Building on the success of their annual Food Awards and campaigns around raw milk cheese, high welfare pork and Irish honey, Euro-Toques Ireland have designed an event series to celebrate and spark conservation around Ireland’s winter bounty throughout the month of November.

It’s a Wild Game is a series of producer activities and dining events around the island of Ireland, where chefs celebrate Ireland’s winter bounty. Part of the Taste the Island celebrations, the events will focus on provenance, seasonality and the journey of the produce from farm, woodlands, waters, shores to plate.

Euro-Toques Ireland’s activities embrace and support the work of small artisan producers, including food producers and growers as well as makers of all things, from potters, knife makers to designers, illustrators and storytellers who help shape a national identity.

“We are excited to be part of Fáilte Ireland’s international Taste the Island celebrations, as it gives us as a chef and producer community the opportunity to share our core ethos with the wider public.” says Gareth Mullins, Euro-Toques Ireland Commissioner General.

Throughout the month of November, Euro-Toques Ireland is hosting three special day and evening experiences in three different member locations under the umbrella It’s a Wild Game:

• Sunday 17 November – Woodland Shoot, Seashore Forage and Winter Bounty Dinner with Euro-Toques Ireland chef member David O’Donnell at Belleek Castle (Ballina, Mayo). Tickets are priced at €150.00 for the day activities and dinner.
• Sunday 24 November – Stoneybatter Forage and Urban Bounty Dinner with Euro-Toques Ireland chef member Seáneen Sullivan at L.Mulligan Grocer (Stoneybatter, Dublin). Tickets are priced at €85.00 for the afternoon activities and dinner.
• Saturday 30 November – Producer Chats, Storytelling and Old World Winter Celebration with Euro-Toques Ireland chef member Paul Brady at Castle Grove House (Letterkenny, Donegal). Tickets are priced at €95.00 for the evening activities and dinner.

The key element of these special winter events will be Ireland’s winter bounty such wild game, fruits and produce from the woodlands, waters and the seashore. These once-off events are open to Euro-Toques members as well as the general public and will offer an immersive dining experience with activities that range from meeting producers, farmers, growers and makers to woodland walks, foraging and hunting. Further details and booking information is available on their website at www.euro-toques.ie/events.

Alongside these three events, Euro-Toques Ireland is hosting a national It’s a Wild Game celebration on Thursday 21 November 2019, where many of their chef members working in cafés, pubs, bistros and restaurants will offer either a special dish or a full menu experience showcasing Ireland’s wild game and the winter bounty. Some restaurants participating include: Ali’s Kitchen in Cork, Ashford Castle in Mayo, The Cottage in Leitrim, Croi restaurant in Kerry, The Lemon Tree in Donegal, The Marker Hotel and King Sitric in Dublin. Further information on all participating restaurants is available on their website at www.euro-toques.ie/events.

All Euro-Toques members and the wider public are encouraged to join in the online conversation using the hashtag #itsawildgame and #tastethelsland.