Joe McNamee: Sunshine adds the perfect touch to Waterford Festival of Food

Callie Ní Fhaoláin having fun at the Cool Food School in Dungarvan Castle during the 2024 Waterford Festival of Food. Picture: Chani Anderson

Having spent an age as understudy for the endless rain, the sun relished its return to centre stage, shining down on Dungarvan and turning what promised to be a good weekend into a great one at the 15th Waterford Festival of Food.

The packed programme of events included food demos and talks, pop-up dining events, street food markets, food-related bus tours and river cruises, health and wellness events, and live music and entertainment.

Restaurateur, educator, and 'Irish Examiner' columnist Darina Allen in conversation with Kate Ryan of Flavour.ie as part of the 2024 Waterford Festival of Food. Picture: Joleen Cronin

Big names such as Darina Allen, journalist and author Fintan O’Toole, and legendary English chef, Rowley Leigh, were in attendance as tens of thousands of people converged for a deep dive into the local food culture of West Waterford.

The high-profile dining events included a Rowley Leigh takeover of The Tannery restaurant, and pop-up events in St Mary’s Church, Dungarvan Courthouse, and Lismore Castle.

Anna Phelan, Noah Cummins, and Amelie Phelan, having fun in the sun on a packed Grattan Square in Dungarvan which was blessed with sunshine on Sunday, the closing day of the 2024 Waterford Festival of Food. Picture: Chani Anderson

The ‘menus’ on offer were far more extensive, with all the local restaurants and pubs operating at fever pitch, supplemented by street food stalls that lined the quays on Saturday before decamping on Sunday to Grattan Square in the centre of town for the festival’s traditional closing event.

Aoife Williams and Paddy Collins at Craicly  Stories hosted by Jane Craicly at Salterbridge House, Cappoquin, as part of the 2024 Waterford Food Festival. Picture: Chani Anderson

The weekend began for many visitors with live entertainment in Shandon car park with The Jerry Fish Electric Sideshow getting people into the swing of things and everyone revelled in the notion that the monsoon season seemed to have ended.

Bruno Dantes, head chef at Mount Congreve's Stables Café, Kilmeaden, and Conscious Chef Ali Honour preparing a special sustainability lunch, one of more than 80 events at this year’s Waterford Festival of Food. Picture: Joleen Cronin

Saturday dawned with glorious weather and, by mid-morning, the quays were thronged as the slow-moving procession of punters grazed their way up and down the strip of food stalls or popped into demos by Darina Allen and iconic Irish producer Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery.

Others checked out Cork photographer Joleen Cronin’s exhibition of local food heroes.

Paul and Máire Flynn of The Tannery Restaurant, Townhouse, and Cookery School in Dungarvan with British chef Rowley Leigh, some of whose iconic dishes featured on their menu on Saturday. Picture: Joleen Cronin

Many events also strayed beyond the town bounds, with walks, cruises, and bus tours to renowned producers in the area including Comeragh Lamb, Blackwater Distillery, and Knockanore Cheese, while the more sensible on Saturday night were able to rise at dawn on Sunday  for sunrise yoga, sauna, and breakfast at Clonea, overlooking the sea.

David Curran, Stephen Cass, and Scott Fitzgerald at a food and wine tasting with a difference at Cass & Co, Dungarvan, as part of the Waterford Festival of Food 2024. Picture: Joleen Cronin

Sunday, if it were possible, was even more splendid again as the sun was splitting the stones from early morning.

All action was centred on Grattan Square for the huge outdoor market with stalls selling premium produce from speciality producers, hot street food, and crafts in what was a true return to the energy levels and excitement of the pre-pandemic heyday, with early reports suggesting overall numbers for the weekend were up significantly on last year’s 75,000 visitors.

Fintan O'Toole in conversation with Ian Noctor at one of Saturday's Kitchen Table Talks in Currans Store on Davitt's Quay, Dungarvan, during the 2024 Waterford Festival of Food. Picture: Joleen Cronin

A delighted festival director Eunice Power said: “Food is central to our families and communities here in Dungarvan and the surrounding area.

“We make it, we grow it, we respect it, we enjoy it, we talk about it and the festival has been a wonderful celebration of all that — with plenty of craic — and what is most rewarding is that, while we love welcoming all the visitors and really hope they’ve enjoyed themselves, the local community has really embraced and supported it.”

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