SALMON RUN:
FOLKLORE | FISH | FEAST
featuring wild fish smoker Sally Barnes
August 14 to 19, 2024
$6500
SALMON RUN
A once in a lifetime opportunity to join Ireland’s foremost wild fish luminary on a curated wild salmon-themed foraging and feasting tour of the West Cork coast! Join us for an extra special experience curated in collaboration with Woodcock Smokery’s Sally Barnes. This tour focuses on wild Irish salmon and maritime culture; guests will spend time on the water, learn how to care for and prepare wild fish, and be immersed in hyperlocal Irish culture. Sadly, wild Irish salmon populations are dwindling, so guests on this tour will have an incredible opportunity to handle and taste this majestic fish alongside those who are working to sustain wild salmon around the world.
ABOUT OUR CO-HOST
SALLY BARNES, FISH SMOKER
Sally Ferns-Barnes began traditional smoke-curing as a means to preserve the bounty that she and husband at the time were catching from the Atlantic waters of the West Cork coastline. Working as a fisherwoman and commercial fisherman’s wife, she smoked her first fish in 1979 and through endless trial and error, supplying the local community with preserved fish, established a famously unique recipe that began winning awards and accolades, including the prestigious Supreme Champion at the Great Taste awards for her now legendary cold-smoked Wild Atlantic Salmon, and most recently the Eurotoques Craft award.
Working only and always with wild fish, Sally has remained a stalwart of small-scale independent business with a predominantly local client base, and dealing with genuinely sustainable quantities of real fish from local boats when the weather is good and the fish are in season.
With a firm and unfaltering stance against environmentally unsound aquaculture, Sally has won the respect of retailers and top chefs around the world, speaking regularly at Slow Food events in defense of natural produce and now supplying some of the Michelin starred restaurants around Ireland with her deep knowledge of true, natural fish from West Cork waters.
ITINERARY*
Details coming soon!
DAY ONE
Our adventure begins in Cork city over lunch, where we’ll toast our time together over lunch before heading to West Cork. Later this afternoon, we will head out on the water, where our boat’s fearless captain, a former commercial fisherman, will teach us about local history and marine wildlife–we may even see some whales! After a short break at our hotel, we’ll reconvene for our first visit to Woodcock Smokery, where we’ll enjoy a family style dinner at The Keep.
DAY TWO
Get ready for some fresh air, because we’ll be spending most of the day outside on an exploratory ebike adventure. We’ll get on our (electric!) bicycles right after breakfast, and take a bespoke guided journey around the most breathtaking sites in the area. We’ll see ringforts and beaches and cliffs, stop for a hyper-local lunch (and maybe even a pint or two) to warm our bellies, and top it off with a bit of wild swimming and a sauna before riding our ebikes back to the hotel. Expect to learn all about the local lore, including folktales, history, and a lot of the Irish language. Dinner tonight will be at a nearby farm to table restaurant.
DAY THREE
Today is the first day of our epic wild salmon fish smoking masterclass with Sally Barnes. We’ll spend much of the time in the morning on the practical skills of preparation, fileting, and salt curing fish before breaking for lunch in a spot with the most epic view you’re ever seen! In the afternoon, we’re back in The Keep to learn about wood smoking and fire. Then, we’ll head out on a coastal harvest to Sally’s favorite local spots to forage some additional ingredients for our dinner together this evening.
DAY FOUR
We’re back at The Keep with Sally this morning, spending more quality time together working with our precious wild salmon. After a short practical session, we’ll head deeper into West Cork for an opportunity to see Irish salmon in the wild. Prepare to get wet because we will be getting into the water today! Later on, we’ll return to The Keep for hearty supper and to check in on the smoking process.
DAY FIVE
Our final day together will begin again at The Keep, where we’ll toast the results of our collaborative smoke and pack up our wild salmon filets to bring home with us. In celebration of newfound friendships and the memories we’ve made–not to mention the gift of wild Irish salmon to share–we’ll have an early dinner together at an incredible two-star Michelin restaurant by the sea. Once the sun sets and the stars come out, we’ll gather for an unforgettable moonlight kayaking experience to close out the day.
*Due to the nature of our bespoke experiences, this itinerary is subject to change. Please note that there will be no fishing on this tour; this is due in part to our group size as well as the highly regulated salmon industry. However, we will be working with wild Irish salmon with Sally Barnes at The Keep.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
Incredible, responsibly-sourced food, including all meals during the retreat; private transportation; private experiences with local guides & experts; guided activities & adventures; Bog & Thunder guides at your disposal for the duration of the trip; exclusive, small group workshops led by Sally Barnes; unique hotel accommodations.
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?
International airfare; transportation to trip’s starting point; travel insurance. Please note: we will not be fishing together on this tour.