Joe McNamee: The Cork on a Fork buzz shows the city’s progress as a food destination

"As Cork on a Fork, a celebration of the food and food culture of Cork City and its surrounding region, grows ever stronger, many of the producers being celebrated are facing a multiplicity of challenges, homegrown and “imported”, that threaten the very viability of the sector itself."

Cork on a Fork 2024's VQ Shared Table experience on MacCurtain Street saw 400 guests dining at a long table, showcasing local produce with sharing plates from top VQ area restaurants and drinks from local producers, all set to live music and a festive atmosphere to kick off the festival week.

Next Wednesday, the Lord Mayor of Cork will launch the fourth Cork on a Fork food festival, at Good Day Deli in the Nano Nagle Centre — which will then be followed by the Irish Examiner Business Breakfast, sponsored by Musgrave’s SuperValu, hosted by yours truly and featuring four great speakers from the food world.

The inaugural Cork on a Fork festival in 2022 was a tentative affair, hampered by a too short run-in, a tricky time slot in August, and a reluctance from many local restaurants to fully come on board.