Old Butter Roads Festival's Major Offering in Watergrasshill Today

Old Butter Roads Festival's Major Offering in Watergrasshill Today

Joanne of Thatch and Thyme is producing some great reasonably dishes here, including a delicious plate with something from all the producers. I tried the burger and it is a treat. You get Twomey's Wagyu beef, Hegarty's cheese, Wild Garlic (foraged by Joanne herself), all on a superb Arbutus bun.

The Old Butter Roads Food Festival has a big day in O'Mahony's, Watergrasshill, today (Sunday 26th May). The focus will be very much on the Darina Allen led Symposium on food tourism and specifically how the Old Butter Roads can benefit from the trend. But many will come for the food being cooked and displayed here by the region's producers and restaurants.

To see the full programme, including the participants in the symposium, please click here

Be sure and try the juices at Future Orchard. And get yourself a pack of wild flower seeds. And then there's the mystery tastes. Will you guess correctly!

If you're still going strong by early evening, you won't want to miss the Cocktail Contest. at 5.00pm, Bertha’s Revenge Gin, Longueville House Apple Brandy and Killahora Orchards Pommeau and Apple Ice Wine all step into the ring to see who can produce the finest Old Butter Roads cocktail with the audience as judges! Oh, by the way, children will be catered for too with a Puppet Show, Face Painting and Food of course!

Longueville House have been part of the festival since the start. And Rubert Atkinson, Sales Manager at Longueville Beverages, is a key figure, always helping out his fellow exhibitors. And always giving out samples of their delicious ciders and apple brandy. There is a bar alongside and, of course, a large bar inside.

Jam makers come and go in Ireland but my long-time favourites are Folláin for their quality, variety and consistency. Recently we've been tucking into their sugar-free range. They have those colourful topped pots in Watergrasshill but it the relishes that caught my eye here. Or should I say, excited my tastebuds. Needless to say, we brought a few jars home with us. And here's a tip, bring a shopping bag with you.

Top chef Michael Quinn (formerly Waterford Castle, now lecturing at WIT) will give a series of rolling cookery demos over the weekend, presenting delicious yet simple recipes all featuring produce from OBR members and producers, with plenty of samples available for the audiences. There will be additional opportunities to sample during the Blind Tastings, in which the general public competes for prizes by identifying various foodstuffs while blindfolded.

To see the full programme, including the participants in the symposium, please click here