Cork on a Fork picks up
This week food lovers in Cork are in for a treat with Cork on a Fork food festival happening across the city.
Run by Cork City Council, a lot of restaurants, chefs, food producers and food writers are involved to showcase the best of Cork and why we have the best food offering.
Here are just some events that might tickle your tastebuds:
The River Lee Club is hosting daily champagne and oysters delights. For €40 per person, you get a dozen oysters served with two glasses of Heidsieck Brut Champagne.
The Metropole Hotel is hosting a Summer Berry and Maharani G&T Afternoon Tea. If last year’s Maharani G&T Afternoon Tea is anything to go by, you are in for a treat. The tea room at the Metropole is simply beautiful and the staff is excellent and for €35 per person, it is a steal.
Botanics & Bites is happening daily from 5-8pm in Bloom at Hayfield Manor. For €50 for two, you will be treated to botanical cocktails and a sharing board with local treasures.
I am a huge fan of Simone Kelly who works with L’Atitude to bring her yummylicious food to Cork in a paella in conjunction with NeighbourFood. If the weather is kind to us, the event will be outdoors where a makeshift kitchen will be set up. In case you have never had the pleasure of eating Simone’s food – make sure to book your ticket through L’Atitude.
So far, I haven’t had a chance to visit Goldie in Oliver Plunket Street to enjoy Aisling Moore’s fish dishes. Goldie is offering sittings at 5.50pm and 8.30pm for €90pp.
The Montenotte is offering a champagne afternoon picnic but that is already booked out – I am rather gutted that I saw the event too late.
Same goes for the International Tea Ceremony at Nano Nagle Place on Saturday – would have loved both events.
In case you really like oysters, the Sailing, Shucking and Shanties event on Sunday might be to your liking. Go on a cruise for two and a half hours, enjoy views of the city from a different angle while the famous Pat O’Connell of K O’Connell Fish will be shucking oysters for you while listening to sea shanties by Cobh Molgoggers.
One event I hope to go to is the Cork Food Culture in Literature, History and Heritage talk with food historian Regina Sexton as well as Tom Spalding and Dr Flicka Small who is an expert on James Joyce and is exploring the representation of local food in Irish literature.
Dr Aylin Sahin from the UCC School of Food & Nutritional Sciences is taking to the festival stage at the Crawford Art Gallery on Friday at 3pm to talk about A Walk through the Supermarket – the talk is free.
There are a lot more events happening across the city – visit www.corkcity.ie/cork-on-a-fork-fest for a complete list of events and booking info. I might see you at one of the events!