Five years on, the Waterford Festival of Food has become a showcase event and a great reminder that the true taste of the county is there all year round
PROVING THAT a food festival is about more than just free nibbles and foie gras, this weekend the fifth annual Waterford Festival of Food is seeking to further enhance the growing reputation for food producers and providers in the south east.
Organisers are keen to stress that the weekend festival, held in Dungarvan and surrounding areas, is merely a showcase event for the type of goods and services on offer year round in the region and that the long-term economic benefits far outweigh the revenue provided by the estimated 15,000 visitors expected. Increasingly too, the benefits of raising the profile of the region through online social media and among food writers and professionals who visit is a key ambition.
Paul Flynn, leading chef at the Tannery restaurant in Dungarvan, says his participation in the festival is not about simply getting additional bookings over the coming days or raising the profile of his already successful restaurant. “It is about the area, and making increased awareness of the area the main thing. We want to highlight the fact that this region is a credible food destination. The international aspect of the festival is also very important, with people like Richard Corrigan having come here. This year, we have well-known Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett cooking in my kitchen and I’ll cook for her also. Richard Vines, food critic at Bloomberg, is coming also and all this gives us kudos and credibility.”
Flynn says that the festival has to be about more than just one weekend, and instead be about brand building and creating international awareness around the strengths of the area. Also attending the festival this weekend is food blogger Niamh Shields, originally from Dungarvan, and recently named one of the top 10 food bloggers in the world by the Times.
“If you’re asking me about the impact of the festival five years on, the buzz about it is huge. It has definitely impacted on business. For me, there is a very big and powerful food market in terms of visitors and this event helps us reach them.”
Among the events planned from Thursday onwards is a cookery demonstration with local chefs, an event for teenagers at the Clonea Strand Hotel, as well as a children’s biscuit baking workshop and a farmers market in Lismore Castle. Broadening out the brief of the festival, this year also sees a free nutrition and health foundation workshop in the Town Hall on Friday where former RTÉ broadcaster Míchaél Ó Muircheartaigh, will be discussing healthy lifestyles.
Therese McDermott, chief executive of Waterford Festival of Food, says that based on last year’s figures, the immediate benefit to the local economy over the coming days is expected to be in the region of €500,000. This is based on 15,000 visitors spending on average of €40 each. The funding model for the festival is based on three tiers. First is the support of local authorities, including Waterford County Council and local County Enterprise Boards. The second tier comes from corporate sponsors such as Flahavans as the main sponsor and others including Dawn Meats and Glanbia. The final aspect of funding is derived from ticket sales and advertising.
“We are looking to attract domestic and overseas visitors. We know from research that when people come here on holidays, they don’t want to just stay in their hotels. They want activities and agriculture and food is what we are famous for in this country. This festival must be different. We are not the Taste of Dublin. We are more community focused and community led.”
Food producers and providers in the region have been connected with each other as a result of the event and new links forged between voluntary bodies and commercial interests. It’s difficult to put a monetary value on prompting a community to work closer together, and the benefits are felt long after the last visitor has left the area.
“The festival weekend will be choc-a-bloc but this is about creating a reputation for the area as a food destination. How do you put a figure on the feel-good factor the festival creates locally?” says McDermott.
“That sense of community and goodwill is really important and helps generate other ideas. While this started off as a festival over several days, there are events at many other times of the year now which all came about as a result of it. It is not solely a weekend event.”
