An Ireland Writing Workshop and Food Tour in October 2020

I’m thrilled to announce a new event: a four-day writing workshop and food tour in West Cork, Ireland in October, 2020.

West Cork leads Ireland in artisan food production. The BBC called it the “food capital of Ireland,” and the Irish Times named the area the “top foodie destination” in the country. In 2017, West Cork was named the Restaurants Association of Ireland’s No. 1 Foodie Destination. What better place to hold a food writing workshop and tour, right?

For this event I’ll partner with Kate Ryan, a food writer and food tour guide who lives and works in West Cork. In the morning you’ll get instruction from me on such topics as  first-person essays and the power of a strong voice. In the afternoons we’ll have writing workshops inspired by the sights and tastes of the day.

With Kate you’ll learn about the farms, artisan produce and top restaurants (including a Michelin-starred one). Kate, a member of the Irish Food Writing Guild, wrote the Artisan Food Guide, described as the Bible of West Cork food.

Here’s more about our Irish writing workshop and food tour:

Name: Food With a Story to Tell
Date: October 8-11, 2020
Where: The Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery, West Cork, Republic of Ireland
Price: €1300 until March 31, 2020, €1500 after March 31, 2020
Limit of 15 participants

In addition to my daily writing instruction and workshops, and a private consultation with both me and Kate, the event includes:

• A private dinner on our first evening, complete with a drinks pairing
• A visit to a dairy farm with an orchard and beehives, where we will enjoy lunch made with produce and artisan foods from the farm
• Dinner in a local restaurant that regularly wins plaudits for its hyper-local food ethos and minimal waste
• A visit to one of the greatest of all Irish food producers for a private tour of its award-winning cheese and charcuterie production, organic vegetables, drinks and knife-making, with a smorgasbord lunch
• Dinner in a Michelin-starred restaurant where head chef Rob Krawczyk takes us on a seasonal culinary journey with a multiple-course tasting menu.

Not included in the event fee are accommodation and your personal travel costs. The town of Rosscarbery, our base, is about an hour’s drive from Cork Airport. Shannon Airport is 3 hours away. The family-run Celtic Ross Hotel has a pool, or you can walk along the beach and enjoy a view of the Atlantic Ocean. Prices are extremely reasonable: €65-85 per person with breakfast, based on single or double occupancy.

How you’ll dine at our Irish workshop

As always at my workshops, my co-hosts make sure we dine extremely well on local, seasonal foods. If you stay in the retreat hotel, expect a robust breakfast. You’ll find  meats and cheeses, comforting bowls of warming Irish oatmeal and locally smoked fish. There’s a traditional cooked breakfast of local bacon, sausages, and black and white pudding with all the trimmings. Lunch takes place on artisan farms, with freshly-picked produce, smoked foods, cheeses and charcuterie; and dinners will be at restaurants known for their expertly-crafted dishes, including a meal at Restaurant Chestnut, a Michelin award winner.

There’s a plan to visit hostelries  and music houses one night in the tiny town of Ballydehob. And one of the tours features a famous knifemaker whose products are highly coveted.

Kate is reaching out to food writers and bloggers in the UK, and we hope they will join us. We have done our best to make the price reasonable to entice you. We can take only 15 people for this intimate workshop, so please book now to avoid disappointment. I know it seems far away, but you’ll get our Early Bird pricing by booking early.

So for now I’ll just say “Feicfidh mé go luath thú,” or see you soon in Ireland.

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You might also like:

• More about the food scene: 5 Reasons Cork Tastes Amazing
• Years ago I went to Ireland for an unforgettable series of workshops and events