Tipperary Food Producers

The Tipperary Food Producers Network originated from a Long Table Dinner hosted by Lorraine McGuinness of Slow Food Ireland in 2007 at The Apple Farm near Cahir. This event inspired Pat Whelan (James Whelan Butchers) to launch the network in 2008, focusing on a website for Tipperary foods and uniting local producers through a meal at Cahir Castle. The Long Table showcased products from 14 Tipperary Producers, emphasising their local impact—employing 180 people and generating a €15 million turnover. It was featured on the Nationwide programme on Irish national television, marking a crucial moment in the network’s establishment.

Shared learning

The inaugural Network meeting convened in 2009 at the Cashel Palace Hotel, chaired by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. We initiated various projects catering to the public and our network members. We aimed to foster collaborative learning, share individual expertise and resources, and enjoy each other’s culinary creations. The overarching vision remained steadfast—to establish Tipperary as a haven of nourishment, celebrated for its natural surroundings and the unwavering integrity of its food producers. Tipperary’s inherent reputation for nature, quality, and entrepreneurialism is our strength.

“We are a community of artisan producers working together to create quality food, sustainably.”

Some of the highlight events since 2008

  • Long Table Dinners at the Army Barracks Clonmel (2009) Brocka on the Water, Inch House, Chez Hans and The Old Convent (2010), Rockwell College (2011), The Irish Embassy in Brussels (2013) and Coolbawn Quay (2015).
  • Hosting the Tipperary Breakfast at the Irish embassy in London in 2016.
  • The Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards Irish judging hosted by the network in Tipperary in 2016.
  • Development and launch of the Kevin Thornton Tipperary Breakfast in 2017.
  • The Tipperary Food Tour Children’s Book was published in 2017.
  • Launching the Tipperary Food Experiences & Tipperary Breakfast Champions in 2019.
  • Welcoming HRH Prince Charles and HRH Duchess Camila in Cahir town in 2022.

Our Producers

Tipperary Food Producer Network has grown to 36 members and continues to expand. Our diverse community includes dedicated producers—cheesemakers, beekeepers, fruit farmers, cider makers, butchers, bakers, and creators of various delightful products such as sauces, jams, ice cream, sorbet, vegetable oil, sweets, chocolates, crisps, corn tortillas, and peanut butter.

Many of our hands-on producers cultivate top-quality offerings from nature’s abundance, crafting everything from globally recognised Cashel Blue Cheese to local gems like Boulabán Farm ice cream and Emerald Oils.

Members like Julian and Helen forage for elderflower raw material, creating refreshing Irish Hedgerow drinks, while at the southern end of Tipperary, the Mac Giolla Coda family of Galtee Honey actively contributes to saving the native Irish honey bee. These stories are just a glimpse of the remarkable examples within our diverse membership.