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Taste Your Way Through Cork City: Cork on a Fork Festival Returns this August

Cork on a Fork Fest returns to Cork City from August 13th–17th with a jam-packed five-day celebration of Cork’s vibrant food culture, celebrating the region's talented chefs, unique dining and hospitality experiences, and local produce.

Almost 100 events will take place across the city, offering everything from exclusive chef collabs and pop-up dinners in unexpected locations to street feasts, food trails, and tasting tours. Emmet Place will be buzzing all weekend with free cooking demos from well-known Cork chefs, bite-sized talks, and a local food market. Add to that a full family-friendly programme, hands-on workshops, and lots of festival fun, and there’s something to suit all ages and palates.

A City for Food Lovers

Home to award-winning chefs, top-rated restaurants, beloved cafés, lively pubs, a thriving outdoor dining scene, and 60% of the country's artisan producers, Cork is Ireland’s most exciting culinary destination.

Local Produce at the Heart of the Festival

Cork’s food roots run deep. As a historic trading port and provisioning centre since the 10th century, the city has led the Irish speciality food movement for over 200 years. Today, artisan producers thrive along its coastlines and fertile farmlands. Much of this bounty can be found at the iconic English Market in the heart of the city—and on the plates of local restaurants that benefit from near-instant access to the region’s best ingredients, a treasured aspect of Cork’s food scene.

The festival shines a light on the dedicated farmers, growers and small producers that Cork is famous for. It celebrates the hands that make the food, the land and sea that provide it, and the innovators who are producing and cooking it.  One of the standout features is the emphasis on farm-to-fork dining with menus and events featuring fresh seafood straight from the Atlantic, specialty local meats like spiced beef and tripe and drisheen, artisan cheeses and organic vegetables. This commitment to sustainability and local sourcing not only supports the regional economy but also allows visitors to taste the true essence of Cork.

Festivalgoers can dive deeper into Cork’s unique food story with farm visits, producer tastings, and market tours, or sit in on bite-sized talks that reveal the passion behind every dish.

Sip and Savour Cork's Drinks Scene

Cork is also home to some of Ireland’s most respected distilleries and craft breweries. The festival offers guided tastings, workshops, pairings, and tours to explore the local drinks scene—from whiskey to craft beer to botanical gins and absinthe.

A Multi-Cultural Destination 

As a destination that attracts chefs from all over the world, Cork also blends local traditions with global flavours, creating a dynamic culinary landscape.

Behind the Festival

Cork on a Fork Fest is organised and supported by Cork City Council in partnership with local businesses and key partners such as Fáilte Ireland, Pure Cork, Cork Airport, Cork Business Association, the IHF Cork branch, the Irish Examiner, and Cork’s RedFM.

The Lord Mayor of Cork, said:  “What began in 2022 as a small pilot to support post-Covid recovery has quickly grown into a major fixture on the national food festival calendar. Cork has all the ingredients to be Ireland’s culinary capital– fantastic restaurants and unique venues, world-class chefs, an unrivalled natural larder and passionate producers, and a food culture that’s deeply embedded in local life. Cork on a Fork celebrates and shines a light on all of this and on everyone involved in our food community from long-standing family businesses to new chefs and cultural influences. It’s a celebration of people, produce, and Cork’s unique food identity – and Cork City Council is proud to support it as part of our wider ambition to position the city as a world-class food destination.

Brian O’Flynn, Head of Ireland’s Ancient East, one of the festival partners, said: “Fáilte Ireland is working with key stakeholders in Cork on their journey towards becoming the Gastronomy Capital of Ireland and achieving the prestigious World Region of Gastronomy designation. This will elevate Cork’s reputation on the global stage and drive sustainable tourism growth through food. Food has the power to connect people with place – and Cork is a fantastic destination to experience the story of Ireland through its flavours. Cork on a Fork Fest is an opportunity for visitors to explore this dynamic food destination and get a true taste of its authenticity, creativity, and warmth.”

What to expect

• Dining:  Enjoy exclusive dining experiences and special tasting menus at restaurants throughout the city.
• Demos, Workshops & Talks: Hone your culinary skills with demos, workshops, talks, and masterclasses led by top chefs and industry experts. Sessions cover everything from bread baking and pastry making to drinks tasting and food photography.
• Trails, Tours & Tastings:  Experience food trails through the city, one-off food tours, and tasting events.
• Festival Marquee & Market: Enjoy free cooking demos all weekend at the pop-up Festival Marquee on Emmet Place, explore the local food market, and talks at the Cork Opera House.
• Family:  There will be festival fun and food education for all the family with kids cooking classes, child friendly demos, family dining experiences, food trails, and play.
• Free:  Enjoy plenty of free experiences, from demos and tastings to community garden events.

Many events are free, while others require advance booking due to high demand. For more see corkonaforkfest.ie, sign up for the newsletter or follow @corkonaforkfest on social media for updates.

Don’t miss one of Ireland’s most exciting food festivals—mark your calendar and get ready to eat, drink, and experience the best of Cork City and beyond!

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