Click Below to view and download our Chef Timetables!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click Here for Recipes! 

Food NI and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board have challenged local chefs to showcase Northern Ireland’s award winning food produce by developing NI Signature Dishes which they will demonstrate at this year’s Food NI Pavilion at the Balmoral Show. The pavilion is one third bigger than 2013 due to demand from local food companies and its popularity with visitors to the show last year. Over 80 food exhibitors and 30 chefs will showcase the very best of Northern Ireland produce, including artisan and organic products.

The Northern Ireland Signature Kitchen, proudly supported by NITB, will provide some of Northern Ireland’s top chefs the opportunity to showcase their talents, using the best local ingredients from over 80 exhibiting producers. Chefs such as Noel Mc Meel from the Lough Erne Resort and Spa, Will Brown from The Old School House, Comber as featured on the Great British Menu and Joery Castel who won 2014 Best Chef in Ulster at The Restaurants Association of Ireland awards will participate, accompanied by popular local food celebrity and BBC broadcaster Chef Paula McIntyre. Paula will bring her expertise and witty enthusiasm to engage audiences and is a popular commentator on all things regarding Northern Ireland food.

Looking forward to the event, Michele Shirlow, Chief Executive, Food NI said “The Food NI Pavilion is a unique food experience where people can enjoy demonstrations from our Taste of Ulster chefs, sampling and buying local produce from top quality local food and drink companies. The Pavilion provides an unrivalled Northern Ireland food and drink experience.”

Not only is there one Signature Kitchen, but just around the corner from that is the Tesco Cookery Theatre, with more excellent chefs cooking up local produce!

Caoimhe Mannion from Tesco said, “Tesco is delighted to sponsor the key Cookery Theatre at this year’s Food Pavilion at the Balmoral Show. We look forward to meeting lots of our local suppliers and visitors over the 3 days. We hope everybody will enjoy the mouth-watering cooking demonstrations, and look out on Friday for Patryk Sojka, the student chef from Belfast Met who won our Tesco Home Grown Talent Bursary!”

RUAS Chief Executive, Colin McDonald said, “The Food NI Pavilion has seen a growth year on year since it was established at the Balmoral Show in 2008. This growth demonstrates the increasing importance consumers are putting on having access to high quality locally grown produce. It also demonstrates the hard work and commitment that Michele Shirlow and her team have given to increasing awareness and promoting local produce both locally and nationally and we are delighted to have Food NI on board. The Food NI Pavilion is one of the most important aspects of the Show and look forward to seeing what is in store for us this year.”

Elaine Groves, NITB comments, “The Northern Ireland Signature Kitchen is a fantastic platform to tell visitors the unique stories behind our award winning local food produce, as well as celebrate the culinary skills of our top chefs. The Food NI Pavilion is always exceptionally busy and it’s great to see visitors sampling our best food produce cooked by local chefs; a true Northern Ireland food experience”.

It promises to be a busy show, so make sure to get into the Food NI Pavilion early! Visitors will get the opportunity to taste and sample tasty Glenarm beef burgers, Broughgammon goat kebabs, seafood chowder, hog roasts and homemade artisan pies.

There will definitely be something to tempt everyone’s taste buds!

Look out for the chef timetables and other exciting local food news at www.nigoodfood.com Follow Food NI on Twitter @Food_NI before and during the Show to keep up to date with everything as it happens! Also, remember to ‘Tweet while you Eat’ in the #NIFoodPavilion!

 

 

Calm down, take a deep breath, and get ready for May Madness events at Titanic Belfast and Titanic Quarter.

Titanic Belfast will be shouting ‘Ahoy!’ to visitors from all over the world next month with a dock-load of festivals and occasions to suit everyone.

From a Giro d’Italia special After Hours on May 2 right through to the Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival at the end of the month, there’s plenty to experience in-between.

Get on your bike for the biggest cycling show ever to spin in the city – the Giro d’Italia – which actually starts at Titanic Belfast, with all the international media attention that will bring! Join the elite riders and enjoy the fan park from May 8-10, and view the amazing bikes and Formula One style team ‘pits’.

Titanic Belfast will also highlight Northern Ireland’s part in the UK-wide Culture 24 Night At The Museums on May 16 – a special evening opening of its interactive Titanic galleries, plus dining and entertainment. Then, less than 24 hours later, the amazing BRICK CITY exhibition by independent LEGO® artist Warren Elsmore launches (May 17) in Titanic Belfast’s Andrews Gallery, showing off more than 70 of the planet’s iconic buildings made from the world’s most famous bricks.

The Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival from May 24-26 will see a host of festivities take place at Titanic Belfast and Queen’s Quay, including pirates, art and crafts, zip-lining, the brilliant T13 Ramp Rage stars, a Batting Cage, Cable and Wake Boarding, a climbing frame at Titanic’s Dry Dock and Pumphouse, market stalls, entertainment and, of course, ships.

In addition to all this, Titanic Belfast will host Deepa Mann-Kler’s new Art of Cycling exhibition, with an artist appearance and launch night on May 2 (7-9pm), running to May 15.

May will also be a great month to experience the Titanic Belfast galleries, and try out the new Ocean Exploration Centre or the brilliant new Discovery Tour in the world’s largest Titanic visitor attraction.

Phew! If it’s all too much to handle, then sit back and relax with Afternoon Tea (every Sunday) in the tranquil Titanic Suite, beside the Grand Staircase and with spectacular views of Titanic’s Slipway and Belfast Lough.

IMAGE: Captain Haratio Hawke and a first class Titanic passenger get ready for a month of festivities at Titanic Belfast and in the Titanic Quarter.

Useful links:

• Titanic Belfast: www.titanicbelfast.com

• Belfast City Council: http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/events/Event-36148.aspx

• Visit Belfast: http://visit-belfast.com/

• Culture 24: Night at the Museums: http://www.culture24.org.uk/

• Titanic Quarter: http://www.titanic-quarter.com/news-events

• Northern Ireland Tourist Board: http://www.nitb.com/

• Giro d’Italia: http://www.girostart2014.com/

• Art of Cycling by Deepa Mann-Kler: http://www.cycleprints.co.uk/

• Titanic Dance: www.titanicdance.com

About Titanic Belfast

Titanic Belfast is an iconic six-floor building featuring nine interpretive and interactive galleries that explore the sights, sounds, smells and stories of Titanic, as well as the City and people which made her. It is the World’s Largest Titanic exhibition.

The building houses temporary exhibits, a banqueting suite, education and community facilities, catering and retail space, and a basement car park. Visitors learn about the construction of RMS Titanic and the wide and rich story of Northern Ireland’s industrial and maritime heritage.

Supported by the Northern Ireland Executive, Titanic Belfast is a unique public/private partnership funded by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Belfast City Council, Belfast Harbour and Titanic Quarter Ltd. It is operated by Titanic Belfast Ltd and owned by the Titanic Foundation Ltd.

For more information please contact:

Alex McGreevy

Media Relations Executive, Titanic Belfast

Tel: 07966 276 993

E: alexmcgreevy@titanicbelfast.com

W: www.titanicbelfast.com

T: @titanicbelfast

FB: www.titanicbelfast.com/titanicbelfast

 

 

Discover Armagh’s rich apple growing heritage this bank holiday Monday 5^th May.

The picturesque village of Loughgall, set in the heart of the Orchard County of Armagh will burst into colour for the annual Armagh Apple Blossom Fair on Monday 5^th May as visitors to Loughgall County Park will be able to take part in a whole host of exciting and interesting activities celebrating Armagh’s rich apple growing heritage. The event will take place from 10.30am – 6.00pm with a wide range of activities for all ages to enjoy.

Rural Armagh is widely renowned as the Orchard County, growing some of the finest apples in the world. The origins of the Armagh Bramley Apple are well known and this humble fruit has become a worldwide phenomenon, securing the esteemed PGI status in 2012.

The annual Armagh Apple Blossom Fair brings this traditional fruit into the modern age, showcasing the high quality local food and produce available.

Throughout the day visitors can enjoy cookery demonstrations and dig into a scrumptious selection of all things apple as local chefs present a delicious selection of recipes using the Armagh Bramley.

Once stomachs are satisfied, visitors can enjoy the live musical entertainment whilst browsing through a wide variety of food and craft stalls, featuring some of the finest crafters and artisans from all over Northern Ireland. Over 20 high quality local crafters and apple producers will present a unique variety of handmade crafts and delicious locally produced apple goodies.

Guided tours of the orchards will bring the orchards to life with interesting stories surrounding the Armagh Bramley apple. Learn about the history of the local apple growing and the procedures involved with modern Bramley production. Visitors can choose from a coach tour, a walking tour or a bicycle tour of the Orchards. A limited number of bicycles are available free of charge.

Other activities on the day include live music and a barbeque, traditional afternoon tea with a selection of apple based treats, an apple tart competition and Scrufts Armagh, where local dog owners are asked to bring their canine friends along to the event as they battle it out in 4 categories; most handsomest male, prettiest female, best dressed dog and perfect puppy.

There are plenty of activities for children too with pony rides, cycling tours, an animal petting farm, traditional country games, a teddy bears picnic, children’s music and much more to keep the kids entertained.

Admission to the event is just £3.00 per person and under 4’s are free. Guided tours are included in the admission costs. For further information contact Armagh Visitor Information Centre on 028 3752 1800 or visit www.armagh.co.uk

 

Northern Ireland’s premier gardening event, Garden Show Ireland is set to celebrate home grown produce at this years event. Throughout the weekend leading local chef Paula McIntyre will be showcasing a multitude of recipes that can be created using plants and produce grown in back gardens all over the country.

For the duration of the Show, Friday 9th – Sunday 11th May, Paula will take to the stage at the Garden Gourmet Pavilion to demonstrate how to create a variety of unusual dishes from common home grown produce and plants including a Floral Afternoon Tea comprising of Hibiscus and Whin Champagne, Lavender Sponge with Rosewater and Raspberry cream and Crystallised Rose Petals. Paula is looking forward to the show, “It is fantastic to be be involved in this event and promote an area that is so close to my heart. We are surrounded by stunning produce in this country and it is important that we all understand the potential that sits in our own back yards!”

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board, a key supporter of Garden Show Ireland, recognises the unique nature of our local produce as Chairman Howard Hasting comments, “ Northern Ireland is blessed with some of the best natural produce in the world – from our Comber Potatoes to our Armagh Apples  – and it is great to see Garden Show Ireland encouraging visitors to make use of a variety of home grown produce.”

Taking place in a brand new venue for 2014, an expanded new look Garden Show Ireland will include appearances by Alys Fowler from BBC Gardeners’ World, Ireland’s world-renowned plantswoman Helen Dillon and .Bunny Guinness – winner of 6 Chelsea gold medals, author and regular panelist on BBC’s Gardeners’ Question Time.  With thousands of specialist plants, great garden shopping, garden designers and show gardens, a craft village, a free design pavilion, artisan food stalls, live music, garden gourmet, garden challenges, a dedicated kids zone and more, the event promises to be the ultimate garden show experience for gardeners of all ages and experiences.

The 2014 Garden Show Ireland will run from 9th – 11th May at Antrim Castle Gardens and is open daily from 10am-6pm with parking nearby. Adults are £10 (concession £8) and the event is FREE for children under 16. There is a reduced rate for online booking and for more information visit www.gardenshowireland.com.

Northern Irish company Willowbrook Foods recently hosted a ‘Leafy Salad Innovation Day’ to incorporate all businesses involved in leafy salads from the breeder to the consumer. The full day event, held at the Hilton Hampton Hotel, Corby, captured information from the leading breeders, growers, Willowbrook Foods (the processor) and UK foodservice company, Pauleys.

 A debut event of its kind for Willowbrook Foods, the event was hosted to communicate new information about new leafy salads either already on the market or soon to appear to Willowbrook customers. World leading breeders and growers demonstrated the research & development processes, new technologies involved and the existing and future of lettuce breeding and growing worldwide.

 Breeders speaking at the event included Shamrock Seed, Enza Zaden and Rijk Zwaan. With grower presentations from speciality produce company Jepco, Valefresco and Len Wright Salads.

 Peter Summerton, Head of Sales at Willowbrook Foods commented, “The primary objective of the Leafy Salad Innovation Day was to bring together the key players in the industry – breeders, growers, processors and customers all of which are working towards the satisfaction of consumers.

 ‘It is important as a processor to keep conversant with consumer demands and identify key products to bring to market. We aim to provide innovative ideas to our customers who then pass the product on to the end user, be that in a retail store or on your dinner plate in a restaurant.”

 With changes in the UK climate in recent years, breeders and growers have faced difficult episodes, in terms of providing solutions to create various lettuce seeds which will sustain the extreme weather conditions and also create greater robustness, colour and taste.

 Willowbrook Foods’ Procurement Manager, Jonathan Magowan added, “Selecting leafy salad varieties which can sustain washing, drying and chilled haulage is vital. Yet we also have to look towards innovation, trialling new breeds and getting the right product to market.”

 Recently the discussion about food waste has been prevalent in the media, with lettuce being one of the most heavily wasted products in our supermarkets and restaurants. According to Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) 2012 figures over 100 tonnes of leafy salads and lettuce were wasted in the UK. The Leafy Salad Innovation event enabled an opportunity for Willowbrook Foods discussed the opportunities to provide solutions to waste, hence providing a more positive experience with purchasing and eating lettuce. The opportunity to provide tastier and more desired lettuce leaves for restaurants and catering companies was a key discussion to support healthier eating and recognising lettuce as a healthy meal option and not just a garnish.

 With new leafy salad products being trialled all over the world there are many opportunities to enhance the consumption of lettuce as an edible fresh food product and not just a garnish on a plate.

 The event was not just informative but educational on the process of breeding the right seed right through to the processing of the product. Feedback from the event was positive, Richard Walker, Director of Specialist Sales, commented that there was “clear evidence that everyone is joined up supporting successful crop management and development.”

 The development work is ongoing with extreme field and factory trials programmed throughout the year. John McCann, Managing Director of Willowbrook Foods added, “Innovation is at the heart of all activity at Willowbrook Foods. We must be at the forefront of development across all categories we operate in. In 2011 we opened our Food Innovation Centre and in order to complement our activities in salad production we will also drive innovation through our ‘Willowbrook Fine Foods’ semi-ready meals and meal accompaniment division which is scheduled to launch in the Autumn this year.”

 As well as breeders and growers, other participants include senior representatives from foodservice operations including the UK’s leading fast food providers, caterers and chefs. The next stage of the innovation process will be to visit the growers and view the crops growing.  

Top chef Danny Millar from Killinchy’s Balloo House.

Danny, an ambassador for the charity, attended the recent open day of Cancer Fund for Children’s short break centre Daisy Lodge, near Newcastle. He is pictured here with centre assistant manager, Joan Burden, in the facility’s state-of-the-art new kitchen.