Great review from Georgina Campbells Ireland guide

Copper Restaurant

Just off the diamond in the centre of Warrenpoint, Neil Bradley and Sarah Meaney’s appealing restaurant lies behind a smart understated façade. Inside, there’s a bar and a fine high-ceilinged dining room, with tables welcomingly set up with classic white linen and all the nice little touches that convey a quality feeling. Neil is an extremely strong advocate of local food: his fish is bought straight off the boat at Kilkeel Harbour, his herbs and vegetables are from Lurganconary Organic Farm at Kilkeel, and naturally reared beef and pork for the restaurant come from the nearby Narrow Water Castle Farm…thus the building blocks of good food are in place and, if you add the magic ingredient of seriously good cooking by a talented and dedicated chef, it is no surprise that this delightful restaurant should be on so many customers’ list of favourites. A range of imaginative but admirably concise set menus is offered (lunch, early dinner, vegetarian) as well as a more extensive à la carte; typically delicious summer offerings might include starters using vegetables, herbs and local fish in season such as fresh pea risotto with local ham & mint or spiced mackerel fillets with orange & rhubarb salad, possibly followed by a great meat dish like char grilled Narrow Water sirloin with dauphinoise potatoes & chili butter, or cumin roast lamb with potato gnocchi & aubergine. Finish, perhaps, with an unusual dessert like vanilla mousse with crushed strawberries and vanilla sherbert… The vegetarian menu is equally appealing, and also an 8-course Tasting Menu (£35) available for whole tables, which offers exceptional value. Everything served here is delicious, but the underlying reason for this restaurant’s success is that it is so customer-friendly – all menus offer extremely good value and, where possible, flexibility too; an interesting wine list is very fairly priced and, not only is service charming and efficient under Sarah’s direction, but she keeps in constant contact with customers throughout the year, offering special dining deals that entice people back. And, once through the door, Neil and Sarah ensure an enjoyable – perhaps memorable - experience, at a fair price. Well worth a detour.

*A daytime Copper Cafe is now open at the Newry Museum.

Lunch time Special

There is way too much stress in our modern life so you should relax in your favorite restaurant at lunchtime and we all know that having a glass of wine with your meal makes everything seem so much better, so I have introduced our new lunch time offer. Now there is no need to feel naughty about enjoying your lunch... it's saving you money!

Any main Lunch meal and a glass of wine for £8.95

See, you will be fed, relaxed and much happier just by coming to Copper for your lunch.

Don't forget our prices include bread & petit fours......

Christmas 2008 Menu

I have posted the Christmas 2008 set menus online! There will be the full A La Carte, Vegetarian & tasting menu following in the next few days...... Ho Ho Ho

Paul Rankin Says "go to Copper"

Right you lot..... I've been telling you all how great our wee restaurant is now for ages but Paul Rankin says you have to come and visit us, so you better do as he says!
"Copper Restaurant in Co. Down is particularly good"

I now am the official Paul Rankin #1 fan.

I will post some pics of our trip to England for the filming of Neil cooking for Gary Rhodes just as soon as can..

Cu in a Copper soon.

BYO - what credit crunch

Who says that the "credit crunch" means you can't go out and enjoy a great meal and a drink.... or two!!

Copper has extended it's Bring Your Own Wine policy for another month to cheer you up during all this rain.

So thank you all for supporting us through the years, we will see you soon down in the point!

What the paper said!

The local paper for Banbridge & Down Districts and Newry City and Mourne

Copper Restaurant owner and chef Neil Bradley with presenter and celebrity chef Paul Rankin.
News

The Copper Restaurant turns to gold with Food Hero nomination

Wednesday, 13 August 2008

WHAT do top chef Paul Rankin and the Copper Restaurant in Warrenpoint have in common? Answer: They both churn out exemplary melt-in-your-mouth cuisine, made more evident in the fact that the restaurant has recently been selected as one of five finalists in the local Food Hero 2008 competition.The competition is run by UKTV Food - Britain's only television channel dedicated solely to the love of food, which runs shows such as Market Kitchen, People's Cookbook, Rhodes Across India and, of course, Local Food Hero.Owned by chef Neil Bradley and manager Sarah Meaney, the Copper Restaurant is unique in that it aims to promote Northern Ireland produce and receives its naturally reared beef and pork from the nearby Narrow Water Castle Farm; all their fish from one fisherman from the local seaside town; their herbs and vegetables from Lurganconary Organic Farm in Kilkeel; their ice-cream from an award-winning Warrenpoint ice-cream maker and their oysters and mussels are also sourced locally. The duo are also part various organisations such as the Taste of Ulster organisation and the Mourne Initiative which aims to promote local food suppliers in Kilkeel, Newry, etc.Explaining how the nomination came about a shocked Neil explained: "One of our customers nominated us on the UKTV voting website. The website then collects hits and adds all the votes and the five restaurants with the most are put through to the final. “We only found out two weeks ago that we were selected as finalists."The winner of the Northern Ireland crown will secure a place in the grand final with the chance to win £40,000 and claim the Local Food Hero 2008 title. "It's just a case of playing the waiting game now," he concluded.Neil, who worked with Paul Rankin for a year and a half in the prestigious Cayenne Restaurant in Belfast, met up with his old acquaintance last Saturday when the internationally-renowned chef ventured into his restaurant to do a film section for UKTV Food and to visit the restaurant's beef supplier.As part of the sequence of challenges to secure the Local Food Hero for 2008, Neil will also be travelling to England next month to cook for Gary Rhodes but, for a restaurant that's only been standing four years and has already coveted the Northern Ireland Tourist Board Hospitality Award and now a finalist in the Local Food Hero challenge, it's Gary who should be the one impressed!For further information on Local Food Hero 2008 log onto: uktvfood.co.uk.

We're in!!

Yeah.... we've made it to the Northern Ireland regional finals of the UKTV food hero awards.

Thank you for voting for us and your amazing words of support, we really appreciate it!

We need your vote!!

Please vote for us in the Local Food Hero 2008 competition!

Follow this link http://uktv.co.uk/food/localfoodhero/outlet/oid/3370 register and then vote.

Thanks.............

We won!!

Last night we headed up to the Northern Ireland Tourist Board awards and guess what.......... we won!!

We now have a lovely new shiny trophy which says we are winners of the NITB Hospitality Award.

You can come on in and see it, we love it..... you can hold it to, it's heavy.

Thank you to all of you for your continued support and kind words.

Cu soon,
Sarah

Free Coffee/Tea

You are invited to a

COFFEE MORNING

in

BAGENAL’S CASTLE

on

Thursday 29th May 2008 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.


Enjoy a slice of McCann’s cake in the surroundings of the former McCann’s Bakery whilst making a donation to MacMillan Cancer Support. The former bakery is now the home to Newry and Mourne Museum, Newry Tourist Information Centre and Copper Cafe.

Feel free to visit the Museum’s Galleries where helpful staff will be on hand to assist.
Tea / Coffee served by Copper Cafe.

Fancy a fancy dress dinner?

St. Patricks Day

On St. Patricks day Copper Cafe Newry will be serving hot Irish Stew with Guinness Wheaten for only £3.50, you can sit in or take away, the opening hours on Monday will be 10am - 4.30pm

New Sundays

Sundays will never be the same again....we have changed our Sunday opening hours, we will now open from 12 noon right through to 8.30pm without a break.....we rock!!

Valentines - book your table!!

Oh Valentines Day, time for love, romance and.....
Yes..... you will need a table on Valentines or you will be dumped!
We can help,
we will reserve you a table in the best restaurant in the world ever - smile at you and your guest when you come in from the cold to our lovley special kind of Copper warmth, bring you the tastiest food you have ever had the joy of eating. Great wine, why of course!
And what do you have to do to get the biggest brownie points ever.... give us a call on 02841753047 and we will do the rest....
Cause we are good like that!
Copper Restaurant loves you, ahhhh.

free meal for 2

I'm giving away free food and drink again. For your chance to win go over to the main website, the link is:
http://www.copperrestaurant.co.uk/free_stuff.html

And I say it again.....why not try to bribe us!!

Handy Fish Cakes.....

I have pestered John until he gave me the recipe for fish cakes..... the great thing about these is that you can make them a few days before you need them then you can just whip them out and it looks like you have been slaving away for like hours....wow..... and kids love these, a great alternative to fish fingers.

This is what your fish cakes will look like before you breadcrumb them!

Fish Cakes..... serves 6-8

8oz salmon
20 oz cold mash potato
2 scallions – chopped
1 tblsp chives
1 tblsp tomato ketchup
1 tblsp grain mustard
1 egg, whisk gently and remove some for the egg wash
Salt & pepper
Bread crumbs
A little four

Method
Poach fish – cool & flake
Combine fish, herbs, ketchup, mustard, salt & pepper, mash and egg.
Divide into portions and shape.
Roll in flour, apply egg wash & bread crumbs and refrigerate until required.
When ready to be eaten panfry or deep fry until crisp on outside – finish in the oven

Fairy Cake Goddess takes over Copper Cafe

I got to play with the icing in the cafe and I made these little bits of yummy food heaven.... they are all gone now.... I only got to eat one!!

The next batch will be better... they will have jelly beans on them cause they taste even better than jelly bears.

Fairy cakes rock!!!!

NO MORE DIETS

Ahhhhhhhh...... Please stop with all this rubbish about diets.......
Honestly, have you ever heard a skinny person go on about being on a diet.... No, cause diets make you fat.

Now everybody, get more exercise....walk to Copper and have a great meal!!

Copper News

Well, I have been quiet for a while! It's a good sign for me though cause I've been too busy (maybe too lazy but I'm not telling) to blog.

News for you! We have changed the menu, all spanky new for you to have a look at so go see

http://www.copperrestaurant.co.uk/



I have also included the Copper Cafe menu as a download

http://www.copperrestaurant.co.uk/cafe_newry.html



I had to dump the new website design, see I do listen to you lot ( yes Adele), but only the odd time, you told me you didn't like it so it got removed. That is why I'm back to the old website.



Oh yes.... when I'm cleaning the cafe windows I am deaf, I'm deaf most of the time but with that traffic it's worse so stop yelling "you missed a bit" I can't hear you....



and for my new friends in the tourist office

The Newry Tourist Information Centre is now located in Bagenals Castle, Abbey Way, Newry....... The same place as Copper Cafe..... Please don't send people to the Town Hall anymore!! The staff there are very friendly and helpful and will look after you very well should you need any tourist information, I know cause I have heard them.