This year’s festival season kicks off today with the West Waterford Festival of Food here in Dungarvan. This is a highlight of the year here in Dungarvan when chefs, producers and punters all come together for a huge range of events – from Dining Experiences to Trails and Tours, Discussion to Hands On events and of course our entertainment schedule and markets over the weekend.

Again this year we have organised an event with a bit of a twist – in the form of a Comedy Grub Club this Saturday night. We got on to our buddy Danny Dowling who got on to his buddy Joe Rooney and both will be performing their own brand of comedy in a double-header show.

Danny Dowling – Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Danny will be doing his current show Winner Winner Chicken Dinner in which, apparently, one lucky person will go home with a chicken (stay with us!) and Joe will be doing his stand up material and also getting the guitar out to amuse and entertain. Grub will be in the form of chicken wings (plus vegetarian option) provided by Lawlor’s Hotel and entry includes a pint of Dungarvan Brewing Company beer. Tickets still available online from the festival’s website.

Joe Rooney

But that’s not all!

We’ll also be a stop off for the Bus Bia Beer and Seafood Tour, and on Sunday Cormac and Tom will be taking part in the Talking Food chats – discussing the rise of the craft beer scene in Ireland in the newly-opened upstairs craft bar at Merry’s Gastro Pub.  Our beers will also be on promo about the town, with all of our stockists having them on offer for the duration of the festival.  Lots of restaurants are using the beers on their menus as well – try some Black Rock Chocolate Cake at Interlude, Helvick Gold Battered Fish at The Moorings or some Coffee and Oatmeal Marshmallows from Cloud Confectionary at the Sunday Market.

We’ve also been busy with new installations around town, with a tap currently being installed in The Anchor Bar on the Quay giving you another place to enjoy our keg-conditioned beer. Full list of local stockists is as follows:

The Tannery – full bottled range

Merry’s Gastro Pub
Handpumps: Mahon Falls, Comeragh Challenger
Tap: Helvick Gold (upstairs bar)Full bottled range

The Moorings
Handpump: Helvick Gold
Full bottled range

Interlude – full bottled range

Indian Ocean – full bottled range

The Anchor
Tap: Helvick Gold
Full bottled range

The Lady Belle
Tap: Helvick Gold
Full bottled range

The Local – full bottled range

Downey’s Bar – full bottled range

Nude Food – full bottled range

Lawlor’s Hotel – full bottled range

Gold Coast Hotel – full bottled range

And you’ll find our bottled range in these off-licences:
Twomey’s Eurospar
Nugent’s Centra
Walsh’s Spar
Garvey’s Supervalu

Apart from our own events, we’re looking forward to hanging out at the festival, having dinner in The Tannery and going to see Tomie James’s show Super Organic Me on Sunday after spending time at the huge festival market. And there might be time to take in a beer or two.

And when Monday morning rolls around it’ll be straight into preparations for the Franciscan Well Easter Beer Festival.