2014 Food Festivals of Wales

All foodies have heard of the Abergavenny Food Festival, possible the UK's top culinary gathering. But it's just one of the many in Wales, reflecting the country's passion for all things local and edible. Here's a run down of some of the best Food Festivals in Wales

Welsh Food Festival
Set in the beautiful gardens of Glansevern Hall, the Welsh food festival takes place at the beginning of September and hosts a range of events showcasing Welsh produce. Top chefs host a variety of cookery demonstrations, there’s an assortment of Welsh food to sample and buy at the food market and a full programme of entertainment the whole family can enjoy.

Abergavenny Food Festival
The Abergavenny Food Festival takes place over the third weekend of September. Featuring some of the brightest lights of the culinary world it occupies the centre of the town across six venues. Around one hundred and seventy stalls with produce from Wales, the Marches and further afield, together with a programme of individually ticketed masterclasses, tutored tastings and chef demonstrations (previous participants: Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, Clarissa Dickson-Wright, Anthony Bourdain).

Narberth Food Festival
This community event, entirely volunteer-run, won‘t get the biggest names, but it’s still one of the friendliest and most enjoyable food festivals around. Patrons are Angela Gray and Elizabeth Luard, so you can expect talks and demonstrations from those two luminaries, along with a variety of exhibitors, all sound tracked by live music. Narberth Food Festival takes place at the end of September.

Really Wild Festival
A truly unique event, this is the only festival in the UK that focuses on food and crafts originating from the wild. The festival takes place at the end of May so enjoy some wild talks on how to eat foraged foods, wild walks on where to find wild food and chef demonstrations using this food. To make sure things really are totally wild, they also have ferret and pig racing!

Neath Food and Drink Festival
Thousands of visitors enjoy the abundance of food stalls in and outside the Victorian market at Neath Food Festival which takes place at the beginning of October. Under the guidance of Le Crème Patisserie’s Ian Hindle, they have big ambitions for this event and you can expect Neath Food Festival to get bigger and better every year.

Pembrokeshire Fish WeekFantastic fish and shellfish, wonderful coastal activities, and plenty of family fun - it’s a recipe for success for Pembrokeshire Fish Week which takes place at the end of June. Enjoy the breathtaking Pembrokeshire coast in guided beach walks, boat trips, island rambles, and snorkel safaris. Sample fabulous seafood at local restaurants, join a cookery workshop, or be inspired by celebrity chefs such as Bryn Williams and Mitch Tonks, as they demonstrate delicious fish and shellfish recipes.

Gwledd Conwy Feast The Conwy Feast takes place over two days at the end of October and is now one of the largest and most successful in Wales. With a myriad of choice from local food producers and retailers on hand for you to try (and buy) their produce plus cooking demonstrations and much more, this is a day or weekend for all the family to enjoy.



The experience of a Welsh food festival is one not to be missed – our food festivals are outpourings of flavours, colours and smells. You will find a myriad of different stalls and activities, but the star attraction is the produce brought to you by people with a real passion and talent. Start planning your Wales Vacation with Celtic Tours World Vacations

4 Amazing Tasmania Experiences in Hobart

Founded in 1804 as a penal colony, Hobart is steeped in a rich and colorful history and is a fantastic destination for a variety of tours, attractions and activities.

A rich colonial heritage and natural charms make the capital city of Tasmania a very interesting place to visit not to mention the world heritage wilderness areas, diverse landscapes and amazing wildlife found along the wild Tasmania coast. Hobart boasts a thriving arts and entertainment scene, along with a thriving culinary scene.

Here are just a few of the amazing experiences to be had in Hobart, Tasmania:

 
Meet the Maker TourTour Lark Distillery, Wicked Cheese and Barilla Bay Oysters. Learn the production process and sample the delicious products.




 

Tahune AirWalkTravel to the picturesque Huon Valley and get closer to nature during a guided walk amoung the tree tops.

Museum of Old and New ArtCruise the Derwent River and visit the provacative Museum of Old and New Art.

Historic Walking TourThe classic must-do tour, provides a great introduction to Hobart's history & orientation of the city today.


These are just a few of the choices when you travel to Tasmania on one of our Premier Escorted Vacations. Choose Celtic Tours World Vacations for your next vacation to Tasmania

Irish Chocolate Shops

Mmmm Chocolate! A little moment of happiness. Whether your traveling with children, friends or your hubby; who can resist the sweet temptation of handmade chocolate? Try these Irish Chocolate Shops:

Wilde Irish Chocolates
Tuamgraney | Clare
Chocolate is probably the one food that’s practically irresistible. Even the exotic names of the Wilde products are a temptation – Hazelnut Duet, Mocha Mocha, Truffle Temptation. Wilde is the only Irish maker of Organic Fairtrade chocolate, certified by the Organic Trust. There’s also a range of conventional and sugar free hand-decorated products. All the chocolates are handmade by the ‘Wilde Team’ in a small artisan outlet in Tuamgraney.

Skelligs and Cocoa Bean Chocolate Company
Ballinskelligs | Kerry
The Skelligs Chocolate Company and Cocoa Bean Chocolate Company have their production factory and shop on the tip of the Ring of Kerry Peninsula, right by St Finian’s Bay. Skelligs chocolates were created for the luxury market. These truffles use best chocolate from France and Switzerland, married with superb quality ingredients in the flavoured centres. Regulars on the choccie tasting menu include Vanilla Ganache, Strawberry and Champagne and Cognac and Cappucino.

Chez Emily Fine Handmade Chocolates
Ashbourne | Meath
Magical would seem to be the appropriate word for the Chez Emily Chocolate Boutique on Ashbourne’s Main Street. The shop front design with its two large windows offer a tantalising glimpse of the treasures inside, and oh what treasures! With a selection of over 30 different types, the counter is chock-a-block with the most delicious-looking individual chocolates – rum and raisin, cognac, vanilla, crème caramel are just some of the tempting names. Flake truffle supreme, amandine, (truffle coated in roasted almond flakes), cocoa delights, chocolate Florentines, candied orange segments, cherry liqueurs – even the names conjure up images of delights to come.

Marlenes Chocolate Haven
Westport | Mayo
Tucked away in a lovely little courtyard off James Street in Westport is the delightful shop that is Marlene’s Chocolate Haven. Not only a haven but also an absolute heaven for chocolate lovers. How can you choose between 30 varieties of chocolates and truffles? Especially when they have enticing names such as Love Potion or Rose Cream?

Planning a vacation to Ireland? Let Celtic Tours World Vacations help you plan the perfect Irish Vacation.

Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island: a place of pristine beauty, amazing wildlife, rich history and gastronomic adventures. When visiting Australia, Kangaroo Island is well worth a visit. Kangaroo Island is Australia’s third largest island after Tasmania and Melville’s Island and is 70 miles southwest of Adelaide at the entrance of Gulf St. Vincent. Kangaroo Island is a touring choice on a number of Celtic Tours South Pacific Vacations including our new 16 Day DownUnder Explorer.

Kangaroo Island was once a part of mainland Australia, but was separated by a rise in sea level over 9,000 years ago. Stone tools found suggest that Aboriginal people occupied Kangaroo Island at least 11,000 years ago, but disappeared in 200 BC.

Kangaroo Island, with its lush, fertile lands, produces some of Australia’s finest gourmet foods. Gastronomic adventurers will be amazed for the likes of freshly caught King George Whiting, sheep’s cheese, marron, an exciting range of varietal wines and a unique variety of honey. In fact, Kangaroo Island is famous for its honey and for being the oldest bee sanctuary in the world. Ligurian honey bees were brought here from Italy. The bees flourished and are the only surviving Ligurian honey bees after disease killed all Ligurian honey bees in Italy.

Native bushland, pristine beaches, dense forest, soaring cliffs and towering sand dunes make up some of the intense natural beauty of Kangaroo Island. The wildlife on Kangaroo Island will astound you: sea lions basking on white beaches, koalas dozing in lofty eucalypts, pelicans soaring over shimmering lagoons.

If all that is not enough, take in the rich history, the thriving arts community or tour its spectacular lighthouses. It is not hard to see why Kangaroo Island is one of South Australia's most popular tourist attractions, with over 140,000 visitors each year.

Visit Kangaroo Island with Celtic Tours. We offer options visits on a number of our South Pacific Vacations, including our new 16 Day DownUnder Explorer escorted motorcoach tour.

Cooking Classes in Ireland

Cookery Schools in Ireland

Want to take a cooking class on your next vacation to Ireland? There are many to choose from with classes ranging from traditional Irish cuisine to fusion cuisine.

Rory O’Connell Cookery School
Snugboro, Ballybraher, Ballycotton, Co Cork

Things are cooking nicely in Ballycotton… Rory O’Connell, ex-Head Chef of Ballymaloe House and one of the principal teachers at Ballymaloe Cookery School, has struck a serious culinary note with his new Bespoke Cookery Classes. Classes at Snugboro are designed for groups from two to twelve people, which gives a really intimate feel. A sample menu: Spicy Moroccan Lentil Soup, Risotto of Autumn Greens, Roast Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Herb mayonnaise, creamy Colcannon and a superb Chocolate Meringue Roulade with Blackberries and Sweet Geranium.

Dublin Cookery School
2 Brookfield Terrace, Blackrock, Co Dublin.

It is hard not to be affected by Lynda Booth's enthusiasm. Her passion for food and teaching is apparent immediately and what better place to combine these two loves than in a cookery school? Housed in a dazzling purpose-built premises, the bright, spacious kitchens of the Dublin Cookery Schools are the perfect setting for novice cooks and seasoned chefs alike. With 12 fully-equipped workstations, complete with hobs and ovens, students learn tricks of the trade in a supportive and challenging environment. As they say themselves, ‘serious food in a relaxed atmosphere'. The course list is extensive, including fish and bread courses, barbecue, entertaining, Californian cuisine, teen friendly courses and many more. This, combined with Lynda's exuberant style and the fabulous space makes for a seriously fun learning experience.

Donnybrook Fair Restaurant, Food Hall & Cookery School
89 Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

This urban restaurant, cookery school, deli and foodstore has everything a food lover will need from all over the country and even further a field. The extensive food-hall is stocked to the rafters with a mixture of fine artisan and gourmet speciality items and store-cupboard essentials. A dedicated butchery, fish counter and wonderful freshly baked breads, pastries, cakes and take-out hot and cold lunches, and not to mention the wonderful contemporary restaurant upstairs with menus that combine the finest seasonal Irish ingredients with flavours from around the world.

Tannery Cookery School (The)
10 Quay Street, Dungarvan, Co Waterford

Over a decade after Paul and his wife Máire opened their uber-stylish Tannery Restaurant, taking a high end food experience to a small Waterford town, they have now successfully opened, the Tannery Cookery School in pretty Dungarvan. Featuring a state of the art demonstration kitchen and with cookery courses for everybody, whether you are looking for a course to improve your home cooking skills, a short cookery course with friends or a tailored course to suit a corporate event The Tannery Cookery School is for you!

Ballyknocken House and Cookery School
Glenealy, Ashford, Co Wicklow

Set in private tranquil gardens in the heart of the glorious Wicklow countryside you will feel the stresses and strains of your other life melt away as soon as you arrive at Catherine Fulvio’s romantic Victorian country house. Catherine's real passion is for local produce and this is reflected in the stunning breakfasts and dinners served and in the state of the art Cookery School, which is perfectly located in a renovated Milking Parlour. With seven beautifully decorated period bedrooms with Victorian baths and brass beds and a warm welcome awaiting you what better place to re-discover the joys of cooking than at Ballyknocken House and Cookery School.

Orchard Acre Farm
36 Moynaghan North Road, Lisnarick, Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh, BT94 1LQ.

Right at the very heart of Orchard Acre Farm's success and certainly central to its charm is Teresa O'Hare. It is she, together with husband Hugh who is the driving energy of an operation so diverse in its offering that is hard to confine its labeling to any one category. It is a cookery and training centre, a gardening and vegetable hive, a wedding, conference or party venue, a voluntary work opportunity and most of all a sanctuary. Orchard Acre is a world of possibilities with one warm and very dynamic woman at its heart.

Let Celtic Tours help you choose a cooking class for your next culinary tour of Ireland. Visit our website for more details on our tours of Ireland.

Information provided by: Good Food Ireland