Taste of Dublin Festival

[DavidH]

[Taste of Dublin website]

I was at this last year and was able to sample quite a bit of whiskey. Hard to tell if there will be the same opportunity this year. Anyone know if the Celtic Whiskey Shop will be there again? The Irishman? Others?

[Michael Foggarty]

I might know the anwser to this one!

Celtic Whiskey Shop attending? No

Cooley attending? Not sure, but i dont think so

As for the others, i have no idea.

In what is the worst is the worst financial situation for years, the people at taste have increased prices for the stall holder and also reduced their profit making ability( the stupid currency they call florins, they took 10% of it from us, this year they want 15% and wont allow any cash transactions).

Coupled with the fact that to keep the numbers up they are giving away a record number of freebies, problem with that is, people on complimentary tickets rarely spend money.

Its a shame, because i was really looking forward to working a 100 hour week again! no seriously that how many hours i put into it last year. I was also looking forward to mixing and shaking some lovely cocktails!

Ah well Beers of the World is on in Birmingham the same weekend so i know where im heading now!

[DavidH]

Coupled with the fact that to keep the numbers up they are giving away a record number of freebies, problem with that is, people on complimentary tickets rarely spend money.

How does one get a complimentary ticket? It's only worth going if you get into it free since you have to keep shelling out once inside to get the small dishes and glasses of wine. Otherwise it's €25 just to be advertised to.

[Michael Foggarty]

Most complimentary tickets go to the trade etc

Last year we were given a few which we passed on to some of our wholesale customers, i would imaging they would have given us even more this year.

Also i think colleges that run catering/bar management course get loads, which brings up my point of not spending, skint students and all that .

I would estimate about 5000 free tickets for this year maybe more

Freebie or not im not going.

[John]

Hi David,

For what it's worth, I was at this festival last year and to be honest it would take a serious marketing drive on the organiser's part to get me to go back. Economically, it was almost another era of course, but I remember feeling at the time that it was one big rip-off, and more importantly, a tremendous lost opportunity for those responsible for promoting Irish food and drink as well as the businesses whose products they were promoting.

In much the same vane, did anyone here go to the last Septemberfest in the Phoenix Park? Talk about history repeating itself! The criminal issue with this 'festival' was that they already had a very well tried and tested prototype to work off by way of the German Octoberfest. Despite that, they still managed to attract a fraction of food and drink producers (Cooley's were there, Porterhouse, and a few others), and the prices were as expensive - if not more expensive than - the high street prices, which I found completly mind-boggling! The general organisation of the event was poor, it had an almost parochial feel to it and I believe it did nothing for those who were trying to make a name for themselves. Why Bord Bia supported it I will never know.

Just my two cents!
John.