Christmas is a magical time of year for the women of the ICA – a time of tradition and celebration. But there’s plenty to be done! It’s time to start making lists, so that when the time comes to check them twice you know you’ve got everything covered.

Darina Allen is Ireland’s best-known food ambassador and runs the world-renowned cookery school at Ballymaloe, Ireland. She is the author of ‘Irish Traditional Cooking’, ‘A Year at Ballymaloe Cookery School’, ‘Healthy Gluten-free Eating’, ‘Easy Entertaining’, ‘Forgotten Skills of Cooking’ (winner of the Andre Simon Food Book Award 2009), ‘A Simply Delcious Christmas’ ’30 Years at Ballymaloe’, ‘Grow, Cook, Nourish (winner of The World Gourmand Cookbook Award 2018) and most recently Simply Delicious, The Classic Collection (publishing date end of September 2018). She has won many other awards including for outstanding contribution to the Irish culinary sector by Euro-Toques in 2007, the UK Guild of Food Writers Lifetime Achievement Award 2013 and the 2018 Guaranteed Irish Food Hero Award.

Pubs in Ireland are the cornerstone of their communities; relaxed places where locals and visitors can experience the best of traditional Irish hospitality. Many pubs have also become the place to go for a great meal, with a choice of both traditional and contemporary dishes. In recent years Irish cooking has been transformed, with skillful cooks making the most of wonderful fresh local produce to create delicious new dishes and giving a twist to many classics.