Northern Ireland Archives | Bow Tie Blogger

An Interview with Karen Alexander from Freebird Tea

April 26, 2018April 27, 2018 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Lynyrd Skynyrd, an epiphany in a hospital waiting room and gin & tonic tea! Karen Alexander tells me about her Freebird journey so far. *this post contains affiliate links Now I must confess, I’m much more into my coffee than my tea. But perhaps I’ve just never tried the right…

The Naked Revolution at Finnebrogue

March 26, 2018 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Naked Bacon So I'm loving this Naked Bacon, part of the latest range from Finnebrogue. Naked meats are made without the addition of nitrites and E numbers. The folks at Finnebrogue having produced sausages for more than a decade vowed not to produce bacon until they could make it safer, which means…

BelFeast

March 15, 2018 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

BelFeast comes to Belfast BelFeast will be centred in the city’s Cathedral Quarter. The lineup includes live music performances, street artists, tours, workshops and talks. There will also be an artisan street market and a street food village running alongside the food festival. The three-day festival runs from 23-25 March. The…

The Best of Northern Ireland Food and Drink at Borough Market title

Taste the Greatness of Northern Ireland in the run up to St Patrick’s Day at Borough Market

March 9, 2018 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

The Best of Northern Ireland Food and Drink Borough Market will be providing culinary inspiration from the best of Northern Ireland food and drink to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in the capital, with guest traders setting up shop in the Market Hall to sell some of the best Northern Irish…

Revolución de Cuba

October 18, 2017December 13, 2017 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Cuban Craze Revolución de Cuba has definitely hit the ground running since opening its doors to the Belfast public back in July this year. Drawing the crowds by its Latino vibe and decor to match with some excellent Happy Hour offers too! [caption id="attachment_10746" align="alignnone" width="3840"] Inside Revolucion de Cuba[/caption]…

Asda’s Super Summer Picnic Range

August 13, 2017September 3, 2017 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

[caption id="attachment_10192" align="alignnone" width="4896"] Asda Brownie Bites[/caption] The Great Outdoors So it's mid-August already but there’s still plenty of time to make the most of what’s left of the summer. Plus we all remember how good the weather gets in September from back in the school days, sitting in the…

The Parsons Nose

April 18, 2017February 5, 2018 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

So this little jewel in Hillsborough has went under the knife and had a hefty makeover worth half a million pounds and I was very lucky to be invited along to see how it was looking, and to try some the of the dishes from its extensive menu. All made…

We Slim Together | ‘The Difficult’ Second Month

April 4, 2017June 26, 2017 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

So the clue’s in the title here. A second month of ups and downs on the We Slim Together plan. Nobody said it was going to be easy! And for certainly the month of March, it wasn’t! Starting weight 13st 7.3lbs Week 6 | Uh oh… So the week started…

A Great Way to be Social

March 28, 2017June 26, 2017 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

So there's been plenty of talk about the Ohh Social app recently from myself, other bloggers and plenty of people in general. If you haven't heard of it or haven't got a chance to look at what it’s about, read on, and also check out the fantastic offer that Ohh…

Foodie Heaven in the North West

March 17, 2017June 26, 2017 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

So do you remember 2016, the NI Year of Food & Drink? Ah the memories! Of course it seems like a lifetime ago now, so to get invited to a legacy event for this monumental year gone by, was an absolute pleasure. A wee road trip no less, first to…

Preserving What Matters

January 24, 2017February 5, 2018 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Right so you'll find a few of these appearing on the blog this year and hopefully beyond. I love Northern Ireland Food (if that wasn't abundantly clear already!). Our producers are passionate, our products and produce are high quality and behind every one there's a real story, and I love…

The Centra of Health

January 18, 2017June 26, 2017 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Centra NI Launch Their "Live Well" Campaign So I've taken quite a decisive stance on changing things for the better in 2017, not least the state of my health. The Skinny Bowtie page already has a couple of healthy & hearty (oat based!) recipes for you to try. Be sure…

French Village Patisserie & Brasserie

December 30, 2016June 26, 2017 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

So this is my first post of 2017 and my 100th in total. A long overdue first visit to the latest addition by the French Village folks. The Patisserie & Brasserie which opened its doors for the first time on the Lisburn Road 6 months ago. BT9 is positively teeming…

New Look to Tesco NI Flagship Store

November 29, 2016June 27, 2017 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

The folks at Tesco Northern Ireland very kindly offered to show me round their newly refurbished flagship store at Newtownbreda, where £2.1 million has been invested into enhancing their customer shopping experience. What's New in Newtownbreda We arrived early for the tour so went up and had a coffee in the…

Tesco Taste Festival 2016

September 17, 2016September 17, 2016 by Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

Michael Reid | Bow Tie Blogger

So it's that time of year again when a bunch of our top local food & drink companies get together in one big giant tent in the middle of Belfast and show us what they've got. [gallery ids="4773,4772,4771,4770" type="rectangular"] [gallery ids="4768,4767,4766,4765" type="rectangular"] The crowds descend on Custom House Square to sample,…