Hi, I’m Ken McGuire, and this is Ken On Food. I’m a 40-something foodie and Kilkenny (Ireland) native with a grá for all things food. I’ve been blogging since long before it was cool, producing podcasts since 2006 (again, before it was cool) and I’ve been writing about food in some shape or form since 2010.
Here you’ll find me talking about food, sharing tried-and-tested recipes from my home kitchen and combining both to shine a light on what’s happening on the food scene in Kilkenny. To that end, have you taken a look at my Kilkenny Food Guide? I also maintain a popular list of Irish food events and festivals taking place across the year.
As the name suggests, Ken On Food is all about food, by me, Ken McGuire. If you’re looking for details about me, my connection to all things food, and what I do, then you’re in the right place.
My love for food
I have no formal training in food, I don’t have a cookbook out in the world (yet) and my professional line of work couldn’t be any further from the kitchen. I love food and love learning about food, in every way possible.
In 2005 I set up and ran a web and graphic design business, expanding out into photography and videography relatively quickly, which opened the door to working with food producers, makers, creators, event planners, retailers, restaurateurs, hotel owners and more in the years that followed.
In 2016 I shifted full-time from that space to the world of commercial radio, where I’m still working today and where food is still very much part of the agenda, such is the benefit of running your own show and feeding into others.
If you wind the clock right back to my childhood, however, the freedom to explore food was always there. Nothing was off the table. At home, we were introduced to restaurants and cafés from a young age. We travelled Ireland and throughout Europe, fished, grilled, camped, devoured chips by the sea after a day of surfing, downed pretzels and curried sausages while waiting on trains in Germany, had chilli mishaps in Italy and more besides.
Eventually, the world of blogging (which I started in 2004) and food would meet, first with Any Given Food in 2010 and later, Ken On Food in 2018.
Any Given Food
Once upon a time, my writing was done under the Any Given Food banner, a blog I effectively retired in 2018 and eventually parked, resurrecting it in a different guise in 2024 as I begin studies in nutrition.
Spurred on by my involvement in running a food unconference in Kilkenny (remember the FoodCamp, BarCamp, PodCamp days?) in 2010 as part of the Savour Kilkenny Food Festival, I pulled the trigger on launched Any Given Food. Looking back at it now, I came right out of the traps with restaurant reviews, recipes, news on food products, events and more.
I remember the blog being featured in one of the national broadsheets at the time, but writing about food in that way set me on a road up to 2015 that brought me the length and breadth of Ireland on the food front, meeting chefs, covering festivals, tasting dishes old and new.
If you’re curious, there’s a very early draft from the week Any Given Food launched still available here on the Wayback Machine.
Enter Ken On Food
2015 to 2018 saw a slowdown for me on the food writing front as other work interests and commitments took over, including the move to radio. By the time 2018 hit, I had shuttered Any Given Food, deciding to put my own stamp on things and bring my name into play.
Again, food events, festivals and news from the Irish food scene played a big part, but by 2019 my daughter was born, COVID had hit and the landscape had changed once more.
Content shifted from online to on-air and while food bloggers made hay during the pandemic year, the shutdown of events, festivals, restaurants and cafés put a stop to my writing. Coming out the other side in late 2022 and into 2023, the spark was back, my focus was shifting to representing the Kilkenny food scene (in food blogger circles, you might call it ‘niching down’) and by 2024 I had established my groove once more, publishing more content on the blog in the 11 months to November 2024 than I had done in the previous five years.
That’s not even including the weekly Sunday podcasts, Food In 5 Minutes (check Spotify, Apple Podcasts) and my free newsletter, The Week In Food available via Substack. Subscribe today and you’ll get it straight to your inbox every Sunday by 7am.
All year long (for 2024) there’s been a heavy focus on Kilkenny, creating content that shines the best possible light on the local food scene, pushing events, and building up an archive of recipes in the kitchen for release in 2025. We’re having fun now, you see.
Who is Ken On Food aimed at?
I write for myself first and foremost, it’s the best way to learn and the best way for me to share my love of all things food. There is very much a local angle here too, with a large portion of the content (particularly in 2024) targeting locals in Kilkenny and those visiting the city and county. That will become more apparent across 2025.
While on the recipe front, a growing endeavour, my kitchen exploits will cater to those leading a busy work life, and raising a young family, where healthy snacks and bulk cooking very much come to the fore.
How to get in contact me me
If you’d like to get in contact, there are a few ways to do it.
You can reach out via social media, find me anywhere you see @kenonfood but in particular, Instagram or Facebook with TikTok slowly bringing up the rear. I’m still active on X (formerly Twitter) and I also exist on Bluesky.
You can also email me at any stage, ken@kenonfood.com, which is pretty simple.
Or if you’re more of a snail-mail type of person, I can be contacted via the radio station – it’s Ken McGuire, KCLR96FM, Leggettsrath Business Park, Carlow Road, Kilkenny, R95 YTD5 though if you’re planning on putting something in the post, maybe give me a heads up about it in advance, in particular if it’s to do with a product or book launch and you’re exploring options on media coverage.
Let’s talk.
