Stories Behind the Bite: An Exhibition of photos and stories of local food heroes at Waterford Festival of Food

‘Stories Behind the Bite’ is an exciting exhibition of photos and stories of local food heroes taking place at Waterford Festival of Food from April 25th-27th. “These stories are almost like messages in a time capsule—it will be fascinating to revisit them in 10 years’ time,” Festival CEO Eunice Power

The exhibition, which is a combination of stories curated by Jane Gormley of CRAICLY and photography by Joleen Cronin, will run at Curran Store throughout the festival week. Striking black-and-white portraits will be brought to life with bite-sized stories offering insight into the lives of the people featured, exploring their journeys and the shared experiences that shape Waterford’s food culture.

At its core, Stories Behind the Bite aims to highlight the connection of a strong community and the power of storytelling. This exhibition captures the energy, resilience, and collective success of those working in the industry. 

Commenting on the Exhibition, Festival CEO Eunice Power said, “Each portrait and story offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of those who craft, create, and shape our food culture. Last year, photographer Joleen Cronin was commissioned by the festival to create a striking black-and-white portrait exhibition. This year, we’re adding a new layer to that with a creative storytelling project in collaboration with Jane Gormley from CRAICLY Stories. Bringing conversations to the forefront, Stories Behind the Bite uncovers the stories behind the portraits, capturing the individual and collective energy of the Waterford food industry. The project celebrates the efforts, journeys, and support systems that connect our food community and its people. These stories are almost like messages in a time capsule—it will be fascinating to revisit them in 10 years’ time.”

Some of the food heroes featured include:

Clotilde Kiely - Comeragh Mountain Farm  - “When I moved here from France twenty four years ago there were some food products that I couldn’t get my hands on and really missed. One in particular was really good quality free-range chickens. Somehow that has led to our own smallholding where my husband and I produce chickens for both eggs and meat along with seasonal veg all year long. We didn’t start with a farming background, but with a desire for well-sourced and sustainable food and it’s part of our family practices to eat this way.''

''I do have a background in animal husbandry, and as our flock grew conversations around how to protect them arose very quickly. We could have used electric fencing, but the idea of having a protection dog was lovely - and more fun! He protects the flock from all the foxes, stoats, mink that we have. It can be a constant battle with outdoor hens so the dog minds them 24/7. It’s a deeply traditional practice. Historically these dogs would have protected sheep from bears, their adaptation to chickens happened over time and works really well for us.''

My mind right now is focused on a particular challenge our poultry production is facing, which is that of the processing facilities, or lack of them.  This is a strong rural community interested in quality food.  However, there are threats to our food sovereignty in how food is processed.  The people of Munster, and indeed all of Ireland with small holdings, especially free-range poultry, deserve a multi-species slaughter house. This is a national issue. There is a very important project happening right now to try to resolve this, and we are very hopeful that this could work for us as a community. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Marie Power - The Sea Gardener - “I am a seaweed forager and my root interest lies in all the food types we can create from seaweed.  Growing up, I remember my mother's cousins foraging for seaweed. I learned so much about seaweed from my stepfather Paddy who boiled Sleabhcan at home and believed in seaweed's benefits and then went on to live to be ninety-three. It was common knowledge for people of his generation to both understand and use seaweed. However, this living tradition has been forgotten over time. ''

''My own passion stems from an interest in food sourcing and educating people to tap into wild food. It provides so much, not to mention future food resilience.  Throughout the noughties I was volunteering here in County Waterford and bringing small groups to the shore to show them the living shore. When I wrote a book called "The Sea Garden" with my daughter I realised that when you opened these stories to food, it attracted a larger audience. People, through food and flavour, became more interested both in seaweed's origin and its huge nutritional value. For me, this shift happened around 2010 - 2012 and is still growing.''

''While what I do remains niche, I believe those who seek it out will find it. I work with other artists and tourism groups, and still see that so many people that come to visit these gorgeous shores of ours just don’t always possess the same connection to their own home-place that I feel and it’s wonderful to share that with them. “

John O’Riordan - The Shamrock  - “Our restaurant, The Shamrock, was started in 1981 by my Granny - and if I leave a legacy anything like what she and my parents have done, that’ll be something I’ll feel very proud of. They were patient and worked hard. That’s what it takes. Our restaurant is the longest serving restaurant in town.  I didn’t know at first what I wanted to do within the business. So, I trained professionally then and went off working in the US before joining our kitchen here. It’s not even just the family in there - I’m working with people that have been in that kitchen since before I was born. The place is more than a restaurant. It’s a community hub and people have grown up in The Shamrock!''

''We think of ourselves as feeding the community in a way that’s not just about food. It’s about meeting up. People come and relax. It’s just such a thing to be a part of. We are always trying very hard to keep things affordable so we can hold on to that feeling, that comfort, and hold on to what is really an institution! I think if my contribution is to make sure of that then I’ll be a happy man.''

''Our food festival does that too. It generates conversations about Dungarvan and hearing people speaking of us as being such a great foodie town - It’s a nice thing to hear said about our town. We will see it grow and become a huge food festival - it’s a nationally regarded food festival now and will be international in the future! “

Fergal and Catríona - Dun Bakery - “There have been so many things we’ve experienced since opening our bakery Dun, that we had never expected.  We were so busy organising the business but we hadn’t thought of everything  that we would get to witness from the bakery. We see people's lives being lived out in front of us. People starting families. People returning to Dungarvan on holidays. We have a little child who calls in at six am every day for bread. It’s a privilege to supply them all with the best we can give.''

''Catríona is from here and so we were aware that  the people here know about their food. It’s a supportive, market town and it was obvious for us to decide to open here and serve our sourdough. Even with such excellent suppliers around we started growing before we opened our bakery. Literally growing - potatoes and berries! For about eight years now, what started as a family project, has become an obsession and our own little food innovation hub. We call it The Acre and now have close to 100 fruit trees and bushes.  We are at a point now where we can grow ingredients that aren’t readily available otherwise like honey berries, blue berries - it’s a gorgeous thing. It’s such a pleasure. We use these for our pastries, and last year put in lemon grass, Chilean Guava - it tastes like wild strawberry! The Acre gives us the chance to be creative and provide a break from the more daily side of running a business.''

''We would love to see more organic growers and small local holdings. Especially if we could get more Irish flour producers. There is a huge demand for organic Irish flour, and there are excellent products available - but we need more! “

CRAICLY is a creative storytelling project, which began life as a story-telling gathering in County Kildare in 2023 and has since been encouraging and supporting reconnection projects for people and the places they live in, through the wonderful use of storytelling. For this exhibition, Jane used conversation as the starting point. 

Jane Gormley said, “At its heart, Waterford Festival of Food is about connection—bringing together chefs, producers, and food lovers, fostering meaningful connections between people, place, and plate.  The energy of the portraits is palpable, and the stories offer insightful, bite-sized conversations that remind us of the vital role the industry plays – to the region, to the producers, and as a snapshot in time for future generations.”

This and so much more awaits at Waterford Festival of Food, which returns from April 25th to 27th.

With nearly 100 events on offer, the festival showcases the best of Waterford’s rich food heritage. This year’s programme ensures the three-day event remains a vibrant celebration of taste, community, and shared experiences. While the main hub will be in Dungarvan, events will also take place in Lismore, Ardmore, Villierstown, Ballyduff, Cappoquin, and Kilmeaden.

As Ireland’s largest and longest-running community food festival, the annual event provides a major boost to the local economy.

For more see waterfordfestivaloffood.com

Slán go fóill.