Imagine you are strolling through the medieval streets of Kilkenny city, there is a buzzing atmosphere and you can smell the mouthwatering aromas of delicious food in the air…
No need to imagine it, experience it at Savour Kilkenny!
One of Ireland’s favourite food festivals, Savour Kilkenny marks the end of autumn and is held in venues across Kilkenny city from Friday 27th – Monday 30th October 2023. Here in Kilkenny, we are known for our fantastic food scene. From cafés and restaurants to artisan food producers and brewers, you will find award-winning quality wherever you look. So, there is no better place to host one of Ireland’s top food festivals!
Now in its 15th year, this annual celebration of Ireland’s diverse culinary scene is a feast for the senses, serving up unique dining experiences, free talks and demos from the country’s top chefs, live entertainment and a fantastic food market. There truly is something for everyone.
Whether you’re visiting for a day of sampling the culinary delights on offer or planning the ultimate foodie weekend break in Kilkenny, here is a day-by-day itinerary with ways to spend your time savouring the flavours of Savour Kilkenny.
For more information on each of the events, click the event title.
Click here to download the ‘At A Glance’ guide to Savour Kilkenny 2023.
Please note: Pre-booking is required for ticketed events. Talks, demos, street entertainment and entrance to The Savour Market are all free of charge.
Friday 27th October
Ticketed Events
Put on your dancing shoes and join Dancing with the Stars judge Brian Redmond at Kilkenny Hibernian Hotel as he shows you the steps, while enjoying a delicious tasting menu from chef Wesley Bearpark at the fabulous Brasserie Restaurant.
Cheese & Charcuterie Workshop with The Wild Grazer at Rothe House
Learn how to style and arrange a gorgeous board using the best of local Irish produce with The Wild Grazer at Rothe House & Garden. Sarah will share stories about the local artisan cheesemakers who produce the marvellous cheeses you will be using. You will then apply your newly acquired skills to create your own cheese & charcuterie board!
Louis Latour Burgundy Wine & Cheese Tasting with The Wine Centre
Brush up on your wine tasting skills with tasting sessions at Sullivan’s Taproom led by experts from The Wine Centre. Santé to everyone who loves the wines of Burgundy. Enjoy the glories of the best of Louis Latour French wine and cheese pairings with The Wild Grazer.
7-course Mediterranean tasting menu at Arán Bistro
Taste a variety of cultural flavours from the Mediterranean at the award-winning Arán Bistro. Using ingredients and inspiration from their visits to these food rich regions throughout the years, Bart and Nicole Pawlukojc have designed a beautiful 7-course tasting menu which will transport you to the Mediterranean.
Saturday 28th October
Ticketed Events
Wines Direct Tapas & Wine event
Enjoy a fiesta of flavour at The Orangerie at Butler House with tasty tapas and perfect wine pairings. Wines Direct wine expert Owen Murphy is joined by Statham’s Restaurant head chef Ken Harker at 2:30pm and from 4:30pm, Rodrigo Gonzalez from Tabu Tapas supplies the tasty small plates.
Portuguese Wine & Cheese Tasting with The Wine Centre
Brush up on your wine tasting skills with tasting sessions at Sullivan’s Taproom led by experts from The Wine Centre. From 3pm, say Saúde to the very best of Portugese wines with industry experts leading this wine and cheese tasting, in conjunction with The Wild Grazer. Dress for the Irish weather.
Statham’s Farm to Fork Tour of Flavour
Join the talented team of chefs at Statham’s and Rachel Allen for a fantastic 5-course culinary experience that showcases many of Kilkenny’s local producers. Members of MADE In Kilkenny will also display their quality crafted tableware on the evening, adding to the unique dining experience highlighting all that Kilkenny has to offer.
Cookery Demonstrations
Be sure to drop by the Savour Stage to see cookery demonstrations from both Kilkenny and Ireland’s top chefs. On Saturday, Ballymaloe Cookery School co-founders Darina Allen and Rory O’Connell will share their expertise during their individual demos and Olympian Derval O’Rourke joins Edward Hayden to chat about the benefits of using frozen fruit and vegetables in dishes.
Cakeface Cafe & Cookery School’s Laura Gannon will lead a kid’s Halloween baking demonstration with her junior apprentice while sharing tips about mixing, piping and decorating for budding bakers. Arán Bakery’s Bart Pawlukojc and Nicole Server are joined by food consultant and business coach Tracie Daly to combine a challenging cookery demo with valuable advice for potential food entrepreneurs.
Join Chef Conor Spacey for a demo promoting affordable, healthy and sustainable recipes using Irish dairy products, KCLR’s Nathalie Lennon chats about nutritious snacks as fuel for exercise and Jess Murphy imparts her cookery wisdom as owner of the award-winning Kai Restaurant in Galway.
Talks
Sit in free food-related talks over the weekend to hear interesting insights and advice on a variety of topics. Saturday’s programme sees a number of talks taking place on gut health and microbiomes with Dr. Ann-Marie Eustaceryan, farming and focusing on the food you eat during menopause with Wellness Warrior Catherine O’Keeffe and chef Jeeny Maltese.
Family Food Fun
Aspiring young foodies will have the opportunity to showcase their talent at the Young Food Producers Market at MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre. Secondary school students can apply now for a chance to take part.
*Also takes place on Sunday 29th October
Fruity the juggler and Dishy the plate-spinner give a fun-filled and interactive street performance where little ones from ages 4 and up can get involved in learning how to juggle and spin plates.
The Savour Market
*Also takes place on Sunday 29th October
The Savour Market is one of the highlights of the festival each year. With over 100 stalls boasting flavours from all over Ireland and the world, it is a great way to spend the day browsing, snacking and sipping! Open from 10am until 8pm on Saturday, meander along The Parade and sample what award-winning Irish food, drink and craft producers have to offer and try authentic cuisines from all over the world. Feeling the thirst? Drop by the Brewers and Distillers Marquee for a pint while you learn all about the production process directly from the people who made it!
Sunday 29th October
Ticketed Events
Smithwick’s Ales, Muse Tacos & Live Music at the Barrel Yard
You haven’t been to Kilkenny unless you’ve had a pint of Smithwick’s, so swing by the Barrel Yard at the Smithwick’s Experience on Sunday evening to enjoy a cool pint of the iconic red ale, tasty tacos served up by Muse Catering and toe-tapping tunes. Free entry, no pre-booking required!
Sample a range of award-winning Irish whiskies from 5 different distilleries right here in Kilkenny, the home of Irish Whiskey since 1324. Surprise guests will be in attendance on the evening to celebrate the history and tradition of Irish Whiskey.
Join Patrick Brennan, an expert knife craftsman to learn about knife techniques, sharpening and maintenance. Putting those knives to the test will be Devil’s Menu chef John Whelan who will host a meat carving demo using Smokin Soul’s amazing live fire BBQ’s to cook the meat.
Cookery Demonstrations
Sunday is another day packed with cookery demos on the Savour Stage so if you want to pick up a few tips to try in your own kitchen, stop by to hear from the experts! Rachel Allen demonstrates some recipes cooking with Irish dairy products, Kevin Dundon demonstrates a display filled with Irish produce and Kilkenny cookery school chefs Edward Hayden and Anne Neary team up to share their combined expertise while whipping up some delicious dishes.
Caomhán De Brí will be cooking three recipes featuring local ingredients and foraged flora from right here in Kilkenny and Sarah De Brun will also incorporate foraged ingredients alongside Irish oysters in her demo. Join Orla McAndrew for a zero waste demo using typical leftover ingredients and Maria Harte will help you to save time in the kitchen by showing how to serve a dish in 3 different ways.
Talks
Enjoy more fascinating free talks to help you to upskill your culinary flair with Dearbhla Reynolds telling you all you need to know about fermentation and Dee Sewell shares her insights on gardening for the future for those with a green thumb.
Family Food Fun
Foraging Workshop & Wild Picnic
*Also takes place on Saturday 28th October
Join Eimear Murphy to learn how to identify edible and medicinal plants and fungi while on a foraging journey through Kilkenny Castle park. Afterwards, enjoy a Wild Picnic along the Canal Walk.
*Also takes place on Saturday 28th October
Get into the festival spirit with face painting by Fantasy Face Art. Find the face painting stand at the Savour Market along The Parade and choose from a rainbow of colours and glitters!
Cookie Decorating Workshop at MacDonagh Junction
Courtesy of The Pantry, MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre will host a cookie decorating workshop where children can come and decorate a cookie however they please ahead of Halloween. Suitable for all ages.
The Savour Market
*Also takes place on Saturday 28th October
The Savour Market is also open from 10am – 6pm on Sunday, so make the most of it between the packed programme of events to refuel with a coffee from local coffee roasters, a sweet treat from a bakery stall or even a more filling hot meal from a restaurant stall. Why not grab a gift for a foodie friend that you know they will love? With so much choice, you’re bound to find something at the market to suit every taste.
Monday 30th October
Hosted by Leader Natural Dog Nutrition with MC Jake Carter, bring along your pooch for the ultimate doggy day out! Expect treats, photobooths, puppy playdates, playgrounds and pageants. Dog owners can attend Q&As with experts on health, nutrition, behaviour and enrichment to pick up tips on how to care for their four-legged friends.
Rewilding with Brian O’Toole of Wild Acres
Wildacres is a social enterprise on a mission to encourage and inspire people throughout Ireland to protect our native wildlife and our environment. Join Brian O’Toole to learn about the process and potential of rewilding, find out how you can attract an array of fascinating and stunning wildlife to your land and gain inspiration for what you can do on your land, whatever the size!
This is just a snapshot of some of the events taking place across the October bank holiday weekend for Savour Kilkenny, so be sure to check their website for the full programme of exciting and tantalising events. See you at Savour!
