Abernethy Butter, Northern Ireland’s multi-award winning handmade butter has won business with Harrods in London.

The prestigious store in Knightsbridge is now selling two of Abernethy’s hugely successful range of butters – regular and smoked. The small company’s smoked butter was recently named in the Top 50 Foods by the influential UK Guild of Fine Food.

The listing follows the company’s success in being awarded three stars in this year’s Great Taste Awards for its unique cold-smoked butter, the annual competition to find the best food and drink that is sponsored by Harrods

Abernethy Butter is based at Dromara in county Down and is owned and run by husband and wife team Will and Allison Abernethy. They specialist in producing butter using traditional hand crafting techniques.

All the products are also hand rolled and wrapped on-site and use cream from a neighbouring farm specialising in grass-fed milk.

Will Abernethy, commenting on the new business with Harrods, says: “We were really delighted to receive the approach from Harrods following our recent and latest success in the Great Taste Awards.

“Winning business from such an iconic retailer is another very significant boost for the company and tremendous endorsement of the quality of our butters. It will be very beneficial as we continue to develop our retail and foodservice business in Great Britain, our most important market outside Northern Ireland.”

The butters, in addition to regular and smoked, include one flavoured with hand harvested Irish seaweed. They have won widespread acclaim for the small company and are now used by leading chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and Marcus Wareing. Other high profile retail clients include Fortnum and Mason.

Abernethy Butter was established in 2005 by the couple to build on the interest they had created in traditional butter making techniques at food and other events across Northern Ireland.

John McGrillen, Chief Executive Tourism NI, has congratulated Titanic Belfast on being named best attraction in Europe at the World Travel Awards held in Italy this weekend.

“My colleagues and I at Tourism NI are extremely proud of the achievements of Titanic Belfast over the past four years and of the professionalism, creativity and energy of the staff who run the attraction on a daily basis.

I congratulate Tim and his team on achieving this latest accolade and I have every confidence that Titanic Belfast will remain at the heart of our tourism industry for decades to come. Tourism NI and its forerunner, NITB, played a key role in the development of Titanic Belfast. The Titanic Belfast team has exceeded our expectations in terms of creating a step change for tourism in Northern Ireland and a catalyst for wider economic growth in Belfast and beyond”

On Saturday 26th November 2016, The Carriage Rooms at Montalto Estate will be transformed into a magical Winter Wonderland to host a black tie event to raise money for local charity, Cancer Fund for Children.

The glamorous gala ball will be held in the beautiful and ancient surroundings of Montalto Estate, Northern Ireland’s best kept secret. The event will include a champagne reception followed by a luxurious four course meal prepared by the chef and proprietor of Yellow Door Simon Dougan. Each course will be accompanied by fine wines compliments of James Nicholson Wine Merchant.

Joan Burden, Hospitality Manager at Daisy Lodge and Chair of Cancer Fund for Children’s Mourne Support Group said,

“We are looking forward to a wonderful evening at Montalto and are overjoyed at the support being offered by Nicholson Wine, Yellow Door and Montalto Estate. Their sponsorship of the Winter Wonderland Ball means all the funds raised at this event will go directly to support to families nursing a child with cancer including the provision of Therapeutic Short Breaks at Daisy Lodge in Newcastle.”

Cancer Fund for Children is Northern Ireland’s leading children’s cancer charity, helping over 350 families every year. The charity provides practical, emotional and financial support as well as free therapeutic short breaks for the whole family at Daisy Lodge.

The glamorous event, taking place on 26th November, in the lead up to the festive season, is the perfect event for corporate entertaining. The evening will include the chance to win fabulous prizes before dancing the night away to the amazing Just Adam Band and will be compered by U105’s Paul McKenna.

If would like to purchase a table for the Winter Wonderland Ball please contact Alex on 02890805599 or alternatively email alex@cancerfundforchildren.com

Ten-year oyster eating champion, Colin Shirlow from Dromore, Northern Ireland finally faced defeat at this year’s Turkish Airlines World Oyster Eating Championship which took place on Saturday 3rd September 2016. Out-eaten by US Contender Michelle Lesco at the Hillsborough International Oyster Festival, Michelle managed to knock Colin off his throne by eating 227 oysters in three minutes and defeated fellow American Adrian ‘The Rabbit’ Morgan.

Although Colin remained top of the leader-board for so long, it’s hardly surprising that Michelle managed to overtake him. A regular at professional eating competitions in the States, Michelle managed to put away 385 oysters in 8 minutes at the Acme Oyster Eating Competition in New Orleans earlier this year.

Former oyster eating champion Colin Shirlow said: “I’ve won so many times now I really don’t mind that someone else takes it for a change. I still in enjoy the challenge. It all started when I walked into a pub years ago. They made me eat 60 oysters and all of a sudden I was in the final of the world championship. A Norwegian beat me this time around but you never know what will happen next year!””

Winner Michelle has taken part in countless eating competitions including ribs, hotdogs and hamburgers.

New world oyster eating champion, Michelle Lesco said: “Colin is like a machine and until now no-one has been able to touch him. I train before every competition and really studied how Colin has been doing it. I just managed to beat him and I’m delighted to have won.”

The Turkish Airlines World Oyster Eating Championship was attended by thousands of people as part of the Hillsborough International Oyster Festival. Other events included the Phoenix Natural Gas Soapbox Derby which featured a superb range of soapboxes and entertained the crowds and the first Northern Irish heat of the British Street Food Awards. This was another close contest which saw the public vote going to Pheasant Hill and judges Richard Johnson and Paula McIntyre’s votes going to Broughgammon Farm. These two street food retailers will now go on to represent Northern Ireland in the final of the British Street Food Awards in Birmingham.

The Hillsborough International Oyster Festival also kindly acknowledges the support of Tourism Northern Ireland and Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council in the staging of this year’s event. The event welcomed guests from the Hillsborough area and further afield, as well principal Festival sponsors Turkish Airlines, Phoenix Natural Gas, Quilter Cheviot and Charles Hurst.

For further information on the Hillsborough International Oyster Festival visit www.hillsboroughoysterfestival.com

World Oyster Eating Champion, Colin Shirlow returns to the stage tomorrow to defend his title in the Turkish Airlines World Oyster Eating Championship at the Hillsborough International Oyster Festival against two professional eaters Michelle Lesco and Adrian ‘The Rabbit’ Morgan who have flown in from the USA to try and take the title from this local Dromore man. Last year Colin beat his own world record by eating 235 oysters in three minutes; two more than his previous record. Many have tried to follow where Colin lead. His eating prowess is now legendary and professional eaters from across the globe have studied his technique on YouTube. Last year, Michelle Lesco, 31 travelled from Arizona in the USA and ate 214 oysters but could not best the man from Dromore and this year Colin faces double trouble against Michelle and her fellow countryman Adrian Morgan, 33 who is now ranked number eight in the world of professional eaters. Having put away 492 raw oysters in just eight minutes at a competition in the States last year, he could be a real contender to finally wrest the crown from Colin Shirlow’s grasp. For further information on the Hillsborough International Oyster Festival’s full programme, which runs tomorrow and to purchase tickets, visit www.hillsboroughoysterfestival.com.

The 2016 Festival Lough Erne will take place in the grounds of the newly-refurbished Enniskillen Castle over the weekend of Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September.

Festival Lough Erne, which was held for the first time last year, is organised by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council with the assistance of Food NI. It is part funded by the Council, as well as Tourism NI and Waterways Ireland.

The Festival, which comes at the end of Restaurant Week, features a Food Hall which will showcase the best of local artisan produce to be sampled and purchased, a Food Court with local pop-up restaurants creating signature dishes using local produce, as well as a busy programme of water-based activities such as canoeing and rowing, and music and street entertainment for the whole family.

Launching Festival Lough Erne, the Chairperson of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Mary Garrity, said: “County Fermanagh is renowned for its lakelands and has a growing reputation for top-class restaurants for producing a wide range of high quality foods. Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is delighted to bring these elements together in a festival atmosphere to showcase the hospitality and activity sectors which are so important to the local economy. Festival Lough Erne is the highlight of the 2016 Year of Food and Drink for us here in Fermanagh, and I hope it will become firmly established in our calendar of events attracting visitors to Enniskillen and the wider region in the years to come”.

Councillor Garrity went on to add that Festival Lough Erne comes at the end of Fermanagh Restaurant Week, another event which showcases all that is best about local produce and celebrates local culinary talent. “Agrifood businesses are very important to our economy, and the chefs who use local produce, and the producers who supply the freshest of meats, vegetables and dairy produce are mutually supportive, helping to create and sustain the local economy,” she added.

Festival Lough Erne will be based in the grounds of Enniskillen Castle. The castle re-opened on 25 August, following a major £3.2 million refurbishment which includes the development of new galleries and ‘behind the scenes’ rooms, as well as improved information and education facilities. The Visitor Information Centre has relocated to a stunning new purpose built centre where a genealogy service is also available, making the complex the heritage gateway for the area.

For further information on Festival Lough Erne and to book tickets please visit www.FestivalLoughErne.com or telephone Fermanagh Visitor Information Centre, based at Enniskillen Castle, on 028 6632 5000