Big Names at this year's Portavogie Tide and Turf Food Festival

Ards and North Down Borough Council is delighted to see the return of Taste Autumn for 2024. Several events are planned to take place across the Borough from 5 - 15 September to celebrate the best of local food and drink. One of the highlights of the programme is Tide and Turf, a foodie extravaganza in Portavogie which will take place on 6 and 7 September, kicking off with celebrity chef, Rachel Allen, at Demo and Dine.

Fans of Rachel Allen will be rushing to buy tickets for this new Demo and Dine event on Friday 6 September. Held in the transformed fish market, this relaxed dining experience will see Rachel, supported by students from South Eastern Regional College (SERC), show you how to make the dishes you are about to eat. Book now to enjoy this unique foodie experience!

For £60pp, you can expect welcome drinks and canapés, interactive starters and main course sharing platters, followed by a delicious dessert. This also includes a free return bus service that will operate from Bangor, Donaghadee and Ballyhalbert.

On Saturday 7 September, Rachel will be joined in Portavogie by fellow celebrity chef James Tanner for another full day of demos at Tide and Turf Food Festival. Open from 12noon until 5pm, this free to attend event showcases the best of locally sourced seafood, grass-fed beef, and produce. There will be lots of family fun too with a range of free children's activities, including pedal boats, sand crafts and more. Go on a fishy treasure hunt and find the fish hidden around the event site to claim your goodie bag from the Visitor Information Centre caravan.

You can also quench your thirst at the event bar and pick up a snack from one of the many artisan food stalls, while music lovers can grab a deckchair and enjoy live music from the brilliant Anna's Number.

The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart, said:

"The Tide and Turf Food Festival is one of the highlights in the Borough's foodie calendar. It offers a great opportunity for food lovers to enjoy delicious, locally caught seafood and locally produced beef, as well as an array of produce to purchase and bring home. There will lots of entertainment too, ensuring there is something for all the family."

Demo and Dine with Rachel Allen and the Tide and Turf Food Festival are running as part of a programme of free-to-attend and ticketed events taking place during Taste Autumn in Ards and North Down (5-15 September). For more information about these events and the full programme, go to visitardsandnorthdown.com/tasteautumn

Tide and Turf Food Festival has received funding from DAERA's Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme.