Rachel's Opens On Washington Street

For years Rachel Allen cooked in a cookery school and on television. In 2017 she did something new. She opened a restaurant^[1][3].

It was called simply Rachel's. It opened on 20 March 2017 on Washington Street, right in the centre of Cork city^[1]. It was her first restaurant^[1][2].

Ballymaloe In The City

The idea was to bring the taste of Ballymaloe into town^[1][2]. Herbs, fruit and vegetables came from the Ballymaloe grounds^[1]. Seafood was caught daily in Ballycotton Bay^[1]. Pork came from Shanagarry and free-range chickens from east Cork^[1].

The menu showed it off. Early dishes included wood-fired Ballycotton prawns with wild garlic pesto and spiced roast leg of lamb with smoked aubergine^[1]. There was a piano bar too, with cocktails made from Ballymaloe fruit and herbs and a live pianist^[1].

A Family Venture

Rachel's was a business venture with her husband Isaac and the publican Paul Montgomery^[2]. It was busy. On most Saturday nights, up to 200 diners came through the doors^[2].

A Change Of Style

In July 2018 the owners decided on a new direction. Rachel's would close on 8 August for an eight-week, €1m makeover^[2]. Guests had seen it as fine dining, and the owners wanted something more casual, with lower prices^[2]. New investors came on board, and Rachel stayed involved^[2].

Meanwhile she kept teaching at Ballymaloe Cookery School in east Cork^[2]. The restaurant was one chapter. The classroom remained the heart of her working life.

The co-owner Paul Montgomery explained the thinking to the Irish Examiner. The average spend had been around €40 a head, and the target was closer to €20^[2]. He pictured an old-world Cork pub feel for the new room^[2].

Opening a restaurant was a brave step for a cook famous on screen. It brought the farm-to-table spirit of Ballymaloe into the heart of Cork city^[1][2].