The Burren is the place to be this weekend (11-13 May) for all food lovers and although the opening event is sold out, it does prove that this food festival really takes things to another level. It’s a ferry ride from Doolin to indulge in a seafood supper on the smallest Aran Island, Inis Oírr. Can you imagine if the sun is shining what an evening it will be?

This is all in keeping with 2018’s theme Taste the Atlantic – A Seafood Journey. The theme was adopted in response to BIM’s Taste the Atlantic Seafood Trail, which was developed last year in partnership with Fáilte Ireland.

The trail is designed to celebrate Ireland’s many dedicated seafood producers and BIM has highlighted that Clare is a region renowned for its shellfish farming, with €79m-worth of oysters and mussels produced last year.

The boat trip is just one of many events taking place over the weekend. The Pavilion in Lisdoonvarna will be a hub of activity with the food and craft market. Niall Sabongi is on the road again and he’ll be hosting cookery demonstrations. If it wasn’t for the fact that we regularly see him in his Klaw restaurants in Dublin, we’d wonder if he just spent his life travelling from food festival to food festival.

Award-winning cookbook author Trevis Gleason, who will also host a thirst-quenching whiskey workshop. Pot Duggan’s Brianna Turner will showcase the benefits of fermentation and local seafood by making kimchi and chowder with poached local fish and spuds, while Oonagh O’ Dwyer from Wild Kitchen will extol the virtues of seaweed and show us how to incorporate this superfood into everyday dishes.

The annual Burren Slow Food Banquet will take place in the Burren Storehouse in Lisdoonvarna and it’s one of the fastest-selling events thanks to a delicious menu by chef Viv Kelly that will tantalise guests’ taste buds.

If you are heading to the festival, there are measures in place to make it as green and sustainable as possible. Traders are encouraged to use compostable and reusable, non-plastic packaging and visitors have their own part to play by bringing reusable drinking cups and using the waste segregation litter bins that will be in situ. CL

Visit www.slowfoodclare.com for the full programme.

Businesses can receive up to €200,000 under new LEADER Food Initiative

It’s no easy feat for small food businesses to get their product and name out there. However, what many will credit in their journey to success is LEADER funding. Just recently, a €15m fund for artisan and small food beverage businesses was announced under the LEADER Food Initiative.

Applying for LEADER funding is known to take a while and the application makes the Basic Payment Scheme look like child’s play, but we have broken down the details for you.

There may be a €15m fund, but how much can your food business get?

The maximum funding per project is €200,000. The initial tranche of €5m will be allocated in 2018. It is then expected that the remaining €10m will be rolled out by 2020.

The funding covers everything from the renovation and extension of production facilities, to the purchasing of processing equipment, whatever you need to bring your business to the next level, it can be applied for under this funding.

As well as the investment money, many businesses will credit the mentorship that they receive through LEADER as key to their success. So this advice could be in the form of developing marketing, product quality and supply chain skills, as well as supports in market development, competitiveness and innovation. There will also be a focus on marketing distinctive local and regional food products.

Small food businesses really need to make sure that there are knocking on all available doors when scaling up. The LEADER initiative compliments a range of existing supports for artisan and small food businesses provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as well as state agencies. These include Food Works, developed by Bord Bia, Teagasc and Enterprise Ireland for start-up food entrepreneurs; and retailer programmes such as Supervalu’s Food Academy. Bord Bia has a dedicated website, www.bordbiavantage.ie, with detailed information on the supports and opportunities for small food businesses.

Contact your Local Action Group (LAG) or Implementing Partner for more information, as all applications for funding will be managed through the LEADER LAGs. LAG contact details are available at http://drcd.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/list-of-LAGs.pdf

Bewley’s Jazz Brunch

Bewley’s on Grafton Street is one of those places that people seem to have lots of food memories of. Cups of tea and a slice of cake mid shopping sums it up perfectly. Now, however, it is also offering brunch, but no ordinary brunch, its brunch with jazz.

The menu, developed by executive chef Ludo Lantier, includes the favourite Bewley’s breakfast, as well as new brunch classics, such as french toast served with bacon and Highbank Orchards’ organic apple syrup and slices; eggs royal, Irish smoked salmon with poached eggs and a citrus hollandaise sauce; poached eggs and avocado with rocket salad and Pecorino cheese on grilled sourdough and granola yoghurt parfait; Irish natural yoghurt layered with fresh berries, berry compote, honey and organic granola. While listening to jazz, you can also sip away on a cocktail.

Bewley’s Jazz Brunch Experience is available on Saturday and Sunday from 11am-4pm and no doubt it will bring brunch to a whole new level.