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food-drink · Thursday 20 August 2026 · 11:30am 
The Foundations of Irish Cuisine by Peter Ward of Country Choice
At Nenagh Heritage Centre · Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, E45 X588
At Nenagh Heritage Centre · Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, E45 X588
Peter Ward of Country Choice, the Nenagh delicatessen he and his wife Mary have run since 1982, gives a talk and demonstration on the foundations of Irish cooking at Nenagh Heritage Centre on Thursday, 20 August 2026. The session covers Irish produce, seasonal ingredients and how to make brown bread, drawn from more than four decades of sourcing directly from small Irish producers and farmhouse cheesemakers. It runs as part of National Heritage Week 2026, alongside a cluster of other heritage talks and tours taking place around Nenagh that week.
Country Choice was established in 1982 and has grown into one of Tipperary’s best-known independent food shops, built on relationships with small producers rather than wholesale supply chains. In 2024, Peter and Mary Ward won the Irish Food Writers’ Guild’s award for lifetime achievement, recognition of a career spent championing Irish farmhouse cheese, cured meats and home baking. At this talk, Peter walks through what makes Irish cooking distinctive: the produce, the seasons, and techniques passed down rather than learned from a cookbook, finishing with a live demonstration of brown bread. Refreshments are provided at the end. The talk sits alongside other Nenagh Heritage Week events that week, including guided tours of Nenagh Courthouse and the old gaol gatehouse, and a blacksmith demonstration at the heritage centre.
Nenagh Heritage Centre is in Nenagh town centre, a short walk from Banba Square and the main shopping streets. Nenagh has regular Bus Éireann services from Limerick, Thurles and Dublin, and on-street and car park parking is available around the town.
Nenagh runs a full Heritage Week programme, including tours of the old gaol gatehouse and courthouse the same week. There is more to see in Nenagh and across Co. Tipperary.
Heading to Nenagh Heritage Centre in Nenagh? Tipperary has plenty more to see. Read the Nenagh area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.