Trump Turnberry

On our drive from Cairnryan to Glasgow, we (being my sister and brother in law, two daughters and I) decided to stop st the breathtaking Trump Turnberry Golf Resort. Now love him or loathe him Donald Trump knows how to build a resort and it opened on the 1st June this year.

It is situated on the Ayrshire coast, at Turnberry one of the worlds most historical golfing destinations. Martin Ebery designed the Ailsa course and has done wonders with it.

We parked at the golf club house and crossed the road before embarking on a climb of over 100 steps to the rear entrance of the resort. This sports some amazing views over the course and Irish Sea. Once inside the foyer one could really feel the opulence and decadence. The staff were on hand to help at every opportunity.

The views from The Grand Tea Lounge and Bar were so stunning we decided to have a drink. After being seated and handed amazing tea menus (with a marble disc inserted on the front cover!!!) we ordered a glass of Melbec (£12), two pints of Guinness (2x £7) and hot chocolate (£4). Our hostess brought an empty glass before bringing the Melbec bottle to our table and pouring at the table-wow!!! The rest of our drinks duly arrived and we did not want to leave but we had miles more to travel so off we went!!

Would really have loved to have dined at the Italian Il Tramonto at 1906 and drank at the 19th hole The Duel In The Sun- next time perhaps. The 500 room Donald Trump Ball Room would have been great to see as would the spa and fitness centre. There is a superb concierge service at the front of the building and there are some spectacular deals to avail on the website. 

http://www.trumpturnberry.com/

A big thank you to Jessica who spared us some of her valuable time.

TESCO Taste Festival 2016

TESCO TASTE FESTIVAL PROMISES TO BE TASTIEST YET WITH MOUTH-WATERING LINE UP  

Delicious, scrumptious, mouthwatering or just plain tasty. Whatever words you use to describe great food and drink, you'll need lots of them as you taste your way through the Tesco Taste Festival 2016 taking place at Custom House Square from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th September. 

Organised each year by Tesco NI, the admission free annual Festival, which this year has the theme ‘Our Tastiest Yet’ is now firmly established on Northern Ireland’s culinary calendar as the largest free food and drink event of its kind in the province with visitor numbers expected to top 25K this year equating to 1.5m in total since the Festival began.

With over 60 exhibitors, and back-to-back activity throughout the weekend including producers sharing food skills at a special FoodNI cookery theatre, entertainment for all the family with Ark Open Farm’s petting zoo, a climbing wall, guest appearances from mascots Mr Tayto and Mr Morelli, plus live music, there’s simply lots of fun for all the family at this free three-day foodie festival.

Tesco NI Marketing Manager Caoimhe Mannion said the event was the showpiece in the ongoing Tesco Taste NI campaign citing its importance in the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink and cemented the retailer’s credentials as a ‘force for good food’ in Northern Ireland

She said: ‘The Tesco Taste Festival forms part of our 2016 support programme for Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink, valued at half a million pounds. But every year, we assist food producers and suppliers in a wide variety of ways via artisan programmes, multi-store sampling, food fairs, listing opportunities, in-store promotion and more.

The Tesco Taste Festival offers a rare chance for producers to interact directly with the public and visitors can sample local produce at its best for free and of course favourites can be found at Tesco throughout the year.’ 

So whether you're a gourmand who relishes fine dining, a regular foodie who gets excited about tucking into local food and regional specialities, or want to be the first to taste new product launches from Northern Ireland’s finest food companies, you'll definitely enjoy the gastronomic offerings the Tesco Taste Festival showcases.

The Tesco Taste Festival is currently in its eighth year. The event, which is organised annually by Tesco in partnership with its local suppliers, honours the quality, diversity and wholesomeness of locally and regionally produced fresh food and drink. It seeks to celebrate the provenance of food and drink by highlighting and promoting Northern Ireland’s abundant, quality produce to the world.

The Festival opening times are 2pm to 8pm on Friday 16th September, 10am to 6pm on Saturday 17th September and 10am to 5pm on Sunday 18th September.

For updates as the Festival draw near check facebook.com/tastenorthernireland or use hashtag #TescoTasteFestival

Edible garden for care home

Every now and then I will post a real feel good, kind and touching story. Today I'm sharing the story below, enjoy:

Blooming marvellous garden for North Belfast Care Home

Multi award winning Peninsula Care Services, Northern Ireland’s leading domiciliary care, nursing and recruitment agency has gifted a memory garden in one of their valued clients’ care homes, Clifton Nursing Home in Belfast.  

MD for Peninsula, Jonny Cook, commissioned author of ‘Sow, Grow, Munch’ and edible gardener Jilly Dougan to design a sensory garden filled with a variety of perennial herbs, an edible garden, lush with rosemary, thyme, fennel, parsley, salad leaves, spring onions, strawberries, rhubarb and a mini orchard as a haven of peace for the elderly people living in Clifton Nursing Home.

The garden was officially unveiled yesterday by The Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Mary Ellen Campbell, who praised Peninsula’s initiative and generous gift to the care home. She says;

“Clifton Nursing Home’s memory garden is a very innovative and worth-while initiative and encourages the residents to spend more time in the fresh air, take pride in watching their garden flourish and even taste the fruits of their labour. The care home’s chef Brian White made a delicious rhubarb crumble that we all sampled today, using fresh garden rhubarb. The pride in the residents’ faces was priceless and there were lots of smiles all round.”

Jonny Cook says;

“This has been a particularly exciting project for Peninsula as we always endeavour to give something back to our clients. The garden will bring joy for years and will hopefully bring a lot of horticultural therapy and enjoyment to the residents. Jilly Dougan did a fantastic job and we’re very proud of the beautiful and productive edible garden.”

Jilly says;

“There is a lot of evidence to support the therapeutic qualities and benefits of gardening with older people, especially those living with dementia. The gentle exercise helps to relieve stress and the sensory garden stimulates a lot of memories as older people may remember growing the herbs and fruit when they were young. The taste is more vibrant and nutritious too and the herbs will also flower and become a source of nectar for pollinators.”

Stuart Johnstone, manager of Clifton Nursing Home, is delighted with the project. He says,

“The transformation of our garden is amazing, thanks to Jonny and his team at Peninsula Care Services. Residents derive real calm and serenity from having access to such a beautiful garden and the aroma and tastes conjures up a lot of good nostalgic memories. Jilly Dougan did an excellent job and has cleverly designed the garden within the existing raised beds, hence the residents have easy access and they love being out in the fresh air. They particularly love picking the rhubarb and feel that they are helping the chef prepare the evening meals. The garden has given the residents a new lease of life, thanks to the memory garden; an excellent gift from Peninsula.”

Interview with Greggs Area Manager

Yesterday I had the pleasure of having a cup of coffee with Mr Michael McAllister, the Area Manager for Greggs in NI. Michael joined in March this year, after spending 23 years working for Asda. He is a local man and understands the NI economy and tastes well. We met at the Boucher Crescent store which opened in March this year. These stand alone shops are independent of the ones in the Applegreen service stations.

Mr John Gregg started in 1941 as Gregss of Gosforth in Gosforth High Street, Newcastle-U-Tyne. That was the 1st shop (round the corner from where I lived at University and I was a regular!!). His son took over and embarked on a massive expansion. There are now approximately 1900 stores across the UK. Here there are 3 so far (Royal Avenue, Boucher Crescent and Dargan) with a big 44 seater opening mid September in Castle Lane and then a big 44 seater in Donegal Square West with Head Quarters upstairs, later in the year. The third generation Mr Gregg is also in the family run firm. 

Michael was telling me that thrice a week they receive deliveries of frozen savouries, pastries and bread and baguette dough from their Clydesmill bakery in Edinburgh. The bread and baguettes are baked fresh every day and made into delicious sandwiches and filled baguettes using pre planned recipes with strict measures of locally sourced ingredients. These are all planned by the Technical Team in the Lake District, who also look at allergens, nutritional values and ingredients. They have developed Healthy Choice sandwiches at less than 400 calories and are launching the same in savouries soon.

As a big National Company Greggs take Corporate Social Responsibility very seriously. They have embarked on several initiatives:

The first is Breakfast Club for Schools. Each store would choose a school (which meets certain criteria) to help and would supply them with bread, fruit etc for their breakfast. In the case of the Boucher Crescent store the school is St Joseph's Primary and the Head would come pick up thrice a week. Michael would also pay them a visit. He was very proud to announce as a result of this initiative the attendance has gone up by 75%!!!!

The second is at the end of the day's trading any unused products are packed and given to their nominated charity, which is Home Trust NI. 

After our Fairtrade coffee which was delicious, Michael presented me with my favourite Greggs product, a chicken bake and a cheese and onion bake for my wife and a selection of donuts. The bakes didn't take last long and were delicious and the donuts went down a treat with a cuppa tea, my favourite was the caramel one. Greggs will do well in NI, they cater for everyone from breakfast, tea breaks, lunch, snacks, parties and evening meals. Their pricing structure is excellent and their staff training and care is brilliant. There is also an app for Greggs and stores have free wifi voted best on the high street. Point of note the savoury display units are lit up and are for display purposes only, they do not keep the savouries hot, as we in NI are used to. The staff do a sterling job of baking little and often. I would like to thank Michael and the team at Boucher for the time and the treats!!

Happy burger day

Happy #nationalburgerday How do 

you like your burgers, what's youur favourite burger joint, do you fry grill or BBQ yours,what's your most exotic? let me know! Ps are u going to have one today?

3 Levels Teppanyaki

My date was my cousin and we had a blast at the newest dinner/entertainment experience in Belfast. Teppanyaki (Japanese for hot plate cooking) is a very social experience. Approximately 10-15 people sit around 

one of three hot plates and the chef cooks in front of you, fresh food and juggles knives, forks, spatulas, tosses eggs, throws bits of omelette into your mouth-I caught mine.....after 2nd attempt, and no I didn't have egg on my face haha!!!!

We started with some tasty, light miso soup (seaweed, scallions and tofu soup) spiced with chilli, soy and wasabi to taste. Then the main event. Mr Genelito (chef) is not a stranger to Belfast. He was Teppanyaki chef at Harbour View many moons ago before William (China China) brought him back from London.

Mr G started by flambéing the hot plate with brandy-the fire was hot,high and intense. Then he started cooking the egg fried rice-that's when he tossed the omelette into my mouth-he also showed us his machine gun egg chopping!!!! We chose the chicken and king prawn Teppanyaki which he cooked and lastly he cooked fresh vegetables and bean sprouts. Word of warning the portion sizes are huge!!! Great value for £33, definitely go back for more!!!

PS the dishes in the wooden boats were our dining neighbours and were exquisitely prepared and presented. 3 Levels is one restaurant on three levels. The ground floor is a cafe, 1st floor is a Chinese and top floor is Teppanyaki/Japanese.

My 1st BBQ

I am so embarrassed and p..sed off as today was my first BBQ for nearly 2 years!!!!! Aaagggghhhh the weather here is cr.p!!!! Nyways I fired up my Wee mini pink BBQ bucket from TESCO with real charcoal and honestly guys I started with charcoal, moved to gas and back to charcoal. The taste of charcoal is far superior, but yes it takes longer to cook and is more weather dependent!!

I marinated two chicken breasts in my tandoori masala. To accompany it I made a veggie risotto using two serving spoons of my veggie delight and 3/4 glass of arborio risotto rice. I cooked this for 40 minutes whilst the chicken was on the BBQ. 

Plated it up and had a fab meal. U want some?

Whilst coals are still hot cook other stuff. I did quorum sausages and garlic!!

Enjoy!!!!

Lunch at The Sleepy Hollow

I treated myself to a spot of lunch at The Sleepy Hollow. Chef and proprietor Paul took over in early 2013 and has taken this place to great heights. 

On arrival I was seated and presented with a bottle of ice cold water before choosing cod and chips for my main course. The lunch menu is on a single sheet and has a very varied choice from all local producers. Great value of two courses for £14.50 or three for £16.50-I only managed a main for less than a tenner!!

The restaurant itself is a 55 seater, split into three rooms on two levels, with an ample car park. The bare stone walls and exposed wooden beams give it great character. There is also a lovely farm shop (which I believe is to close,such a pity).

When my food arrived it came on a rectangular wooden board (not a fan of wooden boards). There was a Wee shot of beer, a mini bucket of fresh tartare sauce (could really taste the capers!!) a deliciously fried piece of cod resting on mushy peas and wedge of lemon resting on the peas also, lastly a mini pan of four crispy,very fat, thrice fried organic Marris Piper chips!!! The portion size was amazing and I didn't need starters or dessert or tea/coffee. There is an extensive wine list and the Christmas Menu is ready. This is definitely a restaurant to find and visit as you will really enjoy!!!!

Wing Fest Belfast

Received VIP pack for #wing fest @VandalBelfast on Sept 10 courtesy of @yelpbelfast @Yelp -bring it on!!!! 

Veggie risotto

Today for lunch I made a risotto using my veggie delight. I heated 30g salted Abernethy butter and added 2 sliced garlic cloves. After 2 minutes I added two fistfuls of risotto rice and stirred and cooked for 4 minutes. I then added 500ml boiling water and simmered for 15 minutes. I then added two serving spoons of the veggie mix and cooked for 6 minutes. The dish was now ready to serve and I added some cheddar cheese. Lunch is served!!!

Vegetable delight

How can you spruce up veg and make kids eat it? I've come up with this recipe and uses. The aim here is to try and get different vegetables, cook it up and use them in different dishes. Let me explain how I made it and then uses.

Ingredients:

1. 3 bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2. 6 celery stalks, finely chopped
3. 8 mushrooms chopped
4. 1 bag of spinach leaves
5. 3 cloves garlic finely diced
6. 1 inch ginger finely diced
7. 1 tbls dark soy sauce
8. 1 tsp sesame oil
9. 1/2 tbls coconut oil

Method

1. Heat oil in pan (I used a 4 litre one)
2. Add peppers and sweat for 3 mins, then celery and sweat for 3 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms and soy sauce and cook for 3 minutes
4. Add the spinach and sesame oil, mix and put lid on and let it sweat down and wilt for 5 minutes.

There will be lots of juices which if you keep cooking will evaporate leaving a lovely sauce. Should look like this:

I made a two egg omelette with one serving spoon of the veg. Other recipes or dishes you could use this would be in wraps with cheese, as a baked potato filling, in rice or noodles as a stir fry or pasta dishes. Any veg can be used I just happened to have these in mine!! It's simple to make, quick and can be made in bulk in advance and frozen or chilled.

HMS Caroline

I was so thrilled to bits to be able to tour the HMS Caroline (http://www.nmrn.org.uk/exhibitions-projects/hms-caroline). As a youngster I've marvelled at her and have always wanted to see her in her glory-I got my chance!!! 

She was built and launched in 1914 and is one of a few surviving ships to have served in the Battle of Jutland (off west coast of Denmark) in 1916. It took me about two hours to go around the vessel and see, hear, feel, experience the amazing audio visual as well as interactive features. 

All classes of sailor from Captain right down to ordinary sailor had to eat, sleep and serve in her. At its height some 500-800 men called her home. It was remarkable to see the facilities, service and lifestyles of captain and top brass, middle officers and ordinary sailors. It took lots of courage to be on board in battle!!

Men from all walks of life were on board. From officers to ordinary seamen, from doctors to engineers and carpenters, not to mention the cooks and clerical officers and marines. All could engage in warfare at the sound of a siren!!

Above shows the work of the code breakers and communication specialists, whilst below shows the ship and her bridge instruments.

The exterior of the vessel served many functions. It was the battlefield, excercise yard, laundry deck and fresh air. Conditions would have been very claustrophobic and smelly down below!!

There was a big engineering department which looked after the heating of the ship (coal boilers), the maintenance and of course it's propulsion provided by 4 huge oil boilers which heated water, created steam and provided the propulsion.

All this made for hungry work and depending on rank depended on quality and delivery of food. Imagine not having freezers and fridges!! Below are pictures of the food and the galley (kitchen).

Above shows the mess deck cafe where you can purchase drinks, cold and hot foods and eat it where sailors ate 100 years ago! There is also a gift shop on board.

The Battle of Jutland was a battle that lasted 36 hours, killed over twice as many British Sailors (6094) as Germans (2551) and yet Britain claimed victory!! War is bad!!

On a lighter note after she was retired from active combat duty she came to Belfast and was a teaching vessel. Modifications were made ie the Drill Hall (which served as a night club many moons ago and is now the home to a fantastic audio visual display. It can also be hired out for dining functions of up to 150 people). Once decommissioned she fell into decay and it's great to see that after a £14 million refurb she's back to beauty. Definitely work coming to see....and there's free parking!!

Thompson's Tea- An NI success

Thompson’s Family Teas are a locally owned firm which has been blending and making tea in Belfast since 1896, the most famous brand of which is Punjana. I was extremely fortunate to have spent the lion’s share of yesterday at the Belfast head quarters of Thompson’s Family Teas with Mr Ross Thompson. Ross, along with cousin David are the third generation of the Thompson family and are the Directors. Their grandfather Robert started the company in 1896 and then his two sons James (Ross’s father) and Tony (David’s father) took the helm. Ross is in charge of the Speciality Thompson Teas and both are responsible for the regular teas.  

Pic 01 Ross Thompson (left), David Thompson (right)

The most famous brand of Punjana was coined by Ross’s mother Lillias. The story goes one afternoon in 1949 when James was waiting for Lillias, who was shopping in Comber, he saw Gillespie’s Statue (he fought in Punjab India) in Comber Square. He told Lillias who noted that the letters ana were found at the end of tea gardens names in India and she combined Punj with ana and voila Punjana was born. It was not until 1959 that the famous slogan “Pick Punjana Tea” was broadcast in an animated advert on TV and the rest is history. I can remember hearing and seeing the ad (in the 70’s!!!) and it has stuck with me to this day- it truly is a simple but powerful slogan.

Pic 02 Punjana HQ 

Pic 03 Punjana Factory opens 1996

Ross joined the firm at the age of 24 (after a short banking career) in 1979 and was bitten by the tea bug!! His father sent him to India for three months, first to Kolkata (Calcutta) for a month and then for two months visiting the Tea Gardens in Assam. It was here that Ross really immersed himself, quite literally in Camellia Sinsensis or the humble tea bush. He has really become a true expert and master in the UK and in the further afield Tea World and is well respected and revered by his peers. He is a very modest and humble man and does try and shun publicity, yet is very passionate about tea, the source, production, staff and end product and is very garrulous about it. He knows and treats all 50 staff at the Belfast plant as part of the Thompson Family and he and David will dine with them in the canteen and treat them extremely well.

Pic 04 two leaves and bud of tea bush 

Pic 05 tea garden

Ross would like to see the Thompson Tea brands in “Nice Places” such as the Titanic Building, The Hastings Hotels, The National Trust, high end shops and restaurants and other high value places, in locations from here to the mainland and further afield. By his own admission the Thompson Teas are an everyday product made from the best possible and highest quality blends of teas available. The two main areas in the world where the teas come from are Kenya (East of the Rift) and Assam in India. The main differences between the two types of tea can be explained by the soil it is grown in and the weather (Kenyan has rain all year round as it is equatorial and in Assam the climate has a distinct 3-4 month dry season). The top two leaves and bud are handpicked by very skilled tea pickers (although sadly more mechanisation is creeping in). Once leaves are picked in June, July and August for optimum taste and therefore cost, the tea leaves are left to wither for 12 hours. This will release 60% moisture and there is a lovely aroma at this stage. The leaves are then crushed, rolled or cut (green) and then fermented for 50 minutes to get black tea, or air dried to get green tea (non fermented). They are then vacuum packed in foil lined bags and palleted up and are ready for shipping.

 

The facility in Belfast can hold, when full, approximately 20,000 bags of tea. This loose leaf tea from over 30 gardens from Kenya and India are all different sizes. They are classified according to size and shape and are called wonderful names such as tippy golden flowery broken orange pekoe, broken, fannings or dust or a combination of the afore. These bags would then be mixed in hoppers (all enclosed so there is no water or other contamination) to carefully concocted recipes. They would then be automatically put into tea bags (which are 3g) and boxed up ready for the shops. They would blend on average a third of Assam tea with two thirds Kenyan to make their tea. Assam tea is more full bodied, rounded and malty, whilst Kenyan is a lighter and brighter flavour. The brothers taste samples every week (I had the opportunity to taste several teas which was an experience!!) and through tea brokers in London and Dublin, who represent Mombasa and Kolkata markets, teas are bought at auction or direct from the Kaitan family (who own the McCloud Russell Company in Assam).

Pic 06 Tea Chest 

Pic 07 weekly samples 

Pic 08 tasting

Here in Northern Ireland Punjana was sold as loose leaf tea from 1950 in a quarter pound bag for two and 6 pence. It was not until 1955 that tea bags were invented and from 1956 Punjana was sold in packs. The most common pack size is 80 bags which will on average provide tea for a family of four for a week (4 cups a day). In NI we consume about 1 million bags a day!!!! The market share is about 30% but when you actually see what the other brands use in their tea bags, you will be surprised. Punjana use high quality tea leaves in all their tea. The leading other brands use lesser quality teas and mix stalks with their leaves and thereby making the tea less flavourful and cheaper. The real test is in the drinking- I was converted from a leading other brand to Punjana about 3 years ago. Producing tea under the Thompson’s Tea Insignia allows for the development of many other tea blends and drinks as below.

Pic 09 Thompson Tea Brands

Thompson’s Family Tea Signature Blend won two gold stars at the 2016 Great Taste Awards and the quintessential Original Punjana Blend won three. This is a true testament to Thompson’s Tea as to be recognised out of 10,000 food and drink items you need to write a brief, succinct description of product in less than 20 words!!! They have won many stars previously so have a great track record.

Pic 10 Signature 2 Gold Star 

Pic 11 Punjana 3 Gold Star

I would recommend you all try the tea and decide yourselves. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ross Thompson, Lindsay Skinner and Louise for all their time and help.

 

 

 

Belfast Restaurant Week

It was announced today (16 August) that this October, Belfast will celebrate NI Year of Food and Drink by shining a light on the city’s rich culinary scene during Eat & Drink Belfast Restaurant Week.

Held over a nine-day period from 8 – 16 October, Restaurant Week will promote great Belfast food and champion the city’s diverse and award-winning choice of restaurants, cafes and gastropubs, as well as celebrating  Northern Ireland’s impressive artisan producers, growers and brewers, by encouraging both residents and visitors to dine out and enjoy all that Belfast offers.

The Restaurant Week initiative, which is funded by Belfast City Council with support from Tourism Northern Ireland and delivered by Visit Belfast and Food NI, culminates in the arrival of the BBC Good Food Show, which takes place at the Belfast Waterfront from 14 – 16 Octoberand sees famous names like James Martin and the Hairy Bikers visit the city.

Eateries are now being encouraged to submit unique ‘food experiences’ – from bespoke menus to special events – for promotion during Restaurant Week. The deadline for submission is Tuesday 23 August, with more information available from Food NI.

Belfast City Councillor Deirdre Hargey said:

 

“Belfast Restaurant Week is an unmissable opportunity to show the passion that goes into making, cooking and serving up our first-class food and drink.

 

“Belfast’s hospitality industry makes a major contribution to the local economy, with nearly a thousand outlets supporting around 29,000 jobs, so the Council is pleased to support this initiative, which will give the city's many restaurants an opportunity to showcase their talented chefs and local ingredients. We are confident that Belfast Restaurant Week will encourage more people to get out and experience some of the great food available right across the city.”

 

Jorge Lopes, Country Director of Diageo NI, said;

 

“Food and drink is a key aspect of any thriving city, and Belfast can compete with the best. Food and drink is an important part of any city break – estimates show that about one third of a tourist’s spend is on food and drink - so we want to encourage our industry customers to embrace Belfast Restaurant Week to shout about what makes Belfast and Northern Ireland such  a fantastic destination for food and drink.

 

Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive of Visit Belfast, also said:

 

“Good food has always been core to the DNA of any intrepid traveller, and eating out is an increasingly important element of Belfast’s tourism offering. Food writers and critics have been raving about our restaurants and food scene for some time now and the city has been mentioned in many influential travel and food guides, notably being named as one of the top places to visit for food in 2016 by the National Geographic Traveller magazine, all of which helps in attracting more and more visitors to Belfast.

 

“Eat & Drink Belfast Restaurant Week is all about raising the profile of our eating out scene, encouraging everyone to enjoy great nights out, sampling new menus and perhaps trying something different whilst getting the true, great taste of Belfast.”

Susie Brown, Director of Corporate Development at Tourism NI added:

“The NI Year of Food and Drink has been a great success as we head into the final stages of the year, the time is right to celebrate Belfast’s unique restaurant scene. Belfast is home to very talented chefs who combine fresh, locally sourced ingredients to create dishes of distinction, and we hope this initiative will encourage everyone to get out and enjoy some great food and drink.”

Sharon Machala from Food NI concluded:

“From an Ulster fry to Michelin-starred dining and everything in between, Belfast has it all, and Eat & Drink Belfast Restaurant Week will celebrate the great variety of dining in the city. We are encouraging Belfast eateries to get involved with this celebration creating ‘food experiences’ that showcase the great local food and drink available in the city.”

Pre theatre dinner at Rhubarb

My wife and I came here and had a superb two course meal for £16.95 each. On arrival we were greeted and seated by James from Doncaster and had a lovely cool glass of water from the carafe on the table. 

My wife ordered the goats cheese fritters with salad and I had fish cakes with minted peas and tartare sauce. They were well presented and we shared each other's. Both starters were excellent!!

For mains we ordered the special of red Thai curry and rice and Haddock and chips with tartare and minted peas. The portion sizes were perfect and the dishes were cooked beautifully. Alas we were well and truly filled up!!

The service was superb and chef Danish and partner Arun have done remarkable work since taking over in March this year. It's a quaint wee BYO 36 seater restaurant and has a superb ambience. Well worth finding!!