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Ken Tobin of Tralee Chamber Alliance with chef Gary O’Hanlon and John Harty of Taste Kerry. Photo by Dermot Crean
PLANS are evolving for a new festival-type event in Tralee next June with an emphasis on music and food, while the annual Food Festival will take place again in September.
The news comes after the best Tralee Food Festival to date concluded yesterday with a Family Fun Day in the Bank of Ireland Carpark.
Ken Tobin, Managing Consultant with the Tralee Chamber Alliance, said he was delighted with how the festival went.
“The feedback from the businesses around town is that the Food Festival was a huge success with a lot of restaurants selling out their taste trails, many extra restaurant bookings and the bars were packed on Saturday night. There was a fantastic atmosphere around town on Saturday with the live music on the Mall and the market in the Square. We were blessed with the weather as well for the weekend,” he said.
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“Our intention for next year is that we are looking at holding an additional event in early June, but we’re also going to run a larger food festival. It’ll be our fifth year, we’ve got a big team involved in the committee and we found with that we were able to get a larger number of people to turn up at events. It’ll be in September again with even more bars and restaurants involved.”
He added that the event in June would have a focus on local musicians and buskers with a strong food element also.
This year’s Festival certainly ended on a high note with a special marquee set up in the Bank Of Ireland carpark and it was packed to see Michael Healy-Rae take on Aidan O’Mahony, in a LIVE Cook-Off.
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Aidan O’Mahony and Michael Healy Rae at the cook-off on Sunday as part of the Tralee Food Festival. Also included is chef Karl Naughton, Elaine Kinsella of Radio Kerry, celebrity chef Gary O’Hanlon and chef Aidan O’Shea. Photo by Dermot Crean
Presented by Radio Kerry’s Elaine Kinsella, the Cook-Off took place under the expert scrutiny of celebrity chef Gary O’Hanlon, Culinary Director of BaxterStorey, and Chef on TV3’s ‘The Restaurant’.
Rack of lamb was on the menu and Aidan emerged triumphant with his dish in what was a very entertaining cook-off.
There was also kids doughnut decorating with John Dough’s, gourmet burgers, hot dogs and Palmento from The Rustic Pantry. The sun beamed down and hundreds of people passed through on the day to conclude a brilliant weekend. Scroll down for photos…
The large crowd at the cook-off.
The Breen Brothers from Kilflynn providing some entertainment.
