West Waterford Food Fest
The West Waterford Festival of Food, one of Ireland’s largest and longest running food festivals, will run from 14th to 16th April 2023.
The 14th annual festival will again showcase the best food from the region as visitors enjoy upwards of 70 events including a food stage, pop-up dinners, a full children’s programme, foraging trails, bus tours, cooking demos, top chefs, high-end and casual dining experiences, plus one of Ireland’s largest outdoor markets.
The main hub for the three-day festival is in the harbour town of Dungarvan, with events also taking place in Lismore and throughout the West Waterford region, making it a truly local celebration.
Newly appointed festival director Eunice Power is a founding member of the festival and a well-known TV chef and food journalist who will bring her own vision to the event which attracts almost 70,000 visitors.
New event highlights to look forward to at this year’s festival will include a special dinner at Lismore Castle honouring the culinary contribution of Paul Flynn, cooked by "past pupils" of the Tannery. Another special dinner will bring fun and flavour to the unusual location of The Courthouse in Dungarvan. This year there will also be a sensory experience on hand for children on the autism spectrum.
During the festival, visitors will have the opportunity to forage for seaweed and other wild produce on local beaches and forests to discover edibles and see how they are used in cooking.
Also new this year will be some creative elements including a food photography workshop with food and travel writer and photographer Cliodhna Prendergast, while Sinead Connigle Palmer will host a "The Art of Tablescaping" workshop at the newly opened Cass & Co, followed by dinner cooked by culinary duo Eamon Connors and Roisin O'Connor.
Tapping into the trending topic of "Mood Food" will see psychotherapist and nutritional expert Evie Flynn hosting a brunch and walk set at the scenic Mount Congreve house and gardens in Kilmeaden - one of the "great gardens of the world", and having just reopened in 2022, this is sure to be a popular outing!
Full event details will be announced at the official programme launch taking place in February. For more information, visit westwaterfordfestivaloffood.com.