Cork city is preparing for another five-day culinary celebration as “Cork on a Fork Fest” returns next week. Running from August 12 to 16, the festival will once again shine a light on Cork’s wonderful food heritage, vibrant hospitality and world-class artisan producers. Now firmly established as one of Ireland’s leading food festivals, “Cork on a Fork Fest” is organised by Cork City Council in partnership with local hospitality businesses, local chefs, food producers and tourism stakeholders. The festival, celebrated in “the food capital of Ireland”, showcases the local ingredients and region’s artisan producers along with the innovative chefs and thriving restaurant scene around the city.
This year, Cork Airport will officially participate in the festival programme by hosting ‘Flights & Bites’ on the airport plaza from 12:00 to 18:00 on Friday, August 14. The airport plaza will transform into a vibrant outdoor food market featuring some of well-known local food vendors, great coffee and sweet treats, and will all be accompanied by live music from renowned local singer-songwriter, Cathal Fitz. Flights & Bites Food Market is free to attend, with food and drink available on a pay-on-consumption basis. Whether passengers are jetting off or touching down, all are invited to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy a delicious taster of Cork’s wonderful food culture at the outdoor market.
Cork Airport is proud to be festival partner with the “Cork on a Fork Fest” through its Community Fund. The airport champions local, artisan food producers with an extensive range of produce on sale at Cork Airport Duty Free. In showcasing the wide variety of quality food products from the region, visitors departing from Cork Airport can bring a “taste of Cork” home with them – including iconic Cork foods like Clonakilty black pudding, Tom Durcan’s spiced beef, Barry’s Tea, Ballymaloe relish, Durrus cheeses, Good’s smoked salmon and Folláin jams, along with many locally produced gins, whiskeys and liqueurs.
Commenting on “Flights & Bites”, the Managing Director of Cork Airport, Niall MacCarthy, said: “Cork Airport is thrilled to be a partner of ‘“Cork on a Fork Fest”’, supported through our Community Fund. We never take for granted, the importance of quality food to the visitor experience and with over 60% of Irish artisan producers located in the wider Cork region, we are proud of that heritage. We commend Cork City Council for this food festival, which has now formed an important part of the visitor calendar for our region, and we encourage passengers travelling next Friday to enjoy some artisan food outside the terminal before their flight!”
Also commenting and thanking Cork Airport for its support of the festival, Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Damian Boylan added: “Cork on a Fork Fest” has become one of the highlights of our city’s event calendar, attracting visitors from across Ireland and beyond while celebrating the incredible food culture throughout our region. We are grateful to Cork Airport for its continued support of the festival through its Community Fund. As the first point of arrival for many visitors to Cork, the airport plays a vital role in promoting our city and region and helping us showcase the very best of what Cork has to offer.”
