The Bib Gourmand award is our way of recognising restaurants that offer good food at a great price. While all Bib Gourmands are unique in style and approach, they share the same spirit of generosity and a commitment to quality cooking. That’s why, in this series, we’re highlighting the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors' Bib of the Month. These restaurants are the bedrock of our selection, providing an affordable dining option that doesn’t skimp on precision, skill or flavour. From cosy pubs to buzzing counters, we’ve got a Bib for you.
Our Bib of the Month for June is the lovely Wine & Brine in Moira, County Down. Located a little outside Belfast, it’s the kind of place we’d all love to have in our own neighbourhood. Here’s a MICHELIN Guide Inspector to explain why.
“Wine & Brine has one of those menus that is instantly appealing – the kind where you could happily order every single dish on offer across the extensive à la carte, thanks to its fusion of tried-and-tested flavours, seasonal variations and original touches. As every course was delivered during my visit, it lived up to expectations – in large part thanks to Chris McGowan’s confident cooking. He sources top-notch produce and shows it off in dishes that have a real boldness to their flavours, while remaining finely balanced. Davina McGowan is equally skilled at running the service, combining efficiency and friendliness with ease.”
To learn a little more about what makes everything at Wine & Brine so successful, we spoke to Chef-Owner Chris McGowan.
What was the idea behind Wine & Brine? And where did the name come from?
My wife Davina and I planned to open a relaxed, casual dining space. The name Wine & Brine came from us trying to make the name sound approachable and self-explanatory. ‘Wine’ emphasises affordable and interesting wines and ‘Brine’ encompasses techniques picked up in London – fermenting, brining, pickling.
How would you describe your approach to food and cooking?
We consider our food as accessible. We go straight to source for over 80% of our produce and have two organic vegetable growers who we plan growing calendars with, so we know what to expect for menu development.
Can you tell us more about the restaurant itself and its design. What do you think your open kitchen brings to the diners’ experience?
The front of the restaurant is B-listed Georgian – we purchased the building in 2015 at auction and completely restored it with the help of local architect Darren McCaffrey and local company Beaufort Interiors. We adorn the walls with beautiful artwork from local artist Jonathan Aiken, who we commissioned to paint portraits of famous Northern Irish people, past and present.
We see ourselves as a local restaurant so an open kitchen was imperative to be able to interact with the guests. An open kitchen also creates a buzz in the room and the guests feel the kitchen team are approachable.
What price range can customers expect and how are you able to keep your prices affordable?
Lunch and Early Evening menus are priced at two courses for £25 and three courses for £30 – these menus change weekly. Average à la carte spend is £60 on food – this menu can change daily.
To keep pricing accessible, we make all our own bread and we butcher meat and fish in-house, using all of the animal. All our vegetable trim goes back to the grower for composting.
For first-time diners, what is the dish to order at Wine & Brine?
Our dishes are very seasonal so dishes will drop on and off the menu frequently. In spring, for example, we have a dish using local asparagus with Kilkeel crab crumpet or spring lamb, whipped ricotta and wild garlic. In summer, we’re using local strawberries in a savarin as well as an elderflower and strawberry dessert. We welcome game season in autumn with venison, pickled damsons and Wine & Brine black pudding or partridge with girolles and sweetcorn. In winter, it’s roast woodcock, liver toastie and salsify or pheasant with coq au vin garnish.
Tell us about the ‘wine’ part of your business.
We both have a passion for wine and have interesting wines by the glass that change frequently on our list. We believe there is something for everyone by the glass or bottle at an affordable price point.
Tell us about Moira and your place in the local community.
Moira is a large village about 20 minutes from Belfast with a real agri-food culture – lots of artisan small producers, many dairy and beef farms, and organic growers.
Wine & Brine is located right in the middle of the village so we are easily accessible for local residents and the train station is a 15-minute walk away with great connections to Belfast and Dublin. When we returned from London 11 years ago, we knew we wanted to be outside the city, having done the London commute for 20 years. Moira was the perfect setting to relocate to with our young family and establish a local restaurant. We've been open 10 years and so many of our customers and suppliers have become good friends.
Hero Image: The dining room at Wine & Brine, decorated with portraits of Northern Irish icons George Best, Liam Neeson, Van Morrison and Alex Higgins. © Davina McGowan
