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Food Feature - Slow Food Weekend of Flavour and Stories

Slow Food Weekend of Flavour and Stories – Anthony O’Toole’s Reflections from a magical couple of days in Comber, Co Down

Early July, I swapped a weekend in my Fat Tomato edible garden in Wexford for the walled garden behind No.14 at the Georgian House, in Comber, and stepped into something equally alive - a gathering of farmers, fishers, makers, and food thinkers, all rooted in the Slow Food movement.
Part of the Taste Summer Ards and North Down festival, the Slow Food weekend was curated by chef Jim Mulholland of No.14 and Conal Stewart, Food and Drink Development Officer at Ards and North Down Borough Council. It was both a celebration and a call to action: a reminder that good, clean, fair food is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
I was honoured to join as a special guest alongside two giants of Irish food: the legendary Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery and the brilliant Paula McIntyre MBE, who led panels while cooking and hosted with her usual mix of warmth and fierce integrity. All three of us work closely with Slow Food International, lobbying, championing small artisanal producers and the chefs and hospitality spaces who support them across Ireland, and connecting with our counterparts around the world.
Sally, Paula and I opened with an open-air tent discussion on “What is Slow Food and Why Does It Matter?” - a grounding conversation that set the tone for two days of shared learning, deep flavour, and local pride. Each session brought forward people doing real, impactful work to protect and regenerate food culture here in Northern Ireland.
A standout conversation was with David Scott of Moyletra Moileds on the Causeway Coast, who shared the story of their Irish Moiled cattle - one of the only surviving native cattle breeds in Northern Ireland. His insights underscored why heritage breeds like these are not just nostalgic, but essential: lighter on the land, naturally suited to our climate, and far superior in flavour to the generic Irish beef dominating supermarket shelves. These breeds represent a real, delicious path toward ethical, sustainable farming - if we choose to support them.
One of the most powerful moments came from Sally Barnes, who spoke about wild salmon, our marine ecosystems, and the great illusion of farmed 'salmon'. “It’s not salmon,” she told the room. “And it is definitely not healthy.” Her words, shaped by decades of hands-on experience working exclusively with wild fish, cast a stark light on what’s happening to our waters, our food systems, and the very species we claim to protect - while simultaneously pushing them to the brink. Sally now devotes much of her time to educating the next generation through smoking courses and workshops, bookable at https://www.woodcocksmokery.com/.
We also had the pleasure of hearing from Richard Orr and his young daughter - growers of the famed Comber Earlies, potatoes that hold PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status. This designation protects and promotes food products rooted in place and tradition. In Comber’s case, the unique microclimate, soil, and early harvest window all contribute to the buttery, nutty flavour that makes them so special. PGI status not only protects the integrity of the crop but also strengthens regional food identity and ensures future generations understand the story behind what’s on their plate.
The celebration of craft continued in a session with Mike Thompson of Mike’s Fancy Cheese, who produces the outstanding raw milk blue cheese ‘Young Buck’. Mike’s passion, humour, and unwavering commitment to traditional methods came through loud and clear - as did the flavour. After a fridge breakdown literally melted his stock just before Christmas, I’m happy to report his cheese is back with gusto. I took a generous wedge home with me to Wexford, and I’ll be savouring it for days.
The weekend also spotlighted the revival of local, independent brewing and distilling, including a brilliant session on Paula McIntyre’s partnership with Basalt Distillery. Together, they’ve created a beautiful range of spirits that celebrate the wild botanicals of the Causeway Coast. Look out for Paula’s gorse-flavoured gin, her sediment-loving apple gin liqueur, and an intriguing rum made with blackberries, damsons and raw honey from the Mourne Mountains. It’s distillation as storytelling - flavour and place captured in a glass. Available to buy at https://www.basalt-distillery.com/
Other highlights included a tasting with The Curly Pigs from County Fermanagh - a small woodland farm rearing rare-breed Mangalitsa pigs. Their charcuterie was a masterclass in ethics and excellence: flavourful, perfectly spiced, and crafted with time-honoured techniques that honour both the animal and the land.
We also met Sean Kelly of Counter Culture Bread, who introduced us to Janis - his 20-year-old sourdough starter - and his philosophy that “sourdough isn’t a bread, it’s a process.” The loaves he brought were remarkable: a brioche light as air, a rye with miso that was lip-smacking good, and a focaccia so good that we were all practically fighting over the last slice.
I also thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many people in the audience throughout the weekend, from curious locals to passionate growers. A special mention to Lorraine Small, who’s restoring a walled garden in Helen’s Bay, Bangor (https://www.thewalledgardenhelensbay.com/ ) - a project close to my own heart. Her plans, rooted in heritage and community, reflect the very best of what Slow Food is all about.
On Sunday, I joined Anna Hudson, Head Gardener at Ballywalter Park Estate, for a session on ‘The Ark of Taste and Heirloom Fruit and Vegetables’. Anna arrived with baskets of colour: peaches, apricots, cherries, edible flowers, blueberries and broad beans, picked fresh from her gardens. As we spoke about biodiversity, seed-saving, and the work of my Fat Tomato Horticulture Project (https://fattomato.ie/), Paula MC’d the talk and griddled soda farls at my request, serving them with my savoury-sweet Blackcurrant Butter - a delicious, deeply symbolic way to highlight food heritage in every bite.
Saturday evening brought a whiskey dinner at No.14, cooked by Jim and his brilliant team, paired with a Killowen Distillery tasting led by Brendan Carty. His poitín, gin, and whiskeys were bold, expressive, and rooted in terroir - each sip telling a story, each bottle an act of defiance against industrial sameness. I might have walked away with two bottles...
What resonated most from the weekend was not just the flavour - though there was plenty of that - it was the intentionality. These are people farming, fishing, fermenting, baking, and distilling with care and conviction. No shortcuts. No noise. Just the quiet, steady work of making food that matters.
Before Sally and I started our long journey home on Sunday evening, we made a few special stops - first, a delicious dinner at The Square by Conor Halpenny in Dundalk, followed by a visit to the queen of heritage potatoes, Maria Flynn, at Ballymakenny Farm. But before all that, we dropped in to see Andrew Gilbert of Springmount Farm, who had spoken so honestly and passionately earlier that day about rearing free-range hens for egg production. We visited his honesty farm shop - a beautiful space rooted in community and trust, where eggs, honey, plants, and other local fare are shared with generosity and purpose.
Massive thanks to everyone involved - especially Conal, Jim and the team at No.14 for their warm hospitality and thoughtful hosting.