Get a taste of Clare at Burren Slow Food Festival

A VARIETY of mouth-watering events have been unveiled for the 2022 Burren Slow Food Festival this month.

Slow Food Clare’s eclectic programme for this year’s event which takes place over the weekend of Friday, May 20 to Sunday May 22 will comprise tastings, talks, markets, a banquet and more besides.

However, if you haven’t already got a ticket for Friday’s festival-opening seafood supper on Inis Oirr, you’ll have to wait for next year as it is sold out.

On Saturday, May 21, the Pavilion in Lisdoonvarna will host the annual farmers’ market and showcase, the 2022 theme of which is dedicated to raising awareness about the concept of “GEOfood”.

GEOfood is an international brand for food produced in UNESCO Global Geoparks (www.geofood.no).

Sara Gentilini, inventor of the GEOfood initiative and project manager at MAGMA UNESCO Global Geopark in Norway, will join Deirdre O’Shea, Head of Tourism Clare County Council and Birgitta Hedin-Curtin, Slow Food Clare and the Burren Smokehouse, by video link to officially launch the festival.

“The underlying geology, climate and farming traditions are key ingredients in local food’, explained Carol Gleeson, Manager of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark.

“GEOfood emphasises how people, place and food are interconnected. At the moment we have nine food producers that meet the GEOfood brand values and we are building on these to create a wide network of producers, local restaurants and retail outlets providing sustainably produced food from our unique Geopark.”

Free tastings and talks by local food promoters and by GEOfood producers from the designated GEOfood area and buffer zones will be facilitated by leading food journalists John and Sally McKenna and food and wine writer Leslie Williams.

The event provides an opportunity to learn about the connections between local food, geological heritage and the livelihoods of the people who live in the Geopark.

On Saturday evening the Burren Storehouse is the venue for the Burren Slow Food Banquet, a six-course tasting menu with the flavours of GEOfood produced in the Burren, cooked by Clare chef Peter Jackson and his team.

The menu will feature local Waygu, oysters, St. Tola goats’ cheese and Burren Smokehouse smoked salmon.

Pre-booking is essential and tickets are available on Eventbrite.

The farmers’ market returns for the final day of the festival and for the times that are in it, will pay tribute to Ukraine.

There will be a showcase of Ukrainian food to look forward to that includes tastings and a cookery demonstration by chef Jess Murphy from Galway’s Kai and local chef Niamh Fox.

Festival organiser, Slow Food Clare is collaborating with the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark and the Burren Ecotourism Network to deliver the line up which is sponsored by Calor Ireland and supported by Fáilte Ireland and BIM.

For more information about the schedule and to book tickets for the Burren Slow Food Banquet, see www.slowfoodclare.com.