My philosophy for ingredients and therefore flavour was instilled during my time at Ballymaloe.

All my cakes are baked to order using the highest quality, fresh, seasonal and Irish ingredients. It is important to me that we only use ingredients that are ethically produced, sustainable and travel the shortest distance possible to my kitchen.

• We only use Bord Bia approved Irish free range eggs and real Irish butter.
• To flavour our cakes we make our own homemade buttercreams, syrups, curds, caramel, purees, pralines and candied nuts & fruits.
• I grow some of my own ingredients such as lavender and rose geranium.
• Most of the ingredients I use are Irish products such as our flour, sugar, eggs, milk and butter.
• The spices are from Green Saffron in Cork and our raw Irish honey is from Coolmore Bees.
• I also use Belgian Callebaut Chocolate and cocoa powder and Nielsen & Massey vanilla extract.
• I do have to venture to the supermarket for items such as citrus fruits. If I could grow them organically, I would!

There are no artificial colourings, flavourings or preservatives used in our fillings or cakes. All the flavours and colours come naturally from the raw ingredients used. The ingredients do stain the colour of icing and cakes, with specks of zest, or honeycomb present also.