Ballymaloe litfest was yet again a wonderful weekend. An utter success of bringing together quality conversation and spectacular food. Simultaneously filling the mind and the stomach, whilst leaving you  wondering which was in control of which! You might ask 'what was the highlight of the weekend?’ Could it be having the chance to chat with Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully about their book Nopi, The Hare's Corner and what the best pomegranates are? Perhaps it was as simple as waiting to be served a delicious pint of Green Bullet from Mountain Man Brewery Co. at the bar while having a chat to the very owners and brewers themselves. This only transpired after I had ordered, which gave me the wonderful sense of having passed an important exam without studying for it at all! I could easily pin my highlight on simply indulging in one quality eating experience after another. Jumping from The Rocketman to My Goodness to Diva's Bakery. Finding a quality tonic water made in Ireland was a relief and seeing our native Irish honey bees represented by Coolmore Bees was a joy. All of these things made this weekend memorable.

So what about those little influential brown envelopes? Well they seem to have done their job. The highlight was without doubt the opportunity of being interviewed on stage in the grainstore by John Mackenna. Having the chats about soil health, bee seeds and gut intelligence tied up the whole experience beautifully.

The Hare's Corner here by says a big thank you to Ballymaloe litfest and all those who engaged in the conversation about where we are and where we want to go, culturally and culinarily.

On stage at Ballymaloe with John Mackenna.