Offaly Food Producer To Feature At Major Food Festival
Offaly food producers will be well represented as Sharon Greene of The Wild Irish Foragers & Preservers features in one of Ireland’s top food festivals, Savour Kilkenny 2015 – Festival of Food, October 22 – 26. Its biggest festival yet, with over 25,000 people expected to attend, The Wild Irish Foragers & Preservers from Shinrone will exhibit their delicious produce during the ninth year of the festivities.
Simon Coveney with young producers for Kilkenny Food Festival
“We are excited to welcome Offaly food producers to Savour Kilkenny this year. The festival attracts visitors from all over Ireland with many coming from Offaly. We look forward to welcoming food lovers and families to enjoy the ‘foodie’ fun” said Marian Flannery, Savour Kilkenny 2015.
With most events free, other draws of the festival include ‘Conversation and Cooking’ with Neven Maguire and his friend, TV presenter Mary Kennedy; ‘The Happy Pear’ Flynn brothers; a festival debut by Mark Moriarty, Best Young Chef in the World 2015; Rory O’Connell of Ballymaloe Cookery School; a Chocolate Master-Class with TV chef, Edward Hayden; ‘Ryeland House Bloggers’ Breakfast’ with Anne Neary; gluten-free demonstrations by chef Gearoid Lynch and baker, Denise O’ Callaghan, as well as farm and foraging and other exciting craft beer events.
‘School of Food’ are hosting a food photography competition judged by Easy Food Magazine and the Mosse family’s Little Mill Company have organised a special baking competition, with lots of great prizes to be won.
A new focus on mental health and food will see ‘Bressie’ (Niall Breslin) share his personal story in ‘Feed Your Mind & Eat Yourself Calm’, a talk exploring nutrition and its effects on good mental health. This event will be presented by All-Star hurler Michael Fennelly, a lecturer in Nutrition and Coaching who is joined by Dietitian and Exercise Specialist, Harriette Lynch. The event will take place on Tuesday evening, October 20th in The Set Theatre, Kilkenny.
With a packed schedule for children also, the festival features Junior MasterChef 2015 at Kilkenny Cookery School; family fun with ‘Weave a Willow Fence’, creating a permanent installation with skilled weavers; and the highly-anticipated Young Food Producers Market featuring local producers (aged 10 – 17) selling their delicious homemade produce. Families can also enjoy the festival’s giant nine metre ‘Pig’ theatre at Kilkenny Castle featuring special ten minute shows with lots of surprises!
A long-established food destination, with two Michelin starred restaurants, the ninth Savour Kilkenny – Festival of Food brings a significant boost in spend and tourism to Kilkenny. Over 520 hotel rooms were booked for the event last year with an increase of ten percent projected for this year. The number of exhibitors has also increased by over 500 per cent percent from 15 exhibitors in its first year to over 80 confirmed for 2015.
Savour Kilkenny 2015 – Festival of Food is based on Kilkenny city’s Parade Plaza with more events happening around the city and county. See savourkilkenny.com
