No trip to Cork is complete without a visit to an artisan food producer, and the effervescent Frank Hederman is more than happy to show you around Belvelly, the oldest traditional smokehouse in Ireland – indeed, the only surviving one. Call ahead to arrange a visit, or stop by his stall at the Cobh or Midleton farmers markets (you can also buy his produce at Cork's English Market). The smokehouse is 19km east of Cork on the R624 towards Cobh.
Seafood and cheese are smoked here – even butter – but the speciality is fish, particularly salmon. In a traditional process that takes 24 hours from start to finish, the fish is filleted and cured before being hung to smoke over beech woodchips. The result is subtle and delectable.
