From the quirky to the unmissable..Top picks for Cork on a Fork

Cork’s celebration of its vibrant food culture returns with its biggest ever line-up of events. Across five days, from August 12-16, this year’s festival promises more ways to experience the best of Cork on a Fork with more new festival spaces and venues than ever.

Wednesday, August 12

Taste the Goodness Community Garden Party - €2 (donation). 12.30pm-4pm, Knocknaheeny Hollyhill Community Garden (behind Applegreen garage)

Tucked away on Cork’s northside is a thriving community garden run by NICHE Health Project. Visit for an afternoon exploring the wonderful community space at their garden party celebrating local food. Learn what’s growing, pick some fresh veg and enjoy eating plot to plate at this urban garden. Live music, food, face painting, and family-friendly fun – all welcome.

Food Photography with Your Phone Workshop with Joleen Cronin, €30. 2-4pm, L’Atitude51

Cork photographer and long-time foodie, Joleen Cronin, returns with her hugely popular photography workshop unlocking the secrets to successful food photography using your phone.

Farm to Fork Chef Collaboration at Glenbrook Farm, €85. 6.30pm-9.30pm, Glenbrook Farm near Glanmire

Famous for its free-range pork, ex-dairy beef, and organic vegetables, Glenbrook Farm is teaming up with Cork chef Sarah Roche for a four-course spectacular long-table feast. With live music and complementary drinks reception from Rebel City Distillery and Blarney Brewing.

Thursday, August 13

Hysterical Histories - Food, Fame and Frivolity Walking Tour, €10-15, u5 FREE. 11am-12.45pm, Cork City

Cork’s band of hilarious (and peckish) troubadours invite you to discover the highlights of Cork’s foodie past and the city’s 1,500-year history, through the eyes of Cork’s quirky characters and pickiest eaters. Led by Hysterical Histories, this one-of-a-kind walking food tour is an entertaining way to get your fill of Cork food stories.

Tasting Notes: A Cork Tasting Experience, €30. 6.00pm-8.00pm, Bakestone Perry Street

Spend an engaging evening exploring how simple ingredients like coffee, cherries, cacao, grapes, milk, and wheat transform into chocolate, wine, cheese, sourdough bread, and coffee. Hosted by Bakestone Café, explore the roles of terroir, fermentation, roasting, and more in creating exceptional flavours in food and drink. Featuring Wildflour, Café Moly, The Lost Valley Dairy, Le Caveau Wine Merchants, Hungry Crow. I will be leading this event. Includes a guided sensory tasting and pop-up shop. A Coffee House Lates event, supported by Cork City Council and Cork Business Association.

Mad Mamma Takeover – Unapologetic Bites, €45. 8pm, Mardyke Entertainment Complex Rooftop

Cork street food is having a seriously delicious moment, and this event will celebrate the launch of Mad Mamma by Midleton chef, Vanessa Carnieri. With her Brazilian, Italian, and Irish influences, Vanessa creates bold, comforting dishes using Cork ingredients. Expect tempting bites like bacon and cabbage croquettes, hake sliders, and spiced beef empanadas.

Friday, August 14

Food For Thought Mini-Symposium, FREE. 9.30am-12pm, St Peter’s

I will be hosting this free industry-focused and led mini symposium looking at food tourism in Cork and storytelling for food businesses - for people who grow, cook, share and celebrate food. Across two sessions, leading experts from food tourism, policymakers, brand builders, chefs and writers share insights and debate how everyone can contribute to Cork’s ambitious culinary vision. Free event with registration. Proudly supported by Musgrave.

Flights & Bites Food Market, FREE. 12-6pm, Cork Airport

For the first time, Cork Airport’s plaza transforms into an outdoor food market featuring Cork’s best food and drink vendors. Expect live music and a vibrant festival atmosphere all afternoon long. Perfect for grabbing a final taste of Cork before jet setting off on holiday!

Savour & Sculpt Workshop, €39 (+ extra fee for firing and finishing ceramics post workshop). 2-4pm, Cork Biodiversity Food Hub, Ballincollig, P31 PX67

Cork artist, Martha Cashman, is renowned for her sculptural art inspired by food and conviviality. During this hands-on ceramic workshop, Martha will help you craft your own dipping bowl. Cathy Fitzgibbon (The Culinary Celt) will inspire you to eat with the seasons and the importance of creating intentional time and space for eating.

Blood, Guts and Black Pudding, €10 (+ booking fee). 4-6pm, St Peter’s

Explore Cork’s great black pudding traditions with me. Learn how the city was central to Cork’s offal eating traditions, spice trade, and pudding making; as well as why drisheen was prescribed to patients in recovery at St Finbarr’s Hospital - plus more tales from the quirky bloody history of Cork’s “offal-y” delicious puddings! Cork chef, Pamela Kelly, will cook up a tasting plate of puddings paired with a craft beer brewed by Original 7.

The 3 Bs: Beamish, Ballads & Bodice, FREE 6-8pm, Forde’s Bar

After your black pudding smorgasbord, head to Forde’s Bar to sample Cork speciality bodice (salted pork ribs) sourced locally from the English Market. Perfect with a smooth Creamy Beamy (Beamish) and live music from the Leesiders.

Saturday, August 15

“Consume Cork” Cooking Demo Marquee, FREE. 10.30am-6.30pm, outside Cork City Library, Grand Parade

The Festival Cooking Demo Stage on Grand Parade plays host all day, celebrating the best Cork chefs and producers. Featuring Darina Allen, Aishling Moore, Tiger Balm Club, Ali Honour, Harrison Sharpe, Orla McAndrew, Maedhbh Dalton, Epi Rogan, and more! MC’d by myself and Joe McNamee. Free thanks to Cork City Council, Fáilte Ireland, Ireland’s Ancient East, Wild Atlantic Way, and SuperValu.

Stories & Sips - Drinks Stage with Tastings, FREE (with registration). 12pm-6pm, Counting House

Hosted by Irish Examiner food writer Caroline Hennessy and Sharon Noonan (Best Possible Taste Podcast), Stories & Sips will satisfy those with a thirst for knowledge about delicious local drinks crafted by independent producers. Featuring BKultured, Beverly Matthews (L’Atitude 51), Stonewell Cider, Blacks of Kinsale, Kinsale Mead, Fionnuala Harkin and more! Tastings available, sponsored by Beamish and Murphys.

RELISH Recipe Book Club, FREE. 12pm-2pm, The Student Hub, Áine Hyland Room G12, University College Cork

Food historian and EU Horizon researcher, Regina Sexton, hosts an interactive gathering at UCC encouraging us to bring a treasured family recipe book, handwritten notes and well-worn favourite recipes to explore the stories behind them and what they reveal about Cork’s food traditions, changing tastes and culinary heritage.

Historic Pub Trail, €79.95. 3pm-6.30pm, Cork City Centre

Cork’s characterful and storied pubs are the inspiration for this trail where every stop has a tale. The best stories happen over a pint, so where better to learn about Cork pub culture than over a sup and a nibble at The Long Valley, Mutton Lane, O’Sho, Fordes, The Castle Inn and Callanans.

Sailing, Shucking and Shanties, €50. 5.30-8pm, Pick up at Custom House Quay

An annual highlight of the festival, enjoy an afternoon on a guided Cork Harbour cruise from Custom House Quay to the lower harbour via Cobh’s cathedral skyline, Spike Island, Haulbowline and Blackrock Castle. Oysters will be freshly shucked for tasting by K O’Connell all while being serenaded with Sea Shanties by Cobh Molgoggers.

Sunday, August 16

McKenna’s Theatre of Food Marquee, FREE. 10.30am-6.30pm, outside Cork City Library, Grand Parade.

John & Sally McKenna of McKenna’s Guides host an all-day Festival Cooking Demo Stage on Grand Parade celebrating Cork’s food and drink movers and shakers. Featuring St Francis Provisions, 51 Cornmarket, Tongue Tied Hot Sauce, Soul, Miyazaki, Paradiso – and more! Free thanks to support from Cork City Council, Fáilte Ireland, Ireland’s Ancient East, Wild Atlantic Way, and SuperValu.

Triskel Talks & Tastings Stage, FREE. 11am–4pm, Triskel Arts Centre

Hear fascinating and delicious stories from icons of Cork’s local food industry with tastings thrown in! I’ll be MC’ing this event, featuring Michael Kelly of GIY, Kev Ahern of Sage, Jay Choi of Ogam Korean, fermentologist Dr Julia Skinner and Lorna O’Regan.

Stories & Sips: Drinks Theatre with Tastings, FREE (with registration). 12-5pm, Counting House

Drink in amazing stories from local drinks producers and storytellers - with tastings! Learn about buttermilk with UCC food historian, Regina Sexton; the story of Cork’s coffee culture; an epic cocktail throwdown with Cork’s masters of mixology; discover a new wave of drinks that are better for you with Active Brewing, Phyterberry, My Goodness and Saor Bar; and chef Caitlin Ruth and mixologist/fermenter Linda O’Flynn uncover why women are really into whiskey right now!

The Market Table – An English Market Zero-Waste Dinner with FoodCloud and Orla McAndrew, €85. 3pm-6pm, The English Market

Experience a zero-waste meal at Cork’s historic English Market. Celebrating seasonal cooking using surplus ingredients provided by FoodCloud, chef Orla McAndrew will serve up a delicious fine dining menu with a drinks reception by Rebel City Distillery and Elbow Lane and Bubble Brothers wine pairings.

Da Mirco Osteria & Fiáin: Hedgerow Piatti & Wild Aperitivo, €10-15 (walk-ins only). 4-9pm, Da Mirco

Da Mirco Head Chef Sergio Gurrea teams up with forager-chef Epi Rogan, for a wild and seasonal Italian-inspired menu of extraordinary small plates and cocktails. Expect wild garlic kimchi with gorgonzola martinis, cep and bresaola, beach rose cocktails, and meadowsweet cannoli. Perfetto!

Spice Route Supper Club, €75. 7pm, Rebel City Distillery

A Rebel City Distillery and The Spice Genie pop-up supper club celebrating the vibrant meeting of Indian spices and Cork craft in the atmospheric surroundings of Cork’s city’s only distillery. Featuring a shared-table 3-course dining experience showcasing vibrant South Indian flavour with a welcome Maharani Gin & Tonic.