Fiona Egan
Innovator
Cloughan Farm Cookery School
Ireland
Economic
Farming
Rural village
The innovation journey
The goal of Cloughan Farm Cookery School is to give people the opportunity to reconnect with food and the land. Growing up, Fiona baked and cooked out on the farm with her parents learning the value of locally sourced homegrown produce, a connection she feels is lost in current society. Influenced by her upbringing and family practices, Fiona has turned this tradition into a career with her cookery school.
Fiona and her husband, Michael, have a working farm and the cookery school is located beside their home, where Fiona provides classes and hands-on demonstrations. The farm, the garden and the orchard provide fresh seasonal vegetables, meat and eggs to be used in the school. Fiona’s mission is:
“To focus on seasonality and reconnecting people with where the food is coming from, and how it’s produced and of course, sustainability is our key mission” (Fiona Egan, Longford Leader).
The innovation impact
Fiona’s passion for the slow-food movement and seasonal produce led her to develop the Cookery School working directly from the farm’s kitchen. Fiona has developed classes and workshops and is invited to provide cookery demonstrations at different events across the country. Classes are tailored to group or private sessions.
Recipes and ingredients are provided and alongside cooking skills, Fiona educates on food seasonality and connection to local sustainability. The classes finish with the group coming together to enjoy the finished dishes. Fiona connects with other related entrepreneurs to provide combined workshops. Participants engage in other practices such as fruit and vegetable growing and then engage in hands-on cookery demonstrations. To make the connection between land and food Fiona has developed farm tours on their farm.
Cloughan Cookery School has been awarded several awards. At the local level, it was awarded the Local Food Champion Award and at the national level, it received the Best Cookery School Award from the Irish Restaurants Association. These awards serve to spotlight the Cookery School but also showcase and raises the profile of the local area.