Taste Autumn in Ards and North Down

Visit Ards and North Down providers are celebrating local food and drink with events taking place in locations across the borough during Taste Autumn, from 5 – 15 September, with the popular Tide and Turf, Portavogie on Saturday 7 September. The programme includes free and ticketed events. 

Programme Highlights

Stargazing at Burr Point | Thursday 5 September | From 9pm | £5pp (bus leave Millisle beach car park at 8.30pm) - SOLD OUT 

Stargazing at Ballyhalbert's Burr Point. You can enjoy a hot chocolate at the islands most easterly point and explore the incredible starry skies with the Northern Ireland Amateur Astronomy Society and their telescopes.

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Demo and Dine with Rachel Allen | Friday 6 September | From 7pm | £60pp - SOLD OUT 

A unique dining experience with celebrity chef Rachel Allen at Portavogie Harbour - enjoy welcome drinks and canapes, interactive starters, and main course platters followed by dessert.  

Rachel Allen will demo some of the dishes from the menu which will feature the finest local produce, curated by the team at the local South Eastern Regional College (SERC). 

Find out more

Tide and Turf Food Festival Portavogie | Saturday 7 September | 12noon - 5pm

A FREE to attend family fun event showcasing local food and drink featuring celebrity chefs Rachel Allen and James Tanner.

Savour seasonal tide and turf produce and some of the borough's finest food and drink as we celebrate the very best of our local seafood, beef and harvest foods. 

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This event has received funding from DAERA’s Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme.

Taste Autumn from 5 – 15 September <<View our quick glance guide>> 

Enjoy this celebration of land and sea and savour the season with delicious local produce. Enjoy authentic food and drink experiences showcasing unique venues and our local food heroes.

Please note: Menus for some elements of the Taste Ards and North Down food programme are seasonal and subject to change without advance notice. For information contact the host venue for the specific foodie experience that you are interested in.

Recipe inspiration

Food demonstrations and unique foodie experiences make up the programme and we want to inspire you with some dishes you can try for yourself at home, which have kindly been provided by our local chefs, producers and SERC lecturers, and may feature at some of the events.- Taste Autumn Recipes 

Chilli Festival, Bangor Castle Walled Garden | 14 and 15 September 

Things are hotting up in the Walled Garden on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September. Showcasing many different varieties of chilli plants from around the world, local food producers, an evening BBQ (Saturday 14 Sept, ticketed - SOLD OUT), live music and lots of fun! 

Find out more.

Make a break of it

Stay a while and take a break on our shores. Relax in the beauty of this place, offering everything from 5 star luxury to cosy guest houses or unique self-catering options, maybe camping and caravanning is more your thing, let us help you plan your perfect getaway. 

Find out more in our Plan Your Trip section.

For more inspiration and tips on how to make the most of your trip sign up to our newsletter.

Please note:

Online booking fees apply where relevant. None when booking in person or by phone via our Visitor Information Centres.

[Details subject to change. This event is being photographed/filmed. Images may be used in Ards and North Down Borough Council promotional material. If you do not want your image to be used, please inform our event staff].

Burr Point Sculpture Artist: Ned Jackson Smyth.