Foodies follow their noses to Waterford as city cooks up Slow Food delights

IRELAND’S largest Slow Food festival got under way last night and is set to welcome celebrity chefs, politicians, food experts and thousands of visitors to the south-east in the coming days.

Mayor of Waterford Councillor Jack Walsh hosted the opening ceremony for the festival last night at City Hall and looked forward to the people of the area, as well as visitors, being treated to the best in food and drink for the duration of Terra Madre.

One of the main features of the festival is today’s one-day workshop and conference on food policy, which will include contributions from food ministers north and south of the border — Trevor Sargent and Michelle Gildernew — along with Slow Food Ireland leader Darina Allen and international Slow Food president and founder Carlo Petrini.

The Italian campaigner said: “Over the last 20 years, Slow Food has developed the concept of neo-gastronomy, in which pleasure is not just a pretext but a basic ingredient, provided it helps respect for the environment and social justice. Food production is a question that needs to be addressed on a planetary scale.

“The top item on the agenda for Terra Madre is the provision of the right motivations and rewards to persuade young people to return to the land. It is necessary for the number of people who work the land to increase and this can only happen with the contribution of young people.”

President Mary McAleese is also attending today’s conference and the weekend will see appearances, demonstrations and workshops with chefs Richard Corrigan, Kevin Dundon, Clodagh McKenna, Rachel Allen, Paul Flynn and Neven Maguire.

One of the weekend’s highlights is tonight’s Slow Food Feast at the Waterford Institute of Technology College Street campus at 7pm.

Waterford Castle chef Michael Quinn will be joined by 35 assistant chefs and 45 serving staff in delivering a nine-course meal showcasing the best of local food.

The People’s Park will host a number of children’s food-themed events tomorrow, including novelty children’s sports at 10am and an under-12s picnic at noon.

Ireland’s biggest farmers’ market will take place on Sunday, starting at 11am in John Roberts Square and finishing at 3pm — in time for Waterford’s appearance in the All-Ireland senior hurling final.

A special train carrying “foodies” from the north arrived in Waterford yesterday in time for the festival, while a Food History Tour of the city was also held, as well as the Bord Bia Mayoral Reception in City Hall which officially got Terra Madre going.