Author: Tina Calder

Belfast’s bid for Purple Flag accreditation kicked off recently as a number of stakeholders in the city completed an initial self assessment.

A delegation from the City’s Business Improvement Districts Linen Quarter, Cathedral Quarter and Belfast One were joined by representatives from Hospitality Ulster, Belfast Chamber, Translink and the PSNI took part in the exercise to health check the City Centre in the self-assessment.

Similar to the Blue Flag scheme for beaches and the Green Flag scheme for parks the Purple Flag accreditation displays that a town or city is a safe and pleasant place to visit, night and day, for residents and visitors.

The self assessment involved examining the post 5pm Belfast experience including retail, hotels, licensed venues and cultural spaces.

It also considers elements around safety, accessibility and place which all contribute to the City being a welcoming and vibrant space.

The group heard the regular weekend briefing sessions that happen between PSNI and a vast array of volunteer organisations including a briefing around missing and vulnerable persons which has helped dozens of individuals this year alone.

Chris McCracken, Managing Director at Linen Quarter BID, and Chair of Belfast’s Purple Flag steering committee, said:  “Purple Flag status for the city would recognise Belfast as a truly international destination to live, work and shop. Belfast has a safe and vibrant night time economy with brand new destinations, such as the Linen Quarter, starting to emerge. However our self assessment indicates we need further investment in transport, signage, cleansing and promotion, as well as additional initiatives to support the evening offer for families, culture and arts, and non-alcoholic alternatives.”

Gareth Neill, CQ BID manager said: “It was with great reward to meet the fantastic organisations SOS BUS, Street Pastors, and Community Rescue Service who give up 1000 of volunteer hours to ensure the night-time economy is a welcoming and safe space for residents and visitors. The City Centre has significant growth ambitions for residential, commercial and tourism markets. With a significant increase in city living through the private residential market over the next 12-18 months and the ever expanding hotel sector there is a requirement to ensure that Belfast meets the aspirations of new residents, employers, and tourists, along with what is expected from an international city.”

A multi-stakeholder steering group, led by the Linen Quarter BID, is managing the business-funded project with the aim of applying in October 2019 to the governing body, the Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) to secure Purple Flag status in February 2020.

Belfast has a significantly younger population so part of the task force’s outcome will be ensuring there is a vibrant, mixed use and quality City Centre which is vital to catalysing additional economic rejuvenation.

Clare Maguire, Managing Director at Belfast One said: “Providing a quality and unique offering will also be of huge benefit to some of the 250,000 business visitors to Belfast annually or for the national conference market which currently stands at 60,000 attendees (£45m p/annum) who all want a vibrant and enriched experience of the City.

“Currently the City Centre does not have one managed approach to its evening economy strategy. There are a vast array of stakeholders and partnerships in play and Purple Flag allows a coordinated and programmed opportunity.”

For more information go to cathedralquarterbelfast.com

A unique and fun night for mums, Mother Tongue, goes on tour this autumn with dates in Belfast and Omagh.

The event, created by Mothership Events, gives panellists and attendees the chance to talk about the challenges of being a mother in 2019.

From hilarious stories and serious discussions to interesting revelations, the Mother Tongue events are a chance to meet other mums and talk about issues that affect them every day and enjoy a laugh together.

The Belfast event takes place on September 19 at the Black Box, while the Omagh show on October 10 will be at the Silverbirch Hotel.

Founder of Mother Tongue, Treena Clarke explained that there are too few chances for mums to get together that these events are a must.

“How often do we, as mums plan to meet up with our girlfriends and we need to get a date in the diary months in advance. It’s so hard juggling everything and we often forget about ourselves in the midst of work, kids, family and life in general,” she said

“The Mother Tongue events were created as a space to give mums the chance to not only get together but to meet other mums and talk about everything that affects us as mums – one guest from the last event called it ‘Like Loose Women only talking mums stuff with wine’.

“We talk about stuff that matters but we also have a laugh”.

Both the Belfast and Omagh events are packed with fascinating expert speakers –  as well as a virtual goody bag of discount vouchers worth £150 and the chance to win prizes with the ‘Treat Seat’ special.

Event host is business owner, commentator and mum Tina Calder.

“When it comes to being a mum it’s easy to think you’re the only person in the world worrying about the small stuff.  It’s also easy to think you’re failing when you’re trying your absolute best,” she said.

“What I love about these Mother Tongue events is that we can all just sit back, relax and be honest with one another about the things that worry us, annoy us, scare us or just generally make us laugh.

“Becoming a mum was the single most amazing thing that’s ever happened in my life and for reasons I’ve never been able to explain it gave me a confidence, drive and ambition that I’d never had before.

“Mother Tongue is a safe place to talk about all those things that bring us joy and heartache through our powerful journey of motherhood.

“Not just that, there’s a glass of wine and a lot of laughs, it’s the perfect girls’ night out.”

Both events will see five speakers take to the stage, with supper included in the price – with the bar open when the event starts at 7pm.

Tickets for both events are available here: https://mothershipevents.com/events

Speakers in Belfast will be:

Maria Rafferty – The Healthy Hormone Coach
Michelle Bradley  – Author
Sinead Sharkey Steenson – Generation Women/Career Reboot
Mags McAlpin – Creating Retail Magic Laura Steerman – Quaint Baby Ultrasound Steph Willis Lawlor – MumsNI

Speakers in Omagh will be:

Sinead Wilcox – Sinead Wilcox Consulting
Orla McIvor – Eden Energy Practitioner
Sinead Sharkey Steenson – Generation Women/Career Reboot
Sinead Norton – Mums at Work Laura Steerman – Quaint Baby Ultrasound

Destination CQ (Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District) has launched its autumn and winter programme of the popular ‘Lunchtime Learning’ events to support businesses in an ever evolving landscape.

Focusing on the challenging digital footprint the free 45 minute events are designed for all businesses in the Cathedral Quarter, and are held in the Black Box.

CQ BID manager, Gareth Neill, said that these sessions have been designed to help all to enhance their online marketing profile particularly around positive engagement with new and existing customers.

“After the fantastic success of our first season of Lunchtime Learning, we are back again with a new batch,” he said. 

“Evaluation after our last series, merited further  sessions based on marketing and digital media and we are delighted to have curated a range of industry leaders from across the Cathedral Quarter to take part”

“This is part of the BID’s commitment to provide additional training and business support to businesses operating in Cathedral Quarter & Smithfield; we have an energetic and enthusiastic business community who are keen to learn, upskill, and share best practice amongst each other in the area.”

“The sessions have been sold out; with an average rating of 4.5/5 across all our speakers and content choices. It’s a great opportunity to escape the office, learn something new and network with neighbouring businesses.

Full details and how to sign up are here: https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/lunchtime-learning/

The upcoming sessions include:  

11th September – An Intro to Google Ads 

18th September – SEO for Beginners

25th September – Email marketing

2nd October – Brand & Design for SMEs

9th October – LinkedIn for Business 

16th October – Websites for SMEs 

In addition to the Lunchtime Learning series there will be bespoke ticketed three-hour workshops for advanced social media learning.

A bespoke sold out 3-hour workshop taking a Deep Dive into Instagram Ads with expert Gil David was held last week, with further workshops around Google Ads & Email Marketing; these are hands on session walking you through the steps needed to create a great campaign and maximise your results.

For those unfamiliar with graphic design the thought of writing a brief for the talented wizards can seem a little daunting. But it should not be. Like drafting any other part of your marketing and communications plan it is about explanation.

And, that explanation should be broken down into similar steps to your marketing.

The first thing to include is your company profile. A short synopsis of what you do, including history and your clients or customers. This will help the graphic design team focus on the industry you operate in.

Perhaps the most important area in the brief will be the aims: what you and your company want to achieve with the design. Is it a complete re-brand, is it a new brand or is it for a campaign?

This will explain what you expect in terms of scope of the project and helps once consulting with the design team later on in the process.

Equally as importance is your company’s target audience. Young and funky, edgy people, a business-to-business campaign, or an older audience all will influence the design. This is time to consider carefully that audience. A short audit of your type of client may help clarify this.

The media format is something that you should also consider. A full suite of material could include stationery, leaflets, stands, website and other key elements. It could also be as simple as a leaflet and well-designed advertisement.

As you consider the breadth of what you want, do not forget social media. Whatever you want designed must have elements that work across multiple social platforms appropriate to your target audience.

At this stage it is important to include others in your team. They can provide valuable input, and help you revise the brief.

Of course, this is the hard part – money. You need to be clear about how much you have to spend on the design and the products it is to be used on. Be clear on this and be certain about the timescale that the project has to be delivered. Above all, remember that the cheapest option may not provide the quality you expect.

The life of the design brief does not end once you have appointed a designer. Before they start work meet with them and agree all of the above elements. An experienced graphic designer will be able to tweak the brief and help you work through what is exactly to be delivered. Chiho Tang, Owner of Oranga Creative said: “It’s great to meet with a client for coffee, to understand what they want, cause often the client can’t articulate what they actually want in just their brief alone and having a chat with them can fully allow us to understand their needs and be able to meet them with our designs.”

Also agree with the design team progress reporting, presenting of drafts and keep in contact – without pestering them. Let them get on with producing a design right for you.

To find out more about Oranga Creative’s Graphic Design services visit: https://www.facebook.com/orangahq/

After owner Emma Bricknell sent social media into a spin with her provocative ideas for advertising, Made In Belfast launched their weekend brunch menu recently.

The risqué and controversial concept ad campaign involved imagery of both men and women “licking” a sausage.

And when Emma uploaded it to social media sites like Facebook, the commentators went wild.

“When I floated the idea of a sausage about to be eaten in a provocative manner it was a bit of fun designed to promote the idea of weekend dining outside the normal lunch and dinner menus,” she said.

“And, after the success of the launch we have people wanting to know more about it and be there come Saturday and Sunday.”

Offering a range of dishes on Saturday and Sunday, the brunch menu at the Talbot Street venue was launched last weekend and already interest is burgeoning.

Attendees at the launch also got a further taste of Emma’s cheeky side with napkins emblazoned with Made In Belfast’s iconic lips and the slogan “bite me”.

Emma believes taking risks in business is essential and sometimes it’s important to stand out from the crowd.

She added: “It’s up to everyone in business to keep on innovating and using the immense creative talent here in Northern Ireland to develop. I firmly believe that being continuously able to change and shape the business is key to the ongoing success of Made In Belfast. That, and the amazing team we have. We’re very lucky.

Featuring outdoor bred meat in sausages and bacon, fresh produce, the brunch menu retains Made In Belfast’s ethos of supporting local sustainable farmers. Vegetarian and vegan options are also included.

Meanwhile Made In Belfast looks forward to expanding to four restaurants with the forthcoming Lisburn Road development.

“While we are planning our fourth city restaurant we never rest on our laurels. The brunch menu is something we’ve been developing for some time” said Emma.

“Next up I think will be a refurb at our city hall restaurant, it’s important to keep things fresh.”

The brunch menu is on offer Saturdays from 10:30 am to 12:30pm, and on Sundays from 10am to 12:30 pm at Made In Belfast in Talbot Street, Cathedral Quarter, Belfast.

The full brunch menu can be found at madeinbelfastni.com

The owner of the Hair Friendly salon in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter has raised almost £4,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support by opening her garden to clients, family and friends.

Christine Boyles explained that after her mum passed away from cancer several years ago, she invested much of the money she left her into her beloved garden – and had an ‘open day’ in aid of the Northern Ireland Hospice.

After doing more work to the garden in recent years she thought she’d organise a similar venture.

“The Macmillan Cancer Support nurses really helped my mum so much so this time I thought I would do it for them.

“It was forecast to rain and I was praying like mad – but in the end it was a lovely sunny day.

“I was just so pleased for everyone who had helped that their hard work paid off – people who washed the dishes, did the baking, sold the ballots, etc. They were all amazing,” said Christine.

Maria Small, Fundraising Manager for Macmillan Cancer Support – who called at Hair Friendly to collect the cheque for almost £3,700 – said: “Without people like Christine and the support she received from local people and businesses, Macmillan wouldn’t be able to fund our personal services.

“We don’t get any government funding so we rely on members of the general public holding events to help us provide things like our Macmillan nurses, patient grants and vital information services right across Northern Ireland.”

Brunch may appear to be a millennial phenomenon, but it actually goes back much, much further.

Originally, brunch was the 19th Century hangover cure. The term, which are the words breakfast and lunch sandwiched together, was allegedly coined by an Englishman called Guy Beringer in 1895. The meal was reputedly designed for “Saturday-night carousers” who were too hungover to get out of bed on Sunday morning.

Other sources credit early 1900s New York reporter Frank Ward O’Malley with coming up with the term as a way of describing the odd eating habits of newspaper journalists.

Popularised and (supersized) by Americans, this stylish Sunday hangover cure was quickly exported throughout the world. Comic books in the 1960s, cooking books and even smash-hit 90s TV shows such as Sex in the City has helped make brunch mainstream. Today, everywhere from the UK and Dubai to South Africa and China enjoy their own version of brunch.

With that said, brunch has taken millennials by storm. So, what is behind the explosion of this generation’s late elevenses? Emma Bricknell, Owner of Made in Belfast, has the answer after launching her new brunch menu: “Maybe it really is the best hangover cure on a Sunday. Perhaps it’s the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends and recap the previous night’s shenanigans.”

Or maybe it’s just a sign of the times. Income is meagre and prices are steep, then after squandering all of Fridays paycheck in the bar, getting up and eating later saves money on a couple of meals. If brunch is timed right, it could be the only meal of the day. So it’s possible it ticks a box that says ‘all of the above’. Or simply, it’s an excellent excuse to make drinking before noon socially acceptable.

Alternatively, it could be a case of a lifestyle change among 20-somethings. Over the previous decade, brunch has quickly overtaken breakfast, lunch and dinner as the most popular meal of the day. Restaurants everywhere are reporting longer lines than ever before, proving that the love affair with brunch is far from over. A study by Fahrha Ternikar, who wrote the academic; Brunch: A History, claims that brunch’s popularity has been steadily on the rise since 2004.

The two most popular days for brunch were Mother’s Day and Easter Sunday. Ternikar also noted that there is a correlation between those with disposable income and those who eat brunch. After all, brunch has its roots firmly planted in high society, who possessed both the time and the money to drag breakfast into lunch as a social affair. While modern-day vape-toting hipsters may not have the income – they do have the time.

What’s clear though, is that brunch represents a culinary pillar of our society. So, sleep in a little longer, skip breakfast, then let’s have brunch.

Book now for brunch at Made In Belfast, Talbot Street, Belfast at www.madeinbelfastni.com or just call in.

If you think of Indian cuisine, chances are the first dish that springs to mind is one of the fabulous curries authentic to the region.

These aromatic, flavourful dishes come in a range of styles from sweet and creamy to suit those looking for a mild flavour to fiery sauces for those who relish the heat.

What Is a Curry?

According to Chef Jainal, head chef at Belfast’s newest Indian/Italian fusion restaurant “curry originates from the Indian subcontinent and is typically meat or vegetables cooked in a sauce flavoured with a combination of spices and herbs”.

The blend of spices varies across India, with as little as five or as many as thirty combined to achieve the perfect flavour.    

“Curry dishes can be classified into two types; wet and dry,” said Chef Jainal.

“Dry ones are cooked with very little water, and any liquid added will evaporate while cooking leaving an even coating of the dry gravy on the vegetables or meat.

“Wet curries usually have a sauce and be served with rice, bread or chapatti to soak it up.”

What Are The Most Popular Curries?

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is possibly the most well-known of curries in Indian cuisine. Preparation of the dish is simple yet has to be done with utmost care. Skinless chicken has to be marinated in a spice, yoghurt and salt mix and will be left to blend for an hour or more. Once that’s done the chicken will be roasted in a clay oven commonly called as Tandoor until it’s mostly cooked.

Chef Jainal explained: “The curry base is made with a blend of spices and salt along with onion, garlic, and ground cumin, roasted in butter and heavy cream added in last to give the dish its signature thick consistency. Fresh coriander is sprinkled over the curry as a tasty garnish.”

Butter Chicken

This is a classic dish that’s easy to make. Slow cooked chicken that falls from the bone coated in a sauce rich with tomatoes, spices and butter, finished with cream.

Butter chicken is said to have originated in Peshwar, but in 1947, after the partition, the dish journeyed into India and beyond.  

Mutton Rogan Josh

A slow-cooked Kashmiri delight made with a blend of spices, Rogan Josh has a light, aromatic gravy that’s easy to make and usually served with chapatti, rice, naan, or sheermal.

 Spices such as asafetida, cinnamon, cumin seeds, cardamom chilies, and peppercorns are roasted in a large pan, followed by mutton or an alternative meat. After 10 minutes on a medium heat, the sauce is seasoned with salt and more liquid added and simmered until the meat is soft. The curry is finished off with yoghurt, over a low heat, and some add garam masala powder, almond paste, grated khoya and kewra water for more flavor.

Vada Curry

Vada ia a mouth-watering dish which originated in southern India. Chana dal (split chickpeas) are soaked in water for 3-4 hours and then ground with fennel seeds, garlic cloves, ginger, green chili, and salt. The ground mixture is then taken in small proportions, flattened with fingers and deep-fried in oil. Often in southern India, the mixture would be dropped into the hot oil, without being flattened and cooked until crisp.

Chef Jainal said: “For the curry base chopped onion, ginger, garlic paste, and curry leaves are sautéed in oil until lightly browned.  Tomatoes and spices will be added along with ground coconut paste and seasoned to taste. Finally, the fried Vada mixture is added to the curry sauce and cook for 5 minutes.”

Chicken/Vegetable Korma

Korma is rich, heavily scented curry which is easy to make. Meat should be marinated in spices for a few hours before cooking in a cast iron pan, until cooked through.

For the sauce, onion and garlic is blended with water into a puree before being cooked in hot oil for 2-3 minutes. Tomatoes and the spice mixture, which includes garam masala, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, and coriander, and added with a sliced green chili, coconut milk, and yoghurt, and simmered for 30 minutes.

Chicken/Mutton Vindaloo

An authentic chicken vindaloo is a fiery curry made by dry roasting dried chilies, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds in a pan and blending them with ginger, garlic and tamarind paste with a little water.

Onion is then cooked in oil, followed by the meat until cooked through, and then the paste is added with tomato puree and salt to taste. 

Mumbai Milano, 11 Wellington Place, Belfast is open 7 days a week. Lunchtime is an all-you-can eat buffet every day and their a la carte menu is available from 5pm. Book your table by calling 028 9031 1101 or log onto mumbaimilano.co.uk for more information.

The wonderful, colourful world of Cosplay will once again take centre stage at Ireland’s top gaming and anime convention, Q-Con, from Friday, August 30 to Sunday, September 1 at Queen’s University campus, Belfast.

Cosplay is the artistic hobby that sees people create costumes and dress up as their favourite characters from anime, manga, movies, video games, comic books or TV series.

Hundreds of pounds and hours are invested in producing or commissioning the best costumes, making the reproductions as exact as possible… but there’s plenty of room for those who just want to throw something together or marvel at everyone else’s hard work.

“It is a wonderful community that has grown greatly in the past 15 years both locally and internationally,” said Ben Harrison of Q-Con. 

“It brings fellow cosplay enthusiasts and artists together to have a bit of fun and to create something that can be appreciated by all.

“For some it’s even a gateway to a creative career in film and television that they are passionate about.”

The Cosplay community has been burgeoning for years in Northern Ireland and Q-Con is the hub for hundreds of devotees. Across the weekend watch out for the wonderful costumes in and around Queens.

A Cosplay Fashion Show, Cosplay Blind Date and Cosplay Talent Show are among the many events at Q-Con over the weekend.

Hosted by QUB Dragonslayers Q-Con promises a host of events, including an appearance from the creator of the classic game ‘Doom’, John Romero, who will challenge you “to beat him at his own game” as well as an exclusive meet and greet.

With 26-years-experience behind their belts the volunteer Dragonslayers know how to lay on three days of fantastic – in all senses – experiences.

“Since we began in a few rooms at Queen’s with 150 people Q-Con has exploded in popularity and excitement,” said Ben. 

“We’re working hard to make 2019 even better. From video gaming to tabletop gaming, or live text adventure in The Dark Room, through to our cosplay events we are packing the weekend out.”

Designed by gaming and anime fans Q-Con attracts people from across the UK and Ireland and further afield, with last year seeing a five percent increase in attendees. People from all ages are present throughout the weekend, with Sunday being especially accessible for families.

“When we see so many people around the university district coming along on trains, buses and in cars dressed up as their favourite comics, games and anime characters it shows just how popular gaming and anime has become, and how Q-Con caters for a demographic so often missed by the mainstream media,” added Ben. 

Taking place across the Queen’s campus, including the Whitla Hall, Elmwood Hall, Queen’ Film Theatre, the Computer Science Building and many other venues it is essential to plan your weekend to pack as much in as you can.

For more information and tickets go to q-con.org.uk

Q-Con, an annual three day gaming and anime convention held at Queen’s University in Belfast returns on August 30, 2019.

Who are Q-Con?
The Q-Con event, ending on September 1, has taken place at the University for over 25 years and is hosted by the Queen’s University Belfast Dragon Slayers society every year since 1994.

Who goes?
As the gaming community has grown exponentially over the past two decades so has Q-Con, which is now morphed into a beast in its own right, so it’s fortunate we’ve got some Dragon Slayers on hand. With gamers and anime fans travelling from all over the world to be there, it’s estimated to attract over 6,500 attendees over the whole weekend.

What about the kids?
Sunday, the third day of the event is especially friendly for younger children and families. It will include face painting, speed drawing and even a puppy café to support the charity Cavaliers in Need. There will also be viewings of the groundbreaking anime Ponyo as well as the webtastic film Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse, and finally Disney’s Treasure Planet. The screenings will be held at the Queens Film Theatre at different times throughout the day.

What else is happening?
Fans of the K-Pop scene and fitness fanatics will also be catered for in a fun combination of K-Pop and exercise. The group K-PopX will be putting on a 50-minute workout set, which will feature music and dance routines of the most well known K-Pop artists. The Irish Video Game Orchestra (IVGO) will also be hosting their Unplugged event, playing some of gaming’s most iconic themes that will surely be something to remember. IVGO will be playing on Friday night at Elmwood Hall, starting at 7pm.

Ever fancied proving to your kids that you’re better than they are at Fortnite? Now’s your chance as families will be able to take part in a Fortnite Battle Royale which will earn the winners bragging rights for weeks to come. This will just be one of the gaming events held that weekend. The Battle Royale will be held at Queens Computer Science building on Friday and Saturday.

Cosplay
Don’t forget that attendees are invited to cosplay as their favourite characters. There will be prizes for those who have the best outfits at the Cosplay Masquerade, with judging starting at on Sunday at 12pm at Elmwood Hall.

Doom fans
For older fans who have enjoyed games since 1994 the will be an opportunity to confront DOOM’s creator John Romero in multiplayer matches. As the DOOM series has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, being able to defeat the man himself at his own game will be a dream come true for many gamers. Come and show John what you’re made of at The Peter Froggatt Centre, Ground Floor, Room 024 on Saturday at 11am until 3pm.

Traders
When visiting Q-Con make sure to stop by at Artists Alley where traders from all over the world will be showing off and selling their unique and customer artwork. Many of these artists will only be here for this one weekend, so this is a fantastic opportunity to find some original and unique artwork to decorate your home or bedroom.

The stats
Over 6,500 attendees

50+ traders

50+ artists

50+ console bays

100+ eSports PCs

100+ Tabletop Games

50+ special events

Tickets
Tickets are £18 (+booking fee) for a weekend pass if purchased in advance from >> https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/q-con-xxvi-registration-56286927716

On the day: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday Day Passes £13 cash at the door.

Special Sunday Family Ticket is £20 for 2x Adults & 2x Children

For a comprehensive breakdown of the events and times at Q-Con, or to purchase tickets, please visit their website here http://www.q-con.org.uk