Get a real taste of Northern Ireland with fine food and delicious drink.
Whether you are just a foodie, or are someone who produces fine food, it is always exciting and refreshing to check out new pastures in fine food and drink.
Northern Ireland has experienced a food and drink renaissance and is world-renowned for being home to some of the finest local produce. It is the perfect location for a foodie short break, with the summer and harvest period particularly bursting with food tours and festivals. From seafood to stew, and gourmet to gastro delights, plan a culinary trail through Northern Ireland including one of these flavoursome festivals.
Portavogie Seafood Festival – Co. Down
Situated at Portavogie Harbour in County Down, this seafood festival on 11th August celebrates the rich fishing heritage of the surrounding village. Picturesque Portavogie will host a programme of cookery demonstrations, fishing-themed street theatre and maritime activities with celebrity chefs Paul
Rankin and Nick Nairn. Browse the artisan food stalls and Northern Ireland’s biggest fish market to taste locally caught and freshly prepared seafood at its best.
 Whiskey Social, Belfast – Co. Antrim
The first ever whiskey festival to grace the shores of Northern Ireland will be held on the 8th September at the Belfast Waterfront. Meet and chat with exhibitors, taste what they bring to the table and experience the finest traditional Northern Irish cuisine from pop-up caterers. This festival provides an insight to some of the best distilleries and independent bottlers in Ireland and around the globe. Sample old favourites, new brands and experimental recipes before purchasing your chosen whiskey.
 Hilden Beer and Music Festival – Co. Antrim
The annual Hilden Beer and Music Festival is held in the grounds of Hilden Brewery over the weekend of 24-26th August. The ever-popular three-day event is set to be bigger than ever in 2018, so be sure to get in quick to secure your tickets, book your accommodation and explore the surrounding area of County Down. The ale tasting weekend boasts all that is wonderful in the world of UK and Irish craft beer and cider, alongside gourmet food, a range of exceptional live music acts and activities for the whole family.
 Armagh Food and Cider Festival – Co. Armagh
For food and cider lovers, immerse yourself in the heart of the Orchard Country at the sumptuous Armagh Food and Cider Festival as harvest season approaches. Overflowing with artisan markets, art tuitions, fiction and even a murder mystery in the orchard, there is plenty to get involved with during
your weekend break. Topped with mouth-watering foods, sharing plates and award-winning ciders in stunning surroundings, the festival, running from 20th – 23rd September, makes for the perfect transition into the autumn months.
 Bushmills Food Tour – Co. Antrim
With a food fanatic and story-teller extraordinaire as your guide, take a stroll through the quaint village of Bushmills, a gateway to the Giant’s Causeway. Visit six unique venues offering award-winning local food and drink that represents the past, present and future of the Northern Irish gastro landscape. Meet the chefs, producers and shop owners who are passionate about catching, growing and cooking tasty local dishes. Indulge in a Northern Irish feast of hot-smoked salmon on wheaten bread, goat bacon and a ‘poke of chips’ accompanied by a pot of tea or famous Bushmills whiskey. You can stay at the Bushmills Inn and continue your culinary experience with a scrumptious breakfast using locally sourced ingredients.
Lough Neagh Craic ‘N Food & Drink Tour – Co. Derry
Sample delicious food and drink from the area surrounding Lough Neagh and its Waterways. On this full day tour from Magherafelt you will journey through the rugged landscape to discover just how important the Lough was as a food source in years gone by. Snack on traditionally cooked Lough Neagh eels, prepared by a local fisherman, and visit Ballyriff Buffalo Farm to learn about these incredible creatures brought to our lands from Italy. Enjoy local cheeses, chutneys and ciders in the same pub that Seamus Heaney called his local and finish off in Northern Ireland’s oldest thatched-roof pub, the Crosskey’s Inn. The next Lough Neagh Craic ‘N Food & Drink Tour takes place on 21st September and early booking is recommended.
For more information on upcoming Food and Drink festivals, tours and events, visit:
