Latest news with #BordBiaBloom
Extra.ie
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Holy cow! Donal Skehan's Bloom kitchen disaster is a cracker
TV chef Donal Skehan was in smashing form at Bord Bia Bloom yesterday, adding the cherry on top of his 'many' kitchen calamities. He was in the middle of a cookery demonstration at the gardening and food festival in the Phoenix Park when a glass oven door broke into pieces in his hand. Skehan, who soldiered on to whip up a Korean chicken dish, told afterwards: 'My biggest fear was that the glass was hot, it went all down my shirt, all down my top.' Donal Skehan, Irish TV personality and presenter, breaks the oven door while demonstrating at Bloom 2025. © Michael Chester. Thankfully, nobody was hurt by the flying shards, and the accident provided the chef with plenty of material for the rest of the demonstration, which was thoroughly enjoyed by the amused audience. 'It had rained previously, so we've never had a more packed demo tent – of course – to witness it,' Skehan laughed. 'The thing I learned in all my years on television is that whatever goes wrong, you keep on cracking on. I've had many kitchen disasters, and I think this definitely tops it. There's nothing like something going wrong in front of 400 people.' Donal Skehan, Irish TV personality and presenter, breaks the oven door while demonstrating at Bloom 2025. © Michael Chester. The Dublin-born chef is a regular presenter on BBC One's Saturday Kitchen and a contributor to ITV's This Morning. He said 'loads' of things have gone wrong in live broadcasts. 'I've burnt things, [This Morning presenter] Alison Hammond has moved things without me realising… 'But probably the biggest one was on Saturday Kitchen. It goes out to like three million people, so it's always a very stressful one to do, but it's a brilliant show. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Donal (@donalskehan) 'And I once sliced a little bit of the tip off my finger and had to continue on interviewing and chatting. Julian Clary was the celebrity guest. He was a pain in the a**e because he kept bringing it up.' Elsewhere at Bloom, another Irishman familiar to British TV viewers was in attendance for the very first time. Diarmuid Gavin explained: 'I've been abroad, and it's always around the time of the Chelsea Flower Show. And while I've lived in Ireland, I've never worked here until Covid. So, eventually, I've made it.' The TV gardener told the festival was 'great' from his first impressions. 'People are very enthusiastic. Great crowds, great gardens and great nurseries. So all very good.' This year's garden trend is 'going wild', Gavin said. 'Embracing the weeds, embracing the natural, getting away from the chemicals – all of that is very popular.' The Bloom judges awarded the concept garden gold medal to The Rainbow Brick Balcony Garden, made entirely from Lego. Limerick artist Gary Kirwan built it from 814,183 pieces over eight weeks, doing '85%' of the work himself. Despite the lack of organic matter in his incredible creation, he said organisers were 'really responsive' to the idea, with one in particular a 'big Lego fan'. The Marie Keating Foundation returned to Bloom with their 'Early Bird Catches The Worm' garden, highlighting the importance of early cancer detection. The charity's director of development, Lyrah O'Beirne, said the silver gilt medal-winning garden is 'asking people to be aware of what the signs and symptoms are and to act on them and get treated. 'The impact on the patient – physically, mentally and financially – is so much easier if it's treated in its early stages, and people can get back to a normal life. 'It's also much easier on their friends and family and on their work, because what people don't realise is that cancer just doesn't affect the patient, it affects everybody connected to that person.'
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘That was not part of the plan' – RTE star chef left red-faced as oven door EXPLODES during live demonstration event
CELEBRITY chef Donal Skehan has been left red-faced at a live demonstration after a hilarious blunder. The 3 Donal was left confused when the oven door broke during the demonstration Credit: Instagram 3 He was shocked when the oven door exploded when he tried to fix it Credit: Instagram 3 Glass could be seen all over the floor Credit: Instagram He was presenting on the Quality The chef shared a video to his In the video, posted on his In a caption inserted into the READ MORE IN TV Before the disaster occurred, he was in the middle of telling the audience what the next step in the He was cut short as one half of the He then turned to look at the audience as shocked attendees could be heard gasping. He then turned back to the oven, and while trying to fix the door he joked: "Who put this kitchen together?" Most read in TV After frantically looking around the kitchen wondering what to do, he returned to the oven door once again in a desperate bid to try to fix it. Donal Skehan throws dig at Arthur's style award loss Grabbing the handle with both hands, he said: "Ok, hang on, now there's something" - but before he got to finish his sentence, the glass oven door exploded in his hands as he let out a yelp. Glass can be seen flying everywhere, and when the camera angle switches it can be seen all over the floor. He then stands there laughing, holding the handle of the oven door as the audience crack up. 'NOT PART OF THE PLAN' Turning towards the crowd, he says: "That was not part of the plan. "All I will say is when you're in the kitchen, disasters may happen." Donal is due to be presenting a series of different demonstrations at the Bord Bia Bloom festival. The
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Colin Sheridan: Bloom is the crowning jewel of our capital city
Ah, Bloom! That annual horticultural hootenanny where the scent of freshly turned soil mingles with the aroma of artisan sausage rolls, and where the only thing more abundant than the flora is the flurry of floppy hats. This year, Bord Bia Bloom 2025 blossomed once again in Dublin's Phoenix Park, transforming 70 acres into a veritable Eden of eco-consciousness, culinary delights, and enough garden gnomes to march on the Aras and stage a coup. The earth laughs in flowers, so said Ralph Waldo Emerson, yesterday, it was in stitches. First, an admission of guilt. As a novice, the name of this festival confused me. Bloomsday falls on June 16 each year. That celebration of Joycean pomp is no relation to Bord Bia Bloom, but the timing and title caught me a little off guard. Were there enough Ulysses nuts to warrant a five-day celebration in the largest public park in any capital city in Europe? No, it turns out, there isn't. Which is a relief. This is something else entirely. It's reductive to compare festivals — each lives and dies on its own merits — but given the scale and logistical footprint of Bloom, the National Ploughing Festival is an obvious and worthy inspiration for Irelands premier gardening and horticultural festival. Beginning on Thursday and running throughout the Bank Holiday weekend, Bloom will have attracted over 120,000 punters through its gates by the time the last tent is collapsed on Monday. If the ploughing is Glastonbury, Bloom is Electric Picnic. The setting is majestic and the mood more than a little mischievous. The variety on display from the moment you enter is so rich it'd make a willow weep. Puns aside, Bloom means business. I'm no sooner in the gate but I'm watching the Ballymaloe crew do a cooking demo on the Dunnes Stores stage. Chef Neven Maguire is hanging in the wings signing autographs like he's a member of Metallica. Maisie Carton, aged 15, from Dundrum, was prepared for moody weather in the Phoenix Park. Picture: Moya Nolan If there are politicians about, they are keeping a low profile. The weather, too, is appropriate; wet on Thursday, Friday brings dark clouds broken up by brilliant sunshine. Good gardening weather, right? Weather so rich you can feel the grass grow beneath your feet. Excited school kids follow patient teachers like mini climbers trailing their sherpa. Grownups who should know better sip Aperol spritz from recyclable plastic cups. With a taste of summer already lingering in the back of our throats, the timing of Bloom could not be more apposite. The heart of the festival lies in its show gardens — 21 verdant visions ranging from the sublime to the surreal. Take, for instance, the 'Make A Wish Foundation Garden' by Linda McKeown, a space so enchanting it could make a grown man weep into his compost. Then there's the 'GRÁ' garden by Kathryn Feeley for Dogs Trust, a canine-centric paradise where even the shrubs seem to wag their leaves in approval. Not to be outdone, the 'Tusla Fostering Garden' by Pip Probert offers a vibrant tapestry of colours and textures, symbolising the diverse journeys of foster families. Bloom, though, is not just about seasoned green thumbs; it's also a fertile ground for budding gardening superstars. The 'Cultivating Talent' initiative, now in its third year, continues to nurture and showcase the next generation of garden designers. This year's standout is Dr Sarah Cotterill — an assistant professor at UCD — whose 'Into the Woods' garden pays homage to Ireland's Atlantic rainforests, proving that even civil engineers can have a soft spot for ferns. Billy Alexander of Kells Bay House and Gardens in Kerry brought his Chelsea Flower Show-winning fern garden to Bloom. Picture: Moya Nolan For those of us whose idea of gardening involves little more ingenuity than picking herbs for a G&T, the Food Village offers enough distraction to fill a day. I unwittingly followed one chap who easily reached his daily calorie quota by exclusively eating free samples. It was an admirably frugal tactic, if a tad unnecessary. Unlike other festivals, the food was ample and reasonably priced. The village — which features nearly 100 Irish producers — is a smorgasbord of local delights. I'd eaten two gourmet burgers and a hot dog before lunchtime. Not every day in the trenches is like this, and this one-man army marches on its stomach. The food stages are accessible and unfussy — culinary luminaries like Neven, Darina Allen, and Fiona Uyema are on hand to whip up some dishes that would make an intermittent faster reconsider their life choices. The atmosphere is collegiate, the food divine. Sure, there are plenty of healthy options on display, too, but Bloom is not the space to suddenly become precious. There is lots of cream and butter, and the fun and food police are conspicuous in their absence. A key theme running throughout the festival is sustainability, with the Sustainable Living Stage hosting 40 talks on topics ranging from food waste to natural skincare hacks. The festival walked the walk — quite literally — by offering free shuttle buses, ample bicycle parking, and ensuring all food and drink packaging was compostable or recyclable. There were even volunteers on hand at each bin to advise you on what goes where. Keen not to take itself too seriously, Bloom isn't just for the horticulturally inclined; it's a family affair. The Budding Bloomers area offered a range of activities for the young and the young at heart, from bug workshops to interactive performances. Chef Tricia Lewis giving a cookery demonstration to a crew of hungry festivalgoers. Picture: Moya Nolan For those looking to bring a piece of Bloom home, the Grand Pavilion and Plant Emporium offered everything from handcrafted garden sculptures to rare plant species. It's the kind of place where you go in for a packet of seeds and come out with a bonsai tree and a newfound appreciation for macrame rope. In its 19th year, Bord Bia Bloom continues to be a testament to Ireland's love affair with all things green and growing. It's a safe, creative space where gardeners, foodies, and families converge to celebrate the simple joys of nature, nourishment, and community. In a time when the deforestation of the island is a hot topic, Bloom offers an antidote to the doom and gloom that can sometimes suffocate green-adjacent conversations. The jewel of the crown of this festival, however, is not any one of the celebrity gardeners, chefs or even Juniperus Communis on display. It's not even the extra-mature cheeses, of which I consumed quite a few. No, it is unquestionably the venue. The Phoenix Park frames this event and makes it a masterpiece, a celebration of nature its creators and organisers can absolutely be proud of. Verdant and resplendent, the vastness of the park itself makes access and egress easy. The walled gardens within the festival compound act as a spine for a sprawl that is beautifully organised, but never contrived. Great oak trees provide shelter from the infrequent showers. The grass acts as a quilt to lie on and bask in the brilliant sunshine. Just outside the fence, a herd of fallow deer skip by, as if curious about the din inside. There is a lot wrong with our capital city, and, understandably, we spend plenty of time talking about it. Bloom is an example of something done incredibly right. A festival of nature, food, colour, and life, hosted in a public park at an incredibly reasonable price. Accessible to everybody, and not a Joycean scholar in sight.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Award winning Leitrim garden designer takes gold medal for unique entry at Bord Bia Bloom
Leonie Cornelius, an award-winning garden designer based in North Leitrim, has been honoured with a gold medal at the 2025 Bord Bia Bloom Festival in Dublin for her medium garden titled Nourish – The Caragh Nurseries Garden. This is her sixth show garden for Bord Bia Bloom. Leonie has won numerous medals and awards at Bord Bia Bloom, including a gold medal for last year's Óir, the Zarbee's Garden. Her entry this year is a collaboration with Caragh Nurseries and the courtyard-style garden blends architecture with wild nature to reconnect us with ourselves and the rhythms of the natural world. Drawing inspiration from Mediterranean living and ancient herbal traditions, Nourish features a sensory apothecary room surrounded by climate-resilient, edible, and ornamental planting. The garden invites visitors to slow down, restore, and rediscover pleasure in nature. With a focus on sustainable design and emotional nourishment, this immersive space is a powerful response to the demands of modern life. Showcasing bespoke elements from Caragh Nurseries and its outdoor brand, Finn & Elder, Nourish is both a visual and visceral experience – an inspiring blueprint for living in harmony, grounded in nature. Leonie Cornelius is an award-winning garden designer, interior architect, and bestselling author whose work explores the deep connection between nature, design, and wellbeing. Inspired by her childhood in Germany and time spent living on a Greek island and in the south of France, she blends Mediterranean influences with Irish landscapes to create soulful, sensory-rich gardens. Her designs celebrate slow living, seasonal rituals, and emotional restoration. Through her Nourish garden, Leonie invites visitors to reconnect – with themselves, each other, and the wild rhythms of the natural world. After Bloom, Nourish garden's plants will be relocated to Caragh Nurseries' wellbeing garden after the festival, ensuring their continued growth and contribution to a nurturing environment. Caragh Nurseries in County Kildare spans over 60 acres, offering exceptional trees, plants, and bespoke garden design, alongside exclusive pots, lighting, and furniture – creating complete, beautifully tailored outdoor spaces.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Wexford wins four medals on first day of Bord Bia Bloom 2025
Bord Bia Bloom is Ireland's largest gardening festival, with an estimated 100,000 visitors attending this year's event which showcased not just horticulture, but also food and sustainability across 300 events. Kilmurry Nursury in Gorey brought home a gold medal in their category while Hyland's nursery, also Gorey, brought home a bronze. Christine Rigney from the Co Wexford Garden and Flower Club in Enniscorthy, won bronze for her 'The Triumph of Light' display. Kate Kos, of Farmleigh Rose received silver for her mixed media art. Jim O'Toole, Bord Bia Chief Executive said, 'After months of hard work and planning, we are delighted to welcome our first visitors here this morning. I would like to congratulate all the medal winners whose creativity and expertise has been justly rewarded. Now the public can appreciate their inspiring horticulture displays over the next five days." "We have an action-packed schedule ahead with something for everyone, including over 300 performances and demonstrations across seven stages. Visitors can pick-up gardening tips and tricks, advice on sustainable living; and try the best of Irish food and drink,' he added.
