30 June 2010
Tony O’Neill, Head Chef at the Merchant Hotel gives Jenny Curran a ‘taste’ of what’s to come at the launch of this year’s Belfast Taste & Music Fest. The summer blockbuster returns to Botanic Gardens from 4th to 8th August 2010 to celebrate the best chefs, cuisine and food products Northern Ireland has to offer.
‘EAT TO THE BEAT THIS SUMMER IN BOTANIC GARDENS’
This summer a selection of Northern Ireland’s finest chefs will come together at Belfast Taste & Music Fest, to ‘cook up a storm’ for an expected 30,000 guests. Creating the city’s largest al fresco restaurant, the event returns for an extended five days, from 4th to 8th August, to Belfast’s Botanic Gardens.
Celebrating the best chefs, cuisine and food products that Northern Ireland has to offer, Belfast Taste & Music Fest is a unique event which has proved successful in stimulating tourism whilst placing both Belfast and Northern Ireland on the ‘must visit’ global culinary map.
Culinary director, Barry Smyth, leads the chef team which includes culinary wizards; Simon Dougan (Yellow Door Deli, Portadown), Alan Higginson (No. 27 Talbot Street, Belfast), Tony O’Neill (The Merchant Hotel, Belfast), Paul Catterson (Mango, Maghera) Dean Coppard (Uluru, Armagh) Andy Rea (Mourne Seafood Bar, Belfast), Patrick Leonard (The Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast), Danny Millar (Balloo House, Killinchy), Niall McKenna (James Street South, Belfast), Derek Creagh (Kettyle Irish Foods), James Devine (Deli on the Green, Moygashel), Martin Lopez (La Boca Argentinian Restaurant Belfast) and Roisin Gavin (Taste by Roisin) who will be making delicious Italian pastries.
Adding to its culinary excellence and zest, the event will present a daily demonstration theatre featuring Noel McMeel of Lough Erne Golf Resort and the trio of Niall McKenna, Derek Creagh and Brian McCann who are featuring in the latest series of the BBC Two TV programme ‘Great British Menu’.
In addition to the wonderful food, guests can enjoy great live staged entertainment including Flash Harry, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, Maurice Jay’s Pleasuredome, The ELO Experience and much more, plus additional bar facilities including a new ‘boutique’ bar serving specialty wines and champagnes.
“It gives me great pleasure to bring this event back to Belfast,” says event organiser, Connie Cunningham. “In addition to our wonderful chefs, I would also like to thank our event sponsors including Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Belfast City Council, Coca-Cola, Guinness Diageo, Stephens Catering, Rational, Flogas, O’Kane Poultry, Kettyle Irish Foods, Linden Foods, Get Fresh, Illy, Ulster Pork & Bacon Forum, Cookstown, NI Good Food and Taste of Ulster”.
For further information on the full entertainment line up and to pre-book tickets and ‘Taste Fest Packages’ online visit www.belfasttasteandmusicfest.com
Ends.
For further information please contact Julie McCabe (07801 878850), Ursula McKinley (07904 707204) or Lorna Allen (07813 849274) at Cactus PR on 028 9045 7700.
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