The official launch of Food On The Edge 2017 took place on Monday the 8th of May in Robin Gill’s Paradise Garage in London. Food On The Edge is an annual two-day symposium held in the city of Galway on the west coast of Ireland. The symposium’s aim is to generate debate, discussion and thought leadership on the future of food both in the industry and on the planet. The 2017 dates are the 9th and 10th of October.
JP McMahon, Food On The Edge symposium director said, “We are delighted that London is the location for our launch this year. It is such an important city for Irish chefs learning and honing their cooking skills. We are very much looking forward to welcoming attendees and speakers to the third year of Food On The Edge. We will continue to share the message of the strength of Irish food to our international speakers and visitors and, at the same time, provide a platform for improving and educating our chefs at home.”
Signature snacks at the launch were prepared by Bob Bob Ricard executive chef and Irish woman Anna Haugh, pork aficionado Chef Tom Adams of Pitt Cue Co, Irish chef JP McMahon of Aniar Restaurant and founder of Food On The Edge, plus another Irish man, Robin Gill, who kindly hosted the event, while Chef Nathan Outlaw delighted with an oyster snack. Drinks served were by Food On The Edge partners Estrella Damm, San Pellegrino and Findlater & Co.
Speakers at the launch included the Irish Ambassador to Great Britain Mr Dan Mulhall, as well as previous Food On The Edge attendees, namely Robin Gill, Nathan Outlaw and Matt Orlando, who spoke of their experiences of the symposium and how they were professionally and personally impacted by it.
JP McMahon then went on to reveal the full list of confirmed speakers to date. New additions to previously announced speakers include Kamilla Seidler, head chef at Claus Meyer’s Gustu Restaurant in Bolivia, renowned UK chef Daniel Clifford of Midsummer House, Helsinki’s wild herbs specialist and chef Sami Tallberg, author, investigative journalist and food evangelist Joanna Blythman, plus more. The full line-up is available here.
The new additions add to the already impressive line-up which includes cult chefs and stars of the Netflix series Chef’s Table, namely Nordic chef Magnus Nilsson of Fäviken, Slovenian chef and winner of 2016 Best Female Chef in The World Ana Roš of Hiša Franko restaurant, plus trailblazer Niki Nakayama, owner of n/naka restaurant in Los Angeles.
Chefs Paul Cunningham of Henne Kirkeby Kro in Denmark, Torsten Vildgaard of STUD!O restaurant in Copenhagen, Ashley Palmer-Watts, Head Chef at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, New York-based Danish star chef Bo Bech of Geist restaurant in Copenhagen, Emma Bengtsson, executive chef at two-starred Scandinavian restaurant Aquavit, author Kat Kinsman, a food and drinks editor and founder of the mental health awareness website Chefs With Issues, Austrian chef Heinz Reitbauer of two-star Steirereck restaurant in Vienna, and Enrico Crippa of Piazza Duomo in Piedmont, Italy, are just some of the ground-breaking chefs due to speak.
Other confirmed speakers are Soenil Bahadoer of De Lindhof in The Netherlands, Nicolai Nørregaard of Kadeau in Denmark, Sven Elverfeld of three star Aqua in Wolfsburg, Germany, ex-Noma chefs Samuel Nutter and Victor Wagman of BROR in Copenhagen, Tom Adams of Pitt Cue Co in London, Bertrand Grébaut of Septime restaurant in Paris, locavore chef James Viles of Biota restaurant in Bowral, Australia, and Margot Janse of The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français in South Africa, plus more.
The 2017 Food On The Edge venue is the Black Box Theatre, which is located along the banks of the River Corrib in Galway city on the west coast of Ireland. The event on the 9th and 10th of October will be a mix of 15-minute talks by speakers, panel discussions and masterclass sessions.
A 2-day ticket costs €350 (£300) which includes access to all talks plus lunches and entry to the infamous wrap party. Organisers say tickets are selling fast, with a sell-out show last year and the year before. Organisers are asking that tickets are purchased soon to avoid disappointment.
Returning sponsors and partners for 2017 include Bord Bia (Irish Food Board), San Pellegrino, La Rousse Foods and Estrella Damm.
For more information see www.foodontheedge.ie. Follow the official hashtag #FOTE2017 for regular updates.
Main pic: JP McMahon (second from left) with guest chefs (l-r) Nathan Outlaw, Anna Haugh and Robin Gill. Clockwise from top left: JP welcomes Pierre Koffmann to the London launch; chef Douglas McMaster of Silo Brighton; JP catches up with chef James Petrie; very special guest, Ireland’s Ambassador to Great Britain Dan Mulhall; London-based chef and best-selling food author Jordan Bourke. Photos: Nic Crilly-Hargrave
