SERC Chefs Centre Stage at Comber Earlies Food Festival

Chef Lecturers from South Eastern Regional College (SERC) helped celebrate the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status of Comber Earlies potatoes at the annual Ards & North Down Borough Council food festival held at the Comber Leisure Centre car park on Saturday, June 28.

TV chef Anna Haugh headlined this year’s Comber Earlies Food Festival,  alongside broadcaster Lotte Duncan. SERC Chef Lecturers, Paul Mercer, Tom McCluney, Friedrich Machala and Brian Magill hosted demonstrations throughout the festival with local chefs Jim Mullholland from No.14 at the Georgian House, Comber and Gavin Murphy from The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn. The live cooking introduced festival goers to a host of ideas for incorporating Comber Earlies in to a range of dishes from starters to desserts!

SERC culinary arts students, David Rea and Abbie McCormick, got to pair up with celebrity chefs Lotte and Anna for the day.   Both students gained valuable insights in to the demands of live demonstrations and foodie tourism.  

Visitors enjoyed a range of artisan food and drink stalls, a vintage tractor display, live music, entertainment,  and celebrity chef demos, all in celebration of Comber’s renowned potato.

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.

“Our students had a great time working alongside the celebrity chefs.   This is something they can add to their CVs, and it gives them first hand experience of the importance of how tourism and the local food sector work together.”

Paul concluded, “We are looking forward to welcoming Anna Haugh back to North Down in September when she will guest chef at the Portavogie Food Festival.”

Comber Earlies potatoes have held (PGI) status since 2012, in recognition of  their unique taste and flavour, 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.