More than 80 restaurants, cafés and gastro-pubs have put their names to this year’s Belfast Restaurant Week – a major city-wide initiative which promises an action-packed itinerary of food-focused events, special menus and offers to promote and champion Belfast’s vibrant, diverse and award-winning restaurant scene.
Belfast Restaurant Week, now in its second year, is part of a dedicated tourism development initiative by Belfast City Council and Visit Belfast. It runs from Saturday 5th October until 12thOctober.
Chefs, owners and managers representing some of the participating businesses joined forces with Belfast City Council and Visit Belfast at a special briefing at City Hall, to ensure that this year’s food festival is bigger and better.
Belfast Restaurant Week’s ‘starter’ event will be a special outdoor ‘Taste and Dine at City Hall’ extravaganza on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October that will see the grounds around the iconic city centre landmark transformed into a ‘mini food city’ where visitors can sample the fantastic local produce and meet some of the heroes behind the growing restaurant scene in the city.
Other specially-arranged events taking place in participating restaurants include food and wine tastings, tasty treat giveaways, cookery demonstrations and celebrity chef cook-offs.
It has also been revealed that the packed schedule will be brought to a very special end when City Hall will open its doors once again to play host to ‘A Night of 400 Diners’ Masquerade Ball on Sunday 13th October. This spectacular show-stopping night will give diners the opportunity to don their masks and feast on an array of culinary delights from leading Belfast chefs. Tickets are priced at £50 per person for a night of live music, entertainment and fantastic food.
Hugely successful in 2012, Belfast Restaurant Week is designed to promote the city’s restaurant and hospitality sector by boosting footfall and spend and by doing so supporting and growing local jobs, as well as raising the profile of the city’s fantastic year round food offer which is attracting national media coverage from well-known food critics such as Jay Rayner.
Chair of Belfast City Council’s Development committee, Councillor Deirdre Hargey said:
“With the vital support from the local hospitality industry, this year’s Belfast Restaurant Week promises to offer a bumper programme of great food and a fantastic buzz.
“Belfast boasts an amazing choice of venues for eating out and is home to some of the most talented chefs. Through Belfast Restaurant Week, we want to encourage residents, local businesses and visitors to eat out, try something new and support great Belfast food because there’s so much to be proud of and worth shouting about.”
Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive of Visit Belfast, which is coordinating the marketing and promotion of the event, said:
“It’s great to see so many of the city’s hospitality businesses getting involved in this year’s event. There are already a number of exciting one-off events planned with many more still to be added to the schedule so I’ve no doubt that Belfast Restaurant Week will be even bigger and better than before.
“I would encourage everyone to try to get along to as many participating restaurants as possible as the week will really celebrate the magnificent choice, value and hospitality that Belfast is famous for.”
Belfast Restaurant Week is also supported by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
For more information and the latest event details visit www.visit-belfast.com/food
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