In Organico we try to practice what we preach. Many people say they use 'organic products wherever possible', but when you ask them the might use organic lettuce, in the summer. We are trying to use all organic products unless they are not available.
All our soups, salads and bakes are made using organic fruit & vegetables (locally grown whenever possible), organic lentils, chickpeas, beans etc. Our breads are organic (of course - they are fresh from our bakery), so is our coffee, and tea. The milk in our lattes is organic too! Our cakes are made with organic Spelt flour and any sugar used is both raw cane and organic.

We use local Irish cheeses, real local free range eggs, extra virgin low acidity olive oils, and local Irish butter.

Because we use so much organic fruit and veg in our food, we are very aware of what grows well in which seasons and where. For example right now (the middle of summer)we are using a lot of spinach, beetroot, mange tout peas, broad beans, chard, courgettes, salad veg and herbs as they are all in season in Ireland. We do use imported fruit and veg, because otherwise things would get very plain in the winter, but we always try to use only what grows in Europe. At the moment there are loads of great tomatoes, peppers and aubergines, fresh garlic and lovely cherries and apricots coming from France.

For more information on Organic fruit and veg, you can look up IOFGA, and organicmattersmag.com.

Organico Cafe, Glengarriff Road, Bantry, Co. Cork Ireland. Tel 00 353 (27) 55905.