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Click below to find out more about the eccentric people that make Banana Block!
William Henry Richardson from East Belfast became the first person in the British Isles to grow ripe edible bananas and owned a fruit shop on the Newtownards Road.
Otto Jaffe was Belfast Mayor twice, built the Strand Spinning Mill and grew banana trees in East Belfast with his head gardener WHR.
The BURC board bought the Portview site after the Mill closed. They also opened NI’s first social enterprise bar, the John Hewitt, and are invested in community regeneration.
Allie Nickell is an East Belfast based historian and researcher who uncovered the story of her great grandfather WHR’s banana trees.
Did you get a taste of our collaboration with Boundary Brewery? Our very own Banana Beer!
Marion is an East Belfast and Banana Block resident. She is a music producer, a dj and owns Sound Advice Records.
Between 1927 and 1932, Banana Ben called at people’s houses as part of an advertising campaign. He would give you a ten shilling note in exchange for six Fyffes blue banana labels.
Darren Hawkes is a gold medalist at the Chelsea Flower Show, and our Banana Block plant whisperer! He sourced, curated and planted our tropical banana ring.
Terry and Judy are our Hearty Growers, running their gourmet oyster mushroom farm out of Banana Block.
Find out more about the community of artisan producers, creative entrepreneurs, innovative businesses who call Portview their home. Meet the tenants and get a behind-the-scenes peek inside their worlds of mushroom growing, cheese making and record collecting.
Bespoke cheese made in Belfast. Velocheese are the only producers of fresh artisan mozzarella in Northern Ireland. Davide produces top-quality italian style cheeses from Stracciatella to Scamorza and other products.
Sound Advice is Banana Block’s very own record store, owned and run by local DJ, producer and avid record collector Marion Hawkes. Expect the best of local talent at TOP SHELF, a series of intimate late-night parties at Sound Advice curated by Marion.
From Urban Farm to Table. Hearty Growers are a Speciality Urban Mushroom Farm set within Banana Block. Terry promises to bring the freshest and tastiest range of gourmet mushrooms to the local market food scene.
Recognising plants’ ability to improve our mood, boost productivity and help with well-being, Roisin launched The Green East as a way to bring people closer to nature. The Green East run a series of in-store workshops from Plant Care 101 to creating your own Terrarium.
Bodega Bagels bring authentic, New York-style bagels to Belfast. Steven uses traditional techniques to hand-roll, boil and bake the bagels to perfection- crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Bodega’s everything topping and cream cheeses (schmears) are also created in-house.
Meet the Management team that make our events happen at Banana Block.
From left to right: Conleth, Terri, Izzy, Gary and Amy.
Conleth manages event production, programming and the Front of House team at Banana Block. Have a question regarding an existing event? Get in touch.
Gary liaises with clients and manages our private hires and lead generation at Banana Block. Interested in hosting an event at Banana Block? Get in touch with us.
Terri is our Duty Manager and likely the first face you see when you visit Banana Block. Terri manages the Banana Block Bar and assists with site visits and event planning. Have a general query regarding Banana Block? Get in touch.
Izzy manages our Marketing and PR at Banana Block. Izzy can assist with the promotion of upcoming events on our social media. Have graphics for existing bookings you want us to reshare? Get in touch.
Amy manages the day-to-day running at Banana Block. Amy conducts site visits, organises events and liaises with Banana Block tenants. Amy is also a trained sommelier and hosts our popular monthly wine club with Davide of Velo Cheese. Get in touch.