Waterford Harvest Festival 2012

Traditional Irish food skills such as smoking fish, curing meats and making butter, cheese, bread and black pudding are experiencing a resurgence – they provide a link to our past and opportunities for the future. 

In this unique event, members of the TASTE Council of Ireland are visiting Waterford to discuss their products and skills with the public.  The TASTE Council of Ireland is a voluntary representative group of the smaller food business sector made up largely of local, artisan and speciality food producers.   For more details visit www.tastecouncilofireland.com

The event will include live demonstrations of traditional food skills.  The demonstrations will take place simultaneously in demo PODs spread out around St Olaf’s Hall.  Visitors will be able to sit and find out more about individual skills or move around between the PODs to learn a little about each skill.  Some samples of the produce will be available to try.  The event will be introduced by Taste Council member and GIY founder Michael Kelly.
 
Demonstrations:

Ed Hick – Fresh Blood Pudding
A demonstration using traditional methods, and tasting of fresh blood Black Pudding, made and cooked fresh on the day.

Ed and Brendan Hick produce some of the best sausages in Ireland from their premises in Dun Laoghaire. They specialize in pork products and in-season game and love to experiment with new flavours and smoking methods.  Ed has produced some unlikely bacon products in his time including bacon jam and bacon vodka.  Food writer Corinna Hardgrave called his bacon jam “Ireland’s answer to foie gras”.

Kevin Sheridan – Making Butter
Butter-making was probably the most import food production in Ireland up until the 20th century, it is still one of our most loved foods.

Kevin Sheridan is co-owner of Sheridans Cheesemongers, and Vice-chair of the taste council. Sheridans Cheesemongers is run by its' owners - Kevin Sheridan, Seamus Sheridan and Fiona Corbett. The company was founded in 1995, when brothers Seamus and Kevin started selling Irish farmhouse cheeses at the Galway market.  The business now includes four retail outlets, 6 market stalls and a purpose built premises with Warehouse, offices and Maturing Rooms in County Meath. http://www.sheridanscheesemongers.com

 The TASTE Council of Ireland is a voluntary representative group of the smaller food business sector made up largely of local, artisan and speciality food producers.