After a long pandemic break, the Electric Picnic music and arts festival is finally making its grand return to Stradbally, Co. Laois.

This year's festival will see some minor changes to the layout due to the whopping 70,000 attendees expected to dance their way around the various arenas, campsites, theatres and tents.

As well as adding new areas (Heineken's Greener Bar) and expanding on old favourites (the now sprawling metropolis of Freetown), the festival also has some delicious delicacies on offer.

As well as feasting on pizza, noodles and burgers from a host of delicious food trucks, festival goers can book themselves in for a sit down meal at The Hothouse or explore the various offerings of this year's Theatre of Food.

If festival goers really want to treat themselves, they can give their wellies a break and sit down to a mouth-watering meal at The Hothouse restaurant.

Created by Artistic Director Roz Jellett, this is the only waiter-service restaurant at Electric Picnic, and is located in a stunning oasis housed inside a spacious polytunnel decorated in the style of a French brocante, lush with foliage.

Its menu is sourced from five independent food producers - each of them small, unusual kitchen creators who care about every plate that goes out.

They are: Julia's Lobster Truck, a Burren-based seafood and shellfish aficionado whose specialty is barbequed lobster; Cibo Pizza whose freshly made Passata and Fior di latte Mozzarella adorn each of their lovingly created stone baked pies; The Chaat Shop, whose Bhel Puri is now infamous across Ireland; an Asian revolution from Little Dumpling whose dumplings have charmed the hearts of many; and Gidi's Great On the Grill where Gidi Gur draws on flavours of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Roz Jellet and her husband, Hugo Jellet, are the brains behind a number of Electric Picnic staples including Salty Dog, Trailer Park, Freetown, Spike Island, Providencia, and the top-secret BerlinHaus.

Speaking about her latest creation during the EP Press Day, Roz told RTÉ Lifestyle that The Houthouse will be ideal for those looking for a quick retreat from the fantastic chaos of the weekend.

"You can book a table and sit in this beautiful oasis in the middle of a festival with a glass of chilled white wine and some delicious food from really amazing chefs. These are really, really good cooks and caterers. Its waiter service and you're in and out quite quickly and it will all be modestly priced as well. It's not fine-dining or anything which is good because if you need to get to a gig quickly."

Speaking on some of the food on offer, Roz said that Julia's Lobster Truck will be a particularly special treat for seafood lovers:

"She basically has her truck, and is living in the West of Ireland in the Burren, and so it's a limited supply and she's an amazing chef."

To book a table, you can email hothouseeatery@gmail.com with your mobile number, and which day and approximate time you would like.

Running since 2008, this year's Theatre of Food will once again showcase food demos, inspirational discussions, live fire foods, music and food mashups, and the hotly anticipated return of the famous disco drunch - this year in aid of the #cookforukraine campaign.

As well as hosting the likes of the Arctic Monkeys and Megan Thee Stallion on the Main Stage, the annual festival will host some of the hottest chefs in the industry including: Library Street treats served up from the dynamic Kevin Burke; a brand new collaboration with Blasta Books Bonanza featuring Lily Ramirez; the Gastro Gays; Eoin Cluskey; Jess Murphy; and Kwanghi Chan, winner of Battle of the Food Trucks 2021.

There will be also be vegan treats from Holly White, whilst Tramore's Nicola Crowley and Dvir Nusery will show guests how to put the magic into mezze.

Sham Hanifa, iconoclastic owner of Leitrim's The Cottage Restaurant will talk about bringing the younger generation into the kitchen, and Scott Holder, whose Los Chicanos Mexican food truck is one of Dublin’s hottest culinary highlights, will be folding the tacos with a tangy Tinga masterclass.

Elsewhere, foodies will find Ivan Varian, who's Science of Flavour show is a mind-bending walk on the wild side of food and science.

Hungry podcast fans will be delighted to hear that The Foodhaus will arrive to Stradbally for the first time, deep diving into the topics of Food and Memory, Sustainability in Food, the Cravings and Comfort Food we love to share.

Running throughout the festival weekend, come and check out the Sustainable Choice Machine and learn about what differences your food choices make to the planet!

Dance your socks off at the Theatre of Food disco, and all weekend long check out All Alfresco and special guest chefs cooking up some flaming delights in the Theatre of Food Garden Stage with Big Green Egg.

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