Savour Kilkenny Food Festival, now in its 15th year, returns next month with a stellar line-up. Taking place in Kilkenny city over the October bank holiday weekend (27-30 October), it’s all systems go for the 2023 edition.
With 50,000 attendees at last year’s festival, Savour will host cookery demonstrations, dining events, talks, workshops and entertainment for adults and children. Zero waste, sustainable cooking and gardening for the future are topics of many of the events while a special workshop on how to preserve and restore our precious native biodiversity will also take place.
The big attraction, as it continues to grow year-on-year, will be the Savour market, spanning the length of the Castle Road through The Parade and featuring producers from the four corners of the country. From Indian treats to Asian street food, lobster rolls to poutine, there’s plenty on offer whatever your palette preference.
Irish and international chefs and food personalities are also a big part of the programme including the Ballymaloe trio of Darina Allen, Rachel Allen and Rory O’Connell along with Kevin Dundon, Dylan McGrath, Jess Murphy, Arun Kapil, Nathalie Lennon, Conor Spacey, The Cupcake Bloke, Edward Hayden with Anne Neary, Irish Olympian Derval O’Rourke, singer Jake Carter, and Dancing with the Stars judge Brian Redmond.
“We have over 50 events taking place over the four days and we have something for all the family. For the children, we’ll have an animal farm, juggling and plate spinning workshop and show as well as stilt walkers, Latvian dancers, face painting and some Halloween treats”, says festival manager Marian Flannery.
“For the adults, we have a yoga brunch, cookery demos, foraging, gardening, biodiversity and candle-making workshops as well as a knife-making skills workshop. If you consider yourself a foodie, we have catered for all tastes. We’ll be showcasing the best in cheese, wine, tapas, beer, and tacos and the Parade will be taken over by over 100 artisan food producers and street food vendors from all over Ireland. It’s certainly a weekend not to be missed.”
Dining experiences
Kicking off the festival is a Michelin Star dining experience at Lady Helen, Mount Juliet with John Kelly on Thursday 26th October. Rachel Allen will host Statham’s ‘Farm To Fork Tour of Flavour’ dinner on Saturday the 28th while Dylan McGrath is in The Bridge House on Sunday 29th October. The Brasserie at The Hibernian will have you dancing around the tables with Dancing with the Stars judge and KCLR’s Brian Redmond on Friday 27th. If you fancy a taste of the Mediterranean then Arán is the place to be on Friday and Saturday for their seven course tasting menu.
Also on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th October, the Savour Market will feature 100 artisan food producers and street food vendors with a mix of local and Irish produce and cuisines from around the world.
Entry to the Savour Market, cookery demos and talks are free. Dining events and special events are individually priced. ‘Dine Out’ at Savour encourages you to book a table directly with a Kilkenny restaurant.
Check out the full programme at savourkilkenny.com.
