Event profs of Dublin - we speak to Catherine Fulvio of Ballyknocken Cookery School, House & Farm

To celebrate Dublin as our Destination of the Month, we caught up with a few Dublin people to find out more about the services they offer for event professionals - this time we grabbed a few minutes with Catherine Fulvio of Ballyknocken Cookery School, House & Farm

DW: Hi Catherine, what can Ballyknocken offer for meetings, events and incentives?

Catherine: Ballyknocken Cookery School, House and Farm, is the perfect venue for unique corporate team building events, fun corporate away days, offsite meetings, overnight retreats or international incentives days out. We are only 47KM from Dublin and we offer a very different team activity experience, our fun team building cookery classes are a unique hands-on learning experience.

Surrounded by scenic Wicklow landscapes, guests also can enjoy outdoor activities like sheep herding, farm games, falconry, archery, and clay pigeon shooting. We have three versatile meeting spaces coupled with another three dining spaces whereby we can cater for up to 200 guests.

DW: Is it possible to hire Ballyknocken for exclusive use?

Catherine: Yes, Ballyknocken House & Cookery School is available for exclusive hire. This option allows the guests to have the entire venue, including the charming Victorian farmhouse, beautiful gardens, and versatile event spaces, all to themselves. It's ideal for private corporate events, team-building retreats and incentives. With exclusive use, we can fully tailor the experience, from customised menus to bespoke activities, ensuring a personalised and memorable stay for groups.

DW: Tell us about the fabulous virtual offering you have for corporate team building and what size groups can you cater for?

Catherine: Ballyknocken's fabulous virtual corporate team-building offering brings the fun and creativity of our renowned cookery school to teams no matter where they are. Participants can join live, interactive cooking classes led by expert chefs, learning to prepare delicious dishes from the comfort of their own kitchens. Perfect for enhancing teamwork and engagement, these sessions are tailored to suit different group sizes and skill levels. Ballyknocken can cater for groups of 10 to 150 participants virtually.

DW: Can Ballyknocken also be hired by brands as a studio?

Catherine: Yes, Ballyknocken can be hired by brands as a studio. Its scenic countryside setting, charming Victorian farmhouse, and picturesque gardens make it an ideal location for filming, photoshoots, and brand activations. The versatile spaces, including the cookery school, offer unique backdrops for lifestyle, culinary, and product shoots. With exclusive use available, brands can have complete privacy and flexibility to create content in a serene and inspiring environment.

DW: Ballyknocken Farmhouse has been home to your family for almost 100 years, could you want to tell us a little bit about the history

Catherine: Our children are fourth generation here at Ballyknocken Farm, and I can trace our family back to the early 1800’s as farmers and landowners in the locality so there is a clear history of production from the land.

And my mother took it to the next level of “farm to fork” by opening our farmhouse as one of the first B&Bs in the country in 1969. Now over 55 years later I am very proud that we are still opening our doors for our guests to exclusively hire our Farmhouse as a special private venue.

DW: We can’t go without asking what is your favourite dish to cook?

Catherine: It has to be our Ballyknocken Beef & Guinness stew with Herby Mash Potato.