Eats and Beats Calls Crowds of Food and Music Fans to Newcastle

Savouring the sounds, tastes and magnificent surroundings of Newry, Mourne and Down’s newest Giant Adventure, huge crowds gathered for the Eats and Beats festival in Newcastle at the weekend.

Foodies and music lovers were treated to two food villages and three music stages packed with celebrity chefs, fringe events, live music, family fun, and a world of cuisine, with visitors taking their pick from over 60 food and drink stalls at the Homegrown and World food villages in Donard Park and Castle Park.

On Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 September Visit Mourne’s newest food and drink journey, Savour Visit Mourne, delighted festival-goers with the finest food and drink experiences on show from the likes of Paul Cunningham – famous for his appearance on the Great British Menu, owner of Mourne Larder and Dundrum’s newest eatery, Scopers, and famous for his extraordinary secret dining experiences. A wide range of local food and drink producers and experience and hospitality providers also delighted food enthusiasts with a wonderful array of delicious food and craft drinks on offer.

The incredible music line-up offered an eclectic mix of styles and genres creating a big festival vibe across the seaside town throughout the weekend. Newcastle reverberated to the sounds of live music from the likes of The Undertones and Kila at the Homegrown stage in Donard Park, expertly hosted by QRadio presenter, comedian and DJ Ryan Hand.

Music lovers danced their way around countries and continents with the best in Brazilian Samba, Indian Bhangra, Latin, African and many other traditional music forms at the World Music stage in Castle Park. Crowds were treated to some of the very best new and upcoming bands on the local and Irish scene at the Rising Stage on the Promenade including singer-songwriter RUE indie-folk duo, Lathya and Downpatrick’s own indie/alternative rock band, The Thing Is.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Michael Savage said, “Rain certainly didn’t dampen the atmosphere in Newcastle at the weekend. Crowds from all over Northern Ireland and Ireland, and even from further afield descended upon the town to enjoy a fabulous weekend of ‘Eats and Beats.'

“Newry, Mourne and Down is becoming well known for the quality of food and drink offering and it has long had a strong track record for producing talented and successful musicians. Through the Council’s tourism arm, Visit Mourne, this first class food and music festival showcased our strongest assets in one of the district’s most beautiful locations.”

“The Eats and Beats festival rounded off the Council’s summer events programme on a high but luckily for locals and visitors alike, our autumn programme of events is just around the corner. Full details will be available via the Visit Mourne website in the coming weeks.”