Festival success served on a plate

THERE were smiles galore in Waterford over the past week, but they were not all about the county minor hurling team winning the All-Ireland championship for the first time in 65 years.

Nor were they focused on Waterford being acclaimed as Ireland’s cleanest city in an Irish Business against Litter survey of 42 centres.

The occasion was instead a celebration of a very good harvest, an ancient tradition when people unwind after the work in the fields and enjoy the fruits of their labours.

Waterford Harvest Festival, which ended last night, took that old custom and turned into it a week-long modern feast of the gastronomic delights the South-East has to offer.

The organisers focused on the region’s wholesome food, artisan beverages and the increasing numbers of people dedicated to growing their own produce.

But the programme was also educational with two major conferences being held in a city projecting a fresh and clean image, key elements in food production.

There were also cookery demonstrations, food tours, foodie films, tastings, workshops and restaurant trails, as well as a picnic, a quayside market, a Viking Banquet, and an Artisan Beer Fest.

Visitors were even invited back to the 13th century when Waterford was the wine capital of Ireland. They also explored the international linkages between the city and other popular wine-producing regions across the globe.

The Harvest Festival website explains that since pagan times this is the time of the year to celebrate the crops and for families and the wider community to relax and enjoy the completion of a busy period on the land.

It notes that Waterford and its environs are home to an expanding network of enthusiastic food producers and that the festival helps to send this message to the rest of the country.

Waterford was the birthplace in 2008 of GIY (Grow It Yourself) which aims to inspire people to grow their own food and give them the skills they need to do so successfully.

It was founded by Michael Kelly after 100 people turned up for the inaugural meeting.

GIY has now grown to an international movement of up to 50,000 people in Ireland, Britain and Australia. But the ethos remains the same.

The aim is to create a network of over one million ‘GIYers’ in 20 countries in the next five years.

A two-day GIY Gathering with leading speakers was part of the Harvest Festival programme.

“Food Empathy” — a deeper understanding of food, where it comes from, how it is produced, and the time and effort required — was the theme.

Waterford City Enterprise Board hosted a lunch that celebrated the region’s best produce with the assistance of the Love Irish Food initiative.

A group of Irish brands making everything from porridge to orange squash came together in 2009 to set up a new organisation called Love Irish Food.

Love Irish Food says: “Did you know that if each household in Ireland spent an average of €1.67 on an Irish manufactured food or drink each week for a year we would generate €300m for the Irish economy?”

In the Waterford context, Kieran Rumley, executive director, Love Irish Food, said the food industry has always been strong in the South-East and the group’s membership from the area is growing.

In a press release prior to the lunch, City Enterprise chairman Bertie Rogers, said the food industry is now a vital component in the revival of the Irish economy

“But these businesses require assistance and promotion. That is why this lunch is vital, to celebrate what we have, but also to inspire others to create the next generation of food businesses. That is where the Enterprise Boards can and do help.”

Mr Rogers said the event coincided with the start of a new Waterford City Enterprise Board food programme — ‘From Market Stall to Supermarket Shelf’ — which runs until February.

The Agricultural Science Association, the professional body for graduates in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, environmental, food science and technology, also held its agm in Waterford over the weekend as part of the Harvest Festival.