Jenny Bristow

Kilkeel Easterfest Jenny Bristow Masterclass

Join Jenny for an evening of culinary creativeness as part of Kilkeel's Easterfest Celebrations. It will take place in the Kilmorey Arms Hotel on Wednesday 26th March 2008.

The doors open at 7pm and you will be able to meet and chat to Jenny before and after the Masterclass.

Download the Kilkeel Masterclass PDF Recipe Booklet

As Kilkeel is the Seafood Capital of the Mournes, Jenny will be cooking up a storm using only the freshest of locally landed seafood, which has been sourced and supplied by local producers. The Harbour Store at the Nautilus Centre, which is the only remaining fresh fish retailer in any of the Northern Ireland fishing ports will supply the freshest fish, Henning Bros will supply scallops, local oysters grown in Carlingford Lough, crab meat and claws, there will be surf and turf recipes using other local produce including Home Cured Ham from the family run traditional Cunningham Butchers and the freshest vegetables supplied from Lurganconary Organic Farm.

Jenny will cook a total of seven dishes ranging from starters, main courses and desserts. You will have the chance to purchase from Jenny's range of biscuits and products, as well as her latest cookery book, which she will be happy to sign for you.

Refreshments will be included and throughout the evening you will have the chance to win a number of Jenny's Gourmet Hampers. All recipes for the dishes cooked will be made available for you to take home. Admission is £10 payable on the door.

Easterfest is sponsored by the Kilmorey Arms Hotel, which is running a special promotion of 1 Night B&B and 1 Evening Meal, plus entrance to the Jenny Bristow Masterclass for £135 for a double room. So you can relax and enjoy the beauty of the majestic Mournes, and Jenny's gourmet recipes. Easterfest starts on Good Friday 21st March and runs to Thursday 27th March 2008. It includes a programme of adult and children's activities, contact Kilkeel Tourist Information for more details: Tel 028 4176 2525 or visit www.visitkilkeel.com

Download the Kilkeel Easterfest Activity Flyer

The event is also funded by the Department of Social Development, Kilkeel Development Association and Newry and Mourne District Council. Kilkeel Development Association has been working to regenerate Kilkeel over the last 16 years. It hopes to develop the Nautilus Centre at Kilkeel harbour to include Northern Ireland's first Seafood Cookery School, the Mourne Maritime Visitor Centre, new Tourist Information Centre and New Seafood Restaurant with Panoramic views of Kilkeel Harbour.

The harbour is currently undergoing a major programme of improvements with new pontoons being installed in the next few months and the Nautilus Centre Car Park undergoing major environmental improvements which should be completed by June. Kilkeel has a wide range of independent retailers with many specialist interiors and fancy goods. Many shops will have special offers for Easter on, so visit Kilkeel during Easterfest, with plenty of entertainment for everyone and some tasty treats from Jenny Bristow.

Below are some of the spectactular views you will enjoy when you visit Kilkeel.

Good Food Is In Balmoral Show's Nature!

Balmoral show has a strong track record of supporting local producers and processors. Reinforcing the show's belief that 'Good Food Is In Our Nature', Jenny Bristow, Northern Ireland's Good Food Ambassador and celebrated chef, will take up residence at this year's Food Pavilion from the 14th-16th May 2008.

Using premium local produce, Jenny will be delivering a series of Masterclasses. Audiences can pick up helpful tips on creating a range of recipes that can be used in a variety of settings from dinner to barbecues.

Jenny discusses:

"I'm really looking forward to being at the Balmoral Show and offering visitors some tips on preparing healthy, interesting dishes, which take into account the pressures of modern day life. We will be blending the traditional with the modern, healthy with convenience and value with style."

Jenny adds:

"There will be three Masterclass events per day, but I will also be available in the Food Pavilion to answer questions or offer advice to individuals who may be keen to try new dishes or explore how they go about introducing new flavours into their diet."

Fans may also wish to avail of the opportunity to get a book signed by the TV chef.

In addition to hosting live cookery demonstrations, over 20 exhibitors will be present in the Food Pavilion from Golden Cow, Coleraine Cheese, Taylor's Ice Cream, Mash Direct, Genesis, Cooley Distillery, Clandeboye Yoghurt, Armagh Cider, Davison Canners and Forthill Meats, right through to Shazzam Chutneys.

A limited number of exhibitor spaces are still left. If you would like to book a trade stand in the Food Pavilion contact Jenny McNeill, Trade Stand Co-Ordinator on 028 9066 5225 or email jenny@kingshall.co.uk

Jenny and North Antrim Leader - Why Local Produce is best

Jenny Bristow and North Antrim Leader have got together to highlight the wealth of local food in the area and how local catering establishments can benefit from its use.

North Antrim Leader+ (NAL+ Ltd) is a rural development organisation working in the Ballymena, Ballymoney, Larne and Moyle Council areas for the benefit of small local businesses. It is funded by the EU, DARD and local Councils.

NAL+ along with the Ballymoney, Ballymena, Larne and Moyle Councils are running a local food event with Jenny Bristow, our very own local celebrity chef and food expert.

Jenny will be hosting a Masterclass in cooking and using local produce for all those involved in the catering and food businesses. She will have her own special kitchen, complete with the big screens so you can get close up to the action. This will involve a Masterclass in how to use the food, special local recipes, and presentations on how to use local food as a marketing tool for your hotel, restaurant or café businesses.

Jenny will, where possible, use the local food on display at the event in her recipes and in promotional material. Jenny will create recipes and ensure that each contributor has a direct mention on the day from her Masterclass. A Jenny Bristow recipe booklet will be published on jennybristow.com and it will have the contributors name alongside. In addition there will be displays from local food producers, as well as a chance to meet and chat with Jenny herself.

This event will take place in Tullyglass House Hotel, Ballymena on Wednesday 2nd April 2008 commencing at 12.00 noon and will finish up around 4.00pm.

Download NAL Recipe Booklet

This event is not open to the general public and is specifically for the catering trade in North & East Antrim. It will also showcase the best of local produce.

We are now in an era where local, fresh food from quality suppliers can be a real selling point for your business.

The event will be by invitation only and numbers will be limited. It is thus a real opportunity to see how to freshen up your business, meet other like minded people and some new suppliers.

There will be a fee for those participating which will be a heavily subsidized price. This includes a light lunch, tea & coffee throughout the day as well as the Masterclass and other presentations on local food.

So put the 2nd April in your diary and if you have any queries contact the North Antrim Leader+ Office, Old Schoolhouse, Mill Street, Cushendall, BT44 0RR, Tel: 028 2177 2138 or email north-antrim-leader@antrim.net

4 Experts, 3 days, 1 Unmissable Event! Spring House & Garden 2008

A host of celebrity TV experts have lined up to share their tips and advice for the ideal home at this year's Spring House & Garden Show 2008 at the RDS Simmonscourt (7th - 9th March) including Duncan Stewart, Gerry Daly, Avril Murphy Allen and Jenny Bristow.

"Good Food Ambassador" and the best selling author celebrity chef Jenny Bristow (Tv's Jenny Bristow USA) will be presenting some of her Masterclass Programme with a practical demonstration forum highlighting local produce, local producers as well as addressing health and safety issues etc. She has successfully launched two of her own food products onto the market and will soon launch a new range of Fair trade Coffee.

Download the Spring House & Garden Masterclass Recipe Booklet

Showcasing the latest solutions in sustainable and renewable technologies for the home is set to be the focal point for RTE's Duncan Stewart who will headline the even bigger Eco Build Zone. Award-winning architect, specialist in ecological design and energy, the inimitable Duncan is presenter and co-producer of the top rating RTE series "About the House". Duncan's unique style and screen presence have long since established his popularity with Irish Audiences.

Celebrity Interior Design consultant, RTE's Avril Murphy Allen will host an entire section devoted to current trends in interior design called Trends for Modern Living with everything from the latest fabrics, colours and fixtures for the home to simple decluttering measures and crucially, energy saving options. Avril has been working for 20 years in the design inductry, in both commercial and residential design, either in an independent capacity or for established practices in Dublin and Amsterdam. Avril is encouraging visitors to bring along pictures of their own homes/interiors along to the show to get her expert advice first hand.

Gardener Gerry Daly will host an interactive session in the Garden Area & Forum aimed at presenting the most modern trends in creative and manageable garden design. A household name synonymous with gardening in Ireland, Gerry Daly is recognised nationwide. Gerry is author of several books, editor of 'The Irish Garden' magazine, contributor of gardening columns to various journals and chairman of the panel of experts of RTE Radio 1's 'Ask About Gardening' programme. He is the creative force behind the Gardens Area of the Spring House and Garden Show and a major draw for visitors to the show. Gerry will host a number of sessions in the Garden Forum throughout the show.

Now in its 6th year Spring House & Garden signifies the start of the annual home improvement season. The three day show offers a huge variety of features, combined with a wide selection of exhibitors and a high calibre of some 30,000 visitors.

Spring House & Garden has four key areas of interest - Interiors, Garden, Build-It and EcoBuild. This year Expo-Events are proudly introducing The Irish Times Motors Live* feature (the first of its kind since 1989). The Bosch Live Kitchen will present a taste of the 'latest', while a further section has been reserved for the Art-Lovers among us to present an insight into the creative genius from the experts of today. For those inclined towards therapy of the retail kind a shopping area has been dedicated to meet their every need.

Said Garret Buckley, Joint Managing Director, Expo-Events (show organisers):

"Spring House & Garden has established a reputation for being a one-stop-shop for advice on the perfect home from the most aesthetically appealing colours and textures to the most durable, energy efficient and cost effective products and systems. Each year we have made it a particular goal to secure the best experts in the field and this year is no different. Having also lined up a showcase of the best in car manufacturers today with our all-new The Irish Times Motor's Live Show this year, the event is set to be the most comprehensive showcase of everything relating to modern living at its best today."

For further information on the event and to sign up to the Spring House & Garden Club, look up the visitors section on our website www.spring-house-gardens.com

Fairtrade Masterclasses

As part of Fairtrade Fortnight, which takes place between 25 February and 9 March, Antrim Borough Council, in conjunction with Dale Farm, has enlisted the help of Jenny in promoting Fairtrade produce. And as a food ambassador, celebrated chef and author, there surely is no-one better to take on the task!

Antrim Forum will be the venue on Friday 7th March, when all things Fairtrade will be on display. The highlight of the day will be two Masterclasses which Jenny is holding. She will be showcasing some brand new, mouthwatering recipes which she has designed exclusively for the Council. Let Jenny show you how easy and effortless it is to introduce Fairtrade products into your everyday lives.

Challenge Jenny 12.30 pm - 1.30 pm

Secondary schools within the Borough are being challenged to produce three winning Fairtrade recipes to be cooked by Jenny on the day. Each recipe must consider the use of Fairtrade produce, local availability and time.

Jenny's Food for Life 2.30 pm - 3.30 pm

Get fit for life. Let Jenny show you how to include nutritious, mouth-watering recipes, using Fairtrade produce, into your everyday life. It's easier than you think!

Also on the day, between 11.30 am and 4.00 pm will be a Fairtrade market with lots of lovely produce and gifts. It could just be the opportunity you are looking for to purchase that unusual gift for someone special. There will also be a chance to meet Luis Armando Choco, a cocoa producer from Belize, and hear what Fairtrade means to him, his family and community and to meet the Dale Farm cow and enjoy some delicious dairy samples

Download the Fairtrade Masterclass Recipe Booklet

The event is open to everyone including retailers, hoteliers, restauranteurs, health professionals and the general public. Admission is free, but to avoid disappointment, tickets can be collected in advance from

Antrim Civic Centre, 50 Stiles Way, Antrim T. 9446 3113

or

Antrim Information Centre, 16 High Street, Antrim T. 9442 8331.

Should you require any further information on the event, please contact Danielle McCormick
T. 9446 3113.
email danielle.mccormick@antrim.gov.uk

Eat in and Chill out with Jenny Bristow at W5

W5, Northern Ireland's award winning discovery centre is continuing to pioneer the importance of adopting good eating habits from a young age with Eat in and Chill out - the Spring Cooking for Fun, Cooking for Life event with celebrated chef and author Jenny Bristow.

Healthy eating and cooking is an issue, which W5 has taken the lead on over the series of four Cooking for Fun workshops since June 2007. Each event has shown that cooking food from basic ingredients is easy, tasty and achievable. It is also good fun. It makes food more interesting, introduces young people to new foods and flavours and teaches them how to make better decisions about what they eat. Plus, home cooked food tastes much better.

Download the W5 Masterclass Recipe Booklet

The February event taking place on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 February, is part of W5's Skills and Science programme for young people and comes at a time when the government has officially recognised the role education and healthy eating play in the battle against obesity. Indeed last month School's Secretary Ed Balls announced a nationwide initiative to make cookery lessons compulsory in secondary schools for children aged 11-14.

According to Mr Balls

"Leaving school able to cook healthy dishes from scratch is an essential everyday skill all young people should have. We're not talking about schools training top chefs - but it is right that children learn the basics they need to go on and start cooking at home with their parents and later on their own."

"Simple cooking is a fundamental skill that every young person should master - it is at the heart of tackling obesity and will enable future generations to understand food, diet and nutrition; and put together healthy meals for their entire lives.."

This is the reason W5 introduced their own ground-breaking initiative a year ago in conjunction with Jenny Bristow.

According to W5's Chief Executive Dr Sally Montgomery

"In W5 we take aspects of science and demonstrate the theory and application to everyday life. When concern is raised about the amount of salt and fat young people are eating and the rise of fast food sales it seemed appropriate to roll up our sleeves and tuck into some food issues while at the same time showing the science and technology involved."

"We decided to team up with Jenny Bristow and devised these events for 14-19 year olds as part of W5's Skills and Science initiative."

"Healthy cooking demos are a great way to learn how to cook firsthand. Sometimes people feel confused by a book recipe. Sometimes they can be hard to follow, the language hard to understand. But when a person is able to watch something being done, it can help him or her see that it is easier than they thought and sometimes it can show them something that a recipe in a book alone cannot fully explain. Remember, a picture is often worth a thousand words."

The initiative has proved a huge success with over 1,600 pupils taking part over the four dates. The events involve an interactive quiz to discover the audience's attitude to food. This has revealed many surprises, especially that the pupils seldom studied food labelling relating to fat and salt content, or indeed the country of origin. For this reason W5 insists that all the recipes use local and seasonal produce.

According to Sally

"I feel it's important to educate young people about the value of locally produced, fresh and seasonal food. It is vitally important that we take an interest in where our food comes from, how it is produced and why this matters."

The Saturday event is targeted at families and encourages very young children to take part as W5 believes if we can inspire young people from an early age to want to cook they start to learn other skills from measuring, following instructions, making decisions, understanding food groups - all valuable life skills and with a great reward at the end.

For further information:
Stephanie Berkeley
Tel : 028 90467788
Email : stephanieberkeley@w5online.co.uk

Recipe for a Greener Business

The Business Women's Networks Northern Ireland (BWNNI) are running an event in the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick on the 28 February between 4pm and 7pm. The event is entitled "Recipe for a Greener Business".

This event is sponsored by NIE Energy.

Recipe for a Greener Business will focus on the very topical Environmental issues with the following speakers:-

Jenny Bristow

Jenny Bristow is one of Ireland's most celebrated local good food ambassadors, TV cooks and cookery writers whose cookery programmes have travelled the world. Recently she has addressed green issues within her cooking and business practices and would like to share her experiences. Foods miles, organic food and using local produce will be a few of the issues Jenny will speak about at this event.

To download the pdf invite click here

Measuring your Carbon Footprint - Janie Crone from Janie Crone Associates.

Almost everyone has heard of the term ‘measuring your carbon footprint' which really means the amount of carbon we - or our businesses, houses, cars, etc - put into the atmosphere. Janie will be demonstrating how we can measure our carbon footprint, the impact which this has and give us some information on how we can lower the amount of greenhouse gases we generate in each aspect of our lives.

Ecotourism - Marella Fyffe, The Greenbox

The Greenbox is a tourism development and marketing initiative which was set up in 2004 to deliver a series of environmentally sustainable tourism products such as accommodation, activities and attractions based around the natural resources of the area. This has been very successful to date and is now currently working with 150 businesses. Marella will speak about this successful project, which has been nominated for two major awards (NI Tourism Awards 2007 and World Travel and Tourism Awards 2007), the impact and what we can learn from this initiative.

Top tips to Help Your Business Become Greener

NIE Energy will be providing everyone with excellent information on how to be more energy efficient, environmentally friendly and save money at the same time.

This event will also be a great networking opportunity to meet other and gather more information on the ‘Green' issues which affect us all.

Jenny Bristow and The Asterias Organisation

A group from North Down went on a mission trip to Kenya in 2005 and came back overwhelmed with the need they saw in that beautiful country. Unsure of how to begin to help they were told the story of a young boy seen casting starfish, one by one, back into the sea after they had been washed up on the beach after a violent storm.

A man approached the boy and told him that he could never save all the starfish but as he continued to return them to the water the boy replied "No, but I can save this one, and this one....." This story inspired the formation of the charity Asterias in 2006. (Asterias is the Latin name for the common starfish). The group realised that while unable to address all of the problems faced by the people of Kenya, they could make a significant difference to the lives of some.

Download Elim Church Masterclass recipes as PDF

The purpose of Jenny's Masterclass evening was to raise funds for the ongoing work in Kenya. If you would like more information on the Asterias Organisation and that work they continue to do in Kenya, visit www.asterias.org

Step-Up to the Create 'n' Cook Challenge with Jenny Bristow

Jenny has joined forces with the University Of Ulster's Step-Up to Science Programme to launch an exciting new culinary Create 'n' Cook competition.

The aim of the Create 'n' Cook Competition is to provide Year 10 pupils in Step-Up Schools in Londonderry and Belfast, with the opportunity to create their own innovative and mouth-watering culinary creations.

Create 'n' Cook will involve teams of pupils creating a Mood Board and Product Specification detailing the product name, the reason for designing the product and a recipe. Pupils will be supported in the development of their products by Student Mentors from the University's School of Hotel, Leisure and Tourism.

Entries submitted to the competition will be judged by Jenny and representatives from the University Of Ulster. Thirty teams accompanied by their Student Mentor will progress to the next round of the competition where they will have the opportunity to prepare their product for Jenny and a panel of judges.

The winning entries will be revealed at an exclusive Jenny Bristow Masterclass event during which Jenny will cook the recipes with the assistance of the team members in front of a live audience. In addition, the teams crowned Create 'n' Cook Champions will have their unique recipes published on this website for everyone to view and try for themselves!

The competition is one of a number of Engagement Activities offered to target schools in Londonderry and the Greater Belfast area and aims to promote science as a university and career choice for young people.

Step-Up is an innovative science based programme, which aims to provide opportunities for talented young people who would traditionally not have considered studying at Higher Education Institutions. The programme has been operating successfully for eight years and works in partnership with schools, government agencies, hospitals and local industry who all contribute to the teaching of the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Double Award Applied Science.

The first round of the competition will take place on the University of Ulster's Portrush site on Wednesday 5th March 2008 so watch the space!

Dr Damian O'Kane - Head of Access and Educational Partnerships said:

"We are delighted to be working in partnership with Jenny who has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the development of innovative and novel food products. I have no doubt that Jenny will inspire the pupils from the Step-Up schools to experiment with different produce and also to explore the opportunities that are available in the food industry."

Jenny states:

"I am really excited to be working alongside the University of Ulster at the cutting edge of consumer studies. This Create 'n' Cook Step-Up programme will provide a fantastic opportunity for students to explore, design and create recipes which will help establish a great foundation for good food and a health and well being within Northern Ireland. I am looking forward to cooking the winning entries at the Jenny Bristow Masterclasses and finding out which overall winning dish makes it through to sit alongside my own recipes on www.jennybristow.com for the whole world to see."