About At the Irish Table
Ireland’s food traditions have been shaped by history, migration, music, community and a deep sense of place. Many traditional Irish foods are inseparable from the stories of its land and people and many once associated with hardship and necessity, are now being rediscovered as powerful expressions of regional identity, resilience and shared culture.
Chef, writer and broadcaster Paula McIntyre leads this celebration of Ireland’s rich food heritage using the beloved staple of soda bread – which carries memories of both celebration and survival – to explore its culinary diversity. From Ireland’s grains and farming landscapes to the buttermilk and butter of its dairy traditions, and the turf fires that once defined the rhythms of rural kitchens.
Joined by chef and author Cherie Denham, Irish culinary historian Regina Sexton and photographer Andrew Montgomery – alongside producers, craftspeople and musicians from across Ireland – the event brings together food, folklore and lived experience.
Part of the Food Season Big Weekend over Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June. Take advantage of our In-Person Big Weekend Multi-Session Discounts by booking more than one session for the Big Weekend.
Your support
The British Library is a charity. Your support helps us open up a world of knowledge and inspiration for everyone. Please consider adding a donation to your basket.
Cherie Denham
Cherie Denham grew up in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
More
Cherie picked up her love of cooking from watching her grannies and great-aunts baking and preserving in their farmhouse kitchens, living off the land. After teaching at Leith's School of Food and Wine, and time as a private chef, she started up her own catering company and cookery demonstration business. A member of the Guild of Irish Food Writers, her food writing has been featured in Country Living and delicious. magazines and her 2022 TikTok teaching viewers how to make Irish butter has clocked up 33.5 million views to date. The Irish Kitchen is her second book following The Irish Bakery.
Paula McIntyre
Paula McIntyre trained as a chef at Johnson & Wales Culinary University in the USA and in restaurants in London and Ireland.
More
She contributes to radio programmes on the BBC including the John Toal Show and The Kitchen Cabinet. She has filmed four series of Paula McIntyre’s Hamely Kitchen for BBC Northern Ireland. In 2023 she collaborated with Basalt Distillery to produce a gin and rum. Her gin won a Great Taste Award star in 2024 and her rum won best dark spirit in Ireland in the Blas na H’Eireann awards 2025. She has written three cookbooks, contributes to various newspapers, is the chair of the Irish Food Writers Guild and Director of Slow Food Northern Ireland. She was awarded an MBE in 2018 for services to food and drink in Northern Ireland.
Andrew Montgomery
Andrew Montgomery has been a photographer all his life.
More
After leaving art college he began an apprenticeship with black-and-white printer Roy Snell, shooting portraits before moving into lifestyle and narrative photography. His first book commission was Jasper Conran’s Country, and more than 20 titles followed, covering food, travel and gardens. Following the publication of Petersham Nurseries in 2021, Andrew launched his own publishing company, Montgomery Press – which has published his collaborations with Cherie Denham, The Irish Kitchen and The Irish Bakery.
Regina Sexton
Regina Sexton is a lecturer and Programme Manager of the MA in Food Studies and Irish Foodways at University College Cork.
More
Her research focuses on Irish food and culinary history. She is also an award-winning food writer, broadcaster and cook. Currently, she is working as a researcher and co-ordinator on the Horizon-funded project RELISH (Reframing European Gastronomy Legacy Through Innovation, Sustainability and Heritage).
Food Season Big Weekend discounts
In Person Multi-Session Discounts
For the Food Season Big Weekend 2026, we’re introducing a new in-person multi-session discount to help more of you experience a wider range of sessions.
The more Big Weekend sessions you book, the more you save:
- book 3 or more sessions and receive 20% off your total booking
- book 5 or more sessions and receive 30% off your total booking.
Please add all your sessions to your basket and then these discounts will be applied at check out.
Standard concession rates will continue to apply as usual.
About Food Season 2026
The British Library Food Season returns for its seventh year, bringing together some of the most influential names in food, drink, hospitality, literature and science, for a series of events that highlight the stories, the politics and the people behind how and why we eat. Discover more Food Season events.
Concessions
There are a range of concessions available. These include discounts for British Library Members, half-price tickets for students and under 26s, free entry for carers as well as a number of other concessions.
Attending your events
Please note that this event takes place in the Piazza Pavilion on the piazza of the British Library, London.
Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start time of this event. If you have specific access requirements please email customer@bl.uk
You might also like
British Library Food Season Big Weekend
British Library Food Season launches with the Big Weekend.
Much Ado About Cooking
Appetite, feasting and hunger in Shakespeare, with Simon Russell Beale and guests.
From Masala to Miso: the Many Worlds of Curry
From India to Japan, Southeast Asia to Trinidad, how curry carries meaning and identity.