October's Food Festivals & Events

Ok so autumn is officially here - me having to defrost my car for the first time in months must mean it is so! I have to say I love the cold (I will probably be shunned for that!) but there is something lovely about getting all the winter clothes out and getting all snuggled up. Now if it rains that's a different matter but fingers crossed it just stays clear and cold - perfect weather for getting out and about. Have a fantastic October.

Taste of Monaghan, Monaghan Town, 3rd – 5th October

Now in its fifth year, Taste of Monaghan celebrates the best of local produce in Monaghan and its surrounding areas.  Our 60+ exhibitors will be in attendance including artisan food businesses, food business start ups and major international players such as Monaghan Mushrooms, Silver Hill Farm and Mallon's Foods.

The Festival will be hosted by Brian McDermott of No Salt Chef fame who will present the audience with cookery demonstrations from a host of acclaimed chefs and personalities such as Jenny Bristow, Clodagh McKenna, Derval O'Rourke, Calso Cooks, Jenny Eustace and Scottish TV Chef, Peter McKenna. 

 

Boyne Valley Food Series - September Events

The Boyne Valley Food Series is nearing its end and while I am sad to see summer go the prospect of autumn fills me with joy. The countryside will look more beautiful than ever and autumn is such a wonderful time to celebrate what the land provides us with. The closing events of the Boyne Valley Food Series reflect this.

September's Food Festivals & Events

The schools are back and the sun is gone but there are still a million reasons to love September. Long autumn walks, hearty stews and big chunky cardigans are just three off the top of my head! September also means there are loads more food events and festivals happening all around the country. Harvest time is here - Enjoy.

The Blog Awards Ireland & Starting that blog you have been thinking about!

It was a lovely surprise to wake up yesterday morning and discover that The Purple Page had been shortlisted for Best Food/Drink Blog in the Blog Awards Ireland. It’s a case of third time lucky for the blog as I was nominated in 2012 and 2013 but didn’t make it to the next round. There is some tough competition in there and I am up against some of my own favourite blogs too (check out Fiona’s Japanese Cooking, The Dublin Diary and The Beer Nut for starters!) so it is an honour to be included in the list. 

Foraging for Lunch on Girley Bog with Meath Eco Tours

Foraging is something I don't know a lot about. Yes I can identify blackberries, elderflowers and wild garlic but that is about it. I'm lucky enough to have the first two in my garden so I'm not even sure you can call that foraging!! So when Kate from Meath Eco Tours invited me along to Girley Bog for a morning of foraging as part of Boyne Valley Food Series I jumped at the chance to learn more.

 

The National Organic Food Fair - Sunday, 14th September

The second National Organic Food Fair will take place on Sunday, 14th September in Marlay Park.  The event is open to all and entry is free! The National Organic Food Fair is a collaboration between the Organic Trust and the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association, and is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The Fair will have lots on offer with face painters, balloon makers, and a pet farm to name just a few attractions. This organic festival will also have lots of outdoor stalls and marquees showcasing Irish organic products. Tempting food stalls will also be there with a host of food from burgers, to soups, yogurt and apple syrups and ciders, all of which are certified organic. It promises to be the largest display of Irish organic food available in a single venue yet.

Clodagh McKenna will also return this year to host a cooking demonstration using excellent organic produce, most of which has been sourced from the stall holders at the event. This is free to the public but please come early to avoid disappointment. Cooking demonstrations take place at 12.30pm and 2pm.

If you have an idea about producing an organic product, a range of selected producers and industry leaders will give practical seminars on the day. Topics such as routes to market, why organic food is important, eating organically on a budget, and also practical tips on growing organic food are all taking place at different times throughout the day. The full schedule will be announced closer to the event.

The aim of this year’s National Organic Food Fair is to strengthen and promote the message that organic, local and seasonal foods offer the best quality ingredients for home cooking, combined with the added advantage of supporting jobs, economic growth and local development. 

Find them on Facebook here. 

Campo Viejo Tapas Trail - Cork Style

Anyone who is a regular reader of the blog will know that I am a big fan of affordable, creative and interesting events that help to showcase a city. One of my favourite yearly events in Dublin is the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail which I have gone on since it started in 2010. You can read all about the fun we had at the 2014 one here. Campo Viejo also started doing a tapas trail in Cork last year and it looked great, so much so, that the girls and I said we might even think about going down especially for it. Surprisingly, we actually managed to get ourselves organised enough this year and made it down to Cork for the last Sunday trail of the season!

Now Cork is a well visited city on my holiday destination list but I had never eaten in any of the restaurants on the trail which made the event all the more exciting. Our guide for the afternoon was George who was a lively and very entertaining Cork woman – a pure born rebel as she called herself! Our first stop was Electric which has the most gorgeous art deco inspired facade. 

 

Boyne Valley Food Series - August Events

The Boyne Valley Food Series is a summer long series of events which aims to highlight Meath and Louth's rich selection of artisan producers, small food businesses and restaurants over five months from May till September. So far I have attended the Brú Brewery Tour, Sheridan's Food Festival, Taste of Meath, the Irish Maritime Festival and the Meath Food Safari. Sunday saw the boyfriend and I head to Girley Bog for a foraging session with Meath Eco Tours. It was pouring out of the heavens but it was a great informative morning and I can't wait to visit the bog again on a sunnier day!

August's Food Events and Festivals

August always feels like the final 'big hurrah' before summer is officially over and it's back to normality for us all. There is loads happening throughout the country, so even if the weather doesn't return to the former glory of July, there is no excuse not to get out and enjoy the long summer days before Autumn kicks in.

July's Food Events & Festivals

 

July is my favourite month of the whole year. I swear it's not just because my birthday falls in the middle of it but that does help! It's because the days are long, autumn is still many weeks away and there is always the promise of sunshine. There are also loads of events throughout Ireland that celebrate all this too so it is a great time to get out and about. Happy July, enjoy.

A Taste of Meath at Oldbridge House

So this weekend I was fully immersed in Meath culture and society, from a massive charity barn dance in Cushinstown to my first ever visit to Oldbridge House. I have to admit it was my first time attending a barn dance and if that one is anything to go by it won’t be my last! Over 3000 people attended and there were cowboy hats galore on show. On Sunday, once we had recovered from all that dancing, we travelled up to Oldbridge House for the first ever Taste of Meath as part of the Boyne Valley Food Series.

Out and About at Oldbridge House

A visit to the Irish Maritime Festival 2014

Last Sunday was one of those days where we didn’t know whether we wanted to stay at home and laze about or head out into the wild. In the end the sun made a break from the clouds and our decision was made for us. So off we popped to the Irish Maritime Festival in Drogheda for a few hours where there were tall ships and water sports on display.

Campo Viejo Tapas Trail: Dublin 2014

I always feel like summer has well and truly kicked off when it is time for the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail. I have been on every single trail since it started and it is still as much fun as it was the first time around. This year we kicked off in The Market Bar which by the way does a fab early bird of 2 tapas and a glass of wine/beer for €14. It is a big cavernous space where the only noise is the sound of people enjoying catching up over good food. We started the journey with a glass of Campo Viejo Cava and bowls of patatas bravas, piri piri chicken and goats cheese crostini. I could eat those patatas bravas all day!

Taste of Dublin 2014: A Quick Recap

So I meant to write this review on Friday knowing that I would be busy over the weekend but Thursday night at Taste of Dublin got the better of me. At 31 I should know better but we had a super night! Thursday felt like the start of summer and the Iveagh Gardens were packed for the first session of Taste of Dublin. After a glass of champagne, Ms Jenkinson and I executed our plan of action which was basically to sample as many different dishes as possible!

To start off we hit Salt of the Earth and sampled their Scallop Hot Dog with Asian slaw, beetroot chips and aioli.

Food and Beer Pairing at Brú Brewery

I’ll admit it. I’m a wine drinker by nature. In my twenties I would never have chosen beer over wine. This is probably down to the fact that I found most of the beer on offer too heavy, too fizzy or just plain disgusting. Then I went to Brussels and was shown the error of my ways! On my return I started to seek out what Ireland had to offer and bang on time too since we are now in the midst of a craft beer revolution. 

So I am slowly getting to know my Irish craft beer brands and discovering how well they go with food. I also recently discovered that one brand, Brú Beers, even comes from my adopted home county of Meath! As part of the Boyne Valley Food Series the guys in Brú Brewery put on a food and beer pairing night to demonstrate how well their range of beers went with food, all of which was local too. 

Boyne Valley Food Series: June Events

The Boyne Valley Food Series aims to highlight Meath and Louth's rich selection of artisan producers, small food businesses and restaurants over five months from May till September. The food series kicked off in May with a great array of events. I attended both the Bru Brewery tour and the Sheridan's Food Festival and had a fantastic time at both. I learnt so much and got to meet the people behind all the small businesses and artisan products. 

June Food Festivals & Events

It's the weekend again already!  Short working weeks are the best! To get you in the weekend mood here is a list of events taking place over the next few weeks. June is always a great month for festivals and events so there is loads happening and hopefully something of interest for everyone.

Belfast's Pop-Up Pestaurant: Bring on the Bugs!

Rentokil will open the doors to its award-winning "Pop-Up Pestaurant" in Belfast's city centre on Wednesday 4th June. The event will take place at Writer's Square in the Cathedral Quarter, between 10 and 3, and will be serving up an array of exotic treats including spicy pigeon burgers, salt & vinegar crickets and BBQ mealworms.

The inaugural Pestaurant, which took place in London in summer 2013, attracted more than 3,000 hungry Londoners to sample the unorthodox fare on offer. Rentokil expects similar crowds to flock to Writer's Square for the first major Pestaurant event of 2014. All the food is free and local Rentokil experts will be on hand to answer any pest related questions from the public, pass on their top tips for pest prevention and discuss the unique cuisine being served.

The event will mark Britain's participation in Global Pestaurant Day, during which Pestaurant events will be held in 12 different countries across 4 continents. The events will tempt punters across the globe to try something different for lunch, with Australia, South Africa, Denmark, France, and the USA among the nations taking part.
 

The events are held to raise awareness of the problems that pests can cause for homeowners and business alike. Pests are just looking for food and shelter. They are not choosy when it comes to setting-up home, and even the cleanest of properties can become a target, if they can find a way in!  Common UK pests include ants, bedbugs, flies, mice, pigeons, rats and wasps.  

All members of the public are welcome to attend. 

Bloom Fringe - Where Inspiration Grows

Bloom Fringe is the latest independent festival to hit the streets of Dublin. The festival is a spin-off of the hugely successful Bloom and will showcase Dublin’s ever growing creative capacity with fresh ideas, spontaneity and fun. The aim is to celebrate the biodiversity and sustainability of Dublin’s City Centre by bringing together communities, artists, performers, professionals, enthusiasts and free thinkers in a joyous explosion of garden-related creativity.

Bloom Fringe will literally take over the city with over 35 eclectic events staged in pop-up venues in parks, gardens, lane-ways and Dublin City Centre as well as established venues such as cafés, shops and more. The fringe will showcase works from the world of gardening, sustainability, architecture, food, fashion and much more. Innovative workshops, pop-up dinners, picnics, exhibitions, garden installations and other experiences will be hosted throughout the city on Saturday 31st May to promote sustainability, green infrastructure and community involvement.

The Bloom Fringe HQ will be at the top of Grafton Street with a green pop-up on George’s Street and other surprises sprinkled in-between. Event coordinators, Landscape Architect Esther Gerrard and Garden Designer Marion Keogh, “want to encourage anyone with artistic vision and drive to participate and present their work. This means that there’s always something to suit everyone, of all ages and tastes. Our city lends itself to a multitude of uses and we want to show it off in all its glory!”

Some of the events that are taking place include:

• Tours/trails such as foraging with Ed Hicks
• A Masterchef picnic with Tamarin Blackmur winner of Masterchef
• Pop-up windows will be on display at Industry, Berlin and Courtney Lennon
• Family Friendly Workshops such as: Hedgerow Herbalism, Composting Bootcamp and Forest School
• Visit open community gardens

Bloom Fringe is happening this Saturday - 31st May 2014. The full programme is available on their website - www.bloomfringe.com. You will also find them on Twitter @bloomfringe #bloomfringe and on Facebook www.facebook.com/bloomfringedublin.