Single young farmers, aged between 18-35 years, and Ulster farming families are being sought for a new TV series.
Coortin’ In The Kitchen is a dating format embedded in the rich narrative of family life and tradition, allowing viewers to get to know a real Ulster farming family at home through their stories, history and recipes.
“The Ulster-Scots farmhouse kitchen is the beating heart of family life – where meals are lovingly prepared and shared, the craic is powerful round the table and the taw is always aplenty.” a producer explained.
“Family stories and traditions are the ties that bind, old recipes and stories are handed down through the generations and at the end of a tiring day the table gets pushed back for a hooley and a wee coort.”
This inter-generational series will task the older generation to play cupid for their lonely hearted offspring. Parents and grandparents will choose two potential suitors, who they will then invite over to break bread around the family table.
It offers a chance for romance to blossom in a “wholesome and homely way”.
While matchmaking is at the heart of this series – getting close to our family to see what makes them tick is key – their family history, the history of their land and their family values.
“Our young farmers have their coortin’ criteria at the ready…and the lists are long: from good looks to road frontage, dancing prowess to culinary knowhow.”
“It’ll be a challenge to find the man whose as mad about Masseys as she is or the woman whose just as keen on showing Texels as our young buck?”
“Having a blind date can be nerve-wracking enough but to have your whole family there is taking it to another level.”
“Will our unlucky-in-love singletons cringe themselves to death after another awkward question from mum? Or will the experience of communal chat and craic actually make it easier get to know someone?”
“And when dinner’s over there’s the chance for stories, music and maybe a bit of dancing.”
Ulster
Ulster is a province of 25,000 farms stretching from the Laggan Valley in East Donegal to the fertile grazing pastures of County Down.
With more than 50,000 people now working in agriculture, the long hours and rural setting can make it hard to find the perfect partner.
In days gone by, church socials, ceiliadhs and the village festival were ideal ways for the Ulster farmer to meet his wife.
“Walking the girl home and being invited into the kitchen for tea and treacle bread really meant a young man had his feet under the table.”
“Now things are less simple. Both lads and lassies are working the land as equals. Increasingly, farmer’s daughters are choosing farming, veterinary and land management as their careers.”
“Tinder doesn’t reap rewards for our young 20 somethings out in the sticks and there’s not many nights out for our dairy farmers and contractors. It can be a lonely life. So, time to get back to basics.”
“This new generation is just as passionate about the land and their Ulster heritage as their forefathers but finding ‘the one’ to share it with is hard.”
“They are looking for both a romantic partner and a work partner – it’s a double-edged quest. At heart, it’s still all about hearth and home.”
“We are keen to hear from Ulster farming families and single young farmers who are full of passion and pride in what they do and would enjoy the fun of being part of this heart-warming family series.”
“There’s no better place than the farmhouse kitchen for a first date.”
Information
Contact [email protected] for more information.
