Top TV talent to cook up a LegenDerry Feast

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Ireland’s most popular celebrity chefs will be taking a break from the TV studios this weekend, to impress visitors and locals alike with their kitchen secrets when they drop into the city for a culinary celebration to remember at the LegenDerry Food Festival.

Rachel Allen and Neven Maguire will both be here on Saturday afternoon to cook up a storm and sign copies of their latest books during the three day event, which is organised by Derry City Council and sponsored by the DARD NI Regional Food Programme, Invest NI and the City of Culture Legacy Programme.

Rachel Allen never fails to impress food fans with her simple but delicious approach to home cooking, winning her a dedicated following and making her a regular feature on all the best cookery shows. She will be taking a break from the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork, where she teaches alongside her famous mother-in-law Darinagh Allen, to star in the Theatre of Food in the Guildhall Square from 2.30pm, (check times from latest menu boards I sent you) and reveal some of the tricks of the trade. Rachel will sign copies of her book following the demonstration at 4pm.

She will be joined on Saturday afternoon by Cavan’s most renowned kitchen aficionado Neven Maguire, who will be creating a stir with his creative twists on classic Irish produce. Neven is another familiar face on our TV screens where he features on RTE’s most popular cookery programme Home Chef. He will sign his latest book at 1pm before impressing the crowds in the kitchen at 1.30pm.

They will be joined by Ian Orr, Irish Chef of The Year 2013 from Browns in Derry and  BBC Radio regulars Paula McIntyre, who brightens up Saturday mornings with her cookery slot on Radio Ulster’s Saturday Magazine Programme. Brian McDermott, the ‘No Salt Chef’, who is a favourite on our airwaves and television screens will demonstrate and compere the event. All chefs will working their magic on some fantastic local produce on Sunday afternoon, and Brian will be back on Monday for second helpings. In addition to the celebrity chefs at the event, 12 local restaurants and more than 20 providers will provide continual cook offs from 12 noon – 6pm.

Tourism Officer with Derry City Council Mary Blake, event organisersaid: “I am delighted to welcome all our chefs to the event this weekend, and in particular Rachel Allen and Neven Maguire who are at the very forefront of Irish cooking. I’m sure they will get a very Derry welcome on Saturday when they show off the skills that have established them as household names.

“We have a wealth of cooking talent here in the city and this weekend is the ideal platform to showcase the innovative and exciting work going on in our top class hotels, cafes and restaurants. The North West is such a bountiful region when it comes to fine produce, so it’s fantastic to be able to support the many producers and suppliers who will be bringing along a cornucopia of culinary treats from handmade fudge and preserves, to chutneys and fresh seafood. I would encourage everyone to come along and savour some of the best food in the country.”

The kitchen action kicks off in the Marquee each day at 12noon, with demonstrations, talks and dishes served hot off the stove until 5.30pm on Monday. A team of top chefs from our best local venues will be manning the stoves on the boulevard of chefs, rustling up mouth watering dishes such as Beef with home cured spices, potato cakes and local greens, and Pork Belly and Seabreem.

For the younger chefs there will be plenty of fun activities and entertainment courtesy of the Singing Chef, the Cake Ladies and the Candy Girls, with face painting, children’s crafts and balloon modelling. And when you’ve filled up on food, there’s plenty on the St Patrick’s Festival programme to entertain throughout the city from the Trad Triangle of music which takes place at three city centre stages each day, to the Magical Storytelling Garden which will transform Ebrington Square each day from 12pm – 5pm.

For more information and a full timetable of the LegenDerry Food Festival events go to www.derrycity.gov.uk/food. And to find out more about all the St Patrick’s Carnival weekend, go to www.derrycity.gov.uk/stpatricksday

Northern Ireland Tourism Awards 2014 – Entries Now Open

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The Northern Ireland Tourism Awards, presented in association with Diageo Northern Ireland are a celebration of the very best in tourism and hospitality. The event will be a glittering celebration of tourism success over the past year.

This year’s Northern Ireland Tourism Awards, the ‘Oscars’ for the tourism sector will be the biggest and best awards ceremony that Northern Ireland Tourist Board has undertaken and will take place at the Ulster Hall Belfast on Thursday 29 May 2014.

For more information check out www.nitourismawards.com/

Irish Pantry on the Shelves!

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Tourism Minister Arlene Foster and Dame Mary Peters were among the many guests at the recent launch of Fermanagh Chef Noel McMeel’s book, Irish Pantry, held on the twelfth floor of Belfast’s Europa Hotel.

He has cooked for presidents and prime ministers at the 2013 G8 Summit, he famously created the celebratory feast for Sir Paul McCartney’s wedding but when it comes to his absolute passion for Food, the full title of Noel McMeel’s book says it all – Irish Pantry: Traditional Breads, Preserves and Goodies to Feed the Ones You Love!

Speaking at the launch event, Minister Foster fully endorse Noel McMeel’s take on food. She said: “Our wonderful food tells a story of Northern Ireland’s culture, heritage, people and landscape. Noel’s recipes are steeped in nostalgia and celebrate a culture of eating home-grown produce of great quality.

“As Noel’s book demonstrates, Northern Ireland food is about so much more than the mouth watering ‘Ulster fry’. Our strength is in our regionally produced, distinctive and provenance-based local food produce.”

The packed event, which welcomed family, friends, colleagues in the hospitality industry and guests from as far away as Washington, was sponsored by Bunzl McLaughlin, a leading supplier to the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland.

Irish  Pantry is published by Running Tree Press, New York and available from all good book shops and online, priced £18.99.

Diners ‘make a change’ to children with cancer

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What a difference a month can make – that’s all it took for Deane’s diners to raise over £5k for a local children’s cancer charity.

Between mid November last year and Christmas, customers at the Belfast restaurants were encouraged to make a small donation while paying their bill as part of the Make a Change Campaign.  The grand total raised is £5,300 which will help Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children support local families affected by cancer.  NICFC corporate fundraiser Sorcha Chipperfield is delighted with the amount raised.

She said: “I am amazed at the generosity. I’d just like to thank all of the customers who donated and of course Michael Deane and Deanes at Queen’s head chef Chris Fearon.”

Mr Fearon added: “We’re delighted to be involved with a great local charity like NICFC, and it’s great to see our customers getting behind this campaign and digging deep to help support local children and families affected by cancer.  We’ve been supporting the charity for a few years now, and having met some of the families, we know first-hand how important the charity is to them.”

Sochi Winter Olympics Menu

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The Academy Restaurant

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Jamaican bobsled

Peri Peri style chicken, bacon kebab crusted potato and pea salad

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Cross country 

Borscht

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Downhill event

Vodka and forestberry sorbet

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Crossover

Pork medallions with sage infused blinis, green peppercorn and orange cream.

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Figure skating

Pavlova with seasonal fruits and a ginger bread biscuit.

For more information please visit… www.business.ulster.ac.uk/hospitalitytour/academy/academy.html

Academy Restaurant Spring 2014

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Academy Restaurant, Belfast campus, University of Ulster, York Street

The Academy Restaurant reopens for the Spring semester

Monday 10th February – Friday 18th April

Lunch: Monday to Friday from 12.30pm

6 course Dinner: Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7.00pm (£17.50)

Tuesday evening offers you a Gourmet Experience as developed by our Culinary Arts Management degree students

while Hospitality students provide a Culinary Journey on Thursday evenings

To make a reservation email:      academyrestaurant@ulster.ac.uk

Telephone:                                     02895 367332

www.business.ulster.ac.uk/hospitalitytour/academy/academyhtml/

Please find attached the Culinary Journey schedule for Thursday evenings with the menus for 6th and 13th February

The Gourmet Experience schedule for Tuesday evenings will be circulated soon

• Do you require a meeting room with morning coffee and lunch provided?

• Are you having a business meeting/staff development/away day and require lunch?

• Do you require a drinks reception prior to dinner (Tuesday and Thursday evenings)?

• Is a set menu/a la carte/fork buffet/finger buffet/morning coffee with Danish your requirement?

• Or maybe a sweet from the a la carte menu with a coffee served in the bar over lunchtime?

• Are you having a function/birthday/anniversary and require the restaurant to be private?

• Or do you just want a great meal, reasonably priced, served in relaxing surroundings with a

wonderful vista onto St Anne’s Cathedral, prepared and served by our students?

Contact Martin and his team on 028 953 (67332) for any of the above or for your own special requirement

We look forward to seeing you!