'In some ways, it’s been a blessing in disguise... we can just focus on the farm'

Every Monday, Maria Moynihan catches up with some of our favourite Irish Country Living cover stars as they adapt to the 'new normal'. This week, with Drumanilra Farm Kitchen in Roscommon.

Maria Moynihan

13 July 2020

'In some ways, it’s been a blessing in disguise... we can just focus on the farm'

Liam and Justina Gavin made the decision to move from the UK to Roscommon in 2012 with their three young children to take over a 40 acre mixed farm inherited from an uncle. While there were many naysayers, they have achieved so much, establishing organic herds of native breeds (e.g. Dexter cattle) to extending their farm substantially and making their own market for their premium products, growing from a shepherd's hut trailer at festivals to their current award winning cafe/farm shop in the hea

THEN: In September 2018, we met Liam and Justina Gavin, who left the UK in 2012 to return to a 40-acre mixed farm in Roscommon with their three young children, and went on to develop the award-winning Drumanilra Farm Kitchen burger bar, café and farm shop in Boyle, with ambitious plans for the future.

NOW: 2020 was set to be a big year for Drumanilra, with plans to open two new farm shops and restaurants in Carrick-on-Shannon and in Strandhill by the summer.

“But COVID hit just before the shop fit started, so it went on hold,” explains Justina, adding that she and Liam feel lucky that they were not in the middle of the work at the time.

Another ambitious plan was to turn their original farm shop and café in Boyle into their flagship store.

Having closed it last September, they had since received planning permission for a new premises, which would also include a food hall, micro-brewery and teaching kitchen.

This has also been put on the backburner as a result of COVID, but Justina is optimistic that they will get their premises in Carrick-on Shannon, a former KFC with drive-through facilities, open by Christmas and go from there.

And while it’s not how they planned it, they are looking at the positives.

“In some ways, it’s been a blessing in disguise because we were developing the farm in tandem with opening the restaurants,” says Justina. “What this has done has meant we can actually just focus on the farm.”

Dexter herd

Having started with 40 acres, the Gavins have built up to 300 acres in the last few years and have been busy growing their Dexter herd, extending their market garden and developing other enterprises; for instance, they have just installed polytunnels for outdoor organic layer hens and are looking forward to restarting their organic pig herd.

Liam has also been building a Dexter group with fellow farmers, who supply weanlings that they then finish in Drumanilra. Future plans include adding a tourism element to the farm through educational walks and tours and also lodge accommodation.

Since lockdown, they have also developed their online shop to sell their Dexter beef boxes and organic veg boxes, as well as produce from other like-minded farmers, with click-and-collect from their three shop sites at weekends.

“We’re basically processing an animal a week now and selling out of that every week, which is just fantastic,” says Justina, adding that a new courier service means that their produce can now be delivered nationwide.

And long-term, Justina believes that they will benefit from having this time to take stock.

“I think it will really have stood to us that we actually had this time to really focus on the farm, the infrastructure, the supply chain, the quality of the products and the consistency on the products that we are producing,” she says.

“It was probably no harm that it was this way around.”

Visit www.drumanilra.ie.

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