Blas Na Gaillimhe, A Taste of Galway, is celebrating the unique hospitality on offer in Galway with a range of events this month.
The network was set up by a small group of city restaurateurs with support from the wider community as well as Galway County and City Councils to promote the year-round food scene and food stories of Galway.
Upcoming events include Savour the Wild Atlantic Way, a five-course dinner highlighting producers along the Wild Atlantic Way including Killary Mussels, Connemara spring lamb, fresh Atlantic cod, Irish cream liqueur and more.
The evening takes place on May 18 in Tom Sheridan’s Bar and Restaurant, Knocknacarra. Tickets are priced at €49.95 per person.
Also on May 18 is With Cheese Please: Galway Food Tours Gets Cheesy!
This is a unique ‘Meet The Maker’ evening where Teresa Roche of Kylemore Cheese will give a talk about her journey while sampling some of her cheeses.
Galway Food Tours will then host a short walk to one of Galway’s favourite restaurants for a dinner with wine pairing and finish the evening off with a nightcap in a very special local bar. Tickets are €100 per person, and the event takes place on May 18 at 6pm.
Another very tasty event is Phi Schiano Pop Up, by Phi — the fine dining at home experience, founder Damian Martin and Aniar Restaurant’s Claudio Schiano.
The menu will have a strong focus on sustainable cooking and zero waste while also having a fun ‘Sunday Dinner’ theme. Sittings are at 4pm and 7pm on 21 May, priced at €75 per person, or €50 extra for a wine pairing.
Irish Cheese and Piedmontese Wine Tasting and Talk takes place in Sheridan’s Wine Bar, Market Street, at €50 per person on May 24 from 7pm to 9pm, funded by Galway City Council.
On Friday, May 26, a special event, Feeding European Young Minds: High-End Dinner From Food Waste, will be hosted by Kai Restaurant – in collaboration with Student Pantry.
This event takes place in Massimo’s: Soul Garden. The tickets are €55 per person. Proceeds will be donated to The Student Pantry, University of Galway.
A lunchtime event, A Taste of Galway Bay at Galway Bay Seafoods is from 12.30pm until 2pm on May 27.
A talk by Galway Bay Seafoods on sustainable fishing will be followed by a visit to the Galway Hooker Restoration Workshop, finishing with a lunch prepared by chef and author Martin Ruffley and chef Gavin Gleeson.
Food lovers will get to sample a seafood taster menu including a seafood taster lunch, with lobster, crab, shellfish and a glass of wine, while learning about some of Galway’s most treasured history, as well as practices used by local fishermen to preserve and protect Galway Bay’s natural habitats.
The price is €15 per person, with all proceeds donated to RNLI Galway, and the event runs from 12.30pm until 2pm.
If you want to continue the learning, also taking place afternoon of May 27, head over to Beechlawn Organic Farm in Ballinasloe for a Biodiversity Walk with Beechlawn.
It will consist of a brief welcome and walk through their farm focussing on organic farming methods that encourage and protect pollinators, wildlife habitat and biodiversity.
Tickets are €10 for adults, €5 for students and OAPs. Children have free admission.
The following day, May 28, there is a Pop-Up Bao Bar in Aniar between 12pm to 8pm. No booking is necessary for this one.
If escaping from the hustle and bustle is more your scene, Connemara Retreats are holding a seaweed-infused weekend away, Indulge Your Senses In South Connemara, in partnership with Galway County Council, taking place from May 19 to 21 in Lettermullen.
Founding Member and Galway restaurant owner, JP McMahon said: “Blas Na Gaillimhe, the new food network for Galway, grew out of the previous Galway Food Festival initiative, as a way to cement Galway’s vibrant food and hospitality scene.”
“It hopes to build on the legacy created by the previous food festival and establish a fertile space for future food enthusiasts.
“We see Blas Na Bealtaine as being an integral part of that vision and hope every year that the May festival gets bigger and better.”
