History
Kay Harte opened Farmgate Cafe on the gallery of the English Market in 1994, on the first floor overlooking the market stalls below. The cafe's farm-and-market sourcing model, every component traceable to a named producer below or to a Munster farm, later inspired similar cafes on the Dublin and Limerick markets. Harte's daughter Rebecca Harte now runs the kitchen; the cafe was visited by Queen Elizabeth II during her 2011 state visit and has been a fixture of Cork food guides ever since. The breakfast plate runs Tom Durcan spiced beef, Clonakilty black and white puddings, market eggs and Gubbeen rashers on Arbutus sourdough.
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Make it at home
Ingredients
- 4 thick pork sausages (Tom Durcan or O'Flynn's if you can find them outside Cork)
- 4 rashers of Irish back bacon
- 2 thick slices of black pudding (Clonakilty)
- 2 thick slices of white pudding (Clonakilty)
- 4 mushrooms, halved
- 2 large tomatoes, halved
- 200g cooked potato (leftover or pre-boiled), sliced into small cubes
- 4 eggs
- 30g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 slices of brown soda bread
- Cork salted butter, for the bread
Method
- Heat oven to 100C and place two large plates inside to warm.
- Set a wide cast-iron pan over medium heat with the oil. Add sausages and cook 12 to 15 minutes, turning frequently, until deep brown and cooked through. Move to the warm plate.
- In the same pan, fry bacon 3 minutes per side until just crisp. Add to plates.
- Fry black and white puddings 2 minutes per side until crackling outside. Add to plates.
- Fry mushrooms and tomato halves cut-side down in butter for 4 minutes, then turn for another 2 minutes.
- Add potato cubes to the same pan and fry until golden, 5 minutes.
- Crack 4 eggs into the pan with a touch more butter; fry sunny-side-up for 2 minutes, basting the whites with hot fat.
- Plate everything beside each component. Serve with toasted brown soda bread and salted butter.
Tip from the editors. Cook everything in one cast-iron pan, in this order; the layered fats are what makes a fry-up taste like a proper Cork breakfast rather than a hotel buffet.
Where to eat farmgate cafe breakfast plate
Farmgate Cafe Breakfast Plate in Cork
Farmgate Cafe ★ 4.5
The Farmgate's weekend morning service is Cork's most ambient brunch - a balcony above the English Market with the traders loading in below.
The English Market ★ 4.9
The beating heart of Cork food culture since 1788. A roofed Victorian trading hall where stalls have been passed down through generations, with Tom.
More places to eat in Cork
Not on this list, but among the highest we score in this city. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
- Paradiso Vegetarian, our score 4.8
- L'Atitude 51 Natural wine, Cave-a-manger, our score 4.7
- Miyazaki Japanese Takeaway Japanese Street Food, our score 4.7
- Filter Specialty coffee, Pastries, our score 4.6
- Goldie Seafood, our score 4.6
- MacCurtain Wine Cellar Natural wine, Pet-nat, Grower Champagne, our score 4.6
More cities are in research. Want farmgate cafe breakfast plate covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.