News

From Plant to Plate

Northern Ireland’s premier gardening event, Garden Show Ireland is set to celebrate home grown produce at this years event. Throughout the weekend leading local chef Paula McIntyre will be showcasing a multitude of recipes that can be created using plants and produce grown in back gardens all over the country.

For the duration of the Show, Friday 9th – Sunday 11th May, Paula will take to the stage at the Garden Gourmet Pavilion to demonstrate how to create a variety of unusual dishes from common home grown produce and plants including a Floral Afternoon Tea comprising of Hibiscus and Whin Champagne, Lavender Sponge with Rosewater and Raspberry cream and Crystallised Rose Petals. Paula is looking forward to the show, “It is fantastic to be be involved in this event and promote an area that is so close to my heart. We are surrounded by stunning produce in this country and it is important that we all understand the potential that sits in our own back yards!”

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board, a key supporter of Garden Show Ireland, recognises the unique nature of our local produce as Chairman Howard Hasting comments, “ Northern Ireland is blessed with some of the best natural produce in the world – from our Comber Potatoes to our Armagh Apples  – and it is great to see Garden Show Ireland encouraging visitors to make use of a variety of home grown produce.”

Taking place in a brand new venue for 2014, an expanded new look Garden Show Ireland will include appearances by Alys Fowler from BBC Gardeners’ World, Ireland’s world-renowned plantswoman Helen Dillon and .Bunny Guinness – winner of 6 Chelsea gold medals, author and regular panelist on BBC’s Gardeners’ Question Time.  With thousands of specialist plants, great garden shopping, garden designers and show gardens, a craft village, a free design pavilion, artisan food stalls, live music, garden gourmet, garden challenges, a dedicated kids zone and more, the event promises to be the ultimate garden show experience for gardeners of all ages and experiences.

The 2014 Garden Show Ireland will run from 9th – 11th May at Antrim Castle Gardens and is open daily from 10am-6pm with parking nearby. Adults are £10 (concession £8) and the event is FREE for children under 16. There is a reduced rate for online booking and for more information visit www.gardenshowireland.com.