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James Beard-nominated chef and restaurateur Max Sussman and Kate McCabe, a hospitality and sustainability expert, announce the launch of Bog & Thunder, a boutique eco travel company focused exclusively on food tours of Ireland. Each small group bespoke tour features a collaboration with an Irish chef, artisan, producer, or creative, using food as a foundation and organized around a central theme.
Inspired by years of eating and traveling in Ireland, Max and Kate have created an impressive array of guided tours that will help put Ireland on the map as the next big destination for food lovers from around the world. Bog & Thunder’s 2022 tours feature the following regions, themes, and partnerships:
Welcome to the West: Planting Roots in Galway & Connemara with Chef Jess Murphy (June 21st to 26th)
Belfast & the Causeway Coast with Hill Street Hatch
Megalithic Gastronomic: From Dublin to the Boyne Valley with Jeni Glasgow & Reuven Diaz (July 10th to 15th)
Lúghnasa: Nature, Ritual, & Spirituality with Claire Davey (July 25th to August 1st)
The Great Outdoors: Adventures in Donegal with Lorcan McBride (August 12th to 19th)
Wild West Cork: Fish, Forage, & Feast with Sally Barnes (October 16th to 24th)
“We’re using Bog & Thunder to tell a new food story about Ireland,” says Sussman. “I’ve been in the restaurant industry for 20 years, and I don’t believe my culinary peers in the United States realize the depth and breadth of contemporary Irish food culture. After some of our first trips to Ireland, I knew right away that people who love food need to know about what’s happening there. I’m looking forward to introducing people to restaurants like Kai and Aimsir, and connecting them with artisans like Sally Barnes and Fingal Ferguson. We’re so excited to feature local artisans, craftspeople, and chefs through our work, as well as to co-create events and experiences that are otherwise not available to travelers.”
“We’ve intentionally sought out collaborative partners for our guided tours largely because we wish to provide well-rounded experiences for our guests while building relationships at all levels,” McCabe added. “We wish to avoid the transactional feel that can be typical of a guided tour. It’s also important that we both highlight the best of what’s out there as well as give back to the communities we visit.”
Sustainability and environmental justice are also key drivers for the brand and will help guide the stops on McCabe and Sussman’s tours. The company will pursue B Corp Certification so consumers can track Bog & Thunder’s ecological commitments.
“We want to highlight and share the stories of those we consider ‘solutionaries’–people who are both experts in their craft and are honoring their commitment to nature through the work that they do,” McCabe says. “There is a lot of emphasis on the need for regenerative travel right now, and we hope our tours will encourage travelers to have deeper conversations about what it means to be ‘green’. We believe our guests will not only have fun, meet incredible people, and enjoy delicious food, but also leave feeling deeply fulfilled.”
Stateside, Bog & Thunder is also partnering with artisan food giant Zingerman’s to co-lead their first-ever Ireland tours in September and October 2022, and is currently developing an influencer program with Maisie Wilhelm of Palatine Culinary Concierge.