Masterchef Mary to savour the flavours of food fest

NEWLY-crowned Masterchef Ireland champion Mary Carney will turn the tables on her counterparts when she appears at the Savour Kilkenny Food Festival over the October bank holiday weekend.

The 28-year-old culinary star from Waterford is to swap the pressure of labouring over a hot stove for a place as a guest judge, alongside top chef Catherine Fulvio at the Savour Kilkenny Masterchef Final.

Mary and Catherine will put contestants through their paces in the cook-off which takes place in the Set Theatre on Sunday, October 30.

Closing date for entries to the competition is tomorrow but can be made online at www.savourkilkenny.com.

The Kilkenny Masterchef finalists will cook against the clock in the grand final in front of a live audience under the watchful eye of the expert judges. The contestants will be assisted by popular Kilkenny chefs Anne Neary and Edward Hayden.

The first ever Irish Masterchef champion said she is really looking forward to guest judging. “It will be strange to be judging rather than cooking; a different sort of pressure. But I’m really looking forward to the experience,” Mary said.

“I’ve had Nick Munier and Dylan McGrath sampling my cooking throughout the Masterchef competition for weeks so putting myself in their shoes and judging the work of others will be a very different experience.

“I know what it feels like to be at the other side of the table when the judges are sampling your work,” she said.

Because of her busy schedule since her win, Mary hasn’t had a chance to return home yet but she hopes to take in a number of Savour Kilkenny events.

She is going full-time into the food business and yesterday launched her website, marycarney.net.

The Savour Kilkenny Festival opens on October 27 and should provide a boost to the local economy with thousands of visitors expected.

This year boasts an expanded programme of events and some of the attractions include TV cooks Catherine Fulvio and Donal Skehan who will be doing demos in the Set Theatre, along with an open-air market on the Plaza with over 70 food producers from the region taking part.