Festival season is upon us and that means we are ready to queue up in fields across the country for some of the best food trucks Ireland has to offer.
Body&Soul is almost as famous for its food in the Food on Board area as it is for its music and chill factor. We spoke to Jack Crotty to find out what will be on the menu at Ballinlough Castle this June 23rd to 25th.
What's new food wise at Body&Soul?
For those that haven’t been to Body&Soul before, Food on Board is our food area. We’re in a new in a new location for 2017, nestled within the woods by the lake. It’s a collective of passionate feeders from the four corners of Ireland, a place to relax and escape the madness.
Food on Board owes its name to a want for less waste in the world. Each dish will be served on a wooden board then washed and reused with all food waste composted on site.
This year Food on Board is a complete package. Along with our stellar community of traders serving festival goers quality food made from Irish produce, we will have the Sparkling Conversations Salon, which will be home to some of the most exciting names in Irish food right now.
We also have a full musical line-up on our Food on Board stage, a delicately curated blind date experience on the lake called First Tastes, and, of course, our ever-growing system of reusable materials, making Food on Board's ecological footprint virtually non-existent.
Body & Soul is known almost as much for its food as it is music and relaxation - why so for those who have yet to take the plunge and buy a ticket?
Body & Soul has always been Ireland's leading festival for pioneering change and supporting fresh perspectives on what festivals should be like.
Our vision for Food on Board was that we could not only achieve the highest standards of food available today in Ireland but also curate an offering, which could not only nourish the punters but allow them to try new food experiences.
After all, that's what festivals do best – open people up to new experiences!
What genres/style of food are on offer?
We have everything from fire pit-cooked goat to fermented tonics to lobster.
My Goodness will have their delicious raw and vegan treats; Root & Branch Coffee for a fully flavoured, freshly roasted speciality coffee; Shell’s Café, Sligo with its modern foodie experience and laid-back surf vibe; and from The Market Café savour organic glasrai and greens, raw milk cheeses and tangy sourdoughs.
What are the food highlights this year?
I couldn't say! Honestly, I couldn't. M
y job is to bring together as many food pioneers from across the country and provide them with the platform to do their thing. As with every year, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens...
Any household names heading down there?
Bucket loads! We have The Happy Pear always have insatiable demand for their dishes, White Mausu by Katie Sanderson as she explores Asian street food flavours, Kevin Thornton … but I'll stop there. The list is endless.
What I love about our format is we give everyone the opportunity to experiment. You'll see many names you recognise trying something new!
What can people look forward to this year?
In the Veuve Clicquot Sparking Conversations Salon we are aiming to stimulate people's minds and open them up to new ideas about food, how it is prepared, presented, photographed, written about, portrayed online, consumed, digested, wasted, and always with an underlying thought towards sustainability.
With, of course, plenty of chats and giggles, as well as tantalising taste buds along the way!
Some of those who will be there include Niall Sabongi of Rock Lobster who will give an Irish oyster shucking demo; Karen O'Donohue of GIY Ireland will entice festival foodies to Grow Your Own food as she extols the virtues of homegrown goodies; the world’s top female sommelier, Julie Dupouy will enlighten on the flavours, aroma and craft of pairing fine champagne* with food and Susan & Judith Boyle will explore how Irish berries and luxurious chocolate can make the perfect summer pairing with our favourite bubbles.
In Life Behind The Lens Kevin Thornton will illustrate the visual aspect of ‘food as art’ and the ThirtyBites team - food writer Sophie White, comedian Danny O'Brien and journalist Hilary White – take part in an irreverent three-way guide to food, life and keeping your sanity when the world has gone doughnut mad!
On Saturday night, Food on Board will transform for the Veuve Clicquot Masquerade Ball where guests are invited to find their favourite costume and reawaken their Marie Antoinette or a bygone Charleston era, and twist and twirl amongst other mischievous masked revellers.
Is the food pricey?
No. Our policy with the board wash allows our traders the chance to charge less without the waste of packaging. Our aim is to keep our prices the same, or in many cases, less than what people are used to paying at festivals.
What about family friendly food offerings?
Our partners in the love of sustainable food practice, GIY and Down to Earth Materials, will co-host an area called Grow Food Circle, which will playfully highlight the possibilities around compostable packaging and host workshops with kids on how to turn our windowsill into a mini veg patch.
We're also delighted to have Cully & Sully in support who are going to be performing an experiment in food decisions, which will map people's food priorities as the weekend unfolds and figure out exactly what we care about when it comes to nourishing our families.
Irish food producers - are they put onto centre stage at the festival?
Oh of course. Many will be there in person, some taking part in the Sparking Conversations Salon, and even more will feature on the menus.
Body&Soul takes place in the ethereal surrounds of Ballinlough Castle, Westmeath from June 23rd -25th.
