As 2022 comes to a close, we wanted to highlight just some of the work we, and our incredible food and drink members and community have achieved during the year.
And what a year it’s been!
The passionate food and drink story of Co. Waterford grows and grows, and we’re delighted to be central to bringing to you, the passionate foodies, the latest news, products and services from our county.
OK, here goes, a summary of our achievements…
Rebrand
We started the year by rebranding to Taste Waterford, launched a new website, and created a video showcasing just some of our members and the stunning landscapes Co. Waterford has to offer.
Official Taste Waterford relaunch
Cooney’s Yard, run by Comeragh Mountain Lamb, was the location where we held the official relaunch of Taste Waterford.
It was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Waterford City & County Council, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Fáilte Ireland, councillors, stakeholders, the press, and a range of members.
Along with Richard Povey giving a presentation on the new look and future plans, Fáilte Ireland talked about the importance of food and drink and the TW network, and the Deputy Mayor offered words of support.
The event also acted as the first member networking event of the year.
New members
We welcomed five new members including the Dún Artisan Bakery, The Granary Café, Churriosity, Freezin’ Friesian and Mount Congreve Gardens.
Food festivals
Sharing the food and drink story is important, and what better way than with demonstrations!
We attended three food festivals where we had chefs and producers talk about their produce, and got to try lots of delicious food!
In June we were at the West Waterford Festival of Food in Dungarvan, and in September the Waterford Harvest Festival and the Vitamin Sea Festival in Tramore.
Awards
2022 saw a huge haul of awards for many in the food and drink community.
In the Blas na hÉireann Awards, Co. Waterford scooped 14 awards, four businesses won at the Irish Restaurant Awards, and four won at the Great Taste Awards.
This is along with the many other great accolades and reviews the county continued to receive for its outstanding contribution to food and drink. Great work!
Stories
There are so many great food and drink stories and news in Co. Waterford, we’re always out and about talking with members.
We published 20 blogs posts in the year covering everything from new products and members, festivals, giveaways, networking events and awards.
Social media
Social media continued to be a great way to tell the food and drink story. We increased our followers by just over 15% – thanks for connecting!
Foodie newsletters
And it wasn’t just through social media you wanted to connect with us.
Our foodie database grew by 2,566%. Every month we bring the latest food and drink news into your inbox.
Want to subscribe? Just visit our homepage.
PR
We generated PR coverage for our members across radio, newspapers and online throughout the year.
Richard Povey, Taste Waterford project manager also held radio interviews for festivals and gave talks at networking events.
Sponsorship
We were delighted to sponsor the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival as their Hospitality Partner.
Ireland’s summer opera festival is held annually and brings together incredible opera and classical music to the Blackwater Valley, offering the perfect backdrop to food and drink in the area.
Supporting partners:
As always, we are continually grateful for funding from our supporting partners.
These include Waterford City & County Council, LEO Waterford, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (RIDF), and Waterford Leader Partnership.
Thanks for reading – and we’ll see you in 2023!
