Food

15 Things we learned at LitFest 2015

The Kerrygold Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine brought 8,000 people together in Co Cork at the weekend to celebrate good things to eat and drink, and read about them. Marie-Claire Digby asked some of the participants to tell us about one thing that made an impression on them

Festival director Rory O’Connell and Californian restaurateur and food activist Alice Waters at the Kerrygold Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine. Photograph: Joleen Cronin

Tue May 19 2015 - 17:48

DAVID LEBOVITZ, COOKBOOK AUTHOR

I learned that young Irish people are full of energy, are interested in exploring the bounty of Ireland in their food, especially evident in the various food booths in the Big Shed, where thousands of people were fed local and sustainable ingredients in a variety of ciders, smoked and cured meats, breads, salads ... and even beer.

KRISTIN JENSEN, FOOD WRITER AND EDITOR

The Big Shed is home to the fringe festival, and where much of the fun happens. Photograph: Joleen Cronin

Festival director Darina Allen in the herb Garden at Ballymaloe Cookery School with Fuchsia Dunlop who gave a talk and did a cookery demonstration on Chinese food. Photograph: Clare Keogh

You see craft beers in fancy bottles these days and think, why are they putting beer in a Champagne bottle? But I learned from brewmaster Garrett Oliver that it's the other way around: beer had been put in bottles like that in the past and Champagne makers stole the idea.

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JP MCMAHON, CHEF AND WRITER

I learned that you can make ice-cream from Jerusalem artichokes and that April Bloomfield (New York chef/owner of The Spotted Pig) is the salt of the earth.

FUCHSIA DUNLOP, WRITER AND EXPERT ON CHINESE FOOD

I found it really inspiring, particularly to see the amazing work Darina and her entire family are doing at Ballymaloe. It was also a pleasure to be able to meet and chat to an extraordinary collection of people, in such beautiful surroundings

CHRISTINE MUHLKE, EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF BON APPÉTIT

During Jancis Robinson's tasting, I learned a great deal about new wine styles. Attending a tasting with Jancis, who is one of my heroes, was unforgettable! I also learned that food festivals don't have to be cookie-cutter: they can retain a sense of community and curiosity.

JOHN WILSON, WINE WRITER

I learned that among other things Northern Ireland makes great cheese. I enjoyed a lunch in the Big Shed at the Slow Food NI stand of salad with excellent pickled veg and seaweed from Rathlin Island, three wonderful cheeses and a soda farl. At the Ox pop-up restaurant I discovered Young Buck cheese, which I am now addicted to and have just bought a large slice of in Sheridans.

PAUL FLYNN, CHEF

LitFest is about exemplary Irish hospitality – and I discovered too that gin is much kinder to you the morning after.

DARINA ALLEN, FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

I learned that I can make the most amazing pesto from carrot tops.

TIM MAGEE, PR CONSULTANT AND WRITER

Regarding that all-male panel discussion, I think it was a good observation that was blown out of proportion on social media. The panel's job was to talk about What's Happening in Irish Food, and we did just that, including talking about exciting stories like Áine Maguire's Idle Wall in Westport or Jess Murphy from Kai's role in Galway's success as food destination. Of course, in hindsight it would have been better to have women on the panel, to have someone like Katie Sanderson (who did the food for the Dublin launch of LitFest), or indeed Áine and Jess themselves. I imagine it was an oversight. The festival was built by women and the programme was rammed with events featuring the most inspirational women in food and drink in the world. This was not supposed to be the definitive last word on the topic though, just a discussion. I would have thought nothing of it if all of the people on stage were women, especially at LitFest. Most of the focus of this year's festival was on celebrating brilliant women. That was the big picture.

JOHN McKENNA, WRITER

What did I learn from Litfest? That great cooks and great food are the glue that holds cultures and societies together, and that great food is not an elitist pursuit, but is in fact the very opposite of an elite idea: great food is actually democracy in action. That's what LitFest shows you.

AOIFE CARRIGY, JOURNALIST AND FOOD WRITER

At the rum talk with Dave Broom and Nick Strangeway, I learned that in the 18th century we were exporting beef to Jamaica and the ships were bringing back rum to Ireland.

JANCIS ROBINSON, MASTER OF WINE AND AUTHOR

The main thing, of many, that I learned from LitFest was just how important high quality alcoholic drinks other than wine are becoming. And that, even in a wheelchair, Myrtle [Allen] is the quintessential hostess with the mostest. And that Hazel [Allen, of Ballymaloe House] is unfazed by power cuts. And that Colm [McCan] is a great and generous panel moderator and sommelier. I could go on …

RORY O’CONNELL, FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

I learned that our future is in the soil under our feet.

CAROLINE HENNESSY, FOOD WRITER AND BROADCASTER

Lasting impressions? Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver who said "Nobody ever came up with a great idea over a diet coke" and "Really great beer is an inexpensive luxury, often costing less than a cup of coffee".

REBECCA CRONIN FESTIVAL MANAGER

I learned that people are hungry to learn about all things related to our health, they just need access to the right sort of educators . At LitFest we are so honoured to have them - the soil experts, the gardeners, the farmers and the creators of menus and delicious drinks.