It certainly won’t be a case of “too many cooks may spoil the broth” in Kinsale on Sunday 21st April, as chefs from all over Ireland compete for the title of “All-Ireland Chowder Champion” at the annual All-Ireland Chowder Cook-Off at Acton’s Hotel.

Following on from the phenomenal success of last year’s Chowder Cook-Off; Ireland’s gourmet capital is eagerly awaiting this year’s event which takes place on Sunday 21st April, in association with Kinsale Chamber of Tourism & Business and Kinsale’s Good Food Circle. The Cook-Off will see a mix of 32 top professional restaurant chefs, fishermen and those producing popular commercial chowders represent their county and compete for the coveted title.

Selected finalists will travel from every corner of the country to Kinsale to serve pots and pots of delicious creamy chowder in Acton’s Hotel from 2-4pm; and it is members of the public that will be the judges in this highly anticipated contest. Everyone will receive a voting card upon entry which allows them to sample all chowders from the individual stalls and cast their vote to crown Ireland’s chowder champion 2013.

Celebrity chef, Martin “Fishy Fishy” Shanahan, who is one of the organisers of the event said “Being renowned as Ireland’s gourmet capital, Kinsale offers the perfect platform to showcase the wealth of talent that exits amongst Ireland’s chefs, particularly when it comes to chowder recipes. Last year’s Cook-Off was a massive success with queues forming well before the event kicked off. We saw tourists from Europe, America and beyond come in their droves, as well as locals and visitors from all over the country; and this year we’re hoping to build on that success and make the event even bigger and better.”

The winning chef will not only be crowned All-Ireland Chowder Champion, but will also receive a customised trophy and have the opportunity to represent Ireland at the Newport, Rhode Island  Great Chowder Cook-Off next summer. 2012 winners, The West Bar, Westport, Co. Mayo jet off to the prestigious competition this June.

The All-Ireland Chowder Cook-Off is the pinnacle of a two day Family Festival that is being held in Kinsale on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st April. The town will be transformed in a massive open air street market with food stalls and lots of fun family activities throughout the town. Food stalls hosted by many of the local businesses will sell delicious samples and dishes for under €5, and there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

According to Hal McElroy, Chairman of Kinsale Chamber of Tourism “The All-Ireland Chowder Cook-Off is all about delicious food and family fun! It’s a kid-friendly and family oriented event. Your only job is to bring the family and your discerning palate to sample and vote on your favourite chowder.”

It is set to be a busy weekend in Kinsale as “OceanAddicts” will also host a “Submerged Gathering” event. The event promises to be a mixture of everything diving related and proceeds from the weekend will be presented to the RNLI. On Saturday and Sunday organisers hope to get as many divers as they can into the water to head out to specific dive sites.

Tickets for Sunday’s All-Ireland Chowder Cook-Off, which include samples of all chowders, are €10 each, and are available at the door, as well as from Finishing Services and Acton’s Hotel, Kinsale. 

For more information on the All-Ireland Chowder Cook-Off and all that Kinsale has to offer visit www.kinsale.ie and www.facebook.com/Good.Food.Circle.