Galway Food Festival

For those who plan their year around the food festivals of Ireland, the Galway Food Festival is often the one heralded as the start of the season. Although dates have yet to be confirmed for 2019, it usually falls on the Easter weekend. Last year was a big celebration for Galway, as it was crowned the European Region of Gastronomy. This is reflected by the community spirit of restaurant and eateries throughout the city and elevated by the fact that Galway is also a great place to visit. The thing about this festival though is as it is one of the first, it is also one of the coldest. The itinerary for the weekend is top class. Last year, for example, Rachel Allen hosted a fantastic kitchen takeover in Blake’s Braserie on the Corner. Our advice, peruse the website, find yourself a great restaurant offering and hide away from the cold.

www.galwayfoodfestival.com/

West Waterford Festival of Food

Things warm up slightly when we get to the Waterford Food Festival, which takes place in Dungarvan on 26-28 April. There are two names to watch out for on this itinerary. Anything that Paul Flynn does at the Tannery that weekend is a sell-out success, so book your tickets early. Two years ago, Stephen Harris from The Sportsman in Kent, voted the number one restaurant in the UK, was Paul’s guest chef and they served a herb-crusted rack of Comeragh Mountain lamb, with crispy lamb belly and mint sauce that we are still drooling over. Also anything that Eunice Power puts her name to is ultimately a success. For those looking for a more active food venture, then put seaweed foraging on the to-do list.

www.westwaterfordfestivaloffood.com

Bloom

What did we do on June Bank holiday weekends before Bloom? Hands down, Bloom is one of the best food events of the year. Of course, being run by Bord Bia and taking place in the Phoenix Park, it has big budgets behind it to help make it the best, but money can’t buy atmosphere and when you’re sitting in the sun munching on a Country Choice Irish steak baguette with lashings of Cashel Blue Cheese, well you can’t beat it. The real food delight of Bloom is finding small up-and-coming companies that might not have been on your radar the year before and each year their food and drink tent seems to get bigger. With big players in the industry, there are also lively panel discussions on the future of food. It also facilitates smaller more intimate talks, such as those hosted by GIY where they are open to putting the mic on the floor and letting people have their say.

www.bloominthepark.com

Taste of Dublin

Taste of Dublin has changed massively in the 13 years since it was established. In the early days there were lots of high-end Dublin restaurants like Chapter One and l’Ecrivian, a fantastic opportunity to get a taste of what they have on offer. Now there is still a good array of restaurants, it’s just not what it used to be and you’re still paying top prices. Essentially, over the years it has become more of a booze fest, with the food often playing second fiddle. That said, it is an enjoyable day out and there aren’t too many nights of the year that you can dance with 300 other people to 1980s music in the beautiful surroundings of the Iveagh gardens.

www.dublin.tastefestivals.com

Taste of Cavan

While the Taste of Dublin is more style than substance, the Taste of Cavan is the pure opposite. The Cavan Equestrian Centre is a fine venue, it’s just not the most attractive, but it doesn’t really matter because this festival has an authenticity to it that is hard to find. As you walk through the stands of the venue there is a pride amongst the vendors, a feeling that together we’re putting our best foot forward for the county, and that enthusiasm is infectious. Neven Maguire, the man who helped put Cavan food on the map, pushes the event forward and as a result his high-profile continues to attract names such as Rachel Allen and Richard Corrigan. Cavan town may not be the foodie capital of the country, but the festival is helping to really highlight the good venues that are on offer.

www.tasteofcavan.ie

Taste of Donegal

The pier is where it all happens at the Taste of Donegal, and this festival is yet another example of how food festivals have progressed in the last decade. Ten years ago it started as a small event and now it has 130 exhibitors and over 25,000 visitors. You know a festival is good when it is pulling in the top names in the industry and with Neven Maguire, Kevin Dundon, Catherine Fulvio, Martin Shanahan and Gary O’Hanlon as just some of the chefs who attended last year, it shows the industry appreciation of this event. The only thing is the itinerary does mostly consist of demos and isn’t as varied as other festivals.

www.atasteofdonegal.com

Taste of West Cork

The Taste of West Cork is quite different to other food festivals. While most festivals have a hub where people congregate, this food festivals spans 41 towns and villages and eight islands over 10 days. This means more chefs and restaurants can come on board and as a result the Taste of West Cork has served up some pretty interesting meals and events. From photography displays showing the fishing boats of the past that built the successful fishing reputation of the area to medieval feasts, the much-renowned ‘sing for your supper’ event in Ballydehob and a lobster garden party, it is the most varied itinerary that you will find on the food scene.

www.atasteofwestcork.com/

Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival

The Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival is not just the longest running oyster festival, it is one of the longest running food festivals in Ireland. Sixty-four years on the go, the event first started in Clarinbridge with the landing of the oysters but it moved into the city in the 1980s. The key highlight is the National Oyster Opening Championship which takes place on the Friday night. We say national, but really it is international with shuckers coming from across the world to battle it out for the title. Another highlight of the festival is the Masquerade Mardi Gras ball which happens on the Saturday night with oysters and bubbles, while the Sunday is more of a family focused day. It’s rated so highly that the Sunday Times called it “one of the 12 greatest shows on earth” and it was listed in the AA Travel Guide one of Europe’s seven best festivals.

www.galwayoysterfestival.com

Dingle Food Festival

Eleven years ago, when Artie Clifford came up with the idea to run an Irish food awards to add an extra dimension to the Dingle Food Festival, he had no idea that in time it would become a full-time job for himself and his daughter, Fallon. Now Blás and the Dingle Food Festival at the end of September have become the place to be for anyone in the food business. Hands down our favourite food festival of 2018, the town of Dingle is bustling throughout the weekend and the stalls offer serious value for money. Pick up a voucher book of 20 tokens for €20, and as most samples are about two tokens each, it means you taste about 10 different dishes. Also as the portions are generous, you walk away satisfied. In fact, we’re half afraid to promote this festival too much in case too many people head down next year and we won’t be able to edge our way into the stalls.

www.dinglefood.com

Savour Kilkenny

During the October Bank Holiday weekend there are two places in the country to be. One is the Cork Jazz Festival, and walking the streets of the city following a jazz band you’ll pass some food stalls along the way. However, the real foodies will forgo the music in favour of Savour Kilkenny, which is one of the last food festivals of the season before the Christmas festivals begin. This festival has a great lineup of talks and one where you can really learn a lot, whether it’s through cookery demos focused on health and wellness or looking at traditions of the past, such as butter-making. There is also a great brewing element to the festival, led by O’Hara’s. It’s that weekend of the year when the clocks go back and the long evenings are coming in and there are lots of spots to warm the bones with an Irish coffee.

www.savourkilkenny.com