Tasty tidbits cooked up as Tipperary launches food festival

SECOND helpings were the call of the day yesterday in Tipperary at the launch of the Totally Tipperary Food Festival.

The launch took place in the historic Cloughjordan House which will also host the event next month.

Totally Tipperary will take place on June 25 and promises to bring together every type of ‘foodie’ — from producers to lovers to bloggers.

The property will be lined with tents and marquees filled with food stalls to tickle your taste buds, while providing the opportunity to learn more about where food comes from and offering plenty to keep the children entertained.

The one-day event will host Maurice Alexis, chef from the Elysee Palace in Paris, as well as other French Michelin Star chefs who will demonstrate how to best use locally grown produce.

Hourly cookery classes hosted by the Sarah Baker Cookery School will be run for children while demonstrations will take place across the grounds. These will range from a meat tent run by Pat Whelan, of James Whelan Butchers in Clonmel, to the GIY (Grow It Yourself) tent for demos on growing your own produce and making your own ingredients.

Meanwhile, the Cloughjordan Community Farm will demonstrate a how-to on setting up a farm.

Some world famous bloggers to feature at the festival include Kristin of Dinner du Jour (one of the founders of the inishfood phenomenon); David of Kitchen 72; Vicky of S’Tasty and Yvonne of Hey Pesto.

The festivities are due to run into the night with an Asado (an Argentinian-style BBQ) with 100% Tipperary produce.

Totally Tipperary promises a full sensory experience with music provided by The Boudoir Sessions with sounds from the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 50s, while Kaleidescape, an arts group, will perform an ‘interactive experience’, including Europe’s largest kaleidoscopes, a giant flower garden and The Invisible Band.

The festival is supported by Bosch, FBD, Bord Bia and the Sarah Baker Cookery School, and will feature more than 20 different food companies on the day.

nwww.cloughjordanfestival.com or follow @totallytipp on Twitter.