Word from the West

West of Ireland food writer Anne Marie Carroll fills us in on the latest good food news from Galway: Food On The Edge Set To Return

'Food On The Edge', held in Galway last October, is set to return again this year with even more international leaders from the culinary world.

Following on from the success of the inaugural symposium in 2015, the lineup of speakers has already been announced for 2016. Last year’s event saw forty of the worlds best chefs address over 350 audience members each day.

Attendees included food enthusiasts, chefs, restaurateurs and some of Ireland’s biggest names in food, among them Darina Allen, Neven Maguire, our own Georgina Campbell and a host of others who cited it as an unmissable and inspirational food learning event for anyone interested in food and how we eat.

The official 2016 launch took place in Copenhagen on 25th April. The symposium creator and director, JP McMahon, launched this year’s event at Amass Restaurant surrounded by Nordic chefs Matt Orlando, Christian Puglisi and Sasu Laukkonen (above right).

Last year Galway welcomed many world renowned Nordic chefs, including Icelandic chef Gunnar Karl Gislason, Danish chef Mads Refslund and Swedish chef Mikael Jonsson, part of the group of international chefs at the symposium which included talks, presentations, networking, entertainment and tastings in the heart of Galway City.

The first official 2016 speaker will be Peruvian chef Diego Munoz (right) who also delivered a talk at the launch on the subject of sustainability in the fishing industry. He said, “It's really important that chefs move out of the kitchen to research in order to understand the production process. It's about time that we kept a close eye on our natural resources, they are the core of our gastronomy. For me, it’s the farmers and producers who are the new leaders of the gastronomical movement, and we as chefs need to work and interact more closely with them. The future of food and its sustainability are core themes of 'Food On The Edge' and ones that I am passionate about.”

There are also a number of exciting Nordic chefs already confirmed for this year’s 'Food On The Edge' including Swedish chef Magnus Ek of 'Oaxen Krog' which in a few years has become one of Sweden’s most renowned gourmet restaurants and chef Christian Puglisi who opened restaurant 'Relae’ in Copenhagen and was awarded a Michelin star in 2012.

Matt Orlando (below right), chef and owner of 'Amass' started his cooking career in San Diego, California at the age of fifteen and worked his way up the ranks. He was Head Chef in 'Noma' before opening Amass in 2013. Matt attended and spoke at Food On The Edge last year: “Food On The Edge encourages us to take a look at the bigger picture by asking us the question - how will we be cooking in the future and with what kind of ingredients? It gives us a fantastic opportunity to network and debate important food issues, ideas and concepts with our peers from around the world.”

JP commented that the first Food on the Edge in 2015 surpassed all his expectations: “It was an incredible almost surreal experience. Each chef was given the opportunity to deliver topics that centred on the future of food - they discussed their ideas, shared their fears, their dreams, their dreads and regrets from their careers. There was a core theme, however, which resonated strongly across the two days and that was “responsibility”. Responsibility in the way we source food, waste food, fish for food and supply food was passionately debated. The speakers are chosen for their passion, drive, and ability to inspire chefs around the world. They are leaders that we look up to for inspiration. It is important for us to create a sense of continuity. Rather than only invite new chefs to discuss the future of food, each year a number of past speakers will return to reflect on their previous presentation and assess the change or development of their thought and practice.”

As the line-up continues to build, more speakers are included and there is a new addition of an Expert Panel Discussion. Speakers confirmed include Daniel Burns, currently one of the hottest chefs in New York city who owns 'Luksus'; Shaun Hill, who owns the renowned restaurant 'The Walnut Tree' in Wales; and Tim Hollingsworth who recently opened the three star 'Otium' in Los Angeles. The prolific Massimo Bottura, Italian restaurateur and chef patron of 'Osteria Francescana', a three-star restaurant in Modena, Italy, will also be speaking on the subject of the future of food.

Food On The Edge 2016 takes place in Galway on 24th & 25th October, ticket price includes lunch on both days, entry to a party on Monday night where the audience can meet and mingle with the speakers. Early bird tickets are available until July, priced at €350, (normal price ‚€400) at www.foodontheedge.ie

A full List of confirmed speakers for the 2016 event can be found at www.foodontheedge.ie/speakers.html with more yet to be added. #FOTE2016 @foodontheedge 

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Anne Marie Carroll is a freelance food writer and member of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild who lives in Galway with her husband and two children. 

With a background in design and illustration, Anne Marie made the switch to journalism with a regular food and wine column in The Galway Advertiser. Her work now mainly focuses on restaurant reviews, writing and editing recipes, the development of food photo shoots, including styling and photography. She also writes for a number of other publications and works as a consultant for small producers, food retailers and restaurants.

Anne Marie writes about all things food from the West of Ireland at her blog, Warm & Snug & Fat. You can also find her on twitter as @Biscuits4ABear