Life Store opens in Straffan
Summer just got a little sunnier as Eoin and Siobhán Ryan of the award-winning Victorian Tea Rooms and Straffan Antiques in Co Kildare have just opened their new venture, Life Store, in the 18th-century stone buildings at Barberstown in Straffan.
Their combined knowledge and experience in high-end retail and fine foods have fuelled this new concept, with the pair on a mission to encourage visitors to ‘treat and care for themselves and those around them, giving into the “notions” we all deserve’.
Inside the café, guests are greeted by a tempting array of sweet and savoury homemade treats, including fresh pastries, cakes and breads, gourmet sandwiches and salads
Beyond Life Store’s welcoming façade you’ll discover beautiful clothing by Irish brands like Magee 1866 and Due South; silk scarves and umbrellas by Clare O’Connor; jewellery from One Dame Lane; luxury gifts from McNutt of Donegal and Sarah McKenna Ceramics; candles by Inchydoney Candles and Julia Clarke; WASI Seaweed Skincare; and delicious fare from Killadoon Milk, FX Buckley, and Heartlands Orchard, a brand producing chutneys and jams founded by Eoin’s sister, Niamh Ryan.
Life Store is proudly championing local suppliers, featuring fresh blooms daily from All Seasons Flowers, Peridot Olive Oils, Kildare Candle Barn, Roots of Ireland jewellery, Doll Local Honey, and home-baked goods and preserves from Straffan Tea Rooms.
“We’ve brought together some wonderful Irish producers and craftspeople, expanding our food offering and opening a high-end deli, where you will know that everything you enjoy will be either made in our kitchen or by a producer we know and trust to have the same standards as us – we love food, and know good food nourishes the body and the soul,” says Siobhán Ryan, whose Victorian Tea Rooms won Best Café in Kildare in the 2024 Restaurant Awards.
Inside the café, guests are greeted by a tempting array of sweet and savoury homemade treats, including fresh pastries, cakes and breads, gourmet sandwiches and salads, with an innovative menu that changes regularly to reflect the seasons.
This is the newest venture for this entrepreneurial couple, who share an unwavering passion for Irish design and food.
In 2018, the pair took over the running and management of Straffan Antiques, which was founded in 1988 by Eoin’s parents, Marie and John Ryan, who’ve both recently retired from the family business.
Vice president of the Irish Antique Dealers Association, Eoin is an expert in conservation and restoration who set up a restoration workshop in Straffan.
Siobhán joined the family business in 2012, when she and Eoin opened the Victorian Tea Rooms, showcasing Siobhán’s love of home baking, instilled by her mother and grandmothers, with an emphasis on Irish cakes, scones and tarts.
The couple opened a second shop at 58 Francis Street, Dublin in 2024 and have a collaboration with Russborough House in Co Wicklow.
Life Store is open Tuesday to Sunday, with story time for little ones on Sunday mornings featuring guest authors and readers. Eoin, Siobhán and all the team look forward to welcoming you.
