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack. Cut into slices and serve spread with a little butter if liked.