Lidl shows off their Spanish flair with mouth watering, stylish aplomb!
Thursday, July 17, 2014
If there is one thing I really enjoy it's eating out, and the reason why I love it so much is it affords me the opportunity to try different flavour combinations and cuisines, broadening my culinary taste buds! However that's not the only way to experience new flavours as Lidl Northern Ireland are fantastic when it comes to introducing specialised food ranges, meaning you can recreate those dishes at home too!
I was therefore super excited when I received an invitation from Lidl Northern Ireland recently inviting me to the fabulous Hadskis Restaurant in Belfast to the launch of their exciting new range of Iberian cuisine, Sol&Mar! Just in time for summer, the range brings together the tastes and flavours of the Iberian Peninsula and myself along with over 40 invited guests were getting the chance to try the range before it hit Lidl's stores!
I was so pleased to hear the event was being held in Hadskis (having been to the restaurant I knew we were in for a treat) and I couldn't wait to try Lidl's Sol&Mar range for myself! To say that Lidl spoiled us is an understatement as I had no Idea just how extensive the Sol&Mar range was going to be, and I was overwhelmed with the sheer variety of food and wine available within Lidl's latest line of Spanish and Portuguese inspired food!
Tables were laden with culinary delights, all the wonderful food you associate with Spain and Portugal, from delicious tapas best enjoyed with friends to mouthwatering fish and chicken dishes, hams, cheeses, lots of sweet treats and of course no Iberian feast would be complete without some olives!
There was so much to choose from it was hard to know where to start! But I have to say everything I tried was delicious and I had a wonderful evening catching up with friends over good food and a glass of two of sangria!
Catching up with Katie Larmour!
Delicious sangria!
One of my favourite dishes of the evening had to be the confit of orange filled with refreshing orange sorbet! Perfect for this time of year, they tasted every bit as good as they looked!
Last but by no means least was of course the serious choice of what to drink and it was lovely to have the opportunity to chat with wine expert Peter Wilson who was on hand to give top tips on how to select the perfect Spanish wine to compliment the Sol&Mar range! As a girl who drinks mostly cocktails, it was the perfect opportunity for me to learn more about wine in general, and what flavours to look out for from Spanish wine!
Wine Expert Peter Wilson.
A selection of Spanish wines available from Lidl Northern Ireland.
Ian Orr of Browns Restaurant and Lidl Ambassador said, “I love the cuisine of Spain and Portugal so much so that I travel there on holiday each year. My Chicken and Chorizo Hot Pot boasts wonderful Mediterranean flavours with that little bit of spice - perfectly complimented with a glass of sangria.”
While Caitriona McCarry of Lidl Northern Ireland said, “We are very excited to launch this new Iberian food range for the first time to our customers. We continually strive to introduce new products and flavours so our customers have more choice to add to their usual weekly shop. The Sol&Mar range is very different and is well timed in the summer months so customers can stock up on tapas style dishes and fresh marinated seafood for the long evenings.”
As for what I chose to wear to the event, well this time I opted for THE colour of the season, cobalt blue! I adore the effortlessly chic and sophisticated cut to Karen Millen's signature dresses and I loved the nod to sports luxe with the mesh panelling detailing across the neckline and in the cap sleeves of this dress! I wanted to let the striking abstract print of the dress act as the main focal point of my ensemble, and so kept my accessories to a minimum, accessorising with a little bling and my edgy cut out sandals again from Karen Millen!
As for what I chose to wear to the event, well this time I opted for THE colour of the season, cobalt blue! I adore the effortlessly chic and sophisticated cut to Karen Millen's signature dresses and I loved the nod to sports luxe with the mesh panelling detailing across the neckline and in the cap sleeves of this dress! I wanted to let the striking abstract print of the dress act as the main focal point of my ensemble, and so kept my accessories to a minimum, accessorising with a little bling and my edgy cut out sandals again from Karen Millen!
Contrast blue dress (DL015), structured elegant satin sandal (FK089) both from Karen Millen!
A massive thank you to Lidl Northern Ireland for the invite to their event, and for a hugely enjoyable evening!
The Sol&Mar Iberian promotion will run from Monday 21st July until Sunday 29th July (inclusive) with items available while stocks last.
Style Academy's Gemma McCorry & Sophia McKeever bringing a touch of glam to the evening!
A massive thank you to Megan Taylor at Smarts Communicate for press release, Instagram photos by myself, all professional photography by Darren Kidd/PressEye.
