Antrim’s Enchanted Garden a magical venue for fun and great local food

Around 20 smaller food and drink companies are on hand in the extensive food and drink village
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Visitors to the Enchanted Winter Garden at Antrim Castle are able to savour the aromas and enjoy food and drink in one of the biggest showcases of fresh produce from local suppliers here since the pandemic lockdowns were lifted.

Around 20 smaller food and drink companies are on hand in the extensive food and drink village at the event, which opened yesterday and runs to December 20, organised by promotion body Food NI in conjunction with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and the team at the Castle Gardens.

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The line-up of hot food and drink vendors and stalls manned by local producers offered visitors virtually every taste experience imaginable, the rich aromas of freshly cooked Italian, Asian and Caribbean dishes.

Food NI’s chief executive Michele Shirlow, says: “We were delighted to be asked by the organisers of this delightful event to pull together

the food and drink showcase.

“We set out to engage with as broad a cross-section of local food and drink companies as possible and thereby enable visitors to enjoy the quality food and outstanding tastes that our industry is able to provide. The show enables them to highlight their produce as the important Christmas season approaches.”

Among the hot food specialists taking part are Box and Hound Pizza from Newtownabbey, a provider of wood-fired pizzas served from a converted horse box; The Hatch, Newcastle, hand crated burgers; Glaze and Roll from Portadown, a wide range of ‘street food’ and Parkgate Farm, Antrim with steakburgers from the farm’s meat.

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Glaze and Roll’s chef/owner Wayne McCall says his company’s ethos is “to support local ingredients and products where we can and to showcase as much local produce throughout our dishes as possible, with a major focus on creating restaurant standard meals, street food style”.

The business uses a host of local suppliers such as Pinkerton’s bacon and pork from Armagh; Ballylisk of Portadown’s handcrafted soft cheese; fruit infused balsamic vinegars from Burren Balsamics in Richhill; and Harnett’s culinary oils from Waringstown.

Head chef Jonny Clarke of the Holestone restaurant in Ballymoney has taken his restaurant quality dishes on the road and is also using a host of local ingredients such as Keenan’s Seafood from Belfast; North Down vegetables; Ballyriff Buffalo from Magherafelt; and his own handcrafted breads.

Food products on show for sampling and purchase include Bangor’s Papas Minerals will offer non-alcohol mulled with locally produced minerals and nostalgic cordials; Symphonia Gin from Moy and The Brownie Barn of Newtownabbey, a baker of chocolate-rich brownies.

Michele continues: “Such events, of course, help to sustain smaller producers and especially at this very difficult time for the companies which play such an important role in food and drink innovation here. Organisers now recognise the real benefits of including authentic local food and drink presentations in their public events.

“This is an important development, I believe, from the hugely successful Year of Food and Drink back in 2016. As a result of this successful initiative, which we would wish to see repeated in the short-term, we’ve seen a greater focus on local food and drink enterprises and substantial improvements here in what has become known as ‘street food’. We have seen the emergence of a wide variety of quality ‘food on the go’ with traceability back to farm gate.

“I love the aromas and tastes from the very impressive line-up of hot food at the Enchanted Winter Garden.

“The spectacular event also provides extensive entertainment and fun for young and not so young as the Christmas season draws near. And we can all do with some fun at this time of cost-of-living anxieties and what looks likely to be further challenges for us all over winter and into spring and well beyond.”

Wayne Adair of Papas Minerals from Bangor is providing warming mulled wine and other lemonadeWayne Adair of Papas Minerals from Bangor is providing warming mulled wine and other lemonade
Wayne Adair of Papas Minerals from Bangor is providing warming mulled wine and other lemonade

Other attractions include the traditional Santa’s Grotto; A Sea of Lights; The Big Wheel, a towering Ferris Wheel; Street Theatre; a Wave Spinner, Sparkling Saucers; and Wonderland Wood with fairies, elves and pixies!

The Enchanted Winter Garden is a magical event for the Christmas season, an event packed with entertainment and outstanding food and drink from many of our best local producers.

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