FARNHAM Estate Hotel and Spa sits within some of Ireland's most spectacular and beautiful landscapes, and the hotel itself is a combination of the original estate house and modern touches; the same is true for the cuisine.

Head Chef, Django Getsee strives to use the natural wonders of the Cavan estate to create an unforgettable dining experience, for any palate. 

What inspired your passion for food and creativity on the culinary scene?

I suppose it goes back a long time. I first got the vibe of cooking from my grandfather, who was very into his baking.

From the age of eight or nine I was baking cakes and bread, and it spiralled from there!

I started in a professional kitchen at the age of 15, and my experience was very French cuisine-orientated.

It all started very early, and that early exposure to cooking has fuelled my passion for creativity. 

Can you describe the unique flavours and ingredients that define your cuisine?

In the past three years since the Covid-19 pandemic, cuisine has changed a lot here at Farnham.

It has taken a big turn from classic fine dining to a more 'hearty' affair, such as steaks and stews.

In terms of flavours, I like to use a lot of vanilla and lavender and strive for a very fragrant kind of food.

I also like to use as much local produce as I can.

There is a local supplier just down the road from us who breeds Wagyu beef. This is brilliant for our specials, as it's something that is both different, yet local.

How does the food you prepare reflect the cultural heritage and traditions of the surrounding area?

We do a lot of potato-based dishes, and we try to use hearty ingredients that we can get locally.

We get a lot of people from the surrounding areas coming to Cavan, so we try to do a lot of Irish-inspired cuisines to reflect the heritage of here, such as stews and Guinness pies.

I absolutely love cooking and I love experimenting with flavours, and as a chef I always look back on the tradition of food and dishes for inspiration.

What brings you the most joy when you see visitors tasting and enjoying the dishes you've created?

This is a tough one! Joy is shared, isn't it? I feel that if a guest is enjoying something, the chef will also have a smile on their face.

For me, that joy is a big part of it all. I'm all for people making memories and sharing events through food.

Look at your Christmas dinner, for example; that combination of family and a special occasion mean it is always going to be remembered, and the addition of good food will have an enhancing impact on the experience for everyone.

In your opinion, what sets Farnham Estate apart as a destination for food tourism?

We have our steakhouse, and we do our dry aging in-house, with all our cabinets in the restaurant.

This is a great highlight, as not a lot of places do this.

We also try and use as much Irish produce as possible. We have the garden at the estate, and I try to use as much of what we have here as I can.

We do all our smoke products, and we have smoked trout on at the moment that is smoked from bark from our cedar trees.

I find that there is a lot of the estate within our food. 

In general, I feel that the food scene in Cavan is really starting to open up. We have recently won the prestigious 'Yes Chef' best Steakhouse in Ulster award for our Cedars Steakhouse restaurant, and I know that locally there have been many other restaurants and food producers that are winning awards now too. This is a great sign!

Can you share a memorable experience where food played a central role in a visitor's journey to Farnham Estate?

There was a wedding about a year ago, and I had actually sat down with the bride and groom with their tasting menu.

After their wedding they called me, beaming, to tell me that  everything was beyond their expectations.

Hearing such positive feedback really does make you strive for better in yourself.

If you can give a person that amount of joy to compliment the food, and extend their appreciation for the hard work you put into it, it makes it all worthwhile.

You have recently added a new menu. What exciting new dishes can customers now enjoy and select on the menu?

We have a lot of hearty dishes on the new menu. We have a lovely seafood linguine which is made from a prawn bisque, trout caviar and a garlic croute. We use fresh pasta, which is made in-house.

Nothing is bought from the shop. Every part of the prawn is used.

We have lovely chicken on, which is Irish free-range.

We also have our steaks, and I personally feel that our sharing platters are extra special.

The element of sharing adds an extra layer to the meal, and brings people together.

That extra interaction makes a meal even more memorable. 

Why did you feel a change in menu was needed, and do you think it is important to freshen selections up every now and then?

With the movement of cuisine at the moment. I feel that Cavan is more suited to the menus we have, rather than the fine dining, 'frilly' menus.

Food nowadays has a lot do with young people, especially influencers.

We have to keep up with aesthetic trends; for instance, we serve all our steaks on wooden boards.

Nowadays, food has to be quirky, and I feel that Irish cuisine has definitely taken a turn in that direction.

What is, personally, your favourite dish on the new menu and why?

My favourite dish on the menu is one of our starters, the Dill and Gin Cured Salmon Lox.

It uses our own Farnham Estate 365 Gin, dill that is grown in our polytunnel, and an Irish sheep’s yogurt. It is a perfect light and fresh dish for the summer!

How do you incorporate sustainability and locally sourced ingredients into your culinary offerings?

Sustainability is a big one for us, and it's all about that relationship with your local suppliers.

We have a local butcher who is only down the road, and all our local beef for the 'Farnham collection' comes from him.

It's that two-way street, and our guests are happy to learn that the beef hasn't travelled a million miles.

Our local beef is farm-to-fork, literally seven miles down the road.

We are starting to see more and more producers from Cavan and the surrounding counties, which we will be looking to add to our range of suppliers.

Not only does that mean we can source local and fresh, but it also helps with our carbon footprint and the local economy.

What motivates you to share your love of food and drink with both locals and tourists alike?

For me, a big part of it is the pressure - I love it!

I strive to please people and to watch them enjoy their meals. As the famous chef, Marco Pierre White said: "This is my kitchen, this is my house".

When someone comes to your house, you enjoy the fact that they have had a good meal in your house. This is the simple philosophy that our craft boils down to.

Looking ahead, how do you envision the future of food tourism evolving in local areas, and what role do you hope to play in that evolution?

I hope that I, and the kitchen team at the Farnham Estate Hotel and Spa, can progress further, and develop menus that reflect on the past, with modern touches, just like the estate itself.

Aside from the food, the future depends on the training of young chefs. There has been a massive change since Covid-19, and culinary training isn't what it used to be.

There has been such a shortage in the industry, and a lot more chefs are coming with less training.

I feel it's important to get the new chefs in and teach them the old ways of doing things.

Cooking and pleasing the guests is important, but equally, we need to train the next generation to ensure we can continue to do that.