A head sommelier from a French three-star Michelin restaurant, a former Wall Street broker and a drumming world record holder are among the contestants battling over the next two days to win a 30-day stay in Bushmills and the chance to produce their own blend of one of the world’s best-loved Irish whiskeys.

 

The trio are among nine finalists in the Make it at Bushmills competition that also offers the winner a month’s luxury penthouse accommodation in Ireland and £5,000 spending money.

 

Representing countries in Europe, North America and Africa, the contenders won their national heats on the strength of a public vote. Now, starting tomorrow morning, they face one final test - the Master’s Challenge – a series of mental, physical and skills-based challenges set by Bushmills Master Distiller to find a worthy winner.

 

The finalists are:

• Koen Cassiers (Belgium) – an enthusiast of all things Irish, Koen is a trained guitar maker who enjoys walking and cycling.

• Ivan Ivanov (Bulgaria) – a trained lifeguard and bartender, Ivan recently graduated with a degree in marketing.

• Loïk Tavernier (France) – the head sommelier at the 3-star Michelin Restaurant Michel Trama in southwest France.

• Sietse Offringa (Netherlands) – a native of Utrecht currently studying Event Management.

• Allister Brown (Northern Ireland) – an engineer who holds the world record for being the first person to play the drums for over 100 hours.  

• Kevin O’Sullivan (Republic of Ireland) –a former barman who has worked in Bulgaria and America’s west coast.

• Lance Ralph (South Africa) – an ardent Bushmills® Irish Whiskey fan who wants to show Ireland what his country has to offer.

• Nick Ord (United Kingdom) - a bar development consultant to resorts and hotels worldwide and a previous winner of Bartender of the Year.

• Joshua Wortman (USA) - a film school graduate who now works in the whiskey business following a Wall Street career.

 

Speaking on the eve of the finals, Bushmills Master Distiller, Colum Egan, promised the competitors an ‘amazing experience’ as they tackle a variety of challenges designed to ensure that only the very best succeeds.

 

“Over the next couple of days I and my fellow judges will be working hard to select our ultimate winner who must have the skills, the aptitude and above all, the mischievous spirit and unique approach to life that is embodied in Bushmills Irish Whiskey,” adds Colum.

 

The finalists’ progress will be charted on-line from 25-26 August at the Bushmills Facebook page - facebook.com/bushmills1608.

Allister Brown, a 33-year engineer from Lisburn has been chosen to represent Northern Ireland in the international finals of a Bushmills Irish Whiskey® competition that has attracted the interest of tens of thousands of people around the globe.

 

Allister will be competing for his chance of glory in the ‘Make it at Bushmills’ finals later this month against eight other rivals from the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, the United States, South Africa, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Bulgaria. The overall winner will be announced on Thursday 26 August at an awards dinner in the village of Bushmills on Ireland’s stunning north coast.

 

The line-up for the finals was decided by votes, cast by members, of the public on Facebook, for the hundreds of contenders who originally entered the competition. Launched in the New York Stock Exchange on St Patrick’s Day, the competition offers a prize of a 30 day stay in Bushmills, a chance to be the first person ever from outside the distillery staff to create a new blend of one of the world’s best loved Irish whiskeys, a month’s luxury penthouse accommodation in Ireland and £5,000 spending money.

 

The overall winner will be selected following a two-day ‘Bushcamp’ later this month when contestants will face the Master’s Challenge – a test of skills set by Bushmills’ Colum Egan. The performance of the contenders will be judged by a panel that includes Irish rugby legend, Keith Wood, Joel Harrison, contributor for the world renowned Whisky magazine and Foy Vance, one of Ireland’s most respected singer-songwriters.

 

Congratulating the shortlisted contenders, Colum Egan said:

 

“Allister along with the other finalists has done a fantastic job to make it this far – he’s already won his place at Bushcamp. His character, sense of humour and passion for life are what inspired people to vote for him. I have no doubt these qualities will be tested at Bushcamp when all nine contenders attempt to prove to us they have what it takes to make it at Bushmills.

 

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the interest Make it at Bushmills has generated and it’s been fantastic to see the competition talked about in blogs, magazines, newspapers and TV shows all around the world.

 

“The strong international interest in Bushmills is further reflected in the fact that since creating our first official Bushmills Global Facebook page earlier this year, it has attracted more than 30,000 fans, making it the world’s second biggest Irish Whiskey Facebook site,” adds Colum.

 

The finalists’ progress at Bushcamp will be charted on-line from 25-26 August at the Bushmills Facebook page - facebook.com/bushmills1608.

HARP® looks set to build on its position as Northern Ireland’s number one lager this summer with an impressive new look. The new look is part of the ongoing investment in Harp that has seen the brand strengthen its leading position in Northern Ireland with now 23% market share[i].  A fact that bears testament to the great taste of Harp which remains constant.

 

The Harp brand has invested significantly locally to generate this position seeing two years of ongoing growth[ii] in bars and off-licenses.

 

The new look for Harp comes hot on the heels of the launch of Harp’s most refreshing tasting pint to date - Harp Ice Cold.  Harp Brand Manager Briege Clenaghan said:

 

“Harp consistently tops blind taste tests with consumers - so we already knew it was a great lager, loved by people in Northern Ireland.  Our number one position reflects that.”

 

“Consumer needs are constantly evolving and Harp prides itself in rising to the challenge of meeting them.  In particular we have noticed a marked change in consumer behaviour recently as ‘pre night out’ occasions have risen dramatically.  Two thirds of consumers now begin their night out in either their own home or in a friend’s home before they head out for a drink[iii].  A trend that will remain for the foreseeable future, it is important that we are providing a product that works equally well for our drinkers in both bars and in the home.”

 

“In addition, the launch of Harp Ice Cold last year delivered the nation’s most refreshing tasting ice-cold lager to date. Now refreshingly chilled below zero, it has contributed to 22 months of consecutive share growth for Harp, underlining just how popular it is in Northern Ireland.”

 

“We already knew we had the most popular and most refreshing tasting beer, the next stage was to update our look to reflect that.  The new livery represents a major step forward for the Harp brand, bringing to life it’s quality and heritage and delivering a look our consumers can feel as proud about as we do.”

 

DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Visit drinkaware.co.uk for the facts

GUINNESS® & CO announced that the much anticipated Arthur’s Day tickets are now on sale from www.ticketmaster.ie. Ticket proceeds will benefit the Arthur Guinness Fund which is helping Irish social entrepreneurs to deliver transformational change in communities across the island of Ireland.

The Killers’ Brandon Flowers tops the list of over 20 more artists who have been added to the star studded line up including Newton Faulkner, Plan B, KT Tunstall and Kelis who will perform on Arthur’s Day, 23^rd September, alongside home grown phenomenon Snow Patrol, multi-platinum artist Paolo Nutini, the internationally acclaimed José González and The Magic Numbers.

New additions to the Arthur’s Day line up:

Studio Artists                                                   Pub Artists

Brandon Flowers Eliza Doolittle Example Fortune Kelis KT Tunstall Newton Faulkner O Emperor Plan B Tinie Tempah Carbon/Silicon

A Band Called Wanda Butterfly Explosion Director Duke Special James Vincent McMorrow Johnny Flynn Molotov Jukebox Pilotlight RoySeven Simon Fagan Sparrow and the Workshop The Boy Who Trapped the Sun The Shoos Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band

(See editor’s notes for all artists and venues announced to date)

The pub will again be at the heart of the celebrations with 28 pub venues hosting one of the fantastic pub artists who will kick off the celebrations after the toast to Arthur Guinness at 17.59. Pub ticket holders will also get the opportunity to witness surprise performances from one of the amazing studio artists on the line up in the intimate surroundings of a pub on the night.

Studio ticket holders will enjoy up to five amazing international and Irish artists performing at each studio venue including St. James’s Gate Brewery, Vicar St, The Village, The Academy, Olympia Theatre in Dublin and Savoy in Cork.  GUINNESS & CO has also revealed that an outdoor music event will take place at Folan Quay at Galway Harbour* as part of the Arthur’s Day celebrations in September

Speaking at the Arthur’s Day announcement, Orla Flanagan, Guinness Brand Manager said “We are delighted to add more fantastic artists to our Arthur’s Day line up. Studio tickets to last year’s Arthur’s Day celebrations last year sold out in one hour so we are anticipating huge interest again tomorrow morning. With the great acts who are involved in Arthur’s Day this year, the 23^rd of September looks set to be another remarkable celebration of Arthur Guinness and his lasting legacy. I’m really looking forward to raising a glass to the man himself on the day”.

The Arthur's Day celebrations will begin at 17:59 on 23rd September in St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, when Arthur’s Day will once again see the nation enjoy some of the world’s most established music artists play in great pubs and venues all over the country, while raising a glass to Arthur Guinness and his lasting legacy.

Arthur’s Day honours the remarkable legacy of Arthur Guinness, the pioneering brewer and philanthropist who signed the 9,000 year lease on the St. James’s Gate Brewery in 1759 and introduced GUINNESS to the world.

Tickets can be purchased by logging onto www.ticketmaster.ie at 9am on 29th July and you can check out www.guinness.com for up to date venue and artist information.  Studio tickets and the outdoor Galway music event will cost €10 and the 28 pub venues will cost €5 with proceeds from all Arthur’s Day ticket sales benefiting the Arthur Guinness Fund

Arthur’s Day celebrations are strictly over 18’s events.

Drink Responsibly

www.drinkaware.co.uk for the facts

 

NEW Arthur’s Day Studio artists               NEW Arthur’s Day Pub artists

Brandon Flowers Eliza Doolittle Example Fortune Kelis KT Tunstall Newton Faulkner O Emperor Plan B Tinie Tempah Carbon/Silicon

A Band Called Wanda Butterfly Explosion Director Duke Special James Vincent McMorrow Johnny Flynn Molotov Jukebox Pilotlight RoySeven Simon Fagan Sparrow and the Workshop The Boy Who Trapped the Sun The Shoos Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band

 

Previously announced studio artists         Previously announced Pub artists:

Snow Patrol Paolo Nutini José González The View We Have Band The Hoosiers Slow Club The Maccabees The Magic Numbers Sharon Shannon

The High Kings The Chapter The Dirty 9s Heathers The Milk Broken Records Mick Flannery The Rags John Spillane Dirty Epics

 

Arthur’s Day Studio and Pub Venues*

DUBLIN  Studio Venues St James’s Gate Brewery The Academy Vicar Street The Village Olympia Theatre Pub Venues The Bank Odeon Bruxelles Oliver St. John Gogarty’s Dakota The Baggot Inn Hogans The Stag’s Head O’Donoghue’s The Temple Bar The George Doheny & Nesbitt Sinnotts Whelans Fitzsimons The Brazen Head Pygmalion The Palace Bar Flannery’s

GALWAY    Outdoor Music Event Folan Quay at Galway Harbour Pub Venues Róisin Dubh Kelly’s Tíg Cóilí Taaffes

CORK  Studio Venue Savoy Pub Venues The Old Oak  Crane Lane Theatre   Reardons   The Pavilion  Soho

* Subject to licence

With summer here and hopefully some decent weather to enjoy, our thoughts turn to outdoor activities. Picnics are a great way to enjoy the outdoors and can make for an affordable family day out. Here are some tips from safefood to help you to keep your food safe when away from the kitchen.

 

As a general rule, all foods are suitable for a picnic but keeping large amounts of cooked food and salads chilled when on a picnic can be a challenge.

 

Ready to eat foods that need to be refrigerated like cooked meats, quiches, mayonnaises, prepared salads (e.g. coleslaw, potato salad) and dairy products like cheeses need to be kept chilled as these are highly perishable and if not stored correctly could make you ill.

 

Keep it cool - it is essential that food is held at the appropriate temperature during preparation and transport, as warm temperatures can make your food an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.

 

• Cooked food needs to be chilled thoroughly in your fridge before you leave
• Use an insulated cool box/bag with enough ice or icepacks to keep the food chilled (frozen juice cartons can be used as ice packs)
• Take the food from the fridge at the last moment before you leave and then place it in the cool box/bag straight away
• Keep the cool box/bag in the coolest part of the car away from direct sunlight e.g. in the boot
• When you arrive, keep the cool box/bag out of the sun and keep the lid closed as much as you can.  Leave the food in it until you are ready to use it.
• If any perishable food has become warm then it should not be eaten and should be disposed of carefully.
• When travelling home if there is still ice left in the cool box/bag, and you are certain that any unused food has not been left out or warmed up, then it should be safe to bring it home
• However, as always, the rule with leftovers is if in doubt throw it out!

Cook it thoroughly – if you’re cooking outdoors, it is essential that meat is cooked thoroughly.

• Chicken, Pork, burgers, sausages and other meat that has been minced, skewered or rolled should always be cooked the whole way through. This is because bacteria may be mixed throughout the meat, and not just present on the outside, as with steak
• To check that the meat has been properly cooked all the way through, cut it in the middle with a clean knife to ensure that it is piping hot in the centre, there is no pink meat remaining and the juices run clear.

Prevent cross-contamination – it is surprising how easily germs can be spread from dirty hands, utensils, surfaces and raw foods

• If you plan to barbecue, be sure to keep raw food completely separate from ready to eat food, such as sandwiches and salads
• Place any raw meat in sealed containers at the bottom of the cool box/bag, or in a separate bag if at all possible. This will prevent the spread of germs from meat juices to other foods
• Use separate plates and utensils for raw and ready to eat foods
• Wash your hands thoroughly before eating or drinking, or handling raw meat. If there is nowhere suitable to wash your hands bring antibacterial wipes or gel instead
• Don’t put food directly on picnic tables or other outdoor surfaces, and don’t allow it to touch the ground
• Pack away food and utensils when not being used as food poisoning germs can be carried by birds, insects and other animals.

For more information visit www.safefood.eu or call the safefood helpline on NI - 0800 085 1683.

 

Summer's finally here and you all must be dying for a festival? Well, you don't have to wait any longer because Smirnoff the world’s number one premium spirit* is bringing its very own extraordinary Smirnoff BE THERE festival to Portrush complete with a Silent Disco!

 

Pitching up at Portrush’s biggest and best known club ‘Kellys’ on Wednesday 30^th June, the BE THERE experience will bring all your festival favourites indoors. It’s a festival with a big difference.  The perfect excuse to break out your festival gear and 'BE ...THERE' for a night you won't forget!

 

To find out different ways to BE THERE and for more information on The Smirnoff Festival: Silent Disco go to www.facebook.com/SmirnoffIreland .

 

Further details of the ‘BE THERE’ campaign and upcoming activity can be found on www.smirnoff.com

With the long awaited arrival of the Comber ‘earlies’, Wilsons Country potatoes and Golden Cow butter have come together to remind consumers across Northern Ireland that there is no better way to enjoy new potatoes than simply ‘spuds and butter’.

 

After a harsh winter, the Comber potatoes are about a month behind schedule, but the arrival of the Comber ‘earlies’ is good news for spud fans across the province as the local variety is one of the most flavoursome and delicious potatoes of the season.

 

A bowl of new Comber potatoes paired with a knob of Golden Cow butter is a taste sensation guaranteed to transport you to summers past.  The magical taste experience conjures up generations of images of your childhood, when ‘balls of flour’ and a generous knob of creamy butter were served up at your kitchen table.

 

These emotions are still very much part of our culinary choices today says Georgina Quain, brand manager at Golden Cow Butter: “Spuds and butter are very much a definitive part of Northern Irish life.  From Tyrone to Antrim and from Armagh to Derry, the dish is one that will be a staple part of every household’s mealtimes in the coming weeks.

 

“As No.1 butter brand* in Northern Ireland, we are delighted to be linking up with Wilsons Country potatoes, another one of Northern Ireland’s favourite local brands to encourage people to celebrate this element of our heritage and enjoy the very best in home grown produce that our wonderful local landscape affords us.”

 

Angus Wilson, CEO of Wilsons Country said: “Our comber potatoes were harvested at the weekend, and we hope to have them with our network of retailers province-wide by the end of this week.  We have been monitoring the crop daily and were delighted when we could finally harvest! The winter has been particularly cold and so delayed the crop, but thankfully the taste is as good as ever!”

 

In addition, Golden Cow butter has teamed up with local celebrity chef Paula McIntyre to develop come delicious recipes using new Comber potatoes and Golden Cow Butter.  Check out Golden Cow butter’s facebook page (www.facebook.com/goldencowbutter) for simple recipes such as Warm Potato Salad with brown butter dressing or grilled BBQ potatoes with chilli butter…new twists on old favourites!”

New research for this year’s Food Safety Week reveals that two thirds of consumers here have not heard of Campylobacter, Northern Ireland’s most common form of food poisoning bacteria. Recent data reveals that 986 cases of Campylobacter were reported in Northern Ireland in 2009.  This figure is considerably higher than Salmonella, the more commonly known form of food poisoning, from which there were 159 reported cases in the same year.

safefood and the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland (FSA in NI) are reminding consumers of the importance of good food hygiene in the home to reduce the risks of food poisoning.

The purpose of this year’s Food Safety Week, which takes place across Northern Ireland from 7^th to 13^th June, is to get consumers involved in preventing food poisoning by Campylobacter. The public are being urged to prevent the spread of germs from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods through cross-contamination and to cook poultry and meat thoroughly.

Commenting on the survey results, Dr David McCleery safefood said; “The high number of people contracting Campylobacter means it is essential that we are all aware of this most common form of food poisoning and how to prevent it. In our survey over a quarter of consumers prepare meals for children under 5 years old and over 80%  cook meals for other family members. It is crucial that we provide consumers with simple steps to help prevent the spread of food poisoning in the home.

To prevent cross contamination always wash utensils such as knives and chopping boards thoroughly after use with raw meat or chicken and always wash hands in warm, soapy water after handling raw meat or chicken.”

Julie McKinstry, Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland said “The good news is that people can take simple steps at home to reduce the risk of food poisoning by proper cooking and avoiding cross-contamination. If food is prepared, handled, and cooked properly, avoiding cross-contamination between raw food and cooked food, then these germs will not have a chance to spread and cause harm.”

Working in partnership with the 26 councils, safefood and the FSA have made available a “Beat the Bug” toolkit for community groups across Northern Ireland to use during Food Safety Week. Packed full of tips to help groups get involved in spreading important food safety messages, the packs contain materials to assist community groups  in organising their summer projects such as  the ‘Beat the Bingo Bug’ game, a food safety quiz, posters and much more.