Show to celebrate NI Year of Food & Drink

The show, this week launched its largest food offering to date both in the Food NI Pavilion and in the Food Garden.

A host of local artisan producers will be in attendance as well as celebrity chef and cookery author Maria Elia.

Helping launch the Food offering at the Show this week was Mark Douglas, more commonly known as the Krazi Baker.

Mark who makes artisan griddle breads on site had nothing but praise for the 2015 Food NI Pavilion at the Show: “The 2015 Show was a great weekend for foodies, the food on offer at the Show was superb and the atmosphere was brilliant. The interactions with the public were great, it was a lively and fun Show and definitely one of the best events I went to last year.”

The theme for May in the NI Year of Food & Drink 2016 is Landscape and Places which ties in beautifully to the edible garden theme which links together every aspect of the Show.

The edible idea reaches all of the display gardens from the show stopping ‘Nourishment Garden’, to talks on how to grow your own veg and demonstrations from Paula McIntyre on how to preserve the seasonal harvest and even workshops for little ones on how to grow your own.

Throughout the weekend, local chef Paula McIntyre will be demonstrating how to bring the variety of local produce and flavours together and will this year be joined in the Food Pavilion by local food blogger the Rector’s Husband.

The Food Pavilion which is supported again this year by Food NI will also host cookery author and celebrity chef Maria Elia, on Friday, May 6, who will be giving local food her famous Cypriot twist.

Featuring a range of local produce for sale, the Food Pavilion will be home to producers such as Long Meadow Cider which is created from 100% natural apples grown on the family farm in Portadown and Pepp Up a local company making a great healthy alternative to shelf bought tomato ketchups.

The Food Garden at the Show will be filled to the brim with exceptional and unusual local producers creating tasty dishes for visitors to enjoy.

The menu will include; delicious steak sandwiches from Armagh based Forthill Farm; seasonal wild game, Cabrito from Broughgammon Farm in County Antrim and tasty homemade pies from Jolly Pies.

Sitting alongside the traditional array of plants, artisan food stalls, local craft and stunning garden visuals will be fun filled activities appealing to all age groups.

Show Patron Monty Don will be attending again this year and with live music, a dedicated kids zone with kite making, insect hotels and fairy houses, a tea dance, flower arranging competitions there really is something for everyone at the Show.

The 2016 Allianz Garden Show Ireland will run from May 6-8 at Antrim Castle Gardens and is open daily from 10am-6pm with parking in town centre car parks and at Junction One.

Admission for adults is £10 (concession £8) and the event is free for children under 16. There is a reduced rate for online booking

and for more information visit www.gardenshowireland.com