Excitement mounts ahead of much-anticipated Taste of Kildare
Chef Derry Clarke from The Club at Goffs and Chef Natalie Collins from The Japanese Gardens with Pippa Clancy from Kill. Photo: Brian McEvoy
The 2024 Taste of Kildare Festival, set for 20-22 September at Naas Racecourse, is gearing up to be a fantastic weekend of food, music and entertainment.
The festival has been billed as Kildare’s biggest restaurant with the harvest season inspiring many of the dishes and seasonal produce on offer. This exciting culinary event has been created by Into Kildare, the County Kildare tourism board, and is supported by Ballymore and Kildare Co Council’s Local Enterprise Office who will also feature a rich tapestry of local food producers with over 100 different market stalls.
Twelve of Ireland’s top chefs will showcase their culinary prowess over the weekend and will hold various demonstrations in the Calor Gas Chefs' Theatre. The star-studded lineup includes Rachel Allen, Derry Clarke, Gary O’Hanlon, Ross Lewis, Martin Shanahan, Natalie Collins, and Jordan Bailey.
Workshops and various talks will also take place over the weekend on the ‘Talk Stage, Powered by Eir’ – here the audience will get to enjoy all kind of workshops and have the chance to hear from some of the best producers, food photographers, tablescapers and culinary talents in the country.
Newbridge Silverware, which is famous for its Vintage Afternoon Tea, has teamed up with baker Graham Herterich who will prepare a special afternoon tea inspired by the Newbridge destination’s ‘Silver Restaurant’. Fallon’s of Kilcullen, meanwhile, will have a Pig & Pints Experience on site in collaboration with Orchard Thieves Cider.
The Friday night of the festival celebrates the very best of autumn. The five-course tasting dinner called ‘The Harvest Dining’, fine dining experience is already sold out, but there is lots going on for groups including the BBQ experience. There will be live music by Smash Hits and Superfly and even line dancing.
Saturday night features music by The Victory Dolls and the global sensation ‘Bingo Loco’ which has flipped the traditional game of bingo on its head and turned it into an interactive stage show, complete with dance-offs, rave rounds, lip sync battles, throwback anthems, confetti showers, and prizes. Taste of Kildare have also teamed up with Bacardí to provide a complimentary cocktail for each Saturday ticket holder.
The Bord na Móna family fun day takes place on Sunday and features lots of family fun, face painting and baking master classes for children.
Tickets are now on sale at tasteofkildare.ie and are priced from €15 for general admission. A bundle ticket priced from €32 per person includes admission, two signature dishes from any of the participating restaurants for one session on any one day over the weekend. Pre booking is essential for the bundle tickets. Car parking on site is free and a shuttle service will be available from Naas town centre.
