Demos, Workshops and Talks
What is the future of Irish Food?
Business of Food Breakfast with the Irish Examiner and KPMG - BOOKED OUT
9am-11am, Wednesday 14th August, Jacobs on the Mall
Join us for the very first event of this year's Cork on a Fork Fest, which will focus on the business of food, in partnership with the Irish Examiner and KPMG. Hear first-hand insights from Cork businesses on challenges and opportunities, from energy and sustainability to AI technology, food nutrition, regulation, and more. MC and Irish Examiner Senior Food Writer Joe McNamee will be joined by General Manager of Ballymaloe Foods Maxine Hyde, Founder of Market Lane Group Conrad Howard, Owner of Macroom Buffalo Jonny Lynch along with Commercial Director of SuperValu and Centra, Ciara McClafferty. You will also enjoy a delicious breakfast filled with local produce from Jacobs on the Mall.
Booked Out
Children's Pizza Party Demo at Marina Market
11-12, Wednesday 14 August, Marina Market
Learn how to stretch and top pizza with some of Oak Fire Pizza's chefs at the Marina Market. In this hands-on workshop kids will make their own pizza which will then be cooked for them to taste their amazing creations! Booking essential
Price: €15 (includes a pizza) Book here
Food Phone Photography Workshop
2-4pm, Wednesday 14th August, L'Atitude 51
Upskill your phone photography and sample some delicious sharing plates from L'Atitude 51. This two-hour food photography workshop with Joleen Cronin, details how to make the most of your photography for social media using the camera on your phone. Your phone is the on-the-go content creator and Joleen will guide you through some simple steps that make image taking easier and more impactful to your online audience. Composition, lighting, cropping and basic adjustments will be covered in this session, as well as tips on selecting the best props, backgrounds and settings to capture your images. Tasting sharing plates from the Latitude 51 kitchen will be served during the session, providing a chance to practise your skills first hand and of course enjoy a delicious bite to eat.
Price: €25. Book here.
SOLD OUT: Pizza-Making 101
11.45am-1.00pm, Thursday 15th August, Pompeii Pizza at Franciscan Well
Learn how to make pizza at home, using ingredients you can get in the supermarket. Participants will make their own dough & learn how to shape & top a pizza. Everyone will get a pizza on the day and you'll also bring home dough to practice at home. Part of the Franciscan Well Cork on a Fork Beerfest series of events.
Sold out.
English Market cooking demo renowned Cork Chef Orla McAndrew
12.30pm-2.00pm, Thursday 15th August, Outside the English Market on Grand Parade
Award-winning Cork Chef Orla McAndrew will indulge visitors to the English Market with a cookery demonstration and sampling outside the building on Grand Parade. Committed to sustainability and a 'zero-waste ethos' Orla will be using a range of fresh, local ingredients from the stalls of the renowned English Market to create seasonal tasting and sharing plates - perfect for summer gatherings.
FREE. No need to book.
Hollyhill Community Garden Cork on a Fork Summer Festival
1-4pm, Thursday 15th August, Knocknaheeny, Hollyhill Community Garden (behind Apple Green garage)
Join Knocknaheeny Community Garden for a delightful day where you can pick fresh produce from the garden, enjoy live music and much more. This event is open to everyone. No pre-booking is required, and the event is free of charge. Come together to celebrate the spirit of community and the joy of gardening.
No pre-booking is required and the event is free of charge.
Cork Food Policy Launch - A Resilient and Local Food System for Cork
5.30pm-7.00pm, Thursday 15th August, Good Day Deli, Nano Nagle Place
Curious about what a resilient local food system can look like for Cork? Join Cork Food Policy at Cork on a Fork Fest for the launch of their public consultation phase of the creation of a Sustainable & Healthy Food Policy for Cork City. Supported by Good Day Deli and Supervalu.
FREE Book here.
Sensory Cooking Class with the Cool Food School (3-7 years)
11.00am-12.00pm, Friday 16th August, St. Peter's
Join Deirdre Doyle from the award winning The Cool Food School for a fun, interactive pop-up cooking class for kids at St Peter's. Deirdre is a master at getting kids to have fun in the kitchen and promotes healthy eating in a fun and interactive way. From smelling to chopping to dancing and tasting, kids are sure to get lots out of these engaging cooking classes with simple, whole food recipes. In this class kids will learn to make lunchbox carrot cake powerballs.
Price: €15.00. Book here.
Make Lunchbox Carrot Powerballs with the Cool Food School (7-12 years)
12.30am-1.30pm, Friday 16th August, St. Peter's
Join Deirdre Doyle from the award winning The Cool Food School for a fun, interactive pop-up cooking class for kids at St Peter's. Deirdre is a master at getting kids to have fun in the kitchen and promotes healthy eating in a fun and interactive way. From smelling to chopping to dancing and tasting, kids are sure to get lots out of these engaging cooking classes with simple, whole food recipes. In this class kids will learn to make lunchbox carrot cake powerballs.
Price: €15.00. Book here.
Bread, Butter and Beef at The Butter Museum
2.30pm-4.30pm, Friday 16th August, The Butter Museum, Shandon
The Butter Museum at Shandon is the place to be on Friday afternoon. There will be a number of demonstrations taking place outside the The Butter Museum including a demonstration on the making of traditional soda bread and butter, and a talk from local butcher James Nolan on corned beef. While you're there, make sure you visit the Cork Butter Museum, celebrating one of the great success stories of Ireland, the butter trade, thebuttermuseum.com.
FREE No book required.
Sourdough and Wine Harvest
5.30pm-7.00pm, Friday 16th August/ 3.30pm-5.00pm, Saturday 17th August, Callanan's Bar, Georges Quay
Immerse yourself in a captivating event dedicated to the art and science of sourdough bread-making, natural wine, and sustainable agricultural practices, and hear about the challenges facing farmers and tillage farmers this year as a result of climate change. Discover a new approach to baking that enhances digestibility, elevates nutritional content, and celebrates the rich flavors of this ancient culinary tradition and indulge in an exquisite tasting experience of artisanal sourdough bread. Pair these delightful bread creations with exceptional natural wines, lovingly crafted from sustainably grown grapes. Engage with experts in the field who will share their knowledge, insights, and experiences. You'll see how one Cork producer, Benjamin Lebon @seeds_bakery_kinsale is bringing back bread to its holy standard. Dr. Fanny Leenhardt-Cohalan @wellbread.ie will bring you through heritage wheat varieties, which are freshly harvested just 15km from Cork city! Pascal Rossignol @lecaveauwinemerchants will take you on a journey from the bountiful fields of sustainable agriculture to the fermentation process that gives rise to the unique characteristics of natural wine.
Price: €30 (€50 for two). Book here for Friday. Book here for Saturday
Street Food Demo from Different Cultures
6.30pm, Friday 16th August, Cork City Library
Enjoy cooking demonstrations from different cultures featuring Brazilian Tapas and Sushi with Esther and Maria from the Marina Market. There will also be a gorgeous colllection of cookery books available to borrow.
FREE. No Registration Required.
Cork on a Fork Cooking Demo Marquee - Saturday
11.00am-5.30pm, Saturday 17th August, Festival Marquee, Emmet Place (outside Crawford)
A 100-seat Festival Cooking Demo Marquee and Festival Market will take place on Emmet Place (outside the Cork Opera House) all day with a host of exciting talks, demos and tastings. The events are MCd by Irish Examiner food writer Joe McNamee and food writer Kate Ryan from Flavour.ie/ The Echo. Sponsored by Fáilte Ireland, Ireland's Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way.
11am: Full of Beans! – the bountiful and beautiful world of beans with Ali Honour
12pm: Pasta Making with Hell's Kitchen US Winner Ryan O'Sullivan
1pm: A Taste of Ballymaloe Cooking School with Rachel Allen
2pm: Young Culinary Revels Kitchen Takeover
3pm: Easy Family Suppers with Clodagh McKenna
4pm: Learn How to Cook for Restrictive Diets with Rob Fitzpatrick, Market Lane
4.45pm: How to Make the Perfect BBQ Sausage with Harrison Sharpe, Elbow Lane Smokehouse & Brewery
ALL FREE. No need to book but limited places. See the Festival Marquee tab for full details.
Bar chats: Irish Distillers & Irish Pints
4pm-5pm Saturday 17th August, Cork Opera House Blue Angel
Join Kate Ryan from Flavour.ie as she chats all things drinks with Carol Quinn, archivist at Irish Distillers, Ali Dunworth, food, drink and travel writer and author of Irish Pints, Kate Dempsey of Kinsale Mead and Bhagya Barrett of Rebel City Distillery.
FREE Book here.
Cork on a Fork Cooking Demo Marquee - Sunday
11.00am-5.30pm, Sunday 18th August, Festival Marquee, Emmet Place
The 100-seat Festival Cooking Demo Marquee and Festival Market will return on Sunday.
11am: I Soiled My Plants! With CUSP, My Goodness and Green Cities for Health
12pm: Bread and Fishes with Aishling Moore (Goldie) and Ryan Hoy (Pike Deli)
1pm: Easy Family Suppers with Clodagh McKenna
2pm: Cork on a…Stick! – Cork Chef Cook-Off with a twist!
3pm: A Michelin Mash with Chestnut and Ichigo Ichie
4pm: More Than Curry with Meeran Manzoor (Rare 1784)
5pm: Leftover Larder Love - zero waste demo with Orla McAndrew
FREE. No need to book but limited spaces. See the Festival Marquee tab for full details.
Eat With The Seasons - Mindful Eating Talk & Food Tasting Event
2.00pm-3.30pm, Sunday 18th August, Hideout Café and Art Galley on Wellington Road
Get a taste of mindful eating and discover how it can transform your approach to food. Enjoy a delicious autumn season food tasting experience at the Hideout Café and Art Gallery on Wellington Road, Cork City, which boasts stunning views of the city! Cathy Fitzgibbon aka The Culinary Celt will give insights into Mindful Eating and offer Sustainable Living Tips from a food perspective, to help our local natural environment and improve our wellbeing. Get ready to savour local flavours and discover new favourites. Mark your calendars and embark on a Mindful Eating journey... Cork style!
Price: €30. Book here.
Herb Garden and Medicine Making Demo
2.00pm-4.00pm, Sunday 18th August, Douglas Community Park, Church Road
Douglas Tidy Towns invites you to explore their herb garden with a medicine making demonstration lead by botanist Jo Goodyear. In partnership with Blackrock Herbal Clinic. • Meet: Outside Douglas Community Centre, Douglas Community Park or at the Herb Garden.
FREE. No need to book.
Bar Chats: Whiskey Chats Live Podcast
1.30pm-3.00pm, Sunday 18th August, Cork Opera House, Blue Angel
Come along for an interactive Live recording of the Whiskey Chats Podcast with host Laurie O'Dwyer. Joined by Barry Walsh from Killahora Orchards, Cork Whiskey Society President and wine expert Liam Murray and and Mark Lonergan, ex-manger of The Shelbourne whiskey bar & now drinks consultant extraordinaire. They will be having a bit of craic and some great chat around a table about an amazing array of drinks, being shared with & sampled with the audience. Whiskey Chats podcast started in January 2020 and Whiskey Chats Ltd has since grown to hold the annual Cork Whiskey Fest every March. Great chats & some great drinks samples guaranteed.
FREE. Register here.
Bar Chats: The Craft and Tradition of Irish Whiskey, in conversation with Noel Sweeney
3.30pm-4.00pm, Sunday 18th August, Cork Opera House, Blue Angel
Did you ever wonder what's involved in the Irish whiskey making process? Pop along and listen to a fascinating chat with Master Distiller Noel Sweeney and Laurie O'Dwyer from Whiskey Chats Podcast. Noel has worked with the biggest distilleries in the country and most recently collaborated with Michael Flatley on Flatley Whiskey: The Dreamer- which you can taste at the event. The talk will delve into the meticulous craftsmanship and time-honoured traditions that distinguish Irish Whiskey, and Noel will also answer any questions you might have.
FREE Register here
Cork Wine Pairing Challenge & Tasting
4.30pm-6pm, Sunday 18th August, Cork Opera House, Blue Angel
The Irish Examiner’s senior food writer Joe McNamee enlists some of Cork’s top sommeliers for a special food and wine pairing challenge. The goal is to find the best wines to pair with tasters of premium produce from the county of Cork. The audience, who get to taste every wine and its matching food, will act as judges to decide the best pairing. Participants include MacCurtain Wine Cellar, L’Atitude 51, The Glass Curtain, Paradiso, Black Pig, Franks and special guests. Tickets include 6 small glasses of wine and food tasters. Drink Responsibly.
Price: €49. Book here.