Staff members from TourismNI will visit Comber Farmers’ Market at the next market on Thursday 4 June. Laura McCorry, Director of Product Development, and Rosemary Lightbody, Markets and Product Experience Development Manager have been invited by Alderman Deborah Girvan to visit the market and see for themselves how the market is contributing to the local tourism economy.

Alderman Girvan explained, “I met Laura at a tourism seminar a couple of months ago and thought that it would be beneficial for Comber Farmers’ Market to build stronger relationships with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. By linking with the major tourism organisation for Northern Ireland we hope to promote the market to a wider audience through their extensive network and bring more tourists to Comber. Once they have had an opportunity to walk around the market and see for themselves the variety and quality of artisan food that is sold, they will meet with other members of the Comber Regeneration Community Partnership to discuss how we can do business together.

Sandra Mayne is most recognised for serving her local Cookstown community as Manager in the town’s Ground Espresso Bar. However, in the past year Sandra has become better known for running-up a remarkable contribution to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, and this weekend she’ll be entering her final race at The Walled City Marathon in Derry on Sunday 31^st May.

Sandra has already raised over £4,000 for the Trust by undertaking a five marathon challenge in Belfast in May 2014 and then continuing on to Derry, Dublin, London, with the intention to finish at the Belfast Marathon on 4^th May 2015. But the barista has decided to add to this challenge and put herself through the paces one final time at this year’s Derry Marathon before hanging up her running shoes for good to concentrate on other aspects of her life.

The charity campaign for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust is a close to home cause for Sandra who supports the fund in memory of her sister Caroline, who lost the fight with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) at just six months old.

“I lost my sister Caroline to cystic fibrosis twenty-eight years ago, due to lack of research and knowledge on how to treat the disease” Sandra explained.  “Thanks to the tremendous amount of research into the causes of CF and potential treatments, we have had much improvement in treating this life limiting disease, with many sufferers across the UK now having a life expectancy of forty years.”

Her employers of 2 years, Ground Espresso Bars are extremely proud of Sandra’s achievements and are supporting this next race with a £500 donation. Karen Gardiner, Director of the coffee chain said, “Sandra’s marathon success has generated increased awareness of cystic fibrosis in her local area as well as raising much-needed funds for additional research and treatment into the disease. We are all so proud of Sandra and the work she has done over the past year to make her goals a reality and keep alive the memory of her sister.”

Sandra trains for her marathons with athletic club Acorns AC who support runners of all abilities; their support has been key for Sandra. Her dedication to the marathons, and those suffering with this life threating condition, makes her achievement even more commendable.

To date Sandra has raised over £4,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust through a combination of table quizzes, raffles, appeals for donations, and her personal Just Giving page, which currently shows over 115% progress on her initial target of £3,000. To donate to Sandra’s Just Giving campaign, visit www.justgiving.com/sandra-mayne.

To tell the truth, I arrived in Northern Ireland with a bad presentiment (Sorry the text is starting badly). I thought that I should kiss cheeses, bread and other yummy produce goodbye. I am agreeing with you that it is absolutely “cliché” from a French person! Speaking about “cliché”, I can confirm that Northern Ireland is the country of potatoes for French people. But we mustn’t take care about the prejudices…and this travel could give me lots of unexpected food moments.

My first visit to the supermarket was really upsetting! A poor variety of vegetables and fruits and so many undiscovered foods… The weather urges on the import. I can understand that! My visit to St George’s Market in Belfast started to change my viewpoint on the know-how of Northern Irish people. In this fact, I felt reassured at the view of some food specialties like Fudges, Squares, goat, local cheeses, soda bread… Finally, the adaptation will be easier with these discoveries!

Over time, the luck came to me to taste new Northern Ireland’s flavours. On a Saturday morning, I met in my plate the inescapable Ulster Fry! A really rich and complete dish for a brunch (the black pudding with his oats mix is surprising). At this opportunity, I tasted the Soda bread and the Potato bread. I also ate Lough Neagh Eels – the flesh is fine. In Northern Ireland, you have some delicious cheeses (but not enough strong for me)! Then, the Irish Stew, the pasty, the boxy, the pies and the colcannon were on my tasting list, but it is not every time easy to find a restaurant which offer these traditional Irish dishes.

In parallel, the number of sweet foods is amazing! We could list the fifteen cake, Yellowman Honeycomb, a load of different Squares, Scones, Carrots cake, Lemon cake, jams, chutneys, relishes… I can add that it is better homemade! A quality guarantee when we are currently plagued by the globalization.

Writing about quality, Northern Ireland’s soil exactly provides many good basis products. Potatoes are a flagship product but we can quote too the chestnut mushrooms, the young rhubarbs and the famous PGI Bramley Apples. These apples are a great tasting surprise and so fabulous in a Soda bread. A perfect Northern Ireland’s turnovers… Stop dreaming!

Who could imagine that a small country could have a numerous food specialties? This is the reason why I encourage the visitors to come in this country with another way; a curious and respectful approach. Leave you guide towards the food markets and tempt by the Northern Ireland’s food!

Finally, I would like to bring so many Northern Ireland’s food in my luggage but I can’t…23 kilogram’s is not enough! Hopefully, I got back some valued recipes and taste bud memories. And yes, the good local food must stay local in the risk to become industrial food.

Celebrity chef Donal Skehan returns with a second series of Kitchen Hero: Donal’s Irish Feast and travels to seven counties to find interesting food producers. He visits counties Donegal, Antrim, Meath, Fermanagh, Cork, Down and Tipperary and selects a wide range of ingredients, including goat meat, apple brandy, chocolate, rapeseed oil and craft beer from which he makes the delicious feasts. An amazing 3 out of 6 episodes were filmed in Northern Ireland!

RTÉ One, Tuesdays, 8.30pm starting on 26 May 2015.

Schedule

• 26 May: (First Show): Featured Donegal filmed in Rathmullen House
• 2 June: Co. Fermanagh/Tyrone feast location Belle Isle Estate. Producers featured include Wild Sika Venison at Baronscourt, Tickety Moo Ice cream, and Boxty making at the Kissin’ Crust. The Belle Isle Cookery School is referred to and seen, although it wasn’t the main feast location.
• 16 June: Co. Antrim feast location Ardtara House. Producers featured include Broughgammon Farm with their goat meat, Glenarm Shorthorn beef from Glenarm Estate and Co. Couture Chocolates.
• 30 June: Co. Down feast location Crumlin Road Gaol. Producers featured include Keen Nut Butter, Marlfield Free Range Chickens and Leggygowan Cheese.

Make sure you tune in to discover more about some of our great local food producers!