Samhain marks the turning point in the calendar where an end comes to the season of light, and the beginning of the dark half of the year is traditionally welcomed with bonfires, great gatherings and feasts. Celebrate that turning point this year with Samhain at Slane Castle, with a series of four dinners over consecutive nights, created and delivered by Jordan Bailey and Majken Bech-Bailey, running as part of the Púca 2023 programme.
Jordan and Majken, the dynamic young husband and wife team behind Aimsir, the fastest straight to two-Michelin stars in the Great Britain and Ireland Guide, are now currently operating their own unique hospitality and events consultancy, Bech-Bailey.
Jordan will be taking the helm in the Slane Castle kitchens, designing a 9-course tasting menu featuring the very best of local, Irish produce, focusing on ingredients from the grounds at Slane Castle and the 90-acre organic Rock Farm on the estate, as well as from the wider Boyne Valley.
Creating a contemporary Samhain feast, Jordan’s generous sharing main course references centuries of harvest festival traditions — a traditional centrepiece of local Rock Farm pork glazed with Slane Irish Whiskey, and cooked over coals in the Castle Courtyard.
Majken will curate the guests’ journey, sprinkling her magic on every aspect of each diner’s experience, from the welcome drink to the dinner’s grand neo-Gothic ballroom setting at the castle, decorated with seasonal elements foraged from the grounds, through to the dining experience and wine and juice pairings.
Starting with a welcome drink at 6.30pm followed by dinner at 7pm each night from Thursday 26th October through to Sunday 29th October, each night there are just 50 tickets available with the 9-course tasting menu and welcome drink costing €135 per ticket. A wine pairing is €75, with one of Majken’s exceptional non-alcoholic pairings available for €55.
A Samhain by Bech-Bailey at Slane Castle overnight experience is also available from €260 per person. Begin your stay at 3pm with coffee and cake in the Drawing Room, an exclusive guided tour of the castle, followed by a welcome drink in the main hall and tasting menu dinner along with an overnight stay in the castle and breakfast the following morning.
Tickets for each of the four dinners by Bech-Bailey at Slane Castle go live this Thursday, October 12th at 12 noon. Please see slanecastle.ie/events/bech-bailey to book.
IG – @Bech_Bailey
