I wouldn't claim to be a foodie by any standards, but my recent trip to the Ashdown Park Hotel to enjoy their bespoke Farm to Fork experience package definitely is an experience worth checking out!

Onwards to Wexford

Over 20 of our Group Trip Members gathered for a Group dining experience on the 8th May 2026. The hotel itself is located in Gorey, Wexford which is not far from Dublin and only a 3 hour drive from Belfast. 

The hotel is very well located, and you can explore Gorey very easily as it is a 10-15 minute walk into town. It's also a short drive away from Ballymoney Beach, Kilmichael Point, and Cahore so if you want to visit some beaches while enjoying a scenic drive, Wexford is definitely the place for a cute getaway from city life.

The Ashdown Park Hotel

The hotel is very comfortable, with a lovely entrance and a Cafe nook for members to enjoy once they checked in. There is also the Coach Bar and the Ivy Bar that members can hang out at as well as a Courtyard, which is a quiet setting with a fountain to relax at with a coffee or drink. The hotel was bustling with people so there was always a chance to chat to people you haven't met before or the staff members.

Check in was also quick and efficient! I met the Revenue Manager Clare who was kind enough to show me the Steakhouse Restaurant before the event and talk over the order of the evening and give me a sneak peek of the menu. It was definitely a great welcome to the hotel - and I enjoyed taking time in my extremely comfortable and modern room to refreshen from the drive and get some emails done!

The Event

I met our members at 6.30pm at the Coach Bar. There were a number of Solos on the trip so it was nice to get to know them and find out which part of Ireland they had travelled from to make the experience. We were then taken up by Revenue Manager at 7.30pm (and after she explained the night to us) to the Steakhouse Restaurant where we were served a 4 Course Meal with a bottle of wine.

Over 20 of us were setting together at the Restaurant which was wonderful as we got the chance to chat, get to know each other, and rave about the food. 

And what amazing food it was!

For starters, I had a Farmhouse Goats Cheese Parfait, which was really lovely and fresh. I am always a big fan of Goats Cheese and beetroot but the addition of Grapefruit was a lovely surprise!

For mains, I had a Rump Steak which was unreal - possibly the best I have ever had! I usually have it medium rare which prompted a good discussion about how everyone prefers their steak. However, we all definitely agreed that the truffled beef dripping chips and the peppercorn sauce was the absolute best combination of the night. I was also glad I paired my food with the House White that the Restaurant offered, which was a Sauvignon Blanc from Languedoc region of France (which also happens to be my favourite region for wines!)

I am a bit fussy about deserts, I do confess. However, there was nothing to complain about for me when it came to the Chocolate Brownie with Lemon Curd on the inside. Lovely and sweet but tart with the lemon curd, which went down very well after the heaviness of the Steak and chips. Everything tasted really great, and you can tell how much effort, pride, and attention the Chefs at the Restaurant take in how they make the food. It was a really stunning dinner - one which you knew all the members enjoyed considering how quiet we were at one point as everyone tucked in.

I'd like to take the opportunity to offer a big shout out to the team, Peter, and Clare for taking care of us, and for being on hand to answer any questions we had about the food!

After the meal

There were over 20 members at the Group Trip and most were Solos so it was a lively mix of members who all went down to the Coach Bar at around 10pm once we were all done with the food! The Coach Bar also had live music until well after midnight. We were joined by other hotel guests and the craic was amazing as we sang and got to know other hotel guests who also happened to be Rory's Travel Club members!

We all eventually retired to our rooms to get a well earned nights sleep.

The next morning I manage to join a couple of members I had met the night before for breakfast - thankfully with no sore heads. Breakfast was a lovely affair of a buffet with excellently cooked Irish breakfast (especially the black pudding). It was really nice to relax early in the morning and get to see the courtyard outside with all the flowers and blue skies.

Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to check out the pool and spa before I left, but I did enjoy a quiet morning with coffee in the Ivy Bar after a wee explorative walk to Gorey for some book shopping.

Final Thoughts

For me, this was a 15/10 stay and honestly the food, the hotel rooms, and the location is just great value for our members! ❤️ We really love the Ashdown for a comfortable stay (whether you fancy one or two nights) and hopefully will get to do more opportunities for foodie ventures in the future!