A visit to County Armagh’s annual Apple and Cider Food Festival spotlights a Northern Irish food scene that’s full of character and tradition.

Where is it?

County Armagh is in the south-east of Northern Ireland, and you can drive there in under an hour from Belfast. It’s a historic place – home to ancient sites like the pagan Navan Fort, while the city of Armagh is one of the oldest settlements in Ireland, with two cathedrals dedicated to St Patrick. The county’s fertile land and connection with apple growing is why it’s known as the ‘Orchard County’.

What’s the accommodation like?

We stayed at the Armagh City Hotel, a modern-fitted space with sweeping views of picturesque Armagh. A 10-minute walk from the front door and you’re in the centre of the historic city.

What did you eat and drink?

We visited during the Armagh Apple and Cider Festival, which takes place every year in September. The festival is a series of events spread across a weekend that celebrates both the county’s larder and the characterful chefs and cooks that are making this part of Northern Ireland a foodie haven.

Apples, as you might expect, are the headline act. The county is home to several prestigious cider makers, and we drifted along the lush orchard rows at The Amargh Cider Company, where Bramleys – the county’s speciality – are pressed for more than a dozen different award-winning cider varieties. Later that day, there’s a special catered courtyard dinner at Crannagael House – owner John Nicholson’s ancestor planted the first bramley seedling in the county – where each course is paired with local cider, as you would wine.

But the festival celebrates all types of local food, and so we also meet firecracker chef Fiona Chapman, whose son converted a second world war water tank into a smoker so they can cook Austin-style barbecue in this cathedral county. We’re also hosted by Edele and Alessio Rampa, who run the hillside Blackwell Guesthouse, where we scoff an afternoon tea with apple-and-sage sausage rolls and apple tart in their sunny garden.

What is there to do?

For a different side of the county’s food history, you can visit the Tayto factory in Tandragree, where the nationally beloved potato crisps have been made in a 500-year-old castle since 1956. For a different side of the county’s history, the Navan Fort – a prominent part of Irish mythology – host tours with actors roleplaying warrior Celts. This area has also had a starring role in the Game of Thrones TV series, and the studio tour in Banbridge – set up around some of the original film sets – is a must-visit for fans of the show.

Lasting memory

Tasting a slither of a sour and sharp bramley in the orchards of the Armagh Cider Company. They may not be nice to eat, but the taste grants the apples a refreshing dryness.

Sainsbury’s magazine insider tip

Pack your sunscreen. Armagh may be known for its rainfall – which benefits the apple growing – but our visit in early September coincided with a real glut of sunshine.