Northern Ireland flavours for St Patrick's Day

Shoppers at the iconic Borough Market in London are being given an opportunity to enjoy tasty and wholesome food and drink from Northern Ireland producers over the colourful St Patrick's weekend.

Hundreds of original food and drink from around 12 leading food and drink processors, many of which have won UK Great Taste Awards and Blas na hEireann, Irish National Food Awards.

On show from Northern Ireland will be oysters from Killough, cheese from Tandragee, butter from Dromara, eggs from Newtownbutler, balsamic vinegar from Richhill, Irish Black Butter from Portrush, handcrafted chocolate from Newry, culinary oils from Waringstown and gin from Crossgar.

The showcase - the first-ever at Borough Market in Southwark - is being organised by Food NI, Northern Ireland's marketing body for the dynamic food and drink industry with support from Tourism Ireland and Tourism NI.

The four-day presentation follows an invitation from management at Borough Market, one of the most important in London and a magnet for visitors from many parts of the world.

The market is a dynamic, ever-changing London institution and a source of outstanding food that features food producers and farmers.

Borough market's stalls, shops and restaurants reflect London's status as a truly global city, with traditional British produce sitting alongside regional specialities from around the world.

Northern Ireland at Borough Market

Abernethy Butter, Dromara - handcrafted butters

Ballylisk Dairies, Tandragee - cheese and butters

Burren Balsamics, Richhill - balsamic vinegars

Cavanagh Eggs, Newtownbutler - free range eggs

Echlinville Distillery, Kircubbin - gin and Irish whiskey

Harnett's Oils, Waringstown - culinary oils and sea salt

Irish Black Butter, Portrush - sweet and savoury spread

Lecale Seafood, Killough - oysters and mussels Mash Direct, Comber - vegetable products and convenience meals

Neary Nogs, Newry - bean to bar chocolate and drinking chocolate

Shortcross Gin, Crossgar - craft gin

As London's oldest food market, Borough Market remains a bustling and dynamic shopping centre that has been serving the people of Southwark for 1,000 years. The market's extraordinary appeal attracts thousands of visitors from abroad.

But this is not a museum piece--it is a dynamic, ever-changing institution; a participant in the wider debates around what we eat and where it comes from; a place where food is talked about almost as enthusiastically as it is consumed.

It has a well-deserved reputation for genuinely exceptional produce. Many of the market's stallholders are, like some of those from Northern Ireland, themselves producers.

The iconic market is usually a riot of colours, smells and people enjoying the banter with highly vocal traders, keen to share their culinary knowledge with shoppers. Joining the programme of culinary demonstrations will be Northern Ireland's own kitchen ambassador Paula MacIntyre, who has cooked there on a number of occasions.

The market has, in addition, won acclaim from the global Slow Food movement which emphasises the importance of natural food production and farming techniques. As a result, many of the products sold regularly are recognised by the movement as distinctive local food, the survival would be at risk if it weren't for a small number of artisans working hard to keep them relevant.

A commitment to the environment underpins the market. Packaging used by regular traders tends to be bio-degradable and compostable. It features the use of low energy lighting and the collection of rainwater to feed the plants in the Market Hall, all make a difference, but they are only a small part of a bigger picture.

The market was established by Act of Parliament in 1754 as "an estate for the use and benefit" of the local community "for ever". Not for weeks or months or even centuries, but for all eternity. It is run by a charitable trust of volunteer trustees which has built on the traditions of trading there stretching back over 1,000 years.

Pic: Will and Allison Abernethy of Abernethy Butter will be at Borough Market.