Latest news with #NIRegionalFoodProgramme
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- 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.
Agriland
29-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Funding call for NI Food Strategy Framework
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister Andrew Muir has announced a funding call for applications to increase awareness, embed and support the implementation of the NI Food Strategy Framework and the Food Action Plan. Applications are invited from not-for-profit organisations, registered charities and local authorities. Funding will be provided through a new second strand of the NI Regional Food Programme. Welcoming the opening of the programme, Minister Muir said: 'Collaboration will be key to the delivery of the Food Action Plan. 'I am therefore delighted to seek proposals from organisations interested in bringing the action plan to life. 'I would encourage stakeholders to consider the actions they can take that will ensure that our food positively impacts on the health of our people, our planet and of our future prosperity. 'This funding call is a significant step towards the implementation of the [Stormont] Executive's Food Strategy Framework Action Plan.' NI Food Strategy Framework Applications are now open for projects taking place from July 15, 2025 to March 31, 2026, and must be submitted by 4:00p.m on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. A total fund of up to £250,000 is available which may be awarded to one or more projects. Applications for funding must complement the Stormont Executive's Food Strategy Framework, published by Minister Muir in November 2024. They must also detail how they will contribute to increasing awareness among stakeholders of the Food Action Plan's three missions: Mission One – to use food to improve lifelong health and wellbeing; Mission Two – to support environmentally sustainable, safe and ethical agri-food supply chains; Mission Three – to further develop sustainable economic prosperity within the agri-food sector. Projects should also seek to build capacity among stakeholders to take steps that help deliver these missions, according to the department. Successful applications to Strand Two of the programme can obtain up to 80% financial contributions on eligible project expenditure for projects embedding and supporting the implementation of the NI Food Strategy Framework and the Food Action Plan. Scheme rules mean that only not-for-profit groups with a Northern Ireland membership, registered charities or not-for-profit regional development agencies that plan to deliver projects that raise the profile of NI regional food can apply. Applications for collaborative ventures involving two or more eligible organisations working together to deliver the objectives of the programme are also allowed.
