Love LegenDerry Food Month unveils ‘Milk, Meadows & Mountains’ immersive farm & cheese experience in rural Derry

City of Derry Farm & Equestrian Centre.

A brand-new immersive food and farm experience is inviting visitors into the heart of rural Derry as part of this year’s Love LegenDerry Food Month celebrations.

‘Milk, Meadows & Mountains’ is a 2.5-hour hosted journey blending artisan cheese, farm life and heritage storytelling, delivered through a collaboration between Dart Mountain Cheese and City of Derry Farm & Equestrian Centre.

Designed to connect visitors with the region’s food producers and farming families, the experience takes guests from cheese board to stable door, offering a personal and unhurried insight into rural life just minutes from the city.

Farm visits, cheese making and rural storytelling

Guests begin with a guided walk around a working fourth-generation farm, where they can meet horses and other farm animals in relaxed surroundings.

A visit to the tack room provides space for heritage storytelling, exploring the links between land, labour and community in rural Derry.

Dart Mountain Cheese cheeseboard

The experience continues with a cheese-making masterclass from Dart Mountain Cheese. Visitors learn how local milk, time and the Sperrin mountain air influence each wheel produced, before taking part in a curated artisan cheese tasting with refreshments.

The format encourages conversation, with guests able to ask questions and hear directly from those involved in producing the food.

Celebrating local food and family traditions

Love LegenDerry Food Month runs throughout February, showcasing the region’s food producers, hospitality venues and culinary collaborations.

Jennifer O’Donnell, Tourism Manager at Derry City and Strabane District Council, said:

“Love LegenDerry Food Month is all about celebrating the people, produce and passion that make our region so special. ‘Milk, Meadows & Mountains’ captures that spirit perfectly. It offers visitors an authentic and memorable experience based on exceptional local food, and connecting with the families, stories and landscapes behind it. It’s a wonderful example of how our rural and urban experiences come together to create something truly unique.”

Kevin Hickey from Dart Mountain Cheese added:

“This experience is about more than cheese - it’s about sharing our way of life. Every wheel we produce is a unique product capturing the essence of the Sperrin landscape, and we’re excited to invite people behind the scenes to discover that connection for themselves. Partnering with City of Derry Farm & Equestrian Centre allows us to showcase not only our craft, but the wider rural community that inspires it.”

Pauline Lusby from City of Derry Farm & Equestrian Centre said:

“We are delighted to be part of ‘Milk, Meadows & Mountains’ and to welcome visitors onto our family farm. For many people, this will be a rare opportunity to experience authentic rural life at a relaxed pace, to meet the animals, step inside the stable yard and hear the stories that have shaped our family and this landscape for generations. Working alongside Dart Mountain Cheese allows us to showcase the strong link between farming, food and community, and we’re proud to share that connection as part of Love LegenDerry Food Month.”

A new addition to Love LegenDerry Food Month

Unlike a scripted tour, ‘Milk, Meadows & Mountains’ is positioned as a genuine introduction to those who live and work in the countryside. Visitors are encouraged to slow down, savour local flavours and experience rural life in a welcoming setting close to the city.

Love LegenDerry Food Month features a packed programme of food experiences, tasting events and culinary collaborations across the district throughout February.

For full details and to explore the complete programme of events, visit:

https://www.legenderryfood.com/