Taste AND

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Taste AND

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

taste

AND

A Celebration of Food, Place and People
in Ards and North Down

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, led by Ards and North Down Borough Council, delivers something truly special. This initiative brings Northern Ireland’s food culture 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. With the Council at the helm, the programme is a celebration of local identity, sustainability and culinary excellence.

Scenic Splendour

Stunning coastal beauty.

Local Flavours

World-class ingredients.

Friendly Locals

Welcoming community.

Taste Summer in Ards and North Down 2026

Taste Summer in Ards and North Down is back for 2026 with a programme that will showcase seasonal local produce through food experiences, tastings, and local markets.

Local food businesses will be running beautiful food activities across the destination as part of this celebration of food and drink. One highlight from this year’s festival is the much‑loved Comber Earlies Food Festival, which returns on Saturday 20 June, from 11am – 5pm in Comber Leisure Centre Carpark. It takes centre stage as the annual celebration of local food and drink and is the flagship event within Taste Summer in Ards and North Down, which runs from 17-28 June 2026.

The free, family‑friendly festival celebrates the iconic Comber Earlies potato, which has held Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status since 2012. The event brings together food lovers, families and visitors for a vibrant day showcasing local produce, culinary talent and community spirit.

Festival‑goers can look forward to a packed programme including live cookery demonstrations in the Festival Kitchen from guest and local chefs, an artisan food and drink market, vintage tractor displays, live music and hands‑on activities for all ages. Family entertainment will be at the heart of the day, with children’s crafts, planting activities, walkabout performers and the return of popular festival favourites.

The Comber Earlies Food Festival forms part of Taste Summer in Ards and North Down, a wider programme of food‑focused events and experiences taking place across the borough throughout June, celebrating local producers, hospitality businesses and the area’s rich food culture.

New for 2026, a quiet hour will be introduced from 10am–11am, welcoming people with a disability, neurodiverse conditions, carers and parents/guardians. After this quiet hour, the event will officially open at 11am with a fun-filled programme running through to 5pm.

Further information on the Comber Earlies Food Festival and the full Taste Summer in Ards and North Down programme is available on their website – click the button below ↓

Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Gillian McCollum, Richard Orr, Chairman of Comber Earlies Growers’ Cooperative, Luna and Lily are all looking forward to Comber Earlies Food Festival, 20 June, 11am – 5pm.

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Meet the Good Food Ireland® approved businesses in Taste Ards and North Down

Glastry Farm Ice Cream – Discover more

The Mallow Makers – Discover more

Indie Fude – Discover more

The Old Inn – Discover more

The Walled Garden Helen’s Bay – Discover more

No 14 Georgian House – Discover more

Underground Dining – Discover more

Papas Mineral Company – Discover more

TASTE SUMMER

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.

FESTIVALS & events

Highlights from the Year

Comber Earlies Food Festival

A firm favourite on the local food calendar, the Comber Earlies Food Festival is a vibrant celebration of the much-loved PGI-Status Comber Earlies potato. Each year, visitors enjoy a feast of flavours, artisan producers, and inspiring cookery demonstrations — and this year was no exception.

Crowds gathered to watch renowned chefs Anna Haugh and Lotte Duncan take to the demo stage, supported by homegrown talent Jim Mulholland of No. 14 at The Georgian House, Comber, and Andrew Turner of The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn. Their dishes, skills and stories brought the festival to life and showcased the depth of culinary expertise in the region

Taste at The Castle

Set against the beautiful backdrop of Bangor Castle, Taste at The Castle delivered a flavour-packed weekend that concluded the Council’s Taste Autumn programme — a month-long celebration of the Borough’s rising profile as a leading food tourism destination.

The event brought together the best of local food, drink and hospitality, with artisan stalls, live demonstrations, and interactive tasting sessions highlighting the exceptional quality and diversity of producers across the area.

Good Food Ireland® was delighted to be part of this milestone moment to experience first-hand the energy, pride and passion that continue to elevate the region’s food culture

Awards & Recognition

Taste AND champion the exceptional produce and remarkable talent found along the 115 miles of stunning coastline that are part of this region. It’s always inspiring to see this dedication recognised and celebrated throughout the island of Ireland and beyond. During the year, local producers have earned a host of well-deserved accolades.

Some standout achievements include:

Good Food Ireland Awards

This year, Underground Dining in Bangor was the proud winner of the Good Food Ireland® Food Lover’s Choice Award for Northern Ireland, reflecting their creativity, flavour, and wholehearted commitment to local produce.

They were joined by fellow finalists Indie Fude and No. 14 Georgian House in the same category — a true celebration of the exceptional food talent found across Ards and North Down.

Indie Fude, Comber also earned a finalist spot for Shop of the Year, while No. 14 The Georgian House was shortlisted for Restaurant of the Year 2025, further showcasing the region’s dedication to excellence in food, hospitality, and provenance.

To discover more about Underground Dining, click here

Discover more about Indie Fude, click here

Discover more about No. 14 Georgian House, click here

Other awards include:

Blas na hÉireann Winners

Ballyboley Dexters

Ballyboley Dexters Ribeye Steak – Bronze

Ballyboley Dexters Steak Sausages – Bronze

Ballyboley Dexters Beef Tallow – Chefs Larder

Culture Bakeries Ltd [CounterCulture Real Bread]

Best in County – Down

Roast Red Pepper and Tomato Sourdough Focaccia – Gold

Stout and Treacle Wheaten Bread – Bronze

Cult! Plant-Based Che’se

Chimichurri – Silver

Blackheart – Gold

Bro Coffee

Bro Jangles Christmas Blend – Bronze

Outerbounds Grangee Blend – Silver

The Walled Garden Helen’s Bay

Walled Garden Coffee and Walnut Fudge | Bronze

Great Taste Award Winners

Ballyboley Dexters 1 star

Ballyboley Northern Irish Sausage Roll

Ballyboley 28 Day Dry Aged on the Bone Steak Strip

Ballyboley Caramelised Onion Sausage Roll

Ballyboley Dexters 2 stars

Ballyboley Speciality Steak and Vegetable Roll

Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt 2 stars

Authentically Strained Greek Style Yoghurt

Holywood Honey 1 star

Holywood Honey

Moorcroft Foods 1 star

Cooper’s Garlic Biltong

Cooper’s Chilli Biltong

Moorcroft Foods 2 stars

Cooper’s Original Biltong

Fenner’s Original Air-Dried Steak Biltong

Peppup Roasted Red Ketchup 1 star

Peppup

Rock a Doodle Do 1 star

Mango Habanero

Whiskey in the Bottle

White Sesame & Nori BBQ Sauce

Snow Patrol – Signal Fire

Plan Your Taste Ards and North Down Adventure

After discovering just a taste of the incredible food and drink experiences Ards and North Down has to offer, why not make 2026 the year you experience it for yourself?

Meet the makers, savour the flavours, experience the hospitality, and ignite your taste buds!

For more information or help planning your visit, please contact [email protected]

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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

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Testimonials

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Memory Lane

I well remember Peter as a very young man, he’s my age and even then he had a charm and grace to behold. I live in Australia now and this article has flooded back memories of Cavistons and Peter. Glad to learn that Peter had been so successful. Cavistons was wonderful then as now. A joy to read this article.

Paul Reade

Amazing food, service, ambiance & live classical guitar player!

One of the best food experiences we’ve had since returning to Ireland. We really miss the quality of our old neighbourhood in D.C. but this place had us pining for more. Lovely staff & really tasty dishes. Live guitarist was a real bonus.

Daithi O'Faolain

Fantastic Restaurant

I love sitting for lunch with friends on the weekdays. I usually opt for the curry dish on the menu! I also love choosing from their various salads. The produce is fresh and often comes from Anthony’s own patches!

Jillian Ferguson

Fabulous food and service

Returned back to the church last night after a year. Had a fabulous meal, looking forward to going back tonight and lucky to get a spot for tonight. The monkfish was delicious. The staff and the service is just perfect. Highly recommend it.

Ann Marie

Fun day out with friends for an art experience.

The art class was simply wonderful. Maureen explained so much first about her art including how she finds and uses sea glass. Then told us what colours to choose and how to apply them. We all left with beautiful pictures. All successfully completed their picture and all were unique. After a delicious afternoon tea she did not hurry us out. But spent time with us telling us about her alpacas. I will never forget the experience and highly recommend it. You will forget about everything else going on in your life. It was a total break for a day and we all left very happy.

Valerie Nestor

A Gem in the Orchard County

Whether it is the amazing Ciders (you cannot beat the Medium!), the enjoyable events or the enthralling tours Long Meadow cider is truly worth trying

michael smyth

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