Savour the flavour of Cork’s finest food, music and racing at the races
THE Cork Racecourse in Mallow is set to be the venue for new summer festival that will showcase the best in Cork food, music and, of course, ‘ the Sport of Kings’.
Sponsored by the Mallow-based Barry Group, the aptly named ‘Race and Taste Festival’ will take place at the venue over two glorious days on Friday and Saturday, May 10/11 and will coincide with the opening of its new, seven furlong flat track.
The festival will bring together a mouth-watering selection of Cork’s leading food producers in a specially curated food village at the Racecourse, with live music provided The Frank and Walters and all the glitz and glamour of the traditional track side Ladies’ Day.
Following the official opening of the new track on Friday evening there will be a full seven race card of top quality flat racing featuring a selection some of the Ireland’s leading runners and riders. The Fota Island Resort ‘ Most Stylish Lady’ event will also take place on Friday, with some spectacular prizes up for grabs.
Saturday will see a seven race card of National Hunt racing.
Across the two-days there will also be live music and culinary workshops and demonstrations featuring some of Cork’s leading chefs including Rory O’Connell, Lily Higgins and Martin Shanahan, with more than 30 producers setting up stalls at the venue creating a veritable ‘foodies paradise’.
More additions to the festival programme will be announced over the coming weeks
There will be a free shuttle service to ferry visitors from Mallow train station to the Racecourse over the course of the festival.
Jim Barry, MD of the Barry Group, said they were delighted to sponsor the inaugural Race and Taste Festival.
“The Cork Racecourse is such an iconic landmark venue and I truly believe that this festival celebrates all that makes Cork so special; sport, food, the arts and of course the unique Cork charm,” he said.
Andrew Hogan, general manager at the Cork Racecourse, was equally enthusiastic about the prospect of hosting the two-day cultural extravaganza. “I’m thrilled to have such a stellar line up of real Cork talent awaiting racegoers to the Racecourse in Mallow,” he said.
“Where else can you indulge yourself with delicious food and watch the best of racing live, whilst partying to the sounds of The Frank & Walters? The festival will see incredible atmosphere around the racecourse, so why not join us for a festival of the best of Cork, for the people of Cork.”
Tickets for the Barry Group Race and Taste Festival are now available from www.corkracecourse.ie priced at €15 (with children under the age of 14 going free).