Abernethy Butter, an award-winning producer of hand churned creamery butter, has been acquired by business leader Peter Hannan of Hannan Meats, Moira. Both are FoodNI members.

The acquisition follows the decision by Will and Allison Abernethy, who started making the handcrafted butter in 2005, to retire.

The talented duo, who started the enterprise in their small holding at Dromara, had decided to turn a hobby into a fully-fledged small business that attracted orders from major chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and Marcus Waring as well as food stylists such as Nigella Lawson.

The decision by Peter Hannan, a specialist in outstanding quality meat products, to acquire the company was influenced by his own longstanding admiration for the couple and their enterprise.

 “I thought it was a brilliant idea, an important development in Northern Ireland’s craft food scene back in 2005,” Peter explains. “There was no-one out there producing locally a handmade and hand rolled creamery butter.

“The flavour was amazing and the product a consistently high quality. Abernethy Butter was a marvellous showcase for the local food industry and soon attracted attention….and then business from Britain and the Republic of Ireland,” he adds.

In addition to developing his hugely successful meat business in Britain, Ireland and further afield, Peter has been a stalwart of artisan food here. These include developers of sauces and condiments that he also owns with chef Paul Clarke, En Place Foods in Cookstown and Craic Foods in Craigavon

Peter continues: “We are honoured to become the custodian for such a wonderful brand as Abernethy Butter, and I hope we manage to make Will and Alison proud of what we do over the coming years.”

The acquisition will see Abernethy Butter move to new premises owned by Peter in the Moira area, where it will enable locals and visitors see the butter being hand crafted behind glass. Production will also be stepped up in response to growing demand for the butter in Britain, Ireland and further afield.

Ulster University is co-hosting the first Regenerative Hospitality Summit, which will take place from 5^th to 8^th May in Transylvania, Romania, putting the spotlight on how regenerative practices within the industry can continue to enhance Northern Ireland’s reputation as a leading food and drink destination.

An international gathering of leading chefs, food and drink producers, tourism managers and academics, the Summit will focus on how ‘regenerative impact’ can support cross sector collaboration, boost resilience and enhance business performance.

Expert contributors from different locations around the world, including Chef Skye Gyngell, of Heckfield Place in Hampshire, will lead conversations about the need for hospitality to promote behavioural change, with respect to the climate crisis and cross-cultural understanding. 

Hospitality and culinary arts management students from Ulster University will take a central role in proceedings by cooking alongside tv chef and author Romy Gill MBE and Oxford Cultural Collective Patron, chef Paul Bloomfield for the delegation throughout the three days.

Organisers are urging hospitality and tourism professionals from across Northern Ireland to attend, to share their unique experiences and perspectives and build alliances with delegates from elsewhere in the world to further enhance Northern Ireland’s leading food and drink destination credentials.

For Michele Shirlow, Chief Executive of Food NI, who will attend and speak at the event, this indicates why the Summit is so important: “Our talented chefs and food and drink producers are increasingly shaping the image of Northern Ireland nationally and internationally. Whilst we know this is still a very tough time for hospitality operators, it remains vital that we think collectively about our future. The Summit will give us the opportunity to learn from other locations around the world that have been through similar processes of change, which is invaluable.”

The premise of the event is that the hospitality and tourism sector’s established focus on sustainability, whilst laudable, is insufficient to tackle the immense climate, social and cultural challenges that are facing us all.

The hospitality community is uniquely well-placed to lead systemic change to ensure the natural environment, people and places can thrive. Its position at the heart of our food system, influence over consumer behaviour, public reach through media engagement and role in defining the character of urban and rural locations, give it immense influence.

The Regenerative Hospitality Summit will include a dedicated session focused on food, drink and hospitality in Northern Ireland – its prospects for the future and how it might give the region competitive advantage on the basis of its contribution to communities and the natural environment.

Dr Lynsey Hollywood of Ulster University comments: “The Summit will focus on how hospitality organisations, including in Northern Ireland, can harmonise their business objectives with the communities, places and natural ecosystems of which they are a part, to help them thrive. Far from being a distraction from core business activity, evidence suggests this ethical approach can underpin long-term success.”

For more information, and to book you place, go to  www.ulster.ac.uk/regenerative-hospitality. 

BOOKINGS for the Livestock and Meat Commission’s (LMC) primary school cookery demonstrations will open on Tuesday 19 March 2024. Teachers interested in making a booking should visit www.food4life.org.uk to complete and submit a booking form.

With the number of demonstrations available limited, LMC education and consumer promotions manager, Sarah Toland is encouraging teachers to make an early booking. She said, “Demonstrations are available to Key Stage 2 classes across Northern Ireland and are delivered by our team of expert cookery demonstrators.

“During the 40 minute cookery demonstration pupils will be educated on topics relevant to the syllabus, such as, the health and environmental benefits of Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured (NIFQA) beef and lamb and the importance of looking for the logo in the farm to fork story.

“While sharing insight to farming and the food we eat, the demonstrator will also cook a fresh beef or lamb dish. Pupils will have an opportunity to sample the dish at the end of the demonstration.”  

This year LMC is celebrating 25 years of its education programme. In this milestone year, the primary education programme will form an important part of LMC’s overall education portfolio.

Sarah continued, “Our primary programme is ever growing. We officially launched the programme in 2022 following a successful pilot the year prior. In the last two years we have been pleased with the feedback from teachers and their interest in securing demonstrations. 

“An exciting development in the coming weeks will be the publication of a new primary booklet, the first of its kind from LMC. We also have a range of supporting resources in the pipeline which will soon be available to teachers. For updates, keep an eye out on our Food4Life website.”

Primary cookery demonstrations will be carried out between April and June 2024. For further information, and to book a demonstration visit www.food4life.org.uk.

The multi award winning hotel has retained the title of Northern Ireland’s Leading Hotel for the seventh year in a row

Since opening its doors in 2017, Titanic Hotel Belfast, located on Belfast’s Maritime Mile, has been named Northern Ireland’s Leading Hotel every year by the World Travel Awards. The prestigious award for 2024 was announced to the world’s largest gathering of international tourism professionals at the World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony in Berlin.

The World Travel Awards, renowned for recognising excellence across all sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry, has honoured Titanic Hotel Belfast for the seventh consecutive year, celebrating its unwavering commitment to providing exceptional service, unparalleled luxury, and a memorable guest experience in an incredibly unique building steeped in history and heritage.

Adrian McNally, General Manager of Titanic Hotel Belfast, said: “I am humbled by the news that Titanic Hotel Belfast has been named Northern Ireland’s Leading Hotel at the World Travel Awards for seven years in a row. As custodians of this magnificent building I firmly believe that it’s an honour for our staff to be entrusted with showcasing and promoting this one of a kind hotel in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.

“Words like unrivalled and unique are so often used to describe tourism destinations but we can truly say with hand on heart that there is no other hotel that can compete with what we have on offer at Titanic Hotel Belfast in Northern Ireland and therefore this award is extremely fitting. With this seventh consecutive win, Titanic Hotel Belfast solidifies its position as an unrivalled leader in Northern Ireland’s hospitality landscape, setting a benchmark for excellence that inspires and motivates industry peers worldwide.

“It’s a much loved wedding destination, the accommodation choice of world leaders, the perfect place for families who wish to celebrate milestones in stunning surroundings and for business leaders seeking to close the deal in privacy. From the exquisite Drawing Offices to the award winning Wolff Grill restaurant, domestic and international guests are enthralled by their experience of Northern Ireland’s Leading hotel – the jewel on Maritime Mile.”

Titanic Hotel Belfast opened its doors in 2017 having been lovingly restored to its former glory. Boasting 119 nautical themed rooms and the Drawing Offices where RMS Titanic was designed, the hotel delivers unparalleled comfort and sophistication. It embodies the spirit of Belfast’s rich shipbuilding heritage nestled under the Harland & Wolff cranes, offering guests an unforgettable experience.

To make a reservation, please visit www.titanichotelbelfast.com and follow Titanic Hotel Belfast on social media.

Jubilee Farm is welcoming you to be part of their community and join them at their first Supper Club on Saturday 27th April dedicated to local, sustainable pork. As NI’s first community owned farm, it promotes knowing where your food comes from, high-welfare, free-range and chemical free. A co- operative model based on community involvement, the heritage pigs raised at Jubilee Farm are sustainable and truly represent a short farm to fork journey.

Partnering with Hillmount House in Larne on the Causeway Coastal Route, a private Georgian residence, guests will receive the usual warm welcome as the are delighted in a culinary adventure in the modern barn for over 100 guests. Hillmount House launched their pop-up Supper Club dining
portfolio in Autumn 2023, supporting local chefs and restaurants to celebrate local NI food, with each night a sell-out success.

The trifold delivery of this exclusive event welcomes Chef Rob Curley of Slemish Market Supper Club, who has designed a menu to receive and enjoy pork in each course. An expert at pop-up dining experiences, for Chef Rob, the aim of the dishes on the menu is for each plate to tell a story. Every
ingredient is chosen to paint a picture in the diner’s mind and spark their imagination as well as their palate. Chef Rob Curley stated, “A Supper Club in its very nature invites you to trust the imagination
of the Chef whilst simultaneously enjoying high quality, fresh local food that is delicious. Our final course on the menu, a Hazelnut & Lard Cake with Rhubarb Compote, presented as ‘Bacon from Heaven’ may just be the lightest cake you will ever eat, we promise!”

These Little Piggies Went to Market pop-up dining Supper Club is taking place at Hillmount House, Larne on 27 th April at 7pm arrival. Tickets are £49pp with entertainment to follow dining. All bookings can be made by contacting enquiries@hillmounthouse.com

Portia Woods, Marketing Manager at Jubilee Farm commented, “It is of great pleasure we can work together in partnership with a local venue and local chef to deliver a story of high-welfare, sustainable food. Having grown up in a market town I relate fondly to the memory of farming heritage and sale of animals on market day. As well as being passionate about slow food I wanted to present a Supper Club that would ignite more conversation about food. I often wonder are many divorced from where real food comes from, our rural and farming heritage? That we just hear stories
of ‘market days’ or for some of us, from first-hand experience we are the lucky ones who can reminisce. On the evening of the Supper Club we will present a short story of ‘Market News’ and delight diners with a 6 course pork menu. The pork on the plate will be from the pasture-raised,
organic-fed pigs of Jubilee Farm where high-welfare care is a daily task of the farmer and volunteers.

There are many aspects of Jubilee Farm to relate to, from its conservation plan, regenerative farming principles, social care farming, community involvement, to how it operates day to day, providing citizens with access to traceable, ethical slow food.”

LOVE YOUR FOOD IS A BACK IN BELFAST on the 22^nd, 23^rd & 24^th March 2024 from 10am to 6pm each day.  The venue is TEC, Queens Road, Belfast.

The event covers everything foodie related and is a mix of exhibitors and attractions celebrating food and drink in Northern Ireland.

Attractions include live cooking demos in the Kitchen Theatre with resident chef, Jack O’Keeffe and six young NI finalists from the Springboard Futurechef competition. There will be opportunities to sample and hear from exhibitors at The Producers’ Table.  Enjoy a mix of hot and cold treats from local food vans and stands displaying and selling products from across Northern Ireland.

Admission is free – register for tickets here – www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/680045332897/?discount=NIGOODFOOD

Explore attractions and exhibitors here –  https://loveyourfood.show/