Derry City and Strabane District Council will host a major conference in the city this month attended by delegates from seven European regions involved in NICHE, an INTERREG project aimed at developing best practice in relation to food innovation.
The Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Alderman Hilary McClintock, said she was delighted that Council will be hosting the NICHE second interregional learning event and staff exchange and is looking forward to welcoming representatives from the other six regions.
Speaking ahead of the four-day visit which will take place from March 14th-17th, the Mayor said: “Food has been identified as an economic driver in each of the seven regions involved in the NICHE project which is aimed at building innovative food value chains and, we are looking forward to exchanging and learning from experiences in our partner regions over the next two years.
“This event is a great opportunity to build upon international best practice and to reinforce our position as a real foodie hub, particularly given the achievements and successes in our own region during NI Year of Food and Drink 2016.”
The two-day interregional learning event and staff exchange will take place at The Playhouse on March 15th and 16th, with presentations from Artie Clifford, Irish Food Awards; Brian McDermott, Manager of the award-winning Foodovation Centre at North West Regional College; and Michele Shirlow, Chief Executive of Food NI, a consortium of food sector representatives supporting the industry.
The European visitors will also have an opportunity to visit the LegenDerry Food Festival – winner of Northern Ireland’s Best Food Event at the NI Year of Food and Drink Awards – during their visit. For more information, visit www.derrystrabane.com/food
