Food at the Craft Fair

If anyone’s around Dublin for the weekend and at a loose end – although that might be unlikely given the time of the year! – the National Crafts and Design Fair is on at the RDS in Dublin this weekend. The Dublin-based Cousin and I went along last night and discovered plenty of ways of spending our money on arty, crafty bits for Christmas, plus a whole room devoted to a variety of food products, whether you’re looking for regato style goat’s cheese from Cloon Goat Farm or tubs of soft Springwell Sheep’s Cheese, to stock up for Christmas on Filligans’ chutneys, mustards and jams (make sure you check out the Irish Peach & Cardamon Chutney), mini caramel waffles from Wicklow Fine Foods and Boozeberries festive-coloured liqueur. At the Simply Swedish stand I was delighted to replace my all-but disappeared Cloudberry jam that Alexandra sent from Sweden for the last round of EBBP.

There are plenty of things to taste – chocolates, cheeses, cakes and cookies, delicious fresh-baked bread from Sowan’s Organic Bread Mixes, delicate teas to smell. And, if you’re anything like me, you’ll come out with your wallet lighter and your arms heavy-laden with presents for other people – and yourself of course!