Tipperary Coffee Festival will be its most ambitious yet this weekend
The festival takes place from this weekend June 26 to 28
The Birdhill Coffee Festival is set to return this week, with organisers expanding the event beyond its traditional coffee focus to include a range of local artisan businesses, food producers and craftspeople.
Hosted by The Old Barracks Coffee Roastery from June 26 to 28, the festival has become a regular fixture on the local calendar.
While coffee remains at the heart of the festival, this year’s event will feature a range of local artisan producers, food businesses, craftspeople and wellness exhibitors alongside the traditional coffee-focused workshops and demonstrations.
Old Barracks owner Alan Andrews said the festival has evolved significantly since its launch:
“The first few years have been exclusively coffee so that we could figure out what we need to do to bring to the festival," he said.
“This is our first year that we’ve invited in other businesses. We’ve invited about nine businesses and we’re giving them the space and the opportunity to promote themselves.”
The festival is designed to appeal not only to dedicated coffee enthusiasts but also to members of the public with a general interest in food, craft and local enterprise.
Among the exhibitors will be gluten-free baker Caroline Rigney from Rigney’s Farm, ceramic artist Melissa Montague, skincare producers, jewellery makers and local food businesses. Demonstrations and live artisan displays will take place throughout the weekend.
The event’s coffee programme remains extensive, with interactive workshops, brewing demonstrations, barista competitions, guest speakers, educational masterclasses and tastings featuring some of Ireland’s best coffees.
Mr Andrews said many people invest heavily in coffee equipment before realising that making great coffee requires a degree of training and knowledge.
“People typically buy a machine and think it’s a plug-and-play thing, then they realise it’s a little bit more complicated than that.”
Workshops throughout the festival will cater for a range of experience levels, from beginners using home coffee machines to more advanced coffee drinkers looking to refine their brewing techniques.
Small-group training sessions will accommodate up to six participants at a time.
The Old Barracks Coffee Roasters also hold workshops on a more regular basis at their location on the Dock road in Limerick city.
The festival has become an important showcase for the wider Old Barracks business, which now employs around 60 people across its various operations which also include Guji Coffee Bar and the newly opened Grumble dessert bar in Limerick city.
The festival begins on Friday, June 26, with trade-focused sessions for aspiring café owners, before opening to the general public on Saturday and Sunday.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to win a range of prizes throughout the weekend, including a Sage Barista Touch Impress coffee machine worth €1,500 and coffee-related prizes valued at up to €500.
Mr Andrews said the event also provides a valuable boost for the local area.
“We noticed that it really encourages people to visit us, not just at the weekend of the festival but throughout the summer,” he said.
“It’s great for Birdhill as well and the local area.”
The Birdhill Coffee Festival takes place at The Old Barracks, Birdhill, Co Tipperary, from June 26 to 28. Tickets start from €25, with further information available from The Old Barracks Coffee Roastery.