Comber Earlies potatoes have held PGI status since 2012, in recognition of their unique taste, attributed to the micro-climate and rich soil of the Ards Peninsula and Comber areas. This prestigious status places them alongside renowned products such as Camembert cheese and Melton Mowbray Pork Pie. Festival goers celebrating this PGI status for the local potato enjoyed a range of artisan food and drink stalls, a vintage tractor display, live music, entertainment, and celebrity chef demos.
NI cookbook author Nathan Anthony headlined this year’s Comber Earlies Food Festival, alongside broadcaster Lotte Duncan. SERC worked alongside Lotte at the Meet the Producers Kitchen, where she made delicious dishes using local ingredients and chatted with producers throughout the day.
SERC Chef Lecturers, Paul Mercer, Tom McCluney, Friedrich Machala and Brian Magill hosted demonstrations throughout the festival with local chefs such as Adam Morrison (MasterChef star and PhD researcher in food at Ulster University), Jim Mullholland (No.14 at the Georgian House), Jonny Davison, (owner of Krumb Bakery) and Andrew Turner (The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn). The live cooking introduced festival goers to a host of ideas for incorporating Comber Earlies into a range of dishes from starters to desserts! SERC also served free Comber Tasters throughout the day to the festival goers.
SERC Level 2 Traineeship in Professional Chef student Dean Mackintosh worked with SERC lecturers at the event and gained valuable insights into the demands of live demonstrations and foodie tourism.
Paul Mercer, Principal Lecturer, Hospitality and Management said, “We were delighted to be involved in the Comber Earlies Food Festival again this year. There was a great turn out and it is always wonderful to showcase the great produce available locally.
"The SERC Culinary Arts presence at high‑profile food festivals like Comber Earlies is just one of the ways we blend education with industry, inspiring the next generation of chefs. Events like Comber Earlies provide students with invaluable real‑world experience and direct access to local producers and culinary professionals, all within a festival that celebrates the very best in local, high‑quality artisan food and drink."
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