Host offerings
Cindy has over 20 years of experience working in aquaculture, beginning with a B.Sc. in Marine Biology from California, then having worked for 6 years at the University of Miami’s experimental fish hatchery, where she raised different species of fish larvae i.e. yellow tail snapper, red snapper, rockhinds, redhinds etc. She then arrived in Ireland in 1996 and has been using all her past knowledge to build up the farm, which is a boutique producer of premium abalone, using only the best technology and procedures. <br><br>Sinead completed a law degree at University College Dublin and a masters degree in law at the University of Amsterdam (both of which she found to be very illuminating and enjoyable) but soon caught the entrepreneurial bug and realized her true passion lay in seaweed and abalone aquaculture. Having grown up working on her Mother's abalone aquaculture farm, she founded the seaweed company straight out of University. She now delights in the fact that she can wear wellies to work and finds great enjoyment in experimenting with various algae specimens to her heart’s content! She has even done a two month Professional Certificate in Cookery at Cooks Academy, Dublin. <br><br>“I love to serve seaweed dishes and abalone dishes using fresh abalone pulled from the tank and fresh seasonal seaweeds. My favourite dish is a seaweed salad made with channel wrack, a seaweed that farmers in the West of Ireland used to feed their sheep, but is extremely delicious and has a really nice texture.” - Sinead
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
In-home meal (2 - 8 guests) We'll prepare a selection of abalone and seaweed tastings using the fresh ingredients and sea herbs on the farm. Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements in advance.
Food tour (2 - 8 guests) Meet your host Sinead and Cindy at their boutique abalone farm on the edge of Galway Bay, tucked away in a rugged, coastal landscape beside the old pier and coastguard building in Rossaveal. Head out with Sinead to the shores of Galway Bay to start your seaweed foraging tour. You will walk for about 5-10 minutes to the shore to learn more about edible sea plants and the local history and culture. The types of seaweed that you might see depend on the season. Your foraging tour will last about 45 minutes before you return to the farm to enjoy a tour of this modern aquaculture farm. You will be shown around the land based aquaculture farm to see how the abalone, sea cucumbers and sea urchins are grown. By the end of the tour all your questions - what is an abalone, how is it farmed and why?, will surely be answered! After the tour sit down with Sinead and Cindy to enjoy the wild Atlantic sea air and taste some fresh seafood dishes that are made using seafood grown on the farm and the sea plants foraged along the shore. A few dishes that you might try while enjoying the beautiful view are, seaweed and carrot salad with asian inspired dressing, seaweed, beetroot and courgette salad with honey-mustard dressing, seaweed tapenade and sea grass toast, pan seared abalone and sautéed samphire and sea urchin (when in season). You will end your tasting with some sea spaghetti cookies, served with tea or coffee.
Please note this is an adventurous experience and we recommend that you wear water-proof and slip-proof footwear (for example, gum boots or old sneakers) and dress for the weather of the day. Bear in mind that it will be cooler on the shore than on land.
Notes: Sinead and Cindy do not serve alcohol, however you're free to bring your own. They can also serve vegetarian and pescatarian meals on request.
Languages spoken: #<HostLanguage::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy:0x00007ffaf270b558>
This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.
Connemara is a fabulous place and when the sun shines and you are eating delicious seaweed cookies in the evening sun … heaven. Sinead and Cindy made me feel very welcome and were so enthusiastic about seaweed benefits. I also learnt about and tasted Abalone. Great experience!
Cliff and Thomas, Traveling Spoon Ambassador
Pricing (per person)*
| 1 person | 4 people | 5+ people | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Tour | Not offered | $43 | $40 |
| *Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout. | |||
| Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|
| Food Tour | 12:00pm - 02:00pm | 4:00pm - 06:00pm |
Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.
