Our Story on a Plate
Northern Ireland | a first for the awards
A welcome from Food NI
Food NI is delighted to have persuaded the BBC and DAERA to bring the prestigious BBC Food & Farming Awards to Northern Ireland for the first time in their 26-year history.
This evening’s menu showcases the quality and diversity of our food and drink producers and businesses, alongside contributions from this year’s finalists. It celebrates the people whose skill and imagination have made this meal possible.
With our thanks to everyone who has contributed.
21 October 2026
Tonight’s menu
From canapés in the Atrium to dinner at the table. Tap a supplier’s name to meet the people behind an ingredient.
Reception canapés
Six canapés served in the Atrium
Crispy Navan potato hash with Burren Balsamic black garlic pearls GF / V / VG
Kilkeel crab on toasted Belfast Veda with Broighter Gold lemon-infused aioli
Pressed pork belly with Long Meadow cider and toasted White’s oats
Young Buck arancini with Dundarave Estate blackcurrant and lime jam GF / V
Farmview buttermilk cup with Mourne Mountains Brewery Irish stout-braised Hannan’s Meats beef short rib
The Curly Pigs charcuterie: black pepper and garlic salami / fennel seed salami GF
Breads for the table
Mourne Mountains Brewery Spectre Irish stout wheaten bread
Crawford’s Rock Irish seaweed salt and cracked black pepper Irish soda bread
Fresh Flour Company sourdough crackers
With Abernethy Butter, Broighter Gold garlic and rosemary infused rapeseed oil and Irish Black Butter.
The main course
Hannan’s Meats salt-aged Glenarm Shorthorn, confit leek, braised short rib tart, Conway Farm celeriac and carrot terrine, Burren Balsamic stout and treacle mustard mash, bone marrow jus. GF
Dietary main
Confit North Down cauliflower couscous, braised carrot, Natural Umber organic pickled sultana purée and herb potato dumpling. GF / DF / VG
Dessert
Baked Armagh Bramley apple, Green Fingers Family granola, Glastry Farm yellowman ice cream, Farmview Dairy and Mourne Mountains Brewery IPA-infused toffee sauce.
To finish
Thompson’s Titanic Tea & Bewley’s Coffee
GF gluten-free · DF dairy-free · V vegetarian · VG vegan
Please ask your server about allergens and dietary requirements.
reception & Dinner
In your glass
Local cider and botanical drinks welcome our guests. Dinner wines from Marlborough bring a connection to Belfast through Ernie Hunter.
Reception drinks
Long Meadow Blossom Burst sparkling apple cider
Shortcross Gin with Longbridge raspberry and rose soda
Alcohol-free
Long Meadow cloudy apple juice
Irish Sisters lavender cordial with sparkling water
Dinner wines
Hunter’s Pinot Noir
Jumper Sauvignon Blanc
The people behind the produce
Meet the suppliers
A short introduction to each contributor, with links to discover more about their work. Listed alphabetically.
Abernethy Butter
Allison and Will Abernethy built their butter business in Dromara, County Down, before retiring and selling it to Peter Hannan of Hannan’s Meats. He has pledged to protect its traditional hand-churned character and quality, carrying their craft forward and sharing this much-loved butter with more restaurants, food shops and bakers.
Dromara, County Down
On the menu Butter for the table, alongside the breads. Visit Abernethy Butter↗
Broighter Gold
Richard and Leona Kane produce cold-pressed rapeseed oil on their family farm at Myroe, near Limavady. Broighter Gold connects the growing, pressing and bottling of the crop in one place, with an infused range alongside its original oil.
Myroe, near Limavady
On the menu Lemon-infused aioli; garlic and rosemary infused rapeseed oil with the breads. Visit Broighter Gold↗
Burren Balsamic
Susie Hamilton Stubber and chef Bob McDonald create infused vinegars and condiments in County Armagh. Burren Balsamics combines small-batch production with an inventive approach to flavour, developing ingredients that can be used across sweet and savoury dishes.
County Armagh
On the menu Black garlic pearls with the potato hash; stout and treacle mustard mash. Visit Burren Balsamic↗
Conway Farm
Conway Farm contributes the celeriac and carrots for the terrine served with the main course. Its inclusion recognises the vegetable growers and suppliers whose produce is an essential part of this evening’s menu.
On the menu Celeriac and carrot terrine with the main course.
County Armagh
Crawford’s Rock
Michelle and Ray Wilson’s family business works with wild, hand-harvested seaweed from the County Down coast. Crawford’s Rock brings a long family connection to seaweed harvesting into contemporary cooking through seasonings and other small-batch products.
Kilkeel, County Down
On the menu Irish seaweed salt and cracked black pepper in the Irish soda bread. Visit Crawford’s Rock↗
The Curly Pigs
Stephen and Rachael of The Curly Pigs rear Mangalitsa pigs in Fermanagh and produce small-batch charcuterie. The woolly breed is known for its marbled meat, which they use in salamis and other cured products, extending Northern Ireland’s range of artisan foods.
County Fermanagh
On the menu Black pepper and garlic salami; fennel seed salami. Visit The Curly Pigs↗
Dundarave Estate
Dundarave is a working estate near Bushmills, with walled gardens and a range of estate-made preserves. Its jams and chutneys reflect the craft of preserving, creating ingredients that work in cooking as well as alongside breads and cheeses.
Bushmills, County Antrim
On the menu Blackcurrant and lime jam with the Young Buck arancini. Visit Dundarave Estate↗
Farmview Dairy
Farmview is a family dairy business in the Castlereagh Hills, established in 1988. It sources milk from selected farms within a five-mile radius and produces dairy ingredients for shops and professional kitchens, connecting the countryside around Belfast with the city’s food.
Castlereagh Hills, Belfast
On the menu Buttermilk cup with beef short rib; dairy in the IPA-infused toffee sauce. Visit Farmview Dairy↗
Fresh Flour Company
Based in Buckfastleigh, Devon, Fresh Flour is a worker-owned, not-for-profit stone mill founded by Andrew Gilhespy. It works with named organic farms growing heritage and population wheats, making flour and foods that retain a clear connection to their growers.
Buckfastleigh, Devon
On the menu Sourdough crackers with the breads. Visit Fresh Flour Company↗
Glastry Farm
The Taylor family has farmed on the Ards Peninsula since 1856. Will and Gareth Taylor represent its fifth and sixth generations. Glastry uses milk from its own dairy herd to make ice cream on the farm, keeping farming and production closely connected.
Ards Peninsula, County Down
On the menu Yellowman ice cream with the baked Armagh Bramley apple. Visit Glastry Farm↗
Green Fingers Family
Andrea Bohar and her husband Zsolt run Green Fingers Family near Larne, producing granolas and other plant-based foods. Established in 2020, their family business places emphasis on its ingredients and on using compostable or recyclable packaging.
Larne, County Antrim
On the menu Granola with the baked Armagh Bramley apple. Visit Green Fingers Family↗
Hannan’s Meats
At Hannan’s Meats in Moira, Peter Hannan works alongside his son Richard. The business specialises in carefully sourced meat and dry-ageing. Himalayan salt chambers help develop the flavour of its beef, including the Glenarm Shorthorn served as tonight’s main course.
Moira, County Down
On the menu Salt-aged Glenarm Shorthorn for the main course; beef short rib in the reception canapé. Visit Hannan’s Meats↗
Marlborough, New Zealand
Hunter’s Wines
Hunter’s connection to Northern Ireland begins with its founder, Belfast businessman Ernie Hunter. He emigrated to New Zealand in the early 1970s and established the Marlborough winery in 1979. Its Fumé Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc) won at the 1986 Sunday Times Vintage Festival in London, helping bring Marlborough wines to international attention. Ernie died in a car accident in 1987, aged 37. His wife Jane continued his work, and the estate remains family-owned, with her nephews James and Edward Macdonald involved. Tonight’s Hunter’s Pinot Noir and Jumper Sauvignon Blanc celebrate that enduring Northern Irish connection.
Marlborough, New Zealand
On the menu Hunter’s Pinot Noir and Jumper Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough. Visit Hunter’s Wines↗
Irish Black Butter
Alastair Bell’s Portrush-based business makes a rich, dairy-free apple preserve using Armagh Bramley apples, cider and spices. Irish Black Butter offers a distinctive use for one of Northern Ireland’s best-known fruits, suitable for both sweet and savoury cooking.
Portrush, County Antrim
On the menu Irish Black Butter with the breads. Visit Irish Black Butter↗
Long Meadow
The McKeever family grows apples and makes cider, juice and cider vinegar on its County Armagh farm. Three generations of orchard experience underpin Long Meadow’s range, bringing the flavours of the orchard into both the glass and the kitchen.
County Armagh
On the menu Blossom Burst sparkling apple cider, cloudy apple juice and cider with the pressed pork belly. Visit Long Meadow↗
Longbridge & Irish Sisters
Longbridge and Irish Sisters are part of Papas Mineral Company, a Belfast family firm founded by Wayne Adair and run with his wife Lora and daughters Lucy and Molly. The family makes drinks by hand, bringing botanical and floral flavours to sodas, mixers and cordials.
Belfast
On the menu Longbridge raspberry and rose soda with Shortcross Gin; Irish Sisters lavender cordial with sparkling water. Visit Longbridge↗ Visit Irish Sisters↗
Mourne Mountains Brewery
Based in Warrenpoint, Mourne Mountains Brewery makes a range of beers using water from the Mournes, Irish base malts and a house yeast cultivated in Ireland. Its contribution to the menu demonstrates the scope for using locally brewed beer in cooking.
Warrenpoint, County Down
On the menu Irish stout-braised beef, Spectre stout wheaten bread and IPA-infused toffee sauce. Visit Mourne Mountains Brewery↗
Natural Umber
Natural Umber is an apple cider vinegar made by the Mackle family, whose apple-growing experience spans more than 70 years. Based in Moy, County Tyrone, the business combines orchard expertise with fermentation to create a versatile cooking ingredient.
Moy, County Tyrone
On the menu Organic pickled sultana purée with the dietary main. Visit Natural Umber↗
Shortcross Gin
Founded by Fiona and David Boyd-Armstrong at Rademon Estate, Shortcross is a County Down distillery whose gin draws on the surrounding gardens and woodland. Estate-grown apples and foraged botanicals are part of its approach to flavour.
Crossgar, County Down
On the menu Shortcross Gin with Longbridge raspberry and rose soda. Visit Shortcross Gin↗
Thompson’s Tea
Thompson’s is a family-owned Belfast tea business whose history began in 1896. Four generations have continued its work in blending and packing tea. Its Titanic blend provides a local connection to the venue at the close of the meal.
Belfast
On the menu Thompson’s Titanic Tea to finish. Visit Thompson’s Tea↗
White’s Oats
White’s has been milling oats in Tandragee since 1841. The County Armagh mill works with a network of growers and invests in oat-growing trials, continuing a long-established part of Northern Ireland’s cereal-growing and food production tradition.
Tandragee, County Armagh
On the menu Toasted oats with the pressed pork belly canapé. Visit White’s Oats↗
Young Buck / Mike’s Fancy Cheese
Michael Thomson is the cheesemaker behind Young Buck, the raw-milk blue produced by Mike’s Fancy Cheese. His training in artisan cheesemaking and work with traditional methods contribute to Northern Ireland’s distinctive range of small-batch cheeses.
Newtownards, County Down
On the menu Young Buck arancini with Dundarave Estate blackcurrant and lime jam. Visit Young Buck / Mike’s Fancy Cheese↗
BBC Food & farming Awards
The 2026 finalists
Congratulations to all this year’s finalists. Here is the shortlist by award category.
Best Food Producer Award
- Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil
- Dun Flashadder Cottage Croft
- Fresh Flour Company
Best Drinks Producer Award
- MOMO Kombucha
- Mourne Mountains Brewery
- Shortcross Rademon Estate Distillery
Digital Creator Award
- Gilly Smith
- Jade Greenhalgh
- Meet the Farmers
Farming for the Future Award
With The Archers and BBC Farming Today
- FarmED
- Food & Forest
- Bronagh O’Kane
Food Innovation Award
- Bags of Taste
- Sole of Discretion
- Tilda Sustainable Rice Programme
Countryfile Young Countryside Champion
- Chris Bailey
- Jessica Tilley-Moore
- Lily Herniman
BBC Radio Ulster Food Hero Award
- Jenna Morris
- The Alexander Family, Ballyboley Dexters
- Sean McDermott and Rory Blight (Keen 2B Green and Source Grow)
