With people becoming more conscious of eating well for good health, Savour Kilkenny 2015 – Festival of Food is hosting a number of new events this year on healthy eating and the link between nutrition and overall wellbeing.
Ireland’s teenage population is a major concern, with research finding that Irish teens and young adults may have higher rates of poor mental health than their European and American counterparts. According to the study, one in five Irish people aged 19 – 25 experience mental health disorders.
Savour Kilkenny 2015 will see musician and TV star ‘Bressie’ share his personal story in a talk entitled ‘Feed Your Mind & Eat Yourself Calm’, exploring nutrition and its effects on good mental health. This event will be presented by All-Star hurler Michael Fennelly, a lecturer in Nutrition and Coaching.
An exciting new addition to the line-up is Dublin-based Dietician and Exercise Specialist, Harriette Lynch, who takes a holistic approach to dietary management and examines all factors that may impact on a person’s capacity to meet their nutritional needs. The event will take place on Tuesday evening, October 20th in The Set Theatre, Kilkenny, and tickets are €15 per person (www.theset.ie)
One in 100 people in Ireland have Coeliac disease. For Coeliacs and those with gluten intolerances, the festival will also host gluten-free demonstrations over the weekend of Coeliac-friendly recipes by chef Gearoid Lynch and baker, Denise O’ Callaghan.
The festival also features a debut by new healthy food blogger, Frances Walsh of TheHonestProject.com. A former solicitor in banking and corporate finance, Frances made a complete career and lifestyle change following a diagnosis with a serious form of cancer in Spring 2013. Since the diagnosis, Frances decided to follow a primarily plant-based diet and believes that changing her diet has dramatically changed her overall wellbeing, both physically and emotionally.
Frances will present her free The Honest Project Raw Food Demo at Savour Kilkenny 2015 on Saturday, October 24th.
With a different food culture to Ireland, Japan is famous for enjoying one of the world’s healthiest diets – low in fat, high in protein (particularly through daily intake of fish), with many foods high in antioxidants like green tea and miso.
Fiona Uyema, Japanese-style cook, presents two events at this year’s festival. ‘Taste of Japan’ in collaboration with Dublin Pop-Up sees Fiona host a Japanese feast of the best Irish produce fused with Japanese flavours (Saturday, 24th October at Butler House, €60 per person). ‘Craft Beer Pairing Japanese Style’ will be a fun demo with Fiona and Seamus O’ Hara of Carlow Brewing Company on popular Japanese cuisine paired with the perfect Irish craft beer.
Its biggest festival yet, a record 25,000 visitors are expected for Savour Kilkenny 2015 which is taking placeover the Bank Holiday Weekend, October 22 – 26th.
Highlights include ‘Conversation and Cooking’ with Neven Maguire and his friend, TV presenter Mary Kennedy; ‘A Taste of Japan’ with Fiona Uyema; ‘The Happy Pear’ Flynn brothers; a festival debut by Mark Moriarty, Best Young Chef in the World 2015; Rory O’ Connell of Ballymaloe Cookery School; a Chocolate Master Class with TV chef, Edward Hayden; ‘Ryeland House Bloggers Breakfast’ with Anne Neary; as well as farm and foraging, craft beer events and lot’s for families and children.
With most events free of charge, early arrival is a must! See savourkilkenny.com
Tickets for ‘Feed Your Mind & Eat Yourself Calm’ are available from www.theset.ie or to buy from Rollercoaster Records or Langtons Hotel.