Sustainable Strangford also trading as Stewart on Strangford
From the lough. From the land.
The Lough Letter · Issue 01 · Preview
First langoustines of the season — and the full coast run begins
May 2026 · Stewart on Strangford
From the water
Graeme pulled the first Freya creel haul of May yesterday morning
The tide was high at Kircubbin at 5:30am. Twelve creels, ninety minutes of hand-hauling, and a box of the finest langoustines coming off the lough this year. Read the full story →
New to the guide
Millbank Farm's spring veg box is back for the season
Sixth generation on the lough shore since 1889. The first Comber Earlies of the year are two weeks away. View producer profile →
In the van
Portaferry to Kilkeel — the full coast run, this June
Every harbour, every fisherman. Planning the first full County Down seafood coast journey. Filming begins June 3rd. Follow the route →
On the fire this month
Creel-caught langoustines, charred seaweed butter, lough shore
Cooked minutes from landing at Kircubbin Harbour. The recipe is simple. The ingredient does the work. Watch the cook →

What's on the lough and the land right now

A living guide to the County Down food calendar — what's at peak, what's coming, and what to look forward to further down the year.

Peak right now
Strangford langoustines
Spring creel season is in full swing. Firm, sweet, unstressed. From Graeme Hackworth at Kircubbin Harbour — pulled by hand from the lough floor.
Peak right now
Rope-grown oysters
Strangford Lough oysters are excellent May through September. Clean, briny, deeply flavoured by the lough's exceptional water quality.
Peak right now
Abernethy spring butter
Hand-churned from single-farm cream out of the Lagan Valley. Spring cream is the richest of the year — dulse and sea salt variety is the one to seek out.
Coming soon
Comber Earlies
PGI-protected new potatoes, first of the season expected late May. Watch Millbank Farm and Comber Farmers' Market for the first deliveries.
Coming soon
Summer brown crab
Creel-caught brown crab from the lough and the wider Down coast. Usually running well from June — exceptional when cooked on the harbour wall minutes after landing.
Coming soon
Portavogie summer prawns
The warmer months bring the best quality Nephrops from the Irish Sea off the Ards Peninsula. PGI-protected, landed at Portavogie harbour.
Autumn
Echlinville grain harvest
Field-to-bottle whiskey and gin. Grain grown on the Ards Peninsula farm, harvested late summer, milled and distilled on site at Kircubbin.
Autumn
Finnebrogue venison
Red deer from Finnebrogue Estate, Downpatrick. Best from October — pairs perfectly with late-season fire cooking as the evenings draw in.
Autumn
Crab season peak
Brown and velvet crab season traditionally peaks in autumn. Kilkeel and the wider Down coast fleet lands significant volumes from September.
Winter
Winter creel fishing
The quiet lough. Dramatic weather, low light, long tides. Some of the most atmospheric content of the year — and still excellent langoustines when conditions allow.
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