Get a taste of truly local flavours at the food fair.

(From Irish Independent)

In the past, Irish foodies have had good reason to be envious of the Frenchand Italians with their open-air markets and specialist shops selling mouth-watering localdelicacies from salamis to cheeses.

Now, thanks to the 150-strong Euro-Toques of Ireland, we are beginning to get a real taste of local flavours. On Sunday the Brooklodge Hotel in Macreddin Village, Co Wicklowwill host a food forum and food fair with the focus on small Irish food producers makinghigh-quality products.

The food fair will be the biggest of the year, attracting 50 stalls that will be displaying theirproduce, including farmhouse cheeses; smoked and marinated fish products; homemadepreserves such as jams, jellies, marmalades, chutneys and curds; breads and pastries; pastas; herbs; organic wines; and couverture chocolate to name but a few.

"The Euro-Toques are trying to support small producers and help them survive," says Ross Lewis, Commissioner General of Euro-Toques (The European Community ofChefs).

Lewis, a chef at Chapter One restaurant in Parnell Square, points to the revolution whichhas occurred in Irish cheeses.

"Ten years ago there were no Irish cheeses; now there are more than 100, more than inItaly. It has been a worthy advent and now other producers are starting up, like salami producer Frank Crowczyk, or people who are producing wonderful wild smoked salmon orsausages.