Save the date! A 100-seat cooking demo marquee will pop up on Emmet Place (outside Crawford Art Gallery) all day on Saturday 19th August for Cork on a Fork Festival Featuring a host of exciting talks, demos and tastings, there’s something for everyone. And the best part… all the events are free!
Cooking up a storm in the Festival Marquee will be Celebrity chef Rachel Allen from Ballymaloe Cookery School, zero waste chef Orla McAndrew, William Murray from Currabinny, Pamela Kelly from Farmgate, Cork Migrant Centre, and more.
There will also be a fun Rebel County mystery box cook-off competition between with The Glass Curtain, Sage and others, moderated by Irish Examiner food writer Joe McNamee, and a live podcast with McKenna Guides, Michelin Chef Takashi Miyazaki from Ichigo Ichie, Michelin rated chef Aishling Moore from Goldie and Claire Condon from Good Day Deli.
While you’re there, you can enjoy local treats from the adjacent Cork on a Fork Fest mini market, get info on healthy eating at the HSE stand, and have lots of fun with face-painting and live music during lunchtime and giant games with Let’s Play Cork in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Cork on a Fork Festival Stage will be housed at the 70-seat Crawford Art Gallery Theatre and will feature many informative and fun talks from food experts and local producers. On Friday 18th August, don’t miss ‘The Magic of Milk’ interactive presentation with UCC; Cork Food Culture in Literature, History and Heritage with renowned food historian Regina Sexton and more; an insightful chat between Guaranteed Irish and Cork producers, including Ballymaloe Foods, St Patrick’s Distillery, West Cork Eggs Ltd., and West Cork Biscuit; a Bertha’s Gin Talk and Tasting (almost booked out), a fascinating insight into Supermarket Food Trends and their impact on Health and the Planet; and a talk on Oysters and Irish Culture by the world Oyster Shucking champion.
Moving on to Saturday, the Festival Stage will host family friendly demos, a panel discussion with leading names in Cork food who are not originally from the city; a Healthy Eating Puppet Show for primary school kids (booked out), tips from Atlantia Clinical Trials on improving mood and brain health through a healthy gut, and what is sure to be a fascinating perspective on Cork Food with Cork’s (and Ireland’s) leading food writers.
All the demos in the Festival Marquee and Festival Stage are free thanks to the support of Cork City Council, Failte Ireland, Ireland’s Ancient East and The Wild Atlantic Way.
Not only that, but throughout the week, a host of other free demos and talks will take place throughout the city, including the opening symposium ‘Feeding Cork the sustainable and healthy way with Cork Food Policy Forum’, a fun Bread and Butter Making workshop and other demos at The Butter Museum, and English Market Cooking demos.
There will also be ticketed demos including The Cork Oyster Shucking Championships at The Metropole, coffee roasting three ways at Izz Cafe, pizza making, cocktail making workshops, child friendly sensory cooking classes at St Peters, tutored beer tasting at Elbow Lane (booked out), Black Gold – Cork’s Blood Pudding Culture Talk and Tasting with Flavour.ie at Farmgate, coffee cupping, distillery demos, an International Tea Ceremony at Nano Nagle (booked out), a Sourdough and Wine Harvest at Callanans, and a food photography workshop (booked out)…the list goes on with more than 100 events. Not only that but a host of community gardens will open to the public and do demos over the week.
Cork on a Fork Festival was established by Cork City Council in 2022 as a celebration of dining and nightlife in the city and the world-class produce found in the wider Cork region, this year’s festival has doubled in scale with many new events added to the lineup.
Whether you want to taste your way through the city on a food trail, take part in unique culinary experiences at a pop-up event, learn a new skill at a talk or workshop, enjoy live entertainment at a street event, or feast on the finest local food, there will be plenty to see, do and devour. With some events close to capacity or already sold out, and with just one month left, it’s time to make a booking to avoid disappointment.
Cork on a Fork Festival is a Cork City Council Festival, supported by local hospitality businesses, Fáilte Ireland, Ireland’s Ancient East, Pure Cork, Cork Business Association, Cork Airport, Atlantic Clinical Trials.
The full programme can be found on www.corkonaforkfest.ie or follow @corkonaforkfest for live updates.
For a full list of demos and talks taking place during Cork on a Fork Festival see
www.corkcity.ie/en/cork-on-a-fork-fest/what-s-on/demos-workshops-and-talks/
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Editors Notes:
Cork on a Fork Demo Marquee, Sat 19th Aug
- 9.30am-10.30am: From Farm to Fork – cooking demo with Farmgate
- 10.45am- 11.45am: Leftover Larder Love – zero waste cookery demo with Orla McAndrew.
- 12.00pm- 12.45pm: Cooking demo (
- 1pm: Rachel Allen cooking demo on local food.
- 2pm: “The Art of Culinary Sustainability”. A chat with Takashi Miyazaki from Ichigo Ichie, Aishling Moore from Goldie and Claire Condon from Good Day Deli, podcast live for McKenna Guides.
- 3pm: Rebel County Mystery Box Cook-Off
- 4pm: Cooking demo with William Murray, Currabinny
- 5pm: Pupusas (stuffed tortillas/flatbread) cooking demo and sampling with Cork Migrant Centre.
Cork on a Fork Live Stage at Crawford Art Gallery Theatre
Friday 18th Aug
- 10am: “Magic of Milk” interactive presentation with Prof Alan Kelly UCC School of Food and Nutritional Sciences.
- 11am: Cork Food Culture in Literature, History and Heritage Talk.
- 12pm. 1.35pm: Join Guaranteed Irish for an insightful chat with Cork producers – Ballymaloe Foods, St Patrick’s Distillery, West Cork Eggs Ltd., West Cork Biscuit.
- 2pm: Bertha’s Gin talk and tasting with Justin from Ballyvolane House (almost booked out).
- 3-4pm: A walk through the supermarket – Food trends and their impact on health and planet with Dr. Aylin Sahin, UCC School of Food and Nutritional Sciences.
- 4pm: Of Irish and Oysters – a Salty History of Shuckin’Around and Irish Culture (according to Patrick McMurray – Oyster Sommelier & Champion Shucker).
Saturday 19th Aug
- 10am: Cork Food Policy family friendly event.
- 11am: Cork Food Policy family friendly event.
- 12pm Cork on a Fork – a new Cork perspective. A panel discussion with leading names in Cork food who are not originally from the city.
- 2pm: Healthy Eating Puppet Show for primary school kids.
- 3pm: Tips on improving mood and brain health through a healthy gut.
- 4pm: Cork Food – a food writers’ perspective: PANEL with Cork’s (and Ireland’s) leading food writer.