Foodies flocking to North Coast for artisan fare
By CLAIRE SAVAGE 9 July, 2016
Claire Savage loves talking about and writing about food and drink and loves hearing other people’s passion for the developing food and drink identity in Northern Ireland. Here she speaks to some North Coast producers who are doing their bit to pull in tourists from overseas.
Artisan food producers are putting the North Coast firmly on the food tourism map, as more and more visitors flock to the area to enjoy everything from handcrafted bread to smoked salmon. With local produce used in B&Bs, served in restaurants and cafés, and available at markets, it’s creating a healthy economic outlook both for producers and traders alike.
Live It Experience It, a cluster of tourism businesses working together to promote Northern Ireland in all it has to offer, recently spoke with some of these North Coast producers. Feedback subsequently supported the fact that tourists as well as local residents, are now planning their trips around market days and seeking out the coast specifically for its food and drink.
Shauna McFall from the Naturally North Coast and Glens market (Naturally NC&G) in Ballycastle, a special artisan market running on the first Saturday of the month, says: “We’re getting emails from people in the UK who’ve been to the market previously and want their visit to coincide with it. Tourists and locals come to Ballycastle for the market and then spend the day here.”
Among the traders who initially tested their products at the market and continue to trade there is the North Coast Smokehouse, based in Ballycastle and run by Melanie Brown and Ruairidh Morrison. Their smoke-roasted organic salmon from Glenarm, smoked sea salt, black pepper and dulse flakes are all incredibly popular, and often sell out.
“The market is a really good opportunity to meet potential trade customers as well,” says Ruairidh. “People are coming from all over and established Ballycastle traders also benefit.”
Having previously lived in New Zealand, the couple created their business due to a lack of jobs in the area, but quickly developed a real passion for their produce. “Ruairidh especially wanted to try smoked salmon, as he’d worked in the salmon industry in Scotland and New Zealand,” says Melanie.
Their dulse, meanwhile, is sourced from Islander Rathlin Kelp on Rathlin Island – another local producer – and they use traditional methods to create their flavoursome smoky taste.
Dara and Ciara O’hArtghaile from Ursa Minor Bakehouse in Ballycastle, also began trading at the Naturally NC&G market two years ago. The pair use traditional methods to bake their sourdough breads and sweet bakes, which sell like hotcakes both at the market and in their café.
“We were inspired by the café culture in New Zealand, where we used to live, where cafés source everything locally and have a relationship with the people they buy from,” says Dara. “We’re very selective about who we work for as I think relationship is so important for small-scale and artisan businesses. If you don’t have that relationship, you just become another producer.”
Meanwhile, after spotting a gap in the market, Linda and James Christie from Ballinteer Farm Quail in Macosquin began supplying quail eggs in January this year. After farming cows for 14 years, they now manage a farm of around 1,000 breeding birds and are the only quail farm in Northern Ireland, supplying both eggs and meat.
“We found that 99% of quail eggs were coming from Europe, and we knew there was an interest in locally produced meat and eggs,” says Linda. “We work with some local chefs and are stocked in some shops. We also sell the meat at the markets and are looking into supplying B&Bs.”
Live It Experience It’ is a group of journalists and travel writers who tell the story of our members. We work collaboratively with our members, which are tourism businesses, to promote Northern Ireland through water, air and land based activities, food and drink and great places to stay. Together we let our visitors know of all of the amazing things Northern Ireland has to offer. To become a member business in of ‘Live It Experience It’ call our office on 028 3756 8436 or please submit your information through our online form. T&Cs apply – Sign Up Here Let us tell your story! Live It Experience It is the NW200 tourism partner for 2018.
