Food On The Edge is the internationally-influential two-day convention that has taken place annually in Ireland since 2015. The eighth Food On The Edge 2023 will take place on the 16th and 17th of October 2023 in Airfield Estate Dundrum, Dublin.
A coming together of international chefs to listen, talk and debate about the future of food in our industry and on our planet, previous speakers have included Elena Arzak, Albert Adrià, Alex Atala, Massimo Bottura, Ana Rôs, Magnus Nilsson and many more visionary, change-promoting chefs.
Food On The Edge has won Food Event of the Year by respected Irish food writers John and Sally McKenna.
While 2023 themes are to be announced the main Food On The Edge 2022 themes were:
- Disruption
- Regeneration
Key Spokesperson: JP McMahon, FOTE Founder and Symposium Director
How and why was Food On The Edge created?
“Food On The Edge was created primarily to promote Irish food to a global audience. I wanted to bring top class international chefs to Ireland so that the Irish food community could learn from them and that they in turn could learn from us. I also wanted to educate Irish chefs on the importance of using our own local produce.”
What is the added value of FOTE compared with other international food symposiums?
“Food On The Edge has a real sense of place here in the west of Ireland, and it specifically showcases the stunning Irish produce that both the land and the sea provides us with. Food On The Edge is more than just a two day symposium — the itinerary for the international chefs that attend the event also includes a two-day expedition during which they visit numerous different producers and locations, and we take them on a deep dive of our Irish food culture.”
What is the main impact of FOTE?
“Food On The Edge has given the Irish gastronomic community more confidence in the quality of our own produce and shown people that we don’t need to look outside of ourselves — we have world-class ingredients right here on our doorstep.”
How is Food On The Edge resourced?
“Food On The Edge is dual-funded — both privately and via sponsorship. We work hard to secure public and private funding, but a significant amount of the funding for the event comes from my other projects and businesses.”
About JP McMahon
JP McMahon is culinary director of Michelin-star Aniar Restaurant and Cava Bodega. He also runs the Aniar Boutique Cookery School. Aniar has been awarded a Michelin star every year since 2013. JP is one of Ireland’s foremost food leaders and a prominent advocate for local food, food sustainability, food education and food ethics. He is committed to buying and supporting the best of local, sustainable produce and engaging directly with small farmers. Promoting and changing the face of Irish food is a topic high on his agenda. The Restaurant Association of Ireland awarded him All-Ireland Local Food Hero 2016.
Jp’s other accomplishments include being a Network Leader for the global Cook It Raw project, the Ambassador for Spanish Food in Ireland, a Commissioner for Euro-Toques Ireland on whose Food Council he sits, as well as Director and Founder of Galway Food Festival. Jp took part in the Collaborative Dinner at the inaugural touRRoir Hall of Fame.
He is a published author and writer with two books, Tapas: A Taste of Spain in Ireland, his first published work, and An Irish Cookbook, published by Phaidon in February 2020 and Alphabet of Aniar published March 2023. A food writer too, JP has had a weekly column in The Irish Times. He is a regular contributor to national radio in Ireland, has regular slots on Irish RTÉ television, plus he was the winning mentor in the 2016 and 2015 RTÉ television series Taste Of Success.
About the Food on the Edge Ambassador Programme
The Food On The Edge Ambassador Programme was launched at FOTE London 2019. Six people who are changing the landscape of Irish food and exemplifying the FOTE ethos are selected each year to be FOTE Ambassadors. The Ambassadors will be invited to speak as a group at FOTE on the work they are doing, as well as receiving a two-day ticket to FOTE and a profile on the FOTE website.
Website: www.foodontheedge.ie
Twitter: @foodontheedge | @mistereatgalway
Instagram: @foodontheedge | @mistereatgalway
Facebook: @foodontheedge
