Mourne Dew Distillery is the first legal distillery to operate in the Mournes for many centuries.
Using a combination of conventional and their unique vacuum stills, they are able to capture the taste of the Mournes in every bottle. Their bespoke vacuum stills operate at 2% of atmospheric pressure – with temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees centigrade – allowing them to produce an incredible range of flavours and tinctures which are blended into their various offerings. Their maturation techniques and wood policy for their poitíns and whiskeys are the subject of joint and ongoing research between them and Queen’s University of Belfast.
The super seaweed hand-gathered from the pristine waters around the area called Crawford’s Rock off the County Down coast is the main ingredient in this range of small batch, hand-made, seaweed products like seaweed shots for juicing and smoothies, seaweed infused oils for cooking and seaweed flavoured dipping oils for breads. Crawford’s Rock has a range of Seaweed Salts, Seaweed Botanicals, Seaweed Seasonings and Seaweed Sprinkles as well as a Seaweed Capsule, they call Vitamin Sea.
Crawford’s Rock have further developed their products to include a range of Seaweed Tea’s they call C2T. The range includes Peppermint with Kombu, Nori Chai, Lemon Detox, and a Goodnight Tea. Along with this they have developed an Artisan Seaweed Chocolate .
These people know all about harnessing the power of this natural superfood, full of iodine, B12 and other minerals and trace elements. They also sell the raw product and organise foraging courses. The workshops include foraging for seaweed and the opportunity to cook with the product in the Seafood Cookery School, Crawford’s Rock will also inform you of the health benefits and how seaweed can be used in the skin care and beauty industry, you can even make your very own face gel or take home a seaweed Spa Bath.
Crawford’s Rock have produced a pocket-sized cookery book to inform you how seaweed can be used in everyday cooking with some old cures and remedies.
Michelle’s small batch and handcrafted products now include an extensive portfolio of seasonings, salts, oils and seaweed shots for smoothies and juicing. In addition, she produces a unique seaweed bath for luxury hotels in the area and a natural soap.
There’s also seaweed capsules which she refers to as ‘vitamin sea’ and a range of seaweed teas, including peppermint, nori chai, lemon detox, and a goodnight tea. She’s certainly demonstrating the versatility of local and natural seaweed.
Check out their Facebook page for details and try some of their fab recipes.
The Copeland Distillery was launched by Gareth Irvine in 2015 following a project in University and backed by a crowd-funding initiative in 2016, They opened their Distillery in Donaghadee in August 2019.
Locality is a key element to the range of gins Copeland produce. Copeland have been producing a range of ‘ginfusion’ products using fruits from the farms and hedgerows of County Down. Their Jones 1778 Navy Strength Gin is aged in Kentucky Bourbon casks for 120 days, then aged in Oloroso Sherry casks for 20 days.
The Copeland Distillery revealed a major investment in whiskey production when it took on a 125-year lease at an abandoned cinema in the harbour town of Donaghadee in 2019,
They launched their first blended whiskey called Merchant’s Quay. Its release marks the Distillery’s entry to a third spirits category having introduced a rum range in November 2020 amid the pandemic which joined its successful range of gins.
They have also produced malt and pot-stilled whiskeys that are undergoing the maturation process and are expected to launch in 2024.
Aside from the making of spirits, Copeland has built a bespoke visitor centre offering audiences the chance to experience distillery life on a guided tasting tour. The Copeland Distillery will take you on a journey through the decades of events that led them to the creation of them spirits.
The story is shaped by the tales of smugglers and savage ocean battles. Visitors will experience history unfold, all whilst enjoying the portfolio of spirits. The Copeland Distillery has also begin distillation of their first whiskey. To celebrate the signing of their 125-year lease, Copeland have created ‘The 125 Whiskey Cask Reserve’, offering individuals and syndicates the opportunity to invest in their own cask of whiskey, in return becoming lifetime members of the distillery.
Copeland’s range of spirits are perfect for a classic gin & tonic or mixed as part of a cocktail. Why not try a Copeland Bramble, or add a dash of Rhuberry to your favourite Prosecco? Or better yet, become the next owner of your own cask of spirit with The 125 Whiskey Reserve.
The possibilities are endless!
Be Wild and Drink Remarkable with Copeland.
We all know that Kilkeel is synonymous with fishing in Northern Ireland. Rooney Fish, which is based there, has been in business since 1975. It is family-run and is now in its second generation with Andrew Rooney at the helm. They opened their oyster farm in the North side of Carlingford Lough in 2014.
They also catch, prepare and process Langoustines, Whole Brown Crab, Green Crab, Velvet Crab, Lobsters, Whelks, Scampi Tails, and Scallops
Their state of the art plant is the only one of its kind in the area with a full EU approval.
The processes currently running are; Nitrogen Freezing, Blast Freezing, Cooking Facilities, Cold Storage, Fully Automated Graders,
Depuration and purification system, Shellfish Holding Centre, Shellfish Distribution Centre, a variety of Packing Operations and an in-house laboratory facilities.
This is top quality seafood from people who know their stuff
Churned in the heart of County Down, this butter is made with care and love to ensure they make the best. They source the most wonderful cream from a single herd of grass fed cows , focusing on quality and flavour above all else. They slow churn their butters in small batches giving them their distinct colour and flavour. Focusing on an ethos of locally sourced produce they aim to make some of the finest, flavour rich butters you have ever tasted.
Time and effort is spent on the production process to ensure we maintain the quality we want. At Abernethy Butter they don’t believe in doing things fast, they take theur time to blend their butters by hand using their wooden butter paddles.
Now this hand crafted butter graces the tables of top restaurants and the shelves of high end shops all over the UK and Ireland.
