Oh what a day this little duck had at the Food and Drink Show NI! Free food samples, cookery demonstrations using the produce for purchase at the show, celebrity guests, a wee tipple or two…

Lets get straight to the exhibitors there on the day. A stand out for me was a brand spanking new company called Islander. Islander will keep you well stocked in Kelp, which is gathered on Rathlin Island! I had to admit to being very, very sceptical of this as I’m not a big lover of any food that comes from the sea (yes, I know I’m missing out!). I tried some Islander Rathlin Kelp Pesto and was pleasantly surprised! It turns out Kelp is pretty darn good, and the company sells it in different cuts for use in salads or as a substitute for noodles. It’s early days for the company, but if you see any stockists then please comment and let us know!

I definitely got my hands on some Keen Nut Butter. Now these guys know their nut butters. They have a range of flavours and, at the minute, its all made in a kitchen in Crawfordsburn! They are, however, crowdfunding for a Nut Butter Factory. If you donate, then you can get your hands on some ‘nutty rewards’ – lifted straight from the website, I swear!

Regular favourites including Clandeboye Yoghurt and Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil were present. Honestly, I’m starting to like Rapeseed Oil better than Olive Oil, and companies like Broighter and Newgrange Gold are making it on your doorstep. Give it a go! Bellingham Blue Cheese was in attendance, as well as plenty of artisan producers of jams and chutneys! Pollocks Pickles and Preserves, made in Monaghan, had a great display, as did Crossogue Preserves, made in Tipperary. My friend purchased a mini jar of Brandy Butter from Crossogue Preserves and ended up eating the entire thing with a spoon. I’ve been assured that it’s amazing but I would not recommend you do this at home. It may have been a mini jar but I’m fairly certain it contained more than one portion!

Blacks Farm from Country Antrim had loads of great quality meat on display and has been certified as Organic by the Soil Association! You can contact Blacks farm about collecting fresh meat from their farm shop, or you can enquire about local delivery!

What would a food fair be without a little tipple? Plenty of the big names were on show, including Guinnes, Harp, Baileys and Bushmills, but the local producers were out in force! DJ’s Apple Juice and Tempted? Irish Cider range is always excellent. Mac’s Armagh Cider was fantastic, although I can’t find a weblink for it yet, but sure that only means it’ll be an even better surprise when you do find it! Mac’s had a great range of Dry through to Sweet ciders, getting all the punters on the day to taste each one, normally stronger than the last. The final sample was excellent and the stallholder had us guess the %alcohol. It was from their stock of Kids Apple Juices. Well played Mac’s.

I don’t have the time or the space to name them all so, you can find a link of all the exhibitors here. Weather for Ducks is about championing local producers who put food on our plates with minimal food-miles attached, fresh as you like. Having said this, it was great to see some producers there who had travelled from a little further afield to be at the event, such as The Little Welsh Deli and Oh Sugarplum. A special mention also has to go to a distillery in Hereford called Chase. They make an amazing Rhubarb Vodka, among other vodkas, gins and liqueurs. Chase is stocked by the Anzac Wines and Spirits in Ballycastle.

The Open Kitchen segment was a nice touch. Local Chefs would put on a bit of a cookery course for the audience, free of any extra charge. In our case, we got to watch Derek Patterson from The Tannery make a steak dinner and a lobster dinner using ingredients from the Show. His demonstration, being sponsored by Love Food Hate Waste, showed us how to make everything with minimal waste.

I can’t wait to attend this again next year. The Food and Drink Show NI is only in it’s first year and I’m certain it will only go from strength to strength in promoting our excellent local producers!

Ducktacular