The best way to experience summer in West Cork? Be led by your noses and taste buds through pop-ups, feasts, festivals and other events, cookery classes and all sorts of food experiences to feed your curiosity. With so much to pack into the diary, you’ll wish summer could last even longer!
This article was featured in our West Fork 2025 magazine – you can read the full supplement here!
POP UPS & FEASTS
Chefs x Goleen Harbour Eco Resort, Goleen
Throughout July and August, some of Cork’s most celebrated chefs will land in to take over the stunning barrel-top event space at Goleen Harbour Eco Resort. Caitlin Ruth, Gautham Iyer, The Glass Curtain and Epi Rogan will each host two sessions per night celebrating the best of the local, seasonal and wild larder.
Backyard at Levis’, Ballydehob
The inimitable Levis’ in Ballydehob are throwing open their backyard this summer to incredible local chefs, each bringing their unique style and flair to devilishly moreish menus. leviscornerhouse.com
17th-27th July, Doxy & Danny, aka ‘Buena Comida’, serve up an Iberian Menu with West Cork produce and Live DJ.
July 30th-August 16th, Caitlin Ruth returns for another stellar residency bringing all the flavours of Mexico to life with seasonal West Cork ingredients.
21st-23rd August, award-winning Spice Genie, Chris Braganza, serves up his deliciously authentic Goan cuisine.
Kitchen Stories welcomes Claire Arnold of Dublin’s Lennox Street Grocer to Ballydehob for a summer residency Friday to Monday, 2-8pm from 4th July. Expect some great wines, lovely plates, and the odd surprise along the way.
Up There The Last, Myross Wood, Leap
See the feature elsewhere in this edition on Max Jones of ‘Up There The Last’ who will be hosting Coastal Feasts beachside in July and August focusing on wild fish, forage, raw butter and seawater-cooked spuds. https://www.uptherethelast.com/
Woodcock Smokery, Castletownshend
West Cork food legend Sally Barnes hosts a series of Sunday Lunches and Evening Feasts at The Keep. Upcoming chefs confirmed are Lily Ramirez-Foran, Anthony O’Toole, and Paula McIntyre MBE. woodcocksmokery.com
EVENTS & FESTIVALS
Agricultural Shows
From prize bulls to buffed vegetables, fluffy chickens and fish and chips, West Cork’s agricultural s hows are always a riot of food, one way or another! Carbery, 17th July; Ballyvourney, 20th July; Schull, 27th July; Bantry, 17th August.
Whiddy Island Mussel Festival, 2nd-3rd August
A short hop by boat from Bantry to Whiddy Island for a mussel festival with live music and local mussels throughout the day sounds unmissable.
‘Fair Days’ Fleadh Music Festival, Camus Farm, 2-10pm 3rd August
A daylong showcase of breakthrough musical artists at Camus Farm. Add a gorgeous lunch prepared by head chef Bob Cairns at the onsite Field Kitchen restaurant, and you’ve just about got the perfect day. Booking essential for the festival and lunch. www.fieldkitchen.ie
Ellen Hutchins Festival, 16th-24th August, Bantry Bay
Celebrating the life and legacy of famed botanist Ellen Hutchins, the festival hosts many ways to appreciate a botanical life including a Taste of Esk foraging tour and dinner feast (16th Aug, €135), and a Wild Tea Tour (23rd Aug, €35) with Kloe Woods of Two Green Shoots, Glengarriff. Pre-booking required. ellenhutchins.com
COOKERY CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
Learn something new to your cookery repertoire, just in time for summer entertaining.
Lettercollum Kitchen Project, Timoleague
Karen Austin shares the bounty of her knowledge – and walled garden – in half day cookery classes that romp around the globe. Upcoming classes include Spanish (26th July), Mediterranean (6th September), and Southeast Asian cuisine (27th September). Expect to cook up to ten dishes. All recipes are supplied. €120pp. lettercollum.ie
Woodcock Smokery, Castletownshend
Learn the art of coastal foraging and smoking wild fish with Sally Barnes at The Keep. Half day, full day and multiday courses run summer long until September and start from €150pp. Book via the website woodcocksmokery.com
Claire Nash Cooks Kinsale, Charles Fort
Claire Nash is hosting one-to-one and uber small group cooking sessions at her home near Charles Fort that last half or a full day. Each class starts with a trip to the pier for fresh lobster or crab, then the pick of produce from Claire’s garden, before turning it all into a smorgasbord of simple but delicious Irish classics. www.cnashcookskinsale.com
Island Cottage Cookery Courses, Heir Island
These could be as illusive as trying to get a seat in the diminutive restaurant John Desmond runs on Heir Island, but if you succeed, you’ll be in for a magical time! One-day courses run July and August Friday, Saturday and Sunday with details posted closer to the time (very much requiring you to be in the neighbourhood). Observe and work with John as he cooks the ever-changing lunch menu, then enjoy your meal after. One person at a time only. €300. islandcottage.com
Up There The Last, The Booley, Myross Woods, Leap, 19th July
Join food conservationist, Max Jones, for a workshop on Natural Cheese and Butter Making. Learn the natural transformation raw milk undergoes to become natural cheese, with natural starter cultures and curds cooked on the fire. €245pp. uptherethelast.com
FOOD & DRINK TOURS
With a wide variety of food and drink tours, here is my pick of the best.
Kinsale Food Tours host three tours of this gourmet town. The original Walking Food Tour has four stops over 2.5 hours with snippets of history to wash it all down. kinsalefoodtours.com The Coastal Picnic is the perfect (and pet-friendly) way to spend a sunny day; or take to the ocean waves on a Sailing Food Tour.
The Clonakilty Blackpudding Visitors’ Centre is home to one of Ireland’s most unique food experiences celebrating the original ‘black stuff’ of Irish food. clonakiltyblackpudding.ie
Caherbeg Farm in Rosscarbery may be best known for its rashers and sausages, but Avril Allshire-Howe also leads small groups on a Forest Bathing Experience through a native forest on the edge of the farm. Book via West Cork Farm Tours. westcorkfarmtours.com
Durrus Cheese is open to visitors between every weekday 10-1pm. See where and how their cheese is made, meet a cheesemaker, taste some cheese, and purchase some delicious Durrus Cheese. This is a working dairy, so pre-booking is essential. durruscheese.com
Dorothy O’Tuama is the official guide for tours to Macroom Buffalo Farm run by the Lynch family. Meet herds of buffalo, see the cheese-making process, then join Dorothy in the barn for a tasting of the full range of delicious buffalo milk cheese. Pre-booking essential. macroombuffalocheese.com
Kinsale Mead is Ireland’s only commercial Meadery making it a unique food experience. Learn about the history of mead, how it’s made, do a honey tasting, and finish with a tasting of handcrafted meads. kinsalemeadco.ie
Blacks of Kinsale is a co-located brewery and distillery. A variety of tours are available for beer, whiskey, gin and rum. Linger longer at the onsite bar and keep an eye out for summer pop-up events. blacksbrewery.com
Clonakilty Distillery offers an immersive tour of their whiskey and gin distillery among the pot-stills with the option to choose different ranges of whiskey for a guided tasting after. Book into West Cork’s only gin school and distil your own Mother’s Ruin to take away. clonakiltydistillery.ie
Beara Distillery in Castletownbere has a big story to tell at the Fisherman’s Loft Visitor Experience. Enjoy a guided tasting of their Irish whiskeys among a rare collection of maritime memorabilia that honours the fishing history of the town. thebearadistillery.ie
This article was featured in our West Fork 2025 magazine – you can read the full supplement here!
