Seafood Festival Invites Food Lovers to Sample the Flavours of the Foyle

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All the ‘Flavours of the Foyle’ will be on offer, and fun is up for ‘crabs’ during a free two-day seafood festival taking place on 20th and 21st July in the Guildhall Square Derry-Londonderry.

The event led by Derry City Council, promises to be one of the highlight’s on this year’s culinary calendar.  Live cookery demonstrations will be on the menu in the seafood festival marquee and food stalls will be hosted by local chefs and restaurateurs providing authentic seafood dishes to try and buy.  Accompanying family entertainment with the ‘Taste Adventure’ and Loughs Agency Riverwatch Aquarium’s Touch tank will be combined with the city-wide Seafood Trail which takes place across 20 restaurants citywide, with varied fish dishes on offer for a full week from the beginning of the festival.

Mayor Cllr Martin Reilly speaking at the launch today said:

“’Flavours of the Foyle’ is a unique event and an opportunity to bring together families, locals and visitors to pay homage to the rich resources of our river.  Now a staple in the summer event calendar, this year promises a weekend of all things fishy, flavoursome and fun.  Building on the legacy from the inclusion of the Festival at the Clipper Homecoming last year, a move to the Guildhall Square promises a more varied festival and in continuing with the level of superb events for the City of Culture year, I have no doubt this will be a fantastic weekend.

A boulevard of over 20 food providers will include live cookery stalls with participating restaurants including the Beech Hill. Gardiners, Custom House, Browns, The Sooty Olive, Pyke n Pommes, La Sosta, Primrose Café, Feast or Famine, Queen’s Quay Social,  Quaywest, Donegal Prime Fish and many more.

Mary Blake, Derry City Council Tourism Development Officer, organiser of the event said:

“The North West has a fantastic array of seafood right on our shores with some very talented chefs.  Seafood is on the menu on all our best restaurants and I think it is something we really need to appreciate and celebrate. The Seafood Festival is one of many food tourism initiatives running across the city and follows on from the recent launch of the citywide LegenDerry Food Guide.  This 2 day festival is an ideal family day out, and builds upon the hugely successful Seafood festival enjoyed by thousands at last year’s Clipper event.

“We have planned some very inspiring live demonstrations, as well as an opportunity to sample dishes that can easily be prepared in your own kitchen, so there is no excuse for food lovers not to take home with them authentic flavours from the Foyle!”

Speaking in advance of the weekend event, Chris Moran, Custom House Chef who is taking part in the seafood festival said:

“I have worked in kitchens all round the world and nothing compares with the seafood that comes from the North West coast of this island.  I think it is time we showcased to the world the wonderful food products and culinary talent we have up here.  Seafood and other local products have played a big part in our culture and heritage and the festival will help us to rediscover and celebrate that part of our history.”

‘Flavours of the Foyle’ brings with it a flurry of entertainment for the young and young at heart with ice sculptures, street theatre, storytelling with ‘fishy tales’, puppetry, a marine touch tank, storytelling, Spreya the Mermaid, Giant Lobsters and other fun activities.  The event will be supported by a wide ranging musical and animation programme.  In addition to Flavours of the Foyle, Mayor Martin Reilly will host a family fun opening day on Sunday (21st July in the newly restored adjacent Guildhall with a range of children’s crafts and activities.  Derry-Londonderry will also host the Walled City Music Festival making this a great weekend to visit the city.

The boulevard of chefs and theatre of food kitchen is supported by FoodNI and will include a demonstration from acclaimed chef and radio presenter Paula McIntyre.  Also taking part at the event is Derry’s own Ian Orr from Browns Restaurant in the city, recent winner of the Irish Chef of the Year award in the Georgina Campbell awards 2013.  Ian and Paula will join a range of acclaimed local and celebrity chefs to share a little seafood magic at the event.

Flavours of the Foyle will run from 12 noon to 7pm on Saturday 20th July and 12noon – 6pm on Sunday 21st July. The event is being organised by Derry City Council with support from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, and the Loughs Agency. More information on programme times etc on www.derrycity.gov.uk/seafood

National Allotment Week

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NATIONAL ALLOTMENT WEEK   5th to 11th August 2013

OPEN DAY at Ards Allotments on Saturday 10th August 2013 10am – 4 pm

This is an ideal opportunity to come along and view the amazing work of the

plot owners of Ards Allotments.

Avail of expert advice and guidance.

The plots are set on the rich fertile land at the edge of Strangford Lough

tidal pathway.

Free hot dogs sponsored by McKee’s Country Store Newtownards, Bring your own

picnic.

Turn food miles into food inches.

4 months’ rent free when you take on a plot Carol Klein from Gardeners World

Says  ‘ Gardening turns you on ‘

NATIONAL ALLOTMENT WEEK   for more information contact
http://www.nsalg.org.uk/news-events-campaigns/national-allotments-week/

Heavenly Tasty deal for Omagh Baby Food Company

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Heavenly Tasty deal for Omagh Baby Food Company
Omagh-based baby food company, Heavenly Tasty Organics, has secured its first listing in a major supermarket after negotiating a deal with Tesco which will see it on the shelves of 28 Northern Ireland stores.
The fledgling company which has bagged several innovation and entrepreneurial awards since it was set up in 2011, makes a range of fresh fruit and vegetable purées and blended meals for babies aged from 4 months.  All of the products are made using the same cooking processes mums use at home, they contain no additives or preservatives and are made using the finest organic ingredients.   The baby purées come in a unique frozen ice cube tray for freshness and the weaning meal tubs are in two stages for a developing baby from 7 months and 9 months.
Shauna McCarney-Blair, Managing Director of Heavenly Tasty Organics is thrilled to have secured this listing with Tesco NI.  She said, “Our journey to this point has been a tough but exciting one.  We knew all along that there is a big market for a product like this and we are very pleased that Tesco have given us this opportunity.  In an ideal world, every mum wants to give her baby the best start she possibly can and prepare everything from scratch, but in reality, we are busy and don’t always have the time.  This range really is the next best thing – our Stage 1 purées are made using fresh organic ingredients, which are steamed, gently puréed and frozen to retain all the goodness. The ice cubes can be popped out one at a time, to keep them fresh and minimise waste.
“The stage 2 and 3 products are big meals for little people, with options like Chicken Curry and Spaghetti Bolognese, which many grown-up tasters are surprised to find taste like real, tasty food! They encourage chewing, are nutritionally balanced and have more protein content for growing babies.   We are the only baby food company which is completely dairy-free, with nine products which are also gluten-free.  Our products give mum and dad more time with their baby and less time spent preparing food.”
Steven Murphy, Tesco Buying Manager said, “We are delighted for Shauna and Heavenly Tasty Organics.  Not only are they a small, home-grown business, they are producing a really fantastic, high quality and innovative product.  A listing in Tesco is sure to give this little company a big and well-earned boost.   This is a great addition to our Taste Northern Ireland range of locally sourced products.  Tesco shoppers will find the full Heavenly Tasty Organics range in the frozen food section.”
For more information on Tesco Taste NI home-grown and locally-made products follow on www.facebook.com/tastenorthernireland

Comber Potato Festival 29th June 2013

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 It has been quite a time for Comber spuds!   Just two weeks ago they were being served to the most powerful world leaders at the G8, including Barack Obama, Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin, and this week they were being honoured at the Comber Potato Festival (we hope the first of many)!
Fifth Generation farmer Martin Hamilton (Mash Direct, left)  and his two brothers David (top right) and Gavin Hamilton (bottom right) pictured working on their fathers farm in Ballyalton, Newtownards, 1962. 
What a success! The Comber Potato Festival was an amazing event with great music, vintage tractors and, of course, delicious food.  Mash Direct were there sampling as well as serving full meals in their Mash Bus as ‘Mashtonbury’ took on Glastonbury on the same day – we all know who the real winner was!
So what makes Comber so special to us?   The history of the Comber area is synonymous with potato growing and the Hamilton family.  Not only does the area have earliest spuds in the season, it is also thought to be the home of the earliest literary reference to potatoes in Ireland, dating back to 1606:
‘Her Ladyship also had farms at…Coiner [the old name for Comber]…both to supply new-comers and her house; and she easily got men for plough and barn…for which she gave them grass and so much grain per annum and an house and garden-plat to live on, and some land for flax and potatoes”.
Why do they come so early?  Sheltered by the Mourne mountains to the south, and the Ards Peninsula to the east as well as the protection from frost from Strangford Lough, the largest inlet in the British Isles.  This means that the growing season can start earlier than in other regions and consequently the harvest can too.  This has helped to earn Comber early potatoes European protected status, placing them alongside Cornish Pasties, Parma Ham and Champagne!
Martin, the Founder and Managing Director of Mash Direct, is a fifth generation son of the soil for Comber spuds and his two sons Lance and Jack make up the sixth generation so they know the fields well!  The Mash Bus in the Square, a state of the art mobile kitchen housed inside a double decker bus, proved to be a huge hit and just this week received a full 5 rating for the Score on the Door Scheme under the National Food Hygiene Rating System.  Look out for the bus in your town throughout the Summer as it will be sampling and selling their award-winning Comber potatoes!
Mash Direct don’t just sell their range from a double decker bus in Comber Square.  They are in supermarkets in the UK and Ireland as well as further afield in New York, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  World leaders were enjoying some Comber spuds at the G8 last week. At Mash Direct they want to make sure that they are available to them in their local shop across the world too!
 
Pictured R-L Fifth generation farmer Martin Hamilton (Managing Director, Mash Direct)  and his son Jack Hamilton(Sales and Digital Marketing Manager, Mash Direct) pictured outside Mash Direct’s double decker. Mash Direct were exhibiting at the Comber Potato Festival and raising awareness of their award winning Comber potatoes.

The Ortus Food and Crafts Pop up Event

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The Ortus Food and Crafts Pop up Event is a one day only, fun for the family event.

On the day there will be local food providers cooking up fresh tasty food for all to try and buy – they range from breakfast specialists to sweet delights and are not to be missed!
There will also be local craft makers and artists present, selling unique hand made products, perfect for birthdays, weddings presents, even Christmas!
Finally, not to leave the children out, there will be children’s entertainment at the event, with story tellers and caricaturists on the day, making their Saturday a little bit different!
So put the date in your diary, Saturday 10th August from 10.00 – 16.00.
Look forward to seeing you there and follow us on Twitter (@OrtusBusiness) and like us on Facebook (OrtusNI) to see profiles of those present at the event.

A blossoming trio for Armagh Cider Company

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A blossoming trio for Armagh Cider Company.

Armagh Cider Company, the first Northern Ireland producer of commercial cider has recently won awards at three prestigious awards ceremonies, two international and one national – The International Cider Challenge, The Great Lakes Cider & Perry Competition and the Royal Bath and West Society Show.

Armagh Cider Company were founded in 2005, at Ballinteggart House – the family farm of Philip & Helen Troughton, just outside Portadown. The Troughton family have been growing apples on the farm for over 5 generations, and produce a range of Ciders and Apple Juices made primarily using the Armagh Bramley Apple which has recently received a PGI status.

Operating from a purpose built cidery unit, they are proud of their ‘Blossom to Bottle’ ethos, being the only producer in the North of Ireland who handle all operations – from growing, to pressing, to fermenting and blending, to bottling and distribution; giving them full security and control of the entire process.

The Great Lakes Cider & Perry Competition was held in Michigan in March 2013. The competition was formed to showcase and promote the art of apple and pear fermentation beverages. Armagh Cider Company won two bronze medals at the awards for their ‘Carsons Crisp’ and ‘Carsons Premium’ Ciders.

The International Cider Challenge, is designed to recognize the diversity and range of packaged products in the dynamic and growing cider category. Having previously won awards in 2010, they were successful in obtaining two bronze medals for their ‘Carsons Crisp’ and ‘Maddens Orchard Bramble’ Ciders in the recent 2013 competition. Other winners of the 2013 awards include Aspalls, Bulmers, Rekorderlig, Thatchers and Westons.

Bringing their products to the home of juice and cider at the Royal Bath and West Society Show, where the biggest orchard and cider competition in the country and possibly the world takes place, Armagh Cider Company are proud to announce that their ‘AJ Apple Juice’ successfully gained a silver medal.

The products are available nationwide through James E McCabes Ltd, Pallas Foods, Noreast Distribution, and many more. Receiving awards from these three prominent competitions has seen a significant increase in sales and recognition. The company recently hit 10,000 likes on Facebook and have successfully received a listing with a major Beer and Cider Importer in Finland. The company has also been successful in obtaining sales from other artisan beer and cider makers through contract bottling.