Some of the biggest names in the Irish food industry will be in Derry next month to serve up a feast of culinary treats at the LegenDerry Food Festival taking place over the St Patrick’s weekend.
Mayor Cllr Martin Reilly with Mary Blake, Derry City Council Tourism Officer, Michelle Shirlow, Food NI, Brian McDermott, RTE ‘No Salt Chef’, John McKenna Bridgestone and McKenna Guide, Julie-ann Moorehead, DARD NI Regional Food Programme at the LegenDerry Food Festival.
The event, supported by the DARD Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme and the City of Culture Legacy Fund, will feature top television chefs Rachel Allen, Neven Maguire, Brian McDermott, the “no salt” chef and Ian Orr (Irish Chef of the Year 2013) from Browns Restaurant in the city, who will be joined in the huge marquee kitchen by BBC Radio Ulster’s Paula McIntyre and a whole host of local cooking talent from restaurants across the city, including The Custom House, The Sooty Olive, The Beech Hill, Harry’s Restaurant, Primrose Café, The Irish Food Heritage Project and more.
The Festival, launched with the support of leading Irish food critic John McKenna, from the prestigious Bridgestone Guides, is being run by Derry City Council from March 15-17 in tandem with a three day St Patrick’s extravaganza of family friendly events.
John has just spent three days in the city, sampling the best on offer in many of our LegenDerry Restaurants and was hugely impressed with the standards and drive for local produce.
Food fans will be able enjoy live cookery demonstrations, competitive cook offs and of course sample some of the best signature dishes hot off the stove, in a delicious weekend of fine food and the very best local produce.
The theme is “LegenDerry and Local” and visitors can sample the best of produce from the North West and Northern Ireland, from game and goat, to dairy and deli.
In addition to the Boulevard of Chefs and Theatre of Food in the main Festival Marquee, visitors will also enjoy the LegenDerry Food Fair inside the Guildhall with exhibitors selling artisan food, including jams and chutneys, hand-churned butter, slow food and fresh produce, all locally produced.
The event will also feature a week- long LegenDerry Food trail, in restaurants across the city.
Event organiser with Derry City Council, Mary Blake, said she was delighted to welcome such a high calibre list of industry names to the city.
She said: “Building on the success of last year’s Flavours of the Foyle Seafood Festival, we are delighted to launch the first ever LegenDerry Food Fest and to diversify into a wide range of food types.
“We welcome such a great selection of high profile chefs and producers to the festival this year, and television chefs like Rachel Allen, Neven Maguire and Brian McDermott are really keen to join us on putting Derry firmly on the culinary map..
“Derry is very quickly establishing its place as an exciting food destination and the quality of our local produce is second to none.
“We have a wealth of talent in our local kitchens, driven chefs, and people with the drive and vision to further advance the food tourism market and secure the city’s title as one of Ireland’s top food destinations.”
She concluded: “I would encourage everyone to come along and enjoy some of the most innovative and exciting cuisine around.”
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