Celebrity Chef and The Florentinas Ready to Rock at Portavogie Food Festival

14th August 2023

Portavogie will be a hive of activity on 1 and 2 September with an exquisite Dine at the Dock fine dining experience kicking off a memorable foodie weekend that also includes the popular Tide and Turf Food Festival, where festivalgoers will be able to enjoy live music from The Florentinas and String Ninjas!

On Friday 1 September, Dine at the Dock will offer the very best of our local seafood, beef and harvest foods with a four-course tasting menu curated by Paula and the team at South Eastern Regional College. It will be an unforgettable experience for diners as Paula hosts an exclusive evening in a unique pop-up restaurant setting. Tickets cost £75 per person and a free return bus service will operate from Bangor, stopping in Donaghadee and Ballyhalbert.

The Tide and Turf Food Festival, which has received funding from DAERA’s Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme, takes place the following day on Saturday 2 September. The FREE-to-attend event is open from 12noon until 5pm, and Portavogie Harbour will come to life with a range of activities and foodie attractions that showcase the food produced around the harbour and surrounding farmland.

Paula McIntyre and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) will provide a variety of food demonstrations throughout the event. There will be a range of free children’s activities too, including pedal boats, sand crafts and Punch and Judy shows!

You can also quench your thirst at the pop-up bar and pick up a snack from one of the many artisan food stalls, while music lovers can grab a deckchair and enjoy live music from The Florentinas and String Ninjas.

The Florentinas are a four-piece alternative rock band from Bangor who are making waves in the Northern Irish scene and beyond. We can’t wait to welcome them to the Tide and Turf stage.

The String Ninjas will also perform live and the duo consists of a fingerstyle guitarist and electric violinist. Infectious energy exudes from their performances as they return to Portavogie to entertain everyone.

Free buses will be in operation from Bangor, Newtownards, Cloughey and Portaferry to Portavogie for the Festival. There will be stops in Donaghadee, Millisle, Ballywalter and Ballyhalbert on the Bangor route, as well as Kircubbin and Greyabbey on the Newtownards route.

Let your foodie dreams come true and don’t miss these seasonal events featuring our delicious local tide and turf produce.

Dine at the Dock and the Tide and Turf Food Festival are running as part of a programme of free and ticketed events that are taking place during Taste Autumn in Ards and North Down (31 August – 10 September). For more information about these events and the entire programme, including free bus and parking information, go to visitardsandnorthdown.com/tasteautumn