Kelly’s Kitchen

Local produce is one of the most important factors to any restaurant along the Wild Atlantic Way but Kelly’s Kitchen in Newport brings a whole new meaning to the word ‘local’.

Kelly’s Kitchen is exactly the sort of cosy, bustling café that locals love and visitors dream of finding when they go on holiday. A member of Good Food Ireland and recommended by the likes of Georgina Campbell and John & Sally Mc Kenna, the establishment is the pride and joy of owner, Shauna Kelly, who is proud to be following in her father’s footsteps and keeping quality food in the family.

Seán Kelly is a well-known butcher based next door to the busy café, which means that all meats served up in Kelly’s Kitchen are as fresh as they can possibly be with quality homemade sausages, rashers, black, white and vegetarian puddings and the award-winning Putóg along with local beef and lamb, all from the family shop. You can’t get more local than right next door.

“There is nowhere else like Kelly’s Kitchen,” Shauna explained, “We are very unique. You won’t find another restaurant with its biggest supplier right next door, where the owner’s father has farmreared his own cattle and sheep one mile outside of town.”

There’s no meat stored at the restaurant, so if the staff need anything for cooking, it’s just a matter of stepping into Kelly’s of Newport next door and picking it up, ensuring the food served in the little restaurant couldn’t possibly be fresher.

If that’s not enough to coax you to Newport for a visit, the delicious, homemade cakes and desserts, which are made by their baker, will certainly tickle your tastebuds. And, to top it all off, the staff are friendly and fun, always laughing and cracking jokes, ensuring the customers enjoy great food and great service.

“We’re a family here in Kelly’s Kitchen and you can feel that when you come in,” said Shauna, who took over the business seven years ago at the very young age of 26. A former social worker, she felt a bit lost in her career path and, after a year of travelling, she returned home and gave the family business a try.

“I had no experience and was too young so I said I would do it for six months. Seven years

on I’m still here. I learned a lot from my parents. They inspired me and encouraged me into the food business. I did a lot of trade shows with Dad, cooking and selling his products. I knew everything there was to know about sausage and pudding from an early age,” she said.

Shauna’s mother opened Kelly’s Kitchen in 1992 and ran it for seven years. And, with her father becoming a renowned food hero in Newport, it’s not really a surprise that the passion for good food runs in the family.

“My father’s passion and love for what he does is infectious and he passed that on to me, because I love what I do,” said Shauna fondly. Even so, taking over a restaurant in your mid-twenties is no mean feat.

“I faced every challenge going when I opened up Kelly’s Kitchen. I had never waitressed before, never worked in a restaurant before and I really had no clue what I was doing but, God, I learnt quick,” she recalled.

“All I knew is that I wanted to give people freshly cooked local food, and we had great ingredients, so I had a great start. I’m a person that likes to do everything. I designed the menus, picked the specials, did the ordering. I try to control every aspect of the front of house and in the kitchen. I learned that I couldn’t spread myself that thin, and now I have a fantastic team who work with me in delivering my goals.”

There’s always something different going on at Kelly’s Kitchen. Just recently, the restaurant held a steak and seafood night as part of the Gourmet Greenway.

“Everything was local, from dad’s beef, where the customer could pick out their steak, to Gerry Hassett of Achill Island, and Clark’s Fishing, Ballina, where we got our seafood. It was an amazing night and a celebration of local food,” said Shauna.

“I’m full of ideas for the future to expand our menu, to do more evening meals, to develop the outside area and hopefully just watch my business grow I feel so lucky to be able to do something I love.”

And, with Kelly’s Kitchen in the heart of the Great Western Greenway, not to mention along the Wild Atlantic Way, Shauna and her team couldn’t be luckier: “This part of the world is only amazing, with fantastic cycle tracks, walking routes and stunning drives. Because of this we are able to open all year round. We close at Christmas but are back open in January.”

Shauna may have dived straight into the deep end at the age of 26 and there’s no denying it: she learned not only how to stay afloat, but how to become a strong swimmer in the sea of food businesses along the Wild Atlantic Way.

“I love when someone says they love Kelly’s Kitchen or they love the food or they found their experience there wonderful. I get such a sense of pride when someone says that and when I can reply to them that this is my place. This is my restaurant. I love that.”

And, with a determination and love for what she does on a daily basis, there’s no doubt she’ll continue to grow as a business owner in the future. And who knows? She might pass on the family passion for good food to her four-year-old son.