Our Story
“A shared table is one of the oldest forms of social repair.”
Emily grew up in America understanding that food is how people take care of each other. She came to the Emerald Isle, fell in love with this corner of the island and never left.
The real beginning was 2015.
A health crisis that made Norman and Emily stop and look honestly at how they were living. Overstressed, undernourished, running toward the wrong things. They chose a different direction, resolved to build something that might offer others the same, and Lo & Slo began to take shape.
Emily had spent a lifetime in kitchens. Her family spoke food as a first language, and America gave them plenty of dialects to learn. With a deep love for the long, patient art of BBQ, the fire was always where she was headed.
And the deeper she went, the more she found. Ireland's Bronze Age fulachtaí fia showed her that the instinct she was following was ancient, rooted in the very land now beneath her. An anthropological curiosity took hold and Wild & Fired followed naturally behind her.
In 2023, by invitation, Wild & Fired found its home in the walled garden at Brook Hall Estate on the banks of the River Foyle. Now in residency and quietly proud to be recognised by Tourism Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland, the Independent Cookery Schools Association and Slow Food.
The people who find their way here tend to know why they've come. Curious, unhurried, they want to understand the fire, not just stand near it, and to leave carrying something they didn't arrive with.
Values
CONNECTION & EDUCATION
Wherever we are, we create space to slow down, learn something real, and leave feeling better connected to yourself, the people around you, and the land.
LOCAL & ARTISANAL PRODUCE
Every dish is built from local, seasonal ingredients sourced from farmers and producers we trust, rooted in the flavours of this place. Taste the landscape on every plate.
QUALITY EQUIPMENT & EXPERT GUIDES
Master ancient cooking techniques using premium live fire equipment, guided hands-on by our fire specialists.
INTIMATE COMMUNAL DINING
Food tastes better shared. Food tastes better shared. Whether you've cooked it yourself or we've cooked it for you, we bring people together around the fire to savour the landscape on every plate.