Food destination plan to boost local economy

With places such as Kilkenny, Kinsale and Armagh developing reputation as “foodie towns”, and the ever-increasing share of food and drink expenditure in tourism revenues, Ards and North Down is looking to cultivate its own foodie image and create a vibrant industry in the process.

Through its Food Destination Development Plan 2018 – 2021, Ards and North Down Borough Council (ANDBC) will establish Local Food and Drink Groups and create both a Food and Drink Branding Strategy and Communications Plan to be drafted and rolled out to the area.

It is hoped that, by placing an emphasis on the quality of seafood available from areas such as Portavogie and Kircubbin and marketing Ards and North Down as a seafood destination, the borough will significantly contribute to the goals of the Integrated Tourism, Regeneration and Development Strategy’s aim of 7,500 jobs created, increase the area’s share of overnight Northern Ireland tourists by 10 per cent and increase visitor expenditure in the borough by £82 million by 2030.

Marked on the Food Destination Framework, a traffic light system that rates an area’s suitability as a food destination, Ards and North Down was found to score highly in natural resources, attractions, landscapes and local produce. Conversely, the area was found to be weak in bookable packages, recognisable lead products, retail, export infrastructure and in regard to having a discernible identity.

Research shows that a prominent food and drink strategy is now key in an area’s tourism strategy: Fáilte Ireland’s Food and Drink Strategy 2018 – 2023 says that consumption of food and drink accounts for 35 per cent of tourism revenues, or roughly €2 billion in 2017. Research conducted by VisitBritian and DEFRA found that 88 per cent of people like to eat local food and drink when visiting somewhere new and 65 per cent of people choose a holiday destination where they know eating well is an option. TourismNI says that spending on food and drink alone is worth £350 million per year to Northern Ireland’s economy.

ANDBC’s plan has designated five food hubs: Bangor and Portaferry, the area’s “gateway points”, along with Comber, Donaghadee and Portavogie. While the Council had already been offering support packages to producers and providers for food events such as the Comber Earlies Food Festival, it will now step up its commitment to transforming the area into a food destination by appointing a full-time Food and Drink Development Officer and establishing a Food and Drink Development Network.

With the advantages such as specialised food providers, proximity to Belfast, new and emerging breweries and distilleries and Northern Ireland’s first iced coffee range, the onus will be on how the Council and the borough overcome significant challenges such as apathy with regard to local produce and a shortage of trained staff. Suggestions included in the plan to turn the Borough into a food destination include the creation of “food clusters”, greater investment in marketing and promotion by the public and private sectors, investigation into the further funding of local producers and investment in roads and transport links from rural areas.