Business leaders from across Northern Ireland have attended an event to celebrate the North West’s potential for investment, innovation, and economic growth.
Minister for the Economy, Gordon Lyons MLA spoke at the Succeed North West event, which presented the opportunities that exist locally and showcased what makes the region a great place to live, work and do business.
Attendees at the event, held in Belfast’s Merchant Hotel, also heard from Derry-based company Elemental and Derry City and Strabane District Council on the benefits and advantages of doing business in the North West.
The event was sponsored by Allstate NI and FinTru, and hosted by BBC broadcaster Mark Carruthers, with entertainment from renowned Derry musician Phil Coulter.
Succeed North West was led by the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland, North West Regional College, Ulster University, Western Health and Social Care Trust, and Derry City and Strabane District Council. The key strategic partners involved plan to take the event on the road across the UK, Ireland and beyond to promote the North West as a leading location for business and entrepreneurship.
Paul Clancy, chief executive of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are on the cusp of something great in the North West, something which can benefit businesses, workers and families across the region. Looking forward, I would encourage any growing business to consider investing in our region, and to join the thriving, supportive, and prosperous business community that we have built here.”
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2021-12-13 19:52:012021-12-13 19:52:04North West ‘on the cusp of something great’, business leaders told
Derry’s Cottage Café is celebrating after its home-baked scones were named the best in Northern Ireland.
The thatched roofed café, in the city’s historic Craft Village, beat more than 100 other hotels, restaurants and cafes to win the hotly-contested title from the Dairy Council of Northern Ireland.
Michelle Devine from the Cottage Café, who bakes the scones from scratch in a variety of sweet and savoury flavours, entered the competition after a customer told her about it.
“I knew the judges liked our scones when they came around to try them but there were so many other great places in for it, I never thought we had a chance. But then when they called out our name I nearly exploded!” she said.
Michelle, who learned how to make scones from watching her mother bake, said the key to a delicious scone is to go easy on the mixture.
“To me, it’s all in the way you do it and having the oven at the right temperature. There’s not really much else to it,” she revealed.
The Cottage also won the Best Cafe category in the competition, while Patricia’s Coffee House on the Quay was one of five finalists for best cafe.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2021-12-13 19:29:102021-12-13 19:29:12Scone-sational! Derry café’s scones named best in NI
The North West’s LegenDerry food scene has been showcased in a new online travel series.
Chef Randy Lewis, who describes himself as the ‘Phileas Fogg of food’, met with local chefs, brewers and producers to sample the fantastic dishes and drinks created in the City and surrounding areas.
Randy’s LegenDerry Adventure sees Lewis discover what makes the LegenDerry food scene so special; from Lo & Slo sauces and Dart Mountain cheeses, to fresh catch from fishmonger Moore on the Quay and Mekong Street Food’s Asian-inspired dishes.
The chef, who runs the Randaddy’s restaurant in Co Clare, also tried out some unique local experiences including paddleboarding along the River Foyle with Far and Wild adventures.
All four episodes are available to watch on YouTube, social media and on RTE.ie. You can catch the first instalment here.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2021-12-13 19:26:152021-12-13 19:26:17Celebrity chef enjoys a taste of LegenDerry
The Carnival of Colours returned in September to brighten up Derry city centre with acrobatics, circus performers, graffiti art, live music and much more.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2021-09-27 17:49:362021-09-27 17:49:39WATCH: Carnival of Colours comes to town
Derry’s Walled City Brewery has beat hundreds of other taprooms to be crowned the best in the UK.
The Ebrington Square business, which has created more than 200 beers and received multiple accolades since it opened in 2015, was named Taproom of the Year at the nationwide Pub and Bar Awards.
WCB fought off competition from an estimated 600 other UK taprooms to win the top prize, with organisers called it “a cracking operation”.
The brewery, run by James and Louise Huey, is also planning a major expansion which will see it open a standalone Taproom and Experience Centre in 2022.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2021-09-27 17:46:522021-09-27 17:46:55Walled City Brewery is Taproom of the Year
LegenDerry Food has given its seal of approval to 17 more eateries and local producers this year, bringing the total number of members to 70.
The network was established to celebrate high-quality produce and the food heritage of the city and region, from street food trucks and award-winning fine dining, to craft brewers and artisan producers.
Last year saw the development and launch of the LegenDerry brand, complete with a new website providing a central hub for accessing unique food, drink and taste experiences in Derry, Strabane and the surrounding area.
As a certified LegenDerry provider, businesses are showcased on the LegenDerry website and receive a suite of marketing material to signpost their venues or produce with the ‘LegenDerry – Great Place, Great Taste’ stamp of approval.
LegenDerry Food was the result of a Food and Drink Strategy launched in February 2019 by Derry City and Strabane District Council, as part of its wider plan to drive tourism and place the region on the map as Ireland’s top food location by 2025.
Selina Horshi, new Chair of the LegenDerry Food and Drink Network, said: “We are always happy to welcome new businesses onboard this exciting and innovative project and we look forward with anticipation to continued development in the weeks and months ahead.”
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2021-09-27 17:44:312021-09-27 17:44:34LegenDerry Food welcomes 17 new members
One of Ireland’s leading diaspora initiatives has launched a new network of regional partners to connect people of Irish heritage abroad with their places of origin.
Ireland Reaching Out is a volunteer-driven, non-profit organisation connecting people of Irish heritage with the local community in their place of origin in Ireland and online through its platform, www.IrelandXO.com.
It has established an Irish Partner Network to improve the service offered to diaspora as they visit Ireland, north and south. One of the first organisations to join the network is the Tower Museum, which will cover Derry, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Down, Armagh and Antrim.
Ireland Reaching Out plans to build on the increase in people tracing their Irish roots during the lockdowns, and who wish to travel to Ireland as the country begins to reopen. As well as the Tower Museum, Visit Castlebar and Ballyhoura Development CLG, Ireland Reaching Out is now seeking other interested regional heritage and tourism groups to join.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2021-09-27 17:41:082021-09-27 17:41:10Ireland Reaching Out partners with Tower Museum to drive regional tourism
Ulster University’s Pro Vice Chancellor of Research Liam Maguire was joined by colleagues from the Derry-based Clinical Translational Research and Innovation Centre (C-TRIC) at a Northern Ireland Business and Innovation Showcase in London.
Representatives from the university’s Engineering Composites Research Centre and Research and Impact Directorate also attended the event, which featured the best of Northern Ireland’s innovative businesses, start-ups and universities, showcasing what the region offers as an inward investment location and as a trade partner.
The Northern Ireland Office, the Department for International Trade and Invest NI partnered to host the September showcase, which Dr Alexander Chacko, UU’s head of Innovation and Impact, said “spread the message that Northern Ireland’s innovators, tech start-ups, and universities are leading the way in post-pandemic recovery.”
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/logo_Ctric.png119203Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2021-09-27 17:35:192021-09-27 17:35:22NI innovators ‘leading the way in post-pandemic recovery’
Is your business looking for help or guidance with research and innovation? Perhaps your product, service or process requires expertise that is outside your current R&D capacity? Did you know that the Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway Network can help?
To compete in the challenging global business environment, indigenous companies face an ever-increasing demand for advancement and innovation.
Recent data also strongly indicates that companies who collaborate with third-level institutes on research, development, and innovation, have double the turnover of those that do not, and these companies are also likely to have significantly greater sales and export revenues.
Invest NI in collaboration with the Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway Network can assist you with funding and the specialist expertise you require. The Wireless Sensor and Applied Research Lab (WiSAR) Technology Gateway develop electronic products and software using expertise in the internet of things, while PEM (Precision Engineering and Manufacturing)Technology Gateway provide mechanical engineering and process improvements, with specialisation in product design and development in the engineering and manufacturing sectors.
Invest NI’s next £5,000 Innovation Voucher call opens on September 5th and to coincide with this, both WiSAR, based in LYIT and PEM, based in Sligo IT, are holding joint Innovation Voucher Clinics on the 15th, 16th, 22nd and 23rd of September. These clinics offer free one-on-one consultations, where businesses can discuss potential ideas for R&D projects under the scheme.
To book your free consultation at the Innovation Voucher Clinics visit:
In Your Space Circus (IYSC) is bringing its flagship Circus, Arts and Music Festival, Carnival of Colours to the City Centre for the 14th edition of one of Derry’s favourite headline events. Carnival of Colours, which usually takes place in St Columb’s Park, has up-rooted and relocated to Derry’s stunning City Centre. Taking place on the 4th and 5th September, the programme for the weekend will be jam-packed with circus-themed treats featuring the very best of International Street Theatre, IYSC’s own walkabout characters, workshops in circus and roller-skating, graffiti arts demos, portrait painting, music right across the city and much, much more! The headline shows will include acrobatics, juggling, diabolo, clowning, comedy, physical theatre and some crazy dance moves thrown in for good measure! Acts will include Mimbre (all-female acrobatic troupe), Nakupelle (world renowned clown), Jitterbug Jackson (Master of all things circus) and Tumble Circus (acrobats who achieve near impossible feats of gravity!).
Carnival of Colours, 4th – 5th September, Derry/Londonderry City Centre
Incredible local artists will also be showcasing their talents and bringing a weekend of pure joy to the people of the North-West and visitors to the City! Tying in with the Cathedral Quarter Weekend event, we will be breathing life into the Cathedral Quarter area of the City with a stage located at Society Street Carpark, and walkabout characters entertaining those who will be roaming the traffic-free streets around St Columb’s Cathedral.
Lots of other activity will be taking place in the area including ‘Sounds of the City’ a music and performance trail featuring the best of the best local musicians, programmed by Music Capital. Carny Corner, in the Garden of Reflection, will immerse you in the world of circus with IYSC Youth Circus shows, circus skills workshops, portrait painting and screen printing at the Derry Print Workshop.
The Festival attracts people of all ages from right across the Derry-Londonderry area and visitors to the city; it brings people together from all walks of life for a shared cultural experience. It also highlights Derry City as an exciting, beautiful and progressive destination for events and arts activity. Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke, said: “We are delighted to be working with In Your Space Circus on delivering the fantastic Carnival of Colours.”The Carnival puts smiles on lots of faces and adds such a fun, upbeat atmosphere to our city centre as we slowly return back to normal life. “There are loads of elements to the Carnival of Colours so there will be plenty of entertainment for both kids and adults alike. I would really encourage everyone to visit the city centre, check it out and support our local businesses in the process! “In 2021 the Festival is supported by Tourism NI, Derry City and Strabane District Council, and The Arts Council of Northern Ireland. A number of local cafes and restaurants are also supporting the event by feeding and watering our artists and volunteers!
Noirin McKinney, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added, “It’s truly heart-warming to see the Carnival of Colours back for 2021, spreading amazement and joy across the city. Once again the IYSC team have curated a fabulously fun programme with something to suit all tastes, from the very young, to the very young at heart! I would encourage everyone to get outdoors this September and enjoy everything that this terrific celebration of circus has to offer.” IYSC is particularly proud to be bringing the Festival back to the city after an extremely challenging 18-months for the arts and events industry. The organisation and local artists, who rely on the Company for income, have suffered great losses due to the pandemic. All activity will be delivered in line with Covid guidelines and every precaution will be taken to keep audiences and participants safe.
Carnival of Colours is a showcase and celebration of In Your Space Circus’s year-round work including the Circus School and its street theatre and performance work delivered across Northern Ireland. Cath McBride, IYSC’s Company Director said: “We are thrilled to be back and at it this year. We have so greatly appreciated the support of our funders and the general public in helping us to recover and bring this unique event back to its audience. We aim to ensure that the 2021 Carnival of Colours is a celebration of the city, of our artists and participants, of circus, and of our wonderful audiences. We are confident that there is something in the programme for everyone and that it will give families a fabulous opportunity to spend some quality time together!”
For the full Carnival of Colours programme visit: www.inyourspaceni.org/carnivalFor more information on events happening on 4th & 5th September, visit summernorthwest.com
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/408b87f5aea847e40c25c594f71d6f0921a5e6f04bed7c18a9adfb08116a8ae1-rimg-w526-h276-gmir.jpg276526Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2021-08-23 09:00:252021-08-23 09:00:28Derry’s Favourite Circus Festival Is Back! Carnival Of Colours Hits The City For 2021
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