A Little Bit Of Happy Pear History Ended Today…

What a long, strange, healthy and very yummy trip it’s been…

There on Day One of The Happy Pear’s rather remarkable journey here in Greystones, kitchen wonder woman Dorene Palmer today hung up her HP apron for the very last time.

Over the past decade, Dorene has produced hundreds of rather delicious dishes, and, of course, made an enormous amount of people smile with her sunny disposition along the way.

In a cafe bursting at the seams with shiny, happy people, it’s quite possible that Dorene Palmer has got the smile that outshines them all. It’s infectious, and it’s even a little conspiratorial.

“I’ve loved every day of working here,” Dorene told us after we dragged her back from her car for some quick snaps, “but the endless cycle of working to pay the rent has slowly worn me down, and it’s time to move on.”

Having initially thought about following the well-worn path of every other lentil-loving hippy by moving down into the wilds of Ireland, Dorene felt the isolation would quickly become too much.

“So, I’m taking up the offer of a place in Bristol,” she smiles. “I have a good friend over there, and it’s going to be a different kind of life to the one I lead now. I need a change. Simple as that.”

The fact that The Happy Pear has grown and grown over the years, and looks set for Ben & Jerry levels of success over the coming year, meant the workplace has inevitably changed along with all that growth. It’s a boom reflected in the Flynns’ new Kilcoole-based factory, nicknamed Pearville, the ever-increasing demand for Happy Pear goodies meaning the little kitchen at the back of the cafe could no longer keep up.

“Stephen and Dave are always moving forward, always looking for some new challenge,” finishes Dorene, “so, it’s great to see that they’re still getting a big kick out of what they do. It’ll be nice to pop by as a customer on one of my visits home, and just relax.

“I just hope the cooking will be as good as mine…”