Electric Picnic 2014 ** NO TICKET DISCUSSION ALLOWED ** see new mod note

Now in its fourth year, located in the Mindfield arena of Electric Picnic, the Theatre of Food returns with its best ever line-up of chefs, writers, thinkers, artisans, brewers, bakers, and food heroes. It’s a celebration of everything we love about food and drink – and music.

Food Demos

Come and experience the excitement of celebrity and Michelin-star chefs creating stunning dishes in their wellies, in full Electric Picnic party mode. TV favourite Neven Maguire will showcase the best of ‘modern Irish’ cooking; award-winning Sunil Ghai will demonstrate ‘Indian’ as you’ve never seen it before; Outlier JP McMahon of Aniar will demo the perfect home-cooked fish and chips; and street food pioneer Kevin Pyke of Pyke’n’Pomme’s food truck will bring the nomadic dining experience to life. And that’s just for starters, with many more such as TV chefs Paul Flynn, Martin Shanahan and best-selling cookery author and photographer, Lily Higgins.

Africa, A Rising Continent

In the spirit of the Mindfield’s 2014 theme, ‘Africa, A Rising Continent,’ Michelin-starred chef from Thornton’s Restaurant in Dublin, Kevin Thornton will give a demo on the foods of the Lalibela region in North Ethiopia. The demo will include injera bread from that region and a recipe from the Hamar Tribe of the Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia, using ingredients that have been brought to Ireland especially for the demo at Electric Picnic. Thornton will also present a very special exhibition of his stunning photography from his journey in Ethiopia.
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Mixology, Drinks and Music

This year, Theatre of Food will host ground-breaking cocktail demos, with champion mixologists Darren Geraghty and Oisín Davis shaking from the frontiers of artisanal distilling and foraged mixers. Join top showbiz mixologist Alan Kavanagh to learn all about the fascinating history and heritage of Bacardi, and taste the aromatic cocktails produced by Paul Lambert from Kinara Kitchen, inspired by the flavours of Pakistani cuisine.

Alan Kavanagh will also present delicious creations at Theatre of Food’s first ‘Music is the Food of Love’ show. On Saturday evening food writer and former Hot Press journalist, John McKenna will talk music with food industry legends Paul Flynn (The Tannery), Kevin Thornton (Thornton’s), Declan Maxwell (Chapter One), Joe Macken (Jo’ Burger et al), and Hot Press editor Niall Stokes. Music is the Food of Love, so the audience will groove along with these famous names of food and music, to the best sounds of the 60s, 70s, 80s and now.

Theatre of Food “Tastes”

All weekend, the tent will be staging ‘Theatre of Food Tastes,’ treating the audience to delicious tastings of exciting foods almost every hour. The Theatre of Food Kitchen will be orchestrated by award-winning chef Caitlin Ruth from Deasy’s Harbour Bar in West Cork, and the audience will hear from the innovative producers, chefs and bakers behind the tastings, such as: cocktails with Newgrange Gold; a ‘Taste of Nepal’ from Lina Gautam of Monty’s of Kathmandu; delectable cakes from Eunice Power; frozen delights from Chilly Moo, African curry from Michael Quinn.

In addition there will be a number of side shows, which will include a full Ethiopian coffee ceremony, the icing of a magnificent wedding cake by Diva Boutique Bakery, and ice cream beers in a very alternative afternoon tea.

The Demos and Tastes at Theatre of Food this year are brought together in association with Musgraves.



Digital Food

The return of the Electric Picnic Food Awards will see the popular Picnicers’ Award. This year picnicers are invited to tweet a photograph of their favourite meal at the Picnic, and the winning food photograph will be judged during a special food photography talk when Le Cool magazine will be dropping in to talk food porn with Forkful TV.

Talks, Manifestos and a Food Quiz

Alongside the food photography workshop with Le Cool and Forkful TV, Theatre of Food will host a series of debates and talks, including a quiz - The Missing Ingredient – hosted by Ross-Golden Bannon and some very special guests, including singer Brian Kennedy and style icon Sonya Lennon. A Manifesto for Irish food will be debated by Galway’s ground-breaking chef, Jess Murphy whose Kai Restaurant is one of the hottest West Coast tickets, Milleens Cheese-maker Quinlan Steele – Milleens began the Irish Farmhouse cheese revolution in the 1970s and still remains at the forefront of Irish cheese production – and TV chef, teacher and baker Patrick Ryan of Firehouse Bakery.

The Theatre

The Theatre of Food takes place in a magnificent tent, pitched in the Mindfield area of Electric Picnic, this year with its own country market. The tent is equipped with a magnificent kitchen, designed and custom-made for Theatre of Food by Portlaoise craftsman, Liam Grant Wood Design.
The Theatre will be open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Theatre of Food is produced by VSC Events, and curated by McKennas’ Guides.