Ballymaloe House and Ballymaloe Cookery School, Shanagarry, Co cork is hosting the first Ballymaloe International Literary Festival of Food and Wine 3-6 May.
Hosted by celebrated cook and author Darina Allen, the festival promises to delight lovers of food and wine with a feast of over 40 events over a three-day period. The programme includes cookery demonstrations, wine tastings, panel discussions, garden and foraging walks and book readings.
International participants include: Madhur Jaffrey, Claudia Roden, Alice Waters, David Thompson, Stephanie Alexander, Claus Meyer, David Tanis, Joanna Blythman, Stevie Parle, and Jancis Robinson MW, along with a strong Irish presence including Rachel Allen; Neven Maguire; Donal Skehan; Denis Cotter and John Wilson.
In addition to the main programme, there will be a fringe festival in The Big Shed at Ballymaloe, offering food enthusiasts of all ages an array of other activities. Gardeners will rub shoulders with cooks; foragers with food historians; critics with musicians; artisan producers with bloggers in a continuous melting pot of eating, drinking, speaking and thinking.
Information and tickets www.litfest.ie