Kilkeel Seafood Supplier Bound For Shanes Castle Country Fair
Kilkeel businessman Andrew Rooney will be stepping up to the plate this month when he teams up with acclaimed chef Emmett McCourt to celebrate fish and seafood at the Irish Game Fair & Fine Food Festival at Shanes Castle over the weekend of Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June.
The pair will be showing audiences how to how to select, prepare, cook and enjoy the fruits of sea, lough and river with a series of hands-on demonstrations at Northern Ireland’s largest and best-attended Game Fair. They are uniquely well placed to host that gourmet feat for the pair are already ‘foodie’ award-winners.
Amongst his many awards Emmett who is the Official Chef to the Great Game Fairs of Ireland, has won a world Gourmand Award for his book, ‘Feast or Famine’, while Andrew’s company, Rooney Seafood, has just won the Export Initiative/Company of the Year Award at the 2017 NI Food Manufacturing Awards.
Andrew’s remarkable range of choice, fresh seafood will join Lough Neagh eels and fish, alongside rabbit and game in Emmett’s cookery demos at the fair.
And apart being ‘Food winners’ both are also keen countrysports competitors. Andrew will be competing in the international gundog competitions and Emmett in the flycasting competitions.
Great Game Fairs of Ireland Director Downpatrick man Albert Titterington is delighted to announce the new culinary partnership. “We’ll be putting the harvest field, lough, river and sea centre-stage at the Shanes Castle event, encouraging people to be more aware of the fabulous quality of our local produce and helping them to discover new ways to serve and enjoy those great foods,” he said.
“This will be the sixty second Game Fair I have organized across Ireland and, over the years, I have seen interest in local produce soar as more and more people pause to consider both the provenance and the quality of what they and their families eat and drink. Our culinary show-and-tell is always popular and this year we are ramping up our offer by introducing the partnership of Emmett McCourt and Andrew Rooney, both of whom are passionate about our great local foods and eager to share their knowledge and enthusiasm.”
Foodies at the Shanes Castle Fair can also look forward to marquee malls crammed with artisan and heritage produce.
For junior chefs there is also at the event the opportunity to catch their own fish in a special supervised ‘Put & Take’ lake, then learn how to prepare it under Emmett’s expert guidance.
Kids as well as country sports fans will also enjoy the canine theme at this year’s event. “Master McGrath” and “Mick the Miller” are headlining this year’s Great Game Fairs at Shanes this month and, over the weekend of 26 and 27 August, at Birr Castle in County Offaly.
The Shanes Castle fair will feature international competitions for working and gun dogs, plus displays and attractions designed to appeal to everyone who has ever enjoyed the companionship of a dog as a family pet. In fact there will be fun for all the family from angling, archery and air rifles to falconry, fine food, ferrets and fun, it’s all about country sports and pursuits.
Check out the medieval jousting, wander through a Living History Village, or cower at the re-enactment of the Battle of Antrim plus cookery demos and a great country-themed tented retail village. Supported by Tourism NI, Antrim & Newtownabbey Council and Fáilte Ireland.
For more info visit: www.irishgamefair.com
The Irish Game Fair & Fine Food Festival will take place at Shanes Castle, Antrim on 24 and 25 June. The Irish Game & Country Fair & Fine Food Festival will take place at Birr Castle, Co Offaly 26 and 27 August.
For information visit http://www.irishgamefair.com/
(The Great Game Fairs of Ireland are supported by TourismNI, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and Failte Ireland.)
