A record number of chefs and restaurants are to take part in the first Belfast Restaurant Week of 2023, as organisers countdown to a week of deliciously tasting festivities in restaurants right across the city centre from 20 to 26 February.

Supported by all the BIDs (Business Improvement Districts) across Belfast in the Belfast One, Cathedral Quarter and Linen Quarter areas, diners can explore over 40 restaurants offering everything from lunch for £10, dinner for £20, unique offers, afternoon tea and special events. Culminating with tasting demos in St George’s Market on the weekend of the initiative, hosted by TV Presenter Pamela Ballantine, Belfast Restaurant Week offers the public a fantastic opportunity to sample mouthwatering locally produced dishes from scrumptious steaks to pizza and dishes inspired by American, Asian and Mediterranean cuisine.

Speaking at the launch of Belfast Restaurant Week, Tzvetelina Bogoina, Chair of Cathedral Quarter BID, said: “Building on the success of Belfast Restaurant Week previously, we anticipate that diners will come into the city centre in their thousands next week to experience the very best of what our much loved restaurants have to offer.

“We are proud that in September 2022, restaurants experienced sell out events with some reporting a 70% increase in lunch bookings and a 30% increase in dinner reservations across the week. Belfast Restaurant Week offers our exceptionally talented chefs with a platform to showcase their flair and creativity while bringing affordability to diners.

“I would urge foodies and families, colleagues and couples to come into Belfast and treat themselves to an incredible dining experience throughout Belfast Restaurant Week.”

Belfast Restaurant Week is organised and delivered by Belfast One, Cathedral Quarter and Linen Quarter BIDs across BT1 and BT2 and runs from 20 to 26 February. For participating restaurants and menus, please visit www.belfastrestaurantweek.org.

Follow Belfast Restaurant Week on social media at www.facebook.com/belfastrestaurantweek2023; www.instagram.com/belfastrestaurantweek23; www.twitter.com/BelfastRW23. Use the hashtag #BelfastRW23. 

County Down food producers, Finnebrogue Artisan and Mash Direct, have teamed up, in a first of its kind initiative in Northern Ireland, to help ease cost-of-living pressures for their workforce. And they’re calling on other local producers to step up and consider similar partnerships.
 
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), food prices soared 16.9% in 2022, electricity prices rose by 65.4% and gas prices rose by 128.9%. People ‘in work’ are struggling to make ends meet each month as they cope with rising costs and the impact of high inflation.
 
The award-winning food producers, who supply leading supermarkets across the UK and Ireland, have committed products to each other on a weekly basis, which will enable them to create food bundles for staff members.
 
Finnebrogue produces sausages, bacon, ham and a range of plant-based foods from their four sites in Downpatrick – and this makes up the sources of protein within the food bundles. Mash Direct produce over 50 farm fresh vegetable dishes from their family farm in Comber and this provides a healthy five-a-day in the bundle.
 
Chris Overend, Finnebrogue’s Head of HR, explains how their business was motivated to take action:
 “Finnebrogue employs 1200 people across fours sites in Downpatrick, and over the past 12 months, we’ve heard how our people are making spending adjustments, cutting back and really tightening belts – and we essentially wanted to help. 
 
“We introduced free breakfast and lunch options to all staff at the start of 2022, which guaranteed a warm meal each day. We extended hybrid working with optional work-from- home days, to help reduce the fuel burden from travel costs.
 

“And with our new initiative, in partnership with Mash Direct, we can go one step further. Food bundles will help the families of our employees to put good food on the table, even in the toughest weeks. And it’s food they’ve worked hard to make! 
 
“Every employee can take home a hearty food bundle each week, comprising a mix of sausages, ham, bacon and healthy vegetable sides.”
 
Clare Forster, Head of Marketing, Mash Direct comments:
“The food industry is fantastic for collaboration, and we are delighted to work together with Finnebrogue to provide support to our teams.
 
“The Food Shack is a way for the food industry to work together while energy prices continue to drive inflation.”

The Food Shack is open for a few hours each day so that all employees have the opportunity to collect their food bundle each week, which the employers value at around £25 per bundle. Each employee has the opportunity shave around £100 each month from their food shopping bill, which is the equivalent of one week’s food shop for a family!

The Echlinville Distillery (Co. Down, Northern Ireland) has won thirteen accolades at this year’s World Whiskies Awards.

The County Down based distillery won a dozen awards for its iconic Dunville’s Irish Whiskey portfolio, while its Old Comber Whiskey was also named among Ireland’s top pot still whiskeys.

The latest prizes come after Echlinville picked up a haul of titles at the recent Irish Whiskey Awards, where they also secured the coveted overall winner title for Ireland’s Best Whiskey.

Speaking about the awards, Echlinville Distillery owner Shane Braniff said:
“We are delighted with the news of thirteen wins at the World Whiskies Awards. The Irish whiskey industry is hugely competitive, and the standard of whiskey being produced gets better every year. To secure three category wins in the highly sought after single malt and single cask categories is a great achievement and testament to the hard work and commitment of our team.

“As proud custodians of the Dunville’s Irish Whiskey brand, we have been on a decade long journey towards restoring The Spirit of Belfast to its rightful place among the world’s finest whiskeys. Dunville’s has won significant prizes at the World Whiskies Awards every year since 2015. To win a further twelve accolades is another significant step on that journey, particularly after picking up the title of Ireland’s Best Whiskey at the recent Irish Whiskey Awards.

“We are equally delighted that our Old Comber Whiskey received a bronze medal, placing it among Ireland’s best pot still whiskeys. For Old Comber to take a podium spot alongside the industry’s biggest pot still brands on its debut at the World Whiskies Awards is a huge achievement.

“One of the original Irish whiskey giants, Old Comber was produced just a few miles from Echlinville at the Comber Distilleries which closed in 1953. We revived the brand in 2021 and are honoured to bring Old Comber back to its County Down homeland.

“Old brands like Dunville’s and Old Comber are integral to Ireland’s whiskey heritage. Throughout the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, they build an industry that was the envy of the world. Their revival will play an important role in the resurgence of that industry. As the World Whiskies Awards show, Old Comber and Dunville’s are leading the Irish whiskey renaissance.”

Echlinville’s winning entries at the World Whiskies Awards 2023 are as follows:

• Dunville’s 20 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt – Category Winner – Best Irish Single Malt Aged 13-20 Years
• Dunville’s 21 Year Old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt – Category Winner – Best Irish Single Malt 21 Years & Over
• Dunville’s PX 20 Year Old Cask Strength, Cask 1644 – Category Winner – Best Irish Single Cask Single Malt Aged 13-20 Years
• Dunville’s PX 12 Year Old Cask Strength – Gold Medal
• Dunville’s PX 20 Year Old Cask Strength, Cask 1644 – Gold Medal
• Dunville’s 20 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt – Gold Medal
• Dunville’s 21 Year Old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt – Gold Medal
• Dunville’s 1808 East to West, Dick Mack’s Honey & Hemp IPA Finish – Silver Medal
• Dunville’s PX 20 Temple Bar Exclusive, Cask 1651 – Bronze Medal
• Dunville’s 1808 Blended Irish Whiskey – Bronze Medal
• Dunville’s PX 10 Year Old Single Malt – Bronze Medal
• Dunville’s Three Crowns Sherry Finish – Bronze Medal
• Old Comber Pot Still Irish Whiskey – Bronze Medal

The World Whiskies Award select, reward and promote the highest quality whiskies to consumers and trade across the globe. They are judged by an international panel of whiskey experts. Dunville’s three Category Winner whiskeys will now go on to compete for the ‘World’s Best’ title in their respective categories, the winners of which will be announced in London on 30th March.

For more information visit www.echlinville.com

The much loved and hugely successful Belfast Restaurant Week will be returning next month. Dates have just been announced to entice diners into the city centre with a host of gastronomic treats at tastier-than-usual prices from 20 to 26 February.

The eagerly anticipated initiative is supported by three Belfast Business Improvement Districts (BID); Belfast One, Destination CQ and Linen Quarter. Collectively they have created a feast of activity during the week at some of the city centre’s biggest and best loved restaurants where chefs will be out to impress with special menus carefully curated for the week-long event.

Belfast Restaurant Week 2023 will feature a diverse range of participating venues, bringing an affordable choice of food offerings to encourage families, couples and friends into the city centre to enjoy our hospitality industry at its finest.

Kathleen McBride, Managing Director of Belfast One said the key diary date for food lovers will see main courses served up for as little as £20 in the evenings and lunches for just £10. “We are excited to host Belfast Restaurant Week next month, after what has been a challenging few months for most people. We are really looking forward to this event as it truly is a highlight in the food lover’s calendar.

“Belfast Restaurant Week is a well-earned treat for everyone and the perfect opportunity to sample restaurants they’ve maybe yet to experience in the city centre. Some very impressive participants took part in September and wowed with some spectacular dishes so February’s event will be even more exciting.”

Damien Corr, Business Improvement Manager, Destination CQ, said: “We are delighted to welcome Belfast Restaurant Week back as part of our jam packed calendar of Culture, Craic and Hospitality. We want to build on the success of the last Belfast Restaurant Week, to welcome back old friends and to attract new customers to sample the legendary eateries in the iconic Cathedral Quarter.

“From cool street food to Michelin Stars, the Cathedral Quarter has it all and there is no better time to be part of the buzz! Check out the menus and fantastic offers and get yourself into a Restaurant that you haven’t tried, go for a dish that you’ve always fancied, most importantly…enjoy the Cathedral Quarter Craic!”

Charlotte Irvine, Linen Quarter BID, said: “We’re excited to bring back Belfast Restaurant Week next month. Chefs and restaurants get the opportunity to showcase their talents while customers get to really see, taste and feel how vibrant and varied our hospitality industry is through snapshot menus with very accommodating prices.

“Our last event in September was a huge success with some of the participating restaurants telling us activity throughout the week was elevated as much as 70% and there were more than 500 dishes to choose from.”

One venue owner said that they witnessed a big uplift in business over the week compared to what would tend to be a quiet month while another found they had a significant rise in bookings during Belfast Restaurant Week for lunch and dinner. They had the busiest Saturday since pre-covid. Usually, they would have around 140 covers on a Saturday however during Belfast Restaurant Week, they had 210, so they said it was really worthwhile for them to participate.

Belfast Restaurant Week will culminate with weekend food demos by local chefs at St George’s Market, hosted by TV presenter Pamela Ballantine, where visitors will be offered the opportunity to taste dishes directly from the demo oven. And as well as dishes priced from as little as £10 for lunch and £20 for dinner, there will be special offers throughout the week.

Belfast Restaurant Week is organised and delivered by Belfast One, Destination CQ and Linen Quarter BIDs across BT1 and BT2 and runs from 20 to 26 February. For participating restaurants and menus, please visit www.belfastrestaurantweek.org.

Follow Belfast Restaurant Week on social media at www.facebook.com/belfastrestaurantweek2023; www.instagram.com/belfastrestaurantweek23; www.twitter.com/BelfastRW23.

Dromona has confirmed that it is the proud sponsor of UTV’s hit series ‘Rare Breed – A Farming Year.’

Dromona’s sponsored adverts will feature its range of delicious products including award-winning Great Taste mature cheese and butter, during the three-month sponsorship for the primetime television show.

The show documents Northern Ireland farming families as they share their experiences, trials, and life moments on their farms throughout the year. The first episode features Dale Farm member Tim Morrow of Streamvale Farm.

The sponsorship is a prime opportunity for Dromona to catch the interest of viewers of the much-loved programme now in its eleventh year. Sharon Campbell, Head of Marketing, Dale Farm comments –

“It is fantastic to achieve a highly popular sponsorship slot on one of UTV’s most popular shows. We are very excited to showcase the range of our quality Dromona products to whet the appetites of viewers with our delicious recipe suggestions that will be coming to their screens during the 12 episodes.”

Sharon adds – “This is a chance for viewers to appreciate Dromona as a truly local Northern Ireland brand crafted with care to be the best quality butter and cheese. We only ever use local milk to make Dromona produce, so this sponsorship is a celebration from field to fork.”

The popular show makes a return to screens on Thursday 19 January at 8.30pm. To find out more about Dromona products visit www.DromonaMakesIt.com 

A popular pairing since the 1600s, gin and gingerbread will come to life in the iconic, lifesize Gingerbread House at Titanic Hotel Belfast this month. A new combination for the multi award winning hotel and restaurant, three gins will be served at an exclusive tasting event, beginning with a mulled gin on arrival. The tasting event can be coupled with a three course dinner after, ingredients of which will follow the gin and gingerbread theme.

Executive Chef at Titanic Hotel Belfast, Nigel Mannion, said: “Our Gingerbread House has become a fabulous feature in our award winning Wolff Grill restaurant and so we decided to create a gin and gingerbread tasting opportunity to showcase pairings which have been popular for hundreds of years, against the backdrop of our Gingerbread House.

“The gin and gingerbread event will also offer guests the chance to experience a three course gin and gingerbread inspired meal, comprising of cured trout, duck breast and parfait to complement the theme perfectly. We have collaborated with United Wines to ensure that the vision for the mouth-watering tasting will be unique and exquisite. Their gin specialist will deliver a presentation delving into the 17^th century history of gin and gingerbread in the most appropriate of settings.”

Adrian McNally, General Manager of Titanic Hotel Belfast, said: “At Titanic Hotel Belfast we are always seeking to create new and exciting experiences for our guests. We believe that this event kicking off 2023 is unique in every way as it gives guests an opportunity to visit the only life-size Gingerbread House in a hotel in Northern Ireland while sampling some of the most wonderful tasting gins.”

The Gin and Gingerbread Experience at Titanic Hotel Belfast takes place on 12 and 13 January 2023 from 6.00pm until 7.30pm and is priced at £15.00 per person. The three course evening meal is priced at £35.00 per person and pre-booking is advised. To book a place at the Gin and Gingerbread House Experience in Titanic Hotel Belfast or to enquire about the three course dinner menu, please email: restaurantmgr@titanichotelbelfast.com