Celebrating their first year in business

The Parlour in Ballinagh celebrated a year since first opening to the public, and owner Sean McDermott couldn’t be happier with how business has progressed.

The Shercock native came up with the idea during his hour-long treks to Navan, where he previously worked.

The former Tesco line manager passed by a café on his daily commute, which was always busy. From that a a seed was planted in Sean’s mind.

“I just saw it and said I’d like to give that a go,” Sean said of transplanting the idea to Ballinagh.

No stranger to trying new things, Sean said, “You should always take a chance on something.”

It was this mindset that led him into the life of a publican, many years ago when he rented ‘The Dugout’ where the current Oak Room Restaurant is located.

He then went to Australia before returning to Shercock. Still on the streak of trying new things, Sean has now turned his hand to ice-creams, waffles, pancakes and more.

“You have to learn very quickly,” he said of his new eatery, detailing that he often takes inspiration from chefs like Jamie Oliver and tops off their techniques with his own creations.

“It’s a nice sort of work because you have different people of all ages calling in. I like chatting to people,” he explains.

Sean likes to keep the menu seasonal at The Parlour. He currently offers ice-creams, smoothies, acai bowls and iced-teas among other refreshments to keep people cool in the summer months.

“I had a good year, I’m happy,” he reports.

Waffles, crepes and specifically Kinder Bueno milkshakes fly out the door.

“I could lift fifty or sixty of those a day,” he said, picking up a Bueno bar which is used in the milkshake recipe.

During the winter he finds that both sweet and savoury waffles and crepes along with hot chocolate sell better, and ice-cream sales slow down.

“You have to just go with the season,” he says.

Sean sets weekly targets for the amount of sales and is delighted that “it never dropped below”.

Last Tuesday, June 27, was a year since the café opened, and Sean gave his customers ice-creams, slushie drinks and coffees for €1 as a way of thanking them.

“It’s nice to give something back,” he said, expressing gratitude that he is “fit to be here.”

The café opens from 12-8 usually and is located on the Dublin road in Ballinagh. When the weather is good Sean said he will keep the doors open until around 10pm.