introducing berrytree
After many years living and working abroad, my husband and I took the plunge in 2018 and moved back to Ireland with our children, to settle in the lovely County Clare. And it was here that I was finally able to focus on a little dream I’d been nurturing for a quite some time – to start my own small food business.
What started out as the occasional baking commission quickly morphed into a thriving micro home bakery. Word spread and I soon found myself supplying my wares to a few local businesses. In 2022, I got myself a little coffee trailer and sold my bakes from there. In spring 2023, the opportunity to take over a café space in Mountshannon seemed not only too good to be true, but also too good to pass up. And so, in summer 2023, berrytree café was born! What a journey it’s been so far!
Cooking has always been a big part of my life. Born and raised on the island of Inishbofin, where my parents also had a small restaurant, I learnt my way around the kitchen at a young age. They are huge champions of food provenance, seasonality and sustainability, and my mom – an exceptional cook – has always made everything from scratch (a necessary skill when you live on an island!). Basically, I couldn’t have asked for better mentors. Growing up in that unique environment provided me with the tools I needed to work in many’s the kitchen thereafter.
Before my own career ultimately took me in another direction entirely, I spent countless happy hours potwalloping (such a great word!), experimenting and learning in kitchens around Europe. And while I adore my work as a linguist, I could no longer ignore the call of the kitchen! For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to spread my own foody wings. Fortunately for me, the two worlds of translation and cooking can live together in relative harmony. So now, in this beautiful corner of County Clare, the dream of having my own food business has – rather incredibly – become a reality with the berrytree brand, which encompasses the café, my online bakery and my event foodpod.
Clíona x
