Dermot O’Leary in ITV’s Dermot’s Taste of Ireland
Television broadcaster Dermot O’Leary is embarking on a brand new adventure as part of an all-new ITV commission, Dermot’s Taste of Ireland for ITV1 and ITVX.
The five part series, made by Rock Oyster Media, will take the much-loved presenter back to his family roots in the Emerald Isle on a gastronomic tour, to discover the island of Ireland’s best kept delicious secrets.
Having opened two of his own fish-themed restaurants and sharing some of his favourite home recipes on ITV’s This Morning, he is now taking his passion on the road whilst exploring Ireland’s ancient landscapes, diverse cities and stunning coastlines.
From Michelin Star restaurants in the ‘Gourmet Capital of Ireland’ Kinsale; to fishing for oysters by the sea in Cork; sitting down for some home-grown comfort food in Wexford; and exploring the buzz of the Dublin food scene; before venturing across to Northern Ireland and the bustling city of Belfast and beyond - Dermot’s Taste of Ireland promises to be a foodie delight, full of surprises.
Interview with Dermot O’Leary
What excited you the most about creating a new food programme set in Ireland and how does it feel to showcase the cuisine and beauty of Ireland?
The lovely thing was, it was very much kind of an open book when I started. What appealed to me the most was that I could sit down from the start and say ‘I don’t want this to be kissing the blarney stone and all of that’ because Ireland's food is amazing, right? The produce is incredible. I wanted it to be a modern look at Ireland and its history, to tell Ireland’s stories through its food and also what Ireland is about now - which is a very modern country that has these incredible traditions
For example, the spices used to go through Cork, so that's why you've got spiced beef, and that's why you’ve got corned beef which essentially is as good as any sort of salt beef in a North London deli. I met this young lad who is originally from Ethiopia and was adopted by Irish parents and has now started an Ethiopian restaurant. So it's a lovely kind of multi-layered story about Ireland's history as much as anything else.
What can viewers expect from each episode and how did you select the locations and culinary experts featured in the programme?
In terms of the locations I wanted to go on, we only really got to dip our toe. If we were able to do this again, we could then start in Cork and work our way West and North - it’s always nice to be planning where else you would go on a series like this. I definitely needed to go to Wexford which is my home county and I wanted to start in Cork, because Cork is such a unique and diverse county. And then I really wanted to feature Richard Corrigan because I think he is one of the finest restaurateurs. Richard is a London restaurateur as well, but has a place up in Virginia Lodge and we went up there and actually saw what it's like in the north as well. The food scene in Belfast has also changed so much.
Tell us about some of the dishes created in the programme and do you have a favourite of the series?
That is a very difficult question. Where my mum and dad live, there's a restaurant called Mary Barry's, which I guess to us is like a gastro pub but over there it’s just a pub that serves food. My mum and dad go to Mary Barry's all the time - it’s a big thing for us so I was really thrilled that we got to highlight the pub and it’s incredible food. Their crab linguine was great, it was really amazing. They also made potato cakes up at Richard’s place which were great and Richard did this pork rib which was just out of this world.
Were there any surprises or unexpected discoveries that you experienced whilst filming the show?
I found the whole Cork episode really interesting. I didn't know just how important Cork was as a port back in the day. It would have been known as Queentown back then. I suppose that was a lovely thing to see, how Ireland's food has really been shaped over the years. I think that is what I find the most interesting thing about any food or culture though, it’s how you tell history through it. Cork was a real voyage of discovery.
Do you have a most memorable moment whilst making the programme?
For me, it was actually taking the team to the places I knew and seeing their reaction. Curracloe Beach, for example, is so beautiful and I have grown up there so I was really keen to highlight it. When filming, you obviously don’t get any feedback from the viewer so it was great to show the team and see how much they loved it. Playing hurling with my dad was also a really big highlight as well, it was wonderful. He’s such a great hurler so that was a really big deal.
What is your all time favourite Irish meal and did you get to feature it in the programme?
I think white pudding is my all time favourite Irish land food which is basically a version of sausage and black pudding, but it's not black pudding. So wherever we went, if there was local white pudding, I bought it and took it home to freeze. I didn't get a chance to eat mackerel which is one of my favourite pastimes when I'm over there or properly fish which I would have loved to have done. We went Oyster shucking down in Cork, which was a key highlight as well - it was brilliant.
How do you think the programme will appeal to audiences outside of Ireland?
The relationship with Ireland in Britain is so unique. So many people here in Britain have Irish lineage, mine is very immediate, but so many people have an Irish grandmother or great grandmother - it's huge. So I think it will really resonate in that way definitely. I also think Irish history is so important. We filmed a scene about the GAA and how that is so important. I really hope if people do take something home from this series, it’s how wonderful Ireland really is.
Has working on this programme deepened your connection to Ireland and its culinary heritage?
Yes 100%. I've spent so much time in Ireland and my mum and dad moved there about seven, eight years ago which definitely cemented that connection. To be able to have this really intense period back over there whilst filming was really lovely. It very much feels like home for me.
What one message or takeaway do you hope viewers will gain from watching Dermot’s Taste of Ireland?
Well I really hope people watch and fall so in love that they go over there. I want people to see it for themselves. You can really go for as much or as little time as you want. You can easily go for a weekend to Dublin or Cork, or you can do the whole Wild Atlantic Way. The East coast is incredible and the North is just unbelievable in terms of the food scene and the scenery but what I really want is for people to go and experience it for themselves.
Is there anywhere else in the world that you’d like to explore?
Oh where do we start? I would love to go to Canada - I have never been before. I would love to see more of Argentina and South America, and I would love to see Japan. I have never been to Japan and I would love to go on a fish tour - that would just be incredible because I love my fish.
Dermot’s Taste of Ireland starts at 2pm on Monday 23rd September daily until Friday 27th September on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
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