Gourmet

SEVEN FESTIVE FOODIE STOCKING FILLERS

HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE LOCALLY PRODUCED GIFT IDEAS FOR FOODIES, WHICH WOULD MAKE PERFECT STOCKING FILLERS, XMAS HAMPERS, OR SIMPLY SPOILING YOURSELF WITH A LITTLE YULETIDE LUXURY!

BRACKFIELD 29.

Brackfield 29, a fantastic range of quality artisan condiments produced by Peter Galbraith in East Belfast, is available in many local shops & delis.

Over the Christmas holidays we always have a few of the chutneys & relishes in our store cupboard and we love the deliciously different flavours such as blood orange & chilli. But our favourite is the zingy lime & sweet pepper chilli jam, perfect with a creamy Pie D’Angloys.

Olivia Burns has created the ultimate range of home fragrance inspired by her own scent memories, and she has made an impression on some of the largest media outlets, including Forbes, Stylist, Good Housekeeping, & The Irish Times.

The condiments are all gluten free, suitable for vegetarians & are ideal with meat and cheese, as a marinade, dip, or dressing, and are an essential pantry staple.

LONG MEADOW CIDER.

For many years, the orchard in The Long Meadow near Portadown was known locally for the quality of its Bramley apples and is part of the farm owned by the McKeever family for three generations.

The delicious cider is pressed, fermented and produced naturally at Long Meadow Farm. The big sellers are the Medium, Blossom Burst, Rhubarb & Honey and Berry Blast, but we absolutely adore the small batch Oak Aged Cider which has been traditionally crafted in Irish oak barrels for maturity. Celebrate the Magic of the Season with award-winning Long Meadow products.

OLIVIA’S HAVEN.

Olivia’s Haven is a new premium home fragrance shop on the Belmont Rd in East Belfast, and in Coleraine. Founder

Olivia’s Haven products include room sprays, reed diffusers, wax melts, & hand-poured candles, which are vegan, cruelty-free and made using 100% soy wax, stylishly presented in reusable white glass vessels. Our festive favourites are “Christmas at the Old Rectory”, with its warming, spicy notes, and “Dr Marshall’s Christmas Tree” with the fresh aromas of pine and eucalyptus.

BLACK ARCH GIN.

This amazing small batch gin, is distilled by hand on the Antrim Coast.

Utilising the wild yet bountiful landscape around the Black Arch, the gin includes local hand-picked botanicals, blackberries, nettles and a subtle hint of seaweed, creating a distinctive flavour profile perfectly reflecting the local land and sea.

As the legend on the stunning monochromatic gift box states, it’s enough to make you sit back and consider, ‘Where would you get it?’ Black Arch Gin is the perfect present for the discerning gin lover.

NEARY NÓGS CHOCOLATE. Situated between the stunning Mourne Mountains and the shimmering sea, Neary Nógs is Ireland’s first bean to bar artisan chocolate making studio. What began as a fundraiser to help the Neary family through personal challenges evolved into a passion that led to the establishment of the business in 2011. Integrity, sustainability, & ethically sourced cacao beans from small farms in Central America, South America and the Caribbean islands are key to fostering close partnerships, prioritising direct trade practices, and supporting the rainforest alliance.

Tours are available, where you can see how the beans are hand sorted, gently roasted, stone ground, aged and then tempered into delicious chocolate bars which are an absolute feast for the senses and would make great gifts for chocoholics!

THE GUILLEMOT DELI.

The Guillemot in Ballyhackamore and Bangor describes itself as “a hub of deliciousness”, and this Aladdin’s cave of foodie goodies stocks a wide range of speciality groceries, local & continental cheeses, freshly baked scones & pastries, breads and sandwiches, house salsas, scrumptious salads, and great coffee.

We love The Guillemot’s house Pesto, Salsa Rossa, and our favourite nutty, spicy Salsa Macha, which we have with everything from cheese & pasta, to eggs & roasted veggies: it’s such an incredibly versatile ingredient. The Guillemot is passionate about quality produce, and advocates artisan makers, both local & worldwide, and is the perfect one-shop stop for a foodie Christmas Hamper.

based on locally sourced herbs, botanicals and honey would make a wonderfully warming Winter Toddy.

With hints of Irish gorse, meadow sweet, and lemon verbena, the rum features honey from the Mournes, & County Antrim blackberries. Paula also has a delicious LimitedEdition Magic Star Apple & Elderflower Gin Liqueur. Made with pressed Magic Star apples and hand-picked elderflower it’s a seasonal delight.

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If you have any requests for restaurant recommendations send us a message and we’ll get right back to you.

PAULA MCINTYRE RUM.

We’re big fans of Celebrity chef Paula McIntyre’s delicious gin, developed with Giant’s Basalt Rock distillery in Bushmills, and at Christmas, her rum

Please note, this column is the opinion of the columinst and not that of GNI or Romeo & Julian Publiccations Ltd.