The theme for the tenth anniversary of the festival is Surf and Turf and over the three days, the increasingly popular slow food movement is taking over! There will be dozens of food events, from workshops and demonstrations to food sampling and stalls selling a wide array of produce.
On Friday May 27, the Cliffs of Moher will play host or at least the stunning backdrop of a picnic on board the Doolin ferry, while a whiskey and chocolate tasting event will take place in the Burren. Then on Saturday, Catherine Cleary, author of The Sheridan’s Guide to Cheese, will host a cheese tasting session. Finally on Sunday, members of the Burren Food Trail and the Ballyvaughan Farmers Market will be on hand to show the health benefits of growing your own. They'll prepare three easy foods using ingredients that you can grow at home.
"Our festival aims to promote the slow food ethos enabling members of the public to rediscover the flavours and savours of regional cooking while at the same time banish the degrading effects of fast food.
"By doing so, we also hope to showcase the Burren's established local producer and supplier network and how it is utilised and promoted by local businesses", says Hedin-Curtin, a past winner of the Irish Food Writers Guild Award.
Prior to the festival, a charity cycle for Cystic Fibrosis will take place, from today (Monday May 23) to Wednesday May 25. Some of Ireland’s best-known chefs such as Derry Clarke of L’Ecrivain in Dublin, JP McMahon of Aniar in Galway and Bryan McCarthy of Greenes in Cork will participate with 80 other cyclists who will travel 300 km over three days. The organiser, Shane Smith of YesChef Ireland, hopes to raise between €12,000 and €15,000 for the charity.
For more information about the festival, visit the Slow Food Clare website.
