TASTE AND welcome Belfast City Council Food and Drink Network learning journey to the Borough

4th March 2024

Ards and North Down Borough Council (ANDBC) was pleased to facilitate a learning journey with Belfast City Council in February to showcase the great work that Council have been doing to develop our local food and drink offering.

The newly formed Belfast network attended to learn about the establishment of an active network in ANDBC and how the new four-year development plan, through to 2027, was devised. In addition, they were keen to find out about the development of food and drink experiences in the borough through collaboration between network members, hearing from such members and businesses as to how they have been supported and developed their activities with ANDBC assistance.

The learning journey, which included 30 representatives from food and drink businesses, Belfast City Council officers and representatives from Food NI and DAERA visited a number of development sites, including Carlos Capparelli’s exciting new venture at the Old Mill, The Walled Garden - Helen’s Bay and at Clandeboye Estate. Guests learned about their stories and new developments planned with Clandeboye yogurt.

Of course, no food and drink journey would be complete without sampling some of our best produce. Lunch saw sharing platters of local beef, pork and seafood at Harbour & Co, afternoon sampling of gin and whiskey at Echlinville Distillery and local IPA beer at McBrides in Comber, before fine dining at No. 14 at The Georgian House with a three course dinner of locally sourced cheese, shellfish and pork to finish the day.