Taste AND

Taste AND

Good Food Ireland® has partnered with Taste Ards and North Down to bring you a curated taste of one of Northern Ireland's most vibrant regions.

taste

AND

Whether you’re a curious foodie eager to discover new flavours, a slow traveller seeking meaningful, authentic experiences, or someone who simply appreciates high quality, locally rooted food and drink, Taste Ards and North Down delivers something truly special. This is where the story of Northern Ireland’s food culture comes to life, through the hands of passionate producers, the heritage of coastal communities and the natural beauty that shapes its exceptional ingredients. From shoreline seafood feasts and seasonal festivals to intimate tastings and farm visits, Taste AND invites you to connect with the land, the people and the traditions that make this region unlike anywhere else.

Scenic Splendour

Stunning coastal beauty.

Local Flavours

World-class ingredients.

Friendly Locals

Welcoming community.

What sets it apart

Nestled along the spectacular eastern shoreline of Northern Ireland, Ards and North Down is a region where land meets sea and where food tells a story. Just a short drive from Belfast, this vibrant destination offers visitors an unforgettable journey through taste, tradition and breathtaking natural beauty. Whether you’re meandering along the windswept Ards Peninsula or relaxing by the calm waters of Strangford Lough, every part of this region is deeply rooted in its rich food culture.

What sets Ards and North Down apart from the rest of Northern Ireland is its coastal charm, heritage-rich landscape and exceptional local produce. Here, farming and fishing aren’t just industries, they’re lifelines that have shaped communities for generations. The area is home to some of Northern Ireland’s most celebrated ingredients, including the famous Comber Earlies, Portavogie prawns and Strangford Lough langoustines, all of which feature proudly on local menus and at food festivals throughout the year.

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FESTIVALS & events

Taste AND Festivals are a vibrant celebration of the food, drink and cultural richness of Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland. Hosted under the Taste Ards and North Down (Taste AND) brand, these seasonal festivals bring together local producers, chefs and communities to showcase the best of the region’s culinary heritage in stunning coastal settings.

Meet The Makers

Engage directly with producers, chefs, brewers and fishers.

Taste the Region

Sample everything from fresh langoustines and small-batch gin to rare-breed beef and artisan breads.

Immerse Yourself

Enjoy hands-on experiences, workshops and guided tastings in stunning locations.

TASTE SUMMER FESTIVAL

Taste Summer centres around the Comber Earlies Food Festival, honouring the region’s most famous product, Comber Early Potatoes, awarded PGI status by the EU.

Comber Earlies PGI Food and Drink Festival Comber Castle Street Link, Saturday 28th June 11am to 5pm

Guest Chef and TV presenter, Anna Haugh leads demos on the kitchen theatre with local chefs whilst BBC Good Food writer, Lotte Duncan, leads home cooking demos and chats with a range of artisan producers from Taste Ards and North Down. As well as fresh local potatoes from the fields of Comber, there are a range of artisan food and drink producers from across County Down and local band Anna’s Number feature on the music stage.

Tickets on Sale Soon!

Comber Earlies Showcase Dinner No 14 at the Georgian House, Friday 27 June at 7pm.

A showcase set-menu dinner combined with a meet the maker featuring four local producers in the walled garden of No 14.

TASTE SUMMER FESTIVAL

Taste Summer centres around the Comber Earlies Food Festival, honouring the region’s most famous product, Comber Early potatoes, awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status by the EU. The festival features local food markets, chef demonstrations, street entertainment and tastings, all set in the charming town of Comber. Across the borough, visitors can enjoy farm tours, coastal picnics, seafood experiences and pop-up dining events that celebrate summer’s bounty.

Food & Drink Experiences

Good Food Ireland® has carefully curated food and drink experiences from the region that go far beyond the plate, each thoughtfully designed to connect visitors with the people, places, and stories behind the region’s renowned produce. These immersive experiences celebrate the authenticity, heritage and seasonal richness that define Ards and North Down’s unique food culture.

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Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.

It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

Lorem Ipsum is
simply dummy text
of the printing
and typesetting industry
Lorem Ipsum has
been the industry’s
standard dummy text ever
since the 1500s, when an
unknown printer
took a galley
of type and

Our

Testimonials

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Best Strawberrys

Kearns fruit farm is the BEST I have ever been on.The quality of the berries and service is 10 stars…….

Lucille Bradfield

Best strawberries around

I have to say Kearns strawberries are the best and tastiest strawberries I have ever tasted, such a friendly place

Tom Fitzgerald

Kearns fruit farm

Kearns produce the tastiest fruits and I love their produce. Good value

Aiseling Noone

Kearns fruit farm

Kearns have the tastiest fruit and great value fir a great product

Aiseling Noone

Tastiest Strawberries

Lovely fresh Strawberries so sweet and natural

The Strawberry jam is lovely tastes just like homemade

Sile Whelan

I love fruit especially strawberries and raspberries and kearns ones taste and last the longest

Diffinity worth 5 stars and wish them the very best in good food Ireland deserve to win all the way

Ann marie Sheridan

Our

Awards

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