Now in its second year, this highly successful competition which encourages Moyle's restaurants to use locally sourced ingredients in their menus, will once again challenge participating venues to come up with their own special Menu of Moyle – celebrating the best of local produce by serving the highest quality locally inspired food. The competition offers opportunity for all types of eatery to take part by presenting awards in three categories: Restaurants, Pubs & Inns and Coffee Shops & Brasseries.

Celebrity TV Chef and ambassador for good food Jenny Bristow who launched the first Menu of Moyle competition in 2007, has again gave her full backing to this popular initiative.

Jenny is a keen campaigner for the promotion of local produce and spoke about her enthusiasm for the project, she said: "I thoroughly enjoyed my work with Menu of Moyle last year and was not only extremely impressed by the standard of the competition but also by the quality of produce available. When the opportunity arose to become involved again, I didn't hesitate one bit in pledging my continued support for the initiative in 2008. I must say that some really exciting dishes appeared on the menus around Moyle in 2007, so it will be interesting to see what the competitors come up with this year and I'm really looking forward to it!"
Managed by Moyle District Council's Cultural Tourism Programme, the Menu of Moyle initiative actively highlights the potential of what can be achieved when local eating establishments and producers work together by providing a way for local food and drink producers to connect with the chefs of the area. Menu of Moyle also presents a great way to promote the unique character of Moyle to our visitors and when a customer dines in a Menu of Moyle establishment they will experience a taste of Moyle and its traditions.

Deirdre McNeill, Moyle District Council's Cultural Tourism Officer said: "Last year we enjoyed a fantastic response to the competition and were very impressed by the outstanding quality of menus created for Menu of Moyle. I'm delighted to say that this year almost twice the number of venues are taking part, so locals and visitors alike can expect a great competition with lots of opportunities to enjoy the diverse range of produce and food available in the area.

"Everything from organic beef, lamb, eggs and vegetables to locally caught seafood and home baked goods are available on our doorstep. We even have whiskey and home-made chocolates produced in Moyle and the quality of all these great ingredients is extremely high."

She went on to add: "A lot of our competitors in last year told us they thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of the competition and that the majority of visitors and patrons chose meals from the Menu of Moyle, preferring to try the locally-inspired dishes over the other available options. We can be sure that diners from near and far will be guaranteed to find something on the 2008 Menus of Moyle to captivate their taste buds!"

Don't miss your chance to visit one of the participating Menu of Moyle establishments this summer. Whether you're a resident, or simply visiting the Moyle area, look out for the distinctive Menu of Moyle Logo which will be displayed in the windows of the many restaurants, pubs, coffee shops and brasseries competing in the Menu of Moyle Competition 2008.

A full list of competitors can be found on the Menu of Moyle website www.menuofmoyle.com, along with contact details and the menus you can expect to find on offer. Throughout the summer, a panel of mystery judges will visit the short-listed establishments however you can also have your say in the judging process: the organisers have provided an online feedback form on the website and encourage diners to help them decide who has produced the best Menu of Moyle in 2008.

If you would like to find out more about Menu of Moyle, please contact: Deirdre McNeill, Moyle Cultural Tourism Officer on: (028) 2076 2225, email: dmcneill@moyle-council.org, or log onto www.moyle-council.org.

The Menu of Moyle Competition will run from May until September 2008 and the winners will be presented their awards by celebrity TV chef Jenny Bristow at a special celebration event in September 2008.
Menu of Moyle is organised by Moyle District Council's Cultural Tourism Programme which is funded by the European Union through the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation, managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Moyle Local Strategy Partnership.