Speaker.

Darina Allen is Ireland’s most famous cook and a best-selling author who has presented eight series of her cookery programmes Simply Delicious on television in Ireland.  A tireless ambassador for Irish food both at home and abroad, Darina is also a passionate and committed teacher and students come away from Ballymaloe inspired by her energy and ideas and the enthusiasm she and her team bring to their work.  She has been instrumental in setting up the Farmers Market movement in Ireland, the International Slow Food Movement for Ireland and is a member of the Consultation Council of the FSAI.  Darina chairs the Artisan Food Forum which liaises with the FSAI to articulate the difficulties and challenges experienced by the Artisan and Speciality food sector.  She is vehemently opposed to the growing of GM crops in Ireland.

The Ballymaloe Cookery School was established in 1983, operates all year round and attracts students from all over the world. The school’s culinary philosophy is based on enhancing the natural flavours of the best and freshest local ingredients.  It offers a wide range of courses from 12 Week professional courses for students who wish to pursue a career in catering, to short courses ranging from a day to a week long on a variety of subjects Simply Delicious Food Fast, Bread Baking, Seafood, Entertaining, Vegetarian, Introductory, How to Keep Bees and Have your own Honey, How to Keep a few Chickens in the Garden, How to Build a Smoker and Smoke your own Food…..

Darina’s latest book Forgotten Skills won the André Simon Award for Best Cookbook 2010.

Darina continues to develop the gardens around the school - both the gardens and the surrounding farm are certified organic.  The farm has Aberdeen Angus, Jersey and Kerry cattle and pigs (all of which are reared organically), free-range hens and other interesting poultry.