Our Spotlight section features Irish food businesses and individuals who focus on locally produced products and traditional Irish food.



Green Sheep Storefront

Step inside and smell the fresh, local flavours.



Lucy Lambe

Lucy Lambe

The Green Sheep, in Thurles, Tipperary, focuses on fresh local ingredients and tries to do right by the planet at the same time. Owner Lucy Lambe tells us why ewe should be eating there.


In her own words…


What's the history of the Green Sheep... where did the name come from?

The name The Green Sheep is a play on, firstly, my name ‐ Lucy Lambe ‐ and secondly on our business ethos. That is, we try to leave as small an environmental footprint as possible, whether that means using fully biodegradable coffee cups or composting our food waste in the back garden. We're green, and we're sheep (sort of)!
Farls
Salad and a drink
Bread and jam
Holiday pudding
Hot cross buns
Why did you decide to focus on locally sourced foods?
We focus on locally sourced food for many reasons. First of all, we live in County Tipperary. In this county & its environs there are so, so many small food producers making artisanal, delicious food products ‐ honey, yogurts & ice creams, jams & condiments and the most delicious cheeses. Why wouldn't we look locally to stock our food shop? Also, we just really enjoy supporting our local food producers. Many are friends or acquaintances and all are good people. They deserve our support.
Ice Cream
Dripping pie
Who are some of the local producers you work with?
Some of the local producers we work with include Cooleeny Cheese, Cashel Blue, The Tipperary Cheese Company, Wild Irish Foragers, Comfrey Cottage (for the best organic salad greens), Ayle Farm sauces & chutneys, The Apple Farm vinegars & juices, Danette's Magic dips & salsas, Thurles Tarts & local freelance chef Janine Kennedy. Our coffee is all single origin & hand roasted in small batches by two Irish coffee roasters ‐ Baobab & Ponaire.
Smiling in black
Bread and greens
A big bite
Green Sheep counter
Do you see the Irish food landscape having changed since the Celtic Tiger hit and de ated, and if so, how? Are the Irish expecting more from their food now?
Since the recession, consumers have become both more knowledgable about food & more financially savvy. These days, no one minds spending a bit more on a good, local product, but they want to make sure they're getting their money's worth. We in the food business can't assume our customers are uneducated about food or don't care where the products they buy are coming from. That means business owners have to go the extra mile to maintain a good clientele.

Do you have any favourite memories about food as you were growing up? Was there anything always being prepared around the house?
I grew up in England, so my happy food memories include eating whelks at my granny's with my uncles, who were fishermen; sprats for Saturday suppers; and the delicious sweet & sour spare ribs my mom used to make after getting the recipe from a former Malaysian boyfriend.
Any interesting business plans in the works?
We're constantly thinking about the future. We hope to gradually expand in the coming months. Stay tuned!


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The Green Sheep is located at 2 Friar St., Thurles, Tipperary.