I'm Your Vinyl Front Man Is Up To Something Fishy

Hot Flavours has previously brought you word of VANN Music singer Paul Costello and his seriously addictive Aungier Danger doughnuts – make sure to check out their Arnotts pop-up - and Ralph Rolle who when he’s not drumming for Chic bakes an impossibly mean cookie.

To this list of rock ‘n’ roll/foodie double jobbers can now be added Ken McHugh, the top 10-infiltrating I’m Your Vinyl songwriter and gastronome behind Fresh From… The Pier Rustic Smoked Fish Pâté.

Made from premium flakes of hot smoked salmon with mackerel, crème fraiche, capers, lemon and dill – yum! – it earned the Dubliner the runners-up spot last year in RTÉ’s The Taste Of Success series.
“I’d entered the competition with my sister as a bit of fun, but towards the end it got pretty serious,” Ken tells us. “I had Domini Kemp as my mentor, which was great because she’s grown Itsa Bagel from one shop into a chain. She spotted a gap in the market and went for it, which is what we’re trying to do now.”

McHugh, who also runs the soundgrub.com food and music-pairing site, says there are creative parallels between writing a song and perfecting a recipe.
“The satisfaction you get from presenting the finished article to people is certainly the same,” he nods. “I’ve five new End Of The Pier lines in the works along with a couple of big music projects, so I’m able to indulge both passions.”
Ken is generous in his praise for SuperValu and their Food Academy, which has nurtured dozens of artisan Irish start-ups.
“SuperValu liked the story and the interest that existed around the product already,” he says. “They literally teach you the industry and then go, ‘Right, we’re going to put you into ‘X’ number of stores and see how it goes.’ The idea is to gradually build rather than going too big too soon.”

In what we’re pretty sure is an Irish foodie first – we know you’ll correct us if we’re wrong! – Dalkey is home to Cracked, a pop-up dedicated to the not in the least bit humble egg.
Already a big hit with celebrity egg chasers Rob and Dave Kearney, the specialties of the house are super-light frittatas and omelettes made with such gourmet ingredients as avocado, chorizo and roasted red peppers. Open all summer long at weekends from 10am-4pm at the back of Tramyard Cycles, Emily Bradshaw and her team will also be whisking up a storm at Wellfest in Dublin’s Herbert Park on September 17 and 18.
Having popped-up in Rathmines, the Sova Food Vegan Butcher has found a permanent home at 51 Pleasants Street, which is just round the Dublin 2 corner from Whelan’s. Slow-Roast Portobello Mushrooms with Herby Cashew Butter and muchies-combatting Hemp Burgers are two of the reasons we’ve immediately fallen in love with the BYOB joint.

Also providing quality pre- and post-gig nourishment is The Yarn Pizza & Cocktails, a Liffey Street near neighbour of The Grand Social’s. The pies are of the funked-up Itallian variety with the Pineapple, Cotto Ham & Wood-Roasted Red Pepper combo getting the Hot Flavours nod. Libation-wise, the Chili Margarita is your only man.
Germany’s Bergedorfer Lager has come up with a novel advertising campaign, which shows men lovingly caressing their beer bellies. Team HP is happy to offer its amply proportioned services to any Irish brewery interested in doing something similar. Meanwhile, in a gimmick too far, Melbourne’s 7 Cent Brewery is planning a Belly Button Beer using fluff harvested from their staff’s navels.
“We’re really interested to see if the idea of drinking something that originated from a brewer’s belly button is too much for even the most hardened beer geek,” their blog states. “Some say ‘why?’ We say ‘why not?’”