Could you create an entire meal from wild food?

A new contest is challenging home cooks and foragers to do just that as part of the fEast Cork Food and Drink Festival in Midleton on September 8th, 2019.

The Local Wild Food Challenge is inviting people to “get out into the wild and find, forage and feast on your gatherings.”

A culinary adventure contest, the ingredients can be sourced from beaches, forests, rivers, lakes, hills or backyards. You can fish, forage, forage, hunt and gather solo or partner up with others and combine your skills to compete.

Origin story

“Competitors create a dish made from their wild food gatherings and present it with the story of its origin to a panel of judges who assess the taste, presentation and inspiring story behind the dish.” says organiser Joleen Cronin.

“Anyone can have a go and the judging and scoring system is designed to be equal and fair for amateurs and professionals alike. Kids are also encouraged to enter. Contestants can make any kind of dish they want, hot, cold, liquid, frozen, as long as it includes at least one wild ingredient. However, the more local and wild ingredients the better.”

This year’s competition will be assessed by a panel of celebrity judges including the Ballyhoura Mushrooms team and Jess Murphy of Kai Cafe, Galway.

Ready to get involved?

To enter, bring your dish along to An Chistin Tent, The Green, Town Parks, Midleton on Sunday, September 8th between 12 noon and 2pm. Register in advance by emailing localwildfoodchallenge@feastcork.ie.