The hottest and most exciting food competition on the entire island has just been launched. The inaugural Irish Curry Awards in association with Cobra Beer and Yelp! are now open for entry.

An estimated 500 curry houses operate successfully between Ballyferriter in Kerry and Ballycastle in Antrim. Standards have risen to such heights in recent years that they are now regular features in national food and restaurant award schemes across Ireland.

The awards scheme is the brain-child of Belfast-based restaurateur Ali Askir. The owner of SAFA says the time has come to create a specialist Asian awards scheme to recognise the contribution made to Ireland’s food scene by hundreds of Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and other Asian chefs, restaurant workers and managers.

“Asian food is now as popular and as widespread as the full Irish, the Ulster Fry and Irish stew,” says Mr Askir.
“Curry houses employ thousands of people right across Ireland and play a significant role in the local economies of communities everywhere. I believe the time has come to formally recognise this contribution and what better way to do this than through the Irish Curry Awards?”

Philip Morgan, National Account Executive for Molson Coors, distributor of Cobra in Northern Ireland says quality beer goes hand in hand with quality curry.

Cobra Beers are created using unique recipes and production processes to give them their distinctive character and smoothness. The Cobra beer range has been composed to delight smooth beer enthusiasts and is the holder of 88 Gold Medals by Monde Selection; is the most awarded beer in the World! This makes Cobra beer’s link with the Irish Curry Awards a perfect fit as we expand in the Irish markets north and south. Our focus is to showcase our great Cobra beer via the Indian restaurant sector and this is a great way to help achieve that” says Morgan.

Stevie McIntyre from Yelp! says the listings site has a strong tradition of involvement with the restaurant sector.
“We recently ran the successful Yelp! Burger Off in Belfast and to be working with the Irish Curry Awards is something very exciting for us, particularly as they are such a feature of our towns and villages right across Ireland,” says Mr McIntyre.

The Irish Curry awards will consist of six categories including Best Chef, Best Young Chef, Best Restaurant, Best Front of House, Best Takeaway and Best Newcomer.

You can nominate your favourite restaurant on the website http://www.irishcurryawards.com

A quota of votes will then be calculated at the close of entries to create a shortlist of restaurants county by county. A panel of expert judges including food writers and editors from broadcast and leading newspapers will select the winners.

An awards ceremony will be held in Belfast on October 24th.

Mr Askir, who has ruled himself out of the competition, is urging people across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to vote as soon as possible.

All profits will go to The Children’s Heartbeat Trust.

Please enjoy Cobra responsibly. Visit drinkaware.ie or drinkware.co.uk for the facts.

THEY’RE slippery little fellas but they taste damn good which is why Northern Ireland is buzzing over our PGI protected Lough Neagh Eels this week.

This is a product which is awarded for its heritage, is superior in quality and is authentic. It’s being put back on the menu thanks to a host of chefs across the region who have the skills and creativity to showcase our eels which are the best quality eels in Europe.

This is Eel-Eat Week and we are smack, bang in the throes of eel fishing season – a perfect time to celebrate this delicacy.

It’s not a product you would normally see on the menu but things are changing, and, the River To Lough Festival, currently taking place at Antrim Castle Gardens, is certainly putting eels back on our plates.

Dean Coppard, the Executive Chef at the popular Australian neighbourhood restaurant in Armagh, Uluru Bar & Grill, is one of the region’s chefs who has been experimenting different cooking styles with eel over the past few months.
The Aussie chef stands out from the crowd, because, like all of his other dishes, his eel dish, ‘Lough and Apples’ is cooked with an authentic Australian twist.

On Saturday, Dean will be showcasing ‘Lough and Apples’ – an award winning dish jointly created with Sous Chef Adam Ogle.

This dish was used as the starter as part of Adam’s menu for IFEX 2016 Salon de Culinaire for which he received a bronze medal and placed third in Ireland for Senior Chef of the Year.

Its creation came from the desire to showcase that, at Uluru Bar & Grill, the team of chefs firmly believe that Northern Ireland’s great local producers make their jobs so much easier.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s demonstration, Dean Coppard said: “With our recent ability to be able to source Lough Neagh Eel we have developed this dish for the use on our Spring / Summer menu.

“It is already taking pride of place on our starter menu and our front of house all love to be able to share its story.
“We have always worked with Greg McNeice from Mac Ivors Cider Co so the idea of creating a dish which married the Eel and the flavour of the PGI protected Bramley Apple was a great way of shouting about two of our favourite products.

“We showcased this dish as this year’s NI Countrysports Fair and it went down an absolute treat with the thousands of people who attended the fair during the course of the weekend. I hope it will be as equally popular at this dedicated River To Lough Festival which ends this Saturday (July 2).

“We have also included two local products from Northern Ireland. We feel this dish was created with these flavours, and, without them, the whole balance of flavour wouldn’t be correct. These ingredients are the Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil and the Abernethy smoked butter.

“I am really looking forward to attending on Saturday and showcasing how cooking with Australian authenticity can really compliment such a delicacy as the Lough Neagh Eel. All the food I’ll be cooking on Saturday is available on our menus at Uluru Bar & Grill. If people do not get a chance to taste it, or if you want to taste some more, book a table at Uluru Bar & Grill and help us celebrate this superior product which tastes so good.”
Eel Eat Week at Uluru Bar & Grill- 25th June – 2nd July 2016

Lunch Specials
Available 12-4pm

Every day we’ll have a selection of the best dishes from our award winning chefs, we hope you’ll enjoy our amazing Lough Neagh Eel creations.

Eel Tasters
As a way of getting you to experience the Lough Neagh Eel, we’re creating an eel pate which we’re adding to our bread platters for you to try. We think you’ll love it.

Dinner Specials
Available 4pm until late

As a way of showcasing the fabulous Lough Neagh Eel product which is available on our doorstep, our chefs are going to create special dishes combining local products and Lough Neagh Eel for your delight. We’ve also got matching craft beer and cider suggestions which we think will pair beautifully with the flavour of our Eel dishes.

Participating restaurants include:
CO ANTRIM: Deanes Love Fish, Belfast; The Londonderry Arms, Carnlough; The White River House Hotel, Toomebridge; Safari Grill, Junction One, Antrim; Daniel’s at Tweedies, Antrim; La Scala at the Stormont Hotel, Belfast; The Causerie at the Europa Hotel, Belfast; The Garden Restaurant, Ballygally Castle, Larne; Truffles Restaurant, Randalstown; Slemish Market Supper Club, Glenariff; River to Lough Festival Eel Eatery, Antrim; Paula McIntyre Cookery School, Antrim
CO ARMAGH: Uluru Bar & Grill, Armagh – The Moody Boar, Armagh;
CO DOWN: The Downshire Arms Hotel, Banbridge; The Percy French at the SlieveDonard Resort, Newcastle; The Cultra Inn at the Culloden Estate and Spa, Holywood
CO LONDONDERRY: Whoosh, Coleraine; The Grill at the Everglades Hotel, Derry~Londonderry; Lime Tree Restaurant, Limavady
CO TYRONE: The Cellar Restaurant at Glenavon House Hotel, Cookstown

Comber Regeneration Community Partnership, the organisation that runs the successful artisan food and plant market in Comber, is celebrating the 2nd birthday of Comber Farmers’ Market on Thursday 7 July, St Mary’s Parish Church, the Square, Comber, from 9.00am – 1.30pm.

In addition to our regular food and plant stalls, we welcome the Hanna family who have a milking herd of Jersey cows on their farm on the Hillsborough Road outside Carryduff. They will be selling their certified and registered creamy, raw milk which is packed full of goodness and health benefits.

There will also be free activities for children, a free hamper draw, and birthday cake for some lucky customers (while stocks last). So come along and celebrate this significant milestone in the life cycle of our popular market which is helping to regenerate Comber and support our local food producers who are selling their top quality products at fair market prices.

Magnifique sums up the calibre of the internationally renowned culinary talent confirmed for Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Clipper Race Kitchens event being held in the city from July 14th-17th 2016 with the announcement of Jean-Christophe Novelli, “the nation’s favourite French chef”, to get foodie pulses racing on the banks of the Foyle on Friday, July 15th.

Multi award-winning Michelin chef, TV star and author Jean-Christophe, will bring his distinctive French flair and creative excellence to the free admission, four-day family-friendly food extravaganza taking place in Ebrington Plaza as a highlight element of the wider Foyle Maritime Festival programme which runs from July 9th-17th.
Popular local celebrity chefs Jenny Bristow, Paula McIntyre, Noel McMeel, Brian McDermott and Ian Orr will also be headlining at Clipper Race Kitchens which is expected to be one of the biggest events held during Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016, and is being supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) NI Agri Food programme, Tourism NI and the Loughs Agency through the Sustainable Development Fund.

The Mayor, Alderman Hilary McClintock, said she is hugely impressed by the stellar line-up secured for Clipper Race Kitchens including internationally renowned Jean-Christophe Novelli and a host of award-winning local chefs who are all household names and TV and radio stars in their own right.

Ald. McClintock said: “Council is to be applauded once again for organising what promises to be an absolutely superb showcase of our finest local food produce and culinary talent as part of the wider Foyle Maritime Festival programme.

“Festival-goers will be delighted at the calibre of the visiting and local celebrity chefs participating in the four-day event and we are particularly excited at the announcement that Jean-Christophe Novelli will be joining us for a series of live cookery demos in the Clipper Race Kitchen’s Theatre of Food on the afternoon of Friday, July 15th.”

Mary Blake, Council’s Tourism Development Officer and organiser of Clipper Race Kitchens, is hoping for record attendances, with an estimated 40,000 people expected to flock to the four-day culinary extravaganza on the Ebrington site.

She continued: “Clipper Race Kitchens is the biggest event in our Year of Food calendar as we showcase LegenDerry food and produce from across our Council district and beyond. This is an excellent opportunity to profile the city as a leading food destination with international appeal, particularly following our success last year as runner-up in Ireland’s Foodie Towns competition, and we expect Clipper Race Kitchens to create a huge buzz as part of the Foyle Maritime Festival.”

Jean-Christophe Novelli is a 5 out of 5 AA Rosette and Michelin award-winning chef, who began his career aged 14 as a baker in his home town of Arras, Northern France, before becoming the private Head Chef to Elie de Rothschild, of the French banking family, at the age of 19.

Jean-Christophe’s life changed completely when he arrived in Britain in 1983. He spent a year taking care of Keith Floyd’s pub,‘The Maltsters’, as Head Chef, whilst Keith was filming his famous TV shows. In 1996, Jean-Christophe opened four restaurants in London and now runs the Novelli Academy from his home in Hertfordshire, providing training for chefs and inspirational courses.

He has made numerous guest appearances on TV cookery shows including Saturday Kitchen, Chefs Academy and Hell’s Kitchen as well as on This Morning, Loose Women and Countryfile.

Clipper Race Kitchens will have three main food zones on Ebrington Plaza, including two huge festival marquees. In addition to the LegenDerry Boulevard of Chefs with 12 local restaurants cooking signature dishes priced from around £5, and Theatre of Food with live cookery demos and sampling in the Clipper Race Kitchen marquee, there will also be a Flavours of the Foyle showcase.

The Clipper Race Food Pavilion will showcase around 40 artisan producers selling their delicious wares, while the Clipper Race Village will be serving up the finest local street food from selected chefs/vendors out on the Plaza.
The family-friendly food event, which opens from 12 noon on July 14th-17th, will also have a kids zone with arts and crafts as well as water boats, jungle playground, cheroplanes and live music to keep everyone entertained.
For more details about the Foyle Maritime Festival programme, visit www.foylemaritimefestival.com

 Deanes EIPIC has just been voted the best restaurant in Northern Ireland by Restaurant Magazine UK.

The announcement was made at a gala event in London last night where Deanes EIPIC also became the only Northern Irish in the Top 100 in the United Kingdom.

Chefs Danni Barry & James Devine picked up the awards on behalf of Deanes Restaurants.

Michael Deane said “This is an outstanding achievement for a restaurant which opened just over two years ago. I am hugely proud of the team in Deanes EIPIC led by Chef Danni Barry and Restaurant Manager Bronagh Smith.”

Deanes EIPIC also picked up the title ‘Best Newcomer’ in Ireland at the Restaurant Association Ireland ceremony and was awarded a Michelin Star last November.

A FIFTH generation apple grower who is continuing his family’s tradition is taking the flavours of Armagh’s famous orchards to Europe following a major distribution deal announced today.

Greg MacNeice, who’s family planted their first apple orchard at Ardress in 1855, said the new deal will see Mac Ivors Traditional Dry and Medium ciders distributed throughout Italy.

Mr MacNeice, an Irish craft cider producer who already supplies cider into the Danish market, said the crisp, refreshing Mac Ivors ciders are becoming increasingly popular in cities and towns across Europe.

And, with America firmly in its sights for the summer, Mr MacNeice said a new generation of consumers are embracing great tasting ciders which are quality, full of character and full of heritage.

Announcing the distribution deal at the launch of latest cider, Mac Ivors Plum and Ginger, Mr MacNeice said: “I am delighted to announce we have struck a deal with a major distributor in Rome which will greatly expand our export sales in Europe.

“This is a very encouraging development for a County Armagh product securing its place in the international marketplace. The interest in Mac Ivors Traditional Dry and Medium Ciders is increasing because Europe is fast becoming a market for premium Irish ciders.

“Mac Ivors is committed to crafting high quality and great tasting cider and demand is showing a new generation of consumers in Europe and America who want to drink ciders which are of high quality and full of heritage.

“All of our ciders, including our latest cider, Plum and Ginger, are produced here at our orchards which date back to 1855. We currently employ six full time staff at our orchards at Ardress and we are hopeful the distributor deal will dramatically increase our sales in Europe which will lead to further job creation here in County Armagh.”

The family owned and managed company has won a series of national and international awards for its products including a gold medal and overall Champion Cider at the 2015 International Brewing Awards. In the past four years, Mac Ivors Cider Co has produced 420,000 litres which is just shy of one million bottles.

Describing the company’s latest innovative cider, Mr MacNeice said: “Mac Ivors Plum and Ginger cider is the outcome of our continued commitment to create deliciously different ciders to provide new taste experiences.
“We decided to pair plum and ginger with our refreshing apple cider. The plum provides a rounded, fruity flavour while the ginger adds a subtle amount of heat to the finish. The cider is rosé in colour with delicate bubbles which make it a perfect spring-summer tipple.

“We taste tested Mac Ivors Plum and Ginger at major industry festivals in Dublin and Belfast and we are immensely encouraged by the positive feedback from both male and female cider fans.
“We are very excited to be bringing the taste of Ireland’s orchard county to Irish bars and to bars which specialise in craft beers, ciders and spirits. We firmly believe Mac Ivors will tantalise the taste buds of this new generation of cider drinkers, not only here in Ireland, north and south, but across Europe and in America.”