An Incredible Food Festival Is Taking Place In Herbert Park This Weekend

Love BBQ, meat, music, eating competitions and general craic?

Well, make sure to get your ass down to Herbert Square this weekend because the Big Grill is back and running from 17th-20th August.

The line-up this year looks even better and more delicious than ever, with workshops and demos from well-known chefs, activities like the chilli challenge, and a grand BBQ cook-off.

Still need some convincing? Here’s are five reasons that you can’t miss it…

The Fowl Play Bird Cage is Back

Fowl Play‘s Birdcage was the most Instagrammed moment of the festival last year and now, it’s back with even more tasty slow-cooked bird action planned. Asado expert Ramiro is over from Buenos Aires to join them by the fire and on Saturday, Home Team BBQ will be doing a ‘Bird Cage Takeover’.

The Hot Wing & Chilli Challenges

What could be better craic that watching a load of strangers squirm in pain while eating chicken wings? Nothing, we’ve checked.

Thankfully, the Hot Wing and Chilli Challenges will return this year and several brave souls will see if they can take the heat live on stage. 

Sign up here to be guaranteed a spot on stage for what is always the most entertaining eating competition!

Whole Steer Feast

For the first time ever at an Irish festival, The Big Grill will be cooking a whole steer over fire and serving it up on the last day of the festival. This has been a big BBQ ambition for Andy Noonan (The Big Grill and Fowl Play), Matt Williams (Oxford Charcoal) and Nick Weston (Hunter Gather Cook) and to make it happen, they’ve joined forces with Eavaun ‘the Sentimental Farmer’ Carmody from Killenure Castle. 

She’s supplying them with her gourmet Dexter beef that will be slow cooked for 24+ hours over fire in what is sure to be a Big Grill highlight. 

Craft beers galore

What’s a barbecue without cracking open a cold one with the lads? The Big Grill will include a world-class selection of over 25 different drinks from across Ireland and further afield, including  The White Hag, O’Brother Brewing, Jameson Barrellman’s Feast, and Dingle Gin.

Bastecamp

This year, The Big Grill will have a new hands-on home for barbecue enthusiasts. The ‘Bastecamp’ area will the smoking hub of the festival, with masterclasses, foraging walks, drinks making and interactive grilling with the best in the business. 

There will be heated chats and interviews including: Brick Pit Smoking w/ John Relihan, a wild edible cocktail class, DIY charcuterie w/ Fingal Ferguson and Nick Solares and Thai Street Food w/ Andy Ricker.

Dirty veg and fish

Vegetables will get their time in the sun as Ramael Scully, head chef at Ottolenghi’s NOPI, cooks a vegetable focused menu with Middle Eastern flavours, alongside Josh Katz of Berber & Q.

And Irish chef Mark O’Brien will be serving up a seafood feast all weekend with ‘Doiteain’, featuring Irish oysters, prawns and fresh fish cooked using traditional fire methods.

Sounds pretty epic, am I right? 

You can get your tickets for this tasty festival here.