Food on the Edge 2019: Launch party

Food On The Edge, the two day symposium sponsored by S.Pellegrino, returns on 21 and 22 October with another impressive line -up of speakers heading to Irelands's NUI Galway city university.

All was revealed at an international launch this week at Robin Gill’s newly-launched Darby’s restaurant in London, including the unveiling of a new programme for this year's event. An exciting new initiative for Irish chefs - the "Food On The Edge Ambassador Programme."

Speakers at the launch included UK-based chefs and Food On The Edge supporters such as Pierre Koffmann, Skye Gyngell, Tom Brown, Claude Bosi and Doug McMaster led in discussion by the event founder and organiser, JP McMahon. The theme for this year's event is the "Future of Food", a purposefully broad choice designed to let thoughts and conversations flow and allowing each speaker to "put passion into their talk."

Here's what to know ahead of the event, plus some gourmet finger food recipes from the night:

What is a Food on the Edge Ambassador?

Six people who are working to change the landscape of Irish food and are exemplifying the Food On The Edge ethos will be selected to be the Food On The Edge Ambassadors for 2019.

"Each year we receive a large number of inspirational applicants hoping to partake and speak at Food On The Edge. These applicants are very often doing wonderful things for Irish food and developing the industry in their own way. While we have limited capacity of speaking slots, we wanted to do something to acknowledge these food champions. I hope this initiative will widen the reach of the Food On The Edge and act as its legacy into the future, eventually expanding onto a global scale.” Explained chef JP McMahon.

The Ambassadors will be invited to speak in a discussion at Food On The Edge 2019 on the work they are doing, as well as receiving a two-day ticket to Food On The Edge and a profile on the Food On The Edge website.

If you are changing the landscape of Irish Food, apply online to be in with a chance of being one of the lucky six.

The 2019 Speaker line-up - To Date

The list of confirmed speakers so far was also revealed, which includes cult chefs and stars of the Netflix series Chef’s Table.

Each speaker will be given the floor for 15 minutes to share their thoughts on one of the key themes during the two-day event: Migration, Conversations, Food Stories, Food Waste, Action, Reaction and Food Education.

Alex Atala, Brazilian chef from D.O.MBen Shewry, New zealand born chef at Attica restaurant in MelbourneLeonor Espinosa, Columbian chef and winner of 2017 Best Female Chef in Latin America from Leo Cocina y Cava Daniel Giusti, former head chef of Noma in Copenhagen, who set up BrigaidMark Best, Australian chef from Bistro and Netflix fame from The Final TablePrateek Sadhu of Masque, the number five ranked restaurant in MumbaiRomy Gill, British-Indian chef, presenter and food writer of Romy’s Kitchen in ThornburyDerry Clarke- Irish chef of Michelin Star l’Ecrivain in DublinDalad Kambhu of Michelin Star Kin Dee in Berlin Alan Jenkins, editor of the Observer Food MonthlyKristian Baumann, Korean born Danish chef of Michelin Star Restaurant 108 in CopenhagenSophia Hoffmann, chef, cookbook writerr and activist at of Berlin’s Café Isla CoffeeDenis Lovatel, the contemporary pizza chef of Pizzeria Ezio in the mountains of BellunoAlberto Landgraf, the Brazilian chef of Oteque in Rio de Janeiro.

Can't wait? Get your early bird tickets are available online here for 350 euros.

Food on the Edge Signature Snacks

Of course, no launch party would be complete without a spread of delicious food.

Gourmet snacks celebrating Irish food were prepared by a squad of London-based Irish chefs highlighting some of their signature dishes. Here's a snapshot of the dishes below along with the exclusive recipes.

Shauna Froydenlund made Treacle Cured and Turf Smoked Trout, Dill on Sourdough Crumpets.