The fertile valleys of the Burren have long been known for their quality food and produce, particularly for the production of beef and lamb thanks to a unique and ancient system of farming. in recent years, this food tradition has expended through the emergence of many award-winning chef-led restaurants and high quality artisan food producers, as well as an increase in practicing market gardeners and growers.
We invite you to join us & get involved in our Burren food story. We are passionate about our food, growing and producing it locally for you to enjoy. Burren Food Trail is more than a listing of quality food establishments in the area – it aims to uncover for you the path that your food takes from field to plate. You can decide for yourself how to follow the trail – stop at every point or else dip in and out along the way, according to your taste, interest and location.
St Tola Cheese. Photograph by Eamon Ward
The members of the Burren Food Trail are bound by their commitment to building a sustainable future for the region. 
Each of the featured restaurants offers a Burren Food Trail Signature Dish to savour. Each member has achieved recognised quality awards and standards, and has also signed up to the Burren Food Trail Customer Promise: you will find staff who are knowledgeable about the regional food story, menus which state the source of local produce, information on local food events and markets as well as a commitment to maximise the use of local ingredients in all prepared food. We are proud winners of the European Destination of Excellence (EDEN) 2015 – Tourism and Local Gastronomy and Irish Restaurants Association Foodie Town 2015 title.
The Burren Food Trails
We invite you to join us and get involved in our Burren Food story. We are passionate about our food, growing and producing it for you to enjoy. Our themed trails and Burren Food Trail Events uncover the path your food takes from field to plate. Come along and meet the producers, dine in award-winning restaurants and learn about the fertile valleys of the Burren Geopark.
The Market Garden Trail
The Burren valleys are home to many market gardens, farms and beekeepers. Come and discover the secrets of the gardeners, take a Cookery Master Class, pick some fruit, visit the Farmers Market where you can chat with the growers and enjoy the best of locally produced seasonal food.
Kinvara Farmers Market: Renowned for its friendly atmosphere, live music and vast array of fresh local produce and crafts. Kinvara Farmers market takes place every Friday
from April to November. Kinvara Farmers Market
Ballyvaughan Farmers Market: Established in 2003 this bustling and vibrant farmers market is recognise as a premium food market with wholesome quality food from local
producers every Saturday May to October 10am to 2pm Ballyvaughan Farmers Market
.
Burren Fine Wine & Food: Nestled in the hills of the Burren near Ballyvaughan a century old stone coach house we specialise in summer lunches, afternoon tea, quality wines and gourmet hampers with owner Cathleen’s home-baking and gardening skills. For more information go to Burren Fine Wine and Food
Farm To Fork Trail
Farming in the Burren has traditionally focused on animal rearing with cattle, sheep and goats grazing on the rich herb grasses of the ‘Fertile Rock’. Our specialty producers and restaurants showcase the rich flavour of the local produce. Take the Farm to Fork trail and visit family run farms, see the cheese been made using traditional methods or sample Burren produce at our many restaurant members below.
The Market House: In Ennistymon, is a family run Butchers, Delicatessen & Cafe. Owner Sean Haugh is a 3rd generation farmer rearing livestock on his farm on the Cliffs of
Kilkee. The cafe & deli stocks the family’s own beef as well as other local food products. More information go to Market House Ennistymon
Glas Restaurant @ Hotel Doolin: Has a 30-mile menu where every ingredient is sourced in County Clare not more than 30 miles as the crow flies from our hotel. Suppliers include Beef & lamb from Bernard Roughan, Ennistymon and Fiona Haugh, whole lobster & crabfrom Michael O‘Connell of Doolin, Seafood by Garrihys of Doolin, organic vegetable & eggs by Moy Hill, oysters from Flaggy Shore Oyster, potato from Declan Pine, chocolate from Hazel Mountain, kombucha from Lunasa, cheese from Aillwee, St. Tola & Cratloe, chutney from Clare Jam, herbs and salads from our polytunnel, desserts and breads made in house from local ingredients. More information go to Hotel Doolin
Sheedy’s Hotel & Restaurant: In Lisdoovarna, Chef John Sheedy’s uses a variety of locally sourced produced in his menu, including vegetables and herbs from the garden. His signature dish is Rack of Burren Lamb with a herb crust served with local New Quay spinach. John source his ingredients from local artisan producers. More information go to Sheedys Hotel
Gregans Castle Hotel: on the Corkscrew hill, Ballyvaughan, the hotel has recently established an extensive vegetable and herb garden, with all the produced used by the Head Chef. The hotel also supports local food producers including lamb from nearby Kilshanny. More information go to Gregans Castle Hotel
Wild Atlantic Lodge: In Ballyvaughan, the Wildflower Restaurant uses fresh local produce, including their own meat which is reared on their farm in Kilkee, as well as other lamb and beef which comes from the Burren. For more information go to Wild Atlantic Lodge
Hylands Burren Hotel: A long established family run hotel in the village of Ballyvaughan which uses local and seasonal food on its menu, including cheese from nearby Aillwee Burren Experience. For more information and menu go to Hylands Burren Hotel
Taste of The Ocean Trail
The Burren sits on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. The Stunning coastline of dramatic cliffs, sea cave and inlets produces wild & fresh seafood in abundance. Discover the taste of
the Ocean with seaweed foraging walks, workshops, tastings and a little indulgence from our award winning restaurants.
Burren Smokehouse: In Lisdoonvarna discover the secret of how we smoke and handcraft our Irish Organic Salmon following an ancient tradition. View the Kiln, watch the smoking process
on DVD and taste the organic salmon in our visitor centre. For more information go to the Burren Smokehouse
Wild Kitchen: Based in Lahinch this business promotes willd food is seasonal, local, nutritious and free! Take a wild food walk on land and seashore, taste edible wild plants, learn plant folklore, recipes and identification tips, walks can include a picnic lunch and or cookery demos, we create “pop up” wild food experiences in unusual venues.
Flaggy Shore Oysters Experience Is owned by businessmen Conor Graham and Mark Commins who offer Oyster Shucking and tasting experience on their premises, which includes an educational workshop into how oysters are farmed, how their environment influences their taste. Afterward they can dine next door in Linannes’ Lobster bar which is also part of the same same business.
Linnane’s signature dish is a seafood platter of organic smoked salmon, prawns, crab meat, crab claws, mussels and clams, served with traditional homemade brown bread. More information go to
Linnanes
The Roadside Tavern: Offering a great place to relax with traditional music most evenings and an award-winning menu which includes Burren Smoked salmon and smoked oysters from the Flaggy Shore. More information go toThe Roadside Tavern/
Monks Ballyvaughan: Renowned for fresh, local produce, great service and a warm welcoming atmosphere. Nothing compares to enjoying local seafood and Irish cuisine
while overlooking stunning vistas of Galway Bay. More information go to Monks Ballyvaughan
The Burren Food Trail members organise an annual series of events, taking place at unusual locations around the Burren. They are a celebration of local, wild and seasonal produce of the Burren, as well as a chance to meet the producers, mingle with local people and learn about the Burren way of life. These events focus, not only on food, but also on the landscape that surrounds it. Each individual event represents a unique opportunity to combine good food with real, authentic interaction with the people who produced or prepared it, or indeed with the surrounding landscape, activities and heritage,
The Burren Slow Food Festival 19th May 2024
The Burren Slow Food Festival is back this May and it’s all about nourishing body and soul, through food and wellness.
The event organized by Slow Food Clare is Ireland’s longest running food festival and will take place on May 19th at the Pavilion in Lisdoonvarna – part of a month-long festival of wellness, hosted by the Burren Ecotourism Network. Visitors can expect a diverse array of culinary delights, with local producers on hand to share the stories behind their products and the health benefits they offer.
From artisanal cheeses, local honey, distilled products to freshly caught seafood, the festival showcases the best of what the Burren region has to offer – including an artisan farmers’ market, cookery demonstrations and wellness talks.
The much-loved Burren Slow Food Banquet will take place in the Burren Storehouse on the night before the festival – a double celebration as it also marks the Burren Smokehouse’s 35th year in business. Head chef Peter Jackson and his team from the Roadside Tavern will create a three-course dinner with locally produced ingredients.
According to Birgitta Hedin Curtin, the festival organizer, “An important part of Wellness is the food that we eat. The Burren area offers a range of small batch production high nutrition food produced in pristine limestone soil and Atlantic coastal water. Many of these foods will be sold at the Burren Slow Food Festival directly by the producer. They can tell the story and health benefits of their foods.”
This is nowhere more evident than in the GEOfood brand, which was launched at the festival in 2022 and now has 12 food producers onboard.
Carol Gleeson, Manager of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark said: “GEOfood is an initiative within UNESCO Global Geoparks to promote the health, environmental and economic benefits of locally grown and produced food. Supporting local producers not only helps the local economy, it is good for our gut, reduces the food miles of food, guarantees freshness, encourages seasonal eating and strengthens food security. Promoting this brand and concept will encourage more producers to develop and grow and local shops, markets and restaurants to stock and showcase their produce.
GEOfood is perfectly aligned to the Burren which has a rich food story, dating back to the 12th century and the Cistercian monks at Corcomroe Abbey who farmed there. Nowadays the area is renowned for its top- quality food products, boasting two Michelin starred restaurants; The Wild Honey inn in Lisdoonvarna and Homestead Cottage in Doolin.
Jarlath O’Dwyer, CEO of the Burren Ecotourism Network said members of the Burren Ecotourism Network were delighted to be working with Slow Food Clare again in 2024.
He said: “May is Burren Wellness Month where we will be advocating for the many businesses in the area that provide wellness activities, treatments, and classes. These range from walking guides, yoga centres, surfing instructors, gyms and indoor spas and compliment the high quality foods for which the Burren is famous for.”
This year’s festival is supported by the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Unesco Global Geopark and Flogas.
For more information and ticket bookings, please visit https://www.slowfoodclare.com/
The Burren Food Fayre 27th October 2024
The Burren Food Fayre will again be held as part of the Burren Winterage Festival in the Burren – location to be confirmed nearer the time, where the Burren Beo Cattle Drive will begin.
Please note the Burren Food Fayre on Sunday 27th October and includes both the Cattle drive walk organised by Burren Beo Trust and the Burren Food Fayre which is being organised by the Burren Ecotourism Network. Visitors are encourage to be at the event at 10am, the walk starts at 11am and the food fayre will run until 4pm. Exact location will be emailed to ticket holders closer to time. Numbers are limited.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOR_9i4A1Zs
For more information on the Burren Winterage event go to Burren Winterage
Burren producers join GEOfood initiative in 2021
Nine members of the Burren Ecotourism Network have now joined the international GEOfood initiative. GEOfood is a global brand that promotes food that is sourced and produced in UNESCO Global Geoparks. GEOfood emphasises the connections between local food and the food traditions and geological heritage of the region where the food is produced. It is a brand that focuses on strengthening local livelihoods by connecting local food producers, restaurants, and retailers to each other. GEOfood increases opportunities for local people and visitors to savour and appreciate quality local food.
The businesses who joined are Aillwee Burren Cheese, Burren Beef, Burren Food and Wine, Burren Smokehouse, Burren Free Range Pork, Flaggy Shore Oysters, Linnalla Pure Irish Ice Cream, St Tola Irish Goat Cheese and Wild Kitchen. For more information on the GEOfood initaitve in the Burren go to Burren GEOfood
These events are supported by Clare County Council Festival Funding and by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
