Record crowds for food festival

RECORD-BREAKING visitor numbers and international food writers and experts turned up at the weekend for the fourth annual Waterford Festival of Food.

The area’s rich food heritage and culinary creativity were demonstrated in Dungarvan by dozens of passionate artisan producers who showcased what the region has to offer to a global audience.

Organisers reported that visitor numbers to the seaside town were significantly up on previous years and the extended programme, which included a host of free events, also attracted some of the world’s most distinguished food bloggers and writers.

Festival director Therese McDermott said the feedback from visitors to the region and the many businesses, producers and hosts involved in this year’s event was extremely positive. “All of the hard work paid off in abundance and Dungarvan was looking stunning,” she said.

The Grow it Yourself workshop, food trails, food camp, community walk, bus tours, children’s cookery classes and cookery demonstrations were all well supported.

Local chefs Paul Flynn, Eunice Power, Louise Clark, Michael Quinn, and Conor Foran were busy in and out of their kitchens all weekend, and visitors such as Ross Lewis and Martin Shanahan cooked up a storm along with the druid chef, Ruairi Ó Morcháin and Naoise Ó Cathasaigh.

The family-focused festival featured an extended programme of free events and the grounds of King John’s Castle were the setting for children to hold rabbits and chicks and pat animals from Agri Aware’s Mobile Farm, play safely and enjoy an open-air puppet show and other entertainment.

Walton Park was transformed into free open-air entertainment hub on Saturday afternoon for a new departure for the festival — the Mind Body Spirit event.

Another new feature of the weekend was the Food Camp at which experts and writers came together to discuss the theme of artisan food production.

Among the contributors was broadcaster and food advocate Ella McSweeney who called on the sector to clearly define what “artisan” and “local” mean to prevent grocery chains and “rogue producers” from falsely hawking so-called artisan food.

“Small Irish producers need to address this now,” she said.

“We have to be able to sell our uniqueness in some way and we need to be able to justify and explain to customers why they are being charged more — because what they are getting is better,” said Ms McSweeney.

“Unless we set out clear definitions and have honest labelling, backed by legislation, there’s no future for any of our truly artisan producers.”

Mayor of Waterford Cllr Paddy O’Callaghan was full of praise for the festival’s organisers and sponsors.