TasteWaterford.ie is offering visitors a new way to discover Ireland’s oldest city with the launch of three immersive food tours.

The aim is to bring Waterford’s past and present to life through storytelling, local flavours and the people behind them, across the city’s streets and surrounding landscapes.

Waterford’s culinary story is deeply rooted in history.

Shaped by Vikings, Huguenots and centuries of trade, the city is known for a number of notable firsts, from the arrival of coffee on historic Coffee House Lane to the invention of the bacon rasher and cream cracker.

That legacy lives on in a vibrant food scene defined by creativity, quality and a strong sense of place, driven by local producers and independent businesses, according to TasteWaterford.ie.

Select tastes

The ‘Waterford City Select Taste Tour’ is billed as a lively three-hour walking experience led by guide Pamela Flanagan, combining engaging history with tastings across five venues.

The tour connects past and present on Coffee House Lane, where guests take part in a coffee cupping session, exploring flavour profiles and origins in the very location where coffee first entered the country.

From here, the focus shifts to producers at Momo Restaurant, where seasonal, locally sourced ingredients take centre stage.

A sweet stop will follow at Carter’s Chocolate Café, known for its rich hot chocolate.

The tour then explores a contemporary food space where a mix of vendors reflects the city’s increasingly diverse food culture.

It concludes in the Viking triangle, where the iconic Waterford blaa is served with a variety of fillings, linking back to a tradition dating to 17th century Huguenot influence.

Heritage tastes

The ‘Waterford Heritage Taste Tour’ offers an evening experience, guided by Stíofán Mac Cárthaigh, weaving together hidden streets, historic landmarks and standout dining.

Beginning at the House of Waterford Crystal and onto the Viking triangle for its first tasting, where the famous blaa is served within a space that incorporates medieval city walls dating back 900 years.

The culinary journey continues with a refined seasonal starter at Mara, whose chef has had experience at a Michelin three star kitchen in Spain.

The final stop is at Momo Restaurant for a main course built around the best of the season, paired with craft beer tastings from a local brewery.

Throughout the evening, guests gain insight into the relationships between chefs and producers that define the city’s modern food identity.

Mountain tastes

Beyond the city, the ‘Mountain Splendour Taste Tour’ is a full-day experience set against the Comeragh and Knockmealdown Mountains.

Led by guide Johnny Landers, it introduces visitors to the land, traditions and people behind Waterford’s food culture.

The day begins at the Granville Hotel, where guests can opt for a breakfast highlighting local ingredients, including Flahavan’s oats and the Waterford blaa.

The tour then moves into Crough Wood for a foraging experience with expert Andrew Malcolm, discovering the edible landscape.

At a local mountain farm, sustainable and organic methods are showcased through seasonal vegetables and pasture-raised poultry.

The journey continues to Mahon Falls, where visitors meet a sixth generation farmer who shares traditional shepherding techniques and introduces his flock of Scottish Blackface sheep, shaped by generations of farming in the area.

The tour concludes with a lunch experience that reflects the surrounding landscape, featuring locally sourced produce and, when in season, Comeragh mountain lamb.

Waterford

Richard Povey of Taste Waterford said the experiences present a compelling portrait of Waterford as a destination where food, history and landscape are deeply intertwined, offering visitors an authentic and sensory journey through one of Ireland’s most distinctive culinary regions.

For those looking to extend their stay, Waterford offers a variety of accommodation options across the city and county.

Taste Waterford tour prices range from €70 to €110 per person.