The Taste of North Cork at Mallow Home & Garden Festival a great success for North Cork Artisan Food and Drink

Local Enterprise Office Cork North and West hosted a showcase to celebrate the very best of North Cork artisan food and drink as part of the Mallow Home & Garden Festival last weekend. Under the banner of Taste of North Cork, 14 artisan food and drink producers presented  their produce, locally sourced, in a dedicated Local Enterprise Office Taste of  North Cork exhibition area. The event was a wonderful success. Acting Head of Enterprise for Local Enterprise Office Cork North and West, Kevin Curran commented: “The Taste North Cork exhibition presented an ideal opportunity for visitors to the Festival to meet our local producers, they found out more about the artisan food scene in the locality, and even discovered some new favourite brands”.  Kevin added “It is our intention to continue and support all businesses  the best way we can . In addition to the exhibition stalls, the LEO had a cookery demonstration by a top chef over the weekend.

Speaking at the Event, Gearoid, from Longueville House , Mallow  said “the event totally exceeded his expectations”.

Maurice Gilbert from Ballyhoura Apple Farm, said:  “New contacts... you never know who you meet, and the opportunity with so many people coming through the door, the opportunities are endless”

Gerald Burns and Julian Twomey from Lullaby Milk said  “the event gave them Brand awareness and opportunities”.

Norma & Tom Dinneen of  Bó Rua  thanked the LEO for such a super opportunity to take part in the Taste of North Cork over the weekend. “ Aside from it being a great networking opportunity it was also wonderful to get such positive feedback from the public, and of course make sales in the process” , they added.

Sue Parsons from Lyreens Smokehouse , Mitchelstown, commented, “I met some lovely people, was given some fantastic advice and leads to follow up and some new avenues to look at”.

Clotilde Fitzgibbon, Clotilde ‘s  Compote, said, “It was a pleasure to exhibit  this weekend. Hard work but well worth it! I appreciate the work Joan and the team did”.

Adrian from Hanley’s Puddings  Mitchelstown, said “ it was great to get the opportunity to offer tastings as it gave the Hanley Pudding brand great exposure and everyone really enjoyed the taste”

Eleanor Leahy, Nibbles Food Emporium, Millstreet “ Thank you the LEO   for hosting such a great event and giving such support and a positive smile all the way through this marathon of a weekend. You should be very proud of yourself and your colleagues at the Local enterprise board, as it highlighted what great North Cork food producers we have in our local area, it truly was a wonderful event I would only be delighted to be part of the next Taste of North Cork 2017.

“The  Taste of North Cork was organised by the local Enterprise Office Cork North & West , this Taste of North Cork is a platform for Food Businesses in North Cork to create  and establish  new contacts and widen their networking opportunities to benefit their business.. The Food Business has really taken off in North Cork and the great feedback we got from the Taste of North Cork can turn around into practical support for local Food Businesses”, said Joan Kelleher of the LEO Cork North & West.

For further information, contact Joan Kelleher at 022-43235 or visit https://www.localenterprise.ie/CorkNorthandWest/