Cooking, Competing, and Campervans: Tales from the Campervan Cook-off

The tradition of the Cully & Sully Campervan Cook-off is a highly anticipated event each year. Giving us an insight into the competition is Louisa O’Callaghan who has participated in every one since 2010!

“What can I say about the Cully & Sully Campervan Cook-off …. This for me has always been one of the highlights, from the first one in 2010 to what we are hoping isn’t going to be the last one in 2025, I’ve taken part in every single one! 

The year the festival was small after Covid the Cook-off wasn’t going to feature as part of the festival, so the members of Type2Ireland decided to organise our own. We weren’t going to let Covid take the Cook-off from us!! 

The laughs and competition we have each year have been immense. Once one Vantastival ends, the competition for the next cook-off begins, where we start sharing photos of new cooking utensils and secret ideas of our cupboard ingredients #psych. In the Cook-off you are allowed to use ‘cupboard ingredients’ i.e. items you already have in your vans on a daily basis. This at this stage is half the ingredients in Lidl!!! 

Points are awarded not only for the food but also for ambience and entertainment. I’ve enlisted help for the entertainment from The Twisted Sisters – one of the regular bands that play at the festival – performing a few tunes as the judges sample the delights of the food Team Freebird* has to offer, and I’ve also had members of the Shandon Ukulele Ensemble entertain the masses. 

As you can see from the pics, I also recruited Beetlejuice as a waiter for Team Freebird. His care towards the judges included him going above and beyond to avoid any breach of HACCP regulations by drinking the beverage that was presented to judges Cully and Sully when a fly entered the glass. Cully and Sully have brought much fun and laughs with their judging skills also. They’ve been quite merry by the time they reach the final van!!! Oh and not to mention Saltgate… if you know you know!!!! 

The Cook-off has been an absolutely fantastic feature at Vantastival and I am looking forward to partnering with AnnMarie Kennedy for the finale. AnnMarie and I have been competing against each for the past number of years so have decided to form a team for this one.  

Thanks to Benny and Lou for the entertainment since 2010 and I think I can speak for all the festival goes when I say it has been an epic journey.

By Louisa O’Callaghan