Hillsborough Farmers Market

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Dark Walk Lane at Hillsborough Fort

Hillsborough

Co Down

BT26 6AE

When:

Saturday 30th June, 10am-3pm

Saturday 28th July, 10am-3pm

Time: 10am-3pm

Entry is free

Parking: Hillsborough Forest Car Park or Ballynahinch Street Pay & Display

 

The popular Hillsborough Farmers’ Market returns for another summer series of farmers’ markets in the historic and picturesque village of Hillsborough. Set against the tree-lined Dark Walk Lane which leads to Hillsborough Fort, this makes for a lovely day out.

The market will be filled with over 30 stalls of the finest artisan food from across Northern Ireland for you to discover and try.

We can promise you an hour or two of chilled weekend vibes and lots of friendly banter! Expect to find fresh, local and seasonal food, from speciality meat, fruit and vegetables, bread, cakes, artisan cheeses, jam, chutney, olives, pesto and tapenades, charcuterie, oysters and smoked salmon, to plants and flowers, coffee, chocolate, ice cream, street food and more besides, including a small horticultural, natural skincare and artisan crafts selection.

So, come along to experience and discover the diverse range of artisan foods being produced from across Northern Ireland – many of them critic acclaimed and multi-award winning, such as Ispini Charcuterie, Harnett’s Oils, Ke Nako Biltong, Ballyriff Buffalo, Cavanagh Free Range Eggs and Deli Muru.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information and updates, please visit

https://www.visitlisburncastlereagh.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enjoylisburn/

Twitter: @VisitLisburn   Instagram @visitlisburncastlereagh

 

New apple butter created by top Northern Irish chef

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Armagh Apple Butter has been developed by a leading chef in a popular Olde World bar in Northern Ireland.

Mervyn Steenson, head chef at Food NI member Groucho’s on the Square in Richhill, county Armagh, created the new apple butter with support from the Armagh Cider Company, Northern Ireland’s leading processor of cider, cider vinegar and apple and other juices.

Mr Steenson, head chef at the bar for 12 years, commenting on the new butter spread, says: “The idea came from Peter Lyness, the bar’s owner, on his return from a US trip. Peter saw and enjoyed apple butter there and suggested that we should use Armagh’s reputation in growing apples and producing cider to create our own version.”

“I did some basic desk research and discovered that there are also apple butters in other parts of the world including Germany and the Netherlands. It made sense to me to develop a distinctive Armagh apple product.”

“I then approached Helen Troughton at Armagh Cider Company for advice and help in developing a recipe for the butter. I used traditional Armagh Bramley apples in the development of a distinctive recipe that isn’t overly sweet and with just the right amount of acidity. I then tested it on friends and family. Feedback was extremely positive and encouraged me to start making the butter they had enjoyed in small batches,” he adds.

He named the new Armagh Apple Butter after Groucho’s in Richhill and is producing it in small batches in 225g jars at £4. In addition to Armagh Bramley apples, which have EU protected accreditation, the butter includes cider vinegar, sourced from Apple Cider Company along with the apples, spices, sugar and water.

The butter is currently being sold in the bar and has already attracted the attention of tourists in particular. In addition, Armagh Cider Company is selling the original product.

“The apple butter is currently being produced by me in the bar’s kitchen and so it’s essentially a small batch product. As well as customers in the bar, I see the butter as an ideal souvenir and gift product for tourists especially those on the many food tours now visiting producers and bars in the Armagh area.”

“It’s also helping to showcase Groucho’s as well as Armagh Bramley apples. It reflects Groucho’s longstanding commitment to sourcing local food and drink for all our menus. We’ve some marvellous food and drink now being produced in Northern Ireland, products we prefer to use in our dishes and in the bar,” he adds.

 

 

Northern Irish Tempted Cider wins major international award

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Northern Ireland’s Tempted Irish Craft Cider, a FoodNI member company, was a Trophy winner at the prestigious International Cider Challenge 2018.

Tempted’s Dry Cider was chosen by a panel of expert judges for its outstanding taste and quality in the challenge which recognises the “diversity and range of packaged products within this dynamic and growing category”.

Tempted is a small batch producer, based near Lisburn in county Antrim, crafting cider from apples mostly grown at Loughgall in county Armagh, Northern Ireland’s ‘orchard county’. The company was formed in 2009 by husband and wife team David and Janet Uprichard. The dry cider was the first produced in 2009.

Mr Uprichard, commenting on the latest award won by the family business, says: “Another weekend, another award for Tempted Cider! We’re delighted to be awarded an International Cider Challenge Trophy for Tempted Dry and many congratulations to all the winners.”

Davy continued: “Tempted Dry is where our Tempted journey started. Not being able to find a dry cider that I liked, we blended this fruity, fresh and floral cider to suit my own. Tempted Dry delivers a crisp, refreshing taste and with provenance being vitally important to us, every care is taken to select only the finest hand-picked apples from the Orchard County of Armagh, in Northern Ireland.”

Two other cider processors in Northern Ireland, both Food NI members, also featured in the awards. Kilmegan Cider, based at Dundrum in county Down and developed by Andy Boyd, gained two bronze medals for its Real Cider and Irish Farmhouse Cider.

And Long Meadow Cider in Loughgall, county Armagh, another family farm business started by husband and wife Pat and Catherine McKeever and other members gained a bronze medal for its recently launched Rhubarb and Honey cider.

Both processors were formed in 2013 and have won a string of awards including UK Great Taste Awards. Long Meadow is located on the McKeever apple farm.

Ciders entered into the tasting categories were blind tasted by an expert panel of independent judges and assessed according to their taste, appearance and aroma. Medals and trophies were awarded to the best ciders.

Another element to this prestigious competition were the design and packaging awards which recognised the best design within the cider sector. The panel of judges assessed each product against a set design brief and is scored on initial impact, originality, creativity, innovation and relevance to target market.

 

Indie Fude shortlisted in Shop of the Year 2018

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The Guild of Fine Food’s annual Shop of the Year awards, an accreditation scheme which recognises and promotes excellence in independent retail, has announced its shortlist for 2018. Among the 42 independent retail outlets named, Indie Füde, a deli based in Comber, Co. Down is in the running for Best Delicatessen.

Having had a written entry reviewed by a panel of respected industry experts, Indie Füde, which champions small-batch artisan producers from Ireland, will now undergo two further rounds of judging this summer; an announced visit from one of the judges and a mystery shop by Shopper’s Anonymous.

Previously forming part of the Great Taste accreditation scheme, Shop of the Year has evolved to apply an even more rigorous and robust judging process dedicated solely to retail. Celebrating delis, farm shops, cheesemongers and more, Shop of the Year offers independent retailers a chance to achieve a stamp of approval with real integrity, much like Great Taste does for food and drink products.

From overall shopping experience and financial performance to staff training opportunities and environmental initiatives, the panel of judges, which includes Edward Berry of The Flying Fork, Stuart Gates, who has worked for both Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, award-winning retailer Tracey Colley and Georgina Mason from Gonalston Farm Shop, will rate, score and feedback on every aspect of the shops before agreeing on an overall category winner.

On Thursday 20 September, Shop of the Year 2018 will reach an exciting finale when the world of fine food gathers at No. 42 Southwark Street, the Guild of Fine Food’s London base, to find out the winners of Best Delicatessen; Best Farm Shop or Garden Centre with Food Hall; Best Grocer, Village or Community Shop; and Best Specialist Cheese Shop.

 

Snack innovator making a noise with nuts

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An innovative range of self-seasoning snacks for the growing craft beer market in particular has been launched in Northern Ireland by Noisy Nuts, a recently established food business and a member of FoodNI.

Noisy Nuts, which is based in Ballygowan, county Down, is the brainchild of Noel Allen, an experienced marketer who helped to ensure the success of energy drink Boost in Northern Ireland.

He has developed a six-strong range of 85g snack pots of peanuts which are available with different seasoning sachets. The seasonings with peanuts are: Pickled Onion, Chilli and Lime, Chilli Beef, Chocolate Orange, Thai Sweet Chilli, and Bacon and Jalapeno (RRP £3).

Explaining the decision to name the business Noisy Nuts, Mr Allen, former marketing manager of Boost Drinks in Northern Ireland, says: “The idea is that customers open the pack of peanuts in the pot, then the accompanying sachet of seasoning and sprinkle over the nuts, then close the top and shake the contents. It’s quite a noisy operation, hence Noisy Nuts.”

Consumers can pour the whole seasoning sachet in and shake the pot giving a strong flavour or season as they wish to fit with their beer drinking taste.

His decision to set up Noisy Nuts was influenced by his love of craft beers, now a thriving category in Northern Ireland. “I enjoy peanuts with my beer and had noticed that the they often impacted the flavour. This led me to see if I could come up with a way to flavour the nuts to compliment the beers.

“With hundreds of different craft beer breweries in the UK, including upwards of 40 in Northern Ireland and more than 3,500 different craft beers on sale I reckoned there was an opportunity to produce a complimentary interesting snack for this buoyant and increasingly growing market.

“Craft beer drinkers are all about taste and we’re giving them an original snack that will enhance their drinking experience,” Mr Allen adds.

The individual pots include recommendations on the best flavourings to match with the types of beer.

 

 

International taste award for Northern Irish Mill Bay Oysters

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Food NI member Rooney Fish, Northern Ireland’s leading fish and seafood processor, has won major awards from the influential International Taste and Quality Institute in Brussels for its oysters.

Rooney, based at Kilkeel in county Down, gained two top awards for its Mill Bay Oysters, which are grown and harvested in the pristine waters of Carlingford Lough.

The oysters were the only food and drink product from Northern Ireland to be recognised for their taste and quality by a panel of expert chefs and were among almost 2,000 entries from 90 countries.

Andrew Rooney, commercial director of Rooney Fish, commenting on the award of gold and blue stars for superior products, says: “This is a tremendously important endorsement of our oysters from an international taste body. It’s a great boost for us as we continue to market our oysters to high-end customers in international markets.

“The recognition follows our outstanding success in the UK Great Taste Awards in successive years,” he adds.

Rooney Fish is a family owned and managed business which processes fish and shellfish, including langoustines, crabs and crabs claws, for export in particular to international markets in Europe and Asia.

The company operates from a state-of-the-art processing plant at the harbour in Kilkeel.

The International Taste & Quality Institute – iTQi – based in Brussels is the world’s leading organisation dedicated to certifying the taste of food and drink products.

Judges are selected from the 15 most prestigious European culinary and sommeliers associations: the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France, Academy of Culinary Arts, Hellenic Chefs’ Association, Académie Culinaire de France, Verband der Köche Deutschlands, Federación de Asociaciones de Cocineros de España, Federerazione dei Cuochi Italiana, Årets Kock of Sweden, Euro-Toques, Gilde Van Nedrlandse Meesterkoks, Associação de Cozinheiros Profisionais de Portugal, Craft Guild of Chefs, Turkish Cooks Association, World Master Chefs Society (WMCS) and the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI).

The judges, carefully selected by iTQi and these organisations, have been trained for many years to taste food products. They have exercised their profession in Europe but also, in countries as diversified as Japan, China, Thailand, Australia, North, Central and South America. They are passionate and enthusiastic in their ongoing discovery for new flavours from unknown products wherever the origin may be.