Ballymaloe Cookery School
Kitchen garden at Ballymaloe, County Cork
Established1983
FocusCookery school
OwnerAllen family
Location,
Ireland
Coordinates51°51′35″N 8°01′55″W / 51.8596°N 8.0320°W / 51.8596; -8.0320

The Ballymaloe Cookery School (ba-lee-ma-LOO) is a privately run cookery school in Shanagarry, County Cork, Ireland, that was opened in 1983. It is run by Darina Allen, a celebrity chef, cookery book author and pioneer of the slow food movement in Ireland. The school is located within the grounds of an organic farm.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

History

The modern, formal herb garden at Ballymaloe Cookery School

Myrtle Allen and her husband Ivan bought Ballymaloe House in 1948, and opened it as a restaurant in 1964.[7][8] In 1968, Darina O'Connell joined them and taught and cooked for several years.[8] In 1975, Myrtle Allen became the first Irish woman to receive a Michelin Star, which she held for five years.[8]

Darina married the Allen's son Tim, and (together with her brother Rory O'Connell) started the Ballymaloe Cooking School in nearby Kinoith in 1983.[9][8] Ballymaloe Cookery School is located approximately 4 km from Ballymaloe House.

Celebrity chef Rachel Allen also has a connection to Ballymaloe.[10] She graduated from the school and is married to Isaac Allen, the son of Darina Allen.

As of 2023, the school was majority owned by Darina Allen.[11]

Controversy

Tim Allen conviction

Tim Allen, husband of Darina, was convicted of possessing child abuse images in 2003.[12] The images were recovered from his home computer as well as computers at the school.[12] The presiding judge substituted a nine-month suspended sentence for a 240-hour community service order and his name was placed upon the sex offenders register.[12] This substitution followed an agreement by Allen to contribute €40,000 to charity.[12][13] Some people phoned Ballymaloe to say they would never dine there again.[14] In January 2003, the Allen family announced that Tim Allen would cease all connections with Ballymaloe Cookery School, Ballymaloe House Hotel and all related businesses.[15] The family also stated their abhorrence of any material containing child abuse and expressed regret at anyone who had been hurt by it.[14]

Joshua Allen convictions

Joshua Allen, eldest son of Rachel Allen, was found to be in possession of over €22,000 worth of cannabis at the cooking school in August 2018.[16][17][18] Customs officers intercepted a package containing cannabis on 27 August 2018.[17] The package was postmarked from the US and addressed to Joshua Allen at the cookery school.[17] Gardaí organised a controlled delivery of the package to the cookery school on 30 August 2018, and the teenager was arrested after receiving and opening the package.[17] He was jailed after pleading guilty to possession of controlled substances.[17][16][18] He was released early from Cork Prison in May 2020 and within five weeks was arrested for possession of €280 worth of cocaine and sentenced to two months in prison (which could result in the suspended portion of the 15 month cannabis conviction being activated).[19][20]

COVID-19 lockdown

In February 2021, the cookery school was criticised after it was revealed that an in-person cookery course had been held during Level 5 lockdown – in apparent conflict with the banning of organised gatherings and closure of restaurants and training events.[21][22][23] An Garda Síochána announced that they had visited the school in February.[22][21] Darina Allen defended the school, saying the students in question had arrived in Ireland by late December and the lockdown had been announced on 30 December, starting the next day.[22][23] The course began after students self-isolated for 14 days,[22][23] and was modified after the lockdown was extended in late January.[22][23]

Further reading

  • Darina Allen A Year at Ballymaloe Cookery School (2007) ISBN 9781904920588

References

  1. Trainer, Melissa A. (2 January 2005). "In Ireland, Cookery Amid the Greenery". New York Times. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  2. Turner, Sarah (5 February 2006). "Cooking holiday:Ballymaloe". The Observer. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  3. Field, Elizabeth (21 May 2006). "Irish get cooking, naturally". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  4. "Food from Ireland, Chris Barber visits Ballymaloe cookery school, in Co Cork, where organic food production is as important as culinary skills". Country Life. 1 January 2001. pp. 195, 122–123.
  5. "Top class cuisine at Ballymaloe: Ireland's champion cook Darina Allen concocts a delicious menu from her organic gardens". Country Living. London. 1 January 1997. pp. 140–145.
  6. "Catharine Stott went to Ireland to meet Darina Allen, founder of the Ballymaloe cookery school". Living Earth. 2000. pp. 14–15.
  7. "Ballymaloe founder and award-winning chef Myrtle Allen has died". Irish Examiner. 11 June 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Pike, Charlotte (21 June 2018). "Myrtle Allen obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  9. "Ballymaloe Cookery School: The Story". cookingisfun.ie. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  10. "Rachel Allen: "I have found a strength that I didn't know I had"". rte.ie. RTÉ. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  11. "Profits at Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery School climb to €2.82m". breakingnews.ie. The Irish Times DAC. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Criticism of Tim Allen sentencing". RTÉ News. 16 January 2003. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  13. Anderson, Paul (16 January 2003). "Fine Gael's Deasy slams 'leniency' of sentence". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  14. 1 2 Murray, Niall; Shanahan, Catherine (10 January 2003). "Child porn chef Allen bows out of Ballymaloe". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  15. "Allen to cease all contact with Ballymaloe". RTÉ News. 19 January 2003. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  16. 1 2 Kelleher, Olivia (28 February 2020). "Joshua Allen, 19-year-old son of TV chef Rachel Allen, jailed for 15 months". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 Roche, Barry (28 February 2020). "Joshua Allen jailed for 15 months for drugs offences". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  18. 1 2 "Joshua Allen jailed for 15 months for drug dealing and possession". RTÉ News. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  19. English, Eoin (2022-07-02). "The troubled life of Joshua Allen". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  20. Kelleher, Olivia (2022-07-01). "Joshua Allen jailed for seven months as Judge says he has failed to learn lesson on drugs". Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  21. 1 2 Gallagher, Conor (25 February 2021). "Gardaí visit Ballymaloe Cookery School over classes during lockdown". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 McGrath, Graham (25 February 2021). "Garda complaint led to €12,700 Ballymaloe Cookery School course suspension". extra.ie. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  23. 1 2 3 4 English, Eoin (25 February 2021). "Darina defends Ballymaloe over lockdown cookery classes". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
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