The NI Food & Drink Pavilion returns to the Balmoral Show and this year it is set to wow crowds with over 100 local food and drink companies and three Theatre Kitchens.
Organised by food and drink membership organisation Food NI and supported by the Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme, the NI Food & Drink Pavilion will tantalise your taste buds with delicious and original food and drink on offer, from award-winning gins to mouth-watering cheese. The Pavilion includes a number of new and innovative businesses, with emerging trends in sustainability, health and food tourism.
This year, Food NI welcomes a host of excellent local companies including NI favourite’s Glastry Farm Ice Cream, Whites, Linwoods, TAYTO and Thompsons Tea. Karri Kitchen, Natural Umber, Gold & Browne's, Favourit Foods, Andrews Flour, Carnbrooke Meats and Rhiannon's Cakes and Bakes are also going to be exhibiting.
New to the Pavilion this May is an exciting NI Drinks Area, to celebrate excellent local producers of beer, cider, gin, whiskey. The Drinks Area will also promote the Discover Northern Ireland Spirits Trail.
Throughout Show days there will be three Theatre Kitchens cooking up a storm. The Tesco Theatre Kitchen will focus on cooking on a budget using local ingredients, the Tourism NI Kitchen will showcase some of Northern Ireland’s top food and drink experiences and new for 2023, The Pavilion will host the Moy Park 80th Anniversary Theatre Kitchen, focusing on exciting, simple family meals highlighting local chicken.
One of the growing areas of the NI Food Pavilion is the engagement of councils with local food and drink. This year five regions are represented by their councils, Mid and East Antrim Food Network, Taste Ards and North Down, Derry City and Strabane, Antrim and Newtownabbey and Lisburn and Castlereagh.
Food NI’s Chief Executive Michele Shirlow commented, ‘We are very excited about the NI Food & Drink Pavilion this year. We welcome the new Drinks area and a special area that celebrates the produce from our seas and loughs. The Pavilion is a must visit experience to find out what is happening in the world of food and drink and to see our talented food and drink industry show off the latest innovations. We are proud to host the Moy Park 80th Anniversary Theatre Kitchen this year, as well as the Tesco Cookery Theatre and Tourism Kitchen. Dozens of chefs and producers will showcase the very best food and drink from NI over the 4 days.’’