Council give firms some food for thought

Participants from Me and Mrs Jones boutique hotel in Portstewart, The Manor House on Rathlin Island and The Tides, Portrush who recently completed the World Host Food Ambassador training pictured with Wendy Gallagher (second left) and Steven Chambers (middle town, second left) who led the course, along with Siobhan McKenna (middle row, second right) from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Councils Tourism Team

In the Causeway Coast and Glens, a wealth of local producers, food experiences and high quality eateries is helping to attract this type of visitor to the area.

In order to meet their expectations, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, in association with Tourism NI, recently organised World Host Food Ambassador training for tourism trade members.

This accredited programme has been created specifically for Northern Ireland’s acclaimed food and drink industry to ensure that visitors enjoy the best possible experience.

Dylan Neill from The Tides restaurant and Tania McFaul from The Manor House on Rathlin Island pictured with trainer Wendy Gallagher and Siobhan McKenna from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Councils Tourism Team at the recent World Host Food Ambassador training

Thirty participants, including staff from Me and Mrs Jones boutique hotel in Portstewart, The Manor House on Rathlin Island and The Tides, Portrush, took part in the latest round of training, enhancing their skills to ensure guests receive a warm and friendly welcome, developing their knowledge of the wide variety of local produce on offer and learning how local food stories can create memorable food experiences.

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Councillor Sean Bateson said: “I am delighted to see the industry avail of this tailored training opportunity to become Food Ambassadors for our area.

“The Causeway Coast and Glens is home to an outstanding array of award winning food and drink products, which are proving to be a significant draw for potential visitors.

“It’s important that we capitalise on this, and that everyone from the producers themselves to frontline staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to make this a truly stand-out destination.

“I would like to offer my congratulations to everyone who has a role to play in showcasing our produce whether in a restaurant, as part of a food tour or at one of our local markets.”

Kerrie McGonigle, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s Destination Manager added: “The training was organised as part of our Taste Causeway 2019 event and the ongoing Taste the Island celebrations which are both built around our fantastic local food and drink sector.

“It gave our participants a chance to network in a learning environment, to pick up simple and effective ideas to bring back to the workplace and to gain a recognised qualification. Congratulations to our all our new Food Ambassadors and thank you to our partners in delivering this training, Portrush Atlantic, The Marine Hotel, Causeway Coast Foodie Tours and Chambers Consulting.”

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