Appetite for good times at Kinsale gourmet show
Standing in the lobby of Acton’s Hotel watching the happy antics of another throng of Gourmet Food Festival revellers this weekend, it was hard to disagree with her sentiment.
With the pianist belting out another verse of My Way, waiters pouring the bubbly with liberal abandon, chatter all about house prices and ski trips, it felt — just for a moment — like Boom Time 2006 all over again.
While this season of early evenings and chilly winds heralds the final stages of Ireland’s tourist season across most the country, this picturesque Cork town showed no signs of taking an autumnal breather, with few beds to be had and counter seating only in most of its restaurants.
Now in its 38th year, the Kinsale Gourmet Festival glories as Ireland’s oldest food festival. Unlike other foodie gatherings that often grow stale after a decade, the longevity of this unique stew of merriment is as much down to fun and conviviality as it is to the menu and wine list.
“This is our sixth year in a row, we can’t get enough of the place,” said Rob and Vickie from Bath. “The weather’s always nice, the food is superb, and the people are simply the best.”
Most of the accents heard around the town this weekend were from the UK, with a smattering of French, Dutch, and the USA added for seasoning. While some events, such as the opening day’s Chowder Cook-Off, were free to the public, most of the serious feasting sessions cost €55 and upwards — all of which sold out months ago.
Always the first to sell out is the Mad Hatter’s Taste of Kinsale, an ever-popular event at which participants show off their elaborate ‘mad hats’ as they criss-cross the town, following, the Mad Hatter on a tour of Kinsale’s Good Food Circle restaurants.
Among this year’s creations were Mexican sombreros, Turkish fez, Afghan chitralis, Peruvian beanies, Texan stetsons, and Che berets. One lady wore an upside-down colander complete with strands of spaghetti framing her face, while her partner strutted his stuff in an Al Capone pinstripe suit and violin case under his arm.
Tables of sushi, cheese, seafood, hams, pâtes, and pastas prepared by local chefs greet the Mad Hatters at various restaurants, with wine and champagne glasses constantly topped up.
Jimmy, a sprightly retiree from Miami, explained his secret for lasting the pace. “I join the Mad Hatters from midday until about five,” he said. “Then I sneak off for a few hours nap, and come back fresh as a daisy and ready to party until the last note is played next morning.” Sounds like a plan.
Like many of the best ideas, the first Gourmet Festival began in 1977 as a small idea aimed at prolonging the tourist season.
“It’s always a fun gathering, both for the visitors and the locals,” said Roman Minihane of The White Lady. “The festival always sells out months in advance, and if anything it is getting more popular as the years go by.”
For some visitors to Kinsale’s gourmet festival, the experience can be life-changing. Author Caroline James from Cheshire readily admits that her first visit to the festival in 2011 was the direct inspiration for her book, So You Think You’re A Celebrity… Chef?
“The time that I spent in Kinsale was so wonderful and the Irish hospitality so memorable, it was one of the happiest weeks of my life,” she said.
