{"id":463162,"date":"2026-05-23T09:20:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T09:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/463162\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T09:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T09:20:09","slug":"bree-allen-loving-buzz-of-grainstores-tasty-menu-of-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/463162\/","title":{"rendered":"Bree Allen, loving buzz of Grainstore’s tasty menu of events\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

When 20-year-old Bree Allen travelled from her home in Australia and arrived at Ballymaloe for a three-month stopover, she became part of the magical fabric of the beautiful surroundings nestled in the stunning countryside of east Cork.<\/p>\n

\u201cI arrived on a sunny day in May,\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe wisteria was out all along the avenue leading to the Ballymaloe House. I thought it was so beautiful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

When she married Cullen Allen, Bree became part and parcel of the welcoming hospitality vibe, and the bonhomie always associated with Ballymaloe House.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuilt in the 1400s, I thought the house was so beautiful,\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

Like all the Allens, Bree is a good cook, but her forte lies in organising events, celebrations, festivals, weddings, yoga retreats and pop-up dinners in the Grainstore, a building that pays homage to its original roots as the farm\u2019s actual grainstore.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been managing the Grainstore, owned by my father-in-law, Rory Allen, for over 10 years now,\u201d says Bree who has three children.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the years I worked in front-of-house at Ballymaloe, in the bar, and in reception there.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"MichelleMichelle Lally, lead vocals, with Frankie Gavin and De Dannan live on stage at the Grainstore, Ballymaloe. Picture: John Hennessy\u00a0<\/p>\n

How did her role of operations\/events manager of the Grainstore evolve?<\/p>\n

\u201cI ended up running events because I had very strong opinions about how I thought the space should be run,\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I thought if I\u2019m going to have strong opinions, I should just do it! It started as a favour to my father-in-law, but now it\u2019s all encompassing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Grainstore is a multi-purpose event venue for live performances, art exhibitions, weddings, yoga retreats, mother & toddler groups, pilates, karate classes, and of course the annual Ballymaloe Festival of Food and Ballymaloe Craft Fair.<\/p>\n

“Managing the Grainstore is my full-time job,\u201d says Bree. \u201cI enjoy organising events for people\u2019s enjoyment. I love being creative and coming up with new ideas.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are perks too. It keeps the mortgage paid!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s important.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe really important part is keeping the doors open here and busy,\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

\u201cHosting events out in the countryside can be a challenge.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"BallymaloeBallymaloe Grainstore exterior. Photo: Joleen Cronin. <\/p>\n

The Grainstore is firmly on the East Cork map.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are only 25 minutes from Cork city,\u201d says Bree. \u201cAnd when people are attracted to live acts, or to an art exhibition by a local artist, or to a yoga retreat with Dearbhla Glynn, they are willing to travel down the road and further afield.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bree likes her job.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreating a special experience and a memorable one for people gives me great job satisfaction.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bree is delighted that the Grainstore is a huge success. \u201cIt is a huge success and it\u2019s my baby!\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

She gets a lot of help from her friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many moving parts attached to this job, it is amazing,\u201d says Bree. \u201cMy manager at the Grainstore, Marlene, is wonderful. Ivana and Victoria are invaluable when it comes to organising the logistics of the popular annual food and craft fair festivals we host.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Logistics are a big part of organising such events.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the Ballymaloe Festival of Food, and at the Craft Fair, there is a massive amount of food producers, food trucks and stall holders to manage and cater for,\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

Nothing is left to chance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe feed people too! The logistics of parking, having the flowers looking lovely, having the floors hovered, all these jobs are managed very well in what is a huge area,\u201d says Bree. \u201cAttention to detail is hugely important.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0Bree is a whizz when it comes to spread sheets. \u201cI am really into spread sheets that help me keep track of everything and everyone,\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

Bree is a natural.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to event management I had no training,\u201d says Bree, who ran a shop back in Australia, specialising in restoration of hardware and lighting. She sought out the unique and unusual. \u201cI do everything on instinct,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her instinct serves her well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat instinct is based on love of curating and seeking out the unique and unusual where a craftsperson\u2019s skill is evident,\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

\u201cShowcasing Irish artists and upcoming Irish talent is fantastic. There are so many small Irish gems that deserve the opportunity to showcase their wares.\u201d There are other perks to the job.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughter, Aoibheann, 20, is currently in Australia,\u201d says Bree. \u201cTasmin is 17 and Theo is in TY. They are all great to step in and lend a hand when needed. Everything here is familiar to them. We live next door so there is no commuting involved!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

How does Bree source popular acts to perform at the Grainstore that boasts magnificent acoustics?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I see someone on TV that appeals to me, I\u2019ll get on to their PR and book them,\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been at the Grainstore to see Phil Coulter, Tommy Tiernan, Des Bishop, the Nualas, and the cr\u00e9me de la cr\u00e9me, Gay Byrne and his wife, Kathleen, who played the harp and recited poetry on that memorable summer’s night.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"GayGay Byrne, RIP, backstage prior to his For One Night Only show at the Ballymaloe Grainstore, Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing Gay live must have been a fabulous experience,\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

It was, to be sure. So was the Dog\u2019s Day Out at Ballymaloe.<\/p>\n

Bree laughs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is always great fun!\u201d Bree loves the buzz of the festivals. \u201cAt the Festival of Food and at the Craft Fair everyone has a good time. Locals and tourists alike mingle together and chat, share food or share a drink together. It\u2019s lovely to see.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

What is the secret of hosting and catering for so many people?<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, it\u2019s like hosting a dinner party,\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

But there is always an element of surprise for the guests.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is!\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

\u201cI make sure when the guests walk in, everything they see has an Irish connection-made or designed in Ireland by an Irish owned company.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bree is in good company.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love shopping!\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I go to a Craft Fair anywhere in Ireland and see something I like, I will get in touch with the maker. I spend a lot of time looking for different things and looking for new talent getting a feel for different products. I love jewellery and pottery. And I love food!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She\u2019s in the right place. She always was.<\/p>\n

\u201cCully and I got married in the Grainstore,\u201d says Bree. \u201cWe have lots of weddings here.\u201d How does Bree get on with the boss?<\/p>\n

\u201cRory and I have a very good working relationship,\u201d says Bree. \u201cWe work very well together.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Families that eat together stay together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe staff lunch is a daily event,\u201d says Bree.<\/p>\n

It is a welcome event.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe grab it when we can!\u201d Bree is well nourished in the place she loves so well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe in nourishing every aspect of people\u2019s lives.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Grainstore Ballymaloe Shanagarry P25 FH67; See: thegrainstore@ballymaloe.com; Call: 021-465 2531<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When 20-year-old Bree Allen travelled from her home in Australia and arrived at Ballymaloe for a three-month stopover,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":463163,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[200353,61,60,80],"class_list":["post-463162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-east-cork-sponsored","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=463162"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463162\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/463163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=463162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=463162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=463162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}