The Kitchen Press #100!!!
Celebrating 100 editions of weekly news
I’ve written 100 news posts here - two whole years of Substack! Can’t quite believe it. I’ve loved it, and I hope you have too. Plenty more to come, promise. This week, though, it’s short and sweet because remember when I said I’d take bank holidays off from food news? But then sent an extra one on Paddy’s Day. Oops. I will instead be doing a shorter roundup than usual today. Deadlines are piling up, so I’m cramming in the writing before shutting the laptop today and hoping to enjoy some of that sunshine. Slán x
Fresh ingredients:
News & stuff I’m excited about
Passed by La Vespa on Castle Street this week, just opposite La Maison, who I believe are also the team behind this new Italian spot. Looks like it’s open. Here’s the menu.
Two Fifty Square has opened a new location in Sandyford.
Kin Dee is a newly opened South East Asian restaurant that has taken the space that was Indo-Chine on Lesson Street.
The cafe that was Studel in Dun Laoghaire is now Croissantly, who you may know from Glasnevin and Marlay Park markets.
Got a few million hanging around and fancy buying a hospitality space? Cliff at Lyons location, The Village at Lyons in Celbridge, is for sale for €20 million. In Temple Bar, the Vintage Cocktail Club building is for sale for a more affordable €2 million.
I forgot to share the Hot Dinners Murphia List last week! Always interesting to see how much great Irish talent contributes to the creativity of London’s food and drink scene.
This event at Cleary’s pub on April 1st sold out, so they’ve added another one for April 2nd - be quick! Bia Duit & Assassination Custard present: Food at Easter Time in Ireland
The Centre of Food Culture Ireland and Sheridans Cheese have launched their 2026 series of Meet the Maker and Farm Walk events, kicking off with Kinsale Mead in April. Take a look at the full lineup here.
Did you know Keogh’s Crisps are the only mainstream Irish brand that is still fully Irish-owned? Although technically, there is also the lesser-known Irish-owned Manhattan, based in Finglas, which makes ELITE cheese and onion crisps.
Food and drink producers - Boyne Valley Flavours are hosting the first Regional Producer Showcase on 30th April 2026 at Emerald Park, County Meath, bringing together food and drink producers from across the Mid East and North East in one dedicated trade-focused event. Trade only - find out more here.
Dates for the diary will be back next week, plus I have a mammoth listings piece I’ve been working on for the Irish Times that I can share very soon too!
Petit Fours:
Sweet bits to watch, listen, read or obsess over, etc.
Listen to JR Ryall, pastry chef from Ballymaloe House, on Radio Cherry Bombe.
Richard Corrigan’s guide to the best Irish spots in London.
It’s Not Easy Being Green - Inside the UK’s Matcha Boom.
Thanks for reading The Kitchen Press, my weekly round-up of Irish food, drink and hospitality news. If you liked my writing, I’ve got a very fun book out, A Compendium of Irish Pints. You can also follow my eating and drinking, and other writing work, over on Instagram and sporadically on TikTok.
The Kitchen Press Food News is a reader-supported publication. Your subscription, free or paid, means I can keep delivering it weekly, so please do subscribe. GRMA x
