An evening for Seafood Lovers at Queenie Festival Extravaganza!
May 17, 2012 by Marineadmin
Filed under Events, Featured
For seafood lovers, the hottest up and coming ticket in town is The Seafood Extravaganza, a night of fine dining and live music taking place during Port St Mary’s annual Queenie Festival. On Saturday 30 June, Port St Mary’s quayside will be transformed for the night by a grand marquee, where diners will be able to enjoy a delicious seafood feast prepared by top visiting chefs, followed by live music from popular band Skeet.
Queenies will of course feature on the menu which are prized for their subtle texture and flavour, and are increasingly finding their way onto the menus of celebrated restaurants in the UK. Once again, The Queenie Festival has invited a number of celebrated chefs – including Simon Wadham, Head Chef at London’s Rivington, Dave McCarthy, Head Chef of London’s Scotts, Pascal Proyart, Head Chef of London’s One o One, Marcus Verberne, Head Chef of London’s Roast and Mat Follas of The Wild Garlic in Dorset. Guests at the Seafood Extravaganza can enjoy a special chance to taste the fruits of their labour – along with those of popular local chefs, amongst the sumptuous fare on offer during the evening. All of these chef’s will be giving cooking demonstrations in the quayside food theatre over the festival weekend.
Guests at the event will receive champagne and a selection of delicate canapés upon arrival, followed by a fabulous seafood feast, dessert, cheeseboard and coffee and mints. Dancing shoes are advised for the second half of the evening when local band Skeet will take to the stage to perform a rousing set of non-stop popular covers spanning the ages. As well as wine lists to accompany dinner, there will be a bar open throughout the night.
Tickets for the event, which runs from 7pm till 11.45pm, are £50.00 per person, with seating on tables of ten; corporate tables can be easily arranged. Places are strictly limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis – call Tim Croft on 834494 or 495930 to reserve your place or table.
Previous Masterchef Winner Mat Follas to appear at Queenie Festival
May 14, 2012 by Marineadmin
Filed under Featured
Masterchef 2009 winner Mat Follas will be appearing at Port St Mary on Saturday 30 and Sunday 1 July as part of the Isle of Man Queenie Festival this year. Over the weekend Mat will be cooking up a number of Queenie dishes in the festival’s food theatre which is hosted by the Isle of Man’s very own Kathryn Sentence of Relish Cookery School.
Mat was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, where his father had been posted with the New Zealand Navy. Although he grew-up in New Zealand, Mat has spent most of his adult life in England and has made the UK his home. Mat’s background is in engineering. Beginning with an apprenticeship at the Naval Dockyards in Auckland, NZ, his career took him to Melbourne, Australia and then to London, before returning to New Zealand to gain a degree in Electronics & Computer Science as a mature student. He has been living in the UK and has built a very successful career in IT over the last 12 years. Outside of his career, Mat loves to travel widely, spending time in Central Europe, North America and South East Asia, including a period living in Thailand teaching people to scuba dive. This wide exposure to different cultures and food is reflected in his cooking influences.
Cooking at a high level came late to Mat. After moving to West Dorset with his family in 2002, Mat discovered that British waters offer great scuba diving opportunities, and with that came lots of fresh seafood. A day’s cooking course at Rick Stein’s Seafood School was the start of a journey that included winning the popular TV series Masterchef in 2009 and opening and running his own restaurant The Wild Garlic to considerable acclaim. The Wild Garlic was given some of the highest scores ever by The Guardian 9½/10 and The Telegraph 9/10 it has also been listed or recommended in the AA Restaurant guide, The Good Food Guide and The Michelin guide since the first year of opening.
Tim Croft, Queenie Festival organiser commented on Mat’s appearance, “We are delighted to welcome Mat to the Queenie Festival this year. He has been an advocate of Manx Queenies since tasting them at the BBC Good Food Show back in 2009. Since then Mat always hoped to attend the Queenie festival and this year we have been lucky enough to secure his appearance in what is a very busy time of year for him. Once again it shows the appeal that the Queenie Festival has and I can’t wait to try some of his dishes.”
2012 sees Mat working in partnership with the Dorset Wildlife Trust at their new centre on Chesil beach at Ferry Bridge, Portland. His new venture, The Chesil Beach Cafe, is a family friendly beach cafe where he will aim to cater for the regular beach customers with a range of cheerful and delicious takeaway meals and bacon rolls as well as sit down lunch and dinner for the family using, amongst more traditional kitchen equipment, the Chesil Beach Cafe’s own indoor BBQ for the best burgers and mackerel baps around.
To see Mat and the many other attractions taking place as part of The Isle of Man Queenie Festival Marine Weekend be sure to head to Port St Mary on Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July between 11am and 5pm.
New Zealand Teenage Singer Songwriter to perform at Queenie Festival Sure Beach Party
April 27, 2012 by Marineadmin
Filed under Events, Featured
Rory Malone, teenage singer song writer from Tauranga, New Zealand will be taking to the stage as the first live act of the Isle of Man Queenie Festival this year.
Rory, somewhat of an up and coming star in New Zealand will kick off the Sure Beach Party start in what promises to be a great evening’s entertainment down on Port Erin Beach on Friday 29 June.
Rory who was born in Lincoln, England and moved to New Zealand when he was 4 years old. He lived in Masterton until he was 9 then moved up to Tauranga. Rory has become a well-known in the music scene in New Zealand and he moved to the UK in March to pursue his solo career.
His first taste of music was performing as the lead singer and song writer of A Kiss Goodbye. Over a five year period Rory had many memorable highlights. When he turned 16, A Kiss Goodbye opened for Panic at the Disco at the Vector Arena in Auckland. This was followed by a number of large gigs over subsequent years.
He is currently working on a new set especially for the festival audience. His song writing is influenced by artists including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, John Mayer, The Beatles, and Nevershoutnever. The new acoustic set promises to appeal to a wide age range. His plan is to perform 100 gigs from John O’ Groats to Lands End!
The Sure Beach Party will take on the 29 June at Port Erin Beach between 6pm and 11pm and is free to everyone!
Be a part of this years festival?
April 3, 2012 by Marineadmin
Filed under Events, Featured
The hugely popular Queenie Festival will once again be back between 29 June and 1 July, bringing its usual three days of fun entertainment, marine activities, local heritage and of course fantastic seafood! This year organisers are hoping that the public will help to make the fifth annual ‘celebration of the sea’ the best yet by getting involved or lending a hand.
A truly local, community event, the Isle of Man Queenie Festival showcases Manx produce, culture, wildlife and the Isle of Man’s beautiful seascape. As in previous years, the Friday evening ‘Sure Beach Party’ in Port Erin will kick off proceedings with live music and plenty of giveaways. Then the festival moves to Port St Mary harbour and Chapel Bay for a packed weekend programme for all ages and interests.
As well as favourite features such as the Trawler Race, chef cooking demonstrations and the Manx Mile Swim, there’ll be a host of things to see, do and sample, whether it’s a scuba try-out or a plate of delicious seafood cooked to order.
The festival organisers are inviting expressions of interest from anyone who would like to support the Queenie Festival, whether that is sponsorship of an individual element or by lending a hand with any aspect of the preparation and running of the festival.
Tim Croft, festival organiser commented, “The Queenie Festival has gone from strength to strength each year thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and all our volunteers. We’re now looking for people to help make sure that the 2012 event is our most successful yet.
“As well as the feel-good factor of supporting your local community and marine conservation, you’re guaranteed to have a great time getting into the festival spirit and enjoying the many attractions and events taking place”.
The Queenie Festival is also welcoming enquiries from stallholders – especially artists, craftspeople and local producers – and any bands, musicians or entertainers who are interested in performing live during the festival. It’s a great opportunity to play to a friendly crowd while supporting a 100% local initiative”.
To find out more about how you can get involved in Queenie Festival 2012, simply contact Tim Croft on 834494 or email timcroft@islandseafare.co.uk
Sure invite you to their beach party birthday bash!
March 28, 2012 by Marineadmin
Filed under Events, Featured, Latest
Sure will be celebrating their Isle of Man 5th birthday this year and as part of the celebrations they will once again be hosting a beach party in Port Erin as part of the Isle of Man Queenie Festival 2012.
The Sure Beach Party will be taking place on Friday 29 June under the fantastic backdrop of Bradda head, Port Erin beach will be transformed into a fun packed entertainment zone, this year with an Olympic flavour!
The evening will get underway at 6pm and promises a whole heap of fun with activities for everyone young and old, including the 2012 Beach Olympics! There will be the usual favourites making an appearance with live music from several local bands, fun and games for the kids, the popular seafood BBQ and new for 2012 and omitted from the London games, ‘The Mackerel Dash’! All of the entertainment is free of charge and the Sure team will be on hand with competitions and giveaways galore, so it promises to be a real celebration!
Kate Hegarty Marketing Manager of Sure commented “Over the years the beach party has been such a great community event especially for the south of the island and we are very proud to be associated with it once again! It’s our fourth year sponsoring the event and our fifth year of being on the Isle of Man, so we want to make it a real celebration. We’ll be providing birthday cake for everyone, so there is even more reason to join in the fun this year!
The event marks the start of the Isle of Man Queenie Festival weekend. Following on from the beach party the event will move to Port St Mary where it will host the popular Marine Weekend taking place on Saturday and Sunday on the quayside.
Tim Croft, Queenie Festival organiser said, “We are extremely grateful for the support of Sure for the Port Erin Beach party again this year. Sure as a sponsor provide fantastic resources as well as financial assistance to enhance the event year on year. We hope that as many people as possible come down to and join in the entertainment that will be laid on and have a great fun filled evening.”
Golden Queenie Still At Large
July 28, 2011 by Marineadmin
Filed under Featured, Latest
Cluemaster guards secret whereabouts of £4,000 hidden treasure.
The sun might now have set on another successful Queenie Festival (1st – 3rd July) but the case of the Golden Queenie Conundrum is most definitely still open!
The festival organisers promised that this year’s conundrum would be the ‘toughest ever’ and it looks as though they’ve been as good as their word, for the location of the Golden Queenie – which has an estimated retail value of £4,000 – is still a mystery to the many treasure hunters on its trail.
In only its third year, the cryptic challenge, reminiscent of the Cadbury’s Golden Egg treasure hunt in the early 1980s, has become a hugely popular tradition. Taking people far and wide to local landmarks and hidden corners, it tests people’s knowledge of the Island’s geography and history, myth and language.
The conundrum clues were first released in the second week of June via the festival programme and website, and, all over the Island, people set out to find the golden shell.
Six weeks and much head scratching later, organiser Tim Croft is urging people not to give up: “We asked our Cluemaster to make the conundrum particularly fiendish this year because we know the calibre of our treasure hunters – they’re a determined, resourceful lot!
“All I can say is, keep puzzling – the prize is out there, just waiting to be claimed! Don’t be put off if you’re new to the search, you’ve got just as much chance of cracking the code as someone who’s already familiar with the clues”.
The conundrum consists of 14 riddles. Entered into a grid, the answers will yield a 13 digit code; only by texting a mobile number revealed by the 14th answer will participants receive their final instruction, leading them to the location of the treasure.
The Cluemaster, who insists on remaining anonymous, refuses to shed light on any of the cryptic clues. Pressed at length, however, he gives the following tips: “The answers may be in Manx or English, and they may be numbers or letters. When the grid is complete, you should have a random alpha-numeric code.
“To search in earnest, you’ll need a map (the Ordnance Survey Outdoor Leisure Map, 1:25000)…and a ruler. This is all I can tell you”.
Treasure hunters have been sharing their progress and frustrations on the Queenie Festival website, with one commenting, “I think I’ll be very pleased whoever wins, as I’ll know they have put in more than enough work to deserve it”.
Come Aboard the 2011 Queenie Festival!
March 29, 2011 by Marineadmin
Filed under Featured, Latest
Organisers invite everyone to get involved in the annual ‘celebration of the sea’
The hugely popular Queenie Festival is set to return this July, bringing three days of fun entertainments, marine activities, local heritage and, of course, fantastic food by the seaside. This year, the festival takes place over 1st – 3rd July, and organisers are hoping that people will help to make the fourth annual ‘celebration of the sea’ the best yet by getting involved.
A truly local, community event, the Queenie Festival showcases Manx produce, culture, wildlife and the Isle of Man’s beautiful seascape. As in previous years, the Friday evening ‘Sure Beach Party’ in Port Erin will kick off a packed weekend programme for all ages and interests, focused around Port St Mary harbour area and Chapel Bay.
As well as favourite features such as the Herring Dance and the Manx Mile Swim, there’ll be a host of things to see, do and sample, whether it’s a scuba try-out or a plate of delicious seafood cooked to order. The famous Golden Queenie Quest is also set to return, albeit with a twist!
The festival organisers are inviting expressions of interest from anyone who would like to support the Queenie Festival, whether by sponsorship of an individual element or by lending a hand with any aspect of the preparation and running of the festival.
Festival founder Tim Croft says, “The Queenie Festival has gone from strength to strength each year thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and all our volunteers. We’re now looking for people to help make sure that the 2011 event is our most successful yet.
“As well as the feel-good factor of supporting your local community and marine conservation, you’re guaranteed to have a great time getting into the festival spirit and enjoying the many attractions and events taking place.
“We’re also welcoming enquiries from stallholders – especially artists, craftspeople and local producers – and any bands, musicians or entertainers who are interested in performing live during the festival. It’s a great opportunity to play to a friendly crowd while supporting a 100% local initiative”.
To find out more about how you can get involved in Queenie Festival 2011, simply contact Tim Croft – call (01624) 834494 or email timcroft@islandseafare.co.uk
All Press Enquiries: queeniepress@gmail.com
Queenie Festival 2010 roundup
July 12, 2010 by Marineadmin
Filed under Featured
Friday and Saturday’s events were a little bit of a washout to say the least, but thousands headed down to the sunshine in Port Mary for the Queenie Festival Marine weekend on Sunday.
The event ‘A Celebration of the Sea’ included numerous activities taking place over the weekend such as The Manx Mile Swim, Fishing in the Past and Kayaking, as well as live music, cookery demonstrations and the popular as ever touch tanks with real live crabs, lobsters and starfish.
Manx Queenies were the order of the day along the quayside of Port St Mary with visiting stalls and local businesses doing a roaring trade with the strong crowds.
Among the stalls were Queenie’s and bacon from Paddy’s Market, Queenie Festival chocolate from Cocoa Red and superb collection on home made baked cakes courtesy of the ladies from the Manx Wildlife trust all serving up some real afternoon tea treats.
There was herring filleting demonstrations and a number of diving demos’ to give people a flavour of the marine plants, seaweed and wildlife found in the local waters. Live music stages hosted numerous local bands and their was even a rare local performance by the Isle of Man’s MHK’s doing the traditional ‘Manx Scallop Dance’ – it wasn’t to be missed!
Tim Croft, organiser, commented “It’s crucial that when you live on an island surrounded by the coast and the sea that we really understand what role it has on our lives and how we should all work to preserve it for future generations. The Isle of Man Queenie Festival aims to showcase the best of everything the surrounding water have to offer, it really is a celebration of the sea’.
Tim added, “It’s been difficult this year with the weather, but you have to accept that living here on the island, but all in all it’s been a great festival.”
Steve and Kerry Bridgestone from visiting the Isle of Man from Essex with their two young boys Ryan and Jacob said, “It’s a fantastic atmosphere and its very interesting to learn about the Isle of Man’s maritime heritage. We have loved sampling the local Queenie’s taking the Fishing in the past walks and the kids have enjoyed steering the model boats.
Friday 3rd July – Love your Beach
July 2, 2009 by Queenieadmin
Filed under Events
Friday has an impressive list of events all focussed on or beside Port Erin Beach. Beach Volleyball, Scallop Shell Open Water Swims, Flipper Football, a live samba band, a limbo competition, The Fairly Famous Family and a Barbeque by TV Celebrity Chefs Mitch Tonks and Mark Hix.
There will also be a beach bar serving wine, beer and tropical Manx cocktails thanks to Martin at The Bay pub.
Port Erin will certainly be THE place to be on the Island and we’re sure there will be a great atmosphere. With so much going on adults and kids will have a great night at the beach.
Thanks to Sure for sponsoring Friday’s fantastic beach event.
More details on Friday’s event can be found here >>>
Thursday 2nd July – It’s all Beneath Us
July 1, 2009 by Queenieadmin
Filed under Events
Thursday will be a fantastic day for underwater enthusiasts. This includes diving, snorkelling and fishing. With both a junior fishing competition from Port St Mary breakwater and an adults competition aboard local charter boat ‘Gemini’, parents and kids can get involved in the fun. For those wanting to try diving or snorkelling instruction will be given on Chapel Beach and will be a great introduction to the sport.
For those not wanting to be quite so energetic we are also very lucky to have footage from underwater in Manx seas which will be projected onto a big screen in the Carrick Bay Factory at the top of the Alfred Pier in Port St Mary.
Special thanks to Paddy’s Market for their sponsorship of Thursdays events.
