Belfast Flavours Live plates up a bold future for food and drink
TUESDAY 03 FEBRUARY 2026
Belfast Flavours Live brought the city’s food and drink story to life at ICC Belfast, gathering more than 200 chefs, producers, hospitality leaders, tourism professionals and policymakers under one roof. As the flagship event of the Belfast Flavours Food & Drink Collective, it set out to celebrate what makes Belfast’s culinary scene distinctive – its people, its produce and its bold ambition for the future.
Hosted by broadcaster Pamela Ballantine, the half‑day showcase on Monday 23 February combined big‑picture conversations with live kitchen energy. Across the main stage, panel discussions and one‑to‑one interviews dug into leadership, sustainability, talent and growth, reflecting the priorities of Belfast City Council’s Food Tourism Development Programme and the Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework. Live cookery demonstrations celebrated local ingredients and the producers behind them, turning policy themes into plates that captured the flavour of the city.
The line‑up featured voices from across the island, including Jess Murphy of Kai in Galway, chocolatier Gráinne Mullins of Grá Chocolates, Bullhouse Brewing Company’s William Mayne, and entrepreneur Sam Shephard from The Juice Jar, alongside Oisín McEvoy, co‑founder of Neighbourhood Café, Ciarán Shannon from Boatyard Distillery, Emily Doherty and Jack Weir from Liquid Minds, Mary Maguire of Fire and 5th, and Lucy and Carlos Capparelli from Capparelli at the Mill. Together, they shared honest insights on everything from building sustainable businesses to cultivating the next generation of talent, offering practical inspiration for independents and established brands alike. Throughout the venue, support, funding and service organisations were on hand to connect with delegates, opening doors to new collaborations and investment opportunities.
Belfast Flavours Live also underscored the power of partnership. Delivered by Belfast Flavours in collaboration with Belfast City Council, and supported by DAERA through the Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme, the event aligned closely with regional ambitions for a resilient, low‑carbon food economy. Support from organisations including Food NI, ICC Belfast and Pan and Pour highlighted a shared commitment to putting local food, farming, tourism and sustainability at the heart of Belfast’s story.
At its core, Belfast Flavours Live was a live expression of the network’s ethos: to connect, collaborate and grow together as one food and drink community. By bringing the sector together to share ideas, challenges and successes, the event reinforced Belfast Flavours’ mission to build a sustainable, globally recognised food and drink identity for the city – and invited everyone in the room to be part of that ongoing story.