Explore the shops, galleries and stock up on local produce on The Bushmills Taste Trail

Bushmills has a reputation for its wide-ranging independent shops and is the envy of the neighbouring towns and villages along the North Coast. If you are planning a visit to the upcoming Bushmills Salmon and Whiskey Festival 2022 on Saturday 15th October and Sunday 16th, October 2022 be sure not to leave without stocking up with local produce and tasty treats. Be sure to browse the country's largest art gallery, an antique shop, sustainable fashion brand boutiques, artisan cheesemongers & gourmet provisions, butchers, bakers and a traditional greengrocer. A tour along the main street is an experience in itself. Call in and meet the characters behind these long-established family businesses. As a renowned tourist stop, we have emporiums such as McConaghy's souvenir shop, which has a fascinating family history in this area and also serves the award-winning ice cream from Morelli's, including a whiskey-infused festival must try!

Worth watching our experience Bushmills videos which encapsulate what we have to offer across the sectors. Click this link to access these incredible videos 

Here is a snap shot of what will be on offer -

Carleton Newsagents and Confectionary 

An essential stop on the ‘Bushmills Taste Trail’ is Carleton Newsagents & Gift Shop for their very own but handmade ‘Carleton of Bushmills rock’ as well as essentials, a huge range of confectionary, crafts, gifts, Bushmills memorabilia, gift hampers and a really interesting selection of magazines including a number of top angling publications such as’ Salmon & Trout’.

Owner, Karen, is an award-winning window designer who creates an unique and ever changing display, the window has its own following!  Karen embraces the theme of the Salmon & Whiskey festival each year with a Salmon and whiskey inspired window display which really adds to the atmosphere of the weekend.  Look out  for her collection of unique pieces and beech-combed treasures painstakingly gathered, cleaned and persevered from local shores to as far away as Brunei!

Kane Family Butcher

This third generation family butcher is located just off the Diamond area but serve customers province-wide with its efficient delivery service. They offer a breathtaking range of quality produce with great deals and packages in store,  through their online shop and social media posts. The shop is stocked with a range of local produce including Bushmills own Dundarave estate preserves. Kane's are famous for their Salmon and Whiskey Festival BBQ but due to programming changes sadly they can't do that this year BUT dont despair you can still buy their delicious Black Bush Whiskey & honey sausages over the festival weekend. Freshly prepared to their own secret recipe, Kane's whiskey sausages have been featured on menu's in restaurants and cafes around the village over the years. Pop in and stock up on these delicious Bushmills bangers in time for Halloween!

GLASSES FRUIT & VEG

An attraction in itself, Glass’s has been running since 1986. This family run business has what most villages yearn for, a traditional fruit and veg shop where you can hand pick what you want and how much!! In today’s world of plastic and food waste it is a joy to shop at a traditional store. You will also find fresh baked goods, jams and preserves and salted ling! Festival goers can pick up locally produced  orange and whiskey marmalade or try your hand at making some by filling your basket with some juicy Seville’s .

The Bushmills Meat Centre

The Bushmills Meat Centre is another interesting stop. This local family farm butchers have been selling a quality range of their own farm reared meat for over 30 years. The Laverty family also champion the best of the area with a full range of local food heroes such as a Bushmills Banquet favourite @broightergoldrapeseedoil, a large range of Castle Bakery produce, home baked pies from their own lamb and beef and all the condiments to encourage customers to produce a feast for their families and friends from scratch. The Bushmills Taste Trail team have fallen in love with their ‘Creamy Whiskey Sauce’ range which lets face it can be added to almost everything but we can definitely recommend it on their sirloin and fillet beef steaks, equally good on chicken breasts or North Coast Smokehouse salmon fillets -  oven baked with some locally grown potatoes on the side.

The Designerie

The Designerie is a shop, creative hub, workshop, and community destination, selling handmade products from Northern Ireland and Ireland.  its core purpose is to grow the creative industry and promote creativity within the community, using it to build relationships and connect people.   The Designerie has  a dedicated  Taste Causeway retail area stocking a wide range produce and regular hosts “Meet the Maker”  chef demos and tasting sessions. They are also a stockist of the Taste Causeway book “Recipes and Stories”

To celebrate the Salmon and Whiskey festival, The Designerie  is running a programme of events all day Saturday.  This includes a special children’s workshop run by Michelle Mc Garvey, featuring her new book “King of the Fish - How the Salmon Became the King of the Fish” local producer tasting, Meet the Maker and chef’s demos.

McConaghy's Ice Cream & Souvenir Shop 

McConaghy’s is another Bushmills institution stocking traditional souvenirs including beautiful Aran knitwear, and Irish Linen, gifts and award-winning ice Morelli’s ice cream. Julie and Tommy also showcase  delicious whiskey edible gifts including Irish Whiskey fudge and Irish Whiskey Marmalade are always popular.

Over the festival weekend they will serving Morelli’s multi award winning vanilla  ice-cream infused with whiskey.

MAEGDEN

Cheese, cheese and more cheese might draw us in but does not adequately cover what the magical Maegden offers. It truly is a proper cheesemonger. Their stunning counter showcases the best of Irish farmhouse cheesemaking - from Northern Ireland’s Young Buck to Co Cork’s St Gall - with some excellent Scottish and English cheeses added in to the mix. This bustling space is surrounded by shelves filled with enviable larder ingredients and unique artisan products, all individually hand-picked by owners, Emma and Jo, for their quality, authenticity and integrity - the ethos which is very much at the heart of all Maegden offers. The menu includes their infamous grilled cheese sandwich selection, sweet treats and snacks, and incredible speciality coffee. A visit to Maegden is an experience in itself and a must-stop if visiting Bushmills.

Over the Salmon and Whiskey Festival weekend, you can enjoy the best local produce from their deli - such as North Coast Smokehouse organic salmon - and special cheese platters featuring Bushmills whiskey-infused pickles. We defy you to leave without a bag (and stomach) crammed full. Look out for music by Cam and Bert at the Cheesemongers 12-2pm on Saturday 15th October.

Sunday 16th is very exciting for those of you that love local produce, music and getting up close and personal with our local talent. From 12 to 5pm you can enjoy live music, chef demonstrations by local chefs who champion local produce but are willing to share some of their culinary secrets and techniques with us all and it all takes place next door to Maegden.  Grab a coffee, a sweet treat, a moreish toastie and stock up on all the ingredients you need to do your own demo at home!

OLD BUSHMILLS DISTILLERY

Old Bushmills Distillery is home to the world’s oldest licensed distillery and some of the finest Irish whiskies in the world. 

On the Saturday of the festival weekend only, the team of Old Bushmills Distillery guides – the Whiskey Educators, will be running tours which can be pre-booked.  

See first-hand how the craft of whiskey- making and the living history of our grain-to-glass processes.  Experience the impressive sights and rich scents of each stage from mash tun to pot still to barrel. Complete your tour in the 1608 bar to taste for yourself the culmination of more than 400 years of expertise and innovation.

Price per head £15 including a drink. Whiskey tasting and special whiskey cocktails also available at the famous 1608 bar.  Gift shop  open.

There are 21 businesses participating in the Bushmills Taste Trail. For more information, check out our Bushmills Banquet website for programme details (subject to change). Weather watchers can rest assured that the majority of offerings are indoors, and you can sit in and enjoy what's on offer without having to brave the elements. When you spend in a small local business, you are supporting local jobs and helping these hard-working businesses prepare for the tough winter ahead of us. We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy the festival wekend.

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