Longford, Roscommon and Westmeath have teamed up to put their stamp on Halloween with their Samhain in the Heartlands festival, a line-up of events inspired by tradition and mythology with several food experiences that are worth taking a look at for our Maître D’ crew.
There are free events like Longford’s Ballymahon Harvest Market on 30 October and Smoke and Spirits at Fore Distillery in Westmeath (1 November) alongside Trails Ways and Autumn Feast, with a guided walk through historic Abbeyshrule village and a farm-to-table lunch at Cloughan Farm and Cookery School (30 October, €75).
The Spirit of Samhain five-course tasting dinner on 4 November at Skelly’s Bar in Ballymahon features locally produced food and drink, including rare Irish native Droimeann beef from Inis Clothrinn, Lough Ree whiskey and – exceptionally intriguing – beer made from yeast harvested from a portal to the other world at Oweynagat in Roscommon (€100). See samhainheartlands.ie
Although based in the UK, the Great Taste Awards still have a lot of traction here, as they’re the world’s largest food and drink accreditation scheme.
This year alone, a total of 500 expert judges tasted a wide range of products from 115 countries. Ireland always puts up a strong showing and three products from the island of Ireland went forward to compete for a 2026 Great Taste Golden Fork Award.
This year’s Ireland winners were Green Pastures Donegal for their 25% sour cream, which received accolades for its texture, flavour and versatility.
A family-owned creamery based in the traditional dairy farming region of Convoy, Co Donegal, they supply Dunnes Stores, Lidl, Aldi and Marks & Spencer so you’ll have no problem getting your hands on that luscious, thick sour cream.
The Northern Ireland winner was no stranger to the Golden Fork. Peter Hannan, based in Moira, Co Down, took the 2026 award for his Buttermilk Dry Cure Bacon Rack.
His shop, The Meat Merchant at his Moira base is well worth a visit for exceptional meat and lots of other great Irish products, including hand-churned Abernethy Butter and cured meats from Ispini Charcuterie, both of which are also owned by Peter.
The great Cashel Farmhouse cheesemakers took the Nigel Barden Heritage Award for their Organic Cashel Blue. This award recognises producers working to preserve food heritage through traditional methods, a special honour for Irish cheesemakers who count their blue cheese tradition in decades rather than centuries.
Do you know a food-orientated person, or a project, a business or organisation in your community that embraces an ethos of social responsibility? If so, you could nominate them for an Irish Food Writers’ Guild Community Food Award.
The guild, an organisation to promote high professional standards among food writers, launched their annual Food Awards in 1993 to celebrate Irish food.
In 2015 they included a Community Food Award to acknowledge the individuals and groups doing work that might otherwise go unseen.
This year the winner was Duhallow Community Food Services (pictured) for showing that school dinners can make a difference to the local food network. Previous winners include Sligo Global Kitchen, Cork Penny Dinners, Irish Seed Savers and Bia Food Initiative, the precursor to FoodCloud.
The deadline is 30 October and you can find the nomination link at instagram.com/foodwritersguild
We always love collaborations here at MD Central, producers who work together to celebrate and promote each other and Déise Drinks is something that we can certainly get behind.
Three independent Waterford producers – Dungarvan Brewing Company, Legacy Irish Cider and Blackwater Distillery have teamed up to tell the story of the Deise, the people of the land, through brewing, fermentation and distilling.
From Dungarvan Brewing Company’s small-batch, unfiltered, bottle-conditioned beers, to the Brickey Valley’s multi-generational Legacy Irish Cider and Blackwater Distillery’s base in Ballyduff Upper, these are companies that all have a shared strong sense of place – and who happen to produce exceptional drinks.
Find them popping up on radio, on stage and at events together and keep an eye out for their presence in the Deise Drinks hamper from Ardkeen Quality Food Store. See ardkeen.com
Fresh from winning Best Supporter of Irish Food & Drink Producers at the recent Georgina Campbell Irish Food & Hospitality Awards, Station House Hotel in Kilmessan, Co Meath, has announced that seven-course Boyne Valley tasting dinners will take place on two dates, 31 October and 28 November.
The hotel, which also offers an excellent afternoon tea, will showcase the best of Boyne Valley ingredients. With a menu that normally offers produce from Swainstown Farm, Boyne Valley Farmhouse Cheese, Meadowsweet Organic Farm, The Wooded Pig and Beewise Honey, it looks like head chef Gordon Mooney is spoiled for local choice. Dinner is €100 per person, €150 to include a wine pairing chosen by sommelier Alessandro Orsi and overnight stays are €240 per person sharing. See stationhousehotel.ie
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