A brand new food & drink festival, Bia Bundoran, is set to take place in the seaside town of Bundoran from Friday September 20th to Sunday September 22nd 2019.
Announced last January as part of the new season for Discover Bundoran, the food & drink festival will celebrate and showcase the wide and varied range of food and drink available in the town. The festival will form part of the national offering from Failte Ireland’s “Taste The Island” initiative.
Many of the Bundoran food providers will present special offers and discounts on their menus or dishes, while others will host special events across the weekend to highlight the fact that diners need not wander too far in search of tasty cuisine.
Events include wine tasting at Fitzgerald’s Bistro, a food and foto tour whereby participants can learn how to take better photos of their food for social media, a gin master class with an expert from the Sliabh Liag distillery, a tour of the community garden to learn what grows in Bundoran and a family friendly foraging talk with Forager Fred. Download a copy of the brochure here.
Declan Madden, Laura Hardaker, Aine McIntyre, Sinead Fox and Megan Gallagher who are all taking part in the new Bia Bundoran Food & Drink Festival
Bundoran Tourism Officer Shane Smyth who is coordinating the event said ‘there’s a huge demand for food events and it’s been something that has been missing from the Calendar of Events for some time now. We have been delighted with the enthusiasm shown by the various food providers in Bundoran who have embraced the need for this type of event. We are blessed with so many food and drink offerings in the town from home grown and home baked goods to specialised coffee shops and quirky cafes that offer a wonderful choice to residents and visitors alike. We look forward to seeing everyone for our first Bia Bundoran weekend this September.’
The weekend will also see the launch of the limited edition Roguey Pale Ale from Ballyshannon based Donegal Brewing Company named after the popular bracing cliffside walk in Bundoran. It captures the refreshment you feel as you stroll this stunning headland with its breathtaking views of Donegal Bay on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Bundoran Tourism Officer Shane Smyth with Brendan O’Reilly of the Donegal Brewing Company
Brendan O’Reilly of Donegal Brewing Company in Ballyshannon, brewers of the Roguey Pale Ale, said ‘we’ve been working with Discover Bundoran for the past number of months on a beer that is unique to the town and that we could launch as part of the new Bia Bundoran Food & Drink festival.
‘We’re delighted to have come up with a pale ale named after one of the most famous walks in the county. It will be available as a limited edition for the weekend of Bia Bundoran in various outstle across Bundoran in bottle and on tap.’
“The Birth of Roguey Pale Ale” – Beer Tasting & Brewery Tour
Shane Smyth added ‘we are absolutely thrilled to have a new Bundoran beer exclusive to the festival – one that will celebrate the uniqueness of the locality and of course the warm welcome that awaits you here! I’d like to thank Brendan and the team at Donegal Brewing Company for their cooperation in making this happen. There’s lots of different food and drink-related events across the weekend and we’re delighted that so many of the food trade in town have come on board for the very first Bia Bundoran.”
Many of the events require pre-booking and information on these can be found on the website www.discoverbundoran.com/bia where a copy of the festival programme can also be downloaded. Information will also be available in all participating venues.