LARNE LOVES FOOD

Chef demonstrations and live music from ALS Band at Broadway

10.30am – 3.00pm

Carriages Bistro, Larne

10.30am – 11.00am

Demonstrations and Giant Paella

Carriages Bistro gives a new meaning to homegrown. The restaurant sources everything locally and even their salad is grown in the restaurant garden. The team of Chefs cure all their own bacon on the premises, age their own steaks and make their own corn beef and sausages.

The family run business has been serving the area for over 20 years and some of the staff have been working in Carriages for as long as 18 years, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere

Londonderry Arms Hotel, Carnlough

1.1.00am – 11.30am

Joanna Hamill will be showcasing the delights of afternoon tea and will showcase the hotel’s signature wheaten bread and shortbread.

The Londonderry Arms offers the elegant surroundings of the Frances Anne and Tapestry Room restaurant or the Coach House Bistro.  In our award-winning restaurant, which can seat up to 80 people, we offer a wide choice of the best locally produced food.

Our chef Manus Jamison designs menus that reflect the specialities of the Glens of Antrim, for example, wild salmon, lamb from the Antrim Hills and locally produced vegetables.

We hold the Taste of Ulster Award and a Top Rating Award of 5 under the National Food Hygiene Scheme.

Browns Restaurant, Londonderry

11.30am – 12.30pm

Head Chef Ian Orr

Ian has just been awarded Chef of the Year Ireland 2013 by Georgina Campbell.

Browns Restaurant and Champagne lounge (established in 2009) has gained a reputation for excellent food, genuine hospitality and unpretentious service. The critics have not only established it as the best restaurant in the North West but placed it among the best in Ireland. Situated on the eastern bank of Lough Foyle – Head Chef Ian Orr is renowned for his dedication to fresh seasonal produce and support of local suppliers, and visitors keen to experience the best the area has to offer will not be disappointed.

Tipped as one of Ireland’s top talents, Ian Orr trained under the late Robbie Millar at Northern Ireland’s formative Michelin starred restaurant Shanks before moving to London’s River Cafe and then as head chef at Rathmullan House Hotel in Donegal. Ian has selected and trained his team to maintain his high standards.

Driven by a passion for good local produce and seasonality, over the years his culinary finesse has caught the attention of food writers and experts resulting in several awards and listings in leading food guides.

Food Stalls in Larne Market Yard

10.30am – 3.00pm

Participants include:

Ann’s Pantry, Larne

Family bakery for over three decades established 1967. Winner of Great Taste Awards 2011, 2012, 2013

Wide selection of breads, cakes, pies, wheatens, sodas, shortbreads.

Eleanor Craig’s Fudge, Larne

The recipe for our Homemade Butter Fudge has been in the family for many generations. It has never been altered, nor changed in any way from one generation to the next – it never had to be!

It all began over 50 years ago when the secret blend of natural ingredients (contains no artificial ingredients nor preservatives) was created, which gives us the crumbly texture that we still achieve today.

Broughgammon Farm, Ballycastle

Broughgammon Farm is a family farm run by The Cole Family, specialising in Cabrito (Kid Goat Meat), Seaweed and Rare Breed Soay Sheep Meat. Depending on the time of year we may also have a ready supply of free-range eggs and pork available from the farm.

Matassa and Carville

Italian Pulled Pork and Calabrian Sausage specialities..

“Had a great day at the opening of the Market Yard Larne on 7 September.  Great response for our Calabrian paprika and fennel sausage with balsamic and caramelised red onion chutney on ciabbatta bread!”

Tesco Express

The Tesco-driven “Switch to Local” campaign aims to encourage consumers to think twice about where the brands and products they buy come from and to switch at least one item on their weekly shopping list for a locally-produced or home-grown alternative.

As part of their “Switch to Local” campaign, Tesco will be working with some of their local suppliers providing tastings throughout the day.

Event supported by Larne Borough Council and Good Food NI & Taste of Ulster

15-FOLD INCREASE IN TURNOVER FOR REDEVELOPED COMBER RESTAURANT

A 30-year-old family restaurant and hotel in Comber has achieved a 15-fold increase in turnover since undergoing a six figure redevelopment supported by Ulster Bank.

The OId Schoolhouse Inn on the Ballydrain Road, which was taken over by the Marco Pierre White-trained son of the founders last year, has also increased staff numbers by more than 20 since the refurbishment was completed in June.

Ulster Bank provided funding of £140,000 to support the project, which saw a complete overhaul of the long-standing premises to include a new lounge, refurbished 50-seat restaurant and nine hotel bedrooms.

William Brown, who also worked under Gordon Ramsay in London before coming back to Northern Ireland to take over the business of his parents, Terry and Avril, says that the success of the investment will lead to further new jobs.

“I wanted to turn what was a longstanding and successful family business into one of the top restaurants in Northern Ireland, and we’re well on the way to achieving that. We are now completely booked out every Thursday, Friday and Saturday and extremely busy the rest of the week too. Turnover and employment have increased significantly, and we plan to further develop the business, including the addition of a cookery school, which will lead to further new jobs,” he says.

Ulster Bank supported the refurbishment of the premises with funds from the HMT / Bank of England Funding for Lending Scheme.

William says that the success story would not have been possible without the bank’s support: “I want to stress the absolutely vital role of Ulster Bank in making this possible by having the vision and confidence to provide the funding to make it happen.”

Business Manager James Foote says: “We have worked closely with the family for many years and were extremely impressed by William’s impact on the business since taking it over in 2012, achieving excellent reviews and increasing custom. His plans for the business were well thought out and carefully put together and we are very pleased to work with him to make them a successful reality.”

Ulster Bank was the first local bank to join the HMT / Bank of England Funding for Lending Scheme, in September 2012, and has since agreed over £100m in new lending to more than 600 companies under the scheme.

Further information about how Ulster Bank can help companies under the Funding for Lending Scheme can be found here.

Further information about the Old Schoolhouse Inn can be found at: www.theoldschoolhouseinn.com

Wilson’s Country Potatoes has been named as Tesco Outstanding Supplier of the Month for August 2013.

The award is in recognition of the enormous effort made by the company and its growers to supply all the supermarket’s Northern Ireland stores with Tesco brand potatoes, grown here and sold here.

Within the last year, Wilson’s has worked closely with Tesco to ensure that locally grown potatoes are used in the Tesco brand bags whenever possible, minimising the potatoes imported from elsewhere and supporting the local farming industry.

Sandra Weir, Fresh Food Buying Manager, Tesco NI said, “We have introduced an Outstanding Supplier of the Month award, through which we can publicly celebrate and recognise the enormous effort our Northern Ireland suppliers put in for our customers.

“Over the past year to 18 months, the Tesco NI buying team has been heavily focussed on switching supply of fresh produce, meat, milk and eggs to local suppliers wherever possible.  With fresh vegetables, we are at the mercy of the weather and the seasons, which is why we work with companies like Wilson’s, who really are experts in their field.

“Wilson’s Country is the leading potato brand in Ireland and they understand the crops, the varieties and the lead times required to ensure a steady supply of local produce.  This has been a superb partnership, resulting in a sales increase of around 200,000 bags of potatoes in the last year.  The potato market has declined in the past 12 months by around 10% and yet Wilson’s have seen an increase in sales of 2%.

“We want our suppliers to know that their hard work is important to us and we want our customers to know all about it too.  Huge congratulations to Wilson’s Country.”

Joanne Weir of Wilson’s Country said, “We work with a group of hard-working and trusted potato growers across Northern Ireland and this is great news not only for us as a company but also for them.  Wilson’s Country has been supplying own brand potatoes to Tesco in Northern Ireland since 1997.  This has grown from just one product into one store to now delivering in the region of 1.2 million potatoes per week to stores across Northern Ireland.

“Our recent work to switch to maximum local supply for Tesco means that in season Tesco Baby Potatoes over the summer have been locally grown and as we enter Autumn, Tesco brand White Potatoes and Maris Pipers are also freshly dug from Northern Ireland soil, as well as supplies of Wilson’s own brand Comber, Kerr’s Pinks, Navans and Queen’s varieties.  To receive recognition as an Outstanding Supplier to Tesco is superb – we are delighted.”

Monthly award winners receive a Bridgestone-style plaque, free publicity in local press, advertising support, and shelf-edge signage in all Tesco stores which stock their product.

This is a further extension of the Tesco Taste Northern Ireland campaign, aimed at educating customers and connecting them with the people and places behind their favourite Northern Ireland food & drink.   For more information on the Taste NI campaign and award winners, follow on www.facebook.com/tastenorthernireland

James Street South Bar and Grill Launches Cooking Competition to Find newest addition to menu.

Ever thought of becoming a star chef and having your favourite recipe on the menu of a top Belfast restaurant menu?  Now’s your chance, as local award-winning eatery James Street South Bar and Grill is running a competition to do just that.

The cooking competition is one of a host of innovative culinary initiatives taking place during Belfast Restaurant Week, 5th- 12 October, with the winning dish featuring  as a ‘Restaurant Week Special’ on the menu.

Budding chefs and passionate cooks are challenged to create a starter, main course or dessert inspired by locally sourced and seasonal ingredients.  The challenge shouldn’t be too difficult with the fantastic home grown produce, meat, fish, game and poultry available in the region.

Entries will be scrutinised by Nail McKenna, Head Chef and owner, in addition to a judging panel of food experts including, renowned food critic Joris Minne, well-loved chef and BBC radio personality Paula McIntyre and  influential food blogger John Ferris.

So if there’s a favourite dish you think is worthy of sharing with the diners of Belfast or if you are inspired to invent a stunning new recipe, simply submit a list of ingredients, cooking instructions and a photograph of your finished creation to James Street South Bar & Grill by Monday 23 September.

Five finalists will be invited to James Street South Bar and Grill on Monday 30 September to prepare their dish for the discerning judging panel in a MasterChef style cook-off, after which the difficult decision of choosing the winner will be made.

The winner and three friends will be treated to a master class with Niall McKenna, a unique opportunity for aspiring chefs and foodie-lovers to pick up cooking hints and tips directly from the gifted culinary expert, plus a £200 voucher to spend in Le Creuset, the premium French cookware manufacturer best known for its colourful enamelled cast iron kitchenware.

The competition is open to aspiring chefs and passionate cooks of 16 years or over and entries will not be accepted from professional/qualified chefs.  Entries can be submitted by post to BRW Competition, James Street South Bar & Grill, 21 James Street South Belfast BT2 7GA or email info@belfastbargrill.co.uk but must be received by 5pm on Monday 23 September.

Visit www.belfastbargrill.co.uk for further competition details, terms and conditions.

Judging panel biographies

Niall McKenna

Niall is the creative and visionary chef and patron of James Street South in Belfast which opened its doors in September 2003, and its recent sister culinary enterprises – the Bar & Grill, cookery school and private dining room. He has over 20 years’ experience in the kitchen and has worked and trained with many of today’s great chefs. Niall himself is a former Great British Menu winner and is a passionate advocate of learning new skills in the kitchen and is keen to pass on his knowledge to kitchen enthusiasts.

With Niall at the helm, the James Street South group has established itself as a centre of excellence, restaurants which consistently serve some of the best food in Northern Ireland using quality, sustainable produce from local farmers and suppliers that you want to eat every night of the week.

 John Ferris

John is a journalist by trade but has moonlighted as a food blogger and newsprint restaurant critic since 2006, writing more than 1,000 food and drink articles – reviewing hundreds of local restaurants as well as some of the world’s best.

John also found time to set-up FoodBelfast.com, which is recognised as Northern Ireland’s most influential food blog and shortlisted in the 2012 Irish Food Blog category until it closed down to make way for Forked.ie.

A long-time judge of various awards, John also writes features for Hospitality Review NI and makes regular appearances on U105’s Lunchtime Bistro show with Carolyn Stewart. John loves simple food done well but hates truffle oil and mediocrity!

Joris Minne

Joris is a passionate foodie with an eye for detail and a palate for distinguishing flavours. As a Northern Ireland food critic he has a weekly column in the Belfast Telegraph which has given Joris the opportunity to eat out every single week for the last five years.

A member of Restaurants Association of Ireland judging panel, Joris is a committed supporter and promoter of the variety of establishments on offer in Belfast – from restaurants, cafes, bistros, and takeaways and strongly believes that food should be treated as a cultural experience.  As soon as he puts down his knife and fork, Joris juggles his appetite for food with a busy schedule combining his love of the arts by chairing The Mac, an arts investment project in Belfast and his full time career as an award-winning PR consultant.

Paula McIntyre

As BBC Radio Ulster’s resident chef, Paula brightens up the airwaves each Saturday with her weekly Magazine recipe spot, giving local food enthusiasts handy tips and secrets of the trade to get your dish just right. It’s like having Paula with you in the kitchen!

Paula is a well-loved chef and radio personality who is also a member of Restaurants Association of Ireland and Hotel & Catering Review Magazine Gold Star judging panel.

Paula strongly believes that local produce is best and proudly uses the finest Northern Ireland ingredients to make her exceptional mouth-watering dishes.

On the back of two consecutive years when producers from Northern Ireland took the top award at Great Taste, a galaxy of stars and awards have been presented for 2013 – to Hannan Meats of Moira in Co. Armagh, to Simon Dougan, chef at Yellow Door Deli in Craigavon, Co. Armagh and to En Place Foods of Cookstown, Co.Tyrone.

Hannan Meats of Moira in County Down was this year awarded the Golden Fork for Best Speciality from Northern Ireland, sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland, for its 3-star Salt-Aged Rack of Glenarm Shorthorn Beef.  This was just one of FIVE Hannan Meats’ products that reached the Great Taste Top 50 Foods and judges were abundant with their praise for the Rack of Shorthorn which was described as “A revelation.  Sweetness in the meat and absolutely right there.”

The award, presented at the annual Great Taste Golden Fork dinner in London on 9th September, once again positions Hannan Meats amongst the very top food producers in the UK and Ireland and reflects the exceptional farming and butchery skills of Peter Hannan and his team.

A new Golden Fork Award for 2013 – for Best Deli & Farm Shop Signature Dish was presented to Simon Dougan of Yellow Door Deli in Craigavon.  Judges felt that Simon’s Braised Irish Beef Cheek and Smoked Potato Pie was an outstanding dish which showed “provenance, regionality and expertise in a perfect pastry crust”.  This award was sponsored by Huhtamaki, makers of eco disposables.

The Golden Fork for Ambient Product of the Year (sponsored by Petty Wood) was presented to En Place Foods for its 3-star Sea Salted Caramel with Fennel Pollen – making it a hat trick for Northern Ireland.  Judges commended En Place for a product which was “perfectly balanced, sweet and rich, a real treacle-y hit, with added layers of flavour from the fennel pollen which was an exciting and well-judged combination.”

Also nominated in the region was McCartney’s, also of Moira in Co. Down for its 3-star Mushroom, Leek and Smoked Garlic Tart, showing great skill in vegetarian food for an award-winning butcher! En Place Foods of Cookstown, Co. Tyrone was also a finalist with an exceptional 3-star Sea Buckthorn & Lime Jam.

Hannan Meats: 028 9261 9790 www.hannanmeats.com

Yellow Door Deli: 028 383 45345 www.yellowdoordeli.co.uk

En Place Foods: 0844 8094963 www.en-placefoods.com

Great Taste is all about taste. It is not about packaging or smart design.  Judges are simply presented with food or drink to taste and they provide valuable feedback to thousands of producers each year.  For a producer to win a Great Taste 1-star award is a great achievement, to win 2-stars means that many judges have been bowled over by the product, and to win a 3-star Great Taste award is comparable to a chef winning a Michelin star. It simply is seen in the world of fine food as a hallmark of taste, quality and excellence.

Since 1994, Great Taste has been organised by The Guild of Fine Food and over the last 19 years over 80,000 products have been blind tasted by judges including top restaurateurs, chefs, food critics, fine food retailers, buyers and cookery writers.

Great Taste 2013 facts;

9,738 different products entered

Over 400 professional judges who search for the “wow” foods

Weeks of judging in Ireland, London, Hampshire, Devon and Dorset

3,294 products awarded 1-,2-, 3-star awards

125 products presented with the top 3-Star Great Taste 2013

NINE Golden Fork Awards for Best Regional Speciality

ONE Supreme Champion

Switch to Local to Boost Local Food Industry

Agriculture industry chiefs from Northern Ireland have welcomed a new ‘Switch to Local’ initiative by Tesco which could generate millions of pounds for the local economy.

The Tesco-driven Switch to Local campaign aims to encourage consumers to think twice about where the brands and products they buy come from and to switch at least one item on their weekly shopping list for a locally-produced or home-grown alternative.

Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA launched the scheme today at Stormont and was the first person to sign up to the major new initiative. Over the course of the next two months the NI public will be urged to pledge their support to the initiative by joining this campaign on facebook and on the project website, and reinforcing that commitment by changing their shopping habits.

Minister O’Neill congratulated Tesco on their initiative and said: “I have long been an advocate of supporting local produce and increasing the awareness of those products which are grown, produced and processed in this region. Our food stands out in terms of its quality and flavour and in many cases is renowned on the international stage, but there is an ongoing need to keep the subject of provenance and sustainability at the forefront of our local consumers’ minds.

“Credit is due to Tesco for taking the lead in ‘Switch to Local’ and I know they will put the necessary resources into making it a success. I encourage all other retailers and food service outlets to take similar steps and for processors and trade bodies to become involved where possible, as it is clear that customers find that buying local produce is important to them.”

Michele Shirlow of Food NI said Switch to Local had the potential to generate millions of pounds for the local economy:  “There are over 700,000 households in Northern Ireland.  If every local shopper switches one item per weekly shop at, say, £1 or £2, imagine the impact we could see on sales of NI products: it could be many millions of pounds over the next six weeks alone.  That would be a significant economic boost with the potential to create new jobs and aid expansion by local food and drink producers.”

Caoimhe Mannion, Marketing Manager, Tesco NI said: “Tesco in Northern Ireland is firmly committed to sourcing as much as possible from local suppliers.  This region produces an array of superb products, including high quality meat and seasonal vegetables and is home to a number of world class food manufacturers and producers, as well as smaller local artisan companies whose products we are proud to bring to our customers.

“We work closely with the food & drink industry here, we are hearty supporters of it and we are heavily invested in seeing it grow.  We hope this campaign will educate shoppers and help them to give the local farming and food industries an extra boost.”

“We know that consumers here care about where their food comes from.  By seeking out local produce, shoppers will know that the money they are spending supports a local firm, stays in the local economy, secures jobs and provides long-term stability for the agri-food industry here.  We can all do our bit by switching even just one product.”

This is the next phase in the Tesco Taste Northern Ireland campaign aimed at connecting consumers with the people and places behind a wide range of local food & drink in its stores here.  Within the last four months, Tesco has also switched to sourcing 100% of its Tesco pre-packed beef, pork and chicken from three NI processors and thereby supporting 3,000 local farmers.  100% of Tesco brand eggs and milk are also sourced from Northern Ireland.

Caoimhe Mannion continued, “This is a simple matter of looking a little more closely at the labels on your shopping.  The “country of origin” on fresh produce will tell you if it’s grown in Northern Ireland.  Other local products throughout our stores are indicated with the Taste Northern Ireland logo on the shelf or on the pack. We have over 90 local suppliers and many hundreds of local product lines so there is plenty of choice.”

The campaign has been welcomed by a range of food industry bodies including the Livestock & Meat Commission, the Ulster Farmers’ Union and the NI Food & Drink Association.

Chief Executive of the Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC), Ian Stevenson commented, “LMC is delighted that Tesco Northern Ireland has taken the initiative, with its supply chain partners, to champion support for local produce to consumers. LMC is a strong advocate of the importance of provenance and of traceability from farm to fork and we would encourage consumers to include local quality beef and lamb as part of a healthy balanced diet”.

Ulster Farmers’ Union President Harry Sinclair said; “Northern Ireland has a world class agri-food industry and there is plenty of top quality, excellent value food available that retailers can fill their shelves with. Promoting local food is something we’ve been asking retailers to do for a while now and I am pleased that Tesco’s ‘Switch to Local’ initiative is directing consumer focus towards NI food. Tesco is showing a commitment to championing local food and while it will remain to be seen if this translates into primary producer profitability, this initiative is a positive step in the right direction and I would hope that other retailers will follow suit.”

Shoppers can join the campaign online at www.facebook.com/tastenorthernireland or visit www.switchtolocal.info

A big Switch to Local weekend will take place in Tesco stores across the province on the weekend of 28/29 September and Tesco staff will be on hand to show shoppers how they can join the campaign.