With under two weeks to go until Food On The Edge 2021 kicks off at Airfield Estate, Dundrum, the full line of speakers has been announced. The talks will include a mix of in-house and virtual speakers from around the world and from the best of Irish culinary voices in a ‘blended symposium’ format.
Highlights of this year’s event include owners of Septime Restaurant in Paris, Bertrand Grébaut and Theo Pourriat, who hold Number 15 in The World’s 50 Best list. Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse in California and one of the first pioneers of farm-to-fork dining, will join a discussion with Darina Allen and Michelle Darmody on the importance and challenges of food education for children. Virgilio Martinez, from Central Restaurante in Peru returns to Food on the Edge, this time speaking with his sister, Malena Martinez on food heritage in Peru. Malena is the Co-Director of Mater Iniciativa, an interdisciplinary gastronomic and cultural research organisation dedicated to conservation and education on Peru’s biodiversity. Equally as interesting and engaging are the 2021 Irish speakers which include Ella McSweeney on the food ecosystem and pollution, while young chef Cúán Greene speaks about his personal experience in social gastronomy.
JP McMahon, founder of Food on the Edge, said of this year’s event, “It’s a slightly different event from previous years in that we have had to create Food on the Edge 2021 during very unknown circumstances. As Food on the Edge 2021 is taking place before the next set of restrictions are lifted in Ireland, the symposium will take place in a stretch tent with some speakers joining us via video link. The venue for this year’s event is on the grounds of Airfield Estate and we are asking attendees to dress for the unpredictable nature of our October weather. While the location and format of Food on the Edge may differ from previous years, the core of Food on the Edge remains the same. It presents a rare opportunity for those in our industry to learn from visionaries by hearing first hand about their struggles and triumphs, to network and build connections and enjoy an inspiring couple of days.”
“Personally, I am looking forward to hearing from all our speakers, including Garima Arora, the first female Michelin star chef in India, and how she overcame some significant challenges. May Chow is coming to us from Hong Kong, she has been named as Asia’s Best Female Chef. May will tell us about how she uses her profile to raise awareness about LGBT issues and helps women get work in professional kitchens.”
The Producer Food Village sponsored by La Rousse Foods will showcase food and drinks products from local food producers over the two days. A key partner of Food On The Edge 2021 is Gather & Gather who have returned to support the event for 2021 and who will once again feed the speakers, panelists, and delegates.
Tickets are €300 for two days and €175 for one day. Student discounts are available. Online streaming tickets are €95. Speakers and programme are subject to change.
The full line-up of speakers and the full programme is now available on the Food on the Edge website www.foodontheedge.ie. Tickets are also available to purchase from www.foodontheedge.ie. Follow the official hashtag #FOTE2021 for regular updates.
