Conor's Bandon Blog

Curious Wines launches

Conor O'Neill — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:48:36 +0000

You eagle-eyed West Cork drivers may have noticed a big new sign on the back of one of the units behind Great Gas on the Bandon Bypass. It is the retail/warehouse outlet of newly launched Curious Wines. Mike Kane, the owner, has put together a brilliant selection of wines which are not your usual supermarket generic stuff.

Their web-site has just gone live and it’s a corker (boom! boom!). Another stunning creation by the shockingly talented Ms Dent. I think it’s probably the best looking and most effective wine web-site in the country and puts the major chains to shame. The wine value is also fantastic and you really should buy by the case and save even more.

I’m just looking forward to the tastings that Mike has planned since I’ll be able to walk to them!

Blog post of the year

Conor O'Neill — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:29:58 +0000

When the Irish Blog Awards nominations open early next year, I’m pretty sure Ivan McCutcheon’s recent post about local West Cork abbatoirs and butchers will be the one I pick.

If you care about the food you put in your gob and appreciate the work of people with a passion for their craft, read Ivan’s piece, print it off and give it to those you know.

For so many reasons, it is imperative that businesses like Dan Maloney’s in Bandon survive and thrive. Supporting local food production is good for community, business, the environment and the economic independence of the country.

Regular Service will resume soon

Conor O'Neill — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:07:19 +0000

I have no excuse for the lack of posting here other than the usual busy-ness of life. I’ll get back into writing mode very soon. Lots of blogposts and book reviews in my head, I just need to get them out through my fingers.

Speaking of reviews, I hope my loyal readers don’t mind me doing a very quick bit of blatant promotion of LouderVoice. We have just kicked off our 2008 BES offering. If the mayhem of the markets has you spooked, then you may find our tax-efficient offering interesting. All details over on our corporate blog.

So for my next post, should I do a rant on Annaghmore (greatest idea since the invention of the square wheel), a review of “Drive On” by LJK Setright (stunning), a review of “Full On Irish” by Kevin Dundon (patchy) or something on why I think British Stand-Up Comedy is dead (having seen The Secret Policeman’s Ball) ?

Fabby Fashiony Fishy Fishy

Conor O'Neill — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:38:00 +0000

Fishy Fishy Cafe,

Pier Road,

Kinsale,

Co Cork,

Ireland

I’ve just had an absolutely perfect seafood lunch in Fishy Fishy with my parents. Incredible fresh seafood at reasonable prices with attentive staff. The only downside was an excess of ladies-who-lunch trying-too-hard.

I have never ever heard a bad word about the original Fishy Fishy. Everything about it sounded great except the small number of tables which resulted in long waits. As we are usually with-childer, that’s not an option. My parents popped down for a visit and brought me out for lunch today to their new location looking out on the harbour. It’s a lovely spot and the interior is just gorgeous. A pity they spent 20 minutes waiting for me at the original location which is back to being a shop again!

We arrived just before 12.30 expecting to queue but got seated right away. We took a relaxed pace and were there for well over an hour. It was absolutely jammed from 1pm onwards and the crowds never eased off. We probably brought the tone down a little since we were dressed normally unlike many who clearly thought they were guests of the Ambassador, given the high fashion on display.

The staff were brilliant throughout being attentive without being overbearing. They got my mum’s main order wrong and could not have been more apologetic. A replacement arrived within five minutes (the advantage of serving ultra-fresh fish dishes which need little cooking).

Then the food, oh god the food. I decided to try things that were completely new to me. So it was clams to start and ray wings for main. I cannot praise them highly enough. I’m now a convert to both and will be looking to cook them myself. The clams were the non-razor sort and just sweet little nuggets of flesh in a lip-smacking asian-style broth. The ray wings simply pan-fried on a lovely scallion mash with a perfect sauce.

Mum skipped starters and went for a chilli seafood plate which she devoured. Dad started with avocado and prawns I think and had monkfish for main. All brilliant.

This is the sort of place every town in West Cork should have. The very best very freshest seafood cooked simply and cooked with skill. The massive crowds eating there shows that great businesses will be immune to the credit crunch. Speaking of which, the only real flaw in the place is that they don’t accept credit cards. In 2008, that’s just a bit mental. Giving us a customer feedback card at the end of the meal tells you what pros they are. Perhaps they might consider asking their customers to send reviews by SMS

If you haven’t been. Go.

Rated 5/5 on Oct 3 2008

Vote on Conor O’Neill’s reviews at LouderVoice

LouderVoice review tags: food, restaurant, dining, cafe, fish, seafood, west cork

Oh Mio Mai-o

Conor O'Neill — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:12:50 +0000

Mio Restaurant,

1-3 Connolly Street,

Clonakilty,

Ireland

We’ve had a couple of very good reviews of Mio on LouderVoice and finally got a chance to try it out last Sunday. A brilliant meal in a beautiful but shockingly empty restaurant. We’ll be back soon.

Granny Mary shooed us out the door at 5pm on Sunday and we tootled down to Clon to Mio’s. Owned by the same people as the brilliant Gleenson’s, it is two doors up and upstairs.

The room is beautifully done with a nice Italian feel to the whole place. It was empty on arrival so we got the full attention of the very friendly waiter. A couple of Italian Moretti beers saw us through the meal and we had a hard time deciding what to pick. Both the main menu and specials looked good but with quite run-of-the-mill descriptions, which as as discovered when the food arrived, didn’t do it justice at all.

Catherine had a fantastic pate to start and I had pasta-wrapped prawns with a saffron aioli. Both with very good salad with a tasty dressing.

For main I had the Capricciosa pizza which had anchovies, capers, olives and an egg. One of the best pizzas I’ve eaten in the past ten years. Catherine had a classic Caesar sald with chicken. She couldn’t finish it, it was so big. Lovely leaves and dressing, beautifully moist chicken. She didn’t go for the whole anchovies in it tho. Might be best to mention as an option to people.

Two excellent double espressos finished the evening and we were out off home, fully sated.

Unfortunately not one other person came in whilst we were there. I so hope this was a timing thing and not a regular occurrence since Clon needs a place like this that serves great food in a relaxed setting. I am concerned that the menu outside gives no hint of the high quality of the food and could be mistaken for an Eddie Rockets style place. The prices are a little high but then I say that about everywhere.

If you like great pizza and great food in general but want it in a lovely relaxed welcoming setup then Mio is worth a detour. Next time I’m trying the burger.

Rated 4/5 on Oct 3 2008

Vote on Conor O’Neill’s reviews at LouderVoice

LouderVoice review tags: food, restaurant, irish, ireland, italian, pizza, steak, burgers, pasta

Engage - Arts Festival Bandon

Conor O'Neill — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 11:15:35 +0000

For some reason I completely missed that this was coming. Thanks to Mary Wedel for letting me know. From Fri 26th to Sun 28th September, we’re having an Arts Festival in Bandon. Things were actually kicked off on Thursday with the CruX Dance Company in the Town Hall. There will also be an exhibition of local artists in the Miriam Bailey Gallery from Wed 24th.

The line-up next weekend is below. I’m genuinely blown away by all of the events they have arranged. It reminds me very strongly of growing up in Kilkenny with the Arts Festival every year with the added bonus of lots of kid-friendly stuff too.

FRIDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER

10AM -5PM LOCAL ARTIST’S ART MARKET FACTORY LANE / FUCSHIA FRAMING
11AM -6PM LOCAL ARTIST EXHIBITION MIRIAM BAILEY GALLERY
11.00AM CHILDREN’S READING BANDON LIBRARY WITH IAN WILD
6.30PM OPENING RECEPTION TOWN HALL, ART EXHIBITION, KIT FRENCH/CATE MURPHY/LOUIS WILD, CANTILENA STRING QUARTET
8.30PM BAROQUE ENSEMBLE (20)* ST PETER’S CHURCH OF IRELAND
10.00PM WENDY MARLATT - DAVIDA, HERON COURT, TRIBAL BELLY DANCE
11.00PM LATE NIGHT PHILOSOPHY CURTIN’S, ALLEN SQUARE

SATURDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER

10AM -5PM LOCAL ARTIST’S ART MARKET FACTORY LANE / FUCSHIA FRAMING
11AM -5PM CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP WEIR ST. ARTISTS’ STUDIO ART (5 PER 1 HR SESSION), GLYNNIS TRINDER, ELLEN MCGALEY, DERIDRE GILLESPIE
11AM -6PM ART EXHIBITION - BANDON ARTISTS MIRIAM BAILEY GALLERY
11AM -5PM ADULT WORKSHOP MOSAIC (DAY 1) WEIR ST. ARTISTS’ STUDIO, JULIE TYRRELL (150 FOR 2 DAYS)
11AM -1PM ADULT WORKSHOP (10) WCPHC, WEIR ST. CREATIVE WRITING, ADAM WYETH
11AM -5PM CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITIONS HOWARD COURT
11AM -1PM MELISSA BAKER -STORYTELLER OLD MARKET SQUARE (BARREL-TOP CARAVAN)
1PM -3PM TXUTXUKAN - FRENCH GYPSY BAND TOWN CENTRE, AKASHA DANCE TROUPE, MISCELLANEOUS STREET EVENTS
2PM -4PM CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP(7) MUNSTER ARMS HOTEL, DRAMA / PAULA MCGLINCHEY
3PM -4PM CLONAKILTY BRASS BAND RIVERVIEW SHOPPING CENTRE
5PM POETRY READING - TREVOR JOYCE BANDON BOOKS
3.30PM -5PM CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP(5) FIONNUISCE, HERON COURT, COOKERY / DEBBIE BATEMAN
3.30PM -5.30PM ADULT WORKSHOP (15) WCPHC, WEIR ST., FUSION BELLY DANCE / BELLA HANCOCK
4.30PM CHILDREN’S ART COMPETITION RESULTS BANDON LIBRARY
6.30PM LECTURE - JACK LYONS - THE WHO WCPHC, WEIR ST.
8.00PM PATRICK GALVIN EVENING TOWN HALL, READINGS, FILM, MUSIC
8.00PM LIVE MUSIC - ORANGATWANG FUNKY FISH YOUTH CAFE
9.00PM MUSIC EVENT (12.50) MUNSTER ARMS HOTEL, DJ ROCKSTEADY, LIVE MUSIC - ILYA K, AINE DUFFY

SUNDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER

11AM -5PM CONTEMPORARY ART HOWARD COURT
11AM -6PM ART EXHIBITION MIRIAM BAILEY GALLERY
10.30AM HISTORIC BANDON WALK MEET AT ST. PETER’S, CLARE MCCUTCHEON
11AM -5PM ADULT WORKSHOP WEIR ST. ARTITS STUDIO, MOSAIC (DAY 2), JULIE TYRRELL (150 FOR 2 DAYS)
FROM NOON JAZZ BRUNCH DAVIDA
1PM -4PM ART / FILM EXHIBITION TOWN HALL, KIT FRENCH, CATE MURPHY, LOUIS WILD, ED GODSELL
2.30PM PUPPET THEATRE HOWARD COURT
4.00PM FESTIVAL FINALE - (12.50)*GRAMMAR SCHOOL HALL, THE MOVE TRANS-THEATRE COMPANY**
8.30PM LIVE MUSIC - (12.50) MUNSTER ARMS HOTEL, LERNER, KARMA PARKING

Wine Tasting in Bubble Brothers

Conor O'Neill — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:18:57 +0000

Like blogs? Like wine? Then Julian over at Bubble Brothers is having a wee tasting this coming Thursday. All details over on the blog.

This coming Thursday, 25th September, Emilio Saez van Eerd of Casa de las Vides and Javier Navarro from Tintoralba (earlier tasting summarized in this post) will be making a flying visit to us, and I’d like to give them and their wines as much publicity as possible. Check out the EWBC stuff on Vinus TV.

The day’s events have not yet been decided - but I think it would be great if as many blog and twit and wine folk as possible could come along to a leetle tasting here at the Marina on Thursday 25th. I’ve already had encouraging responses from a number of people, both on the wine side and in techno-trousers.

Environmentally friendly investing

Conor O'Neill — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:08:42 +0000

Got this from my brother-in-law today:

If you had purchased £1000 of Northern Rock shares one year ago it would now be worth £4.95, with HBOS, earlier this week your £1000 would have been worth £16.50, £1000 invested in XL Leisure would now be worth less than £5, but if you bought £1000 worth of Tennents Lager one year ago, drank it all, then took the empty cans to an aluminium re-cycling plant, you would get £214. So based on the above statistics the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and re-cycle.

SOHO Solo West Cork

Conor O'Neill — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:25:09 +0000

SOHO Solo West Cork is the West Cork Chapter of SOHO Solo Ireland, a small business networking and support group. It offers the opportunity to connect with other independent small businesses in the region, to share, collaborate and socialise with people who face similar challenges.

Calvin Jones has recently taken over as organiser and is doing a fantastic job of re-energising it. He is giving a talk on Wednesday called “Harnessing the power of social media to help your small business”. It’s on in the Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery from 12:30-14:00.

If you are a small biz in West Cork and you want to build your professional network both locally and further afield, then you should pop along to this. It’s a free talk but please register your interest here.

Creativity and Education

Conor O'Neill — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:38:39 +0000

What started off as a throwaway comment on Twitter today led me to one of the most inspirational talks I have seen since Hans Rosling at Le Web.

Sir Ken Robinson talks at TED about how the current education system kills creativity and continues to take the 19th Century approach of generating people trained for industry.

It’s 20 minutes long and I encourage you to watch every minute. It isn’t just thought provoking, it is also hilarious.

Thanks to Des Traynor for making my week.

Now THIS is how to make an ad

Conor O'Neill — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:59:25 +0000

The new Vista ad from Microsoft. I think it’s an all-time great. Brilliant writing (by Seinfeld I assume). Not once is Vista mentioned, just the logo at the end.

When you get tired of “buy buy buy, buy this, NOW, do it now, limited time offer, for you, blah blah blah”, then funny oddball ads like this put a smile on your face. I swear my opinion of Vista has gone up since I’ve watched this. Now if they did one with George Costanza, I’d go out and buy Vista Ultimate on the spot.

Food Culture in West Cork

Conor O'Neill — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:13:23 +0000

I’m thrilled to see more and more great Irish food blogs being created and I was recently told about a real cracker.

Ivan McCutcheon, who works as a rural development officer with West Cork LEADER Co-Op and is heavily involved in the the Fuschia Brands initiative, has started Food Culture in West Cork. A must-read as far as I’m concerned. Check out his great piece on Fishy Fishy and Ummera.

Bat Advice

Conor O'Neill — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:48:00 +0000

That has to be the strangest blogpost title I’ve ever used.

We arrived back from our much-needed and many-years-delayed holiday to France yesterday (long blog post to follow soon on that). A few hours later Catherine picked up a j-cloth in the kitchen sink to find……a bat!

It was absolutely tiny, barely bigger than my thumb and we had no idea what to do with it. I gently picked it up with a cloth (are they disease carriers?) and brought it outside down to the far corner of the garden. It made no attempt to fly but just slowly crawled across the patio.

A few hours later I was feeling bad about it and went in search. I found it half way up the back wall hanging upside-down. My worry was that some of the horrible local crows might eat it. So I nudged it onto a stick (squeamish huh?) and carried it to our shed. I gently put the stick up against the corner of the roof and it climbed into a nook. Happily for it, there was a spider there. I think it’s now an ex-spider.

This afternoon, I went for a look and discovered it was still there, well hidden in the nook, which was a relief.

But is that it? Do I leave it alone? Is it a small breed or a baby? Might it be hurt? Are they rare? What is their natural habitat? And most importantly of all, how the hell did it get into our sink? Down the chimney? All thoughts and pointers appreciated.

Here’s a wee pic of the little guy in his current lodgings:

Think your killer recipe would sell in a supermarket?

Conor O'Neill — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 10:52:10 +0000

Aisling from RTE in Cork contacted a bunch of Irish bloggers about a new show they are doing. I’m thrilled she did, considering it’s exactly what I recommended only a few weeks ago in the context of my “Heat” review.

The idea is simple, it’s a 6 part competition show called Recipe for Success that will see 15 home cooks battle it out to have their own gastronomic creations stocked on the shelves of SuperValu. Viewers of the series will see the whole development process of the product.

I honestly think this is the smartest idea for a food programme that RTE has had since they spotted the potential of Darina Allen all those years ago. I can’t wait to see how you take a home-cooked meal and turn it into a shelf-ready product.

If you have a dish you know people love and which has the potential to be packaged, why not give this a go? SuperValu already stocks the wonderful Cully & Sully range so the precedent for high-end ready-meals is there.

The question is, would my Sophie Grigson derived (but still unique) meatballs make the cut or would potential customers just lump it into the same category as the dreaded B***s E*e Spag Bol in a bag (which I ate many times in college)? Sadly my Chicken Tikka, whilst amazing, is just a straight lift from a book.

All details are on the RTE site. G’wan, you know you want to.

The Annual Slow Food West Cork Lough Hyne Picnic

Conor O'Neill — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:16:02 +0000

I just got a note from Anthony Creswell of Ummera Smokehouse to let me know about the annual Slow Food picnic. It is on this Sunday August 17th.

Climb up Lough Hyne and treat yourself to a scrumptious picnic while gazing at the spectacular view. Meet at bottom of Lough Hyne to collect your pre-ordered picnic at 1:00pm. They aim to start the climb at 1:30pm

Packed picnics by Stephen Canty of Food for Thought Catering

LOCAL SMOKEHOUSE PICNIC · WEST CORK CHEESE PICNIC
SCHULL CHARCUTERIE PICNIC · SPECIAL CHILDREN’S CHOICE

Complete Picnic Menu and Order Form PDF

Menu details also available at Urru Culinary Store Bandon, and Food For Thought Catering

Each picnic includes salads, dessert and ¼ bottle wine. Children’s picnics include fresh fruit juice.

Adults €20. Children €8, €15 for 2, €22 for 3

Book on 087 752 8940 or to stephen@foodforthoughtwestcork.com

Note that you need to book your picnic by this wednesday.

Fun Food in Arthurstown

Conor O'Neill — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:49:25 +0000

Dunbrody Cookery School,

Arthurstown,

Co Wexford,

Ireland

A brilliant gift of a cookery course in Dunbrody by my fabulous sister-in-law Paula led to one of the best day’s out I’ve had in ages. Interesting and enjoyable in every way without a dull moment in a gorgeous location.

We did our annual extended family meet-up on the August Bank Holiday weekend in Rosslare recently. On Friday morning I borrowed my mother’s car and drove the 45 minute journey to Arthurstown near the ferry in Ballyhack.

For some silly reason I thought Dunbrody was just a cookery school and restaurant but soon discovered it is a hotel and spa too. I arrived on the dot of 9.30 to find just two other people there; a B&B owner and a GP, both of whom were very friendly. A moment later, Edward, our teacher, swooped in to start our day of “Light Lunches”. I have to say that the guy was just wonderful for the whole session. Tons of energy, knowledge and anecdotes. He’s just finished a cookery book which will be launched soon. Keep an eye out for it: “Entertaining with Edward”. I wish I had been that accomplished at the age of 26!

My only tiny disappointment on the day was realising that it was all demos with no hands on. This is inevitable given the size and layout of the room but I do love to get stuck in. My concern that I might get bored just watching proved totally unfounded. Edward’s manner and approach made sure we didn’t even suffer the mid-afternoon lull.

The list of things he made was extensive and there wasn’t a clunker among them. I would just love to be able to multi-task the way that he did. He did the following:

Traditional Brown Soda Bread: This was lovely and nutty. Not as good as my mothers but still great.

Fresh Basil Pesto: For some reason I have never made pesto. This was one of the best I’ve had.

Crab Croquettes with Sweet Chilli Jam: Whilst I’ll definitely be making the croquettes again, the jam just made me feel stupid. I cannot believe how easy it is to make and how much better it was than any bought jar. This is going to be one of my regular creations from now on.

Smoked Haddock and Rocket Tart: One of the absolute highlights of the day. If you love fish pie, this makes a quicker and lighter alternative

Cheese and Bacon Quesadillas: Simple and tasty as hell. Will be trying this on the kids. Total winner.

Fish en paupilotte: This genuinely shocked me. I love smoked salmon, I detest cooked fresh salmon, it makes me gag. Yet somehow, this tasted beautiful and I scoffed the lot. Another ultra-easy meal which will be a future regular.

Mild Cajun Chicken: Lovely and juicy in a yoghurt coating
Classic Italian Meatballs: Excellent but not a patch on my own The mince mix would make fantastic burgers or meatloaf.
Vegetarian Roulade with Spinach: The least favourite for the three of us but still good. Some of the intended ingredients were not delivered on the day which is a pity as I can imagine how much better it would have been.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad: Using roasted veg and some of the pesto, this is perfect BBQ food.
Meringue Roulade with Summer Berries and Toasted Almonds: Should be illegal. We had it for our elevenses and it was light as a feather and totally delish.

Edward also gave us two tours of the kitchen gardens which were a joy to see. Jammed with every sort of veg, fruit and herb. If only I had the acerage and the time!

I was chuffed to get a branded apron and Kevin Dundon’s latest book as I left. This course won’t teach you amazing new techniques if you are already a solid home chef but it will give you tons of ideas for tasty interesting family meals. It’s also a perfect day of relaxation and fun.

Full set of photos from the day including geo-tagged ones on Flickr.

Rated 5/5 on Aug 11 2008

Vote on Conor O’Neill’s reviews at LouderVoice

LouderVoice review tags: cooking, cookery, teaching, school, training, chef, gourmet, garden, food

Heat zaps the bugs and delivers a winning final

Conor O'Neill — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:58:23 +0000

Heat Final (RTE)

I had written off this series by the third episode but it still showed glimmers of quality. Luckily those glimmers shone through to beat off the bozos and tooth veneers. The final gave us the two best chefs who were clearly passionate and capable.

The food they cooked was fantastic, the mistakes understandable and the emotion strong. My heart was with Ann but I knew in my gut that Paul would clinch it at the end. However I do think she’ll be the one to follow her dream and open that cookery school in Italy. Kevin Thornton had obvious affection and admiration for her.

Dare I say it, I’m looking forward to the next series. But please please please, dear production company, use this crazy new fangled thing called the internet to encourage foodies not media whores to apply. There are enough of us foodie bloggers out there to create a buzz and get you applicants who care about food and cooking not 15 minutes of pseudo-fame.

Rated 4/5 on Aug 10 2008

Vote on Conor O’Neill’s reviews at LouderVoice

LouderVoice review tags: tv, food, television, competition, rte, chef, restaurant, heat

Terra Madre Ireland

Conor O'Neill — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:34:25 +0000

Dianne Curtin just let me know about Terra Madre Ireland which is on in WIT, Waterford from 4th - 7th September. Anyone involved in the Slow Food movement will know what this is about. If you don’t:

A Sustainable Future for the Irish Food Industry

An important conference for all those involved in the Irish food chain including state bodies, retailers, growers and food producers. Attend the morning conference and choose 1 of 40 workshops (click for list) to contribute to key policy debates. A Policy Statement from each Workshop will be produced with key recommendations presented in the afternoon feedback session to Ministers for Agriculture (North and South). President Mary McAleese will address delegates on Friday afternoon.

Sounds like it may be a very special weekend.

Fax Spammers still allowed to operate with impunity in Ireland

Conor O'Neill — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:24:39 +0000

JD, one of the most prolific commenters on this blog, let me know about some fax spammers called Prism Fax badgering his elderly parents. It appears that the white elephant known as the Data Protection Commissioner was utterly useless in dealing with this. If Brian Cowen is looking to save a few bob, I can think of one organisation that wouldn’t be missed if it was shut down tomorrow. Read the full story here.

Blog Moved to Blacknight

Conor O'Neill — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:48:24 +0000

8 years after I first registered conoroneill.com, this blog is finally hosted in Ireland where it belongs. Based on all the great feedback I heard about Blacknight and the fact that they are great supporters of the Irish tech startup community, I went with them.

We’re on the SOHO package with is just €35 per year ex-VAT and it does everything I need. The move was extremely easy to do. I just copied all the Wordpress files off the old host, copied the Wordpress Database, loaded both up on Blacknight and told GoDaddy that the blog is now there.

All in all, maybe an hours work including email account setup? The one glitch I had was solved by their support people in less than 10 minutes. The blog feels a lot faster, I hope it’s the same for you.

Full review coming soon once I’ve poked around a bit but so far it’s 5/5. If you are thinking of setting up a blog, go for their blogger package and you’ll be up and running with close to zero effort or knowledge.

p.s. if you didn’t see a bunch of posts from the past two weeks, that’s my fault. Should be working ok now.