Food Forum to Celebrate Artisan Produce from Cork and Kerry
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An exciting event to promote Cork and Kerry food and artisan producers in the Region was launched today by a partnership including the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) Cork & Kerry, Cork City Council, Cork County Council, SuperValu and Bord Bia. The Cork and Kerry Food Forum will take place in City Hall Cork on Monday, 30 June 2014.
Food lovers will particularly enjoy the showcase of artisan produce from all over Cork and Kerry, with tastings and demonstrations of an incredible variety of food from unique cheeses, to farm fresh herbs, confectionary, meat and fish products as well as cookery demonstrations with celebrity chef and Supervalu ambassador, Kevin Dundon.
The event will also include a conference for food producers, opened by Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine Simon Coveney T.D., which will discuss opportunities in food retail, consumer trends and the new Food Academy Start programme. The programme is a national joint initiative by SuperValu, Bord Bia and the LEOs, aimed at supporting and nurturing start up food businesses. Speakers from Bord Bia and SuperValu will also be on hand to share their insights to food businesses and food retail.
“The Cork and Kerry region is renowned nationally and internationally for its high quality food produce, and with the concentration of artisan producers in this area, the Food Forum is an ideal way to showcase the variety of excellent food produced here to consumers, retailers and distributors as well as key industry stakeholders,” said Joe Burke, Local Enterprise Office South Cork.
“All are welcome to attend the Cork and Kerry Food Forum, and entrance is free of charge. We want people to come along and experience the wonderful food culture here, and we guarantee to give visitors food for thought in more ways than one.”
A key element of the Cork and Kerry Food Forum will be the ‘meet the buyer’ trade event, where food producers can meet with buyers and retailers of the Musgrave Group, and understand retail requirements and opportunities for their produce.
“SuperValu is a major retail supporter of the Irish food industry and we are delighted to be a part of the 2014 Cork & Kerry Food Forum. We are committed to sourcing local produce for our stores across the country, and the Cork and Kerry Food Forum provides an ideal platform for our buyers and retailers to meet with independent producers from the region,” said Kenneth O Connor, Local Project Manager, Musgrave Retail.
The first Cork and Kerry Food Forum Sensory Taste Award will be sponsored by SRL Research, and will include a bursary worth €1,000 to be presented on the day for the winning food company.
The Cork & Kerry Food Forum will take place on Monday 30 June 2014 in City Hall, Cork. The ‘meet the buyer’ event and conference will take place in the morning from 9am to 1pm, and the event will open to the public for the afternoon from 12.30pm until 3.30pm.
About the Cork & Kerry Food Forum
Participating Food companies include:
- Bitesize (East Cork) (sweet and savoury canapes)
- “Ballycurraginny Farm” Vegetable Crisps (Cork)
- Brendan’s Burittos (Cork)
- Kinsale Gourmet Ready Meals (Fish pies, and ready made fish meals)
- Kenmare Living (Kerry) Bio drinks and yoghurt
- Gnosh (Goleen, West Cork) Chilled salads and
- Killarney Toffee (Killarney) Confectionery
- Little Dingle Food Company (Kerry) Preserves and curries
- Anascaul Black Pudding (Meats)
- IASC Seafood (Cork) Mussel Butter
- Hungry Hill (Ballineen Co. Cork) (multigrain granola)
