On Thursday 3rd of November, the popular monthly Comber Farmers’ Market will celebrate the month of ‘Legacy and Learn To’ as part of Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink, taking the opportunity to encourage younger generations to be involved in learn-to’s, how-to’s and be inspired about local food and plant produce.

The products offered at the market all originate from surrounding areas in Northern Ireland and following on from the Harvest and approaching Christmas there is no better time of year to appreciate the legacy of producers from the area.

Schools will be on half-term so there will be a number of workshops for kids including a colouring in competition from Farm House Treats, a bulb planting station hosted by the Uncommon Garden Company and a fun-filled lolly making workshop with Wee Choco.

Helen’s Bay Walled Garden will be demonstrating sowing of micro cress and children will be taught how to pot peas with Sow, Grow, Munch. They will also learn about and taste different foods with the Food NI Taste Adventure

A short walk away from the market, Indie Fude, the food emporium in Comber Courtyard, High Street, Comber will also be hosting a free cookery demonstration for families called ‘Pot to Plate’ at 12.00pm. Kim Close, a local chef, will be demonstrating how to cook heritage vegetables sourced from the market.

Around 25 regular stall holders will be offering free range eggs, plants, flowers, meats, fish, cakes, chocolate, chutneys and many more interesting and freshly made food products including certified raw milk from the Jersey cows at Hannah’s Farm near Carryduff.

Comber Farmers’ Market happily invite and encourage regular and new friends to come along to this important artisan event, and to support local producers.

Some exciting news this month, as the market has been nominated for the ‘Best Tourism Event or Activity’ in the Ards Business Awards. Voting slips are available in the Newtownards Chronicle and the market is asking for your support – Vote Comber Farmers’ Market!

The market can be found in St Mary’s Church Hall car park in Comber Square and opens from 9.00am -1.30pm. Car parking is available nearby in public car parks around in the town, in Parkway and at 1st Comber Presbyterian Church.

More information on Comber Farmers’ Market can be found at combermarket.co.uk; and regular updates are posted on the Facebook, Twitter pages and Instagram pages.

In celebration of the 2016 Year of Food and Drink for Northern Ireland, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council have announced Treat Week – a celebration of restaurants, cafes and gastropubs. Over 50 eateries will be cooking up a culinary storm from 29th October to 5th November across the council area spanning Moira to Dundonald.

Lisburn & Castlereagh features an eclectic choice of eating and drinking experiences with its restauranteurs and café owners tapping into changing lifestyle trends. This is reflected in the emergence of specialist cafes such as Goodness Rocks in Newtownbreda and themed diners and family restaurants from Sugar Rays in Dundonald to Del Toro in Lisburn.

Commenting on the high quality of the eating-out offering found across Lisburn & Castlereagh, Councillor Uel Mackin, Chairman of the Development Committee, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, said, “We are privileged to have such a variety of outstanding and unique eateries, restaurants, and bars in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area which cater for all tastes and every occasion, whether it is simply catching up with a friend over a coffee, a family outing, or a more special eating out experience. Initiatives such as Treat Week highlight the diversity and supreme quality of food and drink that is both produced and served across the Council area.”

In the last 12 months alone, the move towards more casual dining is evident and the prevalence of provenance reflected in the menus of recently launched and refurbished establishments by leading chefs such as Derek Patterson, Stevie Higginson and Danny Millar. With the Michelin trained Chef Chris McGowan choosing Moira as his location of choice following his move back to Northern Ireland, Lisburn & Castlereagh is making its mark in the province’s food scene.

“Northern Ireland’s food landscape has undergone a total transformation in recent years, with world class chefs emerging across the province,” said Joanne McErlain, Treat Week organiser.

“The Year of Food and Drink has given us the impetus and confidence to shout about the provincial restaurant and café offerings, rather than hide in the shadows of the eating out scene in Belfast, Dublin or beyond. What has really come to the fore is our chefs’ inherent passion for provenance of the food they serve and they have been true ambassadors for our burgeoning food culture. We look forward to welcoming visitors to Lisburn & Castlereagh during Treat Week to continue to build awareness of the diversity and quality of eateries in our locality.”

Encouraging local people to make the most of Treat Week, Jim McCauley, Service Delivery Manager, Translink said, “We are delighted to come on-board as the official travel partner for Treat Week, and would encourage as many people as possible to make the most of this fantastic initiative.

Whether you’re a regular restaurant goer or visiting for the first time, why not hop on-board the bus or train and let us get you there. Translink is always delighted to support local events and provide travel solutions so that passengers can sit back, relax and enjoy the wonderful array of Northern Ireland’s food and drink on offer!”

Throughout the duration of Treat Week, guests can also look forward to experiencing gourmet evenings, and pop up suppers and brunches, in addition to special offers and signature dishes featured throughout the week. Chef demos, masterclasses and village food trails will offer opportunities for exploration and discovery and highlight the fantastic local ingredients and forward-thinking restaurants that push our culinary boundaries right on our doorstep.

Treat Week will launch on Saturday 29th October with a special Halloween Fest at Inns Market, Newtownbreda including chef demos and family fun from 10am – 2pm. The seven days of celebration will culminate at Lisburn Square on Saturday 5th November from 12pm – 4pm with Kitchen Sessions and Meet the Producers Fair.

Other events to look out for include special chef demos for all ages led by Chef Stephen Jeffers of the recently opened Forestside Cookery School as well as a culinary journey exploring locally produced food served in cafes and restaurants during the Moira Food Trail, on Saturday 5th November.

For more information or to explore the full line-up of Treat Week events held across Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council visit www.visitlisburncastlereagh.com or follow Treat Week on facebook.com/TreatWeek Twitter @TreatWeek and Instagram @TreatWeek2016

Shortlist announced for Hospitality Ulster’s Pub of the Year Awards

The search to find Northern Ireland’s top hospitality stars is stepping up a gear, as the shortlist for Hospitality Ulster’s Pub of the Year Awards 2016 is revealed.

This year’s Awards will be the mostly hotly contested to date. Following a record number of entries from pubs, hotels and restaurants, a total of 46 shortlisted premises and individuals from right across Northern Ireland will now go head to head to be named the toast of the trade at the top industry Awards next month.

Winners of the 13 Awards will be revealed at a special gala awards night hosted by U105 presenter, Frank Mitchell, at the Ramada Plaza on Wednesday 16th November 2016.

In recognition of the ever widening scope of the hospitality industry in Northern Ireland, a total of 13 Awards are up for grabs, each designed to highlight the very best that the sector has to offer.

New for 2016, Hospitality Ulster has introduced a Food & Beverage Manager of the Year Award which is open to entrants from pubs, restaurants and hotels.

Three individual Pub of the Year Awards will recognise the best pubs and bars in rural, urban and city locations across Northern Ireland and this year’s Awards will once again recognise the growing importance of locally sourced food, through three Commitment to Local Food Awards for pubs, restaurants and hotels (in partnership with Food NI).

A Commitment to the Community Award will recognise the immense contribution hospitality businesses make within their local communities and in the Hotel Bar of the Year category, there will be two Awards: Hotel Bar of the Year (1* – 3*) and Hotel Bar of the Year (4* – 5*).

One Award category invited nominations from the general public, with the public nominating their favourite barperson through The Sunday Life, which is joining forces with Hospitality Ulster once again to search for Northern Ireland’s Barperson of the Year.

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The Awards will also recognise the industry’s rising stars and those that have played a vital role in shaping the sector with two new Awards: Hospitality Ulster’s Rising Star (in partnership with Ulster University) and the Industry Legend Award (in partnership with Hospitality Review), the winners of which will be announced at the Gala Awards night next month.

The full shortlist for Hospitality Ulster’s Pub of the Year Awards 2016 is as follows:

Pub of the Year (Urban)
Front Page Bar, Ballymena, Co. Antrim
Kiwi’s Brew Bar, Portrush, Co. Antrim
Shenanigans Venue, Portstewart, Co. Derry~Londonderry
The Hole in the Wall Bar, Armagh, Co. Armagh
The Taphouse, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh

Pub of the Year (Rural)
Matties Meeting House, Cairncastle, Larne, Co. Antrim
The Corner House Bar, Lurgan, Co. Armagh
The Lobster Pot Bar/Restaurant, Strangford, Co. Down
The Riverside Bar, Garrison, Co. Fermanagh
The Speckled Hen, Lisburn, Co. Antrim

Pub of the Year (City)
Ryan’s Bar and Restaurant, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The National & Sixty6, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The Perch, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The River Inn, Shipquay St, Derry~Londonderry
White’s Tavern, Belfast, Co. Antrim

Hotel Bar of the Year 1*-3*
Adair Arms Hotel, Ballymena, Co. Antrim
Armagh City Hotel, Armagh, Co. Armagh
Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim, Co. Antrim
Ivanhoe Inn & Hotel, Carryduff, Co. Down

Hotel Bar of the Year 4*-5*
Canal Court Hotel & Spa, Newry, Co. Down
Galgorm Resort & Spa, Ballymena, Co. Antrim
Hastings Everglades Hotel, Derry~Londonderry
Malmaison, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Commitment to the Community
Bushmills Inn Hotel, Bushmills, Co. Antrim
Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim, Co. Antrim
Front Page Bar, Ballymena, Co. Antrim
The Hatfield House, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The Hillside, Hillsborough, Co. Down

Commitment to Local Food (Restaurant) in partnership with Food NI/Taste of Ulster
Native by Yellow Door, MAC, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Ocho Tapas Bistro, Portrush, Co. Antrim
Pier 59, Strand Rd, Derry, Derry~Londonderry
The Hillside, Hillsborough, Co. Down
The Yellow Heifer, Camlough, Co. Down

Commitment to Local Food (Pub) in partnership with Food NI/Taste of Ulster
Friel’s Bar and Restaurant, Swatragh, Maghera, Co. Derry~Londonderry
The Corner House Bar, Lurgan, Co. Armagh
The Morning Star, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The Parlour Bar, Newtownards, Co. Down
The Taphouse, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh

Commitment to Local Food (Hotel) in partnership with Food NI/Taste of Ulster
Bushmills Inn Hotel, Bushmills, Co. Antrim
Canal Court Hotel & Spa, Newry, Co. Down
Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim, Co. Antrim
Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, Newcastle, Co. Down

Food and Beverage Manger of the Year
Anna Marie Mc Ferran, The Old Thatch Inn, Magherafelt, Co. Derry~Londonderry
Breandán Kerr, Ivanhoe Inn and Hotel, Carryduff, Co. Down
Chris Bell, Shenanigans Venue, Portstewart, Co. Derry~Londonderry
Morgan Watson, Horatio Todd’s, Belfast, Co. Antrim

Barperson of the Year (in association with Sunday Life)
Feargal Shannon, Crowes Nest, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh
Melony Connor, Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Paul Rocks, Aether & Echo, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Sarah Hamilton Front Page Bar, Ballymena, Co. Antrim
Sinead Keenan Dan’s Bar & Off Sales (The Orient Bar), Belfast, Co. Antrim
Tim Mcllreavy, Kiwi’s Brew Bar, Portrush, Co. Antrim

Hospitality Ulster Rising Star (in partnership with Ulster University)
To be announced on the night

Industry Legend (in partnership with Hospitality Review NI)
To be announced on the night
All shortlisted entrants have been vetted and judged by an independent judging panel comprised of industry experts and will now be mystery shopped to ensure they meet industry standards and best practice guidelines.

Commenting on the announcement of the shortlist, Olga Walls, Chair of Hospitality Ulster said: “These Awards provide a valuable opportunity to recognise the significant contribution Northern Ireland’s hospitality venues make, not only within their own communities, but to the hospitality sector as a whole.

“We have fantastic, world class hospitality venues on our doorstep and Hospitality Ulster is proud to recognise and reward those businesses that are setting industry standards with their customer offering, service and innovations.

“The competition for this year’s Awards is very high, which is a real indication of the standards being set across the sector. I would like to congratulate all of the shortlisted individuals, pubs, restaurants and hotels and wish them the very best of luck at next month’s Pub of the Year Awards.”

The Pub of the Year Awards moves to a new venue for 2016. On Wednesday 16th November, hundreds of publicans and restaurateurs from across Northern Ireland will gather in the Ramada Plaza at Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast to toast Northern Ireland’s hospitality industry.

The Pub of the Year Awards are the only industry recognised awards. This year’s Awards are supported by Britvic, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Dillon Bass, Drinks Inc., Henderson Foods, Molson Coors, Richmond Marketing, Tennent’s NI, United Wine Merchants, and media partners, Sunday Life, Hospitality Review NI and U105.

For further information about the Pub of the Year Awards, visit www.nipuboftheyear.org

Keep up to date with all the Pub of the Year Awards 2016 news on the Hospitality Ulster Twitter @HospUlster and Facebook using the hashtag, #NIPubAwards.

Article written by Sam Butler -20th October 2016

Handcrafted Abernethy Butter is now on sale in Selfridges in London following the latest deal for the Northern Ireland artisan producer.

Selfridges is stocking all three handmade butters produced by the family owned and run business – Original, Smoked and Dulse (Northern Irish seaweed) with Sea Salt.

The company, which is run by husband and wife team, Allison and Will Abernethy, and based at Dromara in county Down, has won a series of UK Great Taste Awards for its products which also include butter fudge.

The couple use fresh milk sourced from a local dairy farm and have complete control over the production, packaging and distribution of the products.

Abernethy’s smoked butter won three stars in the recent Great Taste Awards and was listed among the Top 50 Foods by the Guild of Fine Food. The deal with Selfridges is a direct result of the company’s listing in the Top 50.

Selfridges is the third iconic London store to list the butters, which are already on sale in both Harrods and Fortnum and Mason. The butters, in addition, are preferred by top chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and Marcus Wareing.

Allison Abernethy, commenting on the deal with Selfridges, says: “We were delighted when Selfridges approached us about listing our butters. It’s tremendously exciting to see our products now on sale in the store. It’s another marvellous endorsement of the consistent high quality and outstanding taste of our handmade and hand rolled butters. We look forward to working with Selfridges to promote the products and, of course, increase sales.”

Allison and Will Abernethy inherited their butter making skills from previous family generations and in 2005 decided to turn what then was a hobby into a family business.

Initially going to local agricultural and vintage shows to demonstrate how cream is churned and turned into butter, they soon realised there was a demand for their product.

The early market of Northern Ireland has now expanded to many prestigious shops and restaurants throughout the UK and beyond.

Down Royal Racecourse has appointed Belfast-based French Village as its new catering partner in a move which will significantly enhance and expand the culinary offering to racegoers.

French Village delights can be enjoyed by all at the Races – from small plates and snacks in the Dark Horse Wine Bar to three course meals in the hospitality suites and boxes.

Mike Todd, General Manager at Down Royal Racecourse, said:

“It is our ambition to create a first class entertainment experience for everybody who visits Down Royal – whether they be racing enthusiasts, on a corporate day out or even first time racegoers

“The culinary offering is a key component to the overall enjoyment of the day and we are delighted to have French Village on board to take that to the next level.”

Down Royal Racecourse now joins an extensive network of hotels, cafes, restaurants and other food retailers across the Belfast area to which French Village supplies catering.

Ashley French, Managing Director at French Village, said:

“The Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016 also marks 35 years since French Village first opened its doors. The company has gone from strength to strength, so to now add a client such as Down Royal to our portfolio is a huge accomplishment for our team at French Village.

“Here at French Village supporting local suppliers is central to our company ethos and this will be reflected in our catering offering at the prestigious Down Royal Racecourse.”

The Northern Ireland Festival of Racing which falls on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th November, will see thousands of racegoers pass through the turnstiles each day.

Ashley explained the impressive menu which will be enjoyed by racegoers at the Festival:

“Our menus across the two days of the Festival range from dishes such as Ewing’s smoked salmon to slow cooked Irish sirloin and of course, French Village buttermilk panna cotta.”

“We are excited to be a part of the Festival of Racing and we are looking forward to developing our relationship with Down Royal at the flagship November meeting.”

For more information about the Northern Ireland Festival of Racing, or to book tickets, please visit www.downroyal.com

Belfast’s historic St George’s Market has joined Jamie Oliver in being named the “best in Britain”.

St George’s last night added to its growing list of accolades when it was named ‘Best Market’ at the annual Observer Food Monthly Awards.

The award was earned by readers’ votes.

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Brian Kingston, said: “This is another terrific and well-deserved award for one of the jewels in Belfast’s crown. It is a fitting tribute to the work of the Market traders and staff in making St George’s the success that it is today.”

Among the other winners at last night’s awards ceremony was celebrity chef and healthy eating campaigner Jamie Oliver, who was named ‘Food Personality’.