Ulster Grocer September 2017

GROCER ULSTER

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Over 45 years at the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry

SEPTEMBER 2017

N O. 1 M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E LO C A L G R O C E R Y S E C TO R

GROCER ULSTER

TM

SEPTEMBER 2017

N O. 1 M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E LO C A L G R O C E R Y S E C TO R

Over 45 years at the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry

LOCAL AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY CAUTIOUSLY WELCOMES BREXIT POSITION PAPER

BY ALYSON MAGEE

WORKER EXODUS ALREADY UNDER WAY

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gri-food businesses are already suffering from a labour drain, as a weakened sterling makes working in the UK less attractive, compounding EU nationals’ concerns over job security.

The National Farmers’ Union has reported a 17% decline in seasonal workers coming to the UK this year, while a survey conducted by Lloyd’s bank earlier this year found close to a third of UK food and drink companies have reported EU nationals leaving their jobs since the Brexit vote in June 2016.

Around 400,000 EU citizens are thought to be employed in the UK food and drink sector including farming, processing, retail and hospitality, leading to concerns of an approaching ‘cliff edge’ for the sector if the labour drain escalates.

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K government recommendations to avoid a customs border, maintain a Common Travel Area and exclude smaller businesses from cross-border trading restrictions in Ireland post-Brexit have been welcomed by the agri-food and retail sectors in Northern Ireland.

The recommendations were published last month in a Brexit position paper on Ireland.

Industry representatives remain concerned, however, over Northern Ireland’s continued absence from ongoing Brexit talks due to the deadlock at Stormont.

While welcoming proposals in the

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paper for a ‘light touch’ border, Michael Bell, executive director of the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association, highlighted Northern Ireland is missing out on representation in UK Brexit talks.

“The deeply integrated nature of the agri-food sector between Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain means that a practical solution to the border issue is in the best interests of all parties and should be prioritised as such,” said Bell. “We note with interest that a position paper focusing specifically on the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is to be compiled and look forward to its earliest publication.”

Calling on Brexit Minister David Davis to visit Northern Ireland soon for further discussion with the local business community, Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI, welcomed proposals in the paper to avoid physical infrastructure such as customs posts on the border, and to exclude smaller businesses trading across the border from Continued on p4>

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BREAD & BAKING HOT BEVERAGES STORE FOCUS GREAT TASTE 2017 JIM McCANN & SONS IS A BREED APART 244 GOLD STARS FOR 180 PRODUCTS NEW LOCAL & GLOBAL LAUNCHES INNOVATION IN TEA & COFFEE

FOR PACKAGING THAT

BRC PACKAGING CERTIFICATED

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COMMENT

GOLD STAR ARTISANS EYE EXPORT MARKETS

Volume 52, Number 8 September 2017 Editor: Alyson Magee E: a.magee@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4175 Contributors: Michele Shirlow, Jason Winstanley, Brian McCalden Sales Manager: Mark Beckett E: m.beckett@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4267 Art Editor: Helen Wright Production Manager: Irene Fitzsimmons Ulster Grocer c/o Independent News & Media Ltd, Belfast Telegraph House 33 Clarendon Road Clarendon Dock Belfast BT1 3BG www.ulstergrocer.com @ulstergrocer www.facebook.com/ulstergrocer Subscriptions: £27.50 per month

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ongratulations to the many fantastic local food and drink producers receiving gold stars in this year’s Great Taste.

Northern Ireland continues to excel in the production of high quality fare, with meat, fish and drinks products leading the coveted three-star awards.

This month’s edition also highlights the big effort going into finding international export markets for local food and drink, and the success already achieved. While Ulster Grocer is of course focused on the local retail sector, it has to be recognised that - for all the fantastic locally-produced products to remain on our shelves here – the businesses producing them need a diverse customer base to be profitable and sustainable in the long term. And that means accessing export markets beyond the EU, as a shield to any trade barriers it may introduce as Brexit unfolds.

Alyson Magee <BREXIT POSITION PAPER Continued from p3

any “post-Brexit bureaucracy”.

Aodhán Connolly, director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC), highlighted the retail sector’s 12% contribution to the economy, buying an annual £1.6bn or over a quarter of all local agri-food produce.

NIRC is opposed to any financial and administrative burdens caused by new tariffs, which would push up costs for local consumers.

Expressing his hope “the UK government and the EU will make use of our experience and expertise in this area,” Connolly said: “We look forward to the development of ‘flexible and imaginative solutions’ for the border as laid down by the European Council in their negotiating guidelines and broadly agree with the priorities of avoiding a hard border.

“While the October deadline for an agreement on the Common Travel Area is to be welcomed, we need solutions

on the movement of goods, health and on tariffs in a similarly expedited manner well in advance of March 2019 to provide certainty for our members and for Northern Ireland consumers.”

Barclay Bell, president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, highlighted concerns of likely disparity between the UK government’s proposals “and what might prove acceptable in Brussels and to the EU-27 member states”.

“Long before the EU existed, farming operated and traded on an all-island basis,” said Bell. “That has become even more the case, thanks to cross-border ownership of many key businesses.

Limiting their flexibility to trade would inevitably have a negative impact on our industry at every level.

“Thousands of jobs across Northern Ireland depend on a farming and food industry well placed to trade within the island of Ireland, the EU and with the rest of the world.”

SAD LOSS FOR NI FOOD INDUSTRY

LIDL BOOSTS SHARE OF NI MARKET BY 8.6%

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orraine Hall, the founder of dried nuts and fruit company Kestrel Foods alongside her husband Michael, has died at the age of 49.

Started in 1996, Kestrel Foods now generates annual turnover of £14m and employs 70 people, while exporting its snack products to over 30 countries.

“Lorraine was a valued ambassador for the Northern Ireland food and drink industry and was central to the growth and development of Kestrel Foods,” said Alastair Hamilton, chief executive of Invest Northern Ireland. “We offer our deepest sympathy to Michael and the entire family circle.”

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iscount supermarket giant Lidl is again the fastest-growing grocer in Northern Ireland after boosting its share of supermarket spending by nearly 9%, according to latest figures.

The German retailer, which has 38 stores in Northern Ireland, grew its share of the market by 8.6% in the year to August 13, according to figures from Kantar Worldpanel.

Lidl now has a market share of 5.4% - behind Asda and Sainsbury’s at shares of 17.2% respectively. Tesco is at number one with a market share of 35% - up 3.1%.

NEWS

A GOLDEN YEAR FOR M&S IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Pictured: M&S Head of Region Northern Ireland, Ryan Lennon, is pictured with M&S 50 Years Project Manager Lynsey Beatty, as well as some of M&S’ local suppliers, including Finnebrogue, Hovis, Genesis, and Skea Eggs.

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&S is marking the 50-year anniversary of its first Northern Ireland store, which opened in Belfast on September 7, 1967, by reaffirming its commitment to local suppliers.

The retailer now operates 20 stores, including eight dedicated food outlets, across the Province, and will also be

marking the anniversary with a range of fun activities at its Donegall Place site.

While company archives from 1967 suggest the highlight of M&S’ food innovation was the introduction of yoghurt and air transporting of tomatoes from the Canary Islands in winter, a stroll through any M&S Foodhall these days will

GLENARM BEEF INNOVATOR IN LINE FOR TOP UK AWARD

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key figure in the development of award-winning Glenarm shorthorn beef has been shortlisted for Beef Innovator of the Year 2017 in the British Farming Awards.

Bryan Wilson, farm Bryan Wilson, farm manager manager at Glenarm at Glenarm Castle Estate Castle Estate, is in line for the accolade, which is sponsored by ABP Food Group as part of the Farmers Guardianorganised awards to be held in Birmingham in October.

Wilson has worked alongside Peter Hannan of Hannan Meats on development of the successful beef brand, which has won acclaim internationally for its outstanding taste and texture.

The beef is aged by Hannan in his complex of Himalayan salt chambers in Moira, and has won a string of awards including Supreme Champion in the Great Taste awards.

Glenarm Shorthorn cattle, an established Irish breed, are reared to best practice, on a high clover, grass-based system and the winter housing is of the highest welfare standard.

feature produce inspired by Thailand, China, India, Italy and the American Deep South and from Kenya, New Zealand and Peru.

In Northern Ireland, several local producers have been long-term suppliers, including Hovis Belfast and Dale Farm; later joined by Karro, Moy Park, Linden Foods, Finnebrogue, Genesis Bakery and Skea Eggs.

“Our greatest strength is the M&S reputation for high quality goods,” said Ryan Lemon, head of Region at M&S Northern Ireland. “As a business, M&S is totally committed to ensuring its foods are the finest anywhere in the world.

“Our policy is to source the best quality and value foods from our suppliers. We are not a supermarket, but rather a food retailer which offers a range of innovative, high-quality products which represent good value for money.

“Our approach is to work closely with a supplier to jointly develop a product, an approach that leads to close working partnerships.”

See p12 for more on M&S’ local suppliers.

GREEN LIGHT FOR PORK EXPORTS TO CHINA

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pproval for four local companies to export pork products to China has been welcomed by the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) and Invest Northern Ireland.

The news follows a successful drive over a number of years by processors, politicians, officials and farmers to open up one of the world’s biggest pork markets to products from Northern Ireland.

“The Chinese market has the potential to offer significant long-term demand for pork products,” said Norman Robson, pork and bacon chairman at UFU. “Access to this market should boost returns for processors.”

Steve Harper, executive director, international business at Invest NI, said: “This development has the potential to greatly increase export opportunities for our pork processors and producers, with the industry estimating it could be worth £10m a year to the NI economy.”

Approval has also been granted to export beef to the Philippines.

NEWS

INVEST NI BOOSTS EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL FOOD AND DRINK W

programme of business activities in China, many ith local food and exports valued at £1.2bn Northern Ireland companies are reaping significant in the year to June, Invest Northern benefits, with Rooney Fish and CocoMojo now Ireland is supporting the lucrative trade with securing their first deals in this market, which is investment of almost half a million pounds hugely encouraging.” across four businesses.

Robin Young MBE, finance director The investment in Niche Drinks, BFree, and company secretary of Niche Drinks, CocoMojo and Rooney Fish has paid said: “Our long-term growth plans are off, with the companies securing orders progressing well and we continue to focus to supply their products in China, the on building our export sales, particularly in United Arab Emirates and Europe. the US and Europe markets.

The four companies benefited from a “We recently secured our first Russian range of Invest NI support, including food Pictured are, from left, Des Gartland, orders for our Quiet Man Irish Whiskey and business development guidance, trade North West regional manager at Invest NI and Robin Young MBE, of both Causeway Coast and Shannons Irish advice and participation in Invest NI trade Niche Drinks.

Cream Liqueurs as a result of a visit to Russia at missions and exhibitions to showcase their the beginning of this year and we continue to build products on a global stage. distribution in the market there.”

“We are delighted that our businesses are becoming ever more visible and ambitious in taking their products to growing world markets, with Northern Ireland food and drink exports valued at £1.2bn in the last 12 months,” said Alison Gowdy, director of trade at Invest NI. “All of the businesses have put substantial time and resources into fostering relationships with global customers, which has lastry Farm Ice Cream is helped them to secure these deals. As a direct result of our among 20 UK businesses to receive an export boost from Heathrow and the Department for International Trade’s Exporting is GREAT campaign.

The Kircubbin-based family farm business will receive a funding and support package to encourage the export of its range of ice creams and sorbets to new international markets.

Through the World of Opportunity Programme, Heathrow will provide £40,000 for SME trade missions or research into global markets of its choice.

Glastry Farm Ice Cream will also have access to the personalised advice of an international trade advisor from the Department of International Trade, and a Plaza Premium lounge pass for Heathrow.

Island of Ireland Experienced, “We are thrilled to be receiving such a prestigious award Professional as the Heathrow World of Opportunity programme,” said Total Market Chloe Burgess, production manager at Glastry Farm Ice & Dynamic Coverage Cream.

Team “Our business needs to prove there is life after Brexit, and so we are focused on expanding our venture to further afield. Currently we have discovered a potential market for showcasing and selling our products in the United Arab Emirates.

“Therefore, the grant that we receive will go towards further market research and development of our products to be exported and sold in this market.”

A YouGov survey published in August indicated 50% of t: 028 9267 3316 British SMEs currently exporting want to increase their export destinations in the next two years up to 2019, when Article 50 negotiations are due to complete.

GLASTRY FARM AWARDED EXPORT SUPPORT PACKAGE

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an unrivalled portfolio of grocery & impulse brands

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STORE FOCUS

JIM McCANN & SONS, LURGAN JIM McCANN & SONS OF LURGAN IS A BREED APART, SAYS BRIAN MCCALDEN. WITH SAWDUST ON THE FLOOR, A GUARANTEED PERSONAL SERVICE FOR EACH AND EVERY CUSTOMER AND A LONG-STANDING REPUTATION FOR SERVING ONLY LOCALLY-REARED MEAT, THE SHOP HAS BECOME MORE OF AN INSTITUTION THAN A ‘DYING BREED’ OF LOCAL BUTCHERS

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t first look, a totally independent butchery business trading in a modest shop front on a busy street in Lurgan town centre shouldn’t work. But rather than a ‘dying breed’, this locally-owned business is thriving.

With four major supermarkets as seven-day trading competition, restricted on-street parking outside and without any major housing developments for walkin trade close by, this family-owned and run business should be facing an uphill struggle.

Given the footfall that is obvious even to a casual visitor, clearly that is not the case, as proprietor, Jim McCann explains.

“This is a traditional butcher, owned and operated entirely by family members and several long-term, loyal staff,” he says. “It offers unique selling points that the four supermarkets in town would struggle to achieve.

“First and foremost, our beef is reared a few miles away on the family farm, so you can’t get much more quality assurance than that - from field to plate.

“The butchery trade is also in our blood. I am a time-served butcher myself 8

who also served behind the shop counter, ever since I was just a schoolboy.

“I have been the proprietor for the last 19 years, taking over from my dad, also Jim, who is also a fully qualified butcher who learned his trade in Lisburn and who has now ‘retired’ to run the family beef farm just up the road.

“The business has been built on two things: quality products and excellence of service and I’m very happy to say that almost all of our customers are known to us on a first name basis, so it’s not just somewhere you go to shop and then queue up at the tills to pay as in the supermarkets – it is a personal shopping experience.

“More recently, given tightening pursestrings, we have also put even more emphasis on value for money too.”

Referring to the numerous multiple buy offers in store – displayed both inside and outside the shop – Jim said he is confident that he can match or better the likes of Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s that all compete for his trade in nearby locations on prices.

“We are at least on a par with their

offers, especially with the £10 and £20 multiple meat package deals that we put together,” he says.

Value though is only part of the story, as freshness and product excellence are the main priority. “Christmas is our busiest time of the year, with me and staff putting in very long hours for the last 10 days of the run up to the big day,” he says. “I myself would be in the shop from 3.30am and not be away again until nearly midnight, so that’s a hard slog but is necessary as the unique selling point for the shop is guaranteed freshness.

“Turkeys come exclusively from local farms, are therefore all locally reared and of course we prepare everything – whole turkeys, joints, or even crowns in the shop ourselves – and that assures freshness and of course taste for our loyal customer base.”

Tradition is assured too and not just because of the sawdust that is swept up daily – as butchers used to do universally - but because the McCanns have been trading in this site since 1976.

Jim McCann senior, who now breeds beef at the family’s 43-acre farm, started

STORE FOCUS Jim McCann with shop manager Dessie Magee

the whole business. “As a time-served working butcher, my dad – also Jim – had the vision to see the potential in an existing facility at North Street and bought it over, and we still trade here, although there has been considerable product development.

“That said, while some things have changed, much has remained the same with, for example, my own mum, Eileen still mucking in and helping dad with the farm.

“My wife, Janet, who looks after all our bookkeeping is also heavily involved and always supportive, especially given the frequent long hours.”

The shop closes Sundays, but on the other days, Jim is normally ‘on duty’ from about 6am until after closing, and gets home about 6pm.

“Part of the reason for this is of course assured freshness of product, with daily deliveries all year and preparation on site of the many products, including local

lamb, pork and poultry as well as the famed family farm-reared beef.

“However, one addition has been the launch of our products under the Jim McCann & Sons label. These are prepared early mornings, six days a week, packaged and delivered fresh to about a dozen shops in the area and now represents about a fifth of our overall business.”

Jim also co-operates closely with the shop next door, Henderson’s.

“Their extensive fruit and veg offering complements ours very well indeed and allows customers to do much of their shopping in ‘one stop’,” he says.

“We also now stock some grocery items such as spaghetti and of course offer our ‘own label’ prepared products such as our very popular pies and some part-prepared meals, including homemade lasagne and curries ready to heat and serve – all made right on the premises.”

Jim McCann now has some other help from family and loyal staff. “Our son Jason is working full time as a butcher and son Jack is part-time, proving that the business is indeed ‘in our blood’ and while our other son James is running a fast-developing business in the media, and as a professional photographer, everyone mucks in when necessary.”

The shop actually employs five fulltime butchery and counter staff, ably supervised by the manager, Dessie Magee.

“Dessie has been with us for 22 years now and is a mainstay of the business, both as a butcher himself and as a retail manager,” he says.

Looking to the future, Jim certainly won’t be putting his meat cleaver away for many years just yet and, while he has no expansion plans, he is content to run trade from the existing three-storey premises – he is very happy that the family is behind him.

“It is very reassuring that the name above the door ‘Jim McCann & Sons’ isn’t just a label, but is in fact our history and heritage,” he says.

“I took over from my dad, who while ‘retired’ only really moved on to a new career as a farmer and while, at some stage, I may hand over to my sons to keep it going, I know that the traditional trading values of freshness, quality, service and value for money will be assured into the next and subsequent generations of McCanns.

“For me – and my dad – that would be a very satisfactory outcome and certainly seems to be the way our loyal customer base wants it too.

“In less than a decade, we should be able to celebrate half a century trading here in Lurgan’s North Street.

“Hopefully, we will see that go on for many decades more, with the coming generations keeping up the family traditions.”

Donna Hoy

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RETAIL NEWS - INDEPENDENTS

FFI DIRECT TRADE SUPPLIER DAY RETURNS THIS MONTH S

uppliers and retailers alike are expected to turn out in full force for Food Force Ireland’s Direct Trade Supplier Day, which is returning to the Culloden Hotel & Spa on Tuesday, September 26.

The annual event has been growing year on year, with 2016 welcoming a portfolio expansion into the drinks trade, and exhibitors reporting strong trading on the day.

As well as the supplier exhibition, the Direct Trade Supplier Day includes a luncheon attended by members and suppliers, featuring the hotly anticipated FFI Supplier of the Year Awards.

Food Force Ireland is a buying group for Northern Ireland-based Nisa retailers.

RETAIL NI PAYS TRIBUTE TO BRYAN GRAY

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etail NI has paid tribute to its former CEO, Bryan Gray who passed away in July.

“On behalf of the Retail NI Board and our membership as a whole, we extend our condolences to the family and friends of Bryan,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI. “Bryan made a huge contribution to the retail, hospitality and manufacturing sectors. He played a key role in establishing NIIRTA/Retail NI, advancing our policy agenda and was a true champion for independent retailers.”

RETAIL NI EXPRESS DISAPPOINTMENT OVER RATES RELIEF SCHEME SUSPENSION

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etail NI has expressed disappointment over news the Empty Premises Rate Relief scheme has been effectively halted as a result of the Assembly suspension.

The scheme gave business owners 50% rates discount if they opened a new business in premises vacant for more than a year. Its suspension will result in the doubling of rates bills for many new start businesses.

“It is extremely disappointing that the Empty Premises Rate Relief scheme has been effectively suspended as a result of the Assembly being in limbo,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI. “The Empty Premises Rate Relief Scheme had helped establish 500 new businesses over the past few years.”

UNIQUE BANQUET BOX FEATURES NI ARTISANS T en artisan producers from Northern Ireland are being showcased in a unique Winter Feast banquet box developed by Indie Fude, an independent deli, influenced by the region’s links with Game of Thrones (GoT).

Johnny McDowell has made support for Northern Ireland food and drink the central feature of his business. It originally began as an online operation before his decision to set up a physical store in 2015.

“We’ve scoured Northern Ireland, the home of GoT, for the best banquet foods it has to offer,” said McDowell, owner of Indie Fude. “From Storms End to Castlery Rock, we’ve chosen 10 of the most delicious sweet and savoury treats, curating them into an exquisite hand-carved wooden banquet box that’s different.

“It’s ideal for both local people and tourists and has already been attracting inquiries from outside Northern Ireland.”

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Pictured at last year’s Food Force Ireland Direct Trade Supplier Day are, from left, Debra Johnston, trading controller at Food Force Ireland; Peter Doherty from Britvic, who picked up the Account Manager of the Year award; and Henry Emerson, chairman of Food Force Ireland.

FARM SHOPS WELCOME SUPERMARKET DECISION ON ‘FAKE FARM’ BRANDS

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ARMA, the trade association for Farm Shops and Farmers’ Markets in the UK with around 400 members, has welcomed a decision by Morrisons never to use ‘fake farm’ brands in its stores.

It follows the results of a survey where 70% of UK adults say they object to the use of fake farm brands and only want real place names or farm names to be used on packaging and branding.

“Our members have been increasingly concerned at the way supermarkets are marketing their fresh produce under labels of non-existent farms and locations,” said Milly Stokes, chairman of FARMA. “It only serves to confuse shoppers, who our own research says are increasingly concerned about the provenance of their food.”

RETAIL NEWS - SYMBOLS

P&H ROLLS OUT LATEST UPDATE OF AWARDWINNING ONLINE ORDERING WEBSITE P

almer and Harvey (P&H), the UK’s biggest delivered wholesaler, has launched an update to its award-winning online ordering website.

Retailers will now be able to access detailed product and nutritional information, provided by digital product content provider, Brandbank, with the latest phase of development part of an ongoing programme of updates to the website.

“The latest update is one of a number that will enhance the capabilities of the site, making it easier for retailers to navigate, whilst providing retailers with access to greater information,” said Ed Chartier, e-commerce manager at P&H. “There is a growing trend within convenience for healthier choices and, with the addition of nutritional and allergen information to our site, retailers can equip themselves with more product information to support their shoppers.”

The update is the second to be rolled out this year, following the launch of a linked barcode scanner app in April at Pro-retail 2017.

NIELSEN LAUNCHES GROCERY SALES MEASUREMENT IN NORTHERN IRELAND

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rocery retailers and FMCG manufacturers in Northern Ireland will now have access to weekly granular sales data across supermarkets and convenience retailers, courtesy of Nielsen’s Scantrack service launching in the country.

The Scantrack scanning service uses actual EPOS data from retailers to quantify total store sales every week by SKU across the major food and drink retailers in Northern Ireland, including

the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury, SuperValu, Centra, EUROSPAR, SPAR and Vivo.

The service shows the value of the Northern Ireland FMCG market** rose 3.5% to £3.7bn over the last year*, with the supermarket multiples accounting for 73% of sales and the convenience retailers 27%. The multiples saw sales grow 3.7% year-onyear while the convenience sector saw a 3.1% rise.

“Scantrack has effectively been the currency for grocery sales in both GB

and the Republic of Ireland for years but now it will help Northern Ireland’s retailers and manufacturers to see how they’re performing, so they can improve and grow their business,” said Matt Clark, Nielsen’s commercial director in Ireland. “Central to this is the granularity of the EPOS data, which is provided on a weekly basis across both the multiples and the convenience channels.” *52 weeks ending 15/7/2017 **Independents, specialist retailers, ethnic stores and discounters excluded

SHOPPER CAMPAIGN SETS SUMMER SALES SOARING FOR COSTCUTTER

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ostcutter Supermarkets Group has reported soaring summer sales as shoppers respond to its biggest ever consumer campaign.

The 12-week Set Summer Free campaign, which launched on June 22, has already seen record audience reach, increased shopper engagement on social media, the highest ever level of competition entries and increased sales.

“This is evolving into one of our

most successful campaigns to date, in terms of driving shoppers into store and generating interest and positive engagement through social media,” said Michael Hooley, head of Promotional Marketing, Costcutter Supermarkets Group.

“Over 25,000 customers engaged with our Set Summer Free social content and we added nearly 4,000 new followers. The campaign has already achieved total reach on Twitter of almost one million and on Facebook fast approaching 400,000. We have also received over 30,000 competition entries so far and sold campaignspecific products worth £320,000.

“The campaign is part of our ongoing activity to help our retailers drive sales.

Summer is a key trading period and

with less sporting events taking place this year, we want to help our retailers drive footfall and increase their sales opportunities and we’re delighted that we’re achieving both those objectives.”

The Set Summer Free campaign saw over 68,000 prizes up for grabs, giving shoppers the chance to win thousands of products in-store, as well as tickets to festivals and sporting events, barbecues, FitBits and a star prize of a luxury Caribbean holiday worth up to £10,000.

Meanwhile, following the success of its Independent sandwich range, Costcutter has added a new limited edition Mexican chicken filling to its own-brand range, which can be sold individually or as part of a meal deal offer.

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RETAIL NEWS - MULTIPLES

M&S CELEBRATES ITS NI SUPPLIERS W

ith M&S celebrating the 50th anniversary of opening its first local store this month, several local suppliers have been recognised as central to its success story with some enjoying relationships dating back to the 1960s.

When the first local store opened in Belfast in 1967, its bread was Ormo, made by Ormeau Bakeries (now Hovis Belfast). Hovis now provides a variety of traditional breads including Northern Ireland favourites.

“There is a strong history and heritage between M&S and Hovis,” said Billy Thompson, business unit manager of RHM Bakeries. “As one of our most valuable clients, we have grown alongside them as they opened new stores over the last five decades.

Ryan Lemon, head of region for M&S Northern Ireland, with Billy Thompson from Hovis.

“We have also been fortunate enough to supply our products to M&S stores throughout the UK, as well as experiencing a phenomenal growth over recent years.

“In keeping with M&S’ Plan A initiative, we use local ingredients from trusted suppliers, including buttermilk from Ballyrashane Co-operative. We also supply our range of breads to the RoI and GB, including successful Christmas lines such as Mulled Wine Fruit Loaf.”

Dale Farm, meanwhile, has supplied butter and cream products to M&S for over 30 years, to Northern Ireland but also stores in GB, amounting to around three million tubs of butter a year.

Through its food technologists and product development departments, Dale Farm worked with M&S to develop Naturally Spreadable Butter – a pure butter made using Northern Ireland’s summer-produced milk, which, due to our wetter summer months and lush grass, has a higher content of the soft fats which make butter more spreadable.

“Dale Farm is proud of the valuable partnership we have built with M&S over the past three decades,” said Jason Hempton, commercial director – branded products, Dale Farm. “Our butter and cream, made using the freshest milk from our farmer members is synonymous with the high level of quality that consumers have come to expect from M&S. “Developing a bespoke spreadable butter product in partnership with M&S

Sir Robert Atkins (former Conservative MP and Minister of State for Northern Ireland) is pictured with Derek Geddis (co-chairman of Avondale Foods), and Dawn Geddis (now Cann, daughter of Derek).

aligns with our strategy to continually innovate. This commitment to innovation and quality are core elements to the success of our relationship with M&S, one which we hope will continue for several years to come.”

Another local supplier, Co Armagh-based Avondale Foods, began supplying lettuce to M&S in 1968 and is now one of Northern Ireland’s biggest agri-food success stories.

Avondale is now the sole supplier of M&S coleslaw and potato salad and, as well as salads, also supplies porridge, mushrooms, croutons, stir fry sauces and noodles; all manufactured in the company’s custombuilt plant.

“The extremely high standards of innovation at Avondale Foods have been critical in achieving our pre-eminence in the chilled salad business,” said Ryan Lemon, head of region for M&S Northern Ireland.

“We currently buy some 16 million pots of coleslaw and over three million of potato salad from Avondale each year.”

ASDA MAKES FOOTBALL FRUITFUL… A

UEFA European Women’s U19 Championship volunteers and Asda colleagues join together, wearing the football shirts of all eight participating teams to celebrate the partnership. Pictured are, from left, (back row) Nicole Connolly, volunteer; Laura Beatty, Asda colleague; Lydia Campbell, volunteer; Wilhelmina Hutchinson, Asda colleague; and Lisa Armour, volunteer; and (front row) Judith Reid, volunteer; Éadaoin Ni Chiarráin, volunteer; and Martine Power, volunteer.

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s part of Asda NI’s UEFA European Women’s U19 Championship partnership, the retailer will be the official fruit supplier for the tournament.

Thousands of Asda bananas, oranges and grapes will be given out to the participating teams during the games.

“At Asda, we actively promote a healthy lifestyle through our community and CSR programmes in Northern Ireland – and we’re delighted to not only be an official partner of the championship - but also to supply the teams with fruit throughout the duration of the tournament,” said George Rankin, senior director Asda NI. “We’re very proud of the quality of fresh produce available at Asda – consistently maintaining a high standard for our shoppers and elite athletes alike. We would like to wish all the teams the best of luck for a successful championship.”

Musgrave Matters

SEPTEMBER 2017

www.musgravegroup.com

SUPERVALU AND CENTRA OFFER MEAL SOLUTIONS ON A PLATE demanding innovation, value and variety but not wanting to lose out on quality and nowhere is this more evident than in the ready meals category”, said Ciara.

Centra’s Make a Meal of It and SuperValu’s Prepared for You ranges are already available in stores across Northern Ireland.

“We are delighted to be able to provide CIARA MCCLAFFERTY, TRADING DIRECTOR, MUSGRAVE AND quality, market-leading DESI DERBY, MARKETING DIRECTOR, MUSGRAVE UNVEILED on-trend ranges that give THE EXCITING NEW CENTRA AND SUPERVALU EVENING MEAL us real standout in the SOLUTIONS AT A SPECIAL EVENT AT HARLEM, BELFAST IN AUGUST. evening meal solutions marketplace. It is our ambition for SuperValu and Centra stores to USGRAVE and its leading become the number one destination for convenience retailers SuperValu quick and easy meals that families, young and Centra have developed professionals and the rest of Northern a range of convenient evening meal Ireland will love”, commented Ciara. solutions that are leading the way in taste, With increases in travel, customers price and choice. are looking to introduce new tastes into Ciara McClafferty, trading director, their evening meals, whether that is a Musgrave, said: “Consumers are savvier Spanish Paella or even a new twist to an about food than ever, continually old traditional favourite. Delivering what customers want is really important to SuperValu and Centra.

“We have benchmarked ourselves against market leaders in this category with a mission to expand our breadth of range, constantly review quality and bring innovation.

“The growing hunger for convenience will continue to drive the appetite for quick and easy meal solutions and our excellent family meals and meals-for-one are raising the bar across the category,” said Ciara.

The exciting new range was officially unveiled at an event at Harlem, Belfast in August. Guests were invited to the launch of a new menu ‘with a twist’ – the twist being that the meals served up were from the new SuperValu and Centra evening meal solutions ranges.

Over 90% of the those surveyed on the night said they would have been prepared

to pay between £10-£15 for their main course; whilst 80% rated their meal as very good or excellent.

The Centra Make a Meal of It and SuperValu Prepared for You ranges cater for a wide range of tastes and there really is something for everyone.

Ciara continued: “Our meal solutions include a range of family meals like Chicken Pasta Bake, Chicken Korma, Chicken Jalfrezi, Paella and traditional meals such as Beef Lasagne, Meatball Pasta Bake and Cottage Pie. All designed to meet the needs and missions of our target consumer segments: ‘Quality Cooks’ and ‘Quick and Easy Families’.

“New features include the addition of

M

‘Premium Family’ and ‘Healthy Meals’ to bolster our health credentials. The ‘Premium Family’ range includes SuperValu Prepared for You Beef Brisket, Chicken Mozzarella and Turkey & Ham. Our low in fat, high in protein ‘Healthy Meals’ contain less than 450 calories and are one of your five-a-day vegetable portions.

“Our meal-for-one ranges in SuperValu and Centra include Beef Stew, Beef Teriyaki, Chicken Korma with Rice and Chicken Curry, to name a few,” said Ciara.

GREAT TASTE 2017

GREAT TASTE SHOWS POTENTIAL OF OUR PRODUCTS IN BRITAIN

BY MICHELE SHIRLOW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FOOD NI

A

mong the many challenges facing smaller food and drink enterprises here, one of the most difficult is how to increase awareness of the excellence and innovation of their products in Britain, the South of Ireland and further afield. Winning business abroad certainly takes great patience and perseverance. And it needs encouragement and practical support.

A number of young companies have found success after a great deal of hard work and perseverance. But we need to see a great many more doing so, particularly in Britain, our most accessible market and one which will surely grow in importance in the post-Brexit era.

The success of 180 of our food and drink products in the recent Great Taste awards is an indication of the outstanding potential of our products in Britain, a market which already spends over £2bn on our food and drink and is our biggest single source of business.

But gaining and sustaining a significant presence in our closest markets, 14

Great Britain and the south, demands continuous attention on measures to create awareness of a business and its products among retailers and then on promotional work to drive consumers into the stores looking for their products.

Failure to follow up initial business with a retailer and support consumer awareness activities are sure ways to a delisting of a product(s).

I know that the supermarkets here do their very best to help smaller companies; in particular, to access the huge market in Britain for quality food and drink with heritage and provenance. All the main supermarkets have business development schemes, such as supplier academies, that help participating businesses gain a foothold both here and in Britain. And Food NI is working alongside most of the top retailers to promote our produce. We appreciate greatly their ever-expanding commitment to local produce.

We support this by means of a series of promotional activities such as our work with Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland in

briefing food writers and other journalists on familiarisation visits to Northern Ireland food and drink producers.

This ‘below the radar’ activity has led to hundreds of articles in influential newspapers and food magazines about the excellence of our produce. It’s an ongoing task.

The more specialists that we can influence and introduce to our food and drink producers, the greater the awareness of what we have to offer consumers will be. They help us enormously in getting our message across to discerning shoppers, particularly in Britain and the Republic. It’s an activity which has to continue. It will assist sales, the economic wellbeing of the industry and could mean more jobs in ambitious smaller enterprises.

Food NI will also be reaching out directly to consumers in Britain on behalf of our companies through our first-ever participation in the highly influential BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham on the run in to the crucial Christmas season. Many thousands of visitors to the show will have an opportunity to sample - and buy - food and drink from here. It’s a participation, supported by Invest NI and Tourism NI, which takes our vast experience of running the hugely successful Food Pavilion at Balmoral Show on to a wider stage. It also follows our support for the local pavilion at the BBC Good Food Show in Belfast last year and again in 2017.

In addition to this important out-reach to consumers in Britain, we enabled our producers to pitch for business from the 11,000 retail and foodservice buyers who attended the Speciality Fine Food Fair at Olympia in London, among the most important events of its kind for the speciality food and drink industry. Again Invest NI and Tourism NI supported us in this initiative which coincided with the final stage of the UK Great Taste awards.

We’d certainly be keen to do more in Britain to increase awareness of the quality and innovation of our products but additional resources will be required.

We have the expertise and contacts with both producers and buyers to really make an impact there on behalf of our most important and ambitious manufacturing industry.

GREAT TASTE 2017

ECHLINVILLE AND TEMPTED ACHIEVE THREE STARS AT GREAT TASTE

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chlinville Single Estate Irish Pot Still Gin and Tempted Irish Cider Elderflower are among nine products from Northern Ireland achieving the top accolade of three gold stars in this year’s Great Taste awards.

A total of 80 local companies secured 244 gold stars for 180 products, with Northern Ireland again punching above its weight in the UK and Ireland-wide awards. The Top 50, Golden Fork winners and an overall Supreme Champion will be announced by organiser the Guild of Fine Foods at a ceremony in London on September 4.

Among other local companies picking up three stars

were Hannan Meats, the only company to have lifted the Supreme Champion title twice, and this year recognised for its Glenarm Salt Aged Lamp Rump and Sweet Cured Bacon Rack.

Three stars also went to Baronscourt Estate for its Wild Sika Venison Loin, Ispíní Charcuterie for Rosemary & Thyme Bresaola, Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-op for Smoked Eel, Rooney Fish for Pacific Oysters and Erin Grove Preserves for Blackcurrant Preserve.

This year’s Great Taste winners from Northern Ireland also included:

TWO STARS ★★

Dry Cured Gammon Steak (Kennedy Bacon); Home Reared Whole Bronze Turkey (Alfie Murray Family Butchers); Seeded Ginger Cake Traybake (Deli Lites); Thompson’s Decaffeinated Tea (Thompson’s Family Teas); Tynedale Goat Kid Shoulder and Tynedale Goat Kid Tenderloin (Tynedale Goat Kid); Blackberry and Thyme Infused Balsamic Vinegar (Burren Balsamics); Potato Bread (Yellow Door Portadown); Malt Pitt Beef Ribs, Hop Fed Bishop’s Cape Steak and Hop Fed King Arthur Rib of Beef (Kettyle Irish Foods); Apple & Elderflower Vinegar and Blackberry & Hawthorn Vinegar (En Place Foods UK); Morelli’s Pistachio Supreme Ice Cream and Morelli’s Caramelised Hazelnut Ice Cream (Morelli Ice Cream); Carnbrooke Salt Aged Ribeye (Carnbrooke Meats); Himalayan Salt Aged Cote de Beouf and Himalayan Salt Aged Rack of Lamb (Quails Fine Foods); Grant’s Dry Cure Back Bacon, Grant’s Legenderry Gammon and Grant’s Sweet Cure Bacon Rack (William Grant and Co); Fruit Cake (Knotts Bakery); Abernethy Butter Fudge (Abernethy Butter); Buchanan’s Dry Cured Gammon (Buchanan’s); 30 Day Himalayan Salt Aged Beef Fillet On The Bone and Northern Irish Dry Cured Sugar Glazed Bacon Chop (K & G McAtamney Butchery & Deli); SD Bell’s Lady Londonderry’s Tea (SD Bell & Co); Yahi House Granola (Yahi); Mourne Mist Pilsner, East Coast IPA and Big Rock Wheat Beer (Mourne Mountains Brewery); Steak & Onion Pie, Chicken & Ham Pie and Chicken and Leek & Ham Pie (Corries Meats); Signature (Pure Gusto); Grass Fed Salt Aged Fillet Barrel with Herbs (Greenmount Farm Shop); Wild Sika Venison Burger and Wild Sika Venison French Rack (Baronscourt Estate); Rooibos Vanilla (Suki Teahouse); Pimenton de la Vera Chorizo (Ispini Charcuterie); Mighty Marbled Cote de Boeuf Steak and Rib Cap (Hannan Meats); Hot Smoked Eel (East Coast Seafoods); Corndale Farm Fennel Salami (Corndale Farm); Fivemiletown Boilie Goats Cheese Barrel (Dale Farm); and Boringly Good Slightly Sweetened Almond Nulk (Nourish Foods).

ONE STAR ★

Fino de Aroma 70% (La Coquine); Chimichurri Sauce (The Saucy Minx Sauce Company); Holmes Bakery The Ultimate Christmas Pudding (Holmes Bakery); Shortcross Gin (Rademon Estate Distillery); Steak and Onion Pie (McKees Farm Shop); SPAR enjoy local Creamy Mashed Potato, SPAR enjoy local Natural Yogurt and SPAR enjoy local Peppered Rump Steak (Henderson Group); Thompson’s Luxury Everyday Loose, Thompson’s Turkish Apple Amazing, Thompson’s Punjana Original and Thompson’s Scottish Blend (Thompson’s Family Teas); Dry Cured Middle Cut Bacon (Kennedy Bacon); Bunratty Poitín Dark Chocolate Truffle and 82% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (Ni Cho Chocolate); Bairds Own Farm, 35-Day, Dry-aged, Sirloin Steak (William Baird Butchers); Traditionally Dried Middle Bacon (William Sprott); Moist Fruit Malt and Traditional Boiled Fruit Cake (The Heatherlea); Christmas Balsamic and Strawberry and Mint White Wine Vinegar (Burren Balsamics); Ballinteer Farm Quail Meat (Ballinteer Farm Quail); Kilmegan ‘Real’ Cider (Kilmegan Cider); Cobden + Brown 60% Cocoa Dark Chocolate and Lime with Pink Himalayan Salt (Cobden + Brown); Pancakes, Rye Bread, Mini Carrot Cake and Passionfruit Gateaux, Cauliflower and Cheese Quiche and Short Rib Pie (Yellow Door Portadown); Tempted Irish Cider Medium Dry (Tempted Cider Company); Glenballyeamon Free Range Eggs (Glenballyeamon Eggs); Genesis Crafty Maple Pancakes, Genesis Crafty Sliced Oven Wheaten and Genesis Crafty Toaster Wheaten (Genesis Crafty); Salt Moss Aged Dirty Steak, Salt Moss Aged Dirty Beef Steak, Super Aged Yearling Mowhawk Steak, Salt Aged Ribeye Steak and Dingin’ Boozy Brat (Kettyle Irish Foods); Digby’s Traditional Christmas Pudding (Digby’s Bar & Restaurant); Elderberry Vinegar and Rhubarb Vinegar (En Place Foods UK); Mash Direct Potato Rosti (Mash Direct); Dry Aged Sirolin Steak (McKees Farm Shop); Raspberry Preserve (Brownlee Preserves Co Armagh); Morelli’s ‘Artisan Range’ Double Cream Vanilla Ice Cream (Morelli Ice Cream); Carnbrooke Salt Aged Sirloin (Carnbrooke Meats); Tree Cake - Honey (Lindens Bakery T/A Raigedo Duona); Glastry Farm Yellowman Honeycomb Ice-Cream (Glastry Farm Ice-Cream); Home Made Beef Dripping, Home Made Honey Roast Ham and Himalayan Salt Aged Leg of Lamb (Quails Fine Foods); Sugar & Spice Snaps (Deli Muru); Irish Fruit Loaf and Spelt Potato Bread with Black Pudding (Ann’s Pantry Of Larne); Springmount Farm Free Range Eggs (Springmount Farm); Grant’s Legenderry Oak Smoked Streaky Bacon (William Grant and Co); Flake meal Biscuits (Knotts Bakery); Abernethy Butter, Abernethy Dulse and Seasalt Butter and Abernethy Unsalted Butter (Abernethy Butter); H & J Carnduff Steak & Guinness Pie and H & J Carnduff Traditional Mince Pie (H&J Carnduff); Oatmeal Cookie (Ann’s Pantry Of Larne); Fior di Latte (Mauds Ice Creams); Irish Whiskey Marmalade (Erin Grove Preserves); Clements Free Range Eggs and Clements Fresh Farm Eggs (Clements Eggs); Potato, Leek and Bacon Gratin (Musgrave NI); Buchanan’s Free Range Bronze Turkey, Extra Mature Rib Eye Steak and Buchanan’s Dry Cured Bacon (Buchanan’s); Alfees Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Country Range Honey and Mustard Dressing and Rich Sauces Beef Bouillon (Rich Sauces); White’s Jumbo Organic Oats, Speedicook Porridge Oats, White’s Toat’ly Oaty - Apple and Cinnamon and White’s Granola - Apple, Cranberry & Raspberry (White’s Oats); Madagascar Vanilla Fudge (Blackthorn Foods); Honey Roast Pork Sausages, Dry Cure Back Bacon, 45 Day Himalayan Salt Aged Rib Eye On The Bone and Prime Northern Irish Steak Burger (K & G McAtamney Butchery & Deli); Free Range Eggs (Cavanagh Free Range Eggs); Forest Feast Slow Baked Roasted & Salted Mixed Nuts (Kestrel Foods); Guinness and Treacle Wheaten Bread (Amber Catering and Cakes); Jawbox Gin (Jawbox Spirit’s Company); SD Bell’s Colombian Water-Process Decaffeinated Medium Roast Coffee, SD Bell’s Greenwell Farms Hawaiian Kona Coffee, SD Bell’s Old Java City Roast, SD Bell’s Lapsang Souchong Tea and SD Bell’s 1st Flush Darjeeling (SD Bell & Co); Yahi House Pesto (Yahi); Artisan Hearth Corn Bread (Irwin’s Bakery); Peanut Brittle (Joy’s Artisan Foods); Chipotle infused Flake Sea Salt (Red Dog Artisan Foods); Spiced Roasted Parsnip & Carrot Soup and Homemade Champ (McAtamneys Traditional Butchers); Dry Aged Sirloin Steak and Steak & Irish Stout Pie (Corries Meats); Romero (Pure Gusto); Lemon and Elderflower Handmade Hard Sweets (SeaSugar Handmade Confectionery); Yardsman Belfast Pale Ale (Hercules Brewing & Co); Wild Sika Venison Sausage (Baronscourt Estate); Pink Grapefruit, White Tea Pear, Turkish Delight and Lemongrass & Ginger (pyramids) (Suki Teahouse); Mighty Marbled Wing Rib Sirloin Steak, Glenarm Salt Aged Lamb Rack, Moyallon Air Dried Back Bacon, Moyallon Air Dried Streaky Bacon and Moyallon Air Dried Pancetta (Hannan Meats); Hot Smoked Trout (East Coast Seafoods); 26 Pale Ale (Northbound Brewery); Natas Berry’s (L’Artisan Foods); Beef Stock (Carol’s Stock Market); Fivemiletown Ballyoak, Dromona Extra Mature Cheddar, Dromona Foil Wrapped Salted Butter, Rowan Glen Salted Butter and Loseley Rich and Creamy Yoghurt Blackberry and Apple (Dale Farm); Ready to Drink Wheatgrass Shot with Orange and Lemon Juice (Squeeze Wheatgrass); and Armagh Bramley apple infused Balsamic vinegar (Burren Balsamics).

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GREAT TASTE 2017

A PERFECT 10 FOR THOMPSON’S TEAS

Ross & David Thompson, joint managing directors of Thompson’s Family Teas.

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hompson’s Family Teas has experienced record-breaking success at this year’s Great Taste awards.

Punjana, Northern Ireland’s best-selling tea, has stretched its award-winning run to 10 years, a feat achieved by no other blended tea in this all-important category.

The news comes as the Guild of Fine Food, acknowledged as the benchmark for fine food and drink in the UK, has released its Great Taste award winners 2017.

Thompson’s Family Teas, which are today still blended by cousins Ross and David Thompson at their state-of-theart tea blending facility in Belfast, have picked up over 100 Great Taste awards in the last 12 years.

Each blend is taste-tested by a Thompson to ensure it meets the exacting standards set by the Thompson family, which have been passionately adhered to for over 120 years.

“To win a Great Taste award is very exciting, but for Punjana to be recognised by the Guild of Fine Food every year for the past decade is something really special, and is an acknowledgement of our dedication to importing and blending the world’s finest teas,” said Ross Thompson.

“Only the best leaves, which are highly prized and command a greater price, find their way into our awarding-winning blends.”

“It takes a certain amount of courage to choose what is best over what is most profitable, and we stay focused on sourcing leaves with superior taste and 16

flavour, and simply can’t be persuaded to do it any other way.”

The Thompson family’s love of tea was born in Belfast in 1896 when founder Robert S Thompson trained in the art of tea tasting and soon became known for his uncompromising devotion to quality.

In the first few years of the business, tea brands didn’t exist and indeed only began to emerge during the post-war years. In 1900, there were perhaps 25 tea companies in Belfast, selling their wares in beautiful tea chests around the numerous independent grocery shops up and down the country. Today, Thompson’s Family Teas is the only mainstream tea Jamie and Camille Thompson of Thompson’s Family Teas in the tea-tasting room.

company that remains.

However, it was in 1955 that the Thompson’s hero brand, Punjana, was born. It launched on television on UTV’s first night of transmission with the now iconic Pick Punjana Tea jingle.

The Punjana name was inspired by second generation James Thompson who, whilst on a shopping trip to Comber, spied an inscription on the Gillespie monument which read, Punjab.

Conscious of India’s reputation for producing some of the world’s finest tea and thinking that this could be the basis for a great brand name, he consulted with his wife, Lillias, and together they arrived at the name Punjana. Agreement was then sought from his brother, Tony, and the rest as they say, is history!

Today, the business continues under the leadership of third generation Thompsons, who share in the founder’s passion for selecting only the best quality and select teas from the very finest gardens in Assam, Kenya and beyond.

Recently, Punjana was also officially crowned Northern Ireland’s favourite product in The People’s Choice Award 2017 as voted for by the public at this year’s prestigious Northern Ireland Food & Drink Awards.

Thompson’s range of exotic loose leaf teas have been chosen to be served in some of Northern Ireland’s most iconic locations including the Titanic Ballroom, National Trust properties and Hastings luxury hotels.

GREAT TASTE 2017

ANOTHER WIN MAKES MASH DIRECT A GREAT TASTE CATEGORY LEADER

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ome-grown food enterprise, Mash Direct has won another gold star at the Great Taste awards, bringing their total up to 19, more than any other company in their category.

The Great Taste award was granted to the Potato Rosti, which are made from the same heritage variety of Maris Piper potatoes that go into their Mashed Potato (also a Great Taste winner).

This isn’t the only reason for the company to celebrate. 2017 has been a great year for other award wins including: the NI Family Business Awards, Belfast Telegraph Awards, Food Talk Awards, Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards and Free From Awards. That’s not to mention the fact that they are also shortlisted as finalists for several other awards over the next couple of months.

They may use old-fashioned recipes but the farm’s marketing team have certainly thrust it into the digital age which has helped to drive record sales. Mash Direct’s innovative marketing strategy to bring farming onto smart phones has led to over 400,000 video views and over 7,500,000 impressions to bring Ulster farming into 2017. This has driven record Mash Direct sales and led to awards for Best Use of Digital and Best Brand in recent months.

Not resting on their laurels, the 18

Comber-based family run farm has been hard at work in the kitchen developing new products to add to the plethora of 40-plus products already available on the marketplace.

Mash Direct released their new Beer Battered Chips this month, the only product of its kind available on supermarket shelves. This is the first time the company has added chips to their consumer offerings in their 13 years of trading.

“People have always asked us, why don’t you do chips?” said Jack Hamilton, new markets and marketing director at Mash Direct. “It is a company policy of ours not to have any red traffic lights on any of our products and so we wanted to make a chip that was crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside without having a high fat content.

“By creating a gluten-free, beer batter to lightly coat the potatoes, we are able to create an innovative chip that’s completely different from others available in the market place and still stay true to our roots. These chips have been years in the making and we are proud to have waited so long to bring them to market because we think they are perfect.”

A pioneer in convenient and healthy vegetable side-dishes, the sixthgeneration farm has responded to

changing consumer habits by launching an innovative lunch-time meal solution.

Mash Direct’s Nourish Bowls are soon to be the most recent addition to their product range, and will be available in SuperValu, Centra, Mace, Nisa and independent stores. Drawing influences from flavours around the world, the Nourish Bowls are available in three exciting flavours: Taste of Italy, Taste of China and Taste of Morocco.

Creating the concept of the Nourish Bowls came from consumer feedback at food shows throughout the year.

The Nourish Bowls each boast a specific number of your daily portion of fruit and vegetables.

“We have found that people want a healthy lunch option that they can pick up off the shelf or even eat on the go,” said Hamilton. “All of Mash Direct’s products are gluten-free and don’t have any red traffic lights, so, our customers know they are eating a Mash Direct product they can trust is good for them.

“The best thing about these Nourish Bowls is they offer relief from the normal, boring sandwiches at your work desk and they help consumers achieve their recommended portions of fruit and veg for the day.”

Mash Direct’s Beer Battered Chips are available to retail from SPAR, EUROSPAR, Centra, Mace, Vivo and SuperValu with an RRP of £1.99. Nourish Bowls are available to retail in SuperValu, Centra, Mace, Nisa and independent stores with an RRP of £2.99.

GREAT TASTE 2017

GOLDEN OATS - WHITE’S ADDS TO ITS SUCCESS WITH FOUR MORE GOLD STARS W ith harvest well underway and fields of ripe golden oats, local porridge producer and oat cereal brand White’s Oats is celebrating a different kind of gold after being awarded four Great Taste awards. White’s has an impressive track record in Great Taste, having already won 43 gold stars for its porridge oats and oat-based cereals - an incredible achievement for Northern Ireland’s only oat producer and a testament to its commitment in quality right across its supply chain.

With growing consumer demand and changing trends in the way consumers are eating oats, White’s has developed its product range to keep pace. Its range of innovative and market-leading products

now includes traditional oats, organic oats, instant microwaveable oats, high protein and high fibre oats as well as ready-to-eat granolas and oat clusters.

Impressively, White’s was awarded a gold star in all breakfast cereal categories, with its Toatly Oaty microwaveable oats the only instant porridge to scoop a gold star.

Its iconic Oats brand Speedicook, which has been a household favourite among Northern Ireland families since the early 1900s, picked up its sixth Great Taste award while Organic Jumbo Oats kept up its impressive track record of wins following its inaugural win

EVERY WHITE’S ORGANIC OAT HAS BEEN ON A WONDERFUL JOURNEY.

back in 2009.

Having been awarded a gold star for its Hazelnut, Almond & Honey granola back in 2015, the Apple, Cranberry & Raspberry granola now joins White’s Great Taste Hall of Fame.

“We are thrilled to have won these prestigious awards which signal the huge amount of passion we have for our business,” said Danielle Mc Bride, brand manager of White’s. “We are committed to ensuring our traditional and heritage products continue to deliver on exceptional quality and taste, whilst at the same time providing our customers with a range of innovative products that are of superior quality, flavour and texture.”

® 2017

GREAT TASTE WINNER 2017

TIME AND CARE goes into creating the unique creamy taste of White’s Oats: 175 years of expertise, 20 dedicated British organic farmers and slow, gentle milling at our original mill founded back in 1841. So all you need to do is pick up a pack and TASTE THE JOURNEY!

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10/08/2017 17:13

GREAT TASTE 2017

A GLITTERING PERFORMANCE BY DALE FARM

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orthern Ireland’s largest dairy cooperative Dale Farm picked up gold stars for six of its products at the 2017 Great Taste awards. Amongst these are included two gold stars for its Fivemiletown Boilie Goat’s Cheese Barrel and gold star status for its Fivemiletown Ballyoak, Dromona Extra Mature Cheddar and Dromona Butter.

The acknowledged benchmark for fine food and drink, the Great Taste

awards saw 500 chefs, restaurateurs, food hall and deli buyers, food writers and critics taste test every single product for excellence.

The results followed an impressive performance by Dale Farm at the International Cheese Show at Nantwich.

“We are proud to once again see our product portfolio being recognised amongst other Northern Ireland and international brands as world-class,” said Stephen Cameron, Group commercial director at Dale Farm.

“Awards such as these act not only as a stamp of approval from industry experts, but also a guarantee of product

quality to the consumer.

“By combining the skill of our experienced cheesemakers with top quality local milk from our farmer members, we retain the quality and standards consumers have come to expect from Dale Farm.”

The company produces 45,000 tonnes of Cheddar per annum from its plant in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, using milk supplied by its 1,300 farmer members.

Its Fivemiletown brand offers a range of speciality Cheddar and soft cheeses, using traditional craft cheese-making methods.

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GREAT TASTE 2017

MOURNE MOUNTAINS BREWERY SECURES A TRIO OF TWO-STAR AWARDS

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ourne Mountains Brewery (MMB) has been awarded two stars apiece for three of its core beers at the 2017 Great Taste awards, as the only local craft beer brewer to gain the two-star rating.

The awards, which celebrate the very best in food and drink, went to pilsner Mourne Mist, East Coast IPA and German-style wheat beer Big Rock, after being judged by some of the most demanding palates, belonging to food critics, chefs, cooks, restaurateurs and producers as well as a host of food writers

and journalists.

Out of more than 12,300 entries, just 1,011 received the twostar accolade UK-wide.

“We are pretty ecstatic at the news and can’t quite believe that we now have four products that each have two-star Great Taste ratings,” said Connaire McGreevy, brewery founder. “We know how good our beer is and we know just how much dedication goes into each hand-crafted batch, but to have it recognised by some of the world’s finest food and drink critics is just an incredible stamp of approval.

“We’re planning to release a different speciality beer every month which is exciting both for us and for craft beer drinkers, who are renowned for seeking variety and something unique that they haven’t tried before.”

GREAT TASTE STAR CAPS A ARTISAN CHOCOLATIER EXTENDS GREAT YEAR FOR SPRINGMOUNT DARK CHOCOLATE RANGE

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The Gilbert family’s four hildren, Ellen-May, Ryan, Jack and Suzannah, sometimes help out on the farm.

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pringmount Farm Free Range Eggs, a third-generation family farm based in the beautiful undulating countryside of Ballygowan, Co Down, has been awarded its first gold Great Taste award by the Guild of Fine Food.

Providing a stress free and caring environment for its poultry flock, free to roam its meadows, Springmount produces and packages its eggs on site, using renewable resources where possible including solar panels to generate electricity. Birds are managed in a modern, purpose-built system using oldfashioned husbandry skills.

The family business was awarded Best Local Food Stand at this year’s RUAS Balmoral Show, and has been shortlisted for the Blas Na Eirenan Irish Food Awards.

A member of Food NI, Taste of Ulster and the British Free Range Egg Producers Association, Springmount supplies leading local hospitality and retailing businesses, including the Salty Dog in Bangor, Avoca Belfast, the Bull & Ram in Ballynahinch and French Village Belfast.

“We are keen to seek new customers who are looking for a quality, locally-sourced product with a low carbon foot print and provenance ‘from farm gate to your plate’,” says Andrew Gilbert.

22

rtisan chocolatier Cobden and Brown, which gained a gold star in Great Taste 2017 for its Dark Chocolate and Lime Bar with Pink Himalayan Salt, has strengthened its portfolio of chocolate bars to include a new dark variety.

The small business, based near Moira, has introduced a 60% Cocoa Dark Chocolate with Tangerine bar in tune with growing market demand. The new 100g bar is produced from fine Forastero cocoa beans infused with a hint of tangerine, is free from gluten, egg and wheat, and suitable for coeliacs and vegetarians.

“The new bar has a distinctive citrus finish with a low bitter content and is ideal for those seeking a dark chocolate with fruity flavour,” said chocolatier Caroline McArdle.

“The new bar has been influenced by the growing demand from consumers for such products and particularly from a staff member at Arcadia, the leading deli in Belfast, who suggested the combination. I tried it out and it really works. I am always keen to respond to feedback from customers.”

McArdle launched the business in 2001, rebranding as Cobden and Brown in 2012 with premium packaging and a focus on the development of a range of luxury bars.

The chocolates are produced without any processed ingredients, carefully handmade in small batches to recipes developed by McArdle and fully tested as gluten-free by an accredited laboratory.

GREAT TASTE 2017

SPAR WINS GREAT TASTE STARS FOR LOCAL PRODUCTS

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I retail chains SPAR and EUROSPAR are celebrating after winning Great Taste stars for their locally developed range enjoy local.

Over 10,000 products from suppliers across the UK were judged by a panel of experts. Three SPAR enjoy local products were awarded the coveted one-star status - enjoy

local Peppered Rump Steak produced by K&G McAtamney Butchers in Ballymena, enjoy local Creamy Mashed Potato produced by Willowbrook Foods in Killinchy, Co Down, and, for the second year running, enjoy local Natural Yogurt, produced by Clandeboye Estate in North Down.

INVEST NI APPLAUDS ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE GREAT TASTE HAUL I

nvest Northern Ireland has congratulated the Northern Ireland food and drink companies recognised in Great Taste 2017.

Eight companies were awarded the highest accolade of three gold stars in the prestigious annual event organised by the influential UK Guild of Fine Food, with 80 local companies securing 244 gold stars for 180 products.

“Northern Ireland produce is much sought after, not only in the UK and Europe but also in countries such as China and the United Arab Emirates,” said Jeremy Fitch, executive director of Business and Sector Development at Invest NI. “Awards such as these provide independent validation of the taste and quality of our local food and drink. I would like to congratulate all of those who have been recognised by the Guild of Fine Food for their hard work and dedication. In particular, the eight three-star gold award winners.

“Through our extensive trade programme and inward buyer visits, we are proactively helping local food and drink companies to access new markets and reach new customers.

“Combined with our expanding global network of offices and in-market advisers, we are helping local businesses secure the best value for their produce. This strategic approach will help drive the local food and drink industry, maximise commercial opportunities and achieve further growth in international markets.”

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FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

Consumer insight and market update

BY JASON WINSTANLEY, MOY PARK SENIOR INSIGHT AND RESEARCH MANAGER BREXIT ONE YEAR ON It is now just over a year since the result of the EU Exit Referendum. At the time of the vote, there were predictions – both dire and optimistic – about what the consequences for the economy would be. So, 12 months later, what does the economic and consumer landscape look like? Let’s first look at consumer confidence. GfK’s measure of confidence1 shows a remarkable level of symmetry – its July 2017 measure was -12, a fall of two points on the previous month but, crucially, the current figure is exactly the same reading as was seen in July 2016, immediately after the vote to leave the EU. At the time, confidence had been riding high, so the -12 figure represented a collapse. However, one year on, the current reading is more symptomatic of a general deterioration in confidence in the intervening period, with other factors, such as the results of the US elections and rising inflation, as well as continued Brexit uncertainty, adding to the general air of mild pessimism.

Speaking of inflation, as far as Brexit is concerned, this is probably the most tangible result of anything happening so far.

(It’s always worth remembering that, despite the vote, and despite the triggering of Article 50, Brexit has not yet happened). In the year since the vote, sterling has been worth around 10%-15% less than it was in the first half of 2016. The implications of this are that many imported goods and ingredients have risen in price, leading to some well-publicised attempts to recoup the increased cost of goods – especially by some businesses with large brand portfolios.

Indeed, food inflation has been one of the key drivers in helping to push up inflation to its current level of 2.6%2. Yet, it is worth remembering that the Bank of England’s target rate of inflation is 2% and that, for around 18 months prior to Brexit, inflation had been at or around zero – an almost unprecedented situation. Given the potential for inflation which was envisaged a year ago, a figure of 2.6% could probably be considered a good result. It does, though, hover just a little above the growth in earnings, which is currently 2.1%2, and this means that there is a slight squeeze on household disposable income.

The key word in the previous sentence is slight – a year on, consumers may be feeling the pinch a little, but this comes on the back of a prosperous 18 months in 2015/16, and we will now start to cycle out of the upward inflationary spiral precipitated by the Brexit vote. This means that pricing pressures may well start to ease and, whilst we can expect consumer confidence to fall further before the end of the year (it nearly always does in the autumn), there is every prospect that, as we head towards 2018, the outlook for consumers is relatively promising. And, on June 24, 2016, if that had been offered as a vision of the future, it is one which many would gratefully have seized.

[Source: 1 – GfK Consumer Confidence Index, July 2017; 2 – ONS, August 2017] 24

FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

TAYTO LAUNCHES ARTISAN CRAFT RANGE

N

orthern Ireland’s favourite crisp and snack producer, Tayto, has relaunched its popular Hand Cooked range as Tayto Craft. The range has evolved to include a dynamic, new, special edition flavour and updated evocative packaging, with its launch accompanied by a targeted, above-theline marketing campaign.

Aimed at artisan consumers, Tayto has expanded its four-core hand cooked range to include an additional limited edition Salt Aged Ham Hock variety, which joins Causeway Sea Salt and Malt Vinegar, Sweet Chilli and Roasted Red

Pepper, Vintage Irish Cheddar and Onion and Dry Aged Irish Beef and Peppercorn in the Tayto Craft range.

“We are delighted to launch the Tayto Craft range to Northern Ireland consumers, who we know are looking for strong and bold, yet bespoke, flavours from their hand cooked crisps,” said Elly Hunter, marketing director of Tayto. “The new Tayto Craft range has been hand crafted in Tandragee using the finest quality potatoes and local ingredients.

“We have given the brand extra shelf-appeal with traditional themes, in terms of wooden-styled display stands, packaging and branding, and are embarking on a sampling tour of Northern Ireland, to allow consumers to try the punchy flavours in the range and stimulate purchase.

“We have blended classic local flavours for the Tayto Craft range and hope that, as well as offering loyal fans an enhanced experience, we may attract new consumers. With impulse pack and sharing bag options, we are making this artisan purchase a choice for regular snacking, rather than what may have previously been viewed as a special occasion selection.”

The majority of the Tayto Craft range is gluten free and each of the five flavours is available in supermarkets and convenience stores now in 150g sharing packs with an RRP of £2.19. In addition, three of the varieties, Vintage Irish Cheddar and Onion, Causeway Sea Salt and Malt Vinegar and new flavour, Salt Aged Ham Hock, are also available in 40g

impulse packs for an RRP of 69p each.

Tayto crisps have been made at Tayto Castle, Co Armagh since 1956, when Thomas Hutchinson spotted a gap in the market to make tasty potato snacks.

The company remains in the Hutchinson family, and is now run by Thomas’s children. Since its humble beginnings more than 60 years ago, Tayto has grown into an international business, supplying crisps and snacks produced in Tandragee to more than 40 countries across the world.

During the last 12 years, Tayto has also acquired iconic snack brands, Golden Wonder, Real Crisps, Mr Porky, Jonathan Crisp and Portlebay Popcorn through its parent organisation, Tayto Group. Across the Group, more than five million packets of crisps and snacks are produced each day at its six UK factories.

For further information visit www.tayto.com.

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Working in Partnership

IRELAND’S LARGEST SUPPLIER OF NEW & USED FOOD PROCESSING & PACKAGING MACHINERY

Henderson Food Machinery can supply a extensive and varied selection of new and used food processing and packaging machinery.

We work closely with quality suppliers of new and used machinery, when we are sourcing equipment on behalf of customers, we make sure that a complete assessment is done on all machines before dispatch so you can have piece of mind that when making your purchase you are getting the right service.

• Apple Depositors

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• Jay-Craft Food Machinery • Farleygreene Sieving • IIpra Range Of Packaging Equipment • FPE Grinders

• Tecnobox Tray Erecting Equipment

• Porlanmaz Bakery Machinery

• Thissen & Stecher Cooking Vessels

• Thompson Machinery Mixer Mincers

• Treif Dicing and Slicing Machinery

e nd

EQUIPMENT TO HELP YOU WITH ALL STAGES OF PRODUCTION FROM PRIMARY MACHINES TO END OF LINE EQUIPMENT.

Working in Partnership

WE CAN SUPPLY INTO MANY SECTORS: • MEAT • FISH • POULTRY • BAKERY • PET FOOD • READY MEALS • VEGETABLE • FRUIT • DAIRY • BREWING • CONFECTIONARY Henderson Food Machinery will only supply quality machinery with excellent customer service working closely with our partners.

Why not give us a call to discuss your present or future machinery requirements or if you have any surplus equipment for sale.

IRELAND’S LARGEST SUPPLIER OF NEW & USED FOOD PROCESSING & PACKAGING MACHINERY Units 5, 6 & 7 • Madines Site 79 Downpatrick Road • Crossgar County Down • BT30 9EH Northern Ireland: Office +44 (0) 2890 994 202 Southern Ireland: Dermot +353 86 832 4648

www.hendersonfoodmachinery.com

My Life in the Grocery Trade Riki Neill, director of RNN Communications communications agency, and set up RNN Communications.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? Director and founder of RNN Communications – an all-Island PR consultancy that delivers solutions for clients via communications.

We work across many sectors, and have a wealth of experience in representing FMCG brands. Current clients include IFEX, Gala Retail, Valeo Foods Ireland, Fisherman’s Friend, Eat Natural, PrepHouse and Horatio Group.

BRIEFLY OUTLINE YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY TO DATE Following University (BA in Fine Art & Masters in Communications, Advertising and PR), I joined one of NI’s most progressive and results-driven PR agencies, Life Communications, as an account executive. I worked my way up through the ranks, remaining with the company until it was acquired by Freshwater UK, where I was promoted to managing director for Ireland.

In 2012, I decided that the time was right to shape and build a new breed of

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? Besides running the agency, shaping the vision, and setting our goals, I have a client-facing role, which includes regular meetings with clients and securing new business.

From developing integrated communications strategies to the management of campaigns, my role involves meetings, meetings and more meetings, both in NI and RoI. I work from Dublin one/two days per week and, with Brexit looming, my role will increasingly focus on cementing our base in Ireland, as we’re one of very few agencies in NI and RoI who deliver allisland programmes on behalf of clients.

We’ve already benefitted from an uplift in new business enquiries from brands who require services in both markets.

WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? I love my job and I don’t take that for granted. Yes, things don’t always go to plan and that can be frustrating at times, but having an independent agency enables me to be protective of the culture we’ve cultivated. We have incredible, likeminded clients, who respect our counsel; this is fundamental in enabling us to deliver exceptional campaigns and for the team and I to take pride and enjoyment in our work.

Best: exciting briefs, supportive and forward-thinking clients, our culture, being part of amazing experiences, delivering results.

Worst: Indecisiveness, unrealistic expectations and bad coffee.

BRIEFLY OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY Coffee, scan press on/offline, emails, catch up with team in person or via call, travel to meets – Belfast/Dublin, meet with clients/suppliers/business colleagues, potentially attend an event, emails, prepare for next day.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? Quite a few: Gala’s campaign for Special Olympics Ireland being named as Best Sponsorship by a Retailer at the FMCG Awards (Dublin, 2015); floating 250,000 cranberries in the Merrion Hotel’s beautiful outdoor pond for Ocean Spray; helping IFEX to deliver a 15% increase in visitor numbers at the 2016 event; creating a really cool concept for Horatio Todds’ launch of its Bottomless Brunch recently; and being named as Outstanding Small PR Consultancy at the CIPR PRide awards.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? Spend time with my family and friends, dine at so many of NI’s incredible restaurants, travel, enjoy new experiences, and visit galleries.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW I recently created two pieces for an art exhibition in the Solomon Gallery in Dublin, in aid of the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation. The initiative was called ‘Incognito’ so buyers didn’t know who created the artworks until after they had purchased them.

YOUR NEWS, YOUR WAY

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ADVERTORIAL

‘PREPPING’ FOR CHANGE SAUCE WORKS REBRANDS TO PREP HOUSE

O

ver the past six months, Co Down-based Sauce Works has been working on a new brand identity for its award-winning sauces.

The company can now reveal that Sauce Works has re-branded to Prep House, with the complete suite of chilled products now entirely re-branded.

Developed in conjunction with Marks Design, the Prep House brand-positioning reflects the premium quality of the sauces, and the expertise and experience that goes into every sauce created at Prep House HQ.

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The company has invested more than £100,000 in the re-branding, which includes new packaging design, investment in an in-house labelling machine and the rebranding of its sales division - from staff uniforms to vehicle graphics.

While the name and packaging of its sauces may have changed, Prep House will be producing the same great sauces with the same great taste from its BRC AA Grade manufacturing site in Crossgar.

Fresh from the Prep House, best-sellers include Creamy Black Pepper, Roast Beef Gravy and Chinese Curry Sauce, and the eight-strong range also includes two firm favourites, Chick’n Chip Gravy and Smokin’ BBQ Sauce.

Commenting on the development of Prep House, Paul Bell, managing director of Prep House, explains: “Over the years, we’ve established an excellent reputation

for the quality of our chilled range, supplying both the retail and foodservice sector with our product. Late last year, we decided to undertake a brand review as we felt that the time was right to ensure that our image was reflective of the premium quality of our products.

“We’ve invested significantly in the next chapter for our company, and have ambitious growth plans for Prep House, including a focus on innovation and the creation of seasonal specials and signature flavours.”

Prep House is focused on providing its customers with simple and clear labelling.

Over half of the range is gluten-free, and ‘low fat’ and ‘low salt’ is clearly marked on applicable products.

Prep House will be conducting a number of in-store tasting sessions with its stockists; for further information on timings and locations, check out @ PrepHouseHQ on Twitter.

A family-owned business with over 25 years’ experience in foodservice, Prep House is based in Crossgar, Co Down and manufactures all its products on-site.

The company was recently (August 2017) awarded one of the top standards in BRC, receiving a AA Grade.

Prep House can be contacted on 028 (048) 44 831 837.

FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

VOLVIC TARGETS BACK TO SCHOOL OPPORTUNITY WITH KIDS’ RANGE

T

he back-to-school period offers a real opportunity to retailers to grow their sales, as schoolchildren and parents on the school run are looking for convenient ways to top up on refreshments and snacks.

With this in mind, retailers with a school in their vicinity should remember to offer a range of products that meet the need states of their young and grown-up customers.

To encourage families to develop healthy hydration habits and make drinking water more fun, Volvic offers retailers its Kids range comprising branded water bottles and multipacks designed with popular Disney characters featuring Star Wars, Disney Frozen and Disney Pixar’s Cars.

THE VOLVIC KIDS’ RANGE: CARS MULTIPACKS The multipacks, ideal for consumption at home and on-the-go, are available

in 6x33cl packs featuring eye-catching designs from animated blockbusters Disney Frozen and Disney Pixar’s Cars.

Available in supermarkets, each individual Volvic Kids multipack bottle has a fun challenge on-label, such as Hug five of your friends as quickly as you can.

To help retailers make the most of the back-to-school season, Volvic has introduced a range of collectable stickers and posters with the multipacks. There will be a fun sticker sporting a Disney character on each bottle inside the packs.

These can be collected and matched to the posters, which are will be available in Disney magazines and on Volvic’s Facebook page. This new initiative coincides with the cinema release of Cars 3, the latest instalment in the popular Disney Pixar franchise.

THE VOLVIC KIDS’ RANGE: MASCOT SINGLES In addition, the Volvic Kids range includes

the popular mascot bottles. These are available in five characters including Darth Vader and a storm trooper from Star Wars as well as Anna, Elsa and Olaf from Disney Frozen. Targeted at children and parents on-the-go, the small singles format can be purchased from independent retailers nationwide.

The mascot bottles will sport changing seasonal designs and introduce new Star Wars and Disney Frozen characters throughout the year to keep kids engaged and excited.

“This offers a huge opportunity for retailers, especially during back-to-school season,” said Tom Hickton, Volvic brand lead. “Consumer appetite for bottled water is growing, however, at the same time we know that as much as 60% of children in the UK don’t drink enough water, and only 7% of lunchboxes contain water. When we first launched our partnership with Disney in 2015, we saw a sales uplift of +18.9%.”

PREPHOUSE.CO.UK

BRING FLAVOUR HOME Same great recipes.

Same expert hands.

Different name.

Say hello to Prephouse.

Prephouse, Crossgar Co. Down For more information contact: 028 (048) 44 831 837

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BREAD & BAKED GOODS

MINTEL - 10 INNOVATIVE BAKED GOODS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

M

intel research highlights that, given the fragmented and regionalised nature of the global bakery market, there are great opportunities to bring concepts from one region to another.

The industry can benefit from a growing consumer interest in variety of products and in introducing nontraditional formats to excite and engage.

A growing focus on quality and artisanship in bakery can also be good news for the industry, creating space for more premium varieties to develop and grow the value of the market.

Sugar reduction effects and alternative sweetening ingredients will be intensified, wheat alternatives will continue to be explored, the use of ancient grains and ingredients offering added nutritional properties such as pulses will escalate, and traditional production methods will be in vogue.

Here, Brian Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, senior consumer analyst at Mintel, takes a look at the key consumer trends shaping the bakery market and the latest in product innovation.

1. Cru8 Paleo Banana and Cacao Loaf, UK: A paleo-friendly banana bread loaf made with ground almonds and 100% cacao powder, sweetened with banana and low GI coconut nectar. This organic product is low GI, nutrient dense, and contains no grain, gluten, dairy or yeast.

2. Pepperidge Farm Swirl Raisin Cinnamon Bread, USA: Relaunched with a new formulation now containing more cinnamon, it claims to have the aroma and taste of plump, juicy raisins and cinnamon swirled right in. This product contains no high fructose corn syrup, is low in fat and free from cholesterol.

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4. Li Cai Ji Nai Xiang Wei Cai Hong Zheng Dan Gao (Milk Flavoured Steamed Rainbow Cake), China: Steamed cakes are achieving popularity in China. As opposed to traditional cakes baked in the oven, these cakes are heated by steaming over hot water, leaving a soft, delicate texture. Chinese consumers have long held the belief that baked products can increase the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internal heat levels and thus have an adverse effect on the digestive system; hence steaming is of much greater appeal.

3. Western Family Pulse Plus Whole Grain Loaf, Canada: This whole grain loaf made with the benefits of pulses is said to be an excellent source of plant-based protein and a high source of fibre. It contains Eston lentils, black beans, navy beans, red beans and French lentils.

5. Britannia Daily Breads Missi Wholewheat Bread, India: Inspired by traditional missi roti - a flatbread popular in northern and western India made from a mix of wheat and chickpea flour - this packaged bread contains different ingredients, but a similar flavour. It includes wheat flour, gram flour and turmeric, and is flavoured with spices like ajwain (celery seeds), methi (fenugreek), coriander leaves, jeera (cumin seeds) and chilli.

BREAD & BAKED GOODS and beetroot cake is made without preservatives, flavour enhancers and artificial colourings and it is prepared according to a traditional recipe.

6. President’s Choice Chocolate Zucchini Rustic Cake, Canada: A simple dessert with a touch of modern inspiration, this cake is filled with shredded zucchini and chocolate chips and finished with a milk chocolate cream cheese icing, hand spread on the top.

7. Ray’s New York Bagels Bialy, USA: Ray’s New York Bagels Bialy has the flavour of a bagel and the texture of an English muffin and said to be a perfect combination with a slight savoury onion flavour, great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is handmade in Brooklyn using the famous New York water in nut and dairy free facilities.

8. Cukiernia Siej Ciasto Czekoladowe z Czerwonymi Burakami i Maka Kukurydziana (Chocolate Cake with Beetroot and Maize Flour), Poland: Naturally sweet vegetables such as beetroot, parsnips, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and courgettes add flavour and texture to cakes, and help keep them fresh and moist. This chocolate

9. Hostess Deep Fried Chocolate Twinkies, USA: Unusual textures can drive excitement and create sensory appeal. This specific concept was inspired

by Hostess observing that deep-fried Twinkies were often on offer at US state fairs and were cropping up on dessert menus at restaurants, and by the finding that some consumers had been deep frying Twinkies at home for years for the contrast between the crunchy outer layer and inner creamy filling.

10. Jacquet Maxi Jac’ Sans Sucres Ajoutés (Bread with No Added Sugars), France: Described as soft and tasty, this sliced bread contains only the sugars naturally present in the ingredients. It is said to be made with the best wheat flour grown in the heart of France by 700 farmers and processed in two mills.

Mintel is the world’s leading market intelligence agency. For over 40 years, Mintel’s expert analysis of the highest quality data and market research has directly impacted on client success. With offices in London, Chicago, Belfast, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Munich, New York, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto, Mintel has forged a unique reputation as a world-renowned business brand.

For more information on how Mintel can help your business, contact Ciara Rafferty, director Mintel Ireland on +44 (0)28 9024 1849 or crafferty@mintel.com.

“Sugar reduction effects and alternative sweetening ingredients will be intensified, wheat alternatives will continue to be explored, the use of ancient grains and ingredients offering added nutritional properties such as pulses will escalate, and traditional production methods will be in vogue.”

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BREAD & BAKING

IRWIN’S INTRODUCES LOW-CALORIE BREAD RANGE Pictured at the bakery in Portadown is Ruth Sloan, Irwin’s Bakery.

I

rwin’s Bakery has secured listings for its new range of Better You pan breads in 630 stores across Northern Ireland.

The Better You range, which is now available in multiples and convenience

stores across NI, includes both a white and wholemeal loaf, both of which are low in sugar and fat.

With research showing 40% of consumers choose food with health

in mind and 62% of households are concerned about sugar consumption (1), the Portadown-based bakery developed the range to meet this consumer need.

“Consumers still consider bread a staple in the weekly shop so this new range gives our loyal shoppers another option in the bread aisle, but also targets new consumers who consider calories and sugar content when buying bread,” said Ruth Sloan, Irwin’s Bakery.

“Our ethos at Irwin’s Bakery is to promote a healthy lifestyle, with our breads very much a part of this - therefore we keep health as a key focus when investing in new product development and creating new lines. As well as being low in sugar, the white loaf is a source of protein and the wholemeal is high in fibre.

“It is great to secure these listings, which strengthen our existing relationships with retailers across NI – and shows an appetite from shoppers for lower-calorie versions of our popular pan breads.”

Irwin’s Better You White and Better You Wholemeal are now available at Asda, Centra, Iceland, Mace, Sainsbury’s, SPAR, SuperValu and Tesco.

(1) £% of food occasions MAT December 2016

ICONIC BISCUITS TARGETS VISITOR MARKET I conic Biscuits, a recently established food producer, has developed a unique biscuit to represent Northern Ireland.

The Lisburn-based company has created the hexagonal shaped biscuit as a nod to the Giant’s Causeway, the only UNESCO site in Ireland and Northern Ireland’s leading tourist site.

The key ingredients are butter from a local creamery, honey from one of the region’s leading producers and Irish whiskey.

The biscuits have been created by food marketer Michael Thompson, who is commercial director of Gluten-Free Ireland.

“I saw a gap in the market, especially in the tourism and hospitality sectors, for a distinctive and richly flavoured Northern Ireland biscuit,” he said. “All the complimentary biscuits used by hotels in particular here are either from England or Scotland.

“Scottish shortbreads, for example, are featured in rooms in hotels and guest 34

houses. Even the shop in the Giant’s Causeway in Co Antrim sells shortbreads made with English clotted cream featuring an image of the Causeway.

“It seemed to me that we’ve a great baking tradition in Northern Ireland and we could be doing more to showcase this. While we produce some excellent Irish shortbread, I believed there should be a sharper focus on distinctive Northern Ireland-branded biscuits that could be used within the tourism and hospitality industries for promotional purposes. I’ve developed the biscuit with this in mind.

“I want visitors to Northern Ireland to have an opportunity to savour genuine

flavours of Northern Ireland such as grass-fed butter, Antrim honey and whiskey along with tea or coffee in their rooms and other facilities in their hotels, guest houses and B&Bs. “I think the hospitality sector here should be offering more locally-branded food.

“We need to be showcasing our excellent produce at every opportunity and particularly on menus to tourists and other visitors. More distinctive Northern Ireland branded foods are essential to enable us to build on the success of the recent Year of Food & Drink.”

Thompson created the unique recipe for the Northern Ireland biscuit, which is being produced by award-winning bakery Yellow Door.

BREAD & BAKING

GOLDEN COW AND BELFAST COOKERY SCHOOL FIND NORTHERN IRELAND’S GREATEST SCONE

Pictured with their signature scones at the final of the Golden Cow Softer Scone Competition are finalists Pauline Dixon from Newcastle, Siobhan Donnelly from Dunadry and Lynne Crowther from Drumbo along with competition judge, Ian Hunter, mentor and chef at Belfast Cookery School.

L

ynne Crowther from Drumbo in Co Down has been crowned the winner of the Golden Cow Softer Scone Competition, following a search to find Northern Ireland’s greatest scone recipe.

Golden Cow recently launched new Golden Cow Softer, a rich and creamy butter that has been softened with a hint of rapeseed oil so it spreads straight from the fridge. To celebrate the launch

of Softer, Golden Cow collaborated with the experts at Belfast Cookery School to embark on a search to find Northern Ireland’s best scone.

Entries were whittled down to just three finalists who were invited to Belfast Cookery School where they created their signature scones under the watchful eye of the judges and battled it out to win the coveted title of Northern Ireland’s greatest scone recipe.

The judges chose three finalists who all brought something different to the table.

Pauline Dixon from Newcastle created Raspberry and Lemon Drizzle Scones with her own unique twist, Siobhan Donnelly from Dunadry baked her original recipe for an amazing Classic Scone and overall winner Lynne Crowther created savoury Posh Cheese Scones.

An unusual take on traditional sweet scones with jam and cream, the Posh Cheese Scones feature a mixture of cheese, mustard and herbs as the ideal

base for lashings of Golden Cow Softer on top. They can be served warm straight from the oven and are perfect for those with a savoury tooth.

“The competition was a great way to celebrate the launch of our brand-new product, Golden Cow Softer, and helped to show the central role that butter plays in creating dishes that continue to bring families together,” said Bronagh Clarke, marketing manager, Golden Cow. “All three finalists demonstrated the passion that there is for cooking and baking in homes across Northern Ireland.”

As well as winning the coveted title of Northern Ireland’s greatest scone, Lynne received a £500 voucher for Belfast Cookery School and an overnight stay for two at the luxury five-star Fitzwilliam Hotel .

The two runners up received vouchers for Belfast Cookery School and all three finalists took home a hamper of Golden Cow Softer.

BETTY CROCKER LAUNCHES NEW DELIGHTS MIXES

launches NEW Delights Mixes

B

etty Crocker Delights Mixes make it easy to bake delicious brownies and cookies for your next family gathering, friends’ visits or a surprise date with your loved one.

Decadent Belgian dark chocolate and rich salted caramel sauce make them the perfect treat to enjoy, and a welcome addition to the Betty Crocker Range, according to local supplier Valeo Foods.

The new line includes: GOOEY SALTED CARAMEL BROWNIE MIX These incredibly gooey home-baked brownies feature a delicious rich salted caramel sauce.

ULTIMATE DARK CHOCOLATE COOKIE MIX These home-baked cookies are full of decadent Belgian dark chocolate chunks made with 70% cocoa.

For further information, please contact Valeo Foods Northern Ireland on 028 9267 3316.

Gooey Salted Caramel Brownie Mix

Ultimate Dark Chocolate Cookie Mix For further information, please contact Valeo Foods Northern Ireland on 028 9267 3316.

35

HOT BEVERAGES

Centra Cathedral Quarter

Centra Ballinderry

36

HOT BEVERAGES

It’s time to be more

Frank and Honest!

Musgrave brings incredible new coffee brand Frank and Honest to SuperValu and Centra

P

eople will soon be able to taste the great flavour of Frank and Honest coffee at 39 SuperValu and Centra stores across Northern Ireland. With plans for more stores to have the delicious coffee brand, whose fabulous taste and aroma is making it a favourite amongst coffee drinkers who really know their beans, the future is exciting for Frank and Honest.

FRANK AND HONEST – A COFFEE LOVER’S COFFEE Frank and Honest Gourmet Coffee Company was set up by a bunch of romantics who were tired of waiting around for ‘the one’; that one perfect coffee. Sometimes you just have to take things into your own hands, control your own destiny. So, the Frank and Honest team did just that, sourcing 100% Arabica beans from Brazil and Colombia, falling in love with the subtle hints of gingerbread, sherbet and the sweet aromas of brown sugar and white chocolate. It really was love at first taste; the medium roast giving those sweet and subtle flavours.

WHAT A MACHINE! Frank and Honest is the closest thing to barista style coffee to ever come out of

a machine. Best of all Frank and Honest found the perfect smart machine to bring their blend to coffee enthusiasts. They have combined all the barista steps to deliver the perfect coffee by monitoring the temperature, coffee grind and extraction time and simply put them inside this intelligent device.

I’M FRANK AND HONEST Later this year, the first sit-in Frank and Honest café in Northern Ireland will open in the SuperValu Comber store as part of a £550,000 investment. The café will have free Wi-Fi, comfortable seating and, as well as a sit-in area, people will also be able to get take-out coffee.

WE LOVE BEING FRANK AND HONEST “We are delighted with the reaction from coffee lovers all around the country to our Frank and Honest coffee. The biggest question we get from our customers is where is the nearest Frank and Honest location to them,” says Frank and Honest Marketing Manager Rosemary Walsh.

Ciara McClafferty, trading director, Musgrave, said: “We could see that the coffee market in Northern Ireland was changing fast. Consumers’ expectations of coffee out of home were shifting from a speedy caffeine fix to a high quality, gastronomic experience. Our overall objective for Frank and Honest is to deliver the best quality coffee on the go – with a consistent coffee experience 100% of the time. The feedback from customers so far has been incredibly positive and very soon everyone in Northern Ireland will have the chance to enjoy a Frank and Honest cup of coffee.”

BE PART OF A COFFEE REVOLUTION Find a takeaway or café location to grab a coffee with your best mate and be more Frank and Honest! www.frankandhonest.ie Follow the Frank and Honest story on www.facebook.com/frankandhonest and www.instagram.com/ frankandhonestcoffee/ #FrankandHonest #BeMoreFrankandHonest

SuperValu Newcastle

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HOT BEVERAGES

AS THE THOMPSON’S REIGN CONTINUES, THE KENYAN RAIN DISAPPEARS! being of superior quality already naturally command a price premium when buying from the garden; however, that premium he tea bush, also known as Camellia has risen even further due to ongoing sinensis, is an amazing bush! It is drought that has particularly affected capable of such incredible growth this region. The result is a significant that skilled tea pluckers are able to pick a crop shortfall, meaning that to new flush of flavoursome leaves every 10 buy tea from these gardens days. However, in order to produce this has become an even more exceptional rate of growth, it needs sun, expensive decision. warmth and a bountiful supply of rain. In It is times such as these Northern Ireland, we can’t help but feel that put quality credentials we have had a little too much of it lately, to the true test. Many tea but in Kenya where tea leaves have a vital companies, with an eye on role to play in Thompson’s Tea blends, the profit, have understandably gardens are crying out for more. decided to purchase their The Great Rift Valley in Kenya is part leaves elsewhere. However, it takes of an intra-continental ridge system that a certain amount of courage to blend splits the country from north to south. what is best, over what is most profitable.

Whilst there are tea gardens on either Thompson’s Teas have bravely taken side of the Rift Valley, it is those in the the decision to stick to quality and have east, and not west, that produce the continued to blend superior tea leaves best quality – it is from here that the throughout an unprecedented period, Thompson family source the leaves for which has seen the 1price of their East-ofJOHNSONS-RETAILPACK-135X180_print 14/07/2017 09:54 Page their award-winning blends. These teas, Rift Kenyan leaves jump 75% compared

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to the same period last year – and in a business where raw tea costs are by far the biggest overhead.

This commitment, however, has been recognised by the Guild of Fine Food at the Great Taste awards 2017. Punjana, Northern Ireland’s favourite tea, has stretched its award-winning run to 10 years, a feat achieved by no other blended tea in this allimportant category.

Thompson’s Family Teas, which are today still blended by cousins Ross and David Thompson at their state-of-the-art tea blending facility in Belfast, have picked up over 100 Great Taste awards in the last 12 years. Ross Thompson, said: ‘To win a Great Taste Award is very exciting, but for Punjana to be recognised by the Guild of Fine Foods every year for the past decade is something really special, and is an acknowledgement of our dedication to importing and blending the world’s finest teas.”

AFTER DINNER STRENGTH

Full bodied coffee, rich in flavour

MORNING ROAST

ALL DAY ROAST

STRENGTH

STRENGTH

Medium bodied with bright coffee notes

Full bodied coffee with a silky, smooth finish

Image courtesy of National Museums Northern Ireland.

www.robert-roberts.co.uk

AFTER MORNING DINNER ROAST ST R ENGT H

STRENGTH

Full bodied coffee, rich in flavour Medium bodied with bright coffee notes

Image courtesy of National Museums Northern Ireland.

SHIPYARD ALL DAY STRENGTH ROAST STRENGTH

6

STRENGTH

Dark roast coffee with a deep earthy flavour Full bodied coffee with a silky, smooth finish

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

ABERDEEN ANGUS CATTLE IN HIGH DEMAND

Terry Acheson, chief executive, right, and Wayne Acheson, procurement director Foyle Food Group congratulate Anne Morrison on being awarded the Belfast Telegraph Cup for outstanding agricultural achievement.

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berdeen Angus Quality Beef (AAQB) currently needs more members, as demand for Aberdeen Angus-sired cattle is strong with a 40p a kilo premium paid on ‘in spec’ cattle.

Anne Morrison, secretary and nonexecutive director of the producer co-op founded in 1998 by Northern Ireland farmers to improve returns, was recently awarded the Belfast Telegraph Cup for

agricultural achievement by the Ulster Farmers’ Union.

“Our aim 20 years ago, was to coordinate a weekly supply of suitable stock to a NI processor so that the real retail worth of Aberdeen Angus bred cattle would be reflected in producer returns,” said Morrison.

The NI processor, Foyle Meats - now known as the Foyle Food Group (FFG) – agreed to pay a small group of Aberdeen Angus beef producers a unique bonus scheme of 32p per kg.

In 2000, FFG successfully launched AA beef in Tesco stores across Northern Ireland while, in 2012, AAQB members gained access to Tesco’s UK-wide Aberdeen Angus Scheme. For the first time, England and Wales prices became available in Northern Ireland along with a 40p per kg premium for ‘in spec’ cattle.

The contract was renewed last August, and the farmer founded producer cooperative continues to expand, with members paid a bonus on cattle for 19 unbroken years.

For further information about joining Aberdeen Angus Quality Beef, contact Business Development Manager Eamon Kelly on 07813 176939.

URGENT NEED TO IMPLEMENT AGRI-FOOD STRATEGY BOARD INITIATIVES, SAYS UFU U lster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has warned the Agri Food Strategy Board not to allow the lack of a minister and Executive at Stormont to be a roadblock to pursuing its vision for the future of Northern Ireland’s biggest industry.

“We are already slipping behind our competitors in terms of having a plan in place and implemented – and that cannot be allowed to continue,” said Barclay Bell, president of UFU. “The report which was developed through collaboration and partnership between industry representatives and Government departments has been on the table for over four years now, and its recommendations have been debated 40

endlessly.

“We need action to remain competitive, not least because of the changes Brexit will bring. The responsibility for implementing this strategy was shared between Government and industry and we cannot wait for a minister to rubber-stamp simple decisions to drive the industry forward.”

UFU is keen initiatives aimed at making agriculture more productive, as a source of supply for the food industry, should be pursued now including an industry-led marketing organisation for local food, better livestock genomics, and aids to improve processing and marketing.

RURAL CRIME NEEDS ADDRESSED UFU says the latest rural crime statistics underline a need for tougher action when criminals are brought before the courts. UFU President Barclay Bell says it is too easy to view rural incidents as a victimless crime generally covered by insurance, warning that crime leaves people feeling vulnerable in their homes.

“We would like to see more cooperation between the police and the authorities on both sides of the border, so that they can target criminals more effectively,” he said. “We also believe the Department of Justice needs to amend sentencing guidelines for the courts.”

FURTHER MILK PRICE RISES JUSTIFIED In late June, UFU welcomed a boost in milk prices, but warned that with market signals positive -further increases would be justified in coming months. Now UFU says it is time for delivery, and is pressing for prices to reflect what is happening in national and global dairy markets.

“Market signals, including the UFU’s own milk price index are all indicating that there are further increases in the system,” said William Irvine, dairy chairman of UFU. “Even allowing for deductions, there is still a significant gap between what is being paid to farmers and what the market is returning.”

DFE DECISION ON RHI REGULATIONS BRANDED ALARMING UFU has welcomed confirmation non-domestic RHI installation audits will commence this month, but is extremely concerned the Department for Economy intends on seeking an extension to the current 2017 RHI Regulations.

“Back in June we made clear the need to prioritise the audits so that those using the scheme legitimately could be cleared of any wrongdoing,” said Wesley Aston, chief executive of UFU. “We want to see the audits carried out in a quick and timely manner.”

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

FARMS SUPPORT LOVE LAMB WEEK L

amb is versatile, delicious and easy to cook, UFU and the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) will be highlighting to consumers over Love Lamb Week (September 1-7).

“Northern Ireland produces some of the best quality lamb and it is recognised as such, particularly in export markets,” said John Kennedy, hill farming chairman at UFU. “However, here at home, lamb is often overlooked and we want to see that change.”

Crosby Cleland, beef and lamb chairman at UFU, said: “Consumers are increasingly interested in provenance and buying local. Since sheep are a fundamental part of Northern Ireland’s countryside and agri-food industry, eating lamb is an excellent and tasty way to support local farmers.”

To tempt the appetites of local consumers, UFU has teamed up with LMC to hand out tasty, freshly made, free samples of lamb dishes to consumers as they do their weekly grocery shop.

Cherrie Kenny, education services manager at LMC, said: “LMC is delighted to be supporting Love Lamb Week by carrying out cooking and sampling sessions. These events will highlight how quickly and simply Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured lamb can be prepared and cooked.

“They will also emphasise the

Pictured are, from left, John Kennedy, hill farming chairman at UFU; Liz Brown, food demonstrator; LMC, Cherrie Kenny, education services manager at LMC; and UFU beef and lamb chairman Crosby Cleland, beef and lamb chairman at UFU.

nutritional benefits of including lamb as part of a healthy balanced diet. The Love Lamb Week campaign will give consumers the opportunity to sample and enjoy dishes they may not have considered before.”

UFU CRITICISES LAMB PRICE NI EXPORTERS FREE TO TRADE CUTS AT LOWEST LEVEL OF BSE RISK

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FU Deputy President Victor Chestnutt says an endorsement by the European Union, recognising Northern Ireland’s BSE negligible risk status is very welcome news for the local beef industry.

“For over 20 years, Northern Ireland has had to deal with the legacy of BSE and we are delighted that the whole industry and DAERA has been able to work towards achieving the lowest risk level status available for BSE,” said Chestnutt. “The pre-BSE era is generally remembered fondly by beef farmers as a time when market conditions were much more favourable and there was a greater degree of stability so hopefully Northern Ireland’s new status can help

return the sector to those better times by way of securing new market access and adding value to the high-quality beef we know farmers can deliver.”

The lower BSE risk status will also mean significantly less Specified Risk Material from the carcase going for disposal. “This has been a considerable cost which farmers have reluctantly had to carry for many years,” said Chestnutt. “At the outset of the process for applying for negligible risk status, this was an area the Northern Ireland Meat Exporters Association (NIMEA) identified which could reduce costs to farmers by way of lower kill charges and it is something we fully expect NIMEA members to stand over.”

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FU Beef and Lamb Chairman Crosby Cleland says harsh and unfair tactics by processors to pull back lamb prices have gone too far. He says there is now a pressing need to inject stability back into the market.

“Processors often claim they need more in-spec lambs to meet customer requirements, but they’re not sending out the right signals to achieve this,” he said. “Price stability in June and early July gave producers the confidence to pick lambs at the right time. This has now been eroded by price cuts.”

Cleland said the result is greater uncertainty, which will undermine efforts to ensure consistent quality.

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EXPORT NEWS

HEALTHY BOOST FOR JUICE PRODUCER Healthy juice producer Skinny Malinkys has won a major award with potential to boost business in the Republic of Ireland, a target market for the small business.

Based in Belfast, Skinny Malinkys won the unique VidPitch, an online competition inviting the general public to vote for a business on the basis of a video pitch.

The company receives around £5,000, and access to office space in the heart of Dublin for 12 months.

BUTLER’S PANTRY LISTING FOR GLENARM SALMON Butler’s Pantry in Dublin, a specialist in homemade meals, snacks and desserts, is now stocking Glenarm Organic Smoked Salmon.

The pantry has 11 shops in Dublin and Wicklow and is among the Republic of Ireland’s most successful and respected food businesses.

Glenarm Organic Salmon supplies fresh and smoked salmon to customers across the globe including major retailers such as Fortnum and Mason in London.

BROUGHGAMMON RECOGNISED AT DUBLIN AWARDS Broughgammon Farm was among five Irish winners of the 2017 EuroToques Food Awards at a recent event in Dublin.

The Ballycastle-based, family-run farm specialises in cabrito, rose veal and seasonal wild game meats.“We are delighted to have won such significant recognition from chefs and the food industry in Ireland,” said Charlie Cole, MD. “The Republic of Ireland is a key market for us and one we are keen to develop. This important award will increase our visibility especially among leading chefs.”

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LACPATRICK IS CREAM OF THE CROP IN UAE

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assist companies nternational dairy Steve Harper, Invest NI is pictured, right, with Enda Gallen, LacPatrick. to grasp the co-operative opportunities LacPatrick has that are clearly secured over £1m available in of sales of its LP international spray dried whole markets to milk and skimmed achieve faster, milk powder more profitable in the United and sustainable Arab Emirates growth.”

(UAE), following LacPatrick is participation one of Northern at Gulfood in Ireland’s biggest February 2017. employers, with “LacPatrick over 300 staff has used Invest operating across NI support to its Ballyrashane, make impressive Artigarvan and strides in securing Monaghan sites. this new export Enda Gallen, business in the international UAE,” said Steve sales manager for Harper, executive director of International Business at Invest LacPatrick, said: “Securing new customers is a very important development for our Northern Ireland. “As well as exhibiting business and has opened new avenues on the NI stand at this major food event, with which to sell our product ranges, the company has worked with our inparticularly the high-quality milk powders market team for a number of years to which are produced at our new statehelp identify new trade opportunities. of-the-art dairy technology centre in “Our participation in events such as Artigarvan.”

Gulfood reflects our strategic focus to

ROONEY SELLS AWARD-WINNING OYSTERS TO HONG KONG

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ward-winning oyster farmer Rooney Fish has won business with a leading seafood distributor in Hong Kong.

Based at Kilkeel, Rooney Fish has begun supplying its Mill Bay Pacific Oysters to the distributor for high-end hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong, building on the company’s success as a leading supplier of crabs to other centres in China.

Rooney’s Mill Bay Oysters gained three gold stars in the recent Great Taste awards for a second year in succession. The success of the oysters has also led to the creation of 20 new jobs in processing.

“Oyster farming is a new diversification which we launched in our own site on north Carlingford Lough, one of the cleanest stretches of water in the British Isles just three years ago,” said Andrew Rooney, director.

“We won our first Great Taste three stars in just our second year of farming. This was a tremendous encouragement which helped our export focus initially in France and now in Hong Kong. Interest in oysters contributed to our growth in exports in our financial year 2017 to over £1m. We’ve already exceeded this figure in the current year.”

MARKETING NEWS

QUORN’S NEW £2.5M TV CAMPAIGN TARGETS FAMILY MEAL OCCASIONS DID YOU KNOW? family meal,” said Julian Cooke, Quorn’s head of UK Category Management.

“Quorn Crispy Nuggets are already worth £3.5m and our total nugget sales are growing at 39%. By increasing the number of families eating Quorn by

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uorn, the delicious, nutritious protein source, and the UK’s best-selling and fastest-growing meat free brand*3, is targeting the family meal occasion with a category-boosting, £2.5m media spend.

The investment is spearheaded by a new TV commercial, complemented by digital support, featuring Quorn Crispy Frozen Nuggets, a family favourite and the fifth best-selling SKU in the UK’s £290m meat free category*2.

“The new commercial showcases how easy it is to use Quorn Crispy Nuggets as the centrepiece of a tasty, nutritious

providing great-tasting products that kids love, and parents can feel good about providing to their family, we estimate we can grow the meat-free category by £6m.”

Meat free shoppers spend up to 5 x as much in-store as non-meat free shoppers*1 Meat free is bought by almost nine and a half million shoppers*2 80% of category shoppers are meat-reducers*2 Quorn is worth £163m*2

Quorn is on TV for 49 weeks of the year, with nine 20-second adverts which are proving to be instrumental in encouraging consumers to make more nutritious food choices with Quorn.

“Since our £10m brand relaunch in February, great tasting, every day, affordable food has been at the heart of everything we do,” said Cooke.

Quorn Crispy Frozen Nuggets is one of range of Quorn SKUs targeted at the family meal occasion alongside frozen sausages, vegan fishless fingers and burgers. *1 Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 20 May 2017 *2 IRI & Kantar Worldpanel 52 weeks 20 May 2017 *3 IRI 52 w/e 20/5/17

KETTLE EMBARKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

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ETTLE Chips, on a mission to improve the nation’s lunch breaks, has been running a PR, social media and sampling campaign this summer to encourage people to upgrade their lunch-time.

With the rise in sales of KETTLE handy packs (up by over 16% year on year1), research has been conducted into how we spend our lunch breaks which led to a filmed experiment giving office workers an incredible lunchtime experience.

The study reveals the rise of Al-Desco

eating, with over two-thirds of employees eating lunch at their desk every day, taking an average break of less than 30 minutes and eating the same lunch three times a week.2 KETTLE Chips is therefore encouraging people to make more of their midday break and, as an experiment, rigged Tavistock Gardens with hidden cameras and used an undercover actor to invite office workers to an amazing lunch-time experience.

“We want to remind everyone that lunch is not just important as a way to refuel, but that it also gives people the chance to take a break and experience something different,” said Kizzy Lilburne, senior brand manager at KETTLE. While KETTLE is best known for creating the premium sharing snacking occasion, the chips are also available in 40g handy packs for everyday indulgence at lunchtime, or for a snacking treat on-the-go.

A trade advertising campaign also ran throughout August to highlight the single serve range, which is now available in updated packaging and is delivering strong growth in a flat category, increasing by 16.2% year on year, versus 1.8% for the single serve category.1 Source 1 Nielsen data to w/e 17th June 2017 2 Survey conducted amongst 2,000 UK adults in full time employment 18th July 2017.

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ALCOHOL NEWS

P45 WITH A TWIST Newtownards-based craft brewery Bullhouse has launched a new P45 Pale Ale, with the name a nod to brewmaster William Mayne leaving his career with a Japanese technology company to concentrate on brewing.

“The new IPA (4.8ABV) is a British Pale Malt and Belgian Crystal Malt,” said Mayne.

“These provide a strong malt backbone. There’s also a good quantity of US hops for the boil balance. The malt backbone has a refreshing bitterness. Ingredients also include Amarillo hops.”

BAKERY CREATES WHISKEY WHEATEN BREAD A small Northern Irish bakery is aiming to catch the wave of growing demand for Irish Whiskey, now the world’s fastest-growing brown spirit.

Amazin’ Grazin’ in Portstewart has introduced a unique Irish Whiskey Wheaten Bread, launched at the recent Salmon and Whiskey Festival in the village of Bushmills. The bakery has also developed wheaten bread with Guinness and Rathlin Red Ale.

SPIRITED NEW JELLY LAUNCHED

Award-winning jelly and jam maker Made with Love xo has developed a new product featuring the highly-acclaimed Shortcross Gin. Based at Donaghadee, Made with Love xo has blended bramble and elderflower with the gin, produced by Rademon Estate Distillery at Crossgar, to create a distinctively flavoured jelly for a range of cookery applications.

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FOUR INTERNATIONAL AWARDS FOR THE QUIET MAN IRISH WHISKEY

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he Quiet Man Irish Whiskey has won four major awards for its malt and blended whiskies in the prestigious International Spirits Challenge in London.

The Quiet Man is among a new generation of Irish whiskey products being developed by smaller distilleries, and is the only distiller from Northern Ireland to feature in the challenge.

The company is completing a new stateof-the-art distillery at Ebrington in Derry, one of the historic centres of Irish whiskey on the island of Ireland.

It gained silver awards in the Irish Whiskey category for The Quiet Man An Fear Ciuin 12 year-old Single Malt; 8 year-old Oloroso Single Cask Single Malt, 8 year-old Single Malt and Superior Irish Whiskey Blend.

“The awards are a tremendous boost for the business as we step up our international marketing activities, launched earlier in the year, which have so far resulted in The Quiet Man winning business in almost 30 markets,” said Michael Morris, commercial director of The Quiet Man. Ciaran Mulgrew, the founder and managing director of The Quiet Man Irish whiskey, named the whiskey in honour of his father, John, a bar tender for over 50 years who was well known in Belfast for his discretion.

The Quiet Man also picked up four silvers at the International Wine & Spirit Competition and two gold medals at the Spirits Business Irish Whiskey Masters Awards this year.

JAWBOX GIN WINS FIRST BUSINESS IN CANADA J

awbox Gin has gained a foothold in the Canadian marketplace, after targeting growth in international markets by engaging in discussions with potential distributors.

Gerry White, Jawbox’s founder and managing director, recently visited Canada and has now signed a deal with a distributor in the country supplying one of North America’s largest co-operatives with more than 440,000 members, as well as other outlets there.

“This is great news for us in a market we’ve been seeking to develop for some time,” said White. “The agreement to supply the outlets in Alberta was signed in Belfast with Cellar Door Imports.

“What the latest deal does is to give us an initial presence in Alberta which we work to extend over the next few months. I am currently following up other encouraging contacts made there in recent months.”

Jawbox is now widely available in the UK and Ireland, having secured business with major retailers including Marks and Spencer

Gerry White, founder and MD of Jawbox

UK-wide, as well as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda in Northern Ireland.

Launched in 2016 by White, an experienced publican, Jawbox has gained a string of awards including Best Startup in the Belfast Business Awards earlier this year.

IT NEWS

CORECHEX MOBILE DATA CAPTURE APP LAUNCHES IN IRELAND Pictured are, from left, Emma Begley, MD of CoreChex and Anne Coyle, general manager of Recon Waste Management.

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‘revolutionary’ new data capture app designed to improve and streamline business processes has just launched in Ireland, and already attracted clients in both the north and south.

CoreChex allows for real-time recording and instant sharing of information, anywhere and anytime via a smartphone or tablet.

The CoreChex app replaces traditional pen and paper-based forms which can have limitations such as accuracy, delay in the transfer of information and the need to rekey data for analysis and reporting.

The app offers the ability to attach

seamlessly assigns actions based on the information provided to aid workflow management, efficiencies and indeed safety in the workplace.

Recon Waste Management in Co Armagh is one of the first clients to use the innovative app to inspect company assets and manage site safety in its Portadown Recycling Plant.

CoreChex can be used by individuals or multiple users to securely input data and it is applicable for a wide-ranging set of industries from construction, manufacturing, transport, food and retail to the public sector. It can be used, for example, for inspections on fire doors or forklifts, audits on site safety, risk assessments, timesheets, inductions or photographs, observation notes and reports. signatures to The app is forms which are available via automatically smartphone or date and time tablet from both stamped. The app the Google Play and also captures the GPS Apple iTunes stores, location of the mobile and customers can access user along with the time hundreds of pre-existing forms taken to complete the and audits as well as Pictured using the CoreChex app to conduct a pre-use vehicle check is David Cassidy, a HGV inspection. enjoying the ability lorry driver from Recon Waste Management.

It enables forms to to create bespoke be smarter by automatically determining templates to replicate their existing the outcome such as pass or fail, and forms.

RULE OF CRUMB USES EDI SOLUTION TO EXPAND ITS TRADING NETWORK

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rueCommerce, a global provider of trading partner connectivity and integration solutions, has supplied Rule of Crumb with an EDI (electronic data interchange) system enabling the Northern Ireland gluten free manufacturer to scale up its trading network.

As a fast-growing business, the first priority for Rule of Crumb was to comply with its customers’ EDI requirements to enable new trading relationships to commence unhindered. Frequently adding new retail customers to its network, it’s important for Rule of Crumb to have the ability to do so quickly and easily, whilst having the reassurance its existing network is running smoothly.

After receiving recommendations from its largest customers, Rule of

Crumb chose the TrueCommerce web EDI solution, using the portal to receive and acknowledge orders and create and send invoices.

“The TrueCommerce solution enables us to start trading with our new customers very quickly,” said Colum McLornan, director at Rule of Crumb. “Since implementing the TrueCommerce solution, we have successfully started trading with a number of large retailers and the TrueCommerce managed service has made this process painless.

“The TrueCommerce solution has not only allowed us to meet the requirements of our new customers, it has also reduced the amount of manual errors and subsequent administration required to process orders.”

PASSION PRESERVED GAINS DIGITAL DELI LISTING

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assion Preserved, a Lisburn-based producer of award-winning savoury jams, relishes and chutney, is the first Northern Ireland business to gain a listing on DeliShops, a new digital deli launched by Delicious magazine.

The popular food magazine is listing a range of artisan products for readers to buy through its digital initiative, a unique e-commerce platform for independent producers, wholesalers, retailers, food groups, festivals and magazines to collaborate and sell more to consumers.

Offering multiple e-commerce outlets for products from a single portal with minimum tech input, DeliShops is run by Charlie Turnbull, a respected retailer, cheese expert, business trainer, food awards judge and champion of small producers.

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BUSINESS NEWS

MOY PARK RETAINS TOP SPOT FOR SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

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companies, according to Ulster he 100 biggest companies in Business Editor David Northern Ireland have Elliott. shrugged off political When it comes turmoil and economic to individual uncertainty to post performance, record turnover in the agri-food the last year. sector has Those are once again the findings dominated the of the Ulster leader board Business Top 100 with meat Northern Ireland processor Moy Companies 2017 Park taking the listing, sponsored top spot for the

by A&L Goodbody, sixth consecutive which has revealed year. a jump in revenue of It recorded turnover of £322m for the collective £1.437bn last year, up to an all-time high of Ulster Business Moy Park) Andrew Richards, commercial director UK & Ireland from £1.379bn the £23.3bn. at Moy Park, is pictured with Ulster previous year.

The list, now in its 28th Business Editor David Elliott.

Grain importer and year, ranks companies feed manufacturer W&R Barnett took by turnover to give an indication of how second place with sales of £946m, up much they put into the Northern Ireland an impressive £131m on the previous economy. Profit also climbed by 16% to year while red meat processor Dunbia £932.7m. took third place with £788m, down The stellar performance shows the £39m. resilience and energy of Northern Ireland

AGRO MERCHANTS GROUP COMPLETES SAWYERS REBRANDING

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GRO Merchants Group, a global leader in cold storage and logistics solutions, has completed the first phase of rebranding its portfolio companies to one common brand name to reflect its position in the marketplace and true geographical reach.

The first phase included all sites of the Sawyers Group and Castlecool Cold Stores on the island of Ireland, located in Lurgan, Portadown, Ballygawley, Dublin, Lough Egish and Castleblayney. Other 46

companies rebranded in the first phase were Harthoorn Logistics and Coldstore Urk, both in the Netherlands, and Nordic Cold Storage, with 10 facilities across the United States.

AGRO currently consists of 22 portfolio companies and 61 facilities in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. The rebranding process will roll out in several phases, with the first two phases to be finalised in 2017.

Sawyers Transport, now AGRO Merchants Lurgan, joined the Group in 2015, and operates a fleet of 250 trucks and more than 600 refrigerated and curtain-side trailers.

Transition to the new name will not affect the company’s operations and customers, but it will underscore the Group’s status as a reliable partner ready to support their clients’ growth strategies.

SMES ENCOURAGED TO ENTER AWARDS The role of SMEs in the growth of the Northern Irish economy over the last two decades is a fundamental reason why business should be shouting from the rooftops, according to SME National Business Awards 2017 organisers.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are businesses with personnel numbers of 250 employees or less. For further information on the Awards, go to www.smenationalbusinessawards. co.uk.

NI CHAMBER WELCOMES INTERCONNECTOR DECISION NI Chamber has welcomed a decision

by Dublin’s High Court to uphold planning approval in relation to the North South Interconnector in the Republic of Ireland.

“The North South Interconnector is vital to ensure the effective operation of an efficient all-island electricity market, to exert downward pressure on electricity prices for business and domestic consumers throughout Northern Ireland, to ensure a secure supply of electricity for our industry and business and also to utilise renewable energy resources,” said Ann McGregor, chief executive of NI Chamber.

FOLLOW GB LEAD, SAYS UFU The Government recently announced plans for how electricity will be produced, stored and used in Great Britain – and the Ulster Farmers’ Union is pressing for the Utility Regulator, NIE Networks and SONI to follow this lead in Northern Ireland.

“These changes will allow people to sell the renewable electricity they generate to the National Grid,” said Ivor Ferguson, deputy president of UFU. “This makes the network more efficient, because it allows homes and businesses to manage their electricity generation and use more effectively.”

APPOINTMENTS

People on the move...

NEW HEAD OF SME DEVELOPMENT TO HELP FIRMS SCALE-UP N

orthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) is further boosting its innovative Learn Grow Excel programme with the appointment of Tanya Anderson as head of SME Development.

Anderson will be responsible for advising and assisting members to successfully achieve their growth strategy, which is a central plank of Learn Grow Excel.

The initiative was launched last year and is designed to support growing companies at every stage of development and encourage more export activity in Northern Ireland. She will provide one-to-one support to companies in the early stages of growth or interested in scaling up and expanding into export markets.

A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, Anderson previously spent 10 years within corporate banking at Danske Bank, four years within corporate finance at Grant Thornton and her early career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Belfast. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My experience in banking and business advisory firms has given me a real understanding of the issues which SMEs face on a daily basis and I am delighted that, through my role, I will be able to offer them the help and advice they need as they seek to take their business to the next level,â&#x20AC;? she said.

PRL APPOINTS FIELD DEVELOPMENT TEAM P RL, in association with GlaxoSmithKline, has recently invested in a Field Development Team to assist retailers with a number of key categories throughout their stores.

Ciara Grogan and Neil Gill will be visiting retailers throughout Northern Ireland to give category advice on Pain Relief, Oral Care and Cold & Flu to ensure the optimum range is being stocked, as well as offering fantastic offers and promotions.

The team will be calling into the majority of retailers over the next eight weeks but, should you require urgent assistance or advice, please contact Martin Rice, PRL on 02890 770999.

Unit 2, 1 Edgewater Road, Belfast Harbour, Belfast BT3 9JQ Tel: +44 28 9077 0999 Fax: +44 28 9078 1172

47

SHELFLIFE

To see your product featured in Shelf Life, contact Mark at m.beckett@independentmagazinesni.co.uk or Tel: 028 9026 4267

LINWOODS LAUNCHES NEW HEMP PROTEIN+ RANGE Sarah Shimmons, head of Marketing at Linwoods is pictured with Jenny Curran, nutritionist and co-Founder of Tony & Jen’s.

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inwoods has launched a new range of natural plant protein blends, Hemp Protein+, providing a natural source of protein to help fuel the body with essential energy-boosting nutrients and heart-healthy compounds.

The range consists of three nutritious

hemp protein blends, each with a Flaxseed base and other added-value ingredients, including the Chia Seed, Cocoa and Beetroot Powder blend, the Bio Cultures, Vitamin D and Co-enzyme Q10 blend and the Chia Seed, Broccoli and Spinach Powder blend.

Each variant is a fresh tasting and easy-to-use addition to shakes, smoothies and for sprinkling into yoghurts – making it a convenient way to add healthy superfoods to your diet, every day.

To celebrate the launch of the new product, Linwoods collaborated with nutritionists Tony O’Neill and Jenny Curran from healthy eatery Tony & Jen’s on the Lisburn Road, Belfast to create a range of protein popsicles, made using Hemp Protein+ and other tasty health foods.

“Hemp protein is becoming increasingly popular as consumers who like to eat well choose it over whey, soya or other less healthy protein powder alternatives,” said Sarah Shimmons, head of Marketing at Linwoods. “Hemp Protein+ is also suitable for gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan diets, so is the perfect natural alternative for everyone.”

Launching in outlets across the UK and Ireland, the 360g packs are available to order online from the Linwoods website and a number of independent health food stores including Eatwell & Framer Health on the Lisburn Road.

CHOCOLATIER CREATES TASTY INTRODUCTIONS FOR BUSINESS rtisan chocolatier Chocolate Manor has come up with a A tasty business card. The company,

a great way to start a business discussion. As well as an image, the disc includes all the essential business information into phone formed and owned by chocolatier numbers, e-mail and website, Geri Martin and based in Coleraine, the sort of data common on was approached by a local business conventional business cards.” for help to make introductions Chocolate Manor has a track to potential clients deliciously record of creating bespoke different. chocolates for businesses such as Facing such an interesting Hastings Hotels, Belfast Intl Airport and novel challenge, Martin, a and public bodies such as Tourism specialist in bespoke handcrafted David McDaid and Karen Marran are pictured with Geri Martin of the Chocolate Manor at NWRC’s Foodovation Centre.

NI and Food NI. chocolates using quality Belgian “The chocolates are a 25g handMartin began developing a range chocolate, created a unique piped disc that features an image we of printed chocolates in 2013, and was chocolate business card following an designed for my client and wrapped in assisted by CAFRE’s Food Innovation approach by a business contact who a clear pillow pack,” said Martin. “We Centre, in developing a new process to “wanted something totally different can produce them in milk or white allow the edible inks to be more visible and memorable to introduce himself to chocolate, and they are proving to be on the milk chocolate products. potential clients”.

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Q&A

IN THE HOT SEAT Alan McCulla, chief executive of Sea Source in Kilkeel

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? “Never, ever get involved in politics!”

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GRIPE? As well as the European Union and how it has been nothing but trouble for Northern Ireland’s fishermen, it must be encouraging people here to appreciate what we have.

shop in Kilkeel. I was back in our main office mid-morning for meetings with members, which included issues around them purchasing more modern trawlers.

After lunch, I met with our financial team and finished off the day with some correspondence to local politicians following a weekend meeting with the DEFRA Secretary of State Michael Gove MP. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF I live in the Kingdom of Mourne. I was born into the fishing industry. My father was a fisherman and I am reliably told that my first word was not ‘mummy’ or ‘daddy’, but boat. So, the odds were high from an early age that I would end up with a career that in some way was connected to the sea. My wife’s family are fishermen too. I have been working for the fishermen in Co Down for the past 25 years.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE On Monday I was in the office around 7am. I did a live radio interview just after 8am about the plans for the expansion of Kilkeel Harbour. After 9am, I visited one of our factories at Kilkeel Harbour for a meeting with the management and sales team there, discussing landings from the trawlers over the weekend, exports to our European markets and sales from our fish 50

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE Receiving an OBE from the Prince of Wales for my services to the fishing industry in Northern Ireland, and then hosting the Prince of Wales when he visited the fishing industry in Kilkeel.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB The diversity. No two days are ever the same. One week I can be sitting in my office in Kilkeel, the next week I can be travelling across Europe and further afield representing Sea Source and Northern Ireland’s fishermen.

WHAT’S YOUR MOST DIFFICULT TASK Dealing with tragedy. Fishing is regarded as the most dangerous peace time profession and, over the years, I have been involved in situations where fishermen have been lost at sea.

WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? I regard patience as a talent and I would certainly like to have more of that!

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS/ AMBITIONS? To be part of a thriving fishing industry in Northern Ireland that is economically and environmentally sustainable - one which my children will consider for a career and stay in Co Down.

WHOM DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? Easy - our fishermen. Their work ethic is second to none and they have provided me with so many opportunities that could not be replicated in any other career.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? Difficult one - I enjoy travelling - but it’s hard to beat a sunny summer’s evening around Cranfield beach or even waking up to the mist covered Mountains of Mourne. So, it must be home.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD PRODUCT? Obviously fish and chips; haddock to be precise.

HOW DO YOU RELAX Some would say I don’t. Our children are the best form of relaxation - at least they take my mind off fish!

AUTUMN BALL ‘formerly The Candy Ball’ Friday 6th October 2017 Culloden Hotel, Belfast Drinks reception 7pm Dinner, Dancing and Fun until 1am.

Dress Code Formal / Black Tie Price: £1400 for a table of 10 £150 for a ticket Contact: Claire.McFaul@cchellenic.com 028 9264 2356

IRELANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LARGEST SUPPLIER OF NEW & USED FOOD PROCESSING & PACKAGING MACHINERY

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