Cedar’s Inclusion Works service in Southern Health Trust area specialises in training participants with brain injury get ready for work. As part of this service they recently facilitated a cookery course delivered by local business woman, Aine Boyle from Aine’s kitchen. The Brain Injury Foundation also kindly allowed the use of their kitchen facilities. Everyone involved is set to gain OCR Employability Skills accreditation as a result of their participation.

This on-the-job training approach helps to develop skills for preparing healthy meals on a budget, but also puts into practice key employment skills for the catering industry. For example, planning & organising; problem solving; sequencing of tasks; attending regularly, punctually and maintaining health & safety standards. The final week of the course included a very competitive ‘Christmas Bake-off’ that saw the members having to use all of their time management & stress management skills!

To give the participants a feel for working in a real-life hotel environment the Canal Court Hotel, Newry, facilitated a coffee morning for the course graduates and their families. The management at the Canal Court took time to talk about employer expectations and listened to the experiences of people living with brain injury including the specific challenges jobseekers face and how employers or businesses could improve their interactions with people with disabilities.

The Cedar Foundation is celebrating its 75th Anniversary. It has been developing services that support children and adults to overcome disability barriers since 1941 to achieve our Vision of ‘An Inclusive Society for All’. The regional Inclusion Works service is funded by the European Social Fund and all 5 Health & Social Care Trusts in NI. The specialist staff team support people with physical disabilities, including brain injury, ASD and long-term health conditions that want to achieve employability & inclusion goals.

A brand new awards event celebrating the many successes of the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink has been launched by Tourism NI who are calling for entries from the brightest and best of our food, drink, hospitality and tourism industries.

The Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink Awards will celebrate both food producers and experiences and is also supported by Food NI in association with the Belfast Telegraph.

Winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony and dinner at the Culloden Hotel outside Belfast on February 2.

Entries, which need to be lodged by the morning of Friday, 6 January 2017, will be judged by a panel of distinguished experts including food critic Charles Campion, food author Georgina Campbell, Belfast Telegraph restaurant critic Joris Minne and Professor Una McMahon-Beattie, head of the department of hospitality and tourism management at Ulster University.

Organisations and producers who are not just making food but who are creating unforgettable food experiences for tourists and for the people who live here are encouraged to get involved.

Applications can be made online through the Belfast Telegraph website by clicking here.

The eight categories include: Best Food Event or Festival; Best Local Market; Best Tours and Trails; Best Marketing Achievement; Best Food Innovation; Best Food Story; Roots to Market; and Growing for the Future. Applicants can apply for one or more categories, further details of which are listed below.

Tourism NI’s Director of Corporate Development, Susie Brown said the awards would celebrate the best of the local food and drink industry, recognising excellence and talented collaborations dedicated to placing Northern Ireland firmly on the culinary map.

“The Year of Food and Drink has been welcomed, embraced and widely implemented right across the tourism and hospitality industry and food and drink sectors here at home as well as overseas,” she said.

“As the year draws to a close we are focused on creating a lasting legacy for the initiative and the Year of Food and Drink Awards will help us to do that.

“The quality and variety of local produce in Northern Ireland has helped enhance the food and drink experiences for visitors, with figures showing that overnight visitors to Northern Ireland from all markets spent an estimated £751m last year, of which approximately one third was spent on food and drink.

“We will continue to strive to further develop Northern Ireland’s reputation in food and drink both at home and with our visitors, with our tourism industry growing as a consequence.”

Jackie Reid of the Belfast Telegraph said: “The Belfast Telegraph is delighted to introduce the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink Awards.

“The food and drink sector is a vibrant part of our local economy and is becoming an ever-greater draw for visitors. We are delighted to have assembled a distinguished panel of judges who will be casting their eye over the many entries to these awards.”

Categories

• Best Food Event or Festival – Entries are invited from private, public or voluntary events, festivals and food experiences bookable from January to December 2016
• Best NI Local Market – Open to local markets which have been running from January to December 2016
• Best NI Tours and Trails – Open to tours and trails which have been running from January to December 2016
• Best Food Story – Open to those who have a story to tell which links food to destination, place to plate, culture and arts or PGI status between January to December 2016
• Best Food Innovation – Open to those who can demonstrate evidence of how a new initiative, product, service or experience has put a spotlight on a place or destination. The initiative should have been launched between January and December 2016
• Roots to Market – Open to those who have demonstrated working together collaboratively with others to grow and strengthen their destination
• Growing for the Future – Recognition of a local developmental initiative focusing on the future skills required to drive food destination development. Open to colleges, universities, private training bodies or other developmental project owners. Projects should have been delivered between January and December 2016
• Best Marketing Achievement – Open to those who can demonstrate positive outputs from working collaboratively to market food products, services, experiences and destinations which evidence value for money, creativity and reach to specific target markets. Campaigns should have been delivered between January and December 2016

Enter Here!

Heritage varieties of vegetables really are the best as judges favour tradition and provenance in food and name Mash Direct the winner of the innovation award at the International Food Show, SIAL Middle East held in Abu Dhabi.

SIAL is a global event that showcases products that are at the forefront of innovation. Mash Direct’s Crispy Vegetable Bakes were awarded the highest accolade, the Gold Innovation Award out of 251 products.

The judges awarded Mash Direct for it’s ‘quality and innovative recipe which exceeded very high expectations.’

This year the show was held over three days in Abu Dhabi and attracted over 333,000 attendees, exhibiting industry leaders from over 105 countries and showcasing emerging trends in the food market.

The Crispy Vegetable Bakes are noted for their distinct use of heritage vegetables that are grown for superior flavour and not their appearance and are also 100% gluten free.

“We wanted to make a vegetable burger that didn’t masquerade itself as a ‘meat-free alternative’, we wanted to celebrate the flavour and texture of the vegetables used in the bakes. My family have been growing these varieties of vegetables on our farm for six generations and we’re overjoyed that they are gaining appreciation on an international level.” Says Martin Hamilton, Managing Director of the family-run farm in Northern Ireland.

A recent survey highlighted eating habits haven’t changed much since the 1950s, with over 75% of British parents still serving traditional vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and peas on a daily basis, it’s easy to see that the older varieties of vegetables are still a clear favourite when it comes to flavour.

Get into the festive spirit with a visit to Portadown’s Twilight Market, packed full of gorgeous goodies for the Christmas season ahead!

This Friday (9 December) the plaza will be aglow with Christmas splendour from 6pm-11pm.
Shoppers will have the chance to fill their Christmas stockings with beautiful gifts from the array of retailers set up on the plaza. While browsing the fairy-lit stalls of jewellery, home baking, crafts, accessories and more, the public will be entertained by a host of local musical talent performing live.

There will also be two fantastic local cookery demonstrations by Jenny Turley at 6-8.30pm and again from 8.30-10.30pm

Children will love the arts and crafts tent and the chocolate fountain, and adults can take the chill off with hot drinks and tasty crepes while shopping for artisan crafts and handmade chocolates! Ice sculptures, live music and sensational street entertainment from FirePoise and local dance troupes make this an event not to miss!

“Portadown Town Centre will come alive with the fabulous sounds and sensational smells of Christmas this Friday” Comments Deputy Lord Mayor of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Councillor Paul Greenfield “With creative crafts, fabulous food and merry music, it’s the perfect place to sample some seasonal treats and pick up some glorious yuletide gifts.”

The Twilight Market is being organised by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council in partnership with the Department for Communities.

As the Year of Food and Drink enters its final month celebrating Christmas and premium foods, international media are touring Northern Ireland enjoying the festive sights, sounds and tastes on offer as guests of Tourism NI.

German journalist Joerg Berghoff recently joined travel blogger Lela London to experience first-hand how to farm Brussel sprouts, assisting local famer Andrew Herron on the Ards Penninsula.

The duo will tour Belfast, County Down and the Causeway Coast experiencing traditional festive Irish bread making, both the Comber and Belfast Christmas Market alongside our signature tourist attractions. Also supported by Tourism Ireland the aim of the trip is to increase visitors from continental Europe to Northern Ireland.