Award-winning food writer Joe McNamee (Irish Examiner etc) returns with his Grub Circus food stage to the fEAST Cork Food Festival with another day-long programme of food-related entertainment and fabulous food knowledge with plenty of opportunities for the audience to participate, win great prizes and sample some very fine food and beverages from East Cork and slightly further afield.
11am
Feel The Buzz
Learn about the magical world of bees in this interactive presentation by Kate Manning of BeeWild. Kate is an environmental scientist, author and beekeeper in East Cork. This fun event, suitable for all ages, also teaches valuable lessons about preserving biodiversity and reversing the damage to our natural ecosystems.
11.45am
Ferment to Be
Fermentation? What is this new fangled food trend we keep hearing about? Actually, it’s been around for as long as we’ve been farming and cultivating our own food and most of us have eaten fermented food all our lives, including cheese and beer.
But what about the new tastes and flavours we’ve added to our diets in more recent years? Turns out sourdough breads, kombuchas, kefirs and krauts are not only delicious but also have a profound and proven impact on our physical and mental health.
Featuring Niamh Hegarty (BKultured), Baker Benjamin Le Bon (Seeds bakery, Kinsale/Owner/Operator of Natural Foods Bakery); Dr Fanny Leenhardt Coghlan (Wellbread.ie, educator and nutritionist, specialising in sourdough breads and heritage wheats); Ramya
Balasubramanian (Scientist from APC Microbiome, specialising in gut health and expert on fermented foods from around the world)
1pm
The Grub Circus Food Quiz
Test your food knowledge and your nerves in the always entertaining and often downright hilarious Grub Circus Food Quiz.
The Grub Circus World is Your Oyster
Rupert Hugh-Jones of Rossmore Oysters, in East Cork, dishes out samples of splendid locally-produced native and Pacific oysters as we search for the Grub Circus Oyster Virgin and a new champion in the Grub Circus Bobbing for Bivalves competition.
2pm
The Cupcake Bloke
Graham ‘The Cupcake Bloke’ Herterich, author of Bake (Nine Bean Rows) oversees a baking and cake decorating demo and competition between two teams, one a father/daughter combo and the other a mother/son combo.
3pm
Smokin’ Seafood w/ Aishling Moore and Smokin’ Soul
Food and Wine Awards winner of Ireland’s Best Casual Dining Chef, Goldie’s Aishling Moore conjures up some sublime seafood flavours in conjunction with the live fire magicians that are Smokin’ Soul, with tastes for everyone in the audience.
4pm
Homemade Cocktails with Oisin Davis and Valentia Vermouth
Drinks expert and author Oisin Davis demonstrates three fabulous cocktails while Anna and Orla Snook O’Carroll, creators of Valentia Vermouth showcase their wonderful Irish-made vermouth. And what will all these fine beverages taste like? Well, let the audience be the judge because every seated audience member gets a taste of each beverage created and poured on stage!