Fabulous food on the Foyle is on the menu next month as part of an exciting new series of tours led by outdoor adventure gurus Far and Wild, the first of which takes place during LegenDerry Food Month.
The Coille Dhoire Cycling tour is a two-hour culinary biking adventure, set against the beautiful backdrop of the Foyle Greenway and following the story of the city’s famous Oak.
It’s just one of the highlights of a packed programme of bespoke food focused experiences that have been created to showcase and celebrate Derry and Strabane’s growing profile as an exciting food destination, led by the LegenDerry Food Network and Derry City and Strabane District Council.
The tour departs from St Columb’s Park House and journeys along the greenway to Brook Hall Estate & Gardens in Culmore and back, lasting two hours, approximately one hour of which is spent cycling.
Tracking the banks of the beautiful River Foyle, cyclists will learn more about the food progeny of the estuarine region, which has been a historic Atlantic salmon breeding ground.
It’s the first in a series of ‘totemic’ tours exploring the iconic historic landscapes of the North West through nature-based symbols, and Far and Wild director, Lorcan MacBride, believes it’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about Derry.
“The Coille Dhoire Cycle is really focused on the amazing landscape we have here, particularly along the River Foyle, and the trees which are such a part of the city’s history, particularly the oak tree.
“That’s why we linked up with Brook Hall, which has some really unique trees, and the tour offers people the chance to find out more about their history. It’s probably for more active people who are happy with a cycle of a few miles.
“We travel between St Columb’s Park House and Brook Hall, two historic buildings of Georgian plantation heritage with their own stories to tell.
“The tour will focus on the food progeny of the area and the significance of the ancient oak.
“Through the tour we hope to teach people more about where the city gets its name, and more about why people settled here originally.
“It will also appeal to people who have never been to Brook Hall, which has a magnificent location and the experience is created around a couple of the unique trees on the site and their history.”
Far and Wild have been engaging with local restaurants and cafes in recent years to deliver a unique ‘food tourism on the go’ experience, giving visitors the chance to visit local venues and sample the best local produce.
They hope to develop further new explorative experiences and to continue building on the positive partnerships with the local hospitality industry, as Lorcan explained.
“We first got involved with the food tours back when Derry was bidding for Foodie Destination status, and it has grown and developed since then with regular themed tours. We originally teamed up with the Walled City Brewery for our Long Board tours, which linked in with their Boom Ale.
“Since then, we have been trying to create experiences that tie in with the history of the city and also provide an outdoor experience that will give people an opportunity to explore the local landscape.
“For example, we work with partners like Pyke and Pommes and The Cottage where we can cycle and then stop off with the bikes and sample some of the great local food on offer.
“It’s more of a sampling experience rather than a full sit-down meal. It allows people to visit new venues and try a range of different products which they can then go back and explore at their leisure in a more formal setting.
“Pyke and Pommes has been a great partner as their street food is current and adventurous, as well as portable, so it suits our Far and Wild brand as well.
“We’ve had great interest in the tours, and we try to build our experiences around the demand and what the customer is looking for. The city tour isn’t too demanding in terms of distance, so it’s great for people who are really interested in the food rather than the cycle.
“We like to keep our eyes open, gauge what’s fresh and exciting, and change things up a bit.”
The Coille Dhoire tour has a number of dimensions, peeling back the layers of local heritage, artisan production, and natural history, with a helping of myth and legend to top it all off.
Starting with the early beginnings of the wooded island of Doire, cyclists will make the 30 minute journey across the river to the historic Brook Hall Estate & Gardens, which features some of the most unique trees in the river’s catchment.
In the Arboretum, cyclists will then have the opportunity to sample a range of local artisan foods and find out about the prominent oak trees on the site that inspired the city’s name.
The return journey along the greenway will reveal more about the foundation of the river and its role in the settlement and growth of the city.
“We aim to make the tour a regular experience, and I hope we can continue to partner with Brook Hall,” Lorcan revealed.
“We’re always looking at different ways of packaging tours and creating a really immersive experience of Derry for both visitors and local people who want to find out more about the natural environment and heritage of where they live.”
The Coille Dhoire tour will take place on Saturday February 10th at 11am, and tickets can be booked at farandwild.org/coille-dhoire-cycle-tour/
Among the other highlights of this year’s LegenDerry Food Month programme are cheese and beer tastings, al fresco food tours and cookery classes celebrating the provenance and quality of local produce.
Find out more about all the other LegenDerry Food Month events by going to: www.legenderryfood.com/events
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