Ulster Grocer December 2021 by Helen Wright

ULSTER

Almost 50 years at the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry

DECEMBER 2021

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

DECEMBER 2021

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

Almost 50 years at the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry

LIDL NI BOOSTS TURNOVER BY 24% TO £345M

idl Northern Ireland is reporting growth of almost a quarter in turnover, and a fivefold increase in profit after tax, in its latest full-year results. Covering the trading year from March 2020 to February 2021, the financial report indicates year-on-year growth of 24% to £345m in turnover while profit after tax rose from £1.1m to £5.5m. Marking the second year Lidl NI has filed its accounts with Companies House after transferring its assets and liabilities from Lidl NI GmbH, Lidl NI’s previous-year sales of £278.2m saw the discount retailer placing at number six in the Ulster Grocer Top 75 NI Food & Drink Companies. Lidl NI attributes its growing market share to investing in its local store and supplier network, maintaining a robust supply chain, and commitment to its Big on Quality, Lidl on Price proposition. Kantar’s monthly reports on the local grocery market support

Lidl NI’s growing presence, with the latest data for the 52 weeks to October 31 highlighting it as the only retailer to boost sales over the period (+9.2%). “Its growth stems from shoppers visiting the store 12.9% more than they did last year,” said Emer Healy, retail analyst at Kantar. Last month, the German retailer laid claim as the first local supermarket to increase hourly pay for 450 employees by 8% to £10.10, 20p higher than the recommended £9.90 rate announced by the Living Wage Foundation. “This substantial year-on-year sales growth is testament to our established business model which continues to deliver for us and for our more than 300,000 weekly customers across the region,” said JP Scally, chief executive of Lidl Ireland and Lidl Northern Ireland. “Despite unprecedented challenges, we’ve held our position as Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing supermarket, and we’re focused now on growing that even further. Our last financial year marked a period of solid investment in delivering on our ambitious growth plans for the region. “We opened two new stores in Belfast and Holywood and revitalised a further five stores across the region in line with our modern ‘concept’ store designs. We’re well placed to deliver on our ambition of 50 stores by the end of this decade. “Lidl Northern Ireland is proud of its robust and agile local supply chain. We’ve worked to develop this over two decades and our approach to sourcing locally has helped to shield us from some of the supply issues that other retailers faced over this period. “Sourcing such a large volume of our products locally has meant that we haven’t been as reliant on imports. We remain committed to supporting local food and drink producers and we plan to continue to invest in the local agri-food industry through our dedicated Kick Start Supplier Development Programme.” Lidl Northern Ireland has also significantly invested in its people over the last 12 months, growing staff numbers to more than 1,000 employees and implementing initiatives such as three separate Covid bonus payments to staff worth more than £300,000.

8-9

STORE FOCUS: ACQUIRING A NEW SHOP WASN’T PART OF THE PLAN, BUT LUSTY’S CENTRA LARNE PORT WAS TOO GOOD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PASS UP, SAYS OWNER RAYMOND LUSTY

FESTIVE FUNDRAISER: GROCERYAID NI HAS HOSTED ITS FIRST IN-PERSON EVENT SINCE THE PANDEMIC, THE JOHN BARRETT SUNDAY LUNCH HELD IN DEANES AT QUEENS ON NOV 21

MY LIFE IN THE GROCERY TRADE: PICKING UP HIGHLY COMMENDED LEADER IN MARKETING AT THE UG MARKETING AWARDS 2021 WAS A PROUD MOMENT FOR MASH DIRECT’S CLARE FORSTER

RAISING THE BAR: CUSTOMERS AT DERRY OFFLICENCE GEE’S WINE SHOP ARE GROWING IN NUMBER & TRADING UP AFTER OWNER EAMONN GEE INVESTED IN A STYLISH NEWBUILD

JP Scally, chief executive of Lidl Ireland and Lidl Northern Ireland, and Conor Boyle, Lidl regional director in NI.

email: info@ulstergrocer.com Volume 56 Number 11 DECEMBER 2021 Editor: Alyson Magee E: a.magee@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4175 Contributors: Michele Shirlow, Sam Butler Sales Manager: Judith Martin E: j.martin@mediahuis.co.uk Tel: 028 9055 4260 Art Editor: Helen Wright

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

CHEERS TO A BETTER YEAR IN 2022

elcome to our December edition and may we take this opportunity to offer our readers and advertisers a very merry Christmas and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year. Our sincere gratitude for your support in 2021 which, let’s face it, was not the best of years. Buoyant grocery sales in the earlier part of the year were perhaps insufficient to counter challenges around the pandemic, labour, logistics and the supply chain. The sector has of course shown its usual steely resolve and continued to excel, pushing ahead from investment in stores to innovation and awards in food and drink. Perhaps 2022 will bring an end to the pandemic and the political wrangling over the Northern Ireland Protocol… we live in hope. One thing 2022 will usher in with certainty is the 50th birthday of Ulster Grocer. Our publication was established in 1972, and we hope you agree its birthday is worth celebrating. Plans are afoot to mark the milestone with a refresh of the product and more, including a special commemoration edition in July.

We are proud to have represented and reflected the grocery sector throughout the past five decades, most recently as the only local sector title to keep publishing in print as well as digital format during the pandemic. Your support is not taken for granted, and we are always open to suggestions of how we can improve our product and better represent the grocery and wider agri-food industry. This month’s edition is a compact one as we prepare for the January Yearbook but packed with store and producer profiles including a new off-licence showcase which will hopefully become a regular feature. It’s such a strong sector right now, and it’s great to feature innovators such as Eamonn Gee from Gee’s Wine Shop in Derry elevating his offering to reflect the increasing sophistication of consumers in the drinks category. Drinking less but better continues to pick up momentum as a trend, as of course does the low- and no-alcohol sector. Whatever your drink of choice, cheers to 2022 and may it bring better times.

ULSTER GROCER WELCOMES NEW SALES EXEC

Judith Martin

new face has joined the Ulster Grocer team, with Judith Martin appointed last month as sales executive. However, Judith is not new to Mediahuis, and will be a familiar face to many from her previous role with Ulster Business. We are excited to have Judith onboard, and are sure a warm welcome awaits her across the grocery sector.

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NEWS

RESPONSE TO CARRIER LEVY INCREASE A MIXED BAG

Glyn Roberts, chief executive of onsumers are to be given Retail NI, said: “We absolutely an added incentive to share Ministers Poots’ bring their own bags objective of less plastic being to shops with Northern in circulation and continuing Ireland’s Carrier Bag Levy to litter our streets. Retail NI set to increase by 400% to members have led the way 25p from April 2022. in reducing plastic packaging Environment Minister and promoting bag-for-life Edwin Poots announced last options. month the Carrier Bag Levy “Northern Ireland already has charge in Northern Ireland will Ian Humphreys, chief executive of Keep one of the most extensive carrier increase from 5p to 25p from Northern Ireland bag levies in the UK, covering April 1, 2022. Beautiful. single use and plastic which has An extension to the existing led to a reduction in Carrier Bag usage pricing threshold will also see all bags by 73.2% (1.5 billion bags). Retail NI priced at £5 or less subject to the levy, argued for the current 5p charge to be irrespective of the material from which increased to a more realistic figure of they are made. 10p in line with what is being proposed “Whilst the existing Carrier Bag Levy in England and Scotland. has been successful in already removing “We believe this excessive increase will over 1.7 billion bags from circulation, I am aware that a significant number of retailers disproportionally impact on low-income families at time of huge economic in NI are selling large volumes of heavyturmoil with Covid-19, high energy bills duty bags at a cost of 20p or more each,” and increases in National Insurance. said Poots. “These are now flooding the Retail NI have asked for an immediate market and are not being reused, with meeting with the Minister to discuss harmful environmental consequences. these proposals.” “This announcement will go some way Ian Humphreys, chief executive of towards making Northern Ireland a cleaner Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful (KNIB), and more pleasant place in which to live, said: “This is a brave move in the fight by ensuring that proceeds from the Levy against plastic pollution, one that KNIB are re-invested in supporting the wider NI has been pushing Stormont on for some environmental sector. time. “By continuing to work together we “This move will hopefully deter throw can help meet the New Decade, New away culture and consumer dependency Approach commitment on eliminating on single-use plastics and instead plastic pollution, this also underpins the encourage consumers to be more draft Green Growth Strategy for Northern sustainably-minded and reuse shopping Ireland, which I recently launched on bags.” behalf of the NI Executive.”

FESTIVE SPIRIT OUT IN FULL FORCE AT HINCH DISTILLERY

new 12-year-old Irish whiskey, and one-of-a-kind sustainable Christmas tree, are among the latest launches from the innovative Hinch Distillery, one year on from its opening. The new whiskey is a 12-year-old Amarone Cask Finish Hinch Irish Whiskey, aged for 11 years in ex-bourbon American Oak and finished in Masi Amarone casks for 12 months. Situated on site, the unique 24-foot

Patrick Cross, director; Dr Terry Cross OBE, chairman; and Cathal McNicholl, GM, Hinch Distillery.

tree is made from 150 up-cycled whiskey barrels and took a team of eight from Co Down decoration installer Christmas Is Us 48 hours to create. The Whiskey Barrel Christmas Tree light switch-on marked the beginning of a packed menu of festive gift and celebration ideas from Hinch Distillery.

OVER 60% THINK UK BUSINESSES NEED TO ACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

s COP26 got underway in Glasgow last month, a national consumer survey on behalf of UK sustainability charity WRAP found 63% of the UK public think businesses should act immediately on climate change. A majority of consumers believe companies across industry need to do more when it comes to tackling emissions to help the UK meet tough, binding environmental targets for 2050. Whether it’s about plastic, food waste and water stewardship or greenhouse gas emissions, there is public perception of a gap between businesses’ intentions and their actions. The results reveal 66% of respondents feel businesses should do more to help their customers reduce their own impact on climate change. A total of 42% believe UK businesses should have a clear step-by-step plan in place to reach their climate goals, and 41% said businesses should be transparent in their targets as well as regularly publishing their progress so they can be held accountable. When asked about specific sectors, 57% of respondents said UK food businesses could or need to be doing more to tackle climate change and cut emissions. WRAP is calling for more businesses to put plans into place to tackle climate change and reduce emissions by signing up to its Voluntary Agreements, which include The UK Plastics Pact, Textiles 2030 and Courtauld Commitment 2030, designed for businesses to address plastic pollution, water stewardship, carbon emissions and food waste. For more information, visit WRAP.org.uk

NEWS

NFRN WILL CONTINUE TO LOBBY FOR SHOPWORKER PROTECTION

ithdrawal of amendments to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, during a House of Lords debate last month, will not deter The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) from pushing for better protection for shop workers. “We are grateful to the members of the House of Lords who supported retailers during last night’s debate by raising the plight that people working in shops face every day,” said Shahid Razzaq, chairman of NFRN’s political engagement committee, speaking on November 18. “Theft, vandalism and physical and verbal attacks are an all too familiar part of life for independent retailers. We will continue to lobby the government,

police chiefs and police and crime commissioners for greater legal protection for everyone who works in retail.” Ahead of the Bill entering the Committee stage, the NFRN had called on House of Lords members to support the amendments. In a briefing, NFRN said ‘no one should have to suffer abuse or violence just for doing their job, and the NFRN believes that more needs to be done to protect retail workers and punish those who attack them’. The retail organisation hopes the debate, and support the amendment received across the House, will encourage the Government to table its own amendment to the Bill, to gain support in the House of Lords and when the Bill returns to the House of Commons.

CLANDEBOYE YOGHURT NAMED BEST IN UK AT QUALITY FOOD AWARDS

landeboye Estate, Northern Ireland’s only producer of yoghurt, has been named Best in the UK at the influential Quality Food Awards recognising and rewarding products leading the way in the market. The company, based on an estate near Bangor in Co Down, gained the recognition for its award-winning Madagascan Vanilla Greek Style Yoghurt in the hotly contested Dairy

category. Clandeboye, which sources fresh milk from the estate’s pedigree and award-winning dairy herd, supplies its range to every supermarket in Northern Ireland and several in the Republic of Ireland. Its yoghurts were officially launched in 2008 as a farm diversification project by owner, the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, who died last October.

DROMONA STRIKES GOLD AT INTERNATIONAL CHEESE AND DAIRY AWARDS

Brendan Dunlop and Rhonda Grant, specialist cheese graders, Dale Farm. 6

COCA-COLA BRINGS REAL MAGIC TO DESIGNATED DRIVERS THIS CHRISTMAS

oca-Cola HBC has announced the return of its annual Designated Driver campaign, rewarding those who stay sober on nights out to ensure their friends and family members get home safely. Inspector Rosemary Leech of the PSNI launched the road-safety campaign, together with ambassador Melissa Riddell (both pictured above), the Department of Infrastructure and industry stakeholders. Drivers can avail two free soft drinks or water from the Coca-Cola HBC range throughout December, at participating venues in Northern Ireland. Drinks from the range include Coca Cola, Diet Coke, Coca Cola Zero Sugar, Fanta, Sprite, Deep RiverRock and Fruice. The brand will also reward Designated Drivers by providing free parking spots at Q-Parks in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast every weekend during the month.

airy cooperative Dale Farm has again been recognised for its world-class quality products, picking up several accolades at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards 2021. Dromona Medium Cheddar scooped both gold and silver in the Best Medium Cheddar category and was subsequently awarded the trophy for Best Medium Creamery Cheddar, while Dromona Mature Cheddar won both silver and bronze in the Best Mature Cheddar category. Dale Farm markets its cheese ranges under the Dale Farm and Dromona brands in NI and GB across retail, food service and ingredient channels. The company produces 50,000 tonnes of cheddar per annum from its state-of-the-art plant in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, using milk supplied by its dairy farmer owners.

STORE FOCUS

LUSTY’S CENTRA LARNE PORT ACQUIRING A NEW SHOP WASN’T PART OF THE PLAN WHEN MEETING WITH CIRCLE K ABOUT ANOTHER SITE, BUT THE BUSY LARNE PORT FORECOURT WAS TOO GOOD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PASS UP, OWNER RAYMOND LUSTY TELLS ALYSON MAGEE to align with Circle K on our other site and at the same time to buy this place. “We purchased it off Circle K, converted it to a Centra and have done a massive refurbishment. For the size of the store, it was a significant investment and included a new deli, seating, flooring and refrigeration. “The old store had a very dated deli that hadn’t been used in five or six years and was just cordoned off, so we were able to come in and change the layout.”

Raymond Lusty, owner, and Mark Hastings, manager, Lusty’s Centra Larne Port.

one-size-fits-all approach has certainly not been adopted by the Lusty family when opening their second Centra shop in Larne. Whereas their first store in the town, Lusty’s Centra Larne on Old Glenarm Road, is noted for its award-winning off licence and strong grocery offer, Lusty’s Centra Larne Port is all about fuel and high convenience. Ideally situated in the Port of Larne Business Park to catch lorry drivers arriving or departing from the harbour, the shop is also proving a draw among regular motorists appreciating its spacious forecourt and ample parking. The site was taken over by father-andson Richard and Raymond Lusty in April, underwent a £150,000 refurbishment, and officially reopened in June. Partners in Richwell Trading, their family retail business started out with Centra O’Neill Road in Newtownabbey, which has since been sold on. “My dad has been a Centra retailer since they came into Northern Ireland,” says Raymond, “and he was sort of retiring so he sold that shop, but then this opportunity came along.” Looking for a new fuel partner for 8

Old Glenarm Road, Raymond met with Circle K, which brought to his attention an opportunity to acquire the site. The 1,500-square-foot Larne Port shop, previously a SPAR, was Circle K’s only company-owned store in Northern Ireland. “We didn’t really go looking for it,” says Raymond, “but an opportunity came

HIGH CONVENIENCE “We’re trading a few months now and it’s all been very positive,” he says. “It’s completely different to our other site. It’s not a big grocery spend, it’s high convenience and the biggest attraction is the HGVs. “It’s easy access for them so there’s a massive fuel volume here and, on the back of that, we try to bring them into the deli. Musgrave’s Frank and Honest coffee machine is a big hit, and the convenience sector – the grab and go and the impulse - all works very well. “Our big thing in Centra stores is the chicken fillet baguette, a hot filled roll,

STORE FOCUS

and our hot food is definitely the most popular with our customers. Our deli is open until 2.30pm, and then we have a full prepacked range for the afternoon and evening. “We’re beside Asda in the town so we’re never going to be a destination for grocery, but we still pick up some traders around here who finish work and come and grab milk and bits for their dinner. We’re still trying to find our feet and what is the correct range. “Nowadays you have to be active on social media, and we do a lot of competitions and stuff like that on Facebook and Instagram just to try and get people aware of what we’re doing here. We’re trying to grow it every week.” Standard services on offer include Lotto, PayPoint, E top-ups and fuel cards while, with lorry drivers and motorists as key customers, Lusty’s Centra Larne Port features a well-stocked bay of car accessories. With the shop’s new focus on its deli offer, Raymond has doubled staff numbers to 16 since taking over while an additional 45 staff members at the Centra Old Glenarm Road site can step in to provide cover as needed. “Our other shop is only a mile and a half away,” he says, “and it has the same set up, menu and till system. When it was only the eight staff in here, to get holiday hours covered was very difficult so it’s a good luxury to have.” While there was no shortage of shop

workers during the lockdown with students at home, Raymond says many did disappear with the return to university campuses this autumn. However, getting new staff on board has not really been a problem, he says, with new positions advertised to its strong Facebook following. “We have a lot of staff in our other store who have been there maybe 10-plus years and Mark Hastings, our manager at Larne Port, has been here a long time,” says Raymond. “When we became involved in the business, he was assistant manager and was promoted to manager and is doing an excellent job. We have a great assistant manager, Georgia, a deli manager and supervisors. We have a good structure in place.” FUEL FOCUS Previously a 24-hour site, shop hours had been reduced to 7am-10pm during the lockdowns before Raymond took over. He is now opening at 6.30am and may trial 24-hour services again next year. In the meantime, an old carwash facility has been knocked down to make way for a new 24-hour HGV pump accepting fuel cards. “It’s called a skid unit, which is basically a big tanker offer 24-hour fuel,” he says. “When coronavirus came in, the owner Circle K had stopped the nightshift because the boats weren’t at capacity. With our hours now, there’s two boats that go during the night that we miss and then two during the day so this will capture the fuel side of things. “The fuel volume here would be about four times that of the other shop. The ease of access to the fuel pumps is a big draw, especially for families.” With the Old Glenarm Road shop

among the busiest in Musgrave NI’s Centra network, and the site itself compact, the spacious forecourt at Larne Port is a big draw for motorists. “It’s a long-term project,” says Raymond. “We will continue developing Larne Port, investing in new fuel pumps, redesigning the layout and maybe relocating the carwash. “There’s an electric charging unit which has been here for a few years, and we’re thinking of maybe getting more in partnership with NIE. There are more and more electric cars on the road now, so we’ll see where that takes us over the next few years.” As the new shop finds its feet, Raymond plans to look at building on the awards success achieved by Old Glenarm Road store, which was most notably named Best Off-Licence in the UK at the Retail Industry Awards in 2018. “We’re hopefully going to push this store and perhaps enter Musgrave NI’s Store of the Year awards next year,” he says. “We’re very focused on building upon what we have here.” And is the family’s lust for retail likely to include further acquisitions? Right now, Raymond is busy with his two-year-old daughter and another baby due at time of writing. “But my plans might be, in the future, to get a third store or build on the success of our off licence.”

RETAIL NEWS - INDEPENDENTS

CAMELOT ANNOUNCES HIGHEST-EVER FIRST-HALF LOTTERY SALES

amelot UK Lotteries has announced its highest-ever first-half National Lottery ticket sales, at £3,961.4m for the first six months from April 1 to September 25; an increase of 2.7% on last year. The growth was driven by a strong draw-based games performance – particularly on Lotto, which is now in its

third successive year of growth – as well as a steady retail recovery. Also boosting the performance was the National Lottery brand’s connection to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Camelot grew total in-store sales to £2,337.5m – up £102.7m (+4.5%). As a result, first-half retailer commission increased to £133m – up £6.5m (+5.1%) and the equivalent of around £3,000 per store. Retail remains the largest National Lottery sales channel and Camelot works closely with around 44,000 retailers across the UK, with independent outlets making up the majority. Its in-store National Lottery standards programme for independent retailers has continued to prove enormously

CALL FOR EXTENSION OF RATES DISCOUNT TO NI RETAILERS A local retail sector body has called on Finance Minister Conor Murphy to follow England’s example in extending a 50% rates discount to independent retailers in Northern Ireland. The move was announced in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s autumn budget, which also included an increase in the national minimum wage to £9.50 from April 2022. “The Chancellor has made a very welcome announcement, giving independent retailers in England a 50% rates discount,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive, Retail NI. “It is absolutely vital that our Finance Minister ensures this fully applies to eligible small traders in Northern Ireland.

“It is important that these initiatives on business rates are followed through in Northern Ireland as we have a perfect storm coming our way with a forthcoming National Insurance hike and huge increases in energy prices. Both will add to the considerable burden of many business owners in Northern Ireland, “We welcome the additional £1.6bn funding for the NI Executive, cuts in domestic Air Passenger Duty and the freeze on fuel duty.” The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN), meanwhile, said the spending review in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s autumn budget represents a double-edged sword for smaller businesses. Welcoming the business rate discount

successful, with £288,000 in cash rewards – over and above their retail commission – awarded to independent shopkeepers in the first half of the year. Additionally, retailer satisfaction scores continue to track at their highest-ever level. A key strand of activity over the half year was The National Lottery’s largestever brand campaign for Tokyo 2020 – a summer-long programme that reminded players that, every time they play a National Lottery game, they directly support Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes. Camelot then went further to make the connection between ‘play and purpose’ by devising and staging two National Lottery Homecoming events at Wembley Arena.

Glyn Roberts, chief executive, Retail NI.

and fuel duty freeze, NFRN said the increase in the national minimum wage from £8.91 to £9.50 an hour will undoubtedly have a serious detrimental effect on retailers’ ability to employ and retain staff.

GROCERY SALES DIP CONTINUES POST-LOCKDOWN IN NI

ocal grocery sales have fallen by almost 8% in the last three months, year-onyear, as the market continues its return to pre-Covid shopping patterns, according to the latest data from Kantar. “The Northern Irish grocery market declined by 1% in the 52 weeks to 31 October 2021,” said Emer Healy, retail analyst at Kantar. “This dip in sales reflects 10

people spending more time out of their homes as Covid-19 restrictions eased throughout the year. “Alcohol sales dropped by 4.1% this year as people made the most of new freedoms and socialised in pubs and restaurants. However, Halloween festivities were in full swing at home, with sales of confectionery growing by 5.4% over the latest period.

“Looking at the past three months specifically, sales in the Northern Irish grocery market fell by 7.6% compared with the same time in 2020. Again, we saw the impact of the return to schools and workplaces in this 12-week data which meant volume sales fell by 5.5% as people ate fewer meals in their homes and had less need to stock up their cupboards.”

RETAIL NEWS - SYMBOLS

LYNCHS OPEN EIGHTH STORE IN NORTH WEST & MID ULSTER

ynch’s, a local family retailer operating a number of SPAR and EUROSPAR stores and supermarkets, has opened its third local supermarket bringing its total store number to eight across the North West and Mid Ulster. Lynch’s EUROSPAR Greysteel is the third outlet from the retailer to open under the EUROSPAR brand and has allowed management to more than double the number of local jobs available to 48. The new supermarket in Greysteel joins Lynch’s portfolio of stores including EUROSPARs in the Skeoge area of Derry and Draperstown in Magherafelt, and SPARs in Dungiven, Claudy, Newbuildings

Pictured at the opening of Lynch’s new Greysteel EUROSPAR are Alastair Conner, Joanne Kerlin, owner Conor Lynch, Stephanie McElwee, Virginia Moore and Paul Deans from the Henderson Group.

and Trench Road in County L/Derry, and Clonoe in Coalisland.

SIMPLY FIT FOOD TO SUPPLY OVER RUSSELL’S STORES ACROSS NI

Luke Judge and Evelyn Garland, founders, Simply Fit Food.

imply Fit Food, a producer of convenience meals made from wholesome, natural ingredients, has secured a new deal to supply over 20

Russell’s convenience stores across Northern Ireland with a range of healthy meals. Founded by Evelyn Garland and Luke Judge in 2016, the Droghedabased business was acquired by Newry-headquartered food-to-go manufacturer Around Noon in 2020. Its latest listing with Russell’s follows the launch of a new range of high protein meals into over 20 Dunnes Stores and 15 Applegreen service stations in the Republic of Ireland. Boasting four new flavours, the range is high in protein, low in fat and starts from as little as 431kcals per portion.

FRANK AND HONEST INTRODUCES NEW DIGITAL LOYALTY APP

ourmet coffee company Frank and Honest, part of the Musgrave Group, has launched a new digital loyalty app to replace the paper loyalty card available in SuperValu and Centra stores across Northern Ireland. Customers can use the app to earn stamps with each purchase of a Frank and Honest coffee in their local SuperValu or Centra store, simply by scanning a barcode. After 10 stamps have been earned, a free coffee can be redeemed. The app is free to download now on Android and Apple App stores. Paper

cards can be completed and redeemed in SuperValu and Centra stores until December 31. Desi Derby, marketing director and Caroline Rowan, head of retail operations, Musgrave NI.

RETAIL NEWS - MULTIPLES

ASDA BALLYCLARE NAMED STORE OF THE YEAR AT 2021 AWARDS

sda Ballyclare has been named Store of The Year at the Proud to be Asda 2021 awards, which celebrate colleagues going above and beyond in their roles over the past year. The store took home the accolade for its staff members’ hard work, quick thinking and dedication to their customers during the year, particularly after a flash flood engulfed the store in July. Staff kept people safe and dry inside during the worst of the storm, before later making sure customers safely got back to their cars, carrying their shopping and prams as needed. “I am so proud of the way our colleagues mucked in and helped out,” said Johnathan Alderdice, e-commerce manager at Asda Ballyclare. “I managed to get involved too – carrying a lady’s pram through the floodwater which was about two feet deep in places so she could get to her car and go home. “We never expected it at all; it came on really suddenly. We had flash floods all

A Ursula Leonard, general manager at Asda Ballyclare, with the team.

within 10 minutes and the car park was deep in water and it started to come into the store too.” Ursula Leonard, general manager at Asda Ballyclare, said: “We are delighted to have been named Store of the Year at the Proud to be Asda awards. It was a massive privilege to have made it to the finals especially considering the number of incredible stores shortlisted. “I am so proud of our team and this award is a true testament to the staff who always go above and beyond to support our customers when they come to visit. Thank you, Team Asda Ballyclare.”

MOY PARK SECURES CONTRACT WITH 36 LOCAL ICELAND STORES

Ellen Wright, brand marketing manager, Moy Park, is pictured with Iceland Northern Ireland’s Shannon Dunn and Angelika Staszewska.

oy Park has secured a new contract for four of its fresh coated products in 36 Iceland stores across Northern Ireland, in another first for the company. The latest deal follows the recent successful launch into Iceland Ireland in July, with Moy Park winning a deal to supply its branded products to 27 of the retailer’s stores across the Republic of Ireland. The new lines include Moy Park’s signature garlic and herb chicken kievs

TABOO SECURES DONUT CONCESSION IN ASDA ENNISKILLEN

and southern fried mini fillets. “We are delighted to be strengthening our own-label reach and introducing new consumers to the Moy Park brand,” said Ellen Wright, brand marketing manager, Moy Park. “This new contract is fantastic for Moy Park and builds upon our existing relationship with Iceland in the Republic of Ireland, giving us a presence in most stores across the island.” Sarah McDonald, head of buying, Iceland Ireland & Northern Ireland, said: “We’re passionate about supporting local suppliers and our most recent partnership with Moy Park is very much part of this long-term business focus and strategy. “Currently, we are working with over 100 local suppliers and farmers across the island of Ireland. Iceland is undoubtably the home of frozen, but we also provide customers with a wide variety of fresh locally sourced produce.”

sda has opened its first in-store donut concession in Enniskillen offering customers donuts, Italian gelato and freshly ground coffee from Taboo Donuts, a local family-run business established in 2018. “We’re really excited to launch our concession in Asda Enniskillen,” said Brett McKinney, director of Taboo Donuts. “Making donuts fresh every day is the way we do it at Taboo, from Toffee Cheesecake and Eton mess to Raspberry Ripple and Lemon Meringue – we literally have a flavour for everyone. “As a business we take real pride in using high-end quality ingredients. We have secured exclusive contracts with our Italian suppliers to create the most authentic tasting, indulgent donuts and gelato that we can. “Not only does this concession allow us to create new job opportunities in the area but we are just really thrilled to bring our locally produced donuts, coffee and gelato to Asda shoppers.” Cathy Elliott, Asda buying manager for NI Local, said: “The Taboo concession in Asda Enniskillen is the first of its kind in our Northern Irish stores and we can’t wait for our customers to try out the treats and drinks on offer.”

Brett McKinney, director of Taboo Donuts, and Cathy Elliott, Asda buying manager for NI Local.

ADVERTORIAL

FESTIVE FAMILY FAVOURITES FROM JUST DOWN THE ROAD HEADLINE HENDERSON’S CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN SPAR AND EUROSPAR ARE REMINDING SHOPPERS THEIR GROCERIES DON’T TRAVEL FAR AS PART OF THEIR FESTIVE CAMPAIGN FOR 2021

eeping value, provenance and quality top of their wish lists, Bronagh Henderson, marketing manager at Henderson Group, says shoppers are increasingly demanding locally sourced groceries – and rightly so. Bronagh commented: “Eating local food is better for you, for the environment, for your taste buds and (most importantly) it offers great value. Sourcing local food also means we continue our support for local suppliers – and that’s good news for our economy. That’s why we’ve partnered with our finest local producers to offer a range of products that our shoppers love, and not just for Christmas! Over 75% of our fresh food is sourced locally all year round.

FROM THE CHRISTMAS GAMMON TO PIGS IN BLANKETS, THE ALLIMPORTANT SPROUTS AND THE FESTIVE PUD, OUR CHRISTMAS DINNER OFFERING IS SOURCED FROM LOCAL FIELDS AND FARMS, KEEPING UP OUR SUPPORT FOR THE AGRIFOOD INDUSTRY AND OUR FOOD MILES DOWN.

in Crossgar, and the Great Taste awardwinning Desserts by The Kitchen, made in Craigavon by Davison’s Puds. Bronagh continued: “From the Christmas gammon to pigs in blankets, the all-important sprouts and the festive pud, our Christmas dinner offering is sourced from local fields and farms, keeping up our support for the agri-food industry and our food miles down. “We have competitive price points throughout the ranges, with our Greengrocer’s Brussel sprouts, Maris Piper potatoes, carrots and parsnips all 89p, Cookstown 1.5kg gammon at £7 and Desserts by The Kitchen at £2.99.” Retailers will be supported with a comprehensive through-the-line marketing package throughout December, with the campaign featured on billboards, alongside bus, digital, radio and social media advertising. Bronagh finished: “With Christmas dinner being the most important meal of the year, and with consumers being able to come together and celebrate properly this year, we are combining our strengths of excellent locally run stores and fantastic local suppliers to ensure our shoppers’ Christmas dinner is an extra special one this year.” For more on the campaign and Henderson’s local suppliers, visit spar-ni.co.uk.

“We offer top quality products from 180 local suppliers, from well-known local brands to our own-label SPAR enjoy local, The CHEF, The Kitchen and The Greengrocer’s ranges too.” This Christmas, the Unlike Santa, your Christmas dinner doesn’t travel the globe campaign puts SPAR and EUROSPAR suppliers front and centre, from Fresh Fields carrots, Stephen Murdoch and Andrew Herron’s Brussels sprouts in Comber to Karro Foods’ gammon in Cookstown, William Orr & Sons potatoes 13

ADVERTORIAL

DINNY’S NEARBY CASTLEDERG PART OF THE FABRIC OF THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER FOUR DECADES

The Nearby team Celebrating 40 years in business in Castlederg

Mary McCrory receives a bouqet of flowers from Damian Campbell, S&W Wholesale, as Declan McCrory looks on, during the 40th birthday celebrations at Dinny McCrory’s shop, Castlederg.

inny’s store has been part of the fabric of Castlederg for over four decades, with the local convenience store renowned for its impeccable personal service and wide array of offerings. Established back in the late 1970s by Dinny McCrory himself with help from his wife Mary, the Ferguson Crescent shop has seen a number of renovations and alterations over the years - but one thing that has remained constant is the impeccable customer service. The store is now operated by Dinny’s sons, Sean and Declan, and the McCrory family are pleased to offer all the products and services of a local convenience store, including newspapers, magazines, bean-to-cup coffee and lottery, while also stocking a wide range 14

of grocery essentials, fresh food, bread & bakery, non-food, hardware and giftware, which now makes it a one-stop shop for the local community. The McCrory family have been with S&W as their wholesale supply partner for over 11 years while trading under the Today’s Local brand during this time. The store has now rebranded to S&W’s exclusive new Nearby brand and has undergone further store renovations including new floor, ceiling, shelving and refrigeration along with the introduction of Rescan EPOS. The store was totally transformed over a two-week period with a new look and feel yet the core value of customer service remained with the store trading from a temporary location during the renovations. “We’ve been serving our local community for over 40 years and can’t wait for our customers to continue to reap the rewards of our new venture as a Nearby store with S&W,” says Sean McCrory. “As part of the Nearby family, we look forward to working with the

team to continue our customer service and unrivalled value to the people of Castlederg and beyond.” Completely exclusive to S&W Wholesale, Nearby plays a vital part in a wider modernisation strategy to help independent retailers forge deeper connections in the local community. Despite the extensive challenges faced during the pandemic, Nearby will continue to operate to the highest standard of safety precautions with the opening of even more new stores planned across the island of Ireland before the end of the year. Maurice Little, Nearby NI sales manager at S&W Wholesale, says: “Since the opening of the very first store back in April, we’ve been working to create a high-quality service for both Nearby retailers and their customers instore. “The new Nearby stores have been very well received in their local communities with retailers noticing an increased level of footfall in their stores as a direct result of the conversion to Nearby and we have no doubt that the people of Castlederg will enjoy their new look store.” Dinny’s is very much part of the community and embodies the ethos of the Nearby brand by offering a friendly service, quality and value with regular special offers throughout the store. Sean says: “It’s very much a family thing, and both myself and my brother, Declan, are proud to have taken over the store. Mum and dad believe it or not are still involved in the shop and enjoy coming to store and chatting to customers. They love chatting to customers who are now coming to store with their kids and even grandkids. “That’s what it’s all about for us. We pride ourselves on this personal service and feel this is what really sets stores like ours apart from the rest.” To celebrate this milestone, the team at S&W presented the McCrory family with a 40-year cake, flowers for mum Mary and held a customer appreciation day handing out Nearby bags for life to each customer packed full of local supplier goodies and treats. Contact: Maurice Little : 07912478883

FOOD & DRINK NEWS

PROMOTING THE POWER OF GOOD, LOCAL FOOD & DRINK BY MICHELE SHIRLOW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FOOD NI

egular readers of this column will be aware of Food NI’s latest promotional campaign on behalf of our local food and drink sector. The campaign builds on the success of our Year of Food & Drink in 2016 which did a huge amount to raise the profile of local food and drink… And, of course, to enhance sales. Our new Power of Good campaign has been shaped by the Food NI team to help agri-food producers here grow by increasing awareness among people and shoppers in particular of the sustainable, healthy, premium quality and outstandingly tasty produce now readily available in supermarkets, smaller grocers, delis and farm shops across Northern Ireland. Our Food. Power of Good has been developed in partnership with our colleagues from the Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and is featuring on television, radio and on social media until next March. It’s something we would wish to do for the industry on a more regular basis… if we had the resources. What we have in mind is a structured annual initiative along the lines of Love British Food, which does so much to increase sales of local food and drink including to the public sector. We’d wish to see the public sector here following the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) recognising the benefits of greater support for local producers especially in terms of support for the local economy and rural communities in particular. We are delighted to be working alongside DAERA on this and have been immensely encouraged by the response and support from Minister Edwin Poots, a longstanding champion of local food and drink, especially the superb produce from our outstanding farmers. Regular readers of this column will know of the remarkable achievements of our food and drink companies, especially in terms of awards won in Britain and further afield by a real breadth of local companies. 16

Virtually every category of food and drink produced here has won acclaim for excellence in Britain. Local drinks have won acclaim across the world. What we’ve done through Our Food. Power of Good, is to create a colourful and striking presentation of the very best of our fabulous produce. In recent weeks for instance, we’ve seen Clandeboye Yoghurt named the best in the UK in the highly influential Quality Food Awards; Craic Foods chosen as Grand Champion in the Great British Food Awards, while Burren Balsamics and Irish Black Butter were also successful; Foyle Foods, Kettyle Irish Foods and Hannan Meats involved in awards at the World Steak Challenge; and success in various competitions for McConnell’s Whiskey, Shortcross with its new whiskey and Hinch gin and whiskey. As an industry, we really do need to get behind Northern Ireland companies, especially SMEs, and help them the grow their companies faster. Our economy needs their enterprise. Our promotional campaign seeks to unite, delight, inspire and educate people and thereby to encourage them to purchase more local food and drink.

Loving Northern Irish food and drink will have positive benefits for all local producers, retailers, restaurants and the overall economy. It also benefits the drive towards sustainability. Food and drink, as many readers will be aware, is our biggest and most successful manufacturing industry. In Northern Ireland, we are twice as dependent on agriculture and food as any other region in GB. It’s an industry which already contributes £5bn annually to the Northern Ireland economy and provides worthwhile employment for upwards of 100,000 people across an extensive supply chain that stretches to every part of the province and especially rural communities in which food production and processing is the most significant industry. In addition to promoting retail sales, we aim to showcase the talents of our chefs in particular who are creating world class, tasty and original dishes from the best of local ingredients from our farms, seas and local producers. The campaign reflects Food NI’s conviction that food and drink can make an even greater contribution especially as Northern Ireland seeks to recover from the awful coronavirus pandemic and resultant lockdowns. It is being actioned across multiple channels including TV, radio, video-on-demand and social media and features producers from our grasslands and seas as well as those from the hospitality sector in support of the local industry. Food and drink is a vibrant and ambitious industry in which producers are focused on excellence, products that merit your support. We want more local people: To Source our food and drink. To savour it. Support it. Shop it. And, of course, look for it on the menus in local restaurants and cafes. We’d hope diners will ask which meals have local ingredients, choose those and savour those which do. I can assure that you won’t be disappointed. And you’ll also be helping our very creative smaller producers, farmers and fishing families. To see Our Food Power of Good, go to www.nigoodfood.com.

GROCERYAID

GROCERYAID’S ANNUAL LUNCH STAGES A WELCOME RETURN

ndustry representatives were thrilled to attend the first in-person GroceryAid fundraiser since the pandemic, the John Barrett Sunday Lunch held in Deanes at Queens on November 21. A total of £2,475 was raised for the grocery sector charity, representing a significant increase on the £2,175 raised at the last event in 2019. Guests enjoyed a Champagne reception, five-course lunch, raffle, comedian William Caulfield and entertainment again provided by the Ian Hannah Experience.

The Grocery Aid Committee: Angus O’Neill, Sainsbury’s; Karen McGarvey, Mediahuis; Mark Gowdy, White’s Oats; Jonathan McWhinney, Tesco; Bronagh Luke, Henderson Group; Simon Fitzpatrick, Coca Cola; and Brian Sterling, Holywood Partnership.

Amy Kane, Sean Kane and James Matthews, with White’s Oats.

William and Cathry Cherry and David and Pamela McWilliams, with Courtney & Nelson.

Bronagh and Neil Luke, with Henderson Group.

Patrich and Grainne Donagy and Colleen and Philip Donnelly, with Kerry Foods.

Brian Sterling and Pauline Sterling, Holywood Partnership; Janet Dorman, Savage & Whitten; Karen McGarvey, Mediahuis; and Alan Dornan, Savage & Whitten.

Simon Arlow, Nathan Gorman, Rhiannon Jones and Angus O’Neill, with Sainsbury’s.

ADVERTORIAL

SAFEFOOD DELIVERS FREE ONLINE FOOD SAFETY RESOURCE TO PROTECT YOUR FOOD BUSINESS AND CUSTOMERS SAFEFOOD FOR BUSINESS WILL HELP INFORM AND EDUCATE STAFF ON THE BASICS OF FOOD SAFETY

ll-island food safety body, safefood, works with small and medium-sized food businesses across Northern Ireland to support them in scaling up their food safety knowledge. safefood has now launched a new free eLearning tool ‘safefood for business’, which consists of eight, practical education modules, to help companies of all shapes and sizes to use real-life and work-place scenarios to cover basic food safety guidelines aimed at protecting their customers and business. ‘safefood for business’ has been developed in collaboration with small food business owners after safefood hosted food industry workshops revealed that many staff working in SME food businesses don’t have a high level of food safety knowledge. Introducing the new eLearning tool, Linda Gordon, chief specialist in Food Science at safefood, said: “Building a culture of good food safety benefits both the public and those food businesses that supply them. There are approximately 50,000 business producing food across the island of Ireland and around 80% of these are small food producers. “Having met many small food business owners through our Knowledge Network, we understand the pressures they face and how they have a lot on their plate, including food safety training. Our aim is to provide business owners with a free and practical food safety training tool that fits their needs.” ‘safefood for business’ allows small food businesses owners to provide and track staff training on-site with short, practical and engaging modules, awarding module completion certificates and a course completion certificate in everything from basic food safety to food microbiology, and temperature control to allergens in food. “The new remote learning option also makes it even easier for businesses to hone their food safety knowledge at a time suited to their operations. It means taking a day out of work is no longer 20

necessary to ensure you and your staff’s food safety skills are up to date. “We have been developing this eLearning Tool for more than a year and the result is Linda a portfolio of essential food Gordon business lessons that will protect your business from food safety hazards. “The online resource caters to any food service business, no matter what their time constraints or size. There are options including individual modules to more comprehensive courses. “The best thing is, this can be done in your own time while managers can track staff progress to keep on top of their team’s learning activity. We also have downloadable resources, samples and cleaning records – people can then tailor those for their own business,” Linda says. Local SME food businesses can sign up at www.safefoodforbusiness.com by simply setting up an account, username and password, after which they will have access to the resources, free of charge, at any time. Susanne Taggart, owner of Dromore based and multi-award-winning artisan bakery, The Little Bakehouse NI, is a small food business owner who has utilised the resource, and said: “As a small business, we are proud to be involved in

developing and refining the ‘safefood for business’ eLearning resource. We are passionate about food safety and ensuring our products are produced safely and adhere to legal requirements. When it comes to food safety, there is no room for complacency. ‘safefood for business’ was developed in collaboration with small food business owners like me, to ensure the resource is relevant and informative. This fantastic e-learning resource will play a crucial role in helping address a real training gap for small and medium-sized food businesses in the provision of basic food safety training to new and existing staff. I would urge all small and medium-sized food businesses to utilise this free resource.” safefood will continue to partner with a wide range of organisations across Northern Ireland – from local authorities to food educators, universities, colleges and schools – as it supports small and mediumsized food businesses across Northern Ireland. Linda adds: “We are focused on how we can support food business to get their food safety right, making it practical and accessible. We are particularly interested in the smaller food firms which don’t have easy access to the same resources as larger firms. “Practical resources can help food businesses to protect themselves and the public. Public health is the primary remit, but we are also conscious of the challenges food businesses face.” ‘safefood for business’ is available at www.safefoodforbusiness.com.

ADVERTORIAL

SUPPLYING NEW & USED MACHINERY TO HELP ITS CUSTOMERS GROW IN 2022

Cailian Manchester, transport administrator; Debra Henderson, accounts director; Rory O’Dwyer, engineering director; David Henderson, managing director; and Julie Bell, sales director.

nother year has passed at HFM and we are proud to be on the front cover of the Ulster Grocer again in December. This is now our sixth year being associated with the Ulster Grocer, which has helped promote our business within Northern Ireland. It has been strange times during the last few years with Brexit and Covid but hopefully we will see a change in 2022. At HFM we supply an extensive and varied selection of new and used food processing and packaging machinery. We work closely with quality manufacturers of new and used food machinery. Our range of new and used equipment is vast, we can supply into many sectors: meat, fish, poultry, food factories, plants and manufacturers, catering butchers, bakers, hotels, restaurants, ready meal manufacturers, vegetable and salad producers, contract packers, fish processors, fast food outlets, dairies, sauce & soup factories, drinks, liquid manufacturers, petfood companies, 22

confectionary, fruit and brewers. HFM is committed to find solutions that will help our customers to grow and succeed and have built a reputation on providing solutions to food processing and manufacturing, especially in today’s marketplace. Our team at HFM is led by Managing Director David Henderson, also Debra

Henderson who is the accounts director. The senior management team at HFM consists of Rory O’Dwyer, engineering director, and Julie Bell, sales director. We also have recently recruited Justin Smith, who is a specialist in ready meals and depositing, on to our sales team and he will cover all the UK and visit Northern Ireland every six weeks. Julie Bell, David and Debra Henderson pictured in 2015 as HFM began trading.

ADVERTORIAL Our experienced team will help source the perfect package to suit your product requirements, also your brand and objectives for profitability. From start to finish we pride ourselves on getting the customer the best machine for their needs and we are able to follow up with after sales and engineer visits. HFM are very much customer and price focused which has resulted in getting a lot of enquiries for machinery along with repeat business and new customers. Our priority is to be customer and price focused as we realise in today’s marketplace it is ever changing so we need to be competitive within our marketplace. Going forward in 2022 “We want to drive the business forward bringing on new manufacturers, Robotics is an area that we are looking hard at, at present,”

Debra Henderson and Julie Bell with some of the vast range of machines held in stock on site at HFM.

2022. We’ll keep driving the business forward, and I think it’s exciting times ahead.” Good to know: If you already have a machine and it needs repairs, maybe we can help in repairing the machine. Our engineering team are available for service 24/7, please contact our Engineering Director Rory O’Dwyer on 00353 861727357 or email engineering@ hendersonfoodmachinery.com. We will endeavour in supplying you with service and source parts to keep your machines running during these strange and unprecedented times. Julie Bell and Debra Henderson.

Currently around three quarters of all trade would be in new equipment, says David, with the remainder used machinery, while 65% of business would be in Ireland, 25% Great Britain and 10% exported globally to markets such as Saudi Arabia, Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Henderson Food Machinery will also in 2022 continue to sponsor Best Brand at the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards and Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards. At HFM: “We like to make sure we stand out from the rest,” says David. “We believe HFM has become an important brand within Northern Ireland, and are proud of the work put in by Julie Bell, our sales director, to make us stand out from the rest.” David also states with Rory on board as engineering director of HFM, “we have the best person in place to sort out any engineering problems. With over 20 years

of experience in food manufacturing, Rory can put his hand to most jobs and if not has the knowledge to problem solve quick and effectively. We’ve got a cracking team, and we look forward to

As your supplier of machinery and parts, we are of course available to answer any questions or provide further information. Please feel free to contact our office on 02890 994 202 or sales@hendersonfoodmachinery.com

Punjana Celebrates Year

In 1896, from a tea warehouse near Belfast docks, founder R. S. Thompson, trained in the art of tea tasting and soon became known for his uncompromising devotion to quality.

"An independent, family business of 4 generations, born and blended in Belfast since 1896" The Thompson family have always prided themselves in importing some of the world’s finest teas into Belfast, and in the early 1900's they supplied the province’s many thousand grocery shops with luxury teas, beautifully presented in their original tea chests.

Northern Ireland's best-selling cuppa, nestled in a tea bush in India.

As has been the way for the last 125 years, it is only ever a member of the Thompson family who is entrusted with tasting and approving each and every blend. This is their personal assurance that the tea inside will be the same award-winning Punjana taste and flavour that Northern Ireland tea lovers have been enjoying since 1896.

Royal Avenue, Belfast, 1898. Delivering Punjana tea by horse and cart.

Four generations later... It's amazing to look back at how different life was in 1896. This was long before the days of motorised transport, and so the first chests of Punjana tea were delivered from the Belfast docks by horse drawn carts. Today, whilst transport may be a little different, we still feel a strong connection to our past, and feel very privileged to have been blending and packing our range of Thompson's teas in Belfast for 125 years.

Jamie Thompson

Fourth generation, Camille and Jamie Thompson continue this passion and dedication to creating a better cup of tea and take great pleasure in selecting leaves from only the very finest gardens in Assam, Kenya and beyond.

ADVERTORIAL

BOOST CELEBRATES INCREDIBLE GROWTH IN ENERGY AND COFFEE

lthough the world is returning to normality and pre-pandemic shopper habits are resuming, there has undoubtedly been a shift in consumer behaviour, particularly towards larger take-home formats. Boost Drinks is the number one best-selling soft drink brand within independent convenience in Northern Ireland, and its total energy take-home format (1 litre and multipack) value sales have increased by 43% year-on-year*. “The 1 litre take-home format has shown strong growth over the pandemic and beyond,” said Jack Taylor, trade marketing manager at Boost. “In fact, our Boost 1 litre Energy Original accounts for a huge 38% of volume sales in the entire take-home energy stimulation category. “It is also the #1 1 litre format energy stimulation drink, delivering 91% of 1 litre stimulation sales in the independent convenience market*.” Boost Iced Coffee is the fastest-growing RTD iced coffee brand in the convenience channel, a market that’s now worth over £30m* in the UK. It’s been a particularly strong summer for this emerging category, with 30% of hot coffee drinkers opting for iced variants during the warmer months**. Growing at an impressive +28% volume and +28% value YOY*, it is now the fastest-growing category in soft drinks, so demand for RTD Iced Coffee is expected to continue throughout the winter months and into 2022. “Within the ready-to-drink Iced Coffee sector, 70% of sales value is made up of three flavours - Latte, Caramel & Espresso - and we’re proud to offer all three flavours as part of our portfolio,” said Taylor. “Products priced around £1 are growing +221% in unit sales year-on-year*, and research shows that 81% of 18-34-yearolds have bought iced coffee**. It’s clear that the category is recording some incredible growth, and we would urge retailers to give iced coffee enough fridge space to capitalise on this trend.” Boost Drinks was established in 2001, launching in Northern Ireland in 2003 and now owns the province’s top selling soft drink within the local independent convenience channel*. Boost is available in various pack formats across seven core Energy flavours, Sport, Protein and Iced Coffee.

* IRI Marketplace Data Symbols & Independents 52 weeks sales to 5th September 2021 ** Cousins Davis U&A research 26

ADVERTORIAL

LEADING THE WAY IN INNOVATION WITHIN THE PET FOOD MARKET

Colin Ferguson, Head of Sales, collects the Belfast Telegraph Excellence in Exporting Award.

s we come to the end of 2021, Mackle Petfoods has been able to reflect on another year of continued growth both locally and internationally. With our wonderful customers in Northern Ireland, our household brands Naturo Natural Pet Food, Brandy, Cat Club, Norsh and Jessie have driven our overall business growth in both value (+18%) and volume (+21%). It has been fantastic to experience the continued support of local retailers across Northern Ireland and the crucial role they have been playing during the global pandemic. We have launched several new products into the market which have been received well with Naturo including two variety

Local award recognition included shortlisted at the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards for Best Export Marketing and highly commended for Best Digital Campaign. We also had the honour of receiving the Excellence in Exporting award at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards. Naturo also launched and rolled out the world’s first human and dog therapy sessions across the UK which saw several lucky winners receive sessions from a Dog Behaviourist and a Psychotherapist on topics such as Separation Anxiety, Renewed Expectations of Pet Parenting and New Relationships in a postpandemic world. It was fantastic to get back and see people face to face through consumer and trade shows. Most notably, we enjoyed celebrating alongside other locally based brands at the Balmoral packs (Senior and Mini Adult Dog), three Show in the NI Food Pavilion. 390g cans (Tuna with Chicken, Salmon We were also able to join customers with Chicken, Senior Turkey with Chicken) across the province in store again and and an extension to our Dry range with help celebrate major milestones such as 10kg bags. S&W’s 50th nearby store. Speaking of Our new product launches are hinged 50, Mackle Petfoods and Brandy Dog on leading the way in innovation within Food will both be celebrating their 50th the pet food market and listening to the wants and needs of our customer base to birthdays in 2022. It is an unbelievable achievement to provide products they want on shelves and have a family-run business see 50 years of in pet’s bowls. continued success manufacturing highThis transferred over into our quality pet food that is now enjoyed in 19 partnerships with customers, namely countries worldwide. working with Jollyes on the creation We are so excited to share with and and launch of their Lifestage wet dog involve our valued partners in celebrating food range, which was recognised at these two major milestones – keep an eye the Irish Private Label Awards for Best on this space! Collaboration.

Helping celebrate the 50th nearby store: Dermott McGrane, store owner; Lauren Toal, Naturo Brand Manager; Hayley Fields, NI Sales Executive; and Tom McGrane, store owner. 28

Sinead Cotter, Sales Account Manager, collects Highly Commended at the UG Marketing Awards.

MY LIFE IN THE GROCERY TRADE CLARE FORSTER, HEAD OF MARKETING, MASH DIRECT BRIEFLY OUTLINE YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY I graduated from the University of Ulster with a BSc Hons Marketing Degree in 2009. Whilst completing my degree, I undertook a placement year with BDO Stoy Hayward working as a marketing and management consultant. During my degree, I developed a passion for the agri-food sector and undertook a 17-week work placement with Mash Direct. As part of the Graduate Programme, I completed my Leadership and Management Level 5 Diploma and undertook several courses at Loughry College to learn about the processes of food production. Martin and Tracy offered me a full-time position as sales and marketing assistant. In 2012, I took up the position of marketing executive and, in 2016, I was delighted to be promoted to head of marketing. WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? I am responsible for delivering and implementing the marketing, digital and communications strategy for the Mash Direct brand. I oversee all operations of the marketing department and manage a team of five full-time staff, a parttime videographer and several external agencies. I am responsible for raising awareness of the brand with consumers, internal and external stakeholders.

WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? I love my job; it is diverse and fast moving. I enjoy working on a range of different projects such as rolling out new marketing campaigns and collaborations, implementing new product launches, developing media and press plans and attending food photography shots. It can be challenging at times trying to spin a lot of plates and ensure we hit deadlines and KPIs, but I thrive upon success and working under pressure. BRIEFLY OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY To be honest no one day is the same at Mash Direct. Each morning, I check my emails, prepare my to-do list, brief my team and ensure we are on target to deliver key projects and deadlines. I attend a daily management meeting to ensure plans are aligned with other departments. From mid-morning onwards I could be liaising with our designers, pr agencies, attending NPD meetings, developing ideas for new marketing campaigns. It is important to be organised and forward plan to ensure we achieve results and brand exposure. WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? One of the proudest moments for me was being highly commended as

Leader in Marketing at the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards this year. It is fantastic to be recognised within the industry, it provides a great sense of achievement. I am very proud of my team and how we have evolved the Mash Direct brand to become a national household brand throughout the UK and Ireland. We are always trying to raise the bar and often come up with innovative campaigns. BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL RETAIL INDUSTRY? There are so many amazing food and drink producers in NI. Everyone is very supportive; we all have a collective vision to work together and promote the food and drink industry. It is exciting to see new products and brands come to market with new and innovative concepts. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? I enjoy spending time with my husband and two amazing children, we love exploring and spending time at the beach. I love running and actively take part in races throughout NI. SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW 2022 will be an exciting year. Mash Direct are the title sponsor of the Belfast City Marathon and I will be taking on my first marathon. This is an amazing opportunity for the brand to support the local community and active lifestyles.

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

NORTHERN IRELAND AGRICULTURE REPRESENTED AT COP26

aising awareness of how UK agriculture is part of the climate change solution was the focus for Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) President Victor Chestnutt and Parliamentary Officer Alexander Kinnear at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. UFU shared a joint stand with the National Farmers’ Union, NFU Scotland and NFU Cymru at the event held over November 2-4. “UK agriculture is a uniquely versatile sector, which supplies food, captures and stores carbon and helps to generate clean energy – it is a key part of the climate change solution,” said Chestnutt. “A message which we reiterated alongside our UK farming union counterparts during our visit to COP26. We were very disappointed to see how little presence the UK government gave agriculture at the event considering farming is such a crucial part. “Nevertheless, our presence at COP26 was extremely important as we represented our members across NI who are already contributing significantly to the UK target of net zero by 2050, and

Victor Chestnutt, president, UFU.

they recognise this can be improved further with the right policy backed by scientific evidence. “This is essential to continue making positive progress in combating climate change here in NI and the UK as a whole, supporting our local farmers to play their vital part without lessening their ability to produce quality, sustainable products to world leading standards.” Chestnutt chaired the UNFCC side event Agriculture’s ambition - delivering food security, resilience and mitigation in a changing climate, with the UK farming unions and agriculture organisations from Germany, Canada and Africa. Discussions were also had with DAERA Minister Edwin Poots and the Irish Farmers’ Association.

UFU URGES POULTRY KEEPERS TO ADHERE TO NEW MEASURES

lster Farmers’ Union (UFU) is urging poultry keepers to adhere to new measures to protect against Avian Influenza (AI). These came into force last month and follow the detection of the disease in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. “Given the cases detected close to Northern Ireland, we have cooperated with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the industry to put measures in place that will limit the spread of this infection,” said William Irvine, deputy president, UFU. UFU says producers should implement heightened biosecurity protocols and remain vigilant for AI symptoms. To register your flock, visit https:// www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/ bird-registration-form William Irvine, deputy president, UFU.

SEAWEED SUPPLEMENTS COULD REDUCE LIVESTOCK METHANE EMISSIONS

ith methane among topics of debate at COP26 and the US and EU pledging to reduce agricultural methane outputs from ruminant livestock by upwards of 30% by 2030, scientists at the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s University Belfast are to feed seaweed to farm animals in a bid to slash methane by at least 30%. Seaweed has long been hailed a

‘superfood’ for humans but adding it to animal feed to reduce methane gas released into the atmosphere by ruminants’ burping and flatulence is a relatively new idea. Early laboratory research at IGFS has shown promising results using native Irish and UK seaweeds. UK and Irish seaweeds are rich in active compounds called phlorotannins, found in red wine and berries,

which are anti-bacterial and improve immunity so could have additional health benefits for animals. Now the IGFS science is moving into the field, with trials on UK farms about to begin, using seaweed sourced from the Irish and North Seas as a feed supplement for cattle. One three-year project is in partnership with the UK supermarket Morrisons and its network of British beef farmers who will facilitate farm trials. The project also includes the Agrifood and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Northern Ireland, as a partner. A second project sees IGFS and AFBI join a €2m international project - led by Irish agency An Teagasc - to monitor the effects of seaweed in the diet of pasture-based livestock. Seaweed will be added to grass-based silage on farm trials involving dairy cows in NI from early 2022. 31

MARKETING NEWS

ONLINE SHOW TO FEATURE LEGENDERRY FOOD AND DRINK

supplies milk to produce Meeny Hill Goat, which is a hard cheese aged for at least two months and Meeny Hill Blue, Northern Ireland’s first blue goat’s cheese. He enjoyed bread making at the White Horse Hotel and even managed to do some urban foraging in St Columb’s Park House before cooking his foodie finds at street food supremo, Lo and Slo BBQ food truck. “We made sure Randy was introduced to two of our fantastic breweries, including master brewer elebrity chef and travel enthusiast James Huey’s creations at the Walled City Brewery Randy Lewis, who describes himself as and Northbound Brewery, which prides itself on the Phileas Fogg of food, has filmed crafting natural beers that are unpasteurised, a series of shows highlighting the quality unfiltered, with no artificial additives and bottled and unique nature of the food and drink fresh on site. stories which abound in the walled city of “Randy met one of the city’s fishmongers, Derry~Londonderry. Brendan Moore and was introduced to some locally Randy’s LegenDerry Adventure shows him caught seafood followed by an exhilarating ride on the visiting some of the city’s finest food and drink Foyle Rocket, with Foyle Venture Cruises, to blow the Celebrity chef and travel producers before cooking up a feast, using enthusiast Randy Lewis with cobwebs away.” quality, locally produced ingredients. LegenDerry fishmonger The online programmes aired on RTE.ie last month, Brendan Moore. “Derry~Londonderry’s passion for great with the series also be available to view on Randy tasting food and drink is everywhere: from the Lewis’ Facebook (www.facebook.com/randaddys) local producers, excited to share their authentic products and and Instagram (www.instagram.com/randaddys) pages. stories, to the bustling restaurants, craic-filled bars and vibrant street-food scene helping to put new twists on our ancient city’s fascinating food heritage,” said Assumpta O’Neill, international brand & campaigns manager, Visit Derry. “Charlene McCrossan from Martin McCrossan City Tours delighted Randy with an informative and fun tour of the city ale Farm is reprising before he visited the Craft Village where he sampled some its role as lead tea and scones with fresh cream and locally made jams at The sponsor of the Grand Thatched Cottage. Opera House pantomime “Randy visited Dart Mountain Cheese where a goat herd Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The popular family event marks the return of the Grand Opera House following its restoration and the return of live Ian Wilson, chief executive, Grand Opera theatre in Northern House, and Caroline Martin, corporate Ireland following the marketing and communications manager, pandemic. Dale Farm. Dale Farm is the longest standing title sponsor of the Grand Opera House pantomime, renewing its contract to provide funding to the Theatre so it can deliver award-winning productions year-round. “We are delighted to once again sponsor the spectacular Grand Opera House pantomime,” said Caroline Martin, corporate marketing and communications manager, Dale Farm. “The show is a highlight of the festive season for families, and it is wonderful to see its return following last year’s lockdown cancellation, against the stunning backdrop of the new look theatre. “As a company owned by local farmers and providing families here with dairy for generations, it’s built into our ethos to encourage families to come together to make happy memories – moments, as the last year has taught us more than ever, are worth appreciating. “In addition, the arts sector in Northern Ireland is a rich and vibrant part of our culture, which was so badly impacted by the events of the last year. We feel the arts must be treasured and celebrated and we welcome the chance to help do that through our support of panto and the Grand Opera House overall.”

DALE FARM SPONSORS GRAND OPERA HOUSE FOR A SIXTH YEAR

DRINKS NEWS

PLANS APPROVED FOR PUMP-HOUSE DISTILLERY & TOURISM CENTRE

lans have been approved for the conversion of the historic Titanic Pump-House into a new whiskey distillery and tourist attraction. A listed building in the heart of Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, the Pump-House, along with its neighbouring dry dock, first opened in 1911 and lays claim as the world’s only authentic Titanic landmark. Belfast drinks company Titanic Distillers has been given the green light by Belfast City Council to convert the Pump-House into a working distillery with associated visitor tour. “We are very excited that our planning application has been approved,” said Richard Irwin, director, Titanic Distillers.

Peter Lavery, Stephen Symington, Richard Irwin and Sean Lavery, Titanic Distillers directors.

“At Titanic Distillers, we are very aware that we have a big responsibility as custodians of a hugely historic and global brand, and it is crucially important that we preserve the historical integrity of this

RADEMON ESTATE SHOWS WINNING SPIRIT WITH FIRST WHISKEY R

ademon Estate Distillery’s first whiskey, Shortcross Single Malt Whiskey, has been named winner of the New Irish Whiskey category at The Irish Whiskey Awards, held on November 11 at Powerscourt Distillery, Fiona and David Boyd-Armstrong, Co Wicklow. founders of Shortcross Whiskey. The first new whiskey to be released from a Northern Ireland distillery in over 100 years, it is produced by the Co Down-based producers of Shortcross Gin. With the first two casks of Shortcross Single Malt due to be opened in the coming weeks, just 700 bottles from the first release of Shortcross Whiskey are available to reserve via the Rademon Estate Distillery website. “We have been working on bringing the first new release of whiskey from a Northern Ireland distillery in over 100 years since we casked our first barrels almost seven years ago, and to be awarded this top accolade by our peers, just before our first release goes on sale, is fitting timing,” said David BoydArmstrong, head distiller and co-founder. “Fiona and I have invested so much time, effort and funds into the creation of our whiskey distillery and to see our first bottles go on sale in a matter of weeks is just incredible.” A total of £3.5m has been invested in Rademon Estate Distillery since it was established and the Estate now houses the distillery, a state-of-the-art visitor centre and bottle shop.

building and its surrounds.” Once completed, visitors to the Pump-House will ‘clock in’, as workers did a century ago, to view the workings of the distillery and hear the story of Belfast’s whiskey tradition, why it disappeared and how it has returned with the city’s first working whiskey distillery in more than 100 years. The Titanic Pump-House is within walking distance of Titanic Belfast, the world’s biggest Titanic exhibition centre and Northern Ireland’s number one tourist attraction, clocking up more than 800,000 visitors per annum in the days before Covid-19.

UNITED WINES HOSTS MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES TASTING EVENTS C

raigavon-based drinks distributor United Wines recently welcomed Spanish wine producer Marqués de Cáceres to the Crafty Vintner wine merchant and tasting rooms in Belfast for an exclusive tasting event. United Wines has managed the distribution of Marqués de Cáceres wines in Northern Ireland for 12 years and hosted a three-day engagement programme which saw Marqués de Cáceres Export Area Manager Antonio Alvarez conduct educational visits and sampling events to raise awareness of the brand at more than 20 on- and off-trade venues around the province. Founded in 1985, United Wines boasts an extensive portfolio of wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks distributed from its 75,000-square-foot warehouse to an extensive on- and offtrade customer base across the island of Ireland including more than 1,000 bars, restaurants, hotels, off licences, cash & carries, regional wholesalers and national multiples. Antonio Alvarez, export area manager, Marqués de Cáceres, and Ciaran Meyler, wine manager, United Wines.

OFF LICENCE PROFILE

RAISING THE BAR

CUSTOMERS ARE TRADING UP AFTER HIS STORE’S GLOW UP, GEE’S WINE SHOP OWNER EAMONN GEE TELLS ALYSON MAGEE

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW SHOP I used to own the site here and had a supermarket and the off licence as one unit. The Henderson Group bought it off me, and the site behind us, knocked the whole lot down and built a new development with four units and the new EUROSPAR Rossdowney. Of the four units, two are fast food and I took the other two to open as one spacious off licence. My new premises opened about three months ago. WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE STYLISH LOOK OF THE NEW SHOP? John McDonnell of McDonnell Design helped us with the design inside. We’re very pleased with the outcome and have

been getting a very good response from customers. At around 1,800 square feet, it probably has 50% more space than before. We opened it up without suspended ceilings, which gives a big airy space to the shop. John described it as having an American warehouse feel with exposed bricks which we painted using lots of blacks and greys. HAS THE NEW SHOP BROUGHT IN NEW CUSTOMERS & TRADE? With the new shop, we picked up a lot of new customers and they are showing more interest in spirits than before including higher value spirits. We would sell £90 bottles of whiskey now, and I’m

standing here looking at £164 and £395 bottles of whiskey on the shelf as well as the usual ones. We seem to have picked up a more discerning customer and get a bigger kick out of selling them a good quality bottle. TELL US ABOUT YOUR RANGE & SUPPLIERS We’re still a member of Nisa and have been for 30-odd years while we were in groceries, and we also just buy where we can from most of the local suppliers. We’ve worked very hard at building a craft beer section in the shop and probably have the biggest selection in town from local craft brewers to the international beers - Belgian, German, Austrian and Polish to name just a few. We have about 12 staff members in total including three on the floor with different areas of expertise; some are very knowledgeable about the beers and others on the wines. We have noticed our average wine purchase is a touch higher than it was too. We have a disproportionate range of chilled wine; in fact, 99% of our white wine is permanently chilled which is a point of difference from most shops. WHAT OTHER SERVICES ARE OFFERED BY YOUR SHOP? One thing we have concentrated on quite hard is building our own app and website offering a delivery service, which has been very successful. Deliveries reached a dizzying height in the first lockdown but have stayed noticeably high. We have very active Facebook and Instagram sites which, along with the app and the website, is run by my daughter Sarah Gee. Another feature of the shop is we have a gift section with a gift table for wrapping and a lot of gift items on offer such as gins in boxes with glasses. We do quite a lot of those. IS THE LOCKDOWN BOOM IN OFFTRADE SALES COMING TO AN END? It has been holding up relatively well, and there’s still a lot of interest in beer kegs for home bars. We’ll have to see what happens with the nightclubs reopening, but I think it’s probably settled down into the level it’s going to be now.

GEE’S WINE SHOP 1 ROSSDOWNEY PARK, DERRY 02871 311503 W: GEESWINESHOP.CO.UK/ 35

BUSINESS NEWS

COLLABORATION KEY TO UNLOCKING POTENTIAL & ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHALLENGE

orthern Ireland’s food and drink industry must be part of the solution on the UK’s journey to Net Zero, political leaders were told at the 25th Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) annual dinner. Speaking at the milestone dinner, Nick Whelan, NIFDA chairman and Group CEO of Dale Farm, said Northern Ireland food and drink’s credentials as an innovative, skills-driven and sustainable sector make the industry well placed to drive the local economy forward, with the right support and collaboration from government. Held in partnership with HSBC UK, the event was attended by over 200 industry leaders and political representatives. Tesco UK & ROI CEO Jason Tarry was keynote speaker at this year’s dinner. “The biggest challenge we face is the need to feed a growing world population in the most sustainable way,” said Whelan. “Climate change is a priority issue for governments worldwide and an ever-increasing proportion of the citizens of this planet. This is already driving significant change in policy, consumer behaviour and customer requirements. “As a key strategic industry feeding 10 million people, we simply must be part of the solution. We understand that

Nick Whelan, chairman, NIFDA; Gillian Morris, head of Corporate Banking NI, HSBC UK; Jason Tarry, CEO UK & ROI, Tesco; and Michael Bell, executive director, NIFDA.

significant change is required, and the appetite for change in the industry is real. “We already have solid credentials on sustainability. Thanks to our grass-based feed diets, exceptional yields and the technical prowess of our farmers and processors, we are world leading on carbon efficiency. “A new sustainability body would allow us to fully quantify the net impact on, and contribution to the environment from, the industry. Not only would this highlight areas for improvement based on scientific evidence, it would also be a powerful tool to share our successes to date in this area. “Our industry here has enormous potential that can be unlocked with the right support and collaboration from government, and now is the time to deliver it.”

TREVOR ANNON HONOURED AT BELFAST CHAMBER AWARDS T

Paul McClurg, head of Business Banking, Bank of Ireland; Trevor Annon, chairman of Mount Charles; and Cool FM presenter Pete Snodden. 36

revor Annon, the founder and chairman of leading business support solutions company Mount Charles, has been recognised with a lifetime achievement award at the Belfast Chamber Awards. Mount Charles currently employs 2,500, and services over 400 clients across the UK and Ireland. It sources approximately 85% of its food from NI suppliers, making a contribution of £50m per annum to the NI economy.

DELI LITES EYES GLOBAL GROWTH WITH £4M INVESTMENT

arrenpoint-based food-to-go manufacturer DELI LITES is creating 45 new jobs at its Milltown Industrial Estate factory as part of a £4.3m investment to support its growth in global markets. Established in 1998 by co-founders Jackie and Brian Reid, DELI LITES supplies a range of hand-crafted food-to-go products to a host of major retailers across Ireland, the UK, Europe, and the rest of the world. It produces over 40 million products annually and employs more than 200 people. “Over the last five years, we have experienced exponential growth, securing new contracts with major multiples, cafe chains and blue-chip customers worldwide,” said Brian Reid, CEO of DELI LITES. “With chef-led innovation, our products are healthy, tasty and convenient and therefore appeal to a wide-ranging consumer base. “We’ve been working in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland since 2007. Over the years the agency has supported us to upskill and grow our team and purchase new equipment which has enabled us to extend our product range and introduce Industry 4.0 technologies. “Almost 70% of our business is now export-led which has been strengthened by introducing new innovative awardwinning ranges which are disrupting the ‘food to go’ industry, whilst delivering on the changing consumer demands and proving very popular in the Baltics and Scandinavia. “The 45 new staff will help us to fulfil growing demand for our product ranges, expand our export reach in Europe, the UAE and the US.” Invest NI has offered DELI LITES £499,800 of support towards the 45 new roles and marketing development activities.

Jackie and Brian Reid, owners of DELI LITES, with George McKinney, director of technology, services & scaling, Invest NI.

APPOINTMENTS

PADDY MURNEY APPOINTED RETAIL ANAPHYLAXIS SALES DIRECTOR FOR MUSGRAVE NI CAMPAIGN

onvenience retailer and wholesale supplier Musgrave NI, owner of the SuperValu, Centra, MACE, Musgrave MarketPlace and Drinks Inc brands, has announced the appointment of Paddy Murney as retail sales director. Murney joins Musgrave NI from Unilever where he was channel director, responsible for the delivery of the sales plan for the grocery channel across all divisions. Prior to Unilever, he worked as a sales director with Coca-Cola HBC across the island of Ireland. “Our ambitious plans to redefine convenience within our network of stores are well underway, including a programme of store refurbishments and reinvigoration of our brand offerings,” said Trevor Magill, managing director of Musgrave NI. “We are delighted that Paddy will be leading the development of new commercial opportunities across Musgrave NI and optimising sales and profitability of

BUSHMILLS APPOINTS ALEX THOMAS AS NEW MASTER BLENDER

our retail brands, building on the already strong relationships we have with our retail partners. “Paddy will also be focused on the aggressive growth of our brands through competitor conversions and strategic Paddy Murney acquisitions.” As retail sales director, Murney will oversee the development of the retail partnership model across Northern Ireland. He said: “As a company, our aim is to grow good, sustainable businesses for our retailers, our customers, our suppliers and ultimately Musgrave. “I am delighted to join such a longestablished family business and awardwinning team. I am looking forward to bringing my extensive sales and brand experience to the business, driving forward the existing strong partnerships with our SuperValu and Centra retailers, while identifying new commercial opportunities which will drive profitability of the brands.”

2004 and, since then, has spent over 17 years honing her craft; fascinated in particular by the maturation phase of the whiskey-making process. This interest, and her initial experiences, led to experimentation with different taste profiles and ultimately her development of The Sexton Single Malt, which saw her lex Thomas has been appointed as master blender appointed as master in 2017. blender at The Old “It is a privilege to be Bushmills Distillery, the appointed as master world’s oldest licensed blender for Bushmills whiskey distillery. Irish Whiskey,” said Building on the legacy Thomas. “The Old Alex Thomas, master of generations of Bushmills Bushmills Distillery is a blender, Bushmills whiskey makers, Thomas very special place and I’m Irish Whiskey will take responsibility for excited to explore my passion selection and management of for developing new whiskeys the casks for its famous single malt, and experimenting with different casks nurturing the Bushmills Irish Whiskey and flavours, while still maintaining the portfolio of premium blends and iconic Bushmills taste and quality. aged single malts, and new product “The craftmanship and passion that development. goes into Bushmills is something that Born in Ballymoney, just 15 minutes has truly captured my imagination. Whiskey fans know Bushmills Irish from The Old Bushmills Distillery, she Whiskey for the brand’s 400 years of succeeds Helen Mulholland, who began quality and taste, so part of my job will her long career at The Old Bushmills be ensuring that we continue to meet Distillery almost 30 years ago. that high standard.” Thomas joined the Bushmills team in

APPOINTS SIMON WILLIAMS AS CEO

imon Williams is succeeding Simon Lynne Williams Regent, who retired in August 2021 after 13 years as chief executive of the Anaphylaxis Campaign. Previously head of external affairs at HEART UK The Cholesterol Charity, Williams led successful campaigns for better services and access to medicines for people with heart disease, as well as playing a leading role in transforming the charity’s communications, commercial partnerships and income generation.

GROCERYAID NAMES ALLAN LEIGHTON AS PRESIDENT

llan Leighton, chairman of the Co-operative Group, BrewDog and Pizza Express has been appointed as president of GroceryAid by its Board of Trustees effective from January 1, 2022. He will succeed Charles Wilson, completing his tenure as GroceryAid president this month. “It has been a pleasure to serve as GroceryAid president for these past two years,” said Wilson. “I am delighted to be handing over to such a capable successor as Allan.”

Allan Leighton

SHELFLIFE

To see your product featured in Shelf Life, contact Judith Martin at j.martin@mediahuis.co.uk or Tel: 07765 183176

FLORA LAUNCHES PLANT-BASED BUTTER ALTERNATIVE

lora Plant B+tter, owned by spreads manufacturer Upfield, has launched a brand-new spreadable butter alternative, Flora Plant B+tter Spreadable. Flora Plant B+tter Spreadable is fully plant-based, made with 100% natural ingredients, and contains no artificial colours or flavours. Flora Plant B+tter Spreadable has 70% lower carbon footprint than dairy butter1 based on a product lifecycle assessment, and the tub, lid and foil are all recyclable. Creating more sustainable products, like the new spreadable, are part of the brand’s commitment to create more environmentally friendly, plant-based alternatives for customers who want to shop, and eat, more sustainably. The latest innovation from Flora Plant B+tter has transparent carbon footprint labelling for sustainable shoppers and has been approved by the UK Vegan Society. The new spreadable product lays claim as

great for baking, cooking, spreading and frying, and the same rich, creamy taste as dairy butter. Flora Plant B+tter Spreadable is available for £3.25 in the UK, at a growing number of retailers, including Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Ocado. Based on lifecycle assessment comparing Flora Plant B*tter (spreadable) to dairy butter (UK).

DETTOL’S DISINFECTION WIPE PORTFOLIO NOW BIODEGRADABLE

ettol has started its journey to ensure that all its disinfecting wipes in the UK market will be biodegradable, marking the next important step from the brand towards providing more sustainable choices for consumers. Dettol will be updating the entire disinfection wipes portfolio including Surface Cleansing, Multi-Purpose, Floor, Big & Strong and Kitchen & Bathroom Wipes, meaning that consumers can continue their new cleaning habits with the peace of mind that they are being

less harmful to the environment. Consumers no longer have to make a choice between biodegradable options and the products that they know will work, with all Dettol wipes across the portfolio killing 99.9% of bacteria and Covid-19 virus. Non-biodegradable wipes can take over 100 years to biodegrade in comparison to the new Dettol wipes, which are made of biodegradable fibres and take up to six months to break down in industrial composting conditions.

LIR CHOCOLATES LAUNCHES BAILEYS CHOCOLATE BOMBE

rish chocolatier Lir Chocolates is expanding its Baileys range with the launch of a Baileys Chocolate Bombe as part of its Christmas portfolio for 2021. This follows on from the success of its staple chocolate gift sets, and popular Christmas Crackers which launched last year. The Chocolate Bombe will be available to consumers at Morrisons, Asda (only one bombe pack in Asda), Matalan, B&M and online for RRP £5. Each pack contains three Chocolate Bombes, made up of Baileys flavoured milk chocolate with marshmallows housed inside the shell. The product will tap into the growing trend of home entertaining as a result of the pandemic and appeal to consumers looking to enjoy Christmas at home with fun and innovative products. “With indulgence and reuniting with extended family being at the forefront for consumers this Christmas, we wanted to add some theatre to these moments and make them even more special for consumers with the launch of the Baileys Chocolate Bombe,” said Katie Byrne, brand manager at Lir Chocolates.

CLASSIFIEDS WANT YOUR COMPANY TO GET NOTICED? ADVERTISE HERE...

CONTACT CHRIS KEENAN ON 028 9264 4267 OR EMAIL:

c.keenan@ independentmagazinesni.co.uk

CLASSIFIEDS

WANT YOUR COMPANY TO GET NOTICED? ADVERTISE HERE... CONTACT CHRIS KEENAN ON 028 9264 4267 OR EMAIL:

c.keenan@ independentmagazinesni.co.uk

GROCER ULSTER

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

CLASSIFIEDS

Q&A TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF I am key account manager at Mackle Petfoods, who produce household brands Brandy, Cat Club and Naturo Natural Pet Food. I have been working in the company for seven years, starting as sales assistant, progressing into account management four years ago, and just recently moved my focus to business development in export markets and with private label. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, country walks and am a regular gym goer. I also love to travel and look forward to exploring new places hopefully in the nottoo-distant future.

In the Hot Seat SINEAD COTTER, KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER, MACKLE PETFOODS

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE? A typical day can be quite varied and interesting. I start off the day making a to-do list of things I need to complete that day in order of priority. I could be preparing presentations and sales figures for customer meetings, speaking via video call with our distributor partners across Europe, researching new markets to develop new business, and dealing with day-to-day customer queries. WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? One of my highlights has been the involvement in establishing and developing new business in South Korea. Starting from an initial meeting at a European trade show in 2018, to regular communication and relationship development, to making the trip to visit our distributor partner based in Seoul. It was an amazing experience for me to visit this new market and get to know their culture. We now have a strong relationship with his partner who represents Naturo Natural Pet Food in this market. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? I enjoy the varied nature of the job and mix of interesting customers that I manage in the various countries. I get lots of opportunities to travel to new places that I might not get to see had I not been in this job. I have visited countries including South Korea, Greece, Lithuania and Croatia. More recently, I visited Malta and will travel to Italy soon for Zoomark Trade Show 2021. WHAT IS YOUR MOST DIFFICULT TASK? It is challenging when I have to deliver unfavourable news to customers. It is 42

never an easy task when communicating updates such as cost price increases to customers, which are an inevitable part of the business. WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? Stay true to who you are. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GRIPE? Not enough hours in the day in what is an exciting and ever-changing, challenging market. WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? I really enjoy dancing and would love more opportunities to learn this talent. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS/ AMBITIONS? Having recently moved my focus to export business, I want to develop in this role gaining new business in new countries. There are many opportunities for Naturo across the world as this 100% natural brand uses only high-quality ingredients, with the USP of being produced in Northern Ireland – which is a strong selling point when speaking to potential customers across the globe. We have come through a challenging period and have become stronger. It is an exciting

time to be part of the Mackle Petfoods team. WHOM DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? I most admire my aunt. In the 70s, at only 18 she went to university in England to study teaching. It was quite unusual at the time especially as the family did not have a lot of money. She dedicated a career to education and training, and continually gained qualifications to advance her career which I really admired. She was awarded an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2016 for her services to education and I had the pleasure of being there with her. WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? There’s no place like home! Although I spent an amazing month travelling in New Zealand. I also loved visiting San Francisco when I had family who lived there. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD PRODUCT? You can’t beat a delicious home-made lasagne. HOW DO YOU RELAX? I like to relax by reading books, listening to podcasts and going on relaxing spa days.