Top NI food producers to descend on Belfast Maritime Festival
Slipways Street Food and Sounds will bring entertainment, music and street food, alongside an Artisan Producers Market – shining a spotlight on producers from across the region.
The market will also host a series of interactive experiences, including Lough Neagh Fishman's Co-operative and Ben Vista CSA, a Community Supported Agriculture pilot.
It's being supported by funding secured by Maritime Belfast Trust from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) through the NI Regional Food Programme.
Some of those goods and dishes include bread and pastries, seafood, handcrafted jams, spirits and sweet treats.
The Artisan Producers Market will be complemented by the Street Food Market, with vendors serving up freshly prepared dishes made with NI sourced food.
"The Belfast Maritime Festival continues to grow as one of the city's signature events, attracting tens of thousands of visitors,' Maeve Moreland, destination experience manager at Maritime Belfast Trust, said.
'This year, we are building on the success by offering even more for festivalgoers, with the Artisan Producers Market as an exciting new addition. Thanks to support from DAERA, we can showcase the talent, quality and sustainability of our local food producers while creating a vibrant experience along our waterfront. The 2025 festival promises to be its most exciting yet with local food and drink firmly on the menu.'
And Lord Mayor of Belfast, Tracy Kelly, said 'Belfast City Council is delighted to have support from DAERA for the Belfast Maritime Festival's Artisan Producers Market.
'Championing Belfast's authentic food and drink offering is a key priority in our 10-year tourism plan and local produce is a unique selling point for our city.
'It strengthens our local economy and showcases the incredible quality of our homegrown ingredients that visitors will get to sample over this year's festival.'
Robert Hull from DAERA's NI regional food programme said: 'DAERA is delighted to be actively involved in supporting our Agri-Food industry by promoting high quality and award-winning local produce at Belfast Maritime Festival. This support from the NI Regional Food Programme, will enable people visiting the festival from near and far, to sample freshly prepared, high quality street food. The artisan producers' market will also provide the perfect opportunity for festival goers to taste, shop and support local'.
In addition to Slipways Street Food and Sounds, visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities across the Maritime Mile including tall ships, kid's zones, live street theatre, music performances, family zones, hands-on maritime-themed activities and a ticketed evening performance by the Hothouse Flowers.
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Belfast Telegraph
a day ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Top NI food producers to descend on Belfast Maritime Festival
Visitors to this year's Belfast Maritime Festival on September 6 and 7 will be treated to a new quay-side, championing the best of Northern Ireland's food scene. Slipways Street Food and Sounds will bring entertainment, music and street food, alongside an Artisan Producers Market – shining a spotlight on producers from across the region. The market will also host a series of interactive experiences, including Lough Neagh Fishman's Co-operative and Ben Vista CSA, a Community Supported Agriculture pilot. It's being supported by funding secured by Maritime Belfast Trust from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) through the NI Regional Food Programme. Some of those goods and dishes include bread and pastries, seafood, handcrafted jams, spirits and sweet treats. The Artisan Producers Market will be complemented by the Street Food Market, with vendors serving up freshly prepared dishes made with NI sourced food. "The Belfast Maritime Festival continues to grow as one of the city's signature events, attracting tens of thousands of visitors,' Maeve Moreland, destination experience manager at Maritime Belfast Trust, said. 'This year, we are building on the success by offering even more for festivalgoers, with the Artisan Producers Market as an exciting new addition. Thanks to support from DAERA, we can showcase the talent, quality and sustainability of our local food producers while creating a vibrant experience along our waterfront. The 2025 festival promises to be its most exciting yet with local food and drink firmly on the menu.' And Lord Mayor of Belfast, Tracy Kelly, said 'Belfast City Council is delighted to have support from DAERA for the Belfast Maritime Festival's Artisan Producers Market. 'Championing Belfast's authentic food and drink offering is a key priority in our 10-year tourism plan and local produce is a unique selling point for our city. 'It strengthens our local economy and showcases the incredible quality of our homegrown ingredients that visitors will get to sample over this year's festival.' Robert Hull from DAERA's NI regional food programme said: 'DAERA is delighted to be actively involved in supporting our Agri-Food industry by promoting high quality and award-winning local produce at Belfast Maritime Festival. This support from the NI Regional Food Programme, will enable people visiting the festival from near and far, to sample freshly prepared, high quality street food. The artisan producers' market will also provide the perfect opportunity for festival goers to taste, shop and support local'. In addition to Slipways Street Food and Sounds, visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities across the Maritime Mile including tall ships, kid's zones, live street theatre, music performances, family zones, hands-on maritime-themed activities and a ticketed evening performance by the Hothouse Flowers.
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
How many years you need to work to get full new state pension
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Article continues below How to qualify for any New State Pension payment You'll need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to be eligible for any State Pension, but these don't have to be 10 consecutive years. This means that for at least 10 years, one or more of the following applied to you: you were employed and made National Insurance contributions you received National Insurance credits, for instance if you were jobless, ill, a parent or a carer you made voluntary National Insurance contributions Even if you've lived or worked overseas, you might still be able to receive some New State Pension. You may also qualify if you've made married women's or widow's reduced rate contributions - learn more about this on the website here. How to receive full New State Pension payments The first thing to understand is that 'full' refers to the maximum amount of New State Pension a person can get. 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Qualifying years if you're not working You may receive National Insurance credits if you're unable to work - for instance due to illness or disability, or if you're a carer or unemployed. You can receive National Insurance credits if you: claim Child Benefit for a child under 12 (or under 16 before 2010) receive Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance are in receipt of Carer's Allowance If you're not working or receiving National Insurance credits You might be able to make voluntary National Insurance contributions if you're not in one of these groups but wish to increase your State Pension amount. Find out more on the website here. What if there are gaps in your National Insurance record? Even with gaps in your National Insurance (NI) record, you can still be eligible for the full New State Pension. A State Pension statement can provide information on how much State Pension you might receive. 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Daily Record
5 days ago
- Daily Record
New calls to exempt people from paying National Insurance Contributions after 35 years
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The 'exempt people from paying National Insurance Contributions after 35 years' petition has been posted on the UK Government's Petitions Parliament website and states: 'I urge the Government to exempt people from paying National Insurance after reaching the 35 years of NI contributions required to receive the basic state pension. 'I believe we should be able to stop paying after we have reached 35 years of NI contributions.' The campaigner continues: 'I believe it to be unfair of people still paying NI after they have achieved the 35 years. I feel the situation has been made more unfair by raising the State Pension age. 'By the time I retire at 67, I could have paid 16 years more than the 35 years for full pension - that's 51 years NI paid as I worked since the age of 16.' If you are worried about how many years you need to work - if retirement is a long way off, or just a few years away - our handy guide below should help you understand how National Insurance contributions affect the amount of State Pension you will be paid. How to get any New State Pension payment You will need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to qualify for any State Pension, but they don't have to be 10 qualifying years in a row. This means for 10 years at least one or more of the following applied to you: you were working and paid National Insurance contributions you were getting National Insurance credits for example if you were unemployed, ill, a parent or a carer you were paying voluntary National Insurance contributions If you have lived or worked abroad you might still be able to get some New State Pension. You might also qualify if you have paid married women's or widow's reduced rate contributions - find out more about this on the website here. How to get full New State Pension payments The first thing to understand is that the term 'full' means the maximum amount of New State Pension a person can receive. You will need around 35 qualifying years to receive the full New State Pension if you do not have a National Insurance record before 6 April 2016 - this may be more if you were 'contracted out', find out more here. For people who have contributed between 10 and 35 years, they are entitled to a portion of the new State Pension, but not the full amount unless they buy additional NI years. Qualifying years if you are working When you are working you pay National Insurance and get a qualifying year if: you're employed and earning over £242 a week from one employer you're self-employed and paying NI contributions You might not pay National Insurance contributions because you're earning less than £242 a week. You may still get a qualifying year if you earn between £123 and £242 a week from one employer - find out more here. Qualifying years if you are not working You may get National Insurance credits if you cannot work - for example because of illness or disability, or if you're a carer or you're unemployed. You can get National Insurance credits if you: claim Child Benefit for a child under 12 (or under 16 before 2010) get Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance receive Carer's Allowance If you are not working or getting National Insurance credits You might be able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions if you're not in one of these groups but want to increase your State Pension amount. Find out more on the website here. What if there are gaps in your National Insurance record? You can have gaps in your NI record and still get the full New State Pension. You can get a State Pension statement which will tell you how much State Pension you may get. You can then apply for a National Insurance statement from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to check if your record has gaps. If you have gaps in your National Insurance record that would prevent you from getting the full New State Pension, you may be able to: get National InsuranceI credits make voluntary National Insurance contributions Check your National Insurance record on here. Check your State Pension age Check your State Pension age to find out when you can retire and claim State pension using the free online tool at here. This will tell you: when you will reach State Pension age your Pension Credit qualifying age We have a dedicated section for the latest news on the State Pension here.
