Galway is set for a €1 million windfall this weekend when 10,000 visitors arrive in the city for BakeFest Galway.
The two day festival is now in its second year and takes place in Leisureland from 10am on Saturday and Sunday. The event is Ireland’s biggest baking festival and competition and some of Ireland’s top chefs will be in attendance sharing their baking skills and secrets.
The event drew almost 11,000 people to the city last year and raised much needed funds for local charities and causes. Organisers are confident that the spin-off to the city will be in excess of €1 million
BakeFest Galway is a family-centred event with a strong focus on re-instilling traditions and time spent together when baking. Jennie Browne of Goodness Cakes and co-director of BakeFest Galway said this week that BakeFest Galway has always been about inspiration.
“It is about getting you back into your kitchen and passing down traditions which create happy memories, like licking the spoon, or recipes that have been passed down through generations of your family. It’s about linking the chain from your milk and eggs, to your local fruit and veg supplier. Supporting your local producers has a huge impact and we should all try harder to support small businesses. BakeFest Galway 2013 was such an over-whelming success with over 10,600 people through the doors and this year our festival promises to be even bigger and better,” she said.
Celebrity chefs will include Lilly Higgins, Irish Times food columnis; Edward Hayden- TV3; Catherine Leyden - TV3 /Odlum; RTE’s Ali Honour; Sally McKenna publisher of McKenna’s Guide; Nessa Robins author of Apron Strings and renowned columnist and international TV Chef Stuart O Keeffe of Stuarts Kitchen and NBCs “Food Fighters” will also be in attendance.
A not to be missed event in the Goodall’s Kitchen Theatre this year is the “Live Bake Off” by some of The Great Irish Bake off Contestants 2014.
Also looking forward to returning to the family friendly two-day event is columnist and baking author Lilly Higgins who is promising a little exclusive for her much-anticipated demonstration.
“ I was delighted to be part of the first ever BakeFest Galway last year. There was incredible support for the event, bakers of all ages came. I was blown away by the amount of people attending. The aisles were a hive of activity with people chatting, swopping recipes, buying baking supplies, cakes, jams and books. The demos went so well and there was a large audience keen to learn the tricks of the trade. The ACT for Meningitis team organised everything meticulously. It felt so laid back, but ran so smoothly. It was an honour to be involved with such a great charity and I look forward to Bake Fest 2014”.
Organised by Goodness Cakes in association with ACT for Meningitis, Bake Fest Galway will see all funds generated going towards the meningitis awareness charity.
ACT for Meningitis is a non-profit organisation established in 2011 by Siobhán and Noel Carroll, who in 2008 lost their daughter Aoibhe (four ) to meningitis. Since losing Aoibhe, Siobhán and Noel believe there is an urgent need to increase awareness and educate people around the signs and symptoms of Meningitis. The charity also supports anyone in Ireland affected by the illness.
