Inspired by two gorgeous trips I took to Sicily last year, this abundant, summery menu will transport you to this magical island in the Mediterranean for a three-course feast with a few delicious extras.
The island of Sicily sits at the crossroads of ancient trading routes and has experienced waves of colonisation and immigration which means the food draws on Arabic, North African, French and Italian food traditions - making for a mouth-watering and fascinating culinary culture. Join us this August for this delightful, communal dinner celebrating the cuisine of Sicily (and a few other Italian classics) and the beautiful produce of Ireland. Expect slow-cooked, crispy pork belly stuffed with herbs, unctuous aubergine, salty ricotta and meltingly soft burrata, crisp arancini, sticky peaches and crunchy, creamy cannoli.
For this event I’m trialling a shorter menu with a lower price point, so please note that this will be a slightly shorter event with fewer courses. Don’t worry! There will still be plenty of food!
I’ll be hosting this supper club in the beautiful Mother of the Woods Retreat. Located between Saintfield and Lisburn this is a gorgeous Georgian house and retreat centre owned and run by Essential Nature Yoga.
Dinner in Sicily @ Mother of the Woods Retreat
Friday 1st & Saturday 2nd August 2025
On arrival:
Aperol Spritz
Classic tomato, garlic & basil crostini
Arancini with courgette, mint and mozzarella
To start:
Pasta all norma - Sicilian classic dish with aubergine, tomato & salted ricotta
The main event:
Porchetta (rolled pork belly with fragrant herbs, lemon & garlic)
Caponata alla Siciliana
Orange & black olive salad with chilli & oregano
Griddled peach, tomato, basil and burrata with coriander seed dressing
Lemon, rosemary & garlic potatoes
For pudding:
Cannoli with sweet ricotta filling, pistachios & candied orange
Sicilian granita
Round the fire pit:
Rosemary tea
The drinks: This event is BYO. Please bring a bottle (or more) of your favourite tipple. A welcome drink will be provided on arrival.
The time: 7pm on Friday 1st or Saturday 2nd May 2025. If you are planning on booking a taxi or organising a lift we’d suggest organising that for 10.30pm.
The place: Mother of the Woods Retreat, 31 Back Road, Cargacreevy, Lisburn , BT27 6TR (please see the event confirmation email for full details on how to find the venue - but DO NOT go to the Back Road in Drumbo)
The cost: £55 per person (includes booking fees), for a three-course menu plus a few extras.
Keeping warm: This event will be hosted inside the beautiful dining spaces at Mother of the Woods. Weather permitting we may light the firepit at the end of the evening so please bring an extra layer or two to keep you cosy during around the fire pit.
Seating: You will be seated with other guests. If you are not comfortable sitting with other people then please do not book tickets as unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to seat groups separately.
Dietary Requirements: This menu is suitable for vegetarians. unfortunately we can’t cater for vegan/dairy-free or gluten free guests this time. For all other dietary requirements just let us know when you book and we’ll try our absolute best to accommodate you.
Cancellation Policy: We have recently updated our cancellation policy and we now charge an administrative fee for cancellations up to one week in advance of the event. If you cancel less than one week before the event we cannot offer a refund unless we can resell your tickets. All tickets are transferable if you can find another guest to come in your place. For full details of our cancellation policy please click here.
