Blazing a farm fresh foodie trail

Food and tourism is a combination that works at least as well as any ingredients you might pair on a gourmet plate. The number of food experiences available all over the country has grown almost as quickly as the number of people who are keen to sample the very best of what the country has to offer.

And the menu, if you can call it that, has never offered so much choice. You can try your hand at goat cheesemaking on a family farm in Co Cork or bring children to see what’s it like to be a beekeeper in Co Galway. If that doesn’t hit the spot, how about collecting, cooking and of course eating your own organic lunch? Or if you’d prefer to have it served up to you you can arrange to dine with a chef at your own private lunch. For the health-conscious, there are a number of possibilities. If, for instance, you take the time to visit the country’s only commercial blackcurrant farm in Co Wexford, you’ll learn that blackcurrants truly are one of Ireland’s super-berries.