THE north's only slow food festival is returning to Derry next month.
Organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council, the festival, which attracted over 25,000 visitors last year, will celebrate its return to Guildhall Square next month with the launch of two new high quality local food and drink products.
The new home-grown products - Walled City Brewery’s eagerly anticipated ‘1689’ Siege beer and Breslin butchers’ Tirkeeran Black Pudding, will be unveiled during the two-day festival which is taking place from October 7 to 9.
Internationally renowned eco-chef and food writer Tom Hunt will be the special guest at this year’s event, while festival-goers will be spoilt for choice with the wide range of fresh meat, charcuterie, fish, fruit, veg, cheeses, breads, desserts, preserves and ice-cream on offer from vendors.
Other highlights include the harvest fayre, attended by around 20 local artisan producers, live cooking demos and a craft beer garden.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, councillor Maolíosa McHugh said:
“As well as all the culinary activity and natural buzz surrounding this event, there will also be live music and singing by popular local artists to add to the festival atmosphere and plenty of free children’s activities including a petting farm and smoothie bike machine to keep families entertained during the two-day event.”
Paula McIntyre, director of Slow Food NI and Slow Food UK Chef Alliance member, added:
“Now more than ever it's vital that we support local farmers, producers and growers. The Slow Food ethos of ‘good, clean and fair’ is practised by all the exhibitors - whether it's a local cheese maker, oyster farmer, sourdough pizza maker or charcuterie producer, with a myriad in between, they follow the same principles."
