Study Tour

DAY ONE: 15th March Belfast City – Past, Present and Future

Belfast Welcomes Butchers of the World. Study Tour Delegates arrive in Belfast. Host City of Worlds Butchers Challenge 2018.

1.45 p.m.- 14.30 p.m. WBC Council and Team Captains VIP visit to Belfast Lord Mayor at Civic reception in Belfast City Hall, Lord Mayors Parlour.

Tour Guides: Rhonda Montgomery & Sean Owens

Shuttle Bus being provided to move delegates on this visit from Hotel to City Hall and return to Stormont.  All delegates will leave Stormont together on shuttle buses to go to Titanic for 4pm.

WBC STUDY TOUR REGISTRATION – Stormont Hotel

12pm – 4 p.m. Check In to Stormont Hotel and register with Tour Operator Butchery Excellence Ireland desk situated in reception area.

Check In Staff: Niamh Maguire, Dave Lang and Rhonda Montgomery

Stormont Hotel, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 3LP T: +44 (0) 28 9065 1066, F: +44 (0) 28 9048 0240

N.B on registration each fully paid delegate will be given a BEI / WBC named I.D. lanyard that you must keep for the duration of the tour and for all visits and any food.  All delegates will be given a welcome pack that includes Tour Itinerary, Bus pass, Shuttle bus pass, Taxi cards, things to do in Belfast, Nightlife in Belfast, where to shop in Belfast, Shuttle Bus Schedule, Gala Dinner/Soriee Tickets, Calendar of Events for WBC Competition.

Titanic Belfast Tour

4 p.m – 5.00pm – Tour of the Home of the Titanic, with an in-depth chance to understand the real events of 10th April 1912 and the effect the sinking of the worlds’ greatest ever liner had locally and internationally. Titanic Belfast – Meet at Ticket Office Main Door.

Soiree Evening – Welcome Butchers of The World To Belfast

Complimentary drinks on arrival sponsored by Butchery Excellence Ireland

6.30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Welcome addresses by Rhonda Montgomery CEO Butchery Excellence Ireland, followed by Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast Cllr. Sonia Copeland and Rod Slater WBC Founder.  WBC Senior Team LIVE draw will take place to determine what country is competing in Heat 1 and Heat 2 at Meat @ IFEX. The Mayor & Rhonda will draw the balls and Rod Slater will announce the Countries that have been selected.  Andrews Suite – Titanic Belfast

WBC Welcome Soiree event with tastings of Local Irish Produce and Local Irish Craft Beers and Ciders  for all study tour delegates together with many of the top meat industry stakeholders and sponsors from across the island of Ireland and around the world. Enjoy. Opening of WBC Tour by Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast Cllr. Sonia Copeland. WBC Draw for Station & Heat Allocation – Senior & Junior WBC Competitions.

Shuttle bus will take people back to Hotel after Soiree – see bus timetable

8.30 p.m. PRACTICE RUN FOR WBC ENTRANCE INTO GALA DINNER

WBC TEAM CAPTAINS / COUNTRY FLAG BEARERS & CHAMPION PIPER KEN STEWART

Dress Code: Casual

Total delegates: 155

DAY TWO: 16th March

MID ULSTER TOUR. CAFRE – FOOD INNOVATION CENTRE

6.30 AM

Full Irish Breakfast at Stormont Hotel.

7.00AM

Bus 1 leaves for Linden Foods (Team Captains and WBC Council)

Marks and Spencer dedicated Red Meat Retail Packing Factory Tour. New Product Development Area. Granville Industrial Estate, Dungannon, County Tyrone (Bus 1 Only).

8.30AM

Bus 2 Leaves for tour of Mid Ulster Area with Butchers Shop visits

Lowe Brothers Master Butchers, Stewartstown, Co Tyrone.

Master Butcher Kevin Lowe Photographs Shoot with Kim Ashton MU Chairperson

8.30AM

BUS 3 LEAVES FOR Tour of Mid Ulster Area with Butchers Shop visits

MacMahons Butchers’ Cookstown.

Colum Donnelly Team Ireland Member, Photographs Shoot with MU Councillors

AT 10.15 AM BUS 2 AND BUS 3 SWITCH TO GO TO THE ALTERNATE SHOP.

10.45 AM

All Buses Leave for CAFRE Loughry Campus – Food Innovation Centre

11.30 AM

Arrive at CAFRE Loughry Campus, Food Innovation Centre for Group Tours.

5 groups of 20. Photoshoot with Prized Bull, PS and Butchers of the World Outside FIC – Damien Tumelty, Top Irish Dexter Beef Primary Producer.

12.30 PM

Arrive at Sports Hall CAFRE Loughry Campus

Welcomes by: Permanent Secretary, DAERA, Councillor Kim Ashton Mid Ulster District Council

1.00 PM

Lunch with Ballyriff Buffalo, Glenarm Shorthorn Beef and Local Producers, Loughry Success Stories

1.45 PM

Keynote Address by Peter Hannan to welcome the Butchers of The World and to speak on being Supreme Champions Great Taste Awards

2.15 PM

Speaker from Food Standards Agency UK

2.30 PM

45 Minute Live Master Butcher Demo

3.30 PM

Buses leave for Visit to Belfast M & W Meats Portadown

4.30 PM

Buses leave to Return to Belfast Hotels

Finish in M&W Meats, Scotch Street, Portadown, Northern Irish Master Butcher.

Study Tour Delegate Accommodation: Stormont Hotel, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast.

7.30 PM

Evening meal at Stormont Hotel

Day Three: 17th March

Dublin – World’s Greatest St Patricks Day Parade, O’Connell Street, Dublin

6.30 AM

Full Irish Breakfast at Stormont Hotel.

7.30 AM

Leave for Dublin

Tour to Irelands Capital City – St Patrick’s Day Parade

9.00 AM

Visit to Whelans Butchers.

Multi Award Winning Butchers. A shining light in the training of butchers in Ireland with the Butchery Excellence Scheme Professional Butchery Internship. Simply a great advocate for Irish Butchers and Irish Meat Trade.

11 AM

Arrival at St Patricks Day Parade

Delegates are free to enjoy our capital city until buses leave DIT Cathal Brugha Street at 2pm sharp forCroke Park.

Visit to Páirc an Chrócaigh / Croke Park Lunch. The home of GAA / CLG Gaelic Athletic Association – Gaelic Football and Hurling the Irish National Sporting Headquarters. The stadium is one of the largest in Europe, with a capacity of 82,300.

Match tickets for all Ireland Club Finals are included with buffet lunch and complimentary bar for alldelegates.

6 PM

Leaving Croke Park for Belfast

8.30 PM

St Patrick’s Night – Irish Late Night – Stormont Hotel with Themed Evening – Dress Up Night – Irish Themed Fancy Dress – Irish Buffet Dinner.

Study Tour Delegate Accommodation: Stormont Hotel, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast.

Day Four: 18th March

North Antrim, Causeway Coast & Glens

6.30 AM

Breakfast

8.15 AM

Bus leaves

BUS 1 & BUS 2 – ARRIVE 10/10.30 A.M. VISIT TO MCKAYS FAMILY BUTCHERS, BALLYCASTLE, COUNTY ANTRIM.

11.30 AM

Visit to Giants Causeway World Heritage Site. The megalithic Hexagonal Stones and mythological home of Irish Giant Fionn McCumhaill (Finn McCool).

1 PM

Packed Lunch at Giants Causeway

1.30 PM

Whistle stop Tour of Bushmills Whiskey Distillery “The World’s Oldest Whiskey Distillery by Charter 1608. With one shot Bushmills reserve whiskey tasting only available at the distillery.

Travel along World Famous Antrim Coast Road Tour voted one of the best Coastal Routes anywhere on the globe by Lonely Planet. Simply breath taking.

2.45 PM

Leave Bushmills to go to Game of Thrones Site at Dark Hedges – Site of the Award Winning Kings Road in Game of Thrones.

3.30 PM

Arrive Visit to Artisan Farmer Campbell Tweeds Hill Farm overlooking Mull of Kintyre, Scotland.

Site of HBO TV hit Game of Thrones. Piper Ken Stewart World Champion Piper set of Ulster Scots and Irish Piping Tunes. Hill Top Irish Sheep Croft – Outdoor Clothing is preferred on this day to account for all weathers.

4.30 PM

Leave for Ballygalley Castle

5.00 PM

Game of Thrones Meal at the most haunted Castle in Ireland, Ballygalley Castle

Tasting of Jawbox Belfast Gin & Talk by Gerry White Master Distiller. Tour to Ghost Room – 400 year old Lady Isabella Shaw.

7 PM

Leave Ballygalley Castle Hotel for Stormont Hotel

Study Tour Delegate Accommodation: Stormont Hotel, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast.

DAY FIVE: 19th March

County Tyrone, Fermanagh Lakelands.

All young Butchers and Apprentices are advised to stay in Belfast to shop and prepare for WBC Competition and are free to visit the City of Belfast.

7.00 AM

Check out

7.30 AM

Breakfast

All tour delegates luggage to be placed on the buses as we check in to Europa Hotel on our return from Fermanagh.

BUS 1 & BUS 2 – 8 AM Leave hotel to Visit Enniskillen in Fermanagh Lakelands and County Tyrone

Both buses arrive 9.30 a.m. Ian McKernaghan Vice Captain Team Ireland – Lisdergan Meats, Fintona County Tyrone.

BOTH BUSES LEAVE 10.15 AM

10.30 AM

Charles Crawford’s Farm, Fivemiletown. County Tyrone

11.30 AM

Buses Leave Crawford’s Farm for Enniskillen Town Centre

BUS 1 – ARRIVE 12 AM

Traditional Butchery – Pat Dohertys – World Famous Black Bacon.

BUS 2 – ARRIVE 12 AM STEWARTS

Enniskillen – Artisan Butchers Shop Tour

At 12.30 a.m. Bus 1 and Bus 2 switch to go to the alternate shop.

Both Buses leave alternate shops at 1.30 p.m. to go to Killyhevlin Hotel for Lunch.

2.00 PM

Meal at The Lakeside Killyhevlin Hotel Resort, Enniskillen

Attended by Arlene Foster MLA

3.30 PM

Leave Hotel for Belfast.

Return to check into Europa Hotel, Belfast on return from Fermanagh.

7.30 PM

Evening meal

Study Tour Delegate Accommodation: Europa Hotel, Great Victoria Street, Belfast – BT2 7AP

DAY SIX: 20th March

World Champion Young Butcher & Apprentice Competition

6.30 AM

Breakfast at Europa Hotel

WORLD CHAMPION YOUNG BUTCHER & APPRENTICE COMPETITION

Meat @ IFEX Hall. Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast.

Shopping Day for World Butchers’ Challenge teams.

FROM 3.00 PM

WBC Pre-Preparation will be in the arena area in WBC Arena & Refrigeration (as soon as junior heats are completed).

Study Tour Delegate Accommodation: Europa Hotel , Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7AP

Tour Delegates are free this evening to do as they wish.

No Lunch & Evening Meal provided on Competition Day.

DAY SEVEN: 21st March

World Butchers’ Challenge and Gala Dinner

6.30 AM

Breakfast at Europa Hotel

WORLD BUTCHERS’ CHALLENGE

Meat @ IFEX Hall. Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast.

7.30 PM

WBC Gala dinner drinks on arrival

A magnificent 400+ Seater – Celebratory Gala Dinner in an International Banqueting Setting in Titanic Belfast, Voted World Best Tourist Attraction 2016/17. The evening would be the Platform for the announcement of World Butcher Challenge Overall Winner 2018 and subsequent award. The room will be set to an international 5 – star standard. Awards will be presented by our VIP guests with keynote speech by Food Standards Agency before the presentation of the World Butcher Challenge Trophy for 2017. Dancing & Networking until 1 a.m.

No Lunch provided on Competition Day.