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.

Retail group Henderson Wholesale Ltd has thousands of reasons to celebrate after reaching an amazing milestone by raising £250,000 for local children living with cancer.

Waitrose Good Food Guide 2014 serves up great options for dining out in Northern Ireland

Waitrose Good Food Guide has today announced 2 new entries from Northern Ireland in the 2014 edition of the guide which is published on 9th September. The guide reflects the high standard of dining in Northern Ireland as a total of 17 restaurants, pubs and cafés from across the region are included in the UK’s bestselling restaurant guide.

The two new entries that have achieved a spot in Waitrose Good Food Guide 2014 are OX on Oxford Street in Belfast and The Governor Rocks located on The Parade in Donaghadee.

Not only has OX made its first appearance in Waitrose Good Food Guide 2014, it has also gained a place in the much coveted top 50 restaurants listing, taking the number 43 spot.

Earlier this year, Killinchy’s Balloo House also had reason to celebrate after it was named the Good Food Guide Reader’s Regional Restaurant of the Year for Northern Ireland.

Elizabeth Carter, Consultant Editor of the Good Food Guide commented: ‘Congratulations to the new entries from Northern Ireland in Waitrose Good Food Guide 2014, but particular acknowledgement goes to OX for appearing for the first time in our Top 50. It’s a new addition that certainly reflects the buzz of Belfast and the growing food scene in Northern Ireland.’

A record win for local oat miller and cereal brand White’s Oats at this year’s prestigious great taste awards scooping up 12 gold stars for its oat based cereal products and taking its total number of awards to an impressive 32.

White’s Oats, Northern Ireland’s only oat cereal processor has now received the ‘Great Taste’ seal of approval for all of its oat based cereal products, a fantastic achievement within a highly competitive market.

Receiving a double seal of approval and best in category with two Gold Stars was Organic Quick Cook Oats and Toasted Oats Apple & Cinnamon Crunch, a Great Taste winner for the second year running. But topping the pack once again was White’s Organic Jumbo Oats which has received a Great Taste accolade for six successive years.

Toat’ly Oaty Original Instant Porridge has also had success for a second year running, being awarded one gold star alongside the recently launched Toat’ly Oaty with added multi seeds. White’s has also had success with its export brand; Irish Oatmeal Old Fashioned Oats picked up one gold star.

Danielle Mc Bride, Brand Manager of White’s Oats said: ‘’We are delighted that our oat based cereals have been so highly recognised at this year’s Great Taste Awards which signals the huge amount of passion we have for our business and our products.

The Great Taste Awards are organised by the Guild of Fine Food, the authoritative, Independent Standard for Britain’s Fine Foods Sector awarding commitment to truly great tasting quality artisan products. It has been described as the ‘Oscars’ of the food world and the ‘epicurean equivalent of the Booker prize’.