Clare Food & Drink Fleadh takes place this weekend
Clare Food & Drink Fleadh is back!
County Clare is home to some of the very best artisan food and drink produced in Ireland.
Clare Food & Drink Fleadh was established in 2019 to showcase and celebrate all that is great about the food and drink scene here in ‘The Banner’ county.
This year’s Clare Food & Drink Fleadh takes place from May 5th – 7th (inc.) with events in Ennis and countywide. Check out: https://www.clarefooddrinkfleadh.ie/events
Local artisan producer Maeve Sheridan, (Western Herd Brewing Company) is Chair of Clare Food & Drink Fleadh. She explained, “The committee has programmed a wide variety of events to suit all age groups and tastes. There will be exceptional local food to enjoy, local drinks to savour and of course it wouldn’t be Clare without great music too.”
Maeve added, “The Committee made a special effort to ensure we have lots of Free events across the weekend because w we want to showcase the great produce from county Clare to as wide an audience as possible.”
The fun programme of events highlights the quality and uniqueness of the food and drink produced in County Clare.
The festival kicks off on Friday May 5th with fresh Oysters and Guinness at the stylish venue ‘The Monks Society’. A launch event takes place at Temple Gate Hotel, to include a reception, and a panel discussion featuring local artisan producers, moderated by RTE reporter John Cooke on the theme Fermentation & Foraging.
We have exciting locally inspired food offerings across the weekend including ‘Clare Plates’ from Ennis-based award-winning café SweetnGreen, which will open its doors on the evenings of Friday, May 5th and Saturday May 6th for a tasting menu with hero ingredients from County Clare. This tasty food will be prepared by one of the county’s greatest champions of local food, Chef Frank Landy.
Other festival highlights will include ‘Beer with Cheese Tasting’ featuring two of the county’s premium artisan brands, namely, St. Tola Goat Cheese and Western Herd Brewing – a match made in heaven! There’s a chocolate-making workshop at award winning Wilde Irish Chocolates, Tuamgraney, and a Whiskey Experience exploring the 4 pillars of Irish whiskey making at Nora Culligan’s, Ennis.
On Saturday evening May 6th, bars throughout Ennis will vie to win the title ‘Best Clare Inspired Cocktail’. Each participating bar will concoct a unique cocktail inspired by county Clare. We have come to expect an array of highly creative cocktails, and no doubt this year will be no exception. Cocktail competition entries will be available to order by the public on Saturday evening May 6th.
Other highlights on Clare Food & Drink Fleadh programme for 2023 include an Artisan Market, this year located in the courtyard in front of Temple Gate Hotel, on Saturday May 6th (10.0am to 2.00pm). Also, on Saturday morning we will host ‘Eat My Shop’, a free food trail where the festival committee matches an artisan producer with an Ennis retailer. The trail runs from 10.30am to 12 noon. On Saturday afternoon we host our highlight community event – Clare Junior Bake-off, open to three distinct age categories. Get baking!
On Sunday May 7th, The Monks Society will host a delectable Clare Brunch featuring exceptional Clare produce, accompanied by a Clare-inspired cocktail, all this against a backdrop of sultry live jazz.
For a more relaxed Sunday enjoy a afternoon of Yoga, 3 course locally sourced lunch, sauna, hot tub and Sound Bath in the beautiful setting of the Shannon Estuary Way Retreat.
Whatever about leaving the best wine until last, we’ve left the best whiskey until last! On Sunday May 07, starting at 7.30pm Nora Culligan’s will host a ‘Whiskey Experience – The 4 Pillars of Irish Whiskey Making. This experience provides a wonderful opportunity to taste the best Irish whiskeys as you journey through the four distinct Irish whiskey styles.
Expect great music across the weekend at Considine’s, Knox’s, Cruises, Preacher’s, Nora Culligan’s, and The Poet’s Corner.
For full details check out the events on: https://www.clarefooddrinkfleadh.ie/events
