Irish Culinary Heritage: Baking with Bronagh in Belfast

Duration: 2.5 Hours

About

Bake Traditional Irish Breads with Bronagh in the Heart of Belfast in one of the city's best known pubs McHugh's.

Come join me, Bronagh, for a hands-on breadmaking experience right in the heart of Belfast, where flour, stories, and heritage rise together.

We’ll be baking in McHugh’s, Belfast’s oldest surviving building, dating all the way back to 1711. Originally a private dwelling and later a tavern, today it’s a beautifully preserved pub and restaurant filled with character, all wooden beams, stone walls, and warm, historic charm. It’s the perfect setting to connect with the past while baking the breads that shaped our shared tables.

In this cosy, atmospheric space, you’ll step back in time to learn to make three beloved Irish breads: soda farls, wheaten bread, and our humble hero potato bread, or fadge, as we call it here. These are the breads I grew up with, and I’m proud to pass on their stories and traditions to you.

We'll work with simple, local ingredients and time-honoured techniques. Alongside the baking, you’ll hear tales passed down through my family and the wider Belfast community, stories as comforting as the bread itself. With flour-dusted aprons and warm griddles, we’ll recreate the feeling of an Irish kitchen, full of heart, humour, and a bit of craic.

Soda Stories, Wheaten Whispers & The Famous Fadge These aren’t just classes, they’re little journeys into Northern Ireland's culinary soul: • Soda Stories Knead, shape and griddle soda farls while hearing the stories that travelled with them, from my granny’s hearth to today’s breakfast tables. • Wheaten Whispers Bake our soft, nutty brown bread, laced with Guinness and uncover the quiet rituals and nourishment it’s brought to generations of homes. • The Famous Fadge Celebrate our potato bread, golden, buttery, griddle-fried and made from humble mash. It’s simple, sustaining, and deliciously comforting.

After your baking session, gather around for a cosy lunch with freshly made seasonal soup and enjoy the breads you've baked.

Highlights

• Authentic Irish Breads: Learn the secrets of traditional Irish baking as you make soda farls, wheaten bread, and potato bread (fadge).
• We’ll be baking in McHugh’s, Belfast’s oldest surviving building, dating all the way back to 1711. Originally a private dwelling and later a tavern, today it’s a beautifully preserved pub and restaurant filled with character, all wooden beams, stone walls, and warm, historic charm. It’s the perfect setting to connect with the past while baking the breads that shaped our shared tables.
• Sit around the table and enjoy your breads served with seasonal soup.

Includes

• Warm Welcome: Complimentary drink, alcoholic, non-alcoholic or tea, coffee and a few tasty cake bites.

• Demonstrations by Bronagh: Watch Bronagh demonstrate traditional bread-baking techniques

• Hands-On Experience: Get fully involved in making your own soda farls, wheaten bread, and potato bread (fadge).

• All Supplies Provided: Ingredients, equipment, aprons, and recipes are all included.

• Light Lunch: Savour a seasonal soup paired with the breads you've baked.

• Take Home Your Bakes: Bring home your delicious breads.

• Looking for a special gift? You can purchase this experience as a gift card in the “Gift Card” section. Just select the desired monetary amount, and the recipient can book their class directly on the website or by reaching out to us.

Important to Know

• A complimentary glass of wine will be served with lunch.
• Please let us know of any food allergies prior to your class.
• We’re happy to adjust recipes for gluten-free or vegan options, though these may differ slightly in texture and taste from traditional recipes. Please let us know about any allergies when booking, and note that this experience cannot be guaranteed as "nut free" if guests have a severe allergy.
• If you have any mobility needs, please let us know in advance. While there are stairs in the building, we have accessible options available to ensure everyone can fully enjoy and participate in the experience.

Meeting Point

• McHugh's Bar, 29-31 Queen's Square, Belfast BT1 3FG
• Please arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before the class starts to ensure everything is set up and ready for your arrival.
• Restaurant/bar staff will guide participants to the room where the experience shall take place