You can celebrate Lough Neagh Eel all this week!  An elite group of Northern Ireland restaurants are offering the delicacy during the first ever restaurant week aimed at celebrating Lough Neagh Eel because eels are tasty.

Lough Neagh Eels have been awarded for their heritage, tradition and authenticity and the inaugural ‘Eel-Eat’ week will culminate in the third annual River to Lough Festival on Saturday 2 July.

Organisers have been overwhelmed by the interest in the event and Eimear Kearney of Lough Neagh Partnership says this is proof that we are all keen to taste and enjoy Lough Neagh Eel.  Eimear said:  “The concept has been cooking for a while but the discussions about whether to host a restaurant week dedicated to Lough Neagh Eel and the reality of Eel-Eat shows that the general public in Northern Ireland either already love Lough Neagh Eel or their curiously hoping to tempt their taste buds with Lough Neagh from now until Saturday 2 July.”

Participating restaurants include:

CO ANTRIM: Deanes Love Fish, Belfast; The Londonderry Arms, Carnlough; The White River House Hotel, Toomebridge; Safari Grill, Junction One, Antrim; Daniel’s at Tweedies, Ballyclare; La Scala at the Stormont Hotel, Belfast; The Causerie at the Europa Hotel, Belfast; The Garden Restaurant, Ballygally Castle, Larne; Truffles Restaurant, Randalstown; Slemish Market Supper Club, Glenariff; River to Lough Festival Eel Eatery, Antrim; Paula McIntyre Cookery School, Antrim

CO ARMAGH: The Moody Boar, Armagh; Uluru Bar & Grill, Armagh

CO DOWN: The Downshire Arms Hotel, Banbridge; The Percy French at the Slieve Donard Resort, Newcastle; The Cultra Inn at the Culloden Estate and Spa, Holywood

CO LONDONDERRY:  Whoosh, Coleraine; The Grill at the Everglades Hotel, Derry~Londonderry; Lime Tree Restaurant, Limavady; Beech Hill Country House, Derry~Londonderry

CO TYRONE: The Cellar Restaurant at Glenavon House Hotel, Cookstown

You can also celebrate the delicacy at the River to Lough Festival at the end of Eel-Eat on Saturday 2 July.  Foodies and families will be able to enjoy the family festival right in the heart of Antrim at Antrim Castle Gardens.  Festivities will run from 12noon until 5.00pm with a cookery school hosted by celebrity chef Paula McIntyre, a pop-up restaurant, cookery demonstrations and a craft and artisan food market.

Eel-eat is supported by Tourism NI, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Food NI and The Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative Society.

www.eel-eat.co.uk; www.twitter.com/eel_eat; #EelsAreTasty