I am a proud Wexford woman, having been born and reared in the county to Wexford born parents, a purebred no less. I was even careful enough to ensure that my own children have the all important “Place of Birth: Wexford” on their passports and I’ve been known to say (in a job interview, cringe) that I have purple and gold blood in my veins.
Another proud Wexfordman
I’ve been recently branded (in jest) a “Wexford Food Ambassador” and it’s a mantle that I’ll gladly wear. I’m all about good food, and happily Wexford with its excellent agricultural land (straight from my Inter Cert Geography book) is rich in it. My patriotism to my county has been with me for a long time, so it was bound to extend to my love of good food, going back to “importing” Wexford Cheddar to Limerick in my college days and even converting college housemates to it.
Wexford Cheddar at Feast of Wexford
Wexford is most famous for its strawberries, and Wexford strawberries have the well earned reputation of being the best in Ireland. Why else would sellers as far away as Galway proudly proclaim “WEXFORD Strawberries” on their roadside stalls? When I was in my teens my uncle entered the strawberry farming game and soon most kids in the parish were picking strawberries, queuing up to get their buckets weighed in the field, destroying their fingers (Fun Fact: strawberry picking turns your fingers black) and relishing the weekly wages envelopes that my cousins spent their evenings making up. Luckily for my brother and I nepotism was at play and we got “promoted” to selling the fruit from roadside stalls. It was a relaxing endeavour, in a more innocent time, and I spent the June and July of the year I did my Leaving Cert sitting at a local crossroads with Atlantic 252 on the radio waiting for sales. Happy memories of happy times. The sweet smell of strawberries and mud. Strawberries from any other county or country don’t taste the same. Give me a WEXFORD Strawberry any day.
Sunny Wexford Strawberries
Five growers have gotten together to capitalise on the reputation of Wexford strawberries and are branding their berries- “Sunny Wexford Strawberries”.
Sunny Wexford Strawberries display at Feast of Wexford
I’ve already mentioned other Wexford produce in the blog and on twitter before- but here’s a quick rundown of some of the other excellent products that were exhibiting at Feast of Wexford on 2oth April. Feast of Wexford will feature on RTE’s Local Heroes programme which will air at 8.30pm on Wednesday 22nd May and watch out for the Wexford Food Family stickers featured prominently on the produce.
Killowen Farm Yogurts
If you follow me on twitter you will know that I am a big fan of Killowen Farm Yogurts. They taste real, not full of fake sweetener, lovely and creamy, almost sour and very natural. Their latest products are these beauties in glass jars- for a desserty taste try the Lemon Curd and for a more breakfasty one I’d recommend the blackcurrant. (see, purple and gold, the perfect combination).
Selection of Killowen Farm Yogurts
Wexford Home Preserves
Homemade jams that taste perfectly fruity. I can’t decide my favourite flavour, they are all just excellent.
Wexford Home Preserves Selection at Feast of Wexford
Wexford Cheddar
Kilmore Quay Seafood
I’ve already waxed lyrical about this company, complete with a quick dinner recipe on another blogpost, but they deserve to be listed in this rollcall too. Get your hands on those Seafood Sausages!
Other Notables
Some of the others that I didn’t photograph, a full list is on the Wexford Food Family site.
