Speaker

Co-founder of the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in 1983 and more recently the Ballymaloe Organic Farm School in East Cork, Ireland. Students come from all over the world to hone their culinary skills at this sustainable, biodiverse Farm-to-Table project.

Founder member of the Irish Farmers’ Market Movement, East Cork Slow Food Convivia Leader, Chair of Artisan Food Forum, Farming for Nature Ambassador. 

East Cork Slow Food launched an educational 'Grow and Cook' project with local schools in 2025. 

Each school must have an Edible School Garden project and compost heap to teach children how to grow and harvest. 

Weekly food columnist in the Weekend Section of the Irish Examiner. Author of 21 bestselling cookbooks and André Simon Award winner.  Received the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from Listowel Food Fair and Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the year in 2001.

Darina's latest cook books:

Click here to buy Grow, Cook, Nourish (2023)

Click here to buy The New Ballymaloe Bread Book (2023)

Click here to buy One Pot Feeds All (2019)

Darina Allen will be speaking in the Food on Prescription Conference taking place on Saturday 20th June 2026. The full conference programmes will be announced in February 2026.