Food festival planned for Offaly

Anyone who has anything to do with food (and that’s everyone of course) has reason for excitement, as this week plans for a food festival for Offaly have been cemented.

The Harvest Offaly Food Festival (HOFF) will take place from September 13 until September 15, while it’s hoped Offaly food will feature on local restaurant menus until September 22.

Speaking to the Offaly Independent HOFF chairperson Yvonne Carty of local catering company Hey Pesto! said the festival will encourage people to support local producers and make them want to as well.

“We just want to make people aware of the great food there is in Offaly,” she said. “People think of Offaly and food and wonder what there is - but we have great food. We want people to support local - think of where your food is coming from”.

The proposed festival will not only introduce Offalians to the 46 food producers in Offaly that are part of the Offaly Delicious Food Network, but will also allow them access to some well known chefs.

The identity of those chefs is still being kept under wraps, but Yvonne said the festival will include a number of cookery classes and demos.

The HOFF programme will centre around both O’Connor Square and Tullamore’s Canal Quarter. A long table supper on the Saturday evening of the festival will showcase local food, while a themed cocktail event is planned for Friday night.

On Sunday 20 teams of four will contest a barbecue competition, while around all activities will be cookery demos, activities for children and food markets.

More information on HOFF is available on Twitter by following @HOFF_Offaly. A Facebook page will also be available in the coming weeks.