MC & Guest Speaker
As an experienced MC and food business coach, I bring cookery demonstrations to life with lively banter, dynamic stage presence, and genuine audience engagement—skills developed over years as a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, accomplished café owner, senior teacher at Ballymaloe Cookery School, and trained executive coach. This background enables me to create seamless, chef-focused demos where culinary talent shines, participants get involved, and every event is interactive, memorable, and fun.
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Since becoming MC in 2021, I've had the privilege of curating and hosting standout culinary experiences—organising and leading cookery demonstrations at the renowned Ballymaloe Festival of Food, collaborating with brilliant chefs from Ireland and beyond, sourcing unique ingredients, and ensuring their stage moments run smoothly. Each festival, I engage chefs in vibrant conversation, elevating their demos while energising the audience and upholding the festival’s vision.
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My commitment to inclusive and engaging food events is shaped by my work as MC for the Coeliac Society’s Annual Gluten Free Roadshow. Connecting with attendees, hearing real stories, and learning firsthand about coeliac and gluten intolerance in Ireland gives me powerful motivation to make dining safer and more enjoyable for all. With 1 in 5 people in Ireland now affected, I continually deepen my expertise to support food businesses and their customers.
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I'm proud to champion Irish craft butchery, hosting competitive showcase events and judging the National Irish Steak Challenge and the Steak Championship 2025—honouring excellence and innovation in the field and congratulating outstanding winners.
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As MC for Taste of Sligo Food Festival, I connect audiences to award-winning chefs, outstanding producers, and the vibrancy of local food culture. Each event is about illuminating traditions and new trends, curating memorable on-stage collaborations and energising the demo space.
At Flavours of Fingal 2025, I was delighted to host the show’s food circle cookery programme at Newbridge House & Farm, engaging over 65,000 visitors in a weekend of hands-on demos, chef showcases, and artisan stories as part of Ireland’s largest family-friendly county show.
I continue as lead MC for Savour Kilkenny’s Taste Stage, curating and welcoming up to ten of Ireland’s top chefs each year. I also host Foodpreneurs live demos with LEO Kilkenny, creating an open, collaborative space for entrepreneurs and founders to connect, share, and inspire.
Collaborating at these leading festivals is truly rewarding, and I’m excited to build new partnerships with chefs, brands, sponsors, and organisers. If you’re looking for an enthusiastic MC who thrives on elevating food events and connecting communities, let’s talk and create something unforgettable together.
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Reach out any time at tracie@traciedaly.com.
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Speaker
With first-hand experience owning, operating, and even gracefully closing an award-winning café, I bring unmatched empathy, industry insight, and real-world understanding to every stage I host. I know the triumphs and the heartaches of food businesses—because I’ve lived them—and I channel that authenticity and passion into every event. If given the chance, I’d do it all again, because the journey of owning and running an award-winning cafe has shaped my expertise and made me a truly relatable, energetic, and knowledgeable MC for any food festival.
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To love and lose can make you or break you!
My journey has shaped me into the advisor, advocate, mentor, and coach I wished for when I was at my lowest—sitting on the bakery kitchen floor, surrounded by combi ovens and stainless steel, facing immense challenges. As a senior teacher at the world-renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School, a trained chef, a previous award-winning café owner, and a multi-award-winning food business coach, I’ve experienced the highs of niche success and the hard decisions demanded by a changing economy.
When the recession hit, I made a values-driven, strategic choice to close my business, ensuring every supplier, team member, and bank was paid in full. Integrity led every step, a legacy gifted to me by my late father, Malachy Daly. I know now that these challenges were essential—they taught me resilience, compassion, and the importance of principled leadership, and I bring those insights to every client and event I support.
Mindset is the secret ingredient to success
Rising from challenges with a renewed sense of purpose, I’m driven to teach, inspire, and spark lively discussion as a dynamic MC. My bold, values-led approach is grounded in years of business expertise, and my goal is to add genuine value to every festival—helping small business owners learn, adapt, and thrive. My experience fuels energetic dialogue and open conversations on stage, addressing business hurdles, resilience, and the mindset shifts needed for success.
Let’s collaborate to bring honest, insightful, and inspiring conversations to your audience—encouraging everyone to think outside the box, push through challenges, and step confidently beyond their comfort zones.