Food and Drink

In Wales, Palm Sunday is also known as Flower Sunday in reference to the blossoms in full flight at this time of the year. Picture: Mother's Garden

Availability of fresh figs is sporadic but dried figs are available all year

Members of the RNLI (North Coast) receive the 999 Hero award from Blue Lights stars Joanne Crawford and Desmond Eastwood, along with Colin Hughes from category sponsor Four Star Pizza, at last year's Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards. To nominate a member of the emergency services for this year’s 999 Hero Award, sponsored by Four Star Pizza, send an email to spiritofniawards@sundaylife.co.uk, providing some information on the person(s) they are nominating and why they deserve to win. Closing date for nominations is Sunday May 4, 2025

Four Star Pizza calls on NI public to nominate their 999 Heroes

Wild garlic pesto is a great way to use the leaves and you can use it to dress salads, rub on toast and sprinkle with cheese for a snack, serve it on grilled meats, stir into pasta dishes. Picture: David Overend

Wild garlic might smell and taste like bulb garlic, but it’s a different beast

Tim Hortons’ Chicken Donut Sandwich and Cheesy Loaded Timbits®.

Naughty but nice: Tim Hortons launches new menu items including a chicken donut ...

Gorse bushes are in full swing at the moment and herald the start of spring. The countryside is adorned with their vibrant, canary yellow blossom.

Traditionally gorse flowers would have been used to colour Easter eggs

If potatoes, bananas and apples alone were sold loose it’s estimated it would save 60,000 tonnes of these products being thrown out every year. Picture: PA Photos

Nearly five million tonnes of perfectly edible food is thrown away in the UK eve...

Beamish sales double as Northern Ireland drinkers tap into new stout favourite

Fodder team with TV presenter Christine Talbot and Peter Wright from The Yorkshire Vet

New look Fodder reopens after stunning refurbishment

Whiskey or Bourbon as well as being a great drink and an essential ingredient in many cocktails whiskey makes a great ingredient in food

Bourbon is credited to a preacher whose ancestors hailed from Ulster

Orry Shand

QMS to champion Scotch beef, Scotch lamb and specially selected pork at IFE 2025

Leeks are such a beautiful vegetable, they’re relatively cheap and have bags of flavour. You could serve a gammon or roast chicken

Pies take many forms – encased in pastry, topped with potato or sweet

Duncan Morrison will finish bulls at grass again this year at the Deeside Monitor Farm

Results revealed for Deeside Monitor Farm trial finishing bulls at grass

High feed prices made Deeside Monitor Farmers Duncan and Claire Morrison question their bull beef finishing system, and led to trialling finishing them at grass last summer; the final results have now been released.

Darryl Armitage

Darryl Armitage

Tracy Martin, reputation manager at QMS

QMS strengthens red meat reputation drive with new role

One of Northern Ireland’s leading hospitality and entertainment businesses, Dormans Hospitality Group (DHG), has confirmed details of a major expansion of one of its premiere venues. The Blind Piglet will be the latest addition to the group’s expanding range of facilities at the Dormans Bar complex in Magherafelt. Pictured overseeing the construction work are Henry McGlone (Director, DHG) and Andrew Neilson (Bar Manager, Dormans). The new Blind Piglet 5 000 sq ft addition will create 25 new jobs when the doors open in mid-March and represents a substantial £750 000 investment in the entertainment complex by DHG. As the latest addition to the Dormans Bar complex, The Blind Piglet will provide a fully immersive live music venue and is set to become the go-to spot for late-night entertainment, casual street food and live sport viewing in the heart of Mid Ulster.

Dormans Magherafelt announces major expansion

YFCU attend wide-scale tax inheritance protest in London on Pancake Tuesday Darryl Armitage

Darryl Armitage

Tess Osborn, head of fresh foods sourcing NI at Tesco and Golden Popcorn managing director Sean McClinton celebrate the 10-year partnership

Golden popcorn marks a decade of Oscar-worthy partnership with Tesco NI

Paula McIntyre griddles fresh pancakes and traditional soda bread with the Henderson Group at St George’s Market. Picture: Aaron McCracken/Harrisons

For a bit of drama go with a crepe and toss it in the air this Pancake Tuesday

David Argue has been appointed as a Teagasc cattle specialist based at Teagasc Ballyhaise and will cover the North East of the country

David Argue has been appointed as a new cattle specialist with Teagasc

Quality Meat Scotland showcases Scotch lamb at Gulfood 2025

With main lambing season fast approaching, new on-farm research is highlighting the serious “unintended consequences” of poor colostrum storage and equipment hygiene.

Care needed with supplementary colostrum to avoid ‘unintended consequences’
With main lambing season fast approaching, new on-farm research is highlighting the serious “unintended consequences” of poor colostrum storage and equipment hygiene.
Darryl Armitage

Agriculture course manager Louisa Dines

New degree launched to root policymakers in agricultural knowledge

John Farry, Chelsea Evans and David James. Picture: Vincent Loughran Armagh

Winners and presentations at The Northern Ireland Country Music Awards

Cauliflower and cheese are natural bedfellows and the recipe here uses the tried and tested combination. Picture: National World archives

Cauliflower is a maligned vegetable but it’s very tasty at this time of year

Across Northern Ireland there are bakeries like these in many towns. This Real Bread Week, go and find one in your local area and support them. Imagine a world where we could only source mass produced bread from supermarkets?

We are lucky in Northern Ireland in that we have some superb bakeries

Paula McIntyre, Sarah Travers and Tally Knipe

Inspiring women’s retreat featuring Sarah Travers and Paula McIntyre announced

Newcastle-based Black Box Donuts are bringing a touch of sweetness to Tesco Northern Ireland superstores

Black Box Donuts seals sweet deal with Tesco Northern Ireland superstores

Adam Henson took guests on a walk around his Cotswold Farm Park and surrounding farmland

Adam Henson kicks off the Big Farmland Bird Count on his farm

Dr Liz Homer

Trials show soya-free diet success for dairy cows according to new research

In response to increased findings of highly pathogenic avian influenza (’bird flu’) in wild birds and new cases in poultry and kept birds, coupled with heightened risk levels, the Avian Influenza housing measures are being extended to mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of the disease

Avian influenza housing measures have been expanded

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir with David Garrett, NIGTA, Cormac McKervey, Ulster Bank, Neville Graham, Dale Farm and Daryl McLaughlin, NIMEA at the launch of the new CAFRE ‘Supporting Agri-Professionals’ Programme

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir launches new agri-professionals programme

Work is well under way on a major refurbishment of one of Dungannon’s most popular bars, Hagan’s Bar in Irish Street, which was purchased last September for an undisclosed sum by Magherafelt-based 1 Oak Leisure Ireland. The new owners have revealed that, after five decades, the name of the bar will change to The Blackthorn Tavern with plans to reopen mid-March. The venue will be given a full traditional bar re-fit, with a new beer garden and will be open seven days a week, offering ‘great food, live music and lots of craic’. Making sure that everything is on schedule for the March re-opening are 1 Oak Leisure Ireland director Nicky Wright with Bar Supervisor Raymond Sheehan (left) and Venue Manager Gerry Fearon.

Work under way on major refurbishment of popular Dungannon bar
Work is well under way on a major refurbishment of one of Dungannon’s most popular bars.
Darryl Armitage

Northern Ireland snack lovers could enjoy a credit ‘crunch’ with a difference by making a ‘crisp cash’ withdrawal from the Bank of McCoy’s over the next two months. As the cost of living continues to soar, the UK’s number one ridged crisp McCoy’s is giving shoppers the chance to unlock a £100,000 prize vault – with instant cash prizes of up to £1,000 available on-pack – while local retailers can also cash in with a separate £50,000 prize vault dedicated just for them. Lots of free stock and packs of McCoy’s crisps are also up for grabs by scanning an on-pack QR code and entering a unique code. Launching the campaign, which runs from now until April 13, are McCoy’s bankers Ricky Watts (left) and John Baxter of KP Snacks (NI) Ltd, McCoy’s parent company

Bank of McCoy’s opens its vault to Northern Ireland snack lovers

A rib of beef is an ideal cut to roast. In the recipe here it’s roasted medium rare but if you want it well done just keep it in the oven. Picture: National World archives/Charles Knight

Valentine’s Day is a table blocker that our local restaurants could do without

Northern Ireland weekly market report - 3 February 2025

Northern Ireland weekly market report - 3 February 2025

Brennan's Bread Dough It Yourself: Winners Gaelscoil na Daróige (front row) Emily ní Ghabhann, Meidhbhín ni Dhonghaile, Caoilfhionn Carlin and Fionntán Ó Calside and Calvin Óg Mac Ailín. (Back row) Event MC Denise Watson, Chef Brian Timon, Ivan Hammond of Brennans Bread, and Gaelscoil na Daróige School Principal Fiachra Ó'Donghaile

Gaelscoil na Daróige wins inaugural Brennans Bread sustainability competition

Elen Morris

Award-winning student impresses judges with dedication to her agri-food career

Pictured launching the competition are local schoolchildren Harry (7) and Esme Towers (9) alongside Ryan Lemon, Regional Manager for M&S in Northern Ireland

M&S and YoungMinds launch competition to support young peoples mental health

Taste of Tourism Compere, Pamela Ballantine is pictured with Mark Begley, Executive Head Chef, Culloden Estate and Spa.

Taste of Tourism 2025 to feature acclaimed chef Tom Brown and industry experts

A Great Range of Sicilian Wine Styles

On the Grapevine: Bring on the sunshine with fine Sicilian wines

Powerful new brand position for Belfast's rich food and drink offering unveiled

Twenty-six young professionals from butchery and hospitality joined us at the mart

Scotland’s red meat sector kicks off 2025 with a bang:

Like everything else there are variations in the quality of the good old “Yorkie”. Picture: National World archives

Really, do we need to have an excuse to enjoy a Yorkshire Pudding or two?

KitKat launches three ‘game-changing’ new bars, are they available?

Final preparations are well underway at the iconic Pearl Assurance building Donegall Square East in central Belfast ahead of the launch of Black Sheep Coffee’s first store in Ireland. The 99-seater site will officially open at 6.30am on Tuesday 4th February and is set to introduce a new experience for coffee lovers in the city by serving the first speciality-grade Robusta beans on the market. A number of special opening day offers and incentives including £1 coffees will be available. Pictured are (left to right) Arthur Schumann (Belfast store manager), Travis Sloan (head barista), and Anthony Morrissey (media and marketing director, Bannon and Bannon Property Holdings)

New pastures open for Black Sheep Coffee in Belfast

McCoy’s turns up the heat in Northern Ireland with fiery new flavour

Niall Matthews, chairperson of Lakeland Dairies (left) with Bernard Doherty, co-opted to the board of directors

Lakeland Dairies appoints Bernard Doherty as new independent director

Farming Life news

New £2 million project to save UK from food shortages

Open to S1, S2, and S3 pupils across Scottish secondary schools

Global Burger Challenge 2025 launches to inspire Scotland’s future food leaders

The first Burns supper was held at the family cottage, in the village of Alloway near Ayr, by Burns's friends, on 21 July 1801, the fifth anniversary of his death.

Scottish or not Burns’s birthday is an excuse to liven up a January day

The Northern Ireland Country Music Awards (NICMA’s) voted by the public returns on Monday 17th February 2025

Less than four weeks to go to Northern Ireland Country Music Awards

Lucy Ozanne, industry strategy and public affairs manager, Gordon Newlands, brands development manager, and Kate Rowell, chair of QMS

QMS showcases best of Scotch beef, lamb and pork at Taste of Scotland event

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has announced the return of its successful When You Know You Know campaign, set to reach over 81% of adults in Scotland when it launches on 6 January 2025

Campaign returns to highlight red meat as part of a healthy, balanced diet

Bushmill Irish Coffee

Enjoy a cocktail using Bushmills Irish Whiskey this Irish Coffee Day

Fish is a bit sparse at this time of year but smoked mackerel is a constant you can always rely on. Go to a fishmonger or deli to pick up some properly smoked fish. Picture: Tony Johnson

Blood oranges aren’t here for a long so make some time to cherish them

Bronagh Luke, Rob Lyttle and Chris Thompson

Rob Lyttle player tackles final weeks of Tearfund poverty appeal with SPAR

The perfect sausages and mash is with the sausages cooked in an onion gravy with a tin of cannellini beans added at the end

My go to dishes for this kind of icy weather are pies, sausage and mash

Joanne Boyle, Elephant Rock Hotel

Portrush West Strand named the beach people would visit for a lifetime

Peter and Shane Divilly, owners of Galway-based Divilly Brothers meat suppliers, pictured with Peter Bough, ALDI Buying Director and siblings, Teagan and Moya Farrell as the company lands a new €4 million contract with the retailer.

Aldi extend contracts with Divilly Brothers in Oranmore

Eat more greens. It goes against the grain but there’s no disputing the benefits of eating them. Eating chard, kale and broccoli for example will provide you with food with the highest content of antioxidants, essential minerals and vitamins. Picture: www.LockStockPhotography.com

Rather than focusing on the negative, why not eat what makes us feel good?