Barbeque may not be the road to world peace,
but it’s a start.
Anthony Bourdain
After making our rounds across Northern Ireland, we haven’t found a staff with better comradery than Fodder. This is a testament to the lovely Lindsay family that owns and operates the beautiful property of Finnebrogue Woods. This respect has reverberated in their care for their land and their healthy – and tasty – animals.
We sat down with Co-owner, Laura Bayley, who explained that ‘uniqueness’, perhaps even ‘weird’, should be the new norm in Northern Ireland and that ‘local’ should take precedence above all else. She also taught us that ‘Dexter’ is more than a hit TV series – it’s a way of life – and, just like the Robin Hood-like, semi-psychopathic serial killer, this County Down family is butchering for the betterment of the community.
This is what she had to say:
Tell us about yourselves?
My dad is in his 70s, but can’t sit still for a second. He was originally a farmer and, after retiring, wanted to get back into it. As a hobby, he got six Dexter cows. His hobby got out of control quickly. We ended up with a herd and had to decide what to do with them. Even to this day, he’s still out there, tending to them.
How much of the family is involved?
We are completely family run. My brother and sister- in-law own Finnebrogue Woods and we all own a part of Fodder. We came together with our different expertise and made this place what it is today.
How did you get involved yourself?
I come from a wine background originally. I’ve always been very interested in the hospitality industry. I was working for my brother who hires out the big tipi tents you see onsite all over Ireland. We then started thinking about how to sell the beef and combine all of our skills together as a family.
Humble beginnings?
We used to open up the shed once a month and sell our beef to customers. Our local customer base was word of mouth. It was basic – we had a table with meat laid on it. People took a real liking to it and would come by and stock up for a month.
Then what happened?
We decided to set up a permanent farm shop. We realised that there was a need for the cafe and that people would want to come and enjoy the outdoor areas.
“If they’re coming for beef, why not offer them coffee? If they’re having coffee, why not cake? If they’re having cake, perhaps we’ll give them soup and a sandwich.” It snowballed from there.
The cafe quickly overtook the farm shop and people were coming by the herd – no pun intended. We didn’t advertise and it grew organically.
We moved away from cooking on my dad’s ‘green egg’ and got two ceramic BBQs and started doing a lot of the cooking outside and expanding our space a bit. There’s nothing like a BBQ outdoors, it really draws people in. That’s when our burgers took off. Perhaps we’re biased, but we have the best burgers around!
What else does the property offer?
We have about 200 acres here and everything you see around the lake belongs to our family. In addition to the café and farm shop, Finnebrogue Woods is a wedding venue and it sells firewood and hosts the ‘School of Bushcraft’.
Our trails are little added extra for our café customers giving them the opportunity to explore the surrounding woodland. You’ll need a walk after one of our burgers or chilli and you can get out and about near the lake for a short dander.
What is ‘Dexter’?
Dexter is an Irish breed of beef. They’re native, small, sturdy animals. They’re great foragers and will sniff anything out of the ground. Often, you’ll find them in the woods looking for interesting things to eat. They’re wild, wild as anything. Trying to catch them is a nightmare. They’re lovely animals and, well, they’re quite tasty, too.
Tell us about your menu?
We’re obviously very beef-orientated. As well as burgers, we have hot dogs, sausage rolls and bean burgers – all on our main menu – and a soup and Fodder special which change weekly. We keep it simple – we want to ensure quality and that we’re using the best ingredients. We have plans to increase our offering in the deli to provide more local produce to eat at home.
Is sustainability a focus?
We are vehemently focused on minimising waste. We can’t have these beautiful surroundings and then disrespect the ground which gives us so much.
Some may say, “Well, cows aren’t the best for the environment either!”
I see where they’re coming from, but our cows are grass-fed on-site. We do not have to transport them and it’s a small herd. You really couldn’t get fresher and more sustainable meat than that.
Do you see a ‘local’ food culture emerging in NI?
People are really getting into food and where it’s coming from. No one can go anywhere at the moment, so I think what we offer gives people both the ability to get outdoors in a beautiful space and get some amazing food.
We see ourselves as part of the ‘rising tide’ of ‘local’. When I was growing up, it was so difficult to get decent cheese, for example, but now it’s available everywhere. There’s so many local foodie places and producers coming up. Northern Ireland is a different place.
What events do you host?
Prior to Covid, we put on collaborative events and supper clubs with other artisans and local, innovative chefs like the lovely folks at The Edible Flower and Clare McQuillan. We’ve had great music nights with bands such as Scorpion Jack. Our tipis provide a very atmospheric venue!
What about your other products?
As I said, we really want to uplift the local area along with us.
We get our veg from Drew in Derryboye. He puts out some insane products! We had a roasted root vegetable salad with walnuts, bleu cheese and rare roast beef on special last week which was over the top. The carrots were the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted. I’m not one to care about carrots when there’s beef on my plate!
We use Bara Bakehouse in Comber for our baps and sourdough – they’re brilliant! We were actually their first customer. It’s reassuring to have friends you can always depend on.
Our amazing coffee comes from Drop Hopper Coffee Roasters in Kilmore. We might run out of coffee and, in a blink of an eye, they’re here resupplying us.
We use NearyNógs for our hot chocolate – this time of year there’s nothing better! It’s real chocolate. Having true, authentic ingredients is a transformative experience for people they won’t forget.
What else do you plan to do with the space?
We are planning to get some sheep. We’ll also be getting some chickens in and start to grow our own vegetables and micro herbs to increase the freshness of what we offer. In particular, good chicken is hard to find! Chickens aren’t usually raised properly. Bringing chickens onto the property, letting them run around and raising them ethically could be a real eye opener for people.
How have you adapted to Covid?
We’ve been incredibly fortunate business-wise due to Covid. Because we have the outdoor seating and, even as restrictions increased again, it’s a very safe takeaway environment for people. We reopened again in June and it’s been nonstop.
We knew from the beginning of the pandemic that we’d have to keep up with the herd. During the first lockdown we provided meat boxes for delivery and BBQ packs which went down really well.
When we reopened in June, the weather was lovely and people were sick of being cooped up in the house. People came and got their coffees and dandered about. They could come and have a burger and enjoy eating outside in a safe environment.
As things relaxed, we were then able to reopen the tipis and people could enjoy the shelter while still being able to socially distance.
Just as we got everything working like a well-oiled machine, the new restrictions hit us again. But this industry is about adapting. We’re still doing takeaway, online orders and deliveries – we’re still busy. People are able to walk the trails socially distanced and enjoy the outdoors around the property. We keep moving forward.
Is ‘learning’ a key part of what you do?
That is our vision. As stated, we have the School of Bushcraft with our Bushman, Rob, who teaches foraging and outdoor survival skills. He’ll often forage for some of the ingredients on our menu. We recently had a mushroom soup, which featured these lovely little purple mushrooms he found on the property. These extra touches elevate everything we’re doing.
Young people have really taken a liking to Rob and getting stuck into the outdoors. This is the kind of impact these sort of interactive experiences can have. Kids love it and it’s a great way to give parents a break, too!
Within the farm shop, we often have refreshing discussions with customers. Sometimes, people come across cuts of beef that they’re not accustomed to and we are very happy to chat about where these cuts come from and how to cook them. We are more than happy to recommend different recipes and ways to cook our meat.
We’re not deterred – we see this as an opportunity to chat with them, explaining the product’s origins and why it may taste differently. Knowledge is power and having a gracious and thought-provoking conversation is empowering.
Do you feel that spending time abroad is having a positive impact on the food scene here?
No doubt. You’ll notice that many of the people who have emerged over the last several years producing artisan stuff have gained their experience abroad and are now working with the amazing local ingredients we’ve neglected for so long.
I lived in London for eight years and one of the most difficult things moving back was readjusting to the food. The diversity of what’s offered in a place like London was lacking here, but that’s changing.
More and more of us are moving away and, thankfully, even more of us are starting to come back and are bringing knowledge from abroad home.
What does Fodder mean?
Fodder means ‘animal food’. Let’s just say the family wasn’t in support of this name at first. But, after much insisting on my part, once we put it out there, the ‘tongue and cheek’ of it has really stuck with people.
What can others learn from Fodder?
In a lot of ways, our creativity and expertise as a family combined to make this place what it is and, it just so happened that, what it has become is completely conducive to this current period. We could not be happier with the support from the local community thus far, who are ultimately the reason this place exists and is able to thrive.
What’s your message for the community at this time?
Get your ‘herd’ out for the day to enjoy some local ‘fodder’, roam our woods and return home safe, happy and with contented bellies. We look forward to seeing you!
