Taste the Island - A Celebration of Ireland's Food and Drink - 2019 Buyers Guide

Day 3: Wicklow to Kilkenny (Ireland’s Ancient East) – (82km/1.15min) Morning Blackstairs Eco Trails www.blackstairsecotrails.ie (2hrs) Join the Blackstairs Eco Trail on a two hour walk on the wild side picking wild safe edible food and cooking up treats to set your tastebuds dancing whilst discovering the secret life of the Blackstairs Mountains in County Carlow, Ireland. On this tour you will also learn about birds, flora, fungi, mammals and butterflies of the area. Export guides will lead you on an unhurried, relaxing eco walk – low hills to no hills! Smithwicks Experience www.smithwicksexperience.com (1hr) Harvested from our land, seasoned by our history, Smithwick’s has been brewed here in Ireland since 1710. Enjoying your favourite Smithwick’s Ale, while one of the local staff explains what makes it so unique, makes this one of the most enjoyable tours in Ireland. Lunch in Kilkenny Design A little Retail therapy of Irish Craft and Artisan Food Producers with Lunch at Kilkenny Design www.kilkennydesign.com Kilkenny Design is part of Kilkenny’s Castle Yard, built in the 1780s by the Butlers, Earls of Ormonde, as the coach houses and stables of historic Kilkenny Castle. Kilkenny DesignWorkshops were also established in the Castle Yard in the 1960s, staffed by bright, young international designers, craftspeople, design graduates and apprentices, the workshops’ remit was to improve design and manufacturing standards in Ireland. The government-funded design research and development centre of excellence revolutionised Irish Design with lasting impact. Today the Castle Yard is also home to the National Design and Craft Gallery, one of Ireland’s most exciting artistic venues. Kilkenny Design includes a retail store presenting the finest Irish Craft, Design and Artisan Foods for sale as well as offering modern Irish and European cuisine in a self- service café experience upstairs, while their ‘Anocht’ Restaurant (Open Thurs-Sat Evenings) offers a unique fine dining experience in one of Kilkenny’s Most beautiful dining settings, overlooking the Castle, using the best of local ingredients and featuring craft beers and artisanal local spirits. Afternoon Kilkenny Food Tours www.kilkennyfoodietours.ie/Dinner Options (3hrs) Offering food tasting and cultural walking tours through Kilkenny’s medieval narrow streets and alleyways. On the tours, you visit local artisan food producers and meet the owners who share their insight on the delicious tastes found in this historic city. Kilkenny was voted Foodie Destination of the Year in 2018 by the Restaurants Association of Ireland. Come experience this renowned food destination for yourself with our fun and informative tours. From world-class produce and exceptional seafood to unbeatable whiskey, there is so much to discover in our local restaurants, eateries, and distilleries. Get to know this foodie’s paradise on our walking food tours! Enjoy the sights along our beautiful streets, taste your way through Kilkenny, and familiarize yourself with its culinary traditions. OR Visit a Trout Farm – Goatsbridge Trout www.goatsbridgetrout.ie (Available for Pre-Booked groups) The Story of Goatsbridge began over 800 years ago in 1180, when the Monks of Jerpoint Abbey near Thomastown, Co Kilkenny fished in the fast flowing waters of The Little Article River in the heart of The Nore Valley. In 1961 this river gave life to the creation Goatsbridge first fish ponds; running through the family farm lands which is now one of Ireland’s best known trout farms and exporters of fresh water trout and trout products which today includes Smoked Trout fillets, a smoked trout Pate and the infamous Goatsbridge Trout caviar. The Kirwan family Trout Farm organises farm tours for groups where visitors can learn about the traditional trout farming system, the art of smoking and processing, as well as the family history and the heritage behind the company. 148 SECT ION 14 – SUGGESTED I T INERARI ES