Taste Causeway: A Year of Success, Collaboration, and Culinary Innovation

Taste Causeway celebrated another remarkable year at its Annual General Meeting, held recently at Bushmills Distillery. The event brought together over 40 local business representatives, all eager to share their success stories and the positive impact the network has had on their ventures.

Bonny Cooper, owner of Golden Rickshaw, described the network as akin to a family, stating, “As someone who runs their business solo, it’s wonderful to know I’m part of something bigger. There’s support from others who understand what running a food business is like.” Her sentiments were echoed by many in attendance, ranging from artisan producers and chefs to hoteliers and experience providers.

Charlotte Dixon, Owner of Elephant Rock Hotel in Portrush, credited Taste Causeway with helping to make her recent Two-Day Kitchen Takeover with renowned chef Stephane Delourme a success. Delourme, impressed by the region during his visit for Taste Causeway’s Giant Taste event in March, returned for the September takeover after being drawn to the hotel's excellence.

Causeway Boats owner Richard Connor, who orchestrated the Red Bull Cliff Diving event in Ballycastle this summer, highlighted how impressed the international guests were with the local food and drink offering and how Taste Causeway has been hugely instrumental in establishing the Causeway Coast and Glens as a food destination – through the collaboration of producers, experience providers, accommodation providers and chefs.

The past year has seen a notable increase in collaborative products among Taste Causeway members.

These include Dunluce Distillery’s Coffee Liqueur, created with Causeway Coffee, Dundarave Estate’s Bushmills Whiskey Fudge, and The Chocolate Manor’s new Whiskey Truffle range, all now available at Bushmills Distillery. Further collaborations, such as Paula McIntyre’s Gin & Rum with Basalt Distillery, are expected to launch soon.

Additionally, the variety of food and drink experiences available to visitors has expanded. For example, The Golden Rickshaw collaborated with Ursa Minor Bakery on a unique dining experience, while North Coast Cocktails introduced an Irish Coffee Masterclass using members' products. Crindle Bespoke and Chestnutt’s Farm also highlighted successful partnerships, with more collaborations on the horizon.

Wendy Dempster, owner of The Lamb Van, spoke about how Taste Causeway enabled her to diversify her business. “Thanks to Taste Causeway, we’ve gone from simply selling lamb at markets to offering experiences like Shepherdess Suppers,” she said.

Geri Martin, Chair of Taste Causeway, outlined the network’s achievements over the past year, including participation in tourism trade events across Canada, the US, Italy, Scotland, and London. She also acknowledged the disappointment felt by members following Causeway Coast and Glens Council’s decision not to fund any future collaborative projects. However, Geri reassured the membership that Taste Causeway would continue its work to benefit local businesses, regardless of council support.

Looking forward, Ms Martin expressed excitement about ongoing partnerships with Enterprise Causeway and the Donegal Food Coast and upcoming member participation in the Salmon and Whiskey Festival in early October. She also emphasised Taste Causeway’s commitment to lobbying for the reinstatement of the Growth Deal and the establishment of the much-needed Food Innovation Hub at the North West Regional College.

The AGM concluded with strong messages of support for Taste Causeway’s continued work. Members agreed that collaboration is key to the network’s future success. Richard Connor summarised, “There is an incredible pool of talent here, and by working together, we are making our destination stronger.”