Keohane Seafoods in Co Cork is a trusted name in the seafood industry. Managing director, Colman Keohane, set up the business with his father, Michael, and brother, Brian, in 2010.

“Our family has been working with seafood for generations,” says Colman. “Before this business, I had my own seafood shop and my sister runs a seafood restaurant.”

The family business has grown rapidly in 14 years, expanding from their facility in Cork to two more in Bantry.

“It’s been a real success,” says Colman. “But it’s all down to our customers and our relationships and the likes of Simply Better supporting us on our growth.”

“The relationship with Simply Better is very strong,” Colman says. “Our New Product Development team work with them to come up with some great products.”

“Simply Better have great vision on what they want to produce and we’ve worked very hard with them to deliver high quality seafood products. It’s all Irish organic salmon.”

Ready-to-eat

Although the focus at Christmas is often on turkey and ham, the season is also very busy for seafood producers. This year will be even busier as they opened their new ready-to-eat facility in Bantry in March.

“This is our first year with our ready-to-eat facility and we’re very excited about it,” says Colman.

“We were previously all ready-to-cook products, so this is a brand-new side to the business,” says Colman. “We have a skilled smoke master over in the factory who’s worked with us for years, and we have highly skilled and passionate people working there.”

The Simply Better ready-to-eat seafood range.

The new facility will produce Keohane Seafoods new Christmas products for Simply Better: single origin black tiger prawns, black tiger prawn cocktail, oak and hickory hot smoked organic Irish salmon darnes, oak and hickory hot smoked organic Irish salmon flakes and sashimi style salmon.

“The smoked salmon we’re producing for Simply Better is absolutely fantastic,” says Colman. “The salmon products are smoked with oak and hickory wood chips. All our products are expertly smoked, and the entire process takes between 10 and 12 hours.”

The oak and hickory smoked Irish organic sashimi style salmon has a melt in the mouth texture and irresistible flavour. Colman describes it as “a real premium slice.”

Colman’s picks for Christmas

“I’m quite a traditional guy,” smiles Colman. “Every Christmas for me is a prawn cocktail starter. I’ll be shredding my lettuce and presenting the black tiger prawn cocktails in a nice glass for my wife and kids.”

“There’s probably about 40 or 50 grandkids, kids and great grandkids that arrive at my grandmother’s house on Christmas Eve,” says Colman. “Salmon will be the centrepiece with her baked ham.”

“I think Christmas is a time for picking and seafood plays into that very well,” says Colman. “It’s very light, it’s very quick. The flavours are just fantastic.”

On his seafood platter, Colman recommends oysters, prawns, smoked salmon and crab. He says that seafood is “beautiful on its own”, but you can also add accompaniments.

“I always like to have a bit of brown bread on my platters and little dipping sauces alongside it,” adds Colman. “Good dips for me are a must.”

Sage Products have a colourful range of dips, condiments and sauces that make a perfect pairing with Keohane Seafoods.

Like Colman, award-winning professional chef, Kevin Aherne, has been on a journey of growth. His family-run business in Midleton, Co Cork, has evolved to meet the needs of customers.

Kevin Aherne from Sage with his Simply Better products. \ Donal O’ Leary

In 2008, Kevin opened Sage Restaurant and created unforgettable dining experiences. When the pandemic broke in 2020, Kevin delivered restaurant-quality meals to Irish homes with his Sage nutritious meal pots.

In July 2024, Kevin shifted his focus entirely to Sage Products, bringing fuss-free dips, sauces, and condiments from his new purpose-built production kitchen in Cork into home kitchens.

“All the ingredients we use are predominantly Irish,” says Kevin. “Well-sourced, well-grown, well-produced. No flavour enhancers, no preservatives, no additions, no e-numbers. Everything is kept as natural as possible.”

“For example, with the buttermilk ranch, the sour cream is made in west Cork,” says Kevin. “That’s the product that won gold at the Irish Quality Food Awards in 2021 and got us on the shelf with Simply Better.”

Sage Products’ range with Simply Better has expanded to a full suite of dips and sauces, including roasted garlic aioli, cucumber and ginger pickle, beetroot relish, red-style chimichurri dressing and peanut and chili rayu.

There are two new products in the line-up for Christmas: Cashel Blue aioli and tartare sauce.

“I’m constantly doing product development with Simply Better,” says Kevin. “We look at where there’s gaps in the market, what products will sell, what people are looking for. I create recipes from there.”

“Simply Better are supporting small Irish companies and promoting very good quality Irish products with no preservatives or shelf-life enhancers.”

The perfect pair

Kevin says that Sage dips and condiments give “a helping hand” at Christmas.

“They’re there to elevate things and just to put on the table so you don’t have to stress about what people are having,” he says.

“Smoked salmon is obviously a big deal around Christmas,” says Kevin. “What’s really nice with smoked salmon is tartare sauce, but the cucumber and ginger pickle also goes well.”

Kevin recommends having a pickle or two at home over Christmas. “It’s handy to have a pickle around for your cold platters, salmon platters, even your sandwiches.”

The Simply Better dips range from Sage.

Kevin says the beetroot relish is also perfect for Christmas time.

“It’s got those festive flavours – cinnamon, star anise, oranges. It’s lovely with cold meats, cheese, smoked salmon,” says Kevin.

“It adds a bit of colour to the table. People can use it with any type of platter, whether it’s charcuterie boards or cheeseboards. It also works really well warm as a substitute for red cabbage.”

He also recommends the spinach and artichoke dip for something different at Christmas.

“The spinach and artichoke dip is one of the most notable ones,” says Kevin. “It’s unusual. There’s nothing like it on the marketplace. It’s a very natural product,” adds Kevin. “Fresh spinach, fresh parsley, fresh lemon juice.”

Kevin recommends this dip for Christmas canapés.

“It’s great for breadsticks or bellinis. Or you could put it on brown soda bread cut up into squares – my personal favourite is the peanut and chilli rayu. I probably

use the rayu more than anything else. I don’t ever get bored of it”, he says.

He recommends pairing this Japanese style condiment with the tiger black prawns. “Instead of adding garlic and butter, just add the Simply Better peanut and chilli rayu just as you’re finishing off cooking.

“It gives it a lovely nutty, garlic flavour. Really, really good.”