The owners of The Plough, in Royal Hillsborough, have launched of the new ‘Royal Hillsborough Pale Ale’.  It is available on tap now and is a unique signature blend.

Teaming up with McCrackens Brewery, the new ale is a nod of celebration to the village being awarded ‘Royal’ status by the Queen and an affectionate look back at The Plough’s history. The Plough in the mid nineteenth century supplied local beers and ales to the Marquess’s of Downshire for their grand banquets which took place in Hillsborough Fort just behind the venue.

Produced using a unique blend of Irish malts and hops and golden in colour, Royal Hillsborough Pale Ale, has a light bitterness, a spice with an earthy/sweet edge, plus a beautiful crisp finish.

Speaking about its launch, Chair of Development Committee, Alderman Amanda Grehan, said: “What a brilliant idea. I am thrilled to celebrate the launch of the new Royal Hillsborough Pale Ale. It is great to see such innovation and collaboration to bring something new to market. Plus, the confidence to invest in the business and new product development. This new ale is a welcomed addition and one that will tantalise locals and visitors alike.”

Speaking on the new ale, William Patterson, co-owner of The Plough enthuses: “Hillsborough achieving Royal status last year was hugely significant and we felt it presented us with an opportunity to create a new ale that marked this new chapter. We have worked with Ryan and his team since 2018, so partnering with him on this project made sense.  Micro brewing in Northern Ireland is a growing market and customers today are willing and enthusiastic to try new products especially if it’s from a local source.

“We tried several samples of Ryan’s ales and we agreed to have an easy drinking light refreshing pale ale, not too strong in alcohol (4%) that would appeal to both male and female customers. It also needed to complement the great food we serve in The Plough and The Pheasant.”

Ryan McCracken, owner of McCrackens Brewery, adds: “William was one of our first clients when we started McCrackens Brewery back in 2018. He and his team have been great to work with over the last four years and our beers have always gone down very well with their customers. We were delighted when William approached us with his fantastic idea. After some product development and plenty of taste testing with William and his team, Royal Hillsborough Pale Ale was born. At McCrackens we believe in using natural fresh ingredients. We source many of the ingredients locally to maintain the highest quality standards and ensure we contribute to our local economy.”

William adds: “With Northern Ireland starting to open up again after a horrendous two years of COVID restrictions on the hospitality sector, it seems a perfect time to launch this new Royal Hillsborough Pale Ale. Tourists & visitors are starting to come back into the village, so it’s the perfect time to promote something local and it would be a welcome addition to the list of great attractions Royal Hillsborough has to offer.” 

The Royal Hillsborough Pale Ale is available on draught in The Plough and also at The Pheasant, Annahilt. Both The Plough and The Pheasant are part of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s latest tourism programme, entitled ‘Royal Hillsborough and Historic Moira’.

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Launching the new Hillsborough Pale Ale at The Plough are, left, Ryan McCracken, McCrackens Ale, Keith Johnston, Bar Manager, The Plough, Alderman Amanda Grehan, chairman, Development Committee, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, and William Patterson, co-owner of The Plough

Gastronomy Summit 2022, a landmark event to be held in Belfast on 11th to 13th April 2022, will bring together members of the global culinary community to explore the development of food and drink destinations in ways that benefit local communities.

The Gastronomy Summit 2022 Gala Dinner, at Belfast City Hall on 13^th April, will showcase and celebrate the produce and talent that defines Northern Ireland as a leading food and drink destination.

Guests will enjoy dishes prepared by three of Northern Ireland’s most admired chefs: Noel McMeel, Culinary Director of Lough Erne Resort; Gemma Austin, Chef Proprietor of A Peculiar Tea; and Brian McCann, who recently joined Lottie.

Please join us for the Gastronomy Summit 2022 Gala Dinner – book here – £99 per guest. 

Follow link to booking site and choose ‘conference dinner’.

Read more here

After two years of recognising the UK’s bread heroes, Tiptree World Bread Awards with Brook Food are back to their bread and butter: celebrating the great loaves created by our nation’s bakers.

The Awards, which launched in 2013, consists of 20 categories, ranging from Sourdough and Baguette, to Irish Wheaten Loaf and Flatbread. 

“It’s such a joy to be holding the Awards in the real world,” said Caroline Kenyon, Founder of the Awards. “We are so looking forward to that wonderful sight (and perfume) of hundreds of freshly baked loaves spread across the judging tables. While it has been a privilege to celebrate our Bread Heroes, it will be wonderful to celebrate the loaf itself again.” 

In an exciting addition for this year’s competition, the Awards have introduced the ‘Jubilee Loaf’ category. This new category, which is in honor of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, is calling for bakers to create a loaf fit for a Queen. 

“Creating the winning ‘Jubilee Loaf’ will be a challenge for the bakers as they mark a royal year to remember, it will be a treat to taste,” said Scott Goodfellow, Joint Managing Director of Wilkin & Sons Ltd.

This year’s illustrious judging panel is chaired by Stephen Hallam, Brand Ambassador for Dickinson & Morris. Judges include Ilgin Beaton, Award Winning Sourdough Baker & Teacher, Just Sourdough; Henry Herbert, Fabulous Baking Brothers, Hobbs House Bakery; Marcia Harris, Real Bread Campaign Ambassador; Harry Lomas MBE BEM FIH, Head of Culinary, Wembley Stadium and Jack Sturgess, Author & Channel 4, Sunday Brunch Bread Expert.

Entries for Tiptree World Bread Awards with Brook Food are to be submitted via the website. Submissions close Sunday 9 October 2022. Winners will be announced at a very special Awards Evening on Wednesday 26 October 2022. 

Application Form

We are delighted to announce that Down Royal Race course are holding a Food Truck Festival on 21^st may 2022. This will be a fun day out for all the family with a food village full of quality local food and drink producers, children’s entertainment, food trucks and an onsite bar. There will be a food truck competition, the best food truck will win trading rights on site at the race events for a year.

We would like to offer you the opportunity to register your interest to take a pitch as a food or drink producer, to sell your products on the day. Please be aware there is no licence to sell alcohol.  As space is limited please do let us know of your interest at your earliest convenience.

Please return this completed form to Christine – christine@nigoodfood.com by Wednesday 30^th March 2022. Booking forms will be sent out at the start of Feb 2020. If you have any queries about this please call me on 07735209299 or 02890249449.

Participation fee for a pitch is £65 per company. Space will be offered for companies outside, please be aware you will need to supply your own gazebo/marquee 3mx 3m maximum. If the weather is poor we will move inside and you will be offered a 6ft trestle table.

 As stands are limited we may have to select attendees from each food category to ensure a diverse coverage of produce. Final decision of companies attending is at the discretion of Down Royal Race Course. Please be aware that payment is to be made to the Down Royal Race course directly and will be required once selection has taken place.

Finnebrogue Artisan, Downpatrick, county Down, a UK market leader in free-from and plant-foods, has won the Invest Northern Ireland sponsored award for the Best International /GB launch Award for its highly innovative Better Naked Bacon without the Oink.

The family business, which operates one of the biggest plant-based food operations in the UK, gained the title in the prestigious Northern Ireland Food and Drink Awards (NIFDA) 2022.

The NIFDA Awards are run on a bi-annual basis. They recognise the excellent work being carried out across the local food and drink industry. NIFDA, a voluntary organisation, runs the awards as part of its commitment to the ongoing success of the industry. This year’s awards celebrated Northern Ireland’s innovative and sustainable agri-food industry.

The awards were presented at a gala event attended by around 400 business people from the industry and from other sectors.

Finnebrogue, best known for its ‘Naked’ range of bacon, cooked ham and pork sausages without nitrite’s and other chemicals which are listed by supermarkets across the UK, also saw its founder, the late Denis Lynn, named as winner of the Outstanding Contribution to the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Industry.

Mr Lynn, who was killed in a tragic accident last year, pioneered an impressive range of innovative food products, often setting market trends. He created one of Northern Ireland’s biggest and most successful food manufacturing businesses.

The winners in the awards were:

Large Company Product Award – Dale Farm, Belfast for Dromona Lactose Free Cheese

Medium Company Award – Genesis Bakery, Magherafelt, county Derry for Meringue a Tang Biscake

Small Company Award – Hinch Distillery, Ballynahinch, county Down for its whiskey. Highly commended was Karri Kitchen, Portadown for its mango chicken curry

Micro Company Award – Big Pot, Cookstown, county Tyrone for its soups and other convenience foods

(All above awards sponsored by Firmus Energy)

Service Sector Award – Brunch Box Sandwich Co, Belfast for mango and cranberry overnight oats

(Sponsored by NIFDA)

Outstanding Contribution to Northern Ireland Food and Drink  – the late Denis Lynn, founder of Finnebrogue Artisan in Downpatrick, county Down

0utstanding Leadership in NI Food and Drink – Ursula Lavery of Moy Park, Craigavon, county Armagh for her role in coordinating industry Covid-19 guidance

Best International /GB launch Award – Finnebrogue Artisan, Downpatrick, county Down for Bacon without the Oink

 (Sponsored by Invest NI)

Sustainable Agri-Food Supply Chain Award – Linden Foods, Dungannon, county Tyrone – for NI Wagyu Supply Chain

(Sponsored by DAERA)

Food Safety Champion Award – Dr Gerry McMahon, Moy Park, county Armagh

(Sponsored by Safefood)

Food and Drink Sector Skills Award – Moy Park, Craigavon, county Armagh

Highly commended – Johnson’s Coffee, Lisburn

Healthier Product Innovation Award – Karri Kitchen, Portadown

 (Sponsored by Food Standards Agency)

Environmental Sustainability Award– Dunbia, Dungannon, county Tyrone and Green Fingers Family, Larne, county Antrim

(Sponsored by Re Gen Waste, Newry)