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PROUDLY SPONSORED BY BITESIZE WORDS Martina Murra
y PUMPKIN SPICE SAMHAIN FESTIVAL OF FOOD AND CULTURE The hospitable town of Kells is extending an invitation to those who like to wander a little at this time of year, to come and check out some of the events at Samhain Festival of Food and Culture, a weekend long celebration of Irish food and culture, past, present and future. The 2024 programme kicks off with an opening night reception featuring Carlingford Oysters and Stout, followed the next day by the festival’s annual symposium, chaired by writer and food advocate John McKenna. This year’s proceedings also include Food For The Soul, a magical evening in the company of playwright Deirdre Kinahan and musician Steve Wickham, as well as the buzzy Samhain Literary Pub Crawl. Billed as ‘a Literary Pub Crawl like no other’, it features a nice blend of wit, wisdom and craic at three friendly local establishments where visitors will be treated to a bite to eat, a local drink, and a series of literary readings that the organisers promise will ‘stir both heart and mind’. In addition to the perennially popular Long Table Supper, and a variety of farm walks and talks, Saturday and Sunday also sees the town play host to Sheridan’s Food Fair, featuring a lovely selection of their delicious signature cheeses alongside a fine array of other artisan goodies. The festival takes place from Thursday November 7th to Sunday November 10th, and tickets for individual events can be booked via boynevalleyflavours.ie As the season of mellow fruitfulness wends its way towards winter, a new, limited edition of Califia Farm’s Pumpkin Spice Latte offers lovers of the popular winter squash a chance to enjoy the traditional flavours of autumn straight from the fridge. The refreshing new offering features a tasty blend of smooth coffee, creamy almond and pumpkin puree that comes packed with the warming spiciness of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Given the ingredients involved it’s perhaps unsurprising to hear the gluten free bevvie being described as tasting like ‘Christmas in a glass’, while the flavoursome pour works great over ice-cream too. Available in Dunnes Stores, SuperValu and shops throughout the city. RRP €3.89. @CalifiaFarms DUBLIN STUDENT NOSH THE DARKER HALF The Dining Club sees chefs Kelly Keogh of Whitestown House and James Gabriel Martin of Leviathan join forces to curate a series of unique multi-course dining events with a focus on seasonality, heritage and story-telling. This month the duo are creating ‘The Darker Half ’, a brace of intimate dining experiences centred on a Samhain-inspired seven-course autumn feast. They’ll be paying homage to the heritage and folklore of the Irish Celtic tradition, using seasonal Irish produce charred and roasted with fire, with delicious wine pairings and special non-alcoholic beverage pairings by Bech Bailey, also available. Both events take place in the atmospheric environs of Whitestown House in North County Dublin, from 7pm to 11pm on Friday Nov 8th and Saturday November 9th. Tickets from €120 via Eventbrite. 36 As they commence their studies for the new academic year, recent data released by takeaway delivery service Deliveroo shows that student tastes are as eclectic as ever. The company reported that the top three most popular dishes ordered for delivery by the city’s students during Fresher’s Week were the Spice Bag Meal Deal from Xian Street Food, the Burrito Bowl from Boojum and Chicken from Tula Mexican Grill. As part of a bid to encourage further sign-ups to the brand’s Student Club, the app is currently offering 10% off to Deliveroo Students who spend €30 on international food from Lebanese restaurant, Damascus Gate Camden, until Saturday, November 30th. To avail of the offer students need to sign up at deliveroostudents.co.uk using their college email address. WE’RE LOVIN’ … Keogh’s Seasonal Roast Turkey and Secret Stuffing Crisps, which taste every bit as good as they sound. Available for a limited time only, you can bag them on their website, and while you’re there, check out their Christmas Gift Boxes which come packed with a nice selection of their popular favs. @keoghsfarm