Clonakilty's busy menu for Taste of West Cork festival

CLONAKILTY has announced a busy schedule of activities for the upcoming Taste of West Cork festival, including a Theatre of Food and a return of the successful Spillers’ Lane Experience Food Market. 

From Friday September 9th, local restaurants, cafés, delicatessens and pubs around Clonakilty will be pulling out all the stops for the popular event.

 The Theatre of Food takes place in O’Donovan’s Hotel from 11am-5pm on Saturday September 10th, featuring chefs and experts from the area, with talks and demos.

These will include Tom Campbell’s How to Make a Jam Sandwich; Con McLoughlin of Lettercollum Kitchen Project on How to eat everything you want and not get fat; Food expert Susan Steele; Caitlin Ruth, head chef at Deasy’s restaurant; Sally Barnes of  Woodcock Smokery on hot smoking; Niamh Reilly, the raw chocolate and cake wizard; and April Danaan on fermentation processes. 

WC Brewing will also host a Beer Tasting session at the Theatre of Food. 

The Spiller’s Lane Experience Food Market will take place from 12pm-4pm on Saturday September 10th showcasing Clonakilty food companies and producers while local musicians will provide the backdrop.

 The Oak Fire Pizza company will hold children’s pizza making classes on Saturday 10th, and on Sunday September 11th  Forage and Find will be followed by a Foraged Food Feast with chef and forager Kevin O’Connell. A bus to Long Strand will leave from Emmet Square at 3pm (meeting at 2.30pm) for the two-hour foraging expedition at Castlefreke. 

Discover edibles like elderflower, sea lettuce, and nori. After the foraging, Kevin O’Connell will cook up a three-course meal at The Emmet Hotel, prepared with the foraged ingredients. Cost is €20 per person and booking is essential, contact Christopher O’Sullivan at [email protected] or by mobile at 087 9016534.

On Tuesday September 13th, Fernhill House Hotel will mark 70 years of the O’Neill family at Fernhill with a historical tour of the house and gardens, followed by a €35 four-course menu with a glass of wine.