New recipe cards celebrate baking heritage at Arthur Homestead

VISITORS to President Arthur Homestead in Cullybackey can discover a taste of local history with the launch of a new collection of traditional Ulster-Scots recipes that celebrate the area’s rich baking heritage.

Mid & East Antrim Borough Council have collaborated with locally renowned chef Paula McIntrye through Tourism NI’s America250 Experience Development Programme, with support from the Department for Communities, under the US-NI250 Scheme, to devise recipes to highlight the importance of local food.

The recipe cards will educate visitors on the importance of locally sourced foods and to take home some skills to discover the craft of baking.

The initiative aims to preserve and promote the culinary traditions that form an important part of the Ulster-Scots story and the heritage of the ancestral home of Chester Alan Arthur, 21st President of the United States, as part of the USA 250 anniversary celebrations.

The recipes reflect the simple ingredients, practical skills and resourcefulness of traditional Ulster-Scots home baking, giving visitors the opportunity to recreate these cherished flavours such as griddle scones, Indian sodas, roussel bread and sparbled fadge while discovering more about everyday life in generations past.

The launch forms part of a wider programme of activities at President Arthur Homestead, recently recognised as a fully functioning museum through the UK Museum Accreditation Scheme.

Visitors are invited to experience the flavours first-hand at three special tasting and demonstration sessions on Saturday 28 November, at 11am, 12.15pm and 1.30pm.

Tickets cost £5 and places are limited.

To book email [email protected] or Telephone 028 9335 8262.

“Food has always played an important role in bringing people together and telling the story of a community,” said Alderman Thomas Gordon, the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim.

“These recipes are a wonderful way to share the flavours and traditions passed down through generations and will be a great asset to visitors coming to experience President Arthur Homestead.”

Paula McIntyre added: "I am delighted to be working in collaboration with Mid & East Antrim Borough Council on this project.

“Having visited the cottage many times and baked over the open fire it is lovely to be back again showcasing our wonderful local ingredients.

“I am deeply passionate about the area and ensuring we share the heritage that has been developed.

“The design of these recipe cards provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and share the rich Ulster-Scots baking heritage with a wider audience."

The recipe cards will be available free of charge to visitors following the demonstration on Saturday 28 November, helping ensure these traditional recipes can be enjoyed by future generations.

For further information about President Arthur Homestead and upcoming events, visit www.shapedbyseaand stone.com/Whats-On