The Food On The Edge symposium – which attracts many of the top chefs across the world to the city – will be going ‘full steam ahead’ next October, even though it may be without Fáilte Ireland funding this year.
Now in its third year Food on the Edge (FOTE), the symposium will take place in the Black Box Theatre on the Headford Road on the Monday and Tuesday of October 9 and 10 next – this year it will feature Netflix stars, Magnus Nilsson and Ana Roš.
For the first two years of the symposium, the project was backed on a start-up basis by Fáilte Ireland providing annual grants estimated to be in the region of €50,000 – however this year, FOTE, are understood to have secured major independent sponsorship.
Fáilte Ireland told the Galway City Tribune that the Food On The Edge symposium had been backed by them over the past two years as a start-up project under their Festivals and Events Fund.
“We advised Food On The Edge last year, that for year three of the symposium, they would need to submit an application for funding for the 2017 event. As of last week, we had received no such application,” said a spokesperson for Fáilte Ireland.
A spokesperson for FOTE declined to make any comment on the Fáilte Ireland issue, but said that there would be an official announcement next week as regards new sponsors coming on board.
“This convention, now in its third year, will be a coming together of international chefs to listen, talk and debate about the future of food in the industry and on the planet.
“It has proven to be a ‘magic mix’ of location, people and great food. Our aim is to create a welcoming space where chefs and food producers could discuss the future of food,” said the spokesperson.
The driving force behind FOTE has been local restaurateur, author and chef, JP McMahon – a ‘food champion’ for Fáilte Ireland in the past.
One of his restaurants – Aniar in Dominick Street – has been awarded a Michelin Star for the past five years, including 2017.
About 50 chefs normally take part in the event and last year the line-up of speakers included world renowned master-chefs such Elena Arzak, Albert Adria and Massimo Bottura.
A two-day ‘early bird’ ticket for this year’s event (to be booked before July 31) costs €350, that includes access to all talks, lunches and entry to final ‘wrap party’.
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