It's hard to argue with the tagline on Terra Madre that it is "Ireland's most important food event." The event is part eco-gastronomy brain-storm and part food festival celebrating artisan and local food production.
A National Organic Conference and a series of workshops being held on Thursday and Friday in Waterford Institute of Technology will look at all facets of the Slow Food debate and present recommendations to ministers for food from the Republic and Northern Ireland (Trevor Sargent and Michelle Gildernew). Slow Food International president and founder Carlo Petrini will address the conference.
Cookery courses involving some of Ireland's best chefs - Neven Maguire, Rachel Allen, Richard Corrigan, Clodagh McKenna, Paul Flynn, Eunice Power and Slow Food Ireland chairperson Darina Allen - will take place from Thursday to Saturday in WIT priced at €15 each.
There will be a Slow Food Feast at 7pm on Friday, at the College Street campus of WIT, costing €50.
On Saturday morning there are guided tours of various artisan food producers in the area and a sports day and picnic in the People's Park, hosted by Rachel Allen. Sunday will see Waterford host one of Ireland's largest ever gatherings of food producers for a massive farmers' market at John Roberts Square.
See www.terramadreireland.com for information and bookings or call 051-860035.
Michael Kelly