THEY’VE all gone back to their respective countries now but it was such a buzz to have so many diverse top chefs from all over the world with us here at Ballymaloe for the Litfest.

This weekend all eyes are on the Ballymaloe Litfest of Food & Wine. Joe McNamee meets the chefs – and discovers their favourite meals

This weekend I will be at Ballymaloe House near Midleton for the Kerrygold Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine.

For a spell, the gastronomic reputation of the lovely seaside town of Kinsale appeared to be succumbing to a certain flabbiness of practice but recent years has seen the arrival of some sharp new operators raising standards across the board. 

Just a few weeks to go to the Kerrygold Ballymaloe Litfest of Food and Wine (to give it the full title) on May 20–22.

WE’RE all still on a high from the Litfest. Apart from all the antics and stimulating talks, forums and panel discussions in the Grain Store and Big Shed, there was also a packed schedule at the Ballymaloe Cookery School with three and sometimes four events running simultaneously. This week I want to share some of my personal highlights.

There’s great excitement at Ballymaloe this weekend for the third Kerrygold Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine, which by now is affectionately known as the LitFest, a mega two day celebration of great food and drink and food writing. 

The Menu’s great compadre, chef Kevin O’Toole, of Dublin’s Chameleon Restaurant has devised a wonderful fundraiser for Nepal, in Smock Alley Theatre, Temple Bar (May 24), an informal dining experience featuring curry, drinks and dancing. 

JUST a week to go to the Kerrygold Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine May 15-17, there’s a mouthful! 

The Menu loves chips and The Menu also loves Limerick.

The second Kerrygold Ballymaloe Litfest of Food & Wine ended last night where it all began just 48 hours previously, in the ‘Big Shed’ at Ballymaloe House in East Cork.

She began her career at the Ballymaloe Cookery School. Now the owner of a chain of Mexican restaurants in London, Thomasina Miers is returning to her roots for the Litfest.

René Redzepi and Yotam Ottolenghi have been booked for Ballymaloe LitFest 2014.

A MONTH after the Literary Festival of Food and Wine at Ballymaloe we’re still getting excited feedback and thank you cards in response to the event, from both participants and those who came along over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

WE’RE all still buzzing here since the Literary Festival of Food and Wine at Ballymaloe over the bank holiday weekend.

WE HAVE a dairy industry to be proud of in Ireland.

The organisers of the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine, which is running throughout this bank holiday weekend, say it will bring some of the world’s best known chefs, critics, commentators, kitchen gardeners, foragers, and wine experts to East Cork.