(NICHS) 75^th Anniversary year and the charity is calling on people to help them celebrate by hosting a Heartfelt Healthy Morning Break.

The Heartfelt Healthy Morning Break initiative is supported by leading local health-food brand Linwoods and involves supporters choosing any date in June to host a Heartfelt Healthy Morning Break get-together in their home, workplace or community group.

When they sign up to the initiative supporters will receive a fundraising pack containing a bag of Linwoods cold-milled flaxseed and a recipe card to help them whip up a batch of tasty breakfast cupcakes for their event. The cupcakes can even be decorated with the custom-made NICHS 75^th Anniversary cupcake toppers which are also included in the pack.

Nadia Duncan, Events and Marketing Manager at NICHS says; “Many people in Northern Ireland are fans of a cuppa and a catch up for a good cause so hosting a Heartfelt Healthy Morning Break is the perfect opportunity to get family, friends or co-workers together to kickstart their day the right way, whilst helping over 335,000 people living with a chest, heart or stroke condition across the country.”

Nadia continues; “We are asking our Heartfelt Healthy Morning Break hosts to try and raise £75 from their get-together. As part of NICHS’s Care Services we deliver our Post Rehab Exercise Programme (PREP). PREP is designed to provide additional support to people who have had a stroke after their statutory rehab has ended. It aims to help people with rebuilding their lives and gaining confidence following a stroke through a combination of education and physio-developed exercises. £75 would pay for a Physiotherapist to provide one hour of therapy at a PREP group.”

So why not pick out an apron, get creative in the kitchen and gather loved ones, friends or work colleagues together to support your favourite local health charity. To find out more and sign up, visit http://www.nichs.org.uk/heartfeltbreak

Saturday Kitchen regular, Theo Randall, will headline this year’s Comber Earlies Food Festival on Saturday 25 June. Visitors to the festival will have the opportunity to discover how to best cook the prized potato with cooking demonstrations by local chef Jim Mulholland, while lecturers and students from SERC will be throwing in their usual creative dishes – look out for Combonara!

Running as part of Taste Summer in Ards and North Down, the free to attend Festival will have over 40 food stalls featuring local producers plus an artisan bar offering the best of local distilleries and breweries, as well as brass brands, children’s entertainment and a vintage tractor display.

Comber Earlies potatoes have enjoyed Protected Geographical Indication status since 2012, a recognition of their unique taste and flavour thanks to the micro-climate in which they’re grown in the rich soil of the Ards Peninsula and Comber areas. They share this status with products such as feta, camembert and champagne.

The Comber Earlies Food Festival is open from 10am – 4pm on Saturday 25 June and if you want to make a weekend of it, why not join the Comber Earlies Spud Tour on Friday 24 June or the Comber Earlies Food Festival Picnic on Sunday 26 June!

As part of the Spud Tour, you will have the opportunity to visit the fields of a local farmer and producer of the famous Comber Earlies and see the crops in their prime. Travelling by coach to the spectacular surroundings where the potatoes are grown, try your hand at harvesting and hear about what makes them so unique. Then taste the Comber Earlies fresh out of the field as they are cooked and served by renowned chef, Paula McIntyre, before rounding off your trip with a potato-based pizza and drink at No.14 The Georgian House. Tickets cost £20.

On Sunday 26 June, you can take part in National Picnic Week with an afternoon picnic at Island Hill, Comber. Bring your own picnic or pre-book a delicious Comber potato themed picnic box for £15. The Picnic Boxes have been prepared by SERC and contain ham hock rillettes, piccalilli and poppy seed lavash, Mexican layered potato salad, potato chapati with a curried potato green chilli and coriander relish, fresh green apple, potato power cookie, and a bottle of water.

The event is free to attend and you can enjoy lots of family fun including music, face painting and traditional picnic games.

The Council is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and has organised free buses to the event from Bangor, Newtownards and Belfast. Times and departure points are available from the website.
For more information, and to book your tickets or pre-book your picnic boxes, go to visitardsandnorthdown.com/tastesummer.

Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend, which is one of the biggest free awareness initiatives of its kind, is making a welcome return back on farms this weekend with visitor numbers predicted to be 20,000 across the three days. 

The initiative is led by the Ulster Farmers’ Union, with the support of Bank of Ireland, Asda, NFU Mutual, Livestock & Meat Commission NI, Moy Park, Fibrus and Irish Farmers Journal will take place on Friday 17 June for school children, Saturday 18 Juneand Sunday 19 June for the public and will see 18 working farms give a real behind the scenes snapshot of the local farm to fork story. 

President of the Ulster Farmers’ Union David Brown said; “We are delighted to be in a position to host Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend back on farms this year. The last two years have been a challenge for all our farm families and being able to welcome the public and share their passion and enthusiasm will be great to see.

“Our aim with Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend is to showcase the outstanding contribution our farms and farm families make in producing the quality food we so often take for granted. Throughout this year’s event we will focus on women in agriculture, environmental issues and the farm to fork story and I encourage everyone to visit our farms, speak to our farm families and really celebrate the wonderful produce available right here in Northern Ireland.”

The last two years saw Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend take on a virtual format, and although the in-person interaction with farm families was missed, the event did reach a new audience from across Northern Ireland and beyond. With this in mind, two farms – CAFRE Greenmount Campus and Churchview Farm will be streamed live on Open Farm Weekend’s Facebook page throughout the Friday (CAFRE Greenmount) and Saturday (Churchview Farm)

Opening times will vary, to avoid disappointment please check www.openfarmweekend.com

There are 18 working farms participating this year across all counties: Acton House Farm | Armagh Apple Farm at Ballintaggart House| Blackberry Hill Farm (School’s Day only) | Bullsbrook Farm| Broughgammon Farm| Chesnutt Farms| Churchview Farm| CAFRE Greenmount Campus| CAFRE Enniskillen Campus| D&D Holland| Hollow Farm (School’s Day only) | Jamison Farms| Laurel View Farm| Long Meadow Farm| Millbank Farm| Mullygarry Farm| Redhouse Holsteins (School’s Day only) | Seaview Farms

Celebrate the first feast of summer at unique venues across the Borough and treat yourself to authentic food and drink experiences with Taste Summer in Ards and North Down! 

Running over two weeks (18 June – 3 July), Taste Summer will feature restaurant showcases, breakfast and brunches, picnics, food markets, guided walks and tours, as well as the much-anticipated return of the Comber Earlies Food Festival. 

This popular free Festival is scheduled for Saturday 25 June, right in the middle of the delicious two-week Taste Summer food and drink extravaganza which will delight families and foodies alike. It will feature up to 40 food stalls in St. Mary’s Car Park, Comber Square, with local artisan producers, artisan bar, plus celebrity chef demonstrations by Theo Randall and local favourites such as Jim Crawford from No. 14 at the Georgian House, brass bands, children’s entertainment and even a vintage tractor display, so don’t miss out and add the date to your diary. 

Perhaps you could even ‘sandwich’ your visit with aComber Earlies Food Festival Spud Tour (Friday 24 June tickets must be pre-booked) or take part in National Picnic Week with the Comber Earlies Food Festival Picnic at Island Hill (Sunday 26 June)! 

Beyond the Comber Earlies Food Festival and its related events, there is a packed two-week programme to tantalise the taste buds with unique foodie showcases across the Borough. 

Celebrate the summer solstice with music and a sing-along or two at the Vegetarian Evening Picnic (Tuesday 21 June) at Kylestone Nurseries, Groomsport. Or join Horner’s Farm and Friends Celebrate Comber Earlies (Wednesday 22 June) where you can enjoy an evening barbeque with local beef and those gorgeous homegrown Earlies. 

The Bangor Breakfast Banquet Showcase(Wednesday 29 June) will have plenty to satisfy the appetites of all early birds at the Salty Dog Bistro, while a Vegan Brunch at Princetown Guesthouse (Saturday 2 July) will offer a seven-course taster menu where brunch gets an imaginative makeover with plants taking the centre stage. 

Also on Saturday 2 July, the Taste Summer Picnic in the Park is a free event at Ward Park, Bangor. Really get into the spirit of the season and feel those summer vibes with this picnic event that will feature local chefs providing kitchen demos, a glorious artisanal food market, featuring 30 local producers combined with live music and kids’ entertainment. 

The two-week Taste Summer events will conclude with a Comber Earlies Sunday Lunch Tour(Sunday 3 July). Wind your way around Comber town and stop in renowned places that offer food to invigorate all your senses. For a full list of Taste Summer events and to purchase tickets, go to visitardsandnorthdown.com/tastesummer.

Guests of Lough Erne Resort are to be given the chance to savour the taste of spring thanks to the launch of the luxury resort’s newly launched Spring into Summer menus.   

Produced by the resort’s culinary team of Noel McMeel (Culinary Director); Stephen Holland (Executive Head Chef) and Mark Winter, (Executive Sous Chef), the new menus will include a vegan Afternoon Tea offering for the first time and will also see the inclusion of an interactive ‘Young Diner’s menu which is sure to entice and delight younger guests.  

The new menus, which are available throughout the resort, reflect its overall gastronomic offering, which is rooted in a simple philosophy – sourcing, preparing, and serving fresh food in season.  

Culinary Director, Noel McMeel says: “At Lough Erne Resort our reputation for fabulous food is one of the reasons our valued guests return. These new healthy eating menus for Lough Erne Resort will further enhance what we offer right across the resort.” 

Catalina Menu 

The mouth-watering Spring into Summer Catalina menu promises to “indulge the tastebuds and awaken the senses through a delectable combination of flavours, aromas, and creative artistry” says Executive Head Chef Stephen Holland. 

“The new menu evokes a sense of nostalgia through the seasonally-inspired tastes that are sure to conjure up memories of spring and summers past for guests to the Resort.” 

Menu items include Scallops served with Irish Oyster, Cucumber, Irish Quail complemented with Creamed Sweetcorn, Pickled Truffle Honey Dressing, Irish Stone Bass accompanied by lobster, Sea Herbs and served with a Citrus and Seaweed Butter Sauce.  
 
The menu is bursting with traditionally spring flavours such as the Lisdergan Local Lamb with a Horseradish and Pea Tart, perfectly paired with a Roast Onion, Black Garlic & Thyme Jus which adds a beautiful depth of flavour to the dish. 

Amongst the choice of summer-inspired desserts Raspberry Fruit Souffle, refreshing Raspberry Sorbet and Vanilla Custard as well as a Coole Swan Iced Parfait served with a Hazelnut Croquant. 

Vegan Afternoon Tea  

Guests can immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the Fermanagh Lakelands, whilst enjoying Afternoon Tea in the award-winning 3AA rosette Catalina, which has majestic views of Castle Hume Lough. 

Guests will delight at the fresh Mozzarella and Cucumber Wrap, the indulgent Tempura of Tofu served with a Spiced Tomato Relish – the delicate flavour combinations offering a tantalising experience for your tastebuds. 

To satisfy your sweet tooth, there are a host of mouthwatering fancies, including a decadent Apple and Nut Tart, an elegant Seasonal Fruit Cheesecake as well as a Pineapple and Coconut Smoothie. 

In addition, ‘Enchantment’ – a new Children’s Afternoon Tea offering – is sure to add a dash of magic to any visit. 

Young Diners’ Menu 

The resort’s award-winning culinary team has also introduced an innovative ‘Young Diners’ menu, overflowing with incredible flavours that are sure to win younger guests’ approval. 

The menu offers an interactive, multi-sensory dining experience which encourages children to get involved in creating their own dishes.  

Lough Erne Resort Executive Sous Chef Mark Winters says the inspiration behind the new menu was to make eating out a fun and healthy experience for young diners. 

“When eating out children can often be faced with a limited menu where many items come fried. At Lough Erne Resort we wanted to change that – offering a range of exciting food options that focus on health and wellbeing – whilst also being enjoyable. 

“The Young Diners’ menu offers a multi-sensory eating experience – the plates are visually appealing and many come deconstructed – enabling our young guests to indulge their creativity and have some fun whilst enjoying healthy food options.”  

Starters include Watermelon Pizza, served with an array of fresh fruit, locally sourced Natural Yogurt and Flaked Almonds, Mozzarella Tomato and Cucumber Sticks accompanied by a Tomato and Sour Cream dip as well as a scrumptious Chicken Caesar Plater.  

For the main event, guests can enjoy a selection of dishes including Fish and Chips, ‘Be Healthy with Vegetables’ which is served with homemade Chickpea and Lemon Hummus, Sour Cream, Avocado Dip, as well as a selection of Vegetables. Or for a taste of indulgence Pan Seared Lisdergan Beef Fillet accompanied with Carrot and Parsnip Mash, Baby Boiled Potatoes and Gravy. 

Noel McMeel, Culinary Director at Lough Erne Resort says:   

“We are delighted to launch our new seasonal menus, which include some exciting new additions that we know, our guests will love.  
 
“Spring and summer are beautiful and aromatic seasons in Fermanagh, with many local and seasonal products at the Resort’s disposal. We look forward to experiencing this wonderful season with our guests, whether they be young or old, local, or visiting tourists to the Fermanagh Lakelands’ region.” 

For more information on Lough Erne Resort visit: https://www.lougherneresort.com/  

The organisers of the first Lough Neagh Artisans Market have hailed the event a phenomenal success. Attracting almost 4,000 visitors, food traders sold out in record time at the event at Lock Keeper’s Cottage, Toome.

The market hosted by Lough Neagh Partnership was a pilot aimed at showcasing local produce, arts and crafts from the shoreline of Lough Neagh and right across Northern Ireland.

Attended by members of the Lough Neagh Artisans Group which included: Annie’s Delights, Bakehouse NI, Gold & Browne’s, TIDAL Toome at Lock Keeper’s Cottage, Noreen’s Nettles and Woodlab Distillery, they were joined by artisan traders from across Northern Ireland including: Art By Marcella McAuley, Ballylisk of Armagh, Ballyriff Buffalo, Bathe Botanicals, Causeway Cookie Company, Country Lane Candles, Granny Shaw’s Fudge, Hugable Bears, Irishmanlost, Juliana Made This, Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative, Mary McMinn, Molly & Me, Moocha Kombucha, Mourne BeachArt, Mrs B Crafts, Nitted Things, Oh Hey Crochet, Pawsome Treats, Pyrocrafts by Shauna, Randalstown Men’s Shed, Scarlett Aromas, Seaview Farms, Simple Home Holism, Small Eco Changes, The Daily Apron Bakery, The Little Shop of Plants, The Mermaid’s Jewellery Box, The Snowdrop Workshop, The Wee Wooden Company and Willow Moon Ireland.

Visitors flocked to the four hour market from as close by as Toome to as far away as Fermanagh and as well as sampling the sights and sounds and tastes of Lough Neagh, accompanied by local singer Malachi Johnston, they also had an opportunity to take a boat trip along the Toome Canal or enjoy an eel supper at Grans.

Gerry Darby, Strategic Manager at Lough Neagh Partnership, said: “We are so proud of the success of the first Lough Neagh Artisans Market. The event was created to showcase the vast array of high quality locally produced goods, from here on our doorstep to right across the country and, with food traders selling out in record time, we certainly achieved what we set out to do. I would like to pay tribute to the visitors who attended in their thousands, as they truly made the market the success that it was. Lough Neagh Partnership is already exploring ways in which we will be able to make the Lough Neagh Artisans Market a regular feature in our events calendar.”

Roisin Lagan from DAERA’s NI Regional Food Programme (NIRFP) said: “The Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme was delighted to provide funding support for the first hugely successful Lough Neagh Artisans market. This artisan market was an excellent example of customers supporting their local producers by purchasing high quality sustainable Northern Ireland food and drink products.”

The Lough Neagh Artisans Market was hosted by Lough Neagh Partnership and was jointly funded by DAERA’s NI Regional Food Programme, Rural Development Programme and The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas and the UK Community Renewal Fund which aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches to prepare for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It invests in skills, community and place, local business, and supporting people into employment.

To find out more about the Lough Neagh Artisans Group, please visit: http://www.loughneaghartisans.com or follow Lough Neagh Aristans on facebook @loughneaghartisans; instagram @loughneaghartisans and twitter @artisansln