Welcome to Lough Hyne Cottage, where our dream of simple living met a dash of adventure – and a lot of good food. In 2019, we, Claire and Steven, packed up our Californian lives and headed back to Ireland, ready to embrace a slower, more sustainable way of life. Little did we know, Lough Hyne would turn out to be everything we’d hoped for and then some. It’s the kind of place that grabs hold of you and says, “This is home.”

The land here has a way of making you feel like you’ve always belonged, and the community? Well, they welcomed us with open arms and plenty of stories. We quickly settled into our new rhythm, fuelled by a passion for food, nature and connecting with the wonderful people around us.

Each week, we fire up our wood stove to bake bread and pastries, which we then share at the local market – because nothing brings people together like the smell of fresh bread, right? We keep bees (because honey is life) and are constantly in awe of the little creatures who make our world sweeter.

We also host monthly yoga mini-retreats, where we get to share our love for hyper-local, veggie-filled meals inspired by our time in California. Think California meets West Cork – fresh, vibrant and utterly delicious.

In our short time here, we’ve become part of a thriving artisan and artistic community that’s as inspiring as it is welcoming. It’s been a whirlwind, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We feel incredibly lucky to have found a place where we can live, create and share this beautiful life we’ve built. So come visit, stay a while, and maybe even bake some bread with us. You’ll fit right in.