Left to Right: Alice Mansergh, CEO, Tourism Ireland, Timmy Dooley, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Margaret Jeffares, Founder & CEO, Good Food Ireland®, Dr Howard Hastings, Hastings Hotels and Darina Allen, Co-Founder, Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Renowned for promoting trusted food and drink experiences across the island of Ireland, Good Food Ireland® has just launched a new booking platform for domestic and international visitors, simplifying the booking process for a wide range of unique and truly authentic Irish food and drink experiences.

The ‘Good Food Ireland® Experiences’ platform was launched to an audience of food, farming, tourism and hospitality professionals at the Good Food Ireland® Conference 2025, which took place at Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel, the host partner venue for the conference. The booking platform is now live, already hosting over 60 incredible experiences that are available to book directly.

Promoting sustainable tourism, farming practices and supporting local communities, the experiences encourage people to explore authentic tastes and deep-rooted traditions across Ireland, helping to preserve traditional food and drink production methods. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD, while launching the Platform, commented:

“Ireland’s approach to delivering sustainable agriculture and food is set out in Food Vision 2030, our shared stakeholder-led strategy for the continuing development of the agri-food sector in Ireland. The Strategy was designed using a food systems approach, recognising the requirement to have greater policy coherence across agriculture, food, and the environment, through the involvement of all of the food system stakeholders. This innovative Good Food Ireland all-island food and drink experience platform aims to connect food lovers with our finest culinary destinations, producers, and food and farming traditions.  It will also help to build Ireland’s reputation as a leader in sustainable food practices, with experiences that celebrate the best of Irish food culture.”

Margaret Jeffares, Founder and CEO of Good Food Ireland® said:

“For over 20 years, I have been working with tour operators, creating unique experiences for visitors to Ireland. Meeting passionate producers, tasting handcrafted foods and exploring Ireland’s food culture has delivered an unforgettable culinary journey for thousands of visitors to our shores, and in recent times, we’ve seen a huge increase in domestic tourism, with Irish travellers looking for something different to experience when holidaying at home.”

From a half-day Skellig Six18 Gin & Whiskey tasting in Co. Kerry to a two-day private chauffeur-driven equine tour further to a culinary adventure in Counties Tipperary, Kildare and Meath, the Good Food Ireland® Experiences platform houses the best food & drink
experiences that Ireland has to offer, all under one platform. Other highlights include a ‘Mountain lamb farm tour and tasting’ in Achill, a Co. Armagh cider orchard tour and bread-making demo’ and afternoon tea in the grand surroundings of Castle Leslie in Co. Monaghan.

Commenting on the development of ‘Good Food Ireland® Experiences’, Margaret explains:

“As Ireland’s agri-food and tourism sectors have grown in importance, and visitors are looking for more authentic and unique experiences, it became clear that there was a need for a trusted home where all these fabulous experiences would be showcased, and available to book.

Launching Good Food Ireland® Experiences has been a two-year journey, and the platform has been built for growth as we welcome more producers and providers to the site. Our long-term vision is that Good Food Ireland® Experiences will become synonymous as the home for trusted food and drink experiences across Ireland, and we’ll introduce thousands of global visitors to Ireland’s most authentic culinary destinations.”

Darina Allen, the pioneer of the slow food movement in Ireland and owner of Ballymaloe Cookery School and Dr Howard Hastings OBE, former chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Chairman of Hastings Hotels also participated in the launch. Good Food Ireland® Experiences is the only Irish booking platform for food and drink experiences that spans the Island.

Concluding Darina Allen said:

“Almost 20 years ago, Good Food Ireland® was pioneering in its cross-promotion of local food and drink, and tourism. Today, Good Food Ireland® is synonymous with trusted and authentic food and drink experiences, and Good Food Ireland® Experiences is a natural extension of this offering. The new site will enhance the food tourism experience for visitors to counties across Ireland, and importantly, provides farmers, producers and tourism hospitality providers with a platform to promote and sell their experiences to those travelling to Ireland or holidaying at home.”

The Good Food Ireland® cross-sector conference focused on the vital role of Ireland’s agri-food and tourism sectors in ensuring long-term economic and social stability across the island of Ireland, with the event sponsored by AIB, BIM – Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency and Bord Bia; supporting partners, FBD Insurance and Tourism Ireland with Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel as the host partner venue. Speakers at the event highlighted the importance of innovation, sustainability, and collaboration in building a future rooted in homegrown excellence and shared prosperity. Good Food Ireland® Experiences are categorised by experience and location, and guests to the site can also purchase gift experiences via the platform.

For more details, visit www.goodfoodireland.ie

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For further information, please contact:

Margaret Jeffares
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 087 667 4654

ABOUT GOOD FOOD IRELAND®

Established in 2006, Good Food Ireland® has successfully united the agri-food and tourism sectors under a single all-island destination brand, with the aim of positioning food and drink as key economic drivers for tourism across the island of Ireland. As the trusted consumer brand for authentic food and drink experiences, Good Food Ireland® not only promotes the island’s rich culinary heritage but also drives sales by directing both international visitors and local consumers to high-quality food and drink offerings.

Research by Grant Thornton has shown that 92% of businesses increased their purchasing of local, Irish food as a direct result of their association with Good Food Ireland®, underscoring the brand’s significant role in supporting local producers and fostering sustainable, locally-driven growth.