FOOD AND SONG; A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS AT THE LONG TABLE DINNER

The 2009 Tipperary Food Producers’ Long Table Dinner attracted more than 230 people to a night of culinary delights held in the grounds of Kickham Barracks, Clonmel on Saturday night last. Despite the very inclement weather of late, Saturday evening was dry and warm and certainly added to the jovial atmosphere. The organisers didn’t wish to tempt fate and in true army style, the dinner was served under canvas in front of the historic Officers’ Mess with its lovely lavender lined lawns.

Featuring around twenty local producers and suppliers the challenge for the evening was to create a multi layered, several course meal using only local ingredients. The result was outstanding and a feast for all the senses with the dishes looking every bit as good as they tasted. Each producer involved in the event also had a produce stand on the lawn. Guests were invited to mingle freely with the producers before dinner while being served pre dinner drinks and canapés, all created from local ingredients.

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Pat Whelan, Chairman of the Tipperary Food Producers said, “We’re absolutely thrilled with the feedback. We have proved that the quality and taste of the food produced here in Tipperary is exceptional and hopefully it will have made people more aware of what they have on their doorstep and what they are putting in their shopping baskets. It was also a great opportunity for the producers to get together. It’s tough running any sort of business in the current climate and artisan food businesses can be isolating at times. Meeting like minded people in a social setting can be very beneficial. As Tipperary Food Producers we all share the same concerns and I think that together we can weather difficulties that individually might prove overwhelming.”

The dinner was also attended by the current chair of the Bord Bia Taste Council, Peter Ward. Peter is also a well known artisan food producer and retailer and his passion for all things related to Irish farm based food production has seen him lead the march for local and indigenous food promotion in this country. In an impassioned speech on the night he gave a serious message on the need for everyone to continue to support local producers despite the downturn, for the good of local commerce and the next generation of food producers. He took no prisoners in acknowledging that sometimes the public has to pay a little more for artisan food than supermarket equivalents, but that the value was to be found in the quality, taste and passion of the producers.

The evening was rounded off with a marvelous live performance by the glamorous vocalist Kathy Nugent. With her unique brand of wit woven through a set list that included songs by Shirley Bassey, Barbara Streisand, Liza Minelli, Frank Sinatra and several hits from the shows, she was certainly a crowd pleaser.

Given the success of this year’s Long Table Dinner it is possible that an annual event could be on the culinary horizon, which is very good news for Tipperary taste buds.

A copy of Saturday night’s menu is below.