If your favourite thing about the Ploughing and Bloom is sitting around, indulging in the culinary delights on offer and soaking up the atmosphere, you can rest assured that you’ll enjoy the World Sheep Shearing Championships, taking place in Gorey next weekend, 22 to 25 May, even if you have no interest in sheep.

This is because, for the first time ever at an agri event, Good Food Ireland (GFI) is exclusively looking after all the food requirements, in the form of a GFI village.

The village is a unique all-island restaurant food experience, featuring food producers and top chefs from high-end urban and rural eateries.

Farmers can see how the produce they rear is being presented to the consumer by those at the top of their game in the food industry and the event is worth the trip for the breakfast alone – Slaney Valley new season lamb sausages in a Waterford blaa with Wild About Relishes anyone?

Really, it’s an al fresco feast for the senses. If it’s a hot day, a sparkling apple juice or cloudy lemonade will quench the thirst, but if you’re feeling a little bolder, some Honeyed Highbank Medieval Cider or a Copper Coast Red Ale at the cider and craft beer bar will set you up for a chilled day of moseying around.

All of this produce is made by GFI members, of which there are 600 across the country, ranging from food producers, to places to stay, to restaurants, cafés, shops and cookery schools, who all share an extremely important common denominator – a commitment to using the food of our country.

They also specialise in delivering a high-quality food experience. Wexford lady Margaret Jeffares has brought these businesses under one umbrella to market them together under the Good Food Ireland brand, and it is the reputation GFI has garnered in recent years that saw it invited to take the reins at this event.

However, the village is not just about sampling delicious food. Visitors can also meet the producers behind the fare, and there’s a different foodie escapade kicking off every hour on the hour between 12 and 4pm.

The Good Food Ireland Bosch Kitchen Theatre will be home to celebrity cook-offs, where you can watch the likes of Derry Clarke prove his worth against the lady sheep shearing champion and Martin Shanahan show Paul Kehoe, Government chief whip and Minister of State, who’s boss.

Furthermore, the best restaurants in the country will be showcasing the talent in their kitchens in a series of cookery demonstrations.

All of these activities will be hosted each day by a who’s who of the Irish agri-food community.

On Thursday, Ella McSweeney is in charge; on Friday, Suzanne Campbell takes the reins; on Saturday, it’s our very own Mairead Lavery; and on Sunday, Darragh McCullough gets his hands on the mic.

You can start dreaming about your shearing lunch now as the options include Slaney Valley new season lamb burger with rocket leaves, Ballymaloe Country Relish and mint jelly.

Even after that, we’re sure you can find room for Glastry Farm ice cream – flavours include Kilbeggan whiskey and rhubarb and custard.

There are also masterclasses and topical food talks taking place over the weekend. Evan Doyle, from Brook Lodge Hotel, Co Wicklow, will be speaking on Thursday at 3pm, while Peter Ward of Country Choice will be running a food pairing and tasting session at the same time on Friday.

There is no doubt that this is one of the highlights on the Irish foodie calendar this summer, and the cherry on top will be if the sunny southeast lives up to its name!

The Good Food Ireland village will open from 8am to 5pm Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and from 8am to 9pm on Saturday.

Entrance to the village is free with a Golden Shears ticket. For more information, visit www.goodfoodireland.ie.