Taste of Cavan festival cancelled for 2020

 

The hugely successful Taste of Cavan food festival is to take a hiatus in 2020, as the producer-led Cavan Food Network charts an what has been described as an “exciting new direction” for Cavan food going forward.

Having greatly increased the profile of Cavan food over the past eight years, providing an important platform for growth both for local producers and supporting jobs in the agri-food sector, Cavan County Council and the Taste of Cavan committee have taken a decision to re-evaluate the event format.

This, a Council spokesperson informed The Anglo-Celt, is so to afford the Cavan Food Network the required “space and time to develop a new vision” for the promotion of the Cavan food product, from flagship events, to branding, and beyond.

Chair of the Taste of Cavan Committee, Elizabeth Ormiston said the time was right for a change. “Last year’s event was the biggest Taste of Cavan yet and we are immensely proud of the outstanding work that has gone into making this such a tremendous showcase for local food, but it was important for us to stay ahead of the curve and realise when a change was needed, and now that the Cavan Food Network is up and running, there’s no better time to take a step back and re-imagine the future of Cavan food”.

Brendan Jennings, Director of Service for Planning, Community, and Economic Development with Cavan County Council, stated also: “A mark of the event’s success is that many of the local products that could only be bought at markets and shows when Taste of Cavan first took place, can now be bought in major retail outlets, not only in Cavan, but nationwide”.

He meanwhile added the Council's appreciation, by paying tribute to the many volunteers, chefs, producers, sponsors, and members of the the public, who supported the event over the past eight years. “I look forward to the next exciting chapter in the Cavan food story,” said Mr Jennings.

Cavan Food Co-ordinator Deirdre Donnelly noted that while the Taste of Cavan would not go ahead in 2020, there was much to look forward to in the weeks and months to come, starting with an exciting news regarding the county's food strategy on February 26.

“Watch this space – we have lots of exciting developments lined up that will reflect that amazing innovation and energy that abounds in the Cavan food sector,” said Ms Donnelly.

“Cavan County Council is committed to continuing our investment in this space, and we are looking forward to continuing to work with the industry locally to grow the Cavan food product.”