Tag: Derry~Londonderry

Good Food and Good Company at The LegenDerry Food Festival

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The LegenDerry Food Festival is a free family event, held over two days on the 17th and 18th March as part of the St Patrick’s weekend celebrations, running from 12 mid-day to 6pm, there will be lots of entertainment and music for the younger ones to enjoy.

With over 20 food choices to experience, ranging from the sumptuous artisan cheese specialist Dart Mountain Cheese making distinctive flavours from local ingredients, great with their local chutneys and relishes, to the award-winning Morelli’s for their Italian recipe ice-cream with an addition of hot waffles and the new Affogato with a shot of Lavazzo espresso which will be great during the recent cold weather we are experiencing!

MC for the weekend will be television chef and writer Brian McDermott, who will also be launching his new book during the final day of the food festival Sunday 18th March. With a guest appearance by Rachel Allen, known for her television appearances all over the world, Brian was asked about his expectations for the forthcoming food festival which is part of the larger Spring Festival designed by Derry and Strabane District Council.

“I will be concentrating on making sure that everyone who is taking part will be in the right place at the right time!” says Brian.  He continued, “I love to coach and mentor young and new talent, helping them continue with their passion in either cooking or becoming a food producer. The LegenDerry Food Festival is becoming a unique experience as local businesses and restaurants are coming on board, and the recipes you experience at the event you can find when you go to eat out, which is fantastic.”

When asked about his new book, Brian said, “My book launch in N.Ireland will be at the Food Festival as I wanted to ensure LegenDerry visitors had the opportunity to read it first! It is 100 recipes collected over 25 years and called the ‘Donegal Table’ using produce from my local area. It’s about bringing the origins of cooking the evening meal back to basics, like my granny used to do.

“With recent health scares in the media about eating so much processed food, my book concentrates on cooking fresh, cooking local and making cooking fun again.  I have two teenage girls who are also getting involved and loving it! Especially when some of the recipes are one pot wonders and ‘food craic’, which are all about the social element of eating.

“The city has developed an amazing food base and the LegenDerry Food Festival is a key part of that. I attend over 30 food events each year, and this one is a huge favourite of mine because of the food offering, new talent, producers and of course the visitors who come to it.

“We are continually interfacing with the public at the event, and the attractions of additional tourists is enhancing the local economy and the hospitality industry. The boost is evident with the creation of new jobs and the support it gives to highlight local industry to come back again this year as I have so much self-assurance in what this award-winning event delivers. It is a strong region, improving platforms for food and I am looking forward to the two-day programme. There is so much to see, taste and experience and of course it is for all the family of all ages.  It is jam packed!

The award winning LegenDerry Food Festival is part of the Spring Festival Programme supported by Tourism NI and DAERA’s NI Regional Food Programme and organised by Derry and Strabane City Council. For more info go to www.derrystrabane.com/food   @islandskypr

Top Chefs To Join Primrose Derry

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A former Irish Chef of the Year and one of Ireland’s top pastry chefs have joined Primrose as it opened in new, expanded premises on the Strand Road in the Maiden City.

Derek Creagh – who won Chef of the Year at the 2015 Georgina Campbell Awards – is to take up the position of Head Chef, while Monto Mansour has been appointed as Head Pastry Chef.

Mr Creagh was previously head chef at Harry’s, whose Portstewart restaurant Harry’s Shack won Irish Times Restaurant of the Year in 2014, as well as at Deane’s in Belfast, which was Michelin-starred during his time at the restaurant.

He has worked in a number of other Michelin-starred restaurants including Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, Chez Bruce, The Square, Putney Bridge.

Donegal born and bred, Mr Creagh is known for his modern and innovative approach to cooking, which he pairs with the strong commitment to local quality produce which Primrose is renowned for.

He and Monto Mansour have worked together for more than ten years, moving together from Deane’s in Belfast to the Salty Dog in Bangor, then Harry’s and now Primrose.

The husband-and-wife team behind Primrose, Ciaran and Melanie Breslin, first started selling cupcakes made by baker Melanie in Ciaran’s butcher shops.

They opened their first Primrose in Derry with four members of staff in 2012, and now employ 80 people across two sites, Atlantic Quay and Strand Road, under the supervision of general manager Shelley McLaughlin.

Primrose won Best Casual Dining in Co Derry in the Restaurants Association of Ireland awards, and is the north west’s current restaurant of the year.

“I’ve got to know Ciaran and Melanie over the last six months,” said Mr Creagh, “and I’ve been impressed by their straightforward talking and their hard work and determination.

“I’m delighted to be taking up the position as head chef in Primrose. It’s exciting to be associated with something new, and I’ve no doubt it’ll be successful. Derry has really moved on in terms of food, we have so many good places to eat out now and we are becoming known for our restaurants. Primrose will be another reason for people to stop in Derry,” added Mr Creagh.

The new Primrose – which opens on 16 November – will include a restaurant and cocktail bar, as well a delicatessen and coffee to go.

The famous ‘scratch bakery’ – where all of Primrose’s bread and cakes are made fresh from scratch, every day – will also move on site.

A selection of breads and patisserie items, as well as delicatessen from Breslin’s butchers, will also be on sale to take out for the first time.

“We’re delighted to welcome Derek and Monto onto the staff of Primrose,” said Ciaran Breslin.

“This is our first venture into night-time eating, and we’re confident that with chefs of such calibre on board Primrose will continue to grow from strength to strength. We’ve been able to grow from four staff to 78 in five years, and that shows the appetite there is in Derry for quality food made from local produce, and also the potential that’s in this city to succeed as a small business,” said Melanie Breslin.

“Derry’s become a real food destination, and it’s wonderful to be part of that.”

Walled City’s new brew to lay siege to the senses after 300 years

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Derry’s newest craft beer which is literally steeped in the history of the city dating back 300 years, is being launched on the banks of the Foyle this weekend as part of the Slow Food Festival taking place in Guildhall Square on Saturday and Sunday, October 7th and 8th.

Walled City Brewery has developed its ‘1689’ Mumm ale from an extraordinary recipe dating back to the Siege of Derry and it will be officially unveiled during the exciting new festival organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council as part of Slow Food Week.

This year’s festival will be held on October 7th and 8th from 12 noon-6pm and it will incorporate local craft beer demos and tastings as well as showcasing the region’s finest artisan produce and the culinary flair of some of its most talented chefs and brewers who will be joined by renowned eco-chef and food writer, Tom Hunt for the two-day celebrations.

Aeidin McCarter, Head of Culture with Derry City and Strabane District Council, congratulated Walled City Brewery on offering an authentic taste of the North West by crafting food and drink products linked to the history of the city.

She added: “’1689’ continues to tell the story of our historic city as an international tourism destination in a very unique and innovative way which also plays a key role in firmly placing this region on the visitor map for our award-winning ‘LegenDerry and local’ food and drink offer.”

James Huey, owner of the Walled City Brewery, will launch the ground-breaking new craft beer at a gala private function on Saturday evening in the CCA (Centre for Contemporary Art) overlooking the City Walls. However, festival-goers will also be able to sample the earthy botanics of the historic tipple in the Craft Beer Garden located in Guildhall Square during the day.

The experienced Head Brewer was fascinated to discover the existence of a heady 17th Century beer reportedly found in the home of Governor George Walker during the Siege of Derry, while embarking on research into the city’s brewing and distilling heritage.

The Siege Diaries housed in the city’s archives document a potent tonic infused with around 77 soothing herbs and spices, many of which are either now extinct or declared poisonous by the World Health Organisation.

As James Huey explained, this special brew appears to have been an elixir to treat a range of ailments including ‘lingering distemper’ and toothache and was not intended to be drunk for pleasure. The ancient recipe also bizarrely had 11 uncooked eggs added at the end of the fermentation process but that is definitely not replicated in the well refined new product which does not claim to have any medicinal properties.

The Head Brewer explained that while the modern day aperitif version may still remain potent in terms of its alcohol content, it should go down the hatch – in moderation – a lot more smoothly than the unique concoction which was brewed at the time of the Siege.

Using all local ingredients including water drawn from a well close to the site of the famous breaking of the boom on the River Foyle which ended the blockade, ‘1689’ will be largely aimed at the tourist market and visitors seeking a “taste of Derry”.

The experimental stage posed an interesting challenge for Walled City Brewery and the local Foodovation Centre who worked closely as development partners on the prototype which was several years in the planning.

James Huey and Brian McDermott, manager of the Foodovation Centre, spent 15 months perfecting the first alcohol product to be developed at the state-of-the-art new food technology facility which opened at North West Regional College last year.

James revealed that while the original Siege ale had an alcohol content of around 13% and was preserved in stoneware bottles, the newly created Mumm-style beer will be around 10 or 11%, which is still significantly higher than the average 4% for most beers brewed here.

James said: “Obviously we can’t say there are any health benefits, we are redefining the liquid to a modern palate. People are not going to be having a pint of ‘1689’, it comes from a category of beer called barley wines and is more like an aperitif.

“I am delighted we can deliver a product that the city can be proud of, that is immersed in history and it reflects the fantastic larder of local ingredients that we have in the North West. This is very much a collaborative approach with Brian McDermott though the Foodovation Centre at North West Regional College and the Council, who have helped and supported throughout in launching this new product and getting it to market. It has taken a lot of time and effort and hopefully it will be rewarding.”

Brian McDermott, manager of the Foodovation Centre, said he was also delighted that what had been a very exciting new product development, had finally come to fruition. “It will be very much a real provenance piece in terms of telling a story pivotal to the city’s history. It is a very unique and very innovative product to hit the market and we are extremely proud to be a strong academic partner in showcasing the collaboration between industry and the College which is working so well through the Foodovation Centre.”

The Slow Food Festival is organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council with funding from Tourism NI and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) NI Regional Food Programme, supported by Slow Food NI and sponsored by Supervalu.

For full details on the Slow Food demonstration programme including brewing master-classes, harvest market, street food and free family-friendly activities in Guildhall Square including Kidz Farm and smoothie bike machine, visit www.derrystrabane.com/food

 

 

Image: James Huey raises a toast to the Walled City Brewery’s new ‘1689’ beer inspired by a recipe dating back to the Siege of Derry, which is being launched as part of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Slow Food Festival.

 

Eco-chef goes back to his roots for Slow Food Festival

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It was during his first job working at an intensive pig farm, that eco-chef and food waste campaigner Tom Hunt became a vegetarian and, he’ll be offering plenty of food for thought when he makes a special guest appearance at the Slow Food Festival taking place in Derry next weekend.

Author of ‘The Natural Cook: Eating The Seasons from Root to Fruit’, Hunt will bring his mantra about using every last piece of every ingredient, centre stage at Northern Ireland’s only Slow Food Festival taking place in Guildhall Square, Derry on October 7th and 8th from 12 noon until 6pm.

Organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council as part of Slow Food Week, it will be a first trip to the North West for the pioneering young restaurateur who worked with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as sous chef, course leader and food stylist on the River Cottage TV series.

Speaking ahead of his guest appearance at the Slow Food Festival, which attracted 25,000 visitors to the banks of the Foyle on its inaugural two-day run during Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016, Hunt is passionate that people are conscious of not over-buying on the weekly grocery shop. 

His ‘100% seasonal’ tapas restaurant ‘Poco’in Bristol – which won the Best Ethical Restaurant award in 2013 – is all about eliminating waste, celebrating the seasons and eating well, the seeds of which were planted duringhis childhood growing up in Dorset.

“I started out eating around the table at home and cooking a lot with my family. Then I got a job at an intensive pig farm where I became vegetarian for the first time,” recalled Hunt, who enjoys working his culinary magic onwonky vegetables, blemished fruit, and surplus meat andfish thatmight otherwisebe destined for the bin.

While Hunt embarked on a Fine Art degree at Falmouth University in Cornwall, his “serious passion for cooking” saw him mentored by close friend and professional chef, Ben Hodges.

“We travelled around British music festivals and catering for weddings where we basically cooked everything from scratch using organic produce. By the time I had finished my art degree, although I loved art and painting, I was ready to put down my paintbrushes and pick up my knives to follow a career in cooking.

“I have always cooked consciously but the big turning point was when I was invited to cook for 200 people on Suffolk Bridge in London by Tristram Stuart, author of ‘Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal & The Bloodless Revolution’, and his team. We were inundated withincredible organic produce that would otherwise have gone to waste.”

Hunt went on to set up the Forgotten Feast, a campaign promoting sustainable food through dining and celebration – working closely with charitable organisations Slow Food, FareShare and Action Against Hunger whilst highlighting important concerns in the food industry.

He believes that saving money by using the whole ingredient, whether it’s cheap cuts of meat or the greens from a root vegetable, creates a budget for buying higher-welfare, better-quality ingredients that, in turn, provide better nutrition and support local communities.

Visitors to the Slow Food Festival in Derry can look forward to eco-friendly tips on how to get more from your food, improve nutrition and flavour, save money and support better farming.  The ethos of Slow Food is good, clean and fair food for everyone which is not mass produced. The global grassroots movement founded in Italy with supporters in around 150 countries, links the pleasure of food with a commitment to local communities and the environment.

Hunt’s veg-led cookery demonstrations taking place on both October 7th and 8th,  feature a selection of recipes inspired byhis ‘Root to Fruit’ eating philosophy; eat for pleasure, eat whole foods and eat the best you can.

According to Hunt, although he only eats organic food, he is spending less than he ever did before because he operates a zero waste policy– recycling or composting everything. An ambassador for the Soil Association and Fair Trade Foundation, he is a regular contributor to the Guardian and Observer food columns as well as other leading food publications such as Olive magazine.

He continued: “People tend to over-buy and don’t realise how much food is actually being thrown away.  I don’t see my work as a crusade as such but creating a sustainable future is one of the most vital and crucial questions for our time.People and corporations are wasting an obscene amount of food but, at the same time the message is getting through. People are realising around the world that we have to change and I am making steps to do that, although there is definitely a lot more to be done.”

The recipes that Tom will cook in the marquee in Guildhall Square include Beetroot leaf Borani: Iranian-style yoghurt and walnut dip (with misfit crudités); Carrot and fennel top pesto with carrot, fennel and orange salad; and Roast cauliflower leaves and florets with hazelnut sauce.

Jennifer O’Donnell, Tourism Manager with Derry City and Strabane District Council, said she was delighted that Tom Hunt would be teaming up with fellow Slow Food UK Alliance chef Paula McIntyre, Director of Slow Food NI.

She added: “We are also delighted to welcome back Chef Brian McDermott as festival compere and a number of talented local chefs from restaurants in Derry and Strabane for the live cookery demos. This year’s festival will also feature a Harvest Market with 20 local artisan producers in the marquee, a Craft Beer Garden, street food and free children’s activities including a petting farm and smoothie bike machine all located in Guildhall Square.”

The two-day event is being funded by Tourism NI and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) NI Regional Food Programme, supported by Slow Food NI and sponsored by Supervalu.

Louise Millsopp, Head of Agri-Food Support Branch, DAERA, said: ‘We are pleased to be providing support to the Slow Food Festival through the Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme. Now in its second year, the festival provides a great platform for artisan food and drink producers to showcase their high quality, award-wining, local produce.”

For further information on the Slow Food Festival including details of exhibitors, cookery demos, and other family-friendly activities centred in Guildhall Square from 12 noon until 6pm on October 7th and 8th, visit www.derrystrabane.com/food

Slow Food Festival Celebrates Return With New Local Product Launches

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Slow Food Festival celebrates return with new local product launches

Northern Ireland’s only Slow Food Festival, organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council, will celebrate its return to Guildhall Square next month with the launch of two new high quality local food and drink products as part of the major grassroots culinary showcase which attracted a bumper 25,000 visitors to the city last year.

The new home-grown products – Walled City Brewery’s eagerly anticipated ‘1689’ Siege beer and Breslin Butchers’ Tirkeeran Black Pudding which have both been skilfully developed with the expertise of prominent local chef Brian McDermott in his capacity as manager of the Foodovation Centre at North West Regional College – will be unveiled during the two-day Festival which is taking place on Saturday October 7th and Sunday October 8th 2017 from 12 noon until 6pm.

Internationally renowned eco-chef and food writer Tom Hunt will be the special guest at this year’s family-friendly, free admission event held during Slow Food Week to celebrate the best of local, clean and fair food, which is not mass produced. The Festival is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) NI Regional Food Programme, supported by Slow Food NI and sponsored by Supervalu.

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Maoliosa McHugh, warmly welcomed the return of the second Slow Food Festival and said he was delighted that Council was continuing to build on the success of last year’s event and the legacy of Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016 when the North West scooped a number of major industry awards and the overall title of NI’s ‘Destination Delicious’.

This year’s Slow Food activity, centred in and around an impressive clear sided and roofed marquee, is once again expected to have foodies flocking to Guildhall Square for the return of the Harvest Fayre attended by around 20 artisan producers from throughout the North West and further afield; live cooking demos on the main stage; and new to this year’s event, a Craft Beer Garden where visitors can sample some uniquely local brews including Walled City Brewery’s new beer, inspired by an ancient ale recipe dating back to the Siege of Derry.

Festival-goers will be completely spoiled for choice with a wide range of fresh meat, charcuterie, fish, fruit, veg, cheeses, breads, desserts, preserves and ice-cream including a local vegan brand as well as some traditional Irish heritage dishes to savour in the marquee and from selected vendors in Guildhall Square.

Councillor McHugh added: “Derry City and Strabane District is once again leading the way as an international food tourism destination. This Festival provides a unique showcase for local provenance with the opportunity for people to talk to the people who actually produce what is on offer and hear the story behind it. This is very much in keeping with the ethos of Slow Food’s core principles of quality, flavoursome and healthy food; production that does not harm the environment; and fair pay and conditions for producers.

“As well as all the culinary activity and natural buzz surrounding this event, there will also be live music and singing by popular local artists to add to the festival atmosphere and plenty of free children’s activities including a petting farm and smoothie bike machine to keep families entertained during the two-day event.”

Jennifer O’Donnell, Tourism Manager with Derry City and Strabane District Council, explained that the Slow Food Festival embraces the aims and objectives of the global, grassroots movement founded in Italy in 1989 with supporters in over 150 countries, which links the pleasure of food with a commitment to local communities and the environment.

She continued: “We have a fantastic line-up of local artisan producers, craft brewers and talented local and celebrity chefs joining us for what we hope will be another very successful festival event taking place to celebrate Slow Food Week, as well as two exciting new local product launches to whet the appetites of foodie fans.

“We are particularly delighted to have attracted award-winning eco-chef and ‘Root to Fruit eating’ expert Tom Hunt, food writer, campaigner, author of The Natural Cook and ambassador for the Soil Association and Fair Trade Foundation who will be sharing tips on how to get more from your food with less waste during his cookery demonstrations in the marquee on both October 7th and 8th.”

Paula McIntyre, Director of Slow Food NI and Slow Food UK Chef Alliance member, said she was also delighted to be involved again in this year’s event. “Now more than ever it’s vital that we support local farmers, producers and growers. The Slow Food ethos of ‘good, clean and fair’ is practised by all the exhibitors – whether it’s a local cheese maker, oyster farmer, sourdough pizza maker or charcuterie producer, with a myriad in between, they follow the same principles.

“I’m looking forward to compering and cooking with Brian McDermott, a strong Slow Food supporter and welcoming Tom Hunt, the eco-chef to the festival. Tom has a restaurant in Bristol with a zero waste policy and he’s steeped in the farm to fork movement. In a world where mass production and fast food is the norm it’s great that people will be able to see how food should be and celebrate our fantastic producers and chefs”.

For further information on the Slow Food Festival including details of exhibitors and timetable for cookery demos and talks, musical entertainment and children’s activities in Guildhall Square from 12 noon until 6pm on October 7th and 8th, visit www.derrystrabane.com/food

Good Food Guide Announces Best Northern Ireland Restaurants In 2018

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The Good Food Guide has announced its top restaurants and award winners today.  Alongside the finest dining establishments in Northern Ireland, the guide, owned by Waitrose, celebrates quality eateries in local areas and new discoveries, with 16 entries and one new entry from Northern Ireland featuring in the guide.

The Good Food Guide is compiled by combining reader feedback on restaurants up and down the country with anonymous inspections by a team of industry experts.

Best restaurants in Northern Ireland

Restaurants that have made it into the UK’s Top 50 Restaurants have been unveiled, with two restaurants tied as the highest scoring in Northern Ireland. Eipic and OX, both in Belfast, Co Antrim received a cooking score of six and take the title of best restaurants in Northern Ireland.

Elizabeth Carter, Waitrose Good Food Guide Editor, comments on Eipic, “The level of attention to detail in every mouthful is amazing, showing buckets of talent. Combinations are more intuitive than outrageous, but everything is a sheer joy. Danni Barry is a formidably talented practitioner of the contemporary gastronomic style.”

Of OX, she notes that “On the Lagan riverside with the graceful steel torsion of the Beacon of Hope sculpture right outside, OX is at the vanguard of Northern Irish gastronomy…and the whole place buzzes with enthusiastic staff and excited diners.”

Restaurants in Northern Ireland that appear in The Good Food Guide 2018

Other restaurants in Northern Ireland also featuring in The Good Food Guide this year alongside Eipic and OX are:

  • Hadskis in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • Il Pirata in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • James Street South in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • Mourne Seafood Bar in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • Shu in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • The Ginger Bistro in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • The Muddlers Club in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • The Old Schoolhouse Inn in Comber, Co Down
  • The Bay Tree in Holywood, Co Down
  • Vanilla in Newcastle, Co Down
  • Wine & Brine in Moira, Co Armagh
  • Balloo House in Killinchy, Co Down
  • Harry’s Shack in Portstewart, Londonderry
  • The Bull & Ram in Ballynahinch, Co Down

New Entries

A new entry to this year’s Good Food Guide is The Bull & Ram in Ballynahinch, Co Down. It was once a butcher’s shop, but now dishes up modern Irish bistro food.

For more information on some of the award-winning restaurants mentioned above visit Food NI – Restaurants and search by County.