Wealth of great food makes for brilliant fair

THE nation’s foodies found themselves in their element in the dairy-producing heartlands of North Kerry as the 23rd Listowel Food Fair delivered yet another delectable platter of everything from exciting cookery demonstrations to winning recipes and well-deserved awards.

And the cream of local talent fairly rose to the top in another extraordinary indication of the food-producing genius of the county.

Listowel’s very own adoptee Ildiko Farago leaves all her customers feeling the very opposite of the country she hails from – Hungary. Through her Wellness Baking range, Ildiko has been providing gluten-free products of the highest quality since 2011, leaving customers’ palates deeply satisfied. And she was awarded the Local Food Hero for her great achievements at the Fair.

Meanwhile, Lizzy Lyons served up one of the star turns of the event as she led a live cookery demonstration on Thursday evening alongside TV presenter Simon Delaney. It was the culmination of Lizzy’s recent invitation to Simon to join her to cook recipes from his recent cookbook Simply Simon’s: The Diner’s Cookbook - an invitation Lizzy extended in one of her recent appearances on TV3’s Sunday AM.

It was a young Knocknagoshel girl who perhaps stole the show at that opening night of the Fair on Thursday, however. Caitríona Murphy from Knocknagoshel delivered a personally written tribute to the special guest of the night Rose of Tralee 2017 Jennifer Byrne (who official opened the Fair) in an address that brought the house down, leaving none in doubt that the fifth-class Gaelscoil Aogáin Castleisland pupil is a Rose of Tralee in the making.

The awards night on Friday at the Listowel Arms meanwhile provided a stunning display of the wealth of high-quality food products being created in this region over a nine-course meal created by chef Mary Julian using winning products in the Best Emerging Artisan Product Competition and Kerrygold Cheese Competition – the winners of which are pictured here in a Kerry-heavy result.

Photo by Don MacMonagle Clair Kelly and Jo Arbon, The Busy Botanist, Glenbeigh, County Kerry, overall winners of the Best Emerging Artisan Product for their ‘Tum Ease’ pictured receiving their award from Paul O’Connor, SuperValu and Mary Coleman, Listowel Food Fair at the presentation of awards in The Listowel Arms Hotel at the weekend.

Niall O’Driscoll and Rory McCarthy, Camos Bristro, Cahersiveen, County Kerry, winner of the Best Emerging Artisan Product for their Honey and Mustard Dressing in the Condiments Cateory receiving their award from Victor Sheahan, LEO, Listowel and Mary Coleman, Listowel Food Fair.

Photo by Don MacMonagle Ildiko Farago and Anna Bajzat from Wellness Baking, Listowel, winner of the Best Emerging Artisan Product Baked Goods, for their Gluten free soda bread receiving their award from Victor Sheahan, LEO, Listowel and Jimmy Deenihan from Listowel Food Fair.

Norma and Willie Leahy, Carralea Dairy Products, Moyvane, County Kerry winner of the Best Emerging Artisan Award -Dairy Category, for their Strained Kefir pictured receiving their award from Victor Sheahan, LEO, Listowel, Jimmy Deenihan, Listowel Food Fair and Angela Sheahan, UCC.

Photo by Don MacMonagle Jim and Marie O’Brien, O’Brien Meats, Ballyhahill, pictured receiving thier award for thier Greek Style Feta Cheese in the Marinated and Smoked Category from Tom Mulvihill, Ornua and Collette O’Connor, Listowel Food Fair.

Photo by Don MacMonagle Shane O’Leary, Cordal, Castleisland, County Kerry who was Overall Cheese Winner for his Cordal Goats Cheese, Cordal Garlic and Thyme receviing his award from Tom Mulvihill, Ornua and Mary Coleman, Listowel Food Fair.