Comber Earlies celebrated in style

It’s now one of our most successful community food and drink events and one that continues to grow from strength to strength. The impact of Taste Ards and North Down is evident.

I am sure that everyone who came to the festival in Comber enjoyed it immensely. It’s an event that we all look forward to being part of, and I was delighted to see so many of our member companies present and showcasing their local produce.

I congratulate our friends at Ards and North Down Council for their continuing focus on, and dedication to, this excellent community event as an integral part of the impressive Taste Summer Programme.

The council is among many here now investing in the future of our vibrant food and drink industry. We’ve been delighted to have worked with a number of councils on important initiatives for our most significant industry and employer.

There’s now an extensive range of local community events that are helping in raising public awareness of food and drink producers here. Every event helps the companies, especially artisan enterprises, as they endeavour to grow sales in the Northern Ireland marketplace to ensure long-term success here and then in Britain and across Ireland.

This event has received funding from DAERA’s Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme that does so much to support the industry.

Events like the Comber festival showcase the variety, quality and outstanding taste of the smaller companies to consumers who may be persuaded to give priority to local produce.

The celebration of one of our EU PGI endorsed products – announced when we were still part of the European Community – also supported through collaboration with Comber Regeneration Community Partnership (CRCP) and Comber Earlies Growers' Co-operative.

The event has attracted local business support such as the series of initiatives by chef/owner Jim Mulholland of the Georgian House restaurant on the square. He is a tremendous supporter of local produce and uses as many as possible in his menus and other activities.

The iconic potato is one of four foods to receive EU status, the others being the Armagh Bramley Apple, Lough Neagh Eel and Lough Neagh Pollan. It’s far from clear how the Government will replace the EU endorsements now that we are outside the EU.

An interesting aspect of the Comber festival was the Artisan Bar that featured a local beer brewed by McBride’s in the Square, as well as other breweries from the area. I was lucky enough to enjoy a cheese and beer pairing experience in McBrides a few months ago and I can thoroughly recommend it. It’s a great collaboration between Indie Fude and McBrides. Comber also has its own whiskey again in the shape of Old Comber that’s now distilled by Echlinville at Kircubbin.

It was also great to catch up with festival chef Rachel Allen, the bestselling cookery writer, TV chef and celebrated teacher at the world-famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork. Rachel’s demonstrations proved popular with the crowds who were there to experience the Comber Early.

Finally, well done to all at Marshall Beekeeping who received Gold at the London International Honey Awards, a global competition, receiving the 2024 Global Honey stars.