Mallow food festival to showcase region’s produce

A FESTIVAL that aims to showcase the food products of the Mallow area will be held in the town centre on Sunday afternoon.

At least 45 food stalls will be in place along the main street, which will be closed to traffic for the occasion.

An estimated 3,000 people attended the inaugural Mallow Food Festival last year.

The event is being organised by a committee headed by William Healy, Claire Ryan and Ian Lucey, who are all have food businesses in the town.

Mr Healy said food is a massive sector growth globally with increasing populations and production struggling to keep up with the demand.

“That means how we shop and eat will come into greater focus as people seek out alternatives to what we have been doing over the past decade.

“We no longer spend time cooking and baking. We tend to go to the supermarket. We are divorced from natural food production. People for instance no longer grow their own vegetables.

“However, farmers’ markets are giving us an alternative as regards choice, flavour and benefits to the environment,” he said, pointing out that the festival will be a shop window display for the region’s produce.

Mr Healy said Mallow is going through major changes, not least of which is a surge in population. As a result, the town now has the opportunity to attract a new type of shopper onto the main street.

“We are, therefore, developing the festival to show off the town centre by creating a reason for residents of Mallow and surrounding areas to visit and enjoy it in a different way,” he said.

Mr Healy said the festival (12 noon to 3.30pm) pitches itself as a high-quality food fair, with a special focus on the standards of the food producers.

“We are determined to ensure that the standards of the food producers who attend are of the highest levels,” he said.