Déise delights on The Menu in west Waterford

As The Menu is wont to say, ‘time flies when you’re having food’ and 52 columns later, The Menu today celebrates its first anniversary. And, as it all began last year with Dungarvan and the West Waterford Festival of Food, it seems entirely appropriate to kick off this most auspicious day with further tidings of a town and festival most dear to The Menu’s heart.

As always, it remains a most family-friendly way of putting on the nosebag, and the ‘Busanna Bia’, bus tours of the culinary west Waterford hinterland visiting top local producers sounds like a splendid way of passing a day before taking to Shanks’s Mare for something similar in the evening, the Restaurant Trail, for a starter, main course and dessert in any of the participating venues. All sorts are up to the food-writing lark these days, none more scurrilous than The Menu, but the splendid John and Sally McKenna of McKenna’s Guides remain at the head of the posse and will be giving a talk on the exceedingly arduous job of being a food writer. And, best of all, says The Menu, the massive all-day farmer’s market in the town square where The Menu will kick off with the dawn breakfast before putting in a stint helping out his good friend Clare O’Brien on her fine stall, Gan Gluten. Do drop in to say hello! www.waterfordfestivaloffood.com

Happy Meals can be kids’ play, just watch