A Feast For the Eyes and the Soul
Guzzle is popping up at Body & Soul 2023 for the culinary collaboration of the summer
Thirteen years ago, I hopped in my Toyota Yaris - referred to as the “tin can” - with two friends and made my way to Ballinlough Castle, Co. Meath for the first Body & Soul festival. We roamed through walled gardens and plonked our bums on strands of golden grass. And after a weekend in the wilderness, we returned home with memories for life and a rosy glow (primarily caused by a lack of SPF).
A whole thirteen years later, I received an invite to curate a culinary experience as part of Body & Soul’s Food on Board area. Of course, I revelled in this opportunity. Behind the scenes, Tom Hayes, Tom Arnold, and I had been dreaming up ideas for an al fresco dinner that would showcase Ireland's bountiful produce. We pictured long tables furnished with simple ingredients and thoughtfully paired wines, diners sharing dishes and conversations, and the sun setting in the height of summertime. Body & Soul’s invitation ticked all our boxes.
Chefs Tom Hayes and Tom Arnold encountered each other at the helm of Ruth Rogers in London’s River Café. Since then, they have gained experience in some of the most recognisable restaurants in the city, including Flat Iron, Hawksmoor, and Brat, with Hayes recently relocating to work at Øens Have, an open-fire restaurant on Scandanavia’s largest regenerative urban farm. They believe that you never need to look far to source amazing produce, allowing each ingredient to speak for itself with the aid of simple cooking.
In the spirit of community - Body & Soul’s festival theme - the three of us have reached out to the people that produce the foods we consume in Ireland, with an emphasis on creating a menu as seasonal and local as possible. Our chefs are preparing a feast over fire with ingredients including saltwater clams and vibrant chard, complemented by a wine flight from Brian’s Wines.
Guzzle Presents A Feast Over Fire will take place in the Food On Board area in the walled gardens of Ballinlough Castle, with a late lunch kicking off at 3pm on Saturday, June 17th. We invite festival goers to join us in a celebration of food and community at one of Ireland’s leading cultural events. Tickets starting from €65 pp can be purchased here, please note that ticket sales will finish at 18:00 on Wednesday, June 13th.
Contact Jane at hello@guzzle.ie to find out more.