A supplement to
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FOOD & DRINK FROM NORTHERN IRELAND 2021
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WELCOME Our award-winning artisan food & drink producers are embracing growing demand – at home and further afield WELCOME TO THIS exciting Fine Food Digest supplement about food & drink from Northern Ireland. Our award-winning artisan food & drink producers are embracing growing demand for pure, natural, quality produce at home and further afield – and the industry is thriving. Invest Northern Ireland is delighted to be part of this showcase, which offers a flavour of the vast array of speciality producers from the region including cheese and charcuterie, confectionery, drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and those all-important storecupboard essentials. We hope that it won’t be long before we will see you face-to-face at the various trade shows but, in the interim, enjoy devouring the supplement and hopefully discovering new food & drink solutions from Northern Ireland.
JOHN HOOD, Director of Food & Drink, Invest NI
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A supplement to
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ADVERTISING advertise@gff.co.uk Sales director: Sally Coley Sales manager: Ruth Debnam Sales executives: Becky Stacey, Sam Coleman
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From the editor… DURING MY TIME at FFD, I’ve been fortunate enough to witness a wealth of food & drink success stories. I’ve seen brands start in home kitchens and grow to become national suppliers, and I’ve tracked retailers as they move from business plans to bricks & mortar. But, in terms of regions, there hasn’t been anything more phenomenal in the last decade than Northern Ireland. Ten years ago, you would’ve been hard-pressed to stock a deli with goods entirely from the country. Now it has its own artisan cheese and charcuterie scene. What’s more, the awards success (not least in Great Taste) of producers from Northern Ireland shows that this region can mix it with the best in any category. Given the quality of its natural products, there was always the potential for things to flourish and now that is being realised. While the independent retail community is expanding in Northern Ireland (we’ve spoken to a few of them for recommendations in this supplement), there’s still plenty of the area’s excellent products to go around the rest of the UK, and beyond. I hope this publication tempts you to add an item or two to your shelves, wherever you are.
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producer profiles
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Cover image Photgrapher: Rory Moore Location: Indie Füde 2
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MICHAEL LANE, Editor, Fine Food Digest
overview of NI food & drink
EDITORIAL editorial@gff.co.uk Editor: Michael Lane Assistant editor: Tom Dale Reporter: Lauren Phillips Art director: Mark Windsor
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INSIDE
GENERAL ENQUIRIES Tel: +44 (0)1747 825200 Fax: +44 (0)1747 824065 info@gff.co.uk www.gff.co.uk ADDRESS Guild of Fine Food, Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5FB UK PUBLISHED BY The Guild of Fine Food Ltd © The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2021. Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. PRINTED BY Blackmore, Dorset
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Building for the future
Like the rest of the world, Northern Ireland has endured a difficult period, but there have been positives to build on. FFD speaks to Michelle Charrington, business development director at economic development agency Invest Northern Ireland, about how the food & drink sector has fared, the challenges it faces and how it will emerge from the pandemic to grow further
cultural identity. The region’s produce has proven award-winning status, the result of many years of success in schemes such as Great Taste, UK and Irish Quality Food Awards, Blas na hÉireann Awards and most recently the Scottish Retail Food & Drink Awards. The link between food and tourism is also stronger than ever and winning Best Food Destination at the International Travel & Tourism Awards in 2018 was a welcome accolade. There may be further scope to develop ‘brand NI’ but, in the meantime, a diverse range of independent brands from producers of all shapes and sizes bring warmth and personality to the industry.
What’s the state of play with Northern Irish food & drink? The Northern Ireland food & drink sector is worth £5.2bn and represents 24% of Northern Ireland’s total external sales. It directly employs 23,400 people and supports some 25,000 farms spread across Northern Ireland’s rural economy. Overall, the sector has grown by over a third in the last decade, significantly increasing sales to mainland Britain and to international markets. Across the UK, SMEs represent 96% of the food & drink manufacturing sector, and Northern Ireland is aligned with this. The industry is made up of around 300 food & drink businesses with a turnover greater than £250,000, 66 of which have a turnover of more than £10m. Just over 50% of total gross turnover comes from the top 10 companies. Family-owned businesses still feature heavily (examples include Irwin’s Bakery, Mash Direct and Morelli’s Ice Cream), resulting in an industry that is flexible,
What are the USPs of the country’s food & drink? Northern Irish food & drink is characterised by a unique blend of tradition and innovation. The quality of NI beef, dairy and bakery products, for example, is well known. Invest NI’s ‘Pure Natural Quality’ strapline summarises the goodness of Northern Ireland’s produce, which emanates from our rich pastures and sustainably managed farms. The highest quality ingredients deliver the finest natural products, often created using traditional production techniques, unchanged for generations Abernethy’s range of hand-churned artisan butters is a prime example. Alongside this, companies such as Finnebrogue and Hughes Mushrooms have emerged as powerful innovators in the meat-free category. Finnebrogue was first to market with nitrate-free bacon and boasts a designated vegan facility dedicated to maximising opportunity in the burgeoning plant-based sector. Hughes,
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authentic and straightforward in its dealings. What do you think the perception is of the country’s food offer outside of Northern Ireland? Awareness of Northern Ireland as a foodproducing region is gradually increasing among consumers, but in a B2B context, it is much more established. In terms of business reach, some 22% of sales are derived from the home market, 51% from GB, 15% from the Republic of Ireland, 9% from the EU and 3% from international markets. Among larger businesses, volume sales are heavily reliant on strong trading relationships with major UK multiple retailers. Look more closely, though, and there is a wealth of smaller businesses successfully supplying independent speciality retailers and foodservice operators in GB and beyond. Food & drink is central to Northern Ireland’s
FOOD & DRINK FROM NORTHERN IRELAND 2021
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OVERVIEW meanwhile, has diversified from supplying fresh mushrooms into developing a range of vegan products, from sausages to beef-free Wellingtons. Given both the emergence of coronavirus and Brexit, it has been a tough year for business. But have you seen some positives for producers? Of course, the NI food & drink industry has been affected by the same challenges at play in the rest of the UK market: Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent upheaval in the retail and foodservice sectors. Even before the extenuating circumstances of 2020 began to unfold, leading grocery multiples had begun to implement top-to-bottom range reviews, resulting in streamlining and the loss of many niche products. Trading beyond the local market has become particularly challenging for smaller brands, particularly where products require a degree of consumer education. Without significant volume, shipping products outside NI can be an expensive business. In the speciality sector and high-end foodservice, however, where there is a willingness to pay a premium for superior quality, suppliers like Hannan Meats have continued to flourish. The pandemic has also led to innovation in direct-to-consumer concepts. From Belfast’s Hatfield Bar delivering pints of Guinness to local doorsteps to cider producers such as Armagh Cider and Tempted selling via Amazon, companies have moved to explore potential new routes to market. While initially this was a defence mechanism, much new market insight has been gained and businesses strengthened as a result.
Northern Irish food & drink is characterised by a unique blend of tradition and innovation MICHELLE CHARRINGTON, Invest NI How has the independent retail community been faring? Within Northern Ireland, established retailers Indie Füde and French Village have both opened new outlets and benefited from increased support for ‘buying local’. Ashley and Amy French, successfully transformed their 70 seater café/bistro on Belfast’s Lisburn Road into a retail space featuring many Northern Ireland food & drink brands during the pandemic making them conveniently accessible to consumers in the south Belfast area. Johnny McDowell and Laura Bradley, founders of successful Comber-based deli Indie Füde, opened a second retail outlet, a unique cheese and charcuterie deli on Belfast’s Ormeau Road in December 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. Indie Füde 2, as the new shop is known, features a special cheese room and extensive airconditioning for maturing hundreds of cheeses from across the island of Ireland and from further afield. It stocks Northern Ireland’s growing cadre of artisan cheese and charcuterie producers, A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST
including Dart Mountain, Mike’s Fancy Cheese, Kearney Blue and Velocheese. Charcuterie producers in the shop include Corndale Farm, Ispini, Ke Nako and Castlescreen Farm. Indie Füde’s investment is another excellent example of the growth in specialist food stores in Northern Ireland, especially over the pandemic. Delis, farm shops, family butchers, greengrocers and smaller grocery stores have flourished as shoppers have turned to neighbourhood retailers with trusted local suppliers. What’s Invest NI’s vision for how the sector will emerge after a tough 18 months? Economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is central to Invest NI’s corporate strategy. Accepting that we will face a more challenging and competitive global environment for the next few years, Invest NI has engaged with business and economic development stakeholders to develop a business plan with a clear focus on economic drivers which will provide a solid foundation to build a pathway to recovery. Supporting our businesses to increase their sales outside Northern Ireland provides the fastest and most effective way to drive economic recovery. Our aim over the next five years is to grow food & drink export sales by £1.5bn. How will you be assisting food & drink businesses to grow their sales? Northern Ireland’s global trading environment has changed as a result of the UK’s exit from the EU. In this context, Invest NI aims to deploy sector and market expertise and leverage partnerships and connections to support businesses to develop confidence and capability in targeting new customers and markets and to take full advantage of emerging export trade and future free trade agreement opportunities. Businesses will be able to draw on a wealth of expertise and support to develop and implement strategic international sales and marketing plans, armed with bespoke in-market intelligence and enhanced exporting know-how to effectively identify and target new customers and markets with compelling propositions to drive external sales growth. Invest NI aims to proactively support NI businesses to sell more in existing external markets, to diversify into new markets and to build their international sales and marketing capability through export health checks, skills development programmes, international trade event participation and 1:1 support. The knowledge and networks which sit within our global network of offices are among our greatest assets. Working in tandem with international sector advisors, the Department for International Trade and the industry expertise that we can draw on through the strategic diaspora in NI Connections, we will showcase Northern Ireland businesses globally and win new external sales vital to our economic recovery and future growth. Will you also be assisting with the development of products and services? Innovation is a catalyst to boost competitiveness and fuel growth. Invest NI aims to drive innovation through building research and development awareness, actively encouraging and supporting innovation across all levels of NI’s business base and directly supporting investment in the development of world-class processes, products and services. Home to the Institute for Global Food Security, Northern Ireland is a leader in food supply chain security and traceability. Advanced
innovation and research across the sector will create niche high-value opportunities. Processing and productivity improvements are at the heart of a drive to create operational efficiencies and maximise profitability. Northern Ireland’s entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of the economy. Invest NI aspires to build and nurture a start-up and entrepreneurship ecosystem that will be the best in the UK. We are committed to proactively engaging and collaborating with our partners to provide joinedup, bespoke, wrap-around support where our start-ups, early-stage and growth businesses with potential to scale can realise their ambitions, maximise their growth potential and flourish. What’s the next stage of the plan? Both industry and government are focused on creating a blueprint for future food & drink industry success. Commencing in April 2021, a six-month independent strategic review of Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector is being led by Sir Peter Kendall, former president of the National Farmers’ Union. The review, announced jointly by Northern Ireland’s economy and agriculture ministers, will consider the challenges facing the food processing and primary agriculture industries and make recommendations on how to take advantage of new business opportunities. Key areas for consideration include improving productivity and increasing levels of innovation and NPD in response to changing market demands. Enhanced economic and environmental sustainability will be at the heart of future trade policy, alongside a commitment to address reduced access to migrant labour. Northern Ireland is building from a strong base. We have the advantage of a strong and developed supply chain into major British retailers and foodservice businesses, a strong reputation for producing pure, natural, quality food & drink and a focus on consumer-led innovation. Our goal for the future is to hone environmentally conscious, innovation-fuelled businesses with the capability and appetite to trade in international markets.
FOOD & DRINK FROM NORTHERN IRELAND 2021
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PRODUCTS & PRODUCERS
Land of plenty soft drinks & mixers
From traditional products with provenance through to cutting-edge innovation, Northern Ireland has pretty much every food category and consumer taste covered – and a good deal of it is award-winning, too
Produced in small batches in Co Antrim, Nua Kombucha is made with Rooibos tea sourced directly from South Africa’s Western Cape. The fermented drink comes in a range of flavours, including Original, Cardamom & Ginger, Elderberry, Green Tea & Rooibos and Chilli & Ginger. nuakombucha.com
Premium mixer and tonic producer Troughtons has developed five new flavoured tonic waters during lockdown. Elderflower, Raspberry Blush, Cucumber & Mint, Citrus and Valencia Orange tonics are all available in premium and low-calorie Light versions in 500ml bottles. All of the tonics are made using Co Armagh spring water from the grounds of Ballinteggart House, Portadown, which is also home to sister business the Armagh Cider Company. troughtonspremium.com
The Hinch Distillery recently created a three-strong Craft & Casks range using casks from two Ulster breweries (Whitewater Brewery in Co Down and Kinnegar Brewery in Co Donegal) to age its whiskies. Imperial Stout Finish, Irish Red Rye Finish and Rye Export Stout Finish all have unique taste profiles and come in 70cl bottles. The distillery also produces Ninth Wave Gin. hinchdistillery.com
After more than 90 years out of production, the McConnell’s Irish Whisky brand was revived in 2020 and is now being produced in Belfast where the distillery of that name was first established in 1776. This blend of Irish Malt and Grain Whisky is aged for five years and rested in bourbon casks. The end result is a delicate and robust whisky, with hints of vanilla, spice and oak on the palate. mcconnellsirishwhisky.com
spirits
Jawbox Gin is produced on the outskirts of Belfast using a unique combination of 11 select botanicals. With bold notes of juniper and citrus, it is recommended for serving with ginger ale. As well as producing a number of variations (Export Strength Gin, Rhubarb & Ginger Liqueur), the distiller has launched a range of 250ml ready-to-drink cans, featuring Gin & Ginger and Pineapple & Ginger cocktails. jawboxgin.com
Hughes Craft Distillery in Moira is now bottling its RubyBlue range of potato vodkas and liqueurs in 50ml miniature bottles and gift packs. The liqueur line-up comprises Wild Blueberry, Chilli Pepper, Cranberry and Blackcurrant varieties, while the vodka comes in both an original and whiskey caskaged version. rubybluespirits.com
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Founder Ric Dyer puts his PhD in organic chemistry to use creating small-batch spirits at the Woodlab Distillery in rural Co Tyrone. Symphonia No.1 is a dry gin that offers a citrus burst followed by notes from local herbs and flowers while Symphonia No. 2 is an apple gin, made using Co Armagh’s famous Bramley apples. Both come in 50ml, 250ml and 700ml bottles. symphoniaspirits.com
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PRODUCTS & PRODUCERS beer & cider
snacks & confectionery
Long Meadow Cider is actively seeking listings in delis and farm shops in the mainland UK. Among its range are the piquant, contemporary Blossom Burst and a Medium (both 4.5% ABV) cider, well as a 5.5% Oak-Aged version – all in 500ml bottles. It also produces Rhubarb & Honey, Berry Blast and Mulled ciders, along with apple juices and cider vinegar. longmeadowcider.com
Mourne Mountains Brewery has just launched a new a 4.4% ABV German Helles-style lager called Summit. Gold in colour with a subtle bitterness from the German Mittlefruh hops and a malty sweetness, the lager comes in packs of 12 x 440ml cans (£21.68 + VAT) and 30-litre kegs (£88.65 + VAT). Other beers in the line-up include Pillar Variant New Zealand Pale Ale and Ott IPA. mournemountains brewery.com
Mac Ivors in Co Armagh has launched its first cider in a can. The company, based near Portadown, has created Juicy Session Cider (4.2% ABV) in 330ml cans, a first for a Northern Irish cider maker. It developed the product in response to consumer demand for lower-calorie, sessionable drinks. macivors.com
FREE’IST offers a range of low-sugar snacks that it says never compromise on flavour. Its sugar-free, gluten-free chocolate comes in 75g bars in a variety of flavours, including Milk, Dark and Dark Chocolate with Orange. Its roster also includes sugarand gluten-free popcorn (Sweet & Salty and Caramel Crunch), marshmallows and sugar-free cookies in four varieties, such as Choc Chip Cookies and Tea Biscuits. freeist.co.uk
NearyNógs makes smallbatch bean-to-bar chocolate at a solar-powered production facility on the Mourne Coast using ethically sourced cacao beans. Among its many creations is the gluten- and dairy-free Salt Water Days (40g, trade £3.80), a 60% Ecuador Los Ríos chocolate flavoured with Irish sea salt, crushed cacao nibs and gold dust. nearynogs.com
Not content with producing a host of award-winning craft beers, Castlewellan-based Whitewater Brewery has diversified into the latest ontrend alcoholic drinks market. The company invested £400,000 in developing its range of vegan-friendly hard seltzers, to capitalise on the growing demand for readyto-drink products and help it drive exports. whitewaterbrewery.com
In 2009, Davy Uprichard, a horticulturist by trade, set up a small cidery at his family home in Lisburn. Since then, Tempted Cider has grown into a fully fledged business with a range of five ciders: Sweet, Dry, Medium-Dry, Strawberry and Elderflower, which won a 3-star award in Great Taste 2017. temptedcider.com
McCracken’s Brewery produces six beers that are all available in bottle, cans and kegs. These include the 5.6% ABV Irish Pale Ale (a Great Taste 2020 1-star winner), Legacy Double IPA (8% ABV) and Black Irish Stout (4.8% ABV). It also makes a 3.8% ABV Pilsner in 440ml cans, which will soon be available in fridge packs of 10, as will its Irish Stout. mccrackensbrewery.com
Golden Popcorn is pitching its latest launch as a new low-calorie crisp alternative. Available in Mature Cheddar & Spring Onion and Thai Sweet Chilli, Gourmet Crunch comes in at only 75 calories per bag. The Co Antrim producer also makes Sweet, Salty and Sweet & Salty popcorns. goldenpopcorn.com
Forest Feast has extended its range of chocolate-covered nuts with three more lines. Cookies & Cream Almonds, Salted Dark Chocolate Almonds and Belgian Milk Chocolate Brazils all come in 120g bags. It has also added a new line-up of premium nuts, including Pitmaster Smoked Almonds & Peanuts – seasoned with Oak Smoked Irish Sea salt – and Serrano Chilli Honey Peanuts & Almonds. forestfeast.com
MY FAVOURITE NORTHERN IRISH PRODUCTS CHARLIE COLE, owner, Broughgammon Farm, Ballycastle, broughgammon. com Sourdough bread, Ursa Minor Bakehouse We live off Ursa Minor’s sourdough here on the farm. It’s unbelievable – but all their baked goods are amazing. Ursa Minor Bakehouse is just down the road from us and is run 8
by husbandand-wife team, Dara and Ciara O’hArtghaile. They set up the bakery in 2014 when they moved back to Ballycastle after spending a year living in New Zealand where they discovered sourdough loaves. ursaminorbakehouse.com
FOOD & DRINK FROM NORTHERN IRELAND 2021
Triple Rose cheese, Ballylisk of Armagh We stock a lot of Co Armagh-based Ballylisk’s flagship cheese, Triple Rose. It’s an amazing brie-style cheese, made with pasteurised cows’ milk and extra cream. This is what makes it such a rich and creamy cheese, which is full-flavoured but with salty, lemony notes. It’s a firm favourite. ballyliskofarmagh.com
10-year-old single malt whiskey, Bushmills There’s fire in a good glass of Bushmills. It’s not new by any means as Bushmills – based in County Antrim – is one of the most famous and oldest brands of Irish whiskey in the world. The whiskey is triple distilled from 100% malted barley and matured for at least 10 years and has honey, vanilla and chocolate flavours. bushmills.com A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST
Multi-Award-Winning Free Range Eggs Ethically Produced Husband and wife team from County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, producing free range eggs since 2002 and launched the Cavanagh brand in 2012 to satisfy consumer demand for a quality artisan free range egg ethically produced. We grade and pack multi-award-winning free range eggs from 75,000 birds in 7 flocks across 4 separate sites. Our flocks and Packing Centre are all British Lion Accredited and are rotated to ensure a constant supply of the various sizes all year round for foodservice and retail. Awards include Great Taste, Blas na hEireann, Irish Quality Food Awards, Family Business of the Year 2018, Poultry Farmer of the Year 2017 and 2018, Delicious Produce Award Winner 2018 and Made in Northern Ireland Food and Drink Producer of the Year 2018.
Northern Irish Free Range Charcuterie Corndale Farm charcuterie is made with the finest free range pork and single spices.
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Gluten, wheat, lactose and dairy free... ...and delicious! For enquiries email eileen@cavanagheggs.com www.awardwinningeggs.com
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High quality, Italian-style ice cream. Made with love in Northern Ireland.
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Based in Northern Ireland near Lough Neagh shores we grow eco bio fruit and vegetables, we forage wild herbs and fruit from surrounding countryside.
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We make raw unpasteurized fermented kimchi, 5 types of sauerkrauts, kombucha, water and coconut milk kefirs. We also make diabetic cordials, syrups and fruit confitures with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners- just natural fructose . Our 5 types of pestos and roasted pepper sauce-dips are dense, nutty and made with premium ingredients – no compromise. All products are gluten free, dairy free, vegan friendly and low GI. Due to growing demand we are currently looking for fine food distributors across the UK. All enquiries are welcome at alicia.amberline@yahoo.com or 07935915000.
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PRODUCTS & PRODUCERS tea, coffee & hot drinks IN PROFILE: SUKI TEA When the pandemic shut down the hospitality sector, and with it much of Suki Tea’s most important revenue stream, the Belfast-based loose-leaf tea specialist turned to e-commerce to survive. “Our online sales were roughly 20% of the business before the pandemic but at one point, they were up to 90% during the first lockdown,” co-founder and director Oscar Woolley tells FFD. These were not just individual tea-lovers wanting their favourite special blends, but a wider customer base working from home who were seeking the brand out because they couldn’t get it in a café. But while the website’s business was booming, Suki Tea was also busily working on other projects during the last 12 months. The brand launched a Black Bush Blend in collaboration with Bushmills Irish Whiskey, created a How to Tea guide for the retail and foodservice trade, and ran online tea training courses for retail and café managers. The How to Tea guide includes comprehensive advice from serving and selling speciality tea to listing it on a cafe menu and upselling it for retail, Woolley explains. “It addresses everything the coffee shop owner needs to serve tea and gives them the opportunity to resell the experience after lockdown,” says Woolley, who is also a director for the European Speciality Tea Association. This year, Suki Tea is celebrating 16 years in the business and Woolley says he is eager to ramp up the supply of the brand’s 100% plastic-free packaged products to the trade once again. “In the short term, we’re going to make sure the cafés we service recover,” he says, “and then look at how we can improve tea sales across the board.” suki-tea.com
While Thompson’s has won a host of awards for its various blends, the fourth-generation business is particularly proud of its Decaf Tea. The Belfastbased tea specialist says it has managed to retain so much of the taste and flavour that is often lost in the decaffeination process and a two-star Great Taste award in 2018 bears this out. Available in packs of 80 & 160 tea bags. thompsonstea.com
Based in Moy, Co. Tyrone, Bravo Tango Coffee was primarily a supplier to the hospitality sector but the COVID-19 pandemic has seen it shift 90% of its turnover into the retail arena and selling direct to consumers online (with the help of Invest NI). Among its range is a single-origin medium-roast Guatemalan coffee, which won a 2-star at Great Taste 2020. bravotangocoffee.com
Aoife is a single-origin coffee grown on a three-hectare farm in the Narino region of southern Colombia and roasted at the Causeway Coffee’s Bushmills HQ – not far from the Giant’s Causeway itself. A winner of a Gold from Blas na hÉireann (Irish Food Awards), this medium-roast coffee offers notes of honey, chocolate and blackcurrant on the palate. causewaycoffee.com
Whether it’s ingredients, packaging or production, Refuge Chocolate sticks to the principles of fairness, freedom and equality – and backs this up by supporting the charity Flourish. While the company produces a range of items (some of which are vegan), its flagship product is drinking chocolate. Available in original, Hint of Mint or Zesty Orange, it comes in 180g bags (wholesale £4.75, RRP £5.95) refugechocolate.co.uk
The Johnson family has been roasting coffee since 1913 in Co Antrim. All of Johnson’s Coffee’s blends (Kenya, Costa Rica, Continental & Java) have previously won Great Taste awards. The fourth-generation business also offers an Italian espresso blend, Bellagio, as well as a full range of equipment and barista training. johnsonscoffee.com
Tea and coffee specialist SD Bell & Co may have been in business since 1887 but it’s not too old for innovation. The East Belfast company has launched coffee bags (made from compostable Bioweb material) that can be used like teabags to brew a single cup of cafetière-style coffee. Barista Roast is the first variety in what will be a range of flavours. sdbellsteacoffee.com
MY FAVOURITE NORTHERN IRISH PRODUCTS LAURA GRAHAMBROWN, co-owner, Arcadia Delicatessen, Belfast arcadiadeli.co.uk
but extremely successful product from Allison and Will Abernethy, who live in the picturesque hills of County Down, near Dromara. We were stockists of their butter from the start and
Salted butter, Abernethy Butter This hand-rolled butter produced from local grassfed cows is the simple A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST
they branched out to create more equally well-received flavoured butters. We love the authenticity and honesty of the product which reflects the values of the producers perfectly. abernethybutter.com Young Buck Cheese, Mike’s Fancy Cheese Co. We have a personal pride in this particular cheese. Young Buck’s maker, Michael
Thomson was an employee who gained an appreciation for cheese while working behind our counter. A rawmilk creamy blue which is hand-ladled and made in the style of Stilton, Young Buck is a favourite in our cheese counter. Michael’s engaging personality has seen him gain lots of PR, which has helped spread the word of this wee gem. mfcheese.com FOOD & DRINK FROM NORTHERN IRELAND 2021
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Natural Yoghurt
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Clandeboye EÌate Yoghurt
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PRODUCTS & PRODUCERS storecupboard IN PROFILE BURREN BALSAMICS Burren Balsamics’ range of vinegars is more than an ingredient for drizzling over a summer salad, says owner Susie Hamilton Stubber. “Our products are very versatile and can be used in sauces, gravies, casseroles and even cocktails,” she says. “Of course they go on salads, but balsamic offers such an amazing umami flavour that they are a cracking storecupboard ingredient.” Stubber launched the business in 2014, producing fruit-infused balsamic vinegar of Modena, but today she has built up a portfolio utilising the Italian condiment in other ways – from marmalades and jams to balsamic salts and sugars. The salts are made by combining Halen Mon Angelsey Sea Salt with a dehydrated version of its signature balsamic vinegar. The range was ready to be sold to retailers and foodservice but the pandemic disrupted the plan. Stubber and development chef, Bob McDonald, had to adapt and began producing a range of balsamic seasonings and spices, with an umami flavouring from the balsamic salt, under a new collection called the Letterbox Larder. Available for e-commerce as well as to trade, the collection includes seasonings such as Umami Mushroom Mix, Moroccan Spice Bag and a new Truffle & Porcini Salt. “The first lockdown was a real ‘sit up and look at what you do’ time,” she says. “We’ve branched out a lot this past year.” And the business still has more tricks up its sleeve when it comes to innovative balsamic lines. In 2020, it added an Irish peat-smoked vinegar to its range of white balsamics (or white condiments) and, this year, Burren is launching balsamic pearls for foodservice and retail. The small jelly-enclosed spheres of balsamic vinegar are available in two varieties – Burren’s multi-award-winning blackberry and thyme black balsamic and citrus white balsamic. burrenbalsamics. com
The Cookie Jar Bakery has just the thing for those looking to knock up some traditional bread at home. With just the addition of some basic ingredients, its Mourne & Bread mix range will render wheaten and soda breads, as well as scones – just like the ones that are sold from the business’s bakery in Newcastle. mourneandbread.co.uk
For the best part of a decade, Broighter Gold has been winning awards (including at Blas na hÉireann and Great Taste) for its range of rapeseed oils. Its plain oil, winner of a Blas Silver last year, comes in 250ml and 500ml bottles (trade £2.45 and £3.49). Both its lemon- and chilliinfused varieties are sold in 250ml (£2.79), with the former having taken a Gold at Blas in 2020. broightergold.co.uk
The latest product from Carol’s Stock Market is an all-natural bone broth made from Irish grass-fed beef bones and organic Donegal vegetables. Ideal as both a standalone meal or for adding to other dishes, the broth joins a recently rebranded line-up that also includes beef, chicken and vegetable stock. All come in pouches with a trade price of £4.85. carolsstockmarket.com
Mash Direct has broadened its range of ready-to-heat potato products with the addition of Curry Chips. Coated in a in a gluten-free beer batter and sprinkled with a mild curry seasoning, these chips work well as a snack or as part of a meal. This is just one of more than 40 prepared products in the Co Down producer’s range, which is available from wholesalers including The Cress Company and Cotswold Fayre. mashdirect.com
Named after a landmark that sits off the Co Down coast, Crawford’s Rock Seaweed specialises in producing items using locally harvested seaweed. Among its repertoire are seaweed salts, supplements and tea, as well as various seasonings, like its Rosemary & Garlic variety which won Best New Product in Ireland at Blas na hÉireann 2020. crawfordsrockseaweed. co.uk
Peppup has launched a salad dressing that is fat-, gluten- and dairy-free, with no added sugar or preservatives. Available in 250ml bottles, the new dressing is made with roasted red peppers, wine vinegar, water and salt. The Newtonards-based producer has also extended its range of Mediterranean-style products with Green Mild Baby Peppers and Yellow & Red Roasted Peppers. peppupsauce.co.uk
MY FAVOURITE NORTHERN IRISH PRODUCTS JOHNNY MCDOWELL, co-owner, Indie Füde, Comber, indiefude. com
fabulous on a grilled cheese toastie, as a pizza topping, or mixed through pasta, but it’s just as lovely spread over warm sourdough. corndalefarm.com
Corndale ‘Nduja, Corndale Farm This spicy, spreadable salami made from free-range pork is Corndale’s newest product and it’s very versatile. It’s A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST
Burrata, Velo Cheese Founder Davide Tani is from Sardinia originally but he moved to Belfast and started making traditional burrata using local milk. He’s a mechanical engineer by trade and 100% eco-conscious so all the machinery he uses is cycle-powered. His burrata is beautifully creamy and something different on the market, especially for this
time of year. It’s perfect with summer tomatoes and a drizzle of basil oil. velocheese.co.uk Roasted red pepper hummus, Hummus by Hani This hummus is made by Hani Muhtadi, a Palestinian who is based just outside Belfast. This very traditional, very smooth hummus comes in three different flavours based on his mother’s recipe.
The roasted red pepper flavour is wonderful with Spring season lamb, as a dip with flatbreads, or spread in a Middle Eastern wrap. baladifoods.co.uk
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PRODUCTS & PRODUCERS preserves
Better known for its cake creations, The Little Bakehouse only launched its take on lemon curd last year but it has already picked up a coveted Great Taste 3-star award. The preserve, which is made in small batches using Abernethy Butter, comes in 200g jars (trade £2.70, RRP £3.99) facebook.com/ thelittlebakehouseni
Coleraine-based Taste Joy Company is a husband and wife team that produces a range of peanut butters, all of which are double-roasted for a more intense flavour. The three-strong line-up is Smooth, Crunchy and Dark Chocolate & Orange – all of which have won medals at Blas na hÉireann. Naturally gluten free and made without palm oil, these vegan friendly nut butters come in 190g jars. tastejoyco.com
Erin Grove Preserves is looking to sell its products to the wider UK market. Its Fruits for Cheese range, inspired by the fruity condiments served with cheese in Southern Europe, comprises: Sour Cherry with Cracked Black Pepper; Fig & Thyme; Redcurrant, Rosemary & Juniper Berry; Chilli & Lime; and Damson & Gin. Cases contain 12 x 130g jars (trade £2.50 per unit). eringrove.com
Founded in 2020, Green Fingers Family produces 100% natural granolas in five flavours: Oatsome (granola porridge); Signature (seed & nut); Chocolate Crunch; Berry Bliss (raspberry); and Nutty (peanut butter). The Larnebased company’s packaging is plastic-free and fully compostable, from the bag to the label. greenfingersfamily.co.uk
Whole Almond Granola, Low Sugar Coconut & Chia Granola and a vegan-friendly Chocolate Granola are just some of the protein-rich lines made by Just Live a Little at the producer’s base beside Strangford Lough. As well as the granola in 400g bags, it also offers Trail Mix in three flavours and Yoghurtberry Granola Superflapjacks. justlivealittle.co
Alastair Bell, the entrepreneur behind the award-winning Irish Black Butter, has added to his sweet-savoury repertoire with a new hazelnut spread. Available in 100g jars the new spread is a blend of hazelnuts and Bell’s original black butter – a preserve made from Armagh Bramley apples. irishblackbutter.com
cereals
Earth Rainbow produces a range of healthy foods. These include three kinds of nut mylk (250ml and 500ml) and four flavours of superfood Power Balls (Spirulina Bliss, Absolute Almond, Matcha Pistachio, Coconut Acai) in packs of 4 and 6. It also makes granola in 300g packs: Matcha Spice, Cacao Power, Matcha Gold, Totally Tropical. earthrainbow.co.uk
IN PROFILE: CRAIC FOODS With products like Black Garlic Miso and Salted Miso Caramel with Fennel Pollen, it’s safe to say culinary innovation is at the centre of Craigavon’s Craic Foods. Headed up by development chef and flavour wizard Paul Clarke, pictured, (dubbed Co Armagh’s answer to Heston Blumenthal), the company has won many awards in Great Taste and last year was awarded the Golden Fork from Northern Ireland for its Black Garlic & Porcini Sea Salt. “We’re speciality, but we’re always prepared to take a risk and introduce something new and niche,” Clarke tells FFD. This year, his self16
HOW DO YOU LIKE THESE APPLES? County Armagh is known throughout Ireland as the Orchard County, with apples having grown in the county for thousands of years in the area’s well-drained, loam soils. Its famous Bramley apples are harvested between early September and late October, and deployed in all manner of Northern Irish products including preserves, such as Irish Black Butter, and various ciders. Armagh Bramley apples have Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in both the EU and the UK.
confessed “over-creative mind” has come up with a fruit pickle range. The varieties include Pickled Sour Cherries in Sweet Cherry Vinegar; Pickled Blackberries in Blackberry & Thyme Balsamic Vinegar; and Pickled Gooseberries in Apple & Elderflower Vinegar (RRP £3.95 each, trade case of 6 x 150g £16.50 or £2.75 each). Clarke describes the fruit pickles as a “stripped back” alternative to the chutneys of En Place Foods – his other business which he began in 2010 before setting up Craic Foods in 2016 with Hannan Meats’ Peter Hannan. “If En Place is the rock and roll, these are the acoustic version,” he says. After the pandemic hit, Craic’s foodservice trade dried up causing it to shift NPD to cater more towards the retail trade. “What we’re doing now isn’t what we were
FOOD & DRINK FROM NORTHERN IRELAND 2021
doing 18 months ago,” says Clarke. “Our team has worked hard to take what we had in foodservice and adapt it more.” And with foodservice now beginning to come back, Clarke and his team are busier than ever – having built up the retail demand. When asked if Craic Foods is working on any launches for the future, Clarke just laughs. “That’s the idea behind Craic Foods, there’s always something brewing.” craicfoods.com
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AWARD-WINNING Handcrafted Artisan Ciders, Apple Juice & Apple Cider Vinegar From Plant To Pour
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PRODUCTS & PRODUCERS cheese & dairy
Glastry Farm has made ice cream for nearly two decades using milk from its own herd on the Ards Peninsula. While it has won many awards for its traditional ice creams and sorbets, its NPD has been focused more recently on vegan sorbets, like Sea Buckthorn & Goji Berry and Acai Berry, and ice cream flavours, including Berry Berry Blueberry and Peaches & Cream with Rose. glastryfarm.com
eggs
Ballylisk of Armagh produces a range of singleherd cows’ milk soft cheeses in its custom production facility in the heart of Co Armagh. Its flagship product is The Triple Rose, a triple crème white mould ripened semi-soft cheese, and the cheesemaker has since developed smoked and cider-washed variations. The latest launch is a brie called The Single Rose, while the company also offers a range of chutneys and biscuits to complement its cheeses. ballyliskofarmagh.com
The first Kearney Blue cheese was made in a kitchen pot near the village of Kearney, Co Down, back in 2010. Now made at Farmview Dairies (which has always supplied the locally sourced milk), the cheese has changed little in terms of production. The end result is a blue-greyrinded blue cheese with a creamy paste that is fresh, salty and piquant on the palate. farmviewdairies.com
Northern Ireland’s first rawmilk blue cheese, Young Buck, is made by Michael Thomson of Mike’s Fancy Cheese. The Stilton-style Blue is made in Newtonards using animal rennet and is aged for a minimum of 12 weeks. Since its launch in 2013, Young Buck has gained listings with many retailers all over the country, including Thomson’s own cheese shop in Belfast. mfcheese.com
Glenballyeamon Eggs is located in the green Glens of Antrim and farmer Niall Delargy has been selling free-range eggs since 1997 when he began the business with just a dozen hens. The SALSA-accredited business has recently expanded its operation to up packaging capacity for its Out There range (from 2,000 to 20,000 eggs-per-hour), while working with the Woodland Trust to maintain the hens’ natural environment on the farm. glenballyeamoneggs.com
Abernethy Butter has a UKwide reputation and is listed by many of the country’s top retailers and restaurants. The Co Down producer slowchurns all of its butters giving them their distinct colour and flavour. The butter comes in salted, unsalted and smoked versions as well as a number of flavoured variations, including Dulse, Black Garlic and the latest Chipotle Chilli & Paprika. abernethybutter.com
Launched in 2012, Cavanagh Free-Range Eggs grades and packs its multi-awardwinning, ethically produced, eggs laid by 75,000 birds in seven flocks – all located within a 20-mile radius in Co Fermanagh. RSPCA-Assured and British Lion Accredited, the eggs come in boxes of 6 x Very Large, 4 x Very Large, 6 x Breakfast, 12 x Large, 6 x Large, 12 x Medium, 6 x Medium and 12 x Mixed Weight. cavanaghfreerangeeggs. co.uk
IN PROFILE: CLANDEBOYE ESTATE YOGHURT While many dairy farmers have turned to cheesemaking to add value to their milk, Clandeboye Estate, in County Down, decided to go down the route of yoghurt production. “We did some market research and found that no-one in Northern Ireland was making yoghurt,” general manager Bryan Boggs tells FFD. The private estate, located on the outskirts of the seaside town of Bangor, began making yoghurt from its herd of Jersey and Holstein cows in 2007. Today, the range includes natural, flavoured and layered whole-milk yoghurts, as well as a Greek-style that won a 3-star in Great Taste 2016. The venture was spearheaded and supported by estate owner, Lady Dufferin, who passed away last year but left plans in place to make sure the business continued to grow and develop. These plans include a new creamery,
currently being built on the estate as a result of a £2 million investment which is supported by economic development agency Invest NI. The site – hoped to be up and running by September this year – will allow the business to expand production capabilities and move from solely supplying retail and foodservice outlets across the island of Ireland to the wider UK market. “It’ll give us five times the capacity that we currently have,” says Boggs. “Over a five-year period we should be doubling our staff levels and quadrupling the sales volume.” The business is currently seeking a UK-based fine food distributor to reach farm shops and delis. But as they look to scale up, Boggs is conscious that the quality and traditional production method of hand-straining the Greekstyle yoghurt isn’t lost. “We have a saying which is ‘we work up to standard, not down to a price’,” he says.
clandeboye.co.uk
ACCLAIMED SPUDS Grown mainly on land that surrounds Strangford Lough in Co Down, Comber Earlies (or New Season Comber Potatoes) are renowned for their distinctive earth nutty flavour. Harvested between the start of May and the end of July, they have Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in both the EU and the UK.
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PRODUCTS & PRODUCERS fresh meat, charcuterie & seafood IN PROFILE: LECALE HARVEST Patrice Bonnargent has been growing and selling fresh oysters and other seafood at his farm in Killough, Co Down, for over 30 years but in recent times the native Frenchman has diversified into artisan pâtés and confit meats under the Lecale Harvest brand. These ambient products – which include crab pâté, chicken liver pâté, pork rillettes, duck confit, pork belly and beef brisket – are inspired by the food of his youth in the Loire Valley. “In France, on any occasion we would sit at the table and eat for two or three hours,” Bonnargent tells FFD. “So, for me, food is like a social event and I tried to recreate that in the dishes I do here.” While the oyster farm is under the management of his son, Bonnargent produces Lecale Harvest at a factory in Ballynahinch with his wife, Joy, and daughter, Perrine. The family business is already listed in distributor Cotswold Fayre’s catalogue and hopes to sell more of its products into independents across the UK. This year, Lecale Harvest has launched readyto-eat French-style dishes aimed at home cooks, which has become a huge market as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Cooking at home is now an important trend that’s set to grow, especially in the short term,” says Bonnargent. The three-strong range, branded Lecale Kitchen, consists of classic French recipes: Beef Bourguignon; Confit Duck Cassoulet with Pork Belly & Toulouse sausage; and Confit Duck with Puy Lentils. Each pack contains two 330g servings and has an RRP of £8-8.50 (trade price £6). Now, however, the Frenchman is deviating from his roots by working on a lamb tagine to add to the range, as well as launching a vegan Moroccan pâté. “We go to fairs and it’s always the case that younger people ask for a vegan pâté,” he says, adding that a mushroom pâté is also in the pipeline. facebook.com/lecaleharvest
Established in 1996, Morrow Foods produces a variety of items for delicatessens, hotels and restaurants. Its range of chicken liver pâtés comes in 113g packs for retail and 500g tubs for catering and deli counters. The company also offers a range of soups and stews – including Chicken & Vegetable Soup and Irish Stew – in a 450g retail format. morrowpate.co.uk
In line with a “field to fork” ethos, Corndale Farm Charcuterie makes all of its charcuterie using its own free-range pork and supplies both retail and foodservice operations. One of its most recent launches is a version of the spicy spreadable salami ‘Nduja but its repertoire also includes chorizo, fennel salami and beer sticks. It has won awards from Great Taste, British Charcuterie Awards and Blas na hÉireann. corndalefarm.com
Ispini Charcuterie, which takes its name from the Irish for ‘sausages’, was set up in 2016 by Johnny and Janice Cuddy. The producer lends a Northern Irish twist to many of its Continental-style products, such as its Black Strap Molasses & Irish Stout Lomo and its Armagh Cider & Chilli Snacking Chorizo Salami. ispinicharcuterie.com
Given its two Great Taste Supreme Champion titles in the last decade, Hannan Meats hardly needs an introduction. The Moirabased business, founded by Peter Hannan, supplies both foodservice and highend retail with Himalayan salt-aged beef and lamb, as well as sugar-pit-cured bacon. Among its most famous cuts are the Glenarm Shorthorn Beef 4-Rib Roast and Guanciale – a cured pig’s cheek bacon that shot the company to fame in 2012. hannanmeats.com
Co Down-based farmer and butcher Quail’s Fine Foods has invested in a new larger Himalayan salt chamber to dry-salt-age more full carcasses of its Limousin beef. The business has also started producing its own black and white puddings and haggis. The wholesale range also includes a host of deli items, like meat pies, sausage rolls, cooked ham and ready meals. quailsfinefoods.co.uk
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Lough Neagh is one of Northern Ireland’s most notable geographical features and a bountiful natural food source – with two of its products recognised on the international stage. Renowned for its texture, Lough Neagh Eel has held Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status from the EU for a decade. Meanwhile, Lough Neagh Pollan – a white fish that is in season during February and March – is covered by the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) – affording it the same status as Parma Ham and Champagne. Both products are also covered under the UK’s post-Brexit equivalent Protected Food Names scheme. loughneagheels.com FOOD & DRINK FROM NORTHERN IRELAND 2021
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RECIPES
Porter wheaten bread BY TRACEY JEFFREY
traceysfarmhousekitchen.com Ingredients: Vegetable oil, for greasing 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp salt 550g wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting 2 tbsp dark brown sugar ½ pint stout or porter 220ml buttermilk
Cider-glazed eels with apple & dulse butter and apple & soup celery dressing
APPLE & DULSE BUTTER
paulamcintyre.co.uk
Method:
BY PAULA MACINTYRE
CIDER-GLAZED EELS Ingredients:
2 medium-sized Lough Neagh eels, skinned, gutted and cut into thumb length pieces 300ml local cider (try Long Meadow, Tempted or MacIvors) 1 tbsp honey 2 tbsp cider vinegar
Method
Season the eels with a little salt and place in a frying pan that has been wiped with a teaspoon of rapeseed oil. Cook gently, turning them regularly. It will take about 45 minutes to cook them through. In the meantime, place the cider, vinegar and honey in a saucepan and boil until the liquid is syrupy but still runny. When the eels have cooked, drain off any fat. Add the cider mixture and raise the heat. Cook to glaze all over.
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FOOD & DRINK FROM NORTHERN IRELAND 2021
Ingredients:
500g peeled, chopped and cored Armagh Bramleys 175g soft brown sugar 1 pinch ground clove 1 tbsp dulse, finely chopped Place the apples in a pan with the sugar and the clove. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until they are soft. Blend and fold in the dulse.
APPLE & SOUP CELERY DRESSING Ingredients:
1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp honey 25ml cider vinegar 75ml local rapeseed oil ½ medium Armagh cooking apple 2 tbsp picked soup celery leaves Salt to taste
Method:
Place the mustard in a bowl and whisk in the honey and vinegar. Whisk in the oil in a steady stream and then check for seasoning. Peel and core the apple then cut into quarters and slice thinly. Cut each slice into matchsticks, then dice. Add the apple to the dressing and toss. Shred the celery leaves as finely as possible and fold into the dressing.
Method: Preheat the oven to 230°C and lightly grease a 900g loaf tin with vegetable oil. Add the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt to a large bowl. Stir through the wholemeal flour and sugar. Add the stout and buttermilk and mix well to form a wet dough. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the mixture gently until it forms a fat sausage roughly the size of the tin. Place the dough into the tin and, with wet hands, pat down lightly and smooth the top into the edges. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and bake for another 25 minutes Cool in the tin for five minutes, then turn out onto a baking rack.
Jawbox Gin chocolate truffles Ingredients: 100g marzipan ½ Madeira cake 3 tsp Jawbox Gin 100g dark chocolate (try something from NearyNogs’ range) Cherries for decoration Method: Mash the marzipan and Madeira cake with a fork. Knead the mixture until it binds well together. Add the gin and mix. Once mixed, make small balls from the mixture. Melt the chocolate and cover each marzipan ball with it and decorate with a small piece of cherry. A SUPPLEMENT TO FINE FOOD DIGEST
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