Ulster Grocer March 2019

GROCER ULSTER

MARCH 2019

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

TM

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

OPINION SAINSBURY’S/ASDA MERGER LOOKING VERY UNLIKELY

BY DONALD C McFETRIDGE, INDEPENDENT RETAIL ANALYST

T

he recent publication of the provisional findings of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into the proposed Sainsbury’s/Asda merger does not augur well in terms of a positive outcome for the companies involved.

In their findings, the CMA draws attention to the fact that they do not understand how the proposed merger could possibly be good for retail competition in a large number of geographic regions throughout the UK. They further point out that they do not, at this stage, believe the proposed merger would result in greater price competition for consumers.

I fully agree with both these assertions.

I have already nailed my colours to the mast and pointed out – early in the process – that it was most unlikely that the deal would get past the CMA without, at least, the selling-off of large parts of the retail estates of both Sainsbury’s and Asda in many areas throughout the country.

Now, it looks as if even that would not be a totally agreeable solution for the

9-11

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS 2019: SPONSORS & PAST WINNERS ASSEMBLED AT THE CULLODEN ON FEBRUARY 21 FOR THE LAUNCH OF THIS YEAR’S AWARDS.

CMA. Selling off stores could, in itself, be a problem depending on who was intending to purchase them and could lead to further problems in an already very troubled and unsettled industry.

Retail analysts are in almost total agreement that, following the midFebruary publication of the provisional CMA findings, it is beginning to look more and more unlikely that the deal (as it stands at the minute) will get the go-ahead.

In the meantime, it has been suggested

12-13

that Sainsbury’s have taken their eyes off the ball in terms of key strategic, everyday decisions in the running of the company, and it has also been pointed out that Wal-Mart may already be looking for other potential partners for Asda even before the final end-of-May CMA decision hits their desks.

I have no doubt that these headline provisional responses are only the tip of the iceberg. The CMA cannot have failed to realise that the merger of these two behemoths into one gigantic retail supergroup could also have potentially devastating consequences throughout the supply chain.

Retail suppliers are already being pushed for tighter and tighter margins by the supermarket giants, and it is absolutely certain that Sainsbury’s and Asda (as a combined force) would flex their purchasing muscle even further, with fears for the survival of some of their smaller-scale suppliers.

When Sainsbury CEO, Mike Coupe, was caught on camera singing ‘We’re in the money’ from the hit musical 42nd Street, he should perhaps have been considering whether or not ‘…there’s a sunny side to every situation’ (also from 42nd Street). The only problem is, it looks like he could find himself on the opposite side of the street from where the sun is shining and the tills are ringing.

18

26-27

STORE FOCUS:

MADE WITH LOVE:

A WORLD WITHOUT WASTE:

CONVERTING TO COSTCUTTER, EXPANDING & REFOCUSING ON CHILLED & FOOD TO GO HAS BOOSTED SHOP SALES BY OVER 70% FOR THE GEM IN WEST BELFAST.

HENDERSON WHOLESALE HAS PUT ITS LOCAL FARMERS, GROWERS AND SUPPLIERS AT THE FOREFRONT OF ITS LATEST ENJOY LOCAL CAMPAIGN.

COCA-COLA HBC IRELAND AND NORTHERN IRELAND OUTLINES ITS £5M INVESTMENT IN SUSTAINABILITY OVER THE PAST YEAR.

EDITORIAL COMMENT

email: info@ulstergrocer.com Volume 54, Number 3 MARCH 2019 Editor: Alyson Magee E: a.magee@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4175 Contributors: Michele Shirlow, Jason Winstanley, Donald C McFetridge Sales Manager: Chris Keenan E: c.keenan@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4266 Art Editor: Helen Wright Production Manager: Irene Fitzsimmons Ulster Grocer c/o Independent News & Media Ltd, Belfast Telegraph House 33 Clarendon Road Clarendon Dock Belfast BT1 3BG www.ulstergrocer.com @ulstergrocer www.facebook.com/ulstergrocer Subscriptions: £27.50 per annum

£37.50 per annum (outside UK) Designed & Produced by: Independent News & Media Ltd Tel: 028 9026 4000 Printed by: W&G Baird, Antrim Tel: 028 9446 3911 Latest ABC figures state that Ulster Grocer has an average net circulation of 5,846 per edition (1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018) Independent News & Media Ltd ©2019. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or stransmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of Independent News & Media Ltd.

www.ulstergrocer.com

BREXIT & BUDGET BLUES CONTINUE A

t the time of writing, it is officially the first day of spring. Welcome to the March edition of Ulster Grocer.

First things first, and let’s get the Brexit update out of the way.

Unfortunately, there is little progress on that front other than a further drawing out of the process as Prime Minister Theresa May works on a withdrawal plan capable of garnering sufficient support to get it through Parliament.

Meanwhile, MPs continue to resign or revolt and Labour is getting behind a second referendum but can’t agree on the questions it would pose.

In summary, we appear to be no further on, with the only positive news perhaps widespread opposition to a nodeal Brexit.

Media reports have highlighted the catastrophic impact a no-deal withdrawal could have on food and drink availability and prices UK-wide, but with Northern Ireland likely to suffer the greatest due to its lower average disposable income (not to mention the border issues).

Retail NI and the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium have warned of its potential impact on an already-fragile High Street.

Ulster Farmers’ Union is concerned over the future of our £4.5bn agrifood industry, which employs 100,000 people and relies on exports to be sustainable. And, representing one of the biggest sectors of that £4.5bn industry, the Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland has warned any adoption of an ‘open door’ policy under a WTO trade liberalisation model would seriously threaten the viability of beef and sheep farming across Northern Ireland, with estimated annual losses of £230m.

So, in that sense, any reduction in the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit is good news indeed.

Other topical news, meanwhile, includes publication of the NI Budget by Secretary of State Karen Bradley at the end of February, in the continued absence of local government. It has been greeted with disappointment

by Retail NI, which had hoped for a business rate reduction, and support measures for struggling independent retailers, in line with their counterparts in England (see p8).

And controversy continues to surround the RHI scheme, with the Ulster Farmers’ Union claiming proposed steep cuts in the scheme will create ‘dramatic cash flow issues’ for, in particular, poultry farmers which the union says entered the government-run scheme in good faith and used it responsibly. The RHI inquiry’s report is forthcoming.

Featured over ps9-11 is the launch of the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards 2019. As you will see from the outdoor shots, spring came early for our photo call and many thanks to our sponsors and past winners for not only attending but also, in some cases, stepping in to move our pop-up stands around. For those unable to attend due to prior engagements, we look forward to seeing you at the GroceryAid Ulster Grocers’ Ball in the Culloden on May 10.

It’s time to get busy as entry for the Awards closes on March 15. What’s the point of putting all that time and energy into marketing if you can’t shout about it and, as they say, if you’re not in, you can’t win...

Ulster Grocer is a part of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). If you believe you have been unfairly treated, you can contact IPSO in writing via its website for guidance on what to do. The service is free. IPSO can then advise on whether it’s likely you have grounds for a complaint and what to do about it. The normal procedure is for the complainant to then contact the publication’s editor directly. If no agreement is reached, the complainant can go back to IPSO to look for an adjudication, or for it to take over the complaint.

Full details are available at www.ipso.co.uk. Alternatively, email complaints@ipso.co.uk, or inquiries@ipso.co.uk, or telephone 0300 123 2220, or the out-of-hours emergency number: 07659 152 656.

Or write to: IPSO, c/o Halton House, 20-23 Holborn, London EC1N 2JD.

6

NEWS

WHITE’S AND LINWOODS DRIVE LOCAL ORGANIC SALES GROWTH

N

orthern Ireland members of the Soil Association saw their turnover rise 22% in 2018, according to the organic certification body’s Organic Market Report published last month.

The Soil Association valued the UKwide organic market at £2.33bn in 2018, up 5.3% year on year, and representing 1.5% of the overall food and drink market with shoppers spending £45m per week on organic produce.

Defra statistics identify 220 organic producers and processors in Northern Ireland, an increase of 7.8% since 2016, although the area of land farmed organically remained at 83,000 hectares.

Two of the largest organic food brands

in Northern Ireland, super food company Linwoods and White’s cereals are driving sales from the province, according to the Soil Association, while sales of organic mushrooms also increased significantly in 2018.

UK-wide, the Market Report found a 3.3% increase in supermarket sales of organic (excluding discounters), 6.2% increase in independent retailer sales, and an 8% increase in sales into foodservice.

Certified organic and natural beauty product sales, meanwhile, grew 14% in 2018 to £86.5m.

Grocery categories driving growth included wines, chilled convenience, canned and packaged goods and fresh

fruit, salad and vegetables.

“There are some key producers and processors of quality organic products and brands in Northern Ireland who are benefiting from the renewed interest in organically certified food,” said Finn Cottle, trade consultant for Soil Association Certification.

“Because organic is legally certified, shoppers can trust that the food they are buying has been produced with the utmost care for the environment, animals and land, as well as being fully traceable. It’s encouraging that, despite uncertainties in the wider food and drink sector, more and more shoppers are turning to the organic symbol as one they can trust to deliver.”

CONCERNS EXPRESSED OVER DAERA RECYCLING PLANS FOR RETAILERS R etail NI is calling on the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to ensure a manually administered deposit return scheme does not form part of its plan to encourage people to recycle more.

The retail organisation was responding to a consultation covering Northern Ireland, England and Wales which was published last month, proposing a network of return points made up of reverse vending machines and manual return points which would be hosted by retailers and in other locations.

The impact assessment published alongside the consultation suggests that small convenience stores would be required to take back containers manually because ‘reverse vending machines will not be an economic solution’ for them. Retail NI has consistently argued that manual returns would cause a number of issues for retailers and would not be a practical solution.

“The retail sector has a part to play in ensuring that less plastic ends up on our streets, countryside and oceans,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI. “We share the same objectives as the Government, but have concerns with their proposed methods to address this problem.

“We welcome the Government’s acknowledgement that reverse vending machines may not be economically or practically viable for small stores, but requiring those stores to take part in a manual return system would be extremely problematic.

“Issues our members have identified include a lack of space to store returned containers, hygiene problems from handling dirty containers, colleagues having to deal with potentially hundreds of returned containers every day, and the queues and customer disruption this could cause.”

From left, Ian Stevenson, chief executive, LMC; Roy McMurray, Bullsbrook Farm, Dromore; Cherrie Kenny, education services manager, LMC; and David Brown, chairman, BOIOFW and deputy president, UFU.

LMC TO SPONSOR OPEN FARM WEEKEND

L

ivestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC) is part sponsoring this year’s Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend (BOIOFW) running on June 15 and 16.

Currently in its eighth year, LMC has hosted cookery demonstrations during BOIOFW for a number of years but this is the first time the organisation has sponsored the initiative.

“As consumers are becoming more conscious about where their food comes from, events like BOIOFW are vital as it allows consumers to learn more about the farm end of the production chain,” said Ian Stevenson, chief executive, LMC. “It also enables consumers to meet the farmers who work so hard all year round to provide the high quality produce Northern Ireland is known for.”

7

NEWS

RETAIL NI RAISES RATES AND BUDGET ISSUES WITH FINANCE SECRETARY

B

usiness Rates Reform, the Future High Streets Fund and the Northern Ireland Executive Departmental Budget were among issues discussed during a meeting between Retail NI, Hospitality Ulster and Department of Finance Permanent Secretary Sue Gray last month.

“We left the Permanent Secretary and her officials in no doubt as to how bad the situation is in regard to our broken and antiquated system of business rates in Northern Ireland,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI. “Independent retailers and hospitality businesses in Northern Ireland are paying the highest business rates in the UK and have little in the way of rate relief schemes which our mainland counterparts enjoy.

“While the Assembly is down, this presents an opportunity for the Department of Finance to conduct a full and wide-ranging review of business rates to ensure that any future Finance Minister has a range of options to consider for radical change.

“The Chancellor in his recent Budget gave independent retailers and hospitality businesses in England a third off their rate bills. Our members in Northern Ireland got nothing.

“We also urged for the £20m Future High Streets Fund, which was announced by the Chancellor to regenerate our high streets, to be included in any local budget for Northern Ireland. It is also vital the wider business community is fully consulted on the Northern Ireland departmental budget.

“Northern Ireland cannot be the only part of the UK which does benefit from the Future High Streets Fund, particularly given we have the highest levels of shop vacancies and dereliction.”

Retail NI and Hospitality Ulster have both written to the Secretary to State for Northern Ireland urging her to reduce the Regional Business Rate and include the £20m Future High Street Fund when the NIO sets the Northern Ireland budget.

8

From left, Rhonda Geary, operations manager, RUAS; Nigel Walsh, commercial director, and Cormac McKervey, head of Agriculture, Ulster Bank; and Alan Crowe, chief executive, RUAS.

COUNTDOWN UNDERWAY FOR THE BALMORAL SHOW

U

lster Bank is returning as principal sponsor of the Balmoral Show, which will held at Balmoral Park, Lisburn over May 15-18, for a 10th year.

Organiser Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) is planning to build on the success of last year’s historic 150th show, with this year’s event set to feature more than 650 trade stands, an NI Food Pavilion featuring the best of local food and drink producers, hundreds of competitions and classes, and a wide range of family entertainment and attractions.

“It’s a great honour to officially kick-start the countdown to our doors opening again in 2019 and indeed to a new era for the Balmoral Show,” said Alan Crowe, chief executive, RUAS. “Last year was all about celebrating our landmark anniversary but now we are looking towards the future and excited to see how the Show continues to grow and evolve.

“We are pleased to have Ulster Bank on board again as our principal sponsor as their support has played an integral role in enabling us to grow the Show to the fantastic spectacle it is today. Whether you’re looking for a family day out, great food or the chance to see some exceptional livestock displays, it’s all in the Show.”

New attractions for 2019 include the Jason Smyth Adrenalin Tour along with Clive Shaw Trucks and the return of the hotly-contested best-dressed competition.

Pre-show tickets are available at balmoralshow.co.uk.

ROBBERIES AND LOST RATE-RELIEF THREATEN FUTURE OF RURAL ATMS

T

he future of rural ATMs is in jeopardy, Retail NI has warned, having met with the PSNI at Musgrave Street Station last month to discuss the on-going problem of robberies.

“These robberies have cost our members hundreds of thousands of pounds and the criminal gangs behind them belong behind bars for a very long time,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI. “There is now a perfect storm of problems around rural ATMs. In addition to the robberies, because the Assembly is down, many of our rural members

have lost their rate relief on their ATMs, costing them a staggering £150,000. Our members also now have a new added transaction charge by the main supplier of the machines.

“With so many bank branch closures, our members provide an invaluable service to many rural communities to access cash with their ATMs. Unless we see a crack down on the robberies, a restoration of the rate relief and resolution on the transaction charge, many rural areas of Northern Ireland could be ATM free zones which will have a negative impact upon consumers and rural communities.”

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS

NEW DIGITAL CATEGORY ADDED TO THE ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS

U

nseasonably warm weather greeted sponsors and past winners assembling at the Culloden Hotel & Spa on February 21 for the launch of the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards 2019.

To be held at the GroceryAid Ulster Grocers’ Ball in the Culloden on May 10, the 31st annual Awards will recognise marketing excellence in the local grocery industry from producers, suppliers, wholesalers and independent retailers to retail groups.

Entry closes on March 15 for the Awards, which total 10 in number, and include the new accolades of Best Digital Marketing and Best Green Marketing (formerly Green Retailer of

the Year).

Returning in 2019 after its successful debut last year is the Lorraine Hall Young Marketeer Award, recognising up and coming stars in memory of the co-founder of Forest Feast.

Further accolades include Best Marketing Campaign, Best Brand, Best In-Store Consumer Sales Promotion, Best New Product Launch/Relaunch, Best CSR Initiative/Charity Partnership, Best Artisan Campaign and Best Export Marketing.

Sponsors on board for this year’s Awards include Aqua Twist, Derry Refrigerated Transport, Food NI, Henderson Food Machinery, Invest NI, Kestrel Foods, NI Trucks, Northern Snack Foods and PRL In-Market Solutions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO ENTER, VISIT ULSTERGROCER.COM OR CONTACT ULSTER GROCER MANAGER CHRIS KEENAN AT C.KEENAN@INDEPENDENTMAGAZINESNI.CO.UK. TO BOOK SEATS AT THE GROCERYAID ULSTER GROCERS’ BALL, CONTACT GROCERYAID NI COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE JIM MCALEA AT JIM.MCALEA@YAHOO.CO.UK.

Back row, from left, John Hood (Invest NI); Bronagh Clarke (sponsor, Kestrel Foods); Stephen Anton (sponsor, NI Trucks); Gary Bridge (sponsor, NI Trucks); Alyson Magee (Ulster Grocer); Jamie Thompson (2018 winner, Punjana); Chris Keenan (Ulster Grocer); Camille Thompson (2018 winner, Punjana); Norma Gray (2018 winner, M&S); Nigel Morton (sponsor, Northern Snack Foods); Conor Toland (2018 winner, Henderson Wholesale); and David Henderson (sponsor, Henderson Food Machinery) and, front row from left, Laura Rafferty (2018 winner, Mackle Petfoods); Russell Johnston (sponsor, PRL In-Market Solutions); Richard Pakenham (Independent News & Media); Trevor Magill (GroceryAid, Musgrave); Desi Derby (2018 winner, Musgrave); and Debra Henderson (sponsor, Henderson Food Machinery).

9

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS

Stephen Anton and Gary Bridge (NI Trucks, sponsor of Best Green Marketing), with Chris Keenan (Ulster Grocer).

10

Russell Johnston (PRL In-Market Solutions, sponsor of Best Marketing Campaign) with Alyson Magee (Ulster Grocer).

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS Debra and David Henderson (Henderson Food Machinery, sponsor of Best Brand) with Chris Keenan (Ulster Grocer).

John Hood (Invest NI, sponsor of Best Export Marketing); Nigel Morton (Hunky Dorys/Northern Snack Foods, sponsor of Best CSR Initiative/Charity Partnership); Bronagh Clarke (Forest Feast/Kestrel Foods, sponsor of the Lorraine Hall Young Marketeer Award) and Conor Toland (Henderson Wholesale, co-winner of the Lorraine Hall Young Marketeer Award in 2019); Chris Keenan (Ulster Grocer); and Richard Pakenham (Independent News & Media).

11

STORE FOCUS

M

ore than a few shop owners have paid a visit to Costcutter’s first concept store in Northern Ireland, The Gem on Andersonstown Road in West Belfast, since it opened last June.

Proprietor Larry Drumm has been happy to host the visitors, hailing from across the province and both fellow Costcutter and competitor symbol groups.

“We’ve had a lot of people come in to have a look when we first opened, and again over the last few months to see what has happened since they were last here,” says Larry.

As well as new branding, the concept refocuses the Costcutter offer on chilled and food-to-go ranges in line with market trends in the convenience sector.

Costcutter uses its Shopper First insights tool to create a dashboard for each individual retail partner, who can then redesign their site to meet the needs of, and enhance the shopping experience for, their local community.

In the case of The Gem, Larry’s key local shoppers were identified as preferring daily top-up shops and liking to cook from scratch; information he took on board when redesigning the expanded shop to accommodate a new focus on specific categories and expanded ranges.

While a shop has existed on the site of The Gem since 1952, Larry first took ownership of it in July 2011. He has always been a partner of the Costcutter Supermarkets Group but operated the original smaller site under its SuperShop symbol, before the expansion and conversion to Costcutter fascia last June.

Prior to entering the grocery sector, he worked for Ireland’s largest sports retailer, Life Style Sports, for 24 years.

“They’ve always given me good service, always been very supportive and the range that Costcutter offer is excellent, second to none,” he says. “They’re very competitive but the key me for me is the 6% rebate, and I don’t think any other 12

THE GEM,

ANDERSONSTOWN, BELFAST CONVERTING TO COSTCUTTER, EXPANDING AND REFOCUSING ON CHILLED AND FOOD-TO-GO RANGES HAS BOOSTED SHOP SALES BY OVER 70%, OWNER LARRY DRUMM TELLS ALYSON MAGEE symbol group offers that.”

An investment of £165,000 went into the new shop. “The original Gem was only 500 square feet,” he says. “We took on the unit next door, took the walls away and knocked it into one big unit and we’re now at 1,700 square feet; a big difference.”

Chilled now totals 12 metres of cabinets, up from two metres, and spans pizzas, cooked chickens, ready meals, soups, stews, prepared vegetables and potatoes, and a full butchery selection.

An additional three metres of cabinet hold frozen lines.

No expense was spared in installing energy efficient fridges and lighting in the refurbished and expanded site. “Anything that was successful at the time we were putting this new shop together, we went for,” says Larry. “The lighting itself was

extremely expensive but I’m hoping in the medium to long term, it will save me money.”

FOOD-TO-GO FOCUS And with food to go one of the biggest growth categories in the convenience sector, a coffee bar has been introduced alongside a range of hot and cold readyto-eat sandwiches, cakes, hot pastries and convenience snacks.

“Our food-to-go area is huge for us in this new format,” he says. “We’ve got Seattle’s Best Coffee offering and it’s proved very popular. With that comes their Otis range of buns and Country Choice bake & bite hot food.

“What we were doing in the old shop with sandwiches, healthy food and things like that has grown massively. Those were really areas we were only touching on

STORE FOCUS before, so that’s where we’ve seen the biggest jump in sales.

“Those are the biggest changes and then we also have a fruit and veg section, which we didn’t have in the old store, and all the other normal departments have just got bigger. We’ve a bigger grocery section, a bigger cleaning products section and so on.”

While staff numbers would have totalled eight in the smaller shop, the expanded Gem now employs six working 16 hours and eight at eight hours per week, with Larry full time on site.

And alongside the expansion in floor space, stock and range, turnover has grown accordingly. “There’s a huge difference,” he says. “Obviously there are new departments like fruit and veg which we didn’t have before but, on like-for-like things, we’re up by about 72% overall so it’s been substantial.”

Shoppers can use normal baskets or paddle-pull big basket trolleys. “They’re quite handy actually,” says Larry. “I didn’t think people would use them but that shows you how the shop has changed.

People fill them quite easily and I’m happy to see them filled.”

The average basket-spend currently sits at £5.97. “I’m not sure how that compares,” he says. “For the size of store, it’s probably decent.

“We’re open from 6.30am to 10pm, and our mornings would be our busiest time of the day. This is a very busy road we’re on, the Andersonstown Road, and most of my trade is local from other businesses but there’s also a lot of work going on. There’s a new leisure centre in the process of being built and I think there’s almost 50 workmen on that site and we get the majority of them in two, three times a day.

“From when we open until about

Owner Larry Drumm is pictured, centre, with his team at Costcutter Belfast.

11am would be busy, and then we get our normal lunchtime rush and we’re very busy in the evenings.”

Alongside the food-to-go range, meanwhile, is a seated area with free wi-fi, while the store now offers cash withdrawals, parcel pick up and drop off, mobile phone top-ups and bill payments through PayPoint. Footfall figures have grown from 960 to 1,650 per week.

Local competition includes a Lidl and Asda on the other end of the Andersonstown Road and, closer to The Gem, a SPAR forecourt and Iceland.

“I don’t really consider them as competition,” says Larry. “Don’t get me wrong, my customer base would also shop there but, in the area I’m in with the offering I have, I’m unique in a sense as really the only convenience store on this side of the road. There is an old-style corner shop opposite me further up, but I don’t consider them as competition as such.”

HIGH-QUALITY SUPPLIERS Co-op becoming the exclusive wholesale supplier to Costcutter, after previous source Palmer & Harvey collapsed in 2017, is another advantage of partnering with the symbol group, says Larry.

“We now have access to Co-op products, which have been extremely popular,” he says. “Their prices are very competitive but their quality’s very good and I’d say round about 25% of my sales are now Co-op sales. It’s a big point of difference; there’s no-one else offering it on this road.”

While the vast majority of produce stocked in the shop is sourced through Costcutter, “I still trade with a local farmer for fresh produce, and we still have some of the local van sales guys who were loyal to me in the old shop,” says Larry.

Local suppliers include Maurice Hannon & Sons for fruit and vegetables, M1 Confectioners and G Ryan for drinks, McAuleys Butchers for award-winning meat, Patton’s Bakery for fresh cream buns, O’Connor’s Home Bakery for Belfast baps and Mullins for ice cream.

In terms of marketing activity, The Gem sends out door-drop promotions to its postal area every three weeks via Costcutter, and maintains a presence on Facebook.

And adding to the shop’s enhanced offer since the rebrand is a continued commitment to customer service, meeting evolving consumer needs and maintaining a local community store feel.

Customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many complimenting the improved choice, space and shopping experience.

13

RETAIL NEWS – INDEPENDENTS

EQUIPPING LOCAL RETAILERS WITH A HIGH STREET SURVIVAL KIT U

lster Bank has announced details of a new series of events to address many of the challenges facing the high street.

Surviving the high street is a series of regional Ulster Bank Boost events providing opportunity for local business owners to discuss the challenges facing local high streets and draw from the recent experiences of successful operators on how to prepare for the future.

The series kicked off in the Clandeboye Lodge, Bangor on February 28, where retailers from across the North Down area were invited to come along and hear how Ulster Bank is supporting the local high street.

Attendees will hear from a panel of industry experts about optimising SEO to boost footfall and the support available through local chambers of commerce and Retail NI. Recent figures from the British Retail Consortium reveal almost 70,000 retail

sector jobs were lost in 2018, and that 29% of retailers plan to reduce staff numbers in the coming months.

In recent weeks, Marks & Spencer revealed plans for the proposed closure of its store at The Junction, in Antrim, and Tesco, which operates 50 stores in Northern Ireland, has announced a major shake-up of its fresh food counters in its latest round of costcutting measures.

“Ulster Bank Boost is one of the many ways we are working to support local business owners and entrepreneurs to start-up and scale-up their business ideas and adapt to the ever-changing face of the high street,” said Cara Taylor, business growth enabler at Ulster Bank.

Other events in the series take place in Lisburn (March 14), Enniskillen (March 28) and Portadown (August).

For more information, contact Cara Taylor at Cara.A.Taylor@ulsterbank. com.

From left, Cara Taylor and Lisa McCaul, business growth enablers at Ulster Bank.

NFRN WELCOMES COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE REPORT

N

FRN has expressed its support for a set of recommendations published by the Communities and Local Government Committee in the House of Commons on February 21.

Recognising the depth of the crisis in the high street across the UK, the report says that, unless urgent action is taken, MPs ‘fear that further deterioration, loss of visitors and dereliction may lead to some high streets and town centres disappearing altogether’.

NFRN has welcomed inclusion of reforms it has been urging the government to introduce in the Committee’s report

including simplifying and lowering business taxation, levelling the playing field between physical and online retailers, and considering green taxes on online deliveries and packaging as well as higher VAT and a general sales tax.

“It’s a relief to see that MPs are taking the retail crisis seriously,” said Mike Mitchelson, national president of NFRN. “The revival of town centres will require a coordinated strategy, bringing together local councils, communities and businesses, backed by government funding. The NFRN is willing to take part in the discussions to introduce the reforms as soon as possible – now is the time to act.”

RETAIL NI CONDEMNS LATEST ROBBERIES

R

etail NI has heighted the impact of independent retailer robberies on, not just the small businesses involved, but the local communities they serve.

The organisation issued the condemnation after the latest incidents at the Glendale filling station, Killyclogher 14

Road in Omagh and a SPAR store on Glenavy Road, near Moira.

“This is another disgraceful attack on an independent retailer,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI, after the Glendale ATM theft. “It is has caused extensive damage to a local retailer that

provides an invaluable service to the local community.

“With four ATM robberies in the past month, these attacks are now a major problem for local retailers. Retail NI is meeting with the PSNI to press for urgent action to tackle these criminal gangs.

With so many bank branch closures in recent years, our members’ ATMs provide an invaluable service to their local communities. There is a real danger our members could start to remove these ATMs if these attacks continue.”

RETAIL NEWS – SYMBOLS

HENDERSON WHOLESALE LAUNCHES ITS FRESH INNOVATION AWARDS 2019 H

enderson Wholesale has launched its Fresh Innovation Awards 2019, honouring local farmers, growers and suppliers of its SPAR and EUROSPAR stores, with winners to be announced on May 17 at the Balmoral Show.

The 2019 Awards will see the return of two new categories added last year, Young Agri-food Innovators and Contribution to Agri-food Industry in Northern Ireland.

“Our local food suppliers are integral to the growth of our wholesale business, and the Fresh Innovation Awards are an important initiative to honour the pioneering work they are undertaking to push the boundaries of our industry even higher,” said Nigel Dugan, fresh foods trading controller at Henderson Wholesale and chair of the judging panel.

The judging panel will include food writer Sam Butler; CAFRE Head of Food Technology Joy Alexander; Irish News Business Editor Gary McDonald; Ulster University Business School Agri-Food Business Development Centre Manager Dr Lynsey Hollywood; and Food NI Chief Executive Michele Shirlow MBE. Other awards include Own Brand Supplier of the Year, The Tomorrow Matters Award, Excellence in Regional Delivery, Product Innovation Award and Overall Supplier of the Year.

From left, Gary Mason from Irwin’s Bakery, last year’s Overall Supplier of the Year; host Jo Scott; and Nigel Dugan, fresh foods trading controller at Henderson Wholesale.

SPAR Northern Ireland, owned by the Henderson Group, will again support the Balmoral Show as a Platinum Sponsor.

Local suppliers to Henderson Group can enter the Fresh Innovation Awards via www.freshinnovationawards.com.

BELFAST RETAILERS IN THE RUCK WITH LOCAL WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM

S

From left, Rachel Totten; Samantha Stewart, SPAR Tates Avenue; Nuala McKeown, Belfast Harlequins WRFC captain; Aimee McNeice; Lesley Winder and Kim Curry, (SPAR Malone); and David Miskimmin, area manager, Henderson Retail.

outh Belfast rugby team the Belfast Harlequins WRFC is celebrating a new partnership with four local retail outlets.

SPAR Malone, SPAR Musgrave Park, SPAR Tates Avenue and SPAR Ravenhill Road have all put their support behind the Deramore team.

The 1st XV’s kit will proudly show SPAR branding after the stores, which are all part of the Henderson Group’s retail company, made the commitment to their local team for the 2019/20 season.

“Our stores have been in the heart of the South Belfast community for years, ensuring local teams, clubs and

organisations know we are there to support their ventures,” said David Miskimmin, area manager of the SPAR stores.

“We are very happy to be supporting the Belfast Harlequins Women’s 1st XV team through shirt advertising, and we hope our support and contribution enables them to push forward with their plans and strategies for the Club and team this season.”

Belfast Harlequins Women are currently competing in the Ulster Rugby Women Champ/Con Division 2 league.

Over 290 SPAR stores in Northern Ireland support local initiatives, organisations and clubs.

COSTCUTTER PUTS STORE STANDARDS TO THE TEST

C

ostcutter Supermarkets Group (CSG) is reporting a recent store standards audit of stores stocking Co-op own brand has seen over 97% of retailers pass the standards tests.

The audit, the first stage of plans to improve store standards and consistency across the Group, has so far seen more than 600 retailers work with their Business Development Managers (BDMs) to ensure eight core standards, including product labelling and a ‘would I buy it’ test, were properly followed and enforced in store.

Supported by mock audits by the BDM team to reveal any areas in need of work, these stores have now been spotchecked by an independent auditor.

“These audits have proved to be the perfect platform to drive improved standards across every aspect of the store, ensuring a greater degree of uniformity for shoppers when they shop at any CSG store,” said Sean Russell, director of Marketing, Costcutter Supermarkets Group. “This is the great start we were expecting and forms part

of our strategy for the future.”

“The standards our retailers have been inspected on ensure consistency of quality and presentation.

“By driving up store standards, the whole Group benefits as we’re able to reliably deliver a pleasant experience in store, driving footfall and frequency of visit for all our retailers.”

Costcutter Supermarkets Group retailers currently have access to over 800 Co-op products, with the range set to more than double in size.

15

RETAIL NEWS – SYMBOLS & MULTIPLES

LIDL COMMITS TO SIGNIFICANT SALT AND SUGAR REDUCTIONS

L

idl Northern Ireland is reviewing over 850 own-brand products as part of a commitment to reduce added sugar content by 20% by 2020 and reduce salt levels by the end of next year across at least 30% of its product range.

A recent Health and Nutrition Policy published by Lidl Northern Ireland outlined its strategy for reducing the sugar and salt content in own brand products and is being rolled out across the island of Ireland in response to customer demand for healthier food choices.

The nutritional pledge indicates how Lidl is aware of the positive impact that food retailers could have on the prevention of obesity in Northern Ireland. The salt and sugar pledge aims

to achieve a reduction in the amount of salt and sugar in foods eaten regularly by consumers and to help create a healthier food environment.

In terms of sugar reduction, food categories such as breakfast cereals, spreads, sauces, and sweet confectionery will be a major focus.

Salt reduction will be in line with the Food Standards Agency’s 2017 salt targets and will focus on food categories consumed on

a regular basis including ready meals, soups, pizzas, crisps, cakes and meat products.

“Promoting and providing healthier food options for our customers is something we are passionate about at Lidl Northern Ireland and we are proud to be leading the way in the region’s retail market with our significant commitments,” said Liam Casey, commercial director at Lidl Northern Ireland. “Our new Health and Nutrition Policy underlines our commitment to initiatives that are gaining more traction in the health sector.”

NATURO RANGE LAUNCHES IN ADDITIONAL 130 ASDA STORES

M

From left, Laura Rafferty, marketing manager, Naturo; Emma Swann, buying manager, Asda NI; and Elwood.

ackle Pet Foods premium range Naturo has increased its offering in ASDA stores across the UK from February. Already available in almost 400 stores, the Naturo 400-gram tray will now be stocked in an additional 130 stores, while the Naturo variety pack canned food will be launched into 350 stores.

This latest announcement builds on the growing presence of the Naturo brand in the UK, which generated multi-million-pound sales in 2018. Since Naturo was launched in 2013, the range has increased from four varieties to 33, a result of constant innovation and development in response to customer feedback and market trends. The Co Tyrone team expects to announce the introduction of a dry food product in 2019 as well as a specialist puppy range.

Asda launched Naturo in selected stores in May 2018 and now stocks eight products, including Grain Free Trays and variety packs.

“In the eight months since ASDA began stocking Naturo, our relationship has gone from strength to strength,” said Laura Rafferty, marketing manager for Naturo.

“The growth in natural petfood sales is a response to several market and societal factors including the ‘humanisation’ of pets by their owners, the desire to feed pets with high quality premium food and an interest in pet ‘wellness’.

POPULAR PORTADOWN CONVENIENCE STORE UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

T

he Chalet SPAR store in Portadown has welcomed new owners, Carol and Paul Ludlow, in December with the couple announcing plans to renovate the premises in the coming months.

The store recently introduced a Barista Bar Coffee Counter serving a variety of hot drinks and treats, while its off-licence is to get a new look and feel and an expanded range of products.

Lottery, ATM and Paypoint facilities will remain in store, and local butcher’s T Knox will supply fresh meat products including the Clean and Lean range tailored for weight-loss or muscle building training programmes.

16

Chalet Cuisine will provide hot and cold meal solutions throughout the day with a salad bar and a hot food counter offering daily lunchtime specials for £2.99 and Sunday lunches beginning at £4.99.

Parking restrictions have been lifted to ease access, and Hayes Fuel and FloGas products will continue to be sold at the store.

“I’m very excited to bring these improvements to our shoppers in the local area,” said Paul Ludlow.

“Introducing the new services and facilities will bring even more convenience for our local shoppers throughout the year.”

Carol and Paul Ludlow.

MY LIFE IN THE GROCERY TRADE MICHAEL HEASLIP, MANAGING DIRECTOR, FOOD STORIES

WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER? Visiting our manufacturing partner with my father before we gave the ok for the first production run of Pinkfinch and on the return journey him saying that it was pretty cool that the product was going to be a reality after nearly two years of research and development. Although my father is not working in Food Stories, he is a constant source of advice and encouragement.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? Director of Food Stories. We own a number of healthy snacking brands Pinkfinch Fruit Crisps and Cloud Corn popcorn, which we sell on the island of Ireland and export to France, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, Andorra, Saudi Arabia and I still find it hard to believe...

French Polynesia. We also represent other brands on the island of Ireland such as Perkier Quinoa bars.

BRIEFLY OUTLINE YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY TO DATE I started Food Stories five years ago but before that I worked as wholesale manager for the Heatherlea Bakery in Bangor. My role was to develop new store accounts and was a great introduction to the world of food.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? Bringing new products to market, meeting with retailers and distributors existing customers and pitching to new customers, leading our small team and helping them to grow in their roles.

WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? The best... working with a great team and knowing that, while there are a lot of challenges, we are essentially in control of our own destiny.

The worst.. not being able to dedicate 100% of my time to new sales or growing business with our existing customers. There are always distractions but we try our best as a team to prioritise sales and grow the business with existing customers as much as possible.

BRIEFLY OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY I often work remotely due to the growth in our export business and the need to visit our partners but, when in the office I try to start work around 7.30/8am so I can get a few of the bigger tasks out of the way. At 9.30am, we have a quick meeting as a team and at 11.30am try and stop for a quick 15-minute catch up. It is really important to take a minute and chat about things other than work as it can be pretty frantic the rest of the time. The afternoon is normally reserved for meetings with retailers, distributors or calls to export partners.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THE LOCAL RETAIL INDUSTRY? It is a small community, you get to know people over the years and develop lasting relationships. I think there is also a real culture of celebrating success no how matter how big or small. There is a real pride in the food community of Northern Irish success.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? Travel. I love travelling, seeing new places and meeting new people. I also really like tennis and staying fit but I have not been so good at making time for this as we have had a lot of projects.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF I attend French classes each week in order to woo my French girlfriend’s mother!

Progress is slow...

ADVERTORIAL

HENDERSON’S FOOD SUPPLIERS PINPOINT PROVENANCE FOR MADE WITH LOVE CAMPAIGN

H

enderson Wholesale has put its local farmers, growers and suppliers at the front of its new Made with Love campaign, sharing the passion Northern Ireland’s food producers have for creating local products.

The campaign is part of the wholesaler’s enjoy local range and celebrates the family-run, local food producers who create high-quality, fresh products in a local, artisanal environment in Northern Ireland.

The enjoy local range is made by 20 local food suppliers to create 125 fresh food products for the shelves of over 350 SPAR and EUROSPAR stores and supermarkets in Northern Ireland.

Ian Olphert from Lacpatrick Dairies in Coleraine, Bryan Boggs from Clandeboye Yogurt in North Down, Mairead Ovens from Western Brand Poultry in Lisnaskea and Alison Seaney from Big Pot Co. in Cookstown are the stars of the campaign, sharing their locally-made products that are part of the range and bringing the provenance stamp on each product to life.

Clandeboye Yogurt, based just outside Bangor on the Clandeboye Estate in North Down, supplies homemade Greek style yogurt to the enjoy local range, while Western Brand provides the fresh, breaded chicken options throughout the line. Big Pot Co. has created a range of three tasty homemade soups for enjoy local, and LacPatrick provides fresh milk from the Coleraine dairy daily for the range.

Henderson Wholesale has been supporting local food producers since its inception in the late 1800s and, more recently, has been collaborating to produce exclusive products which provide value for money for the shopper and a point of difference for their retailers.

Paddy Doody, sales & marketing director at Henderson Group, says: “Our 18

Fresh Team has been working with our local food suppliers for decades, maximising their level of sourcing and innovation to create some of the best own-brand products available in Northern Ireland. “enjoy local is all about really great food from our top suppliers, and it has all been taste tested at the Ulster University’s Food and Consumer Testing Suite. Not only can the shopper see the town from where the product was made on the packaging, but all products which scored an average of seven out of nine, which is the industry standard of excellence, will have a Taste Test Approved stamp there too.”

enjoy local Strained Greek Yogurt with Strawberry Compote.

Alison Seaney from Big Pot Co. in Cookstown, Producer of SPAR enjoy local soups.

enjoy local Breaded Chicken Goujons.

Neal Kelly, fresh foods director at Henderson Wholesale, said: “In Northern Ireland, we have some of the most innovative food producers in the world, and we share a common goal to bring some great-tasting, convenient and value for money products to over 350 SPAR and EUROSPAR stores and supermarkets here.

“It is a pleasure to bring the faces behind our products into the fore for this campaign and bring the products that they have perfected in their own kitchens to a wider market.”

Each product’s packaging in the enjoy local range tells the shopper exactly where that product was made or sourced, for example, ‘Boxed in Ballymena’ or ‘Prepared in Lisnaskea’, ‘Bottled in Coleraine’ and ‘Baked in Belfast’.

The enjoy local Made with Love campaign has been seen on billboards across the country, complemented by six-sheets, broadcast and print advertising with affectionate local puns to further drive the local messaging.

Paddy finished: “We know the love and care our producers take in creating their products for the market; therefore it is important that our shoppers know just how much of that love and care is nurtured by our Fresh teams when creating the enjoy local products.

“We are proud to work and collaborate with all our local food suppliers, farmers and growers and by doing so, we’re enabling their own business to grow and develop, helping to keep the local agrifood and business community thriving in Northern Ireland.”

To find out more about the enjoy local producers, visit www.spar-ni.co.uk or www.eurosparni.co.uk for Q&As and a full run-down of enjoy local products.

FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

MAKING HEALTHIER SNACKING MUCH EASIER FOR CHILDREN IS ESSENTIAL

BY MICHELE SHIRLOW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FOOD NI

A

recent survey in Britain highlighted the challenges parents are facing in persuading children to eat the recommended five-a-day portions of fresh fruit and vegetables.

The work on diets by healthy snacking specialist Fruit Bowl came as the VegPower/ITV initiative, which Food NI supports, has been endeavouring to increase consumption of vegetables, especially by children.

The Fruit Bowl finding that only 9% of children are currently eating five-a-day didn’t come as any great surprise. There’s clearly a need to step up activities at all levels to promote healthier snacking. I’ve been there and ‘got the T-shirt’ from feeding two daughters. It can certainly be very challenging.

Almost half of parents interviewed reported ‘struggling’ to persuade their children to snack on fruit or vegetables.

Mintel, the highly influential marketing company, also found that 50% of parents find it hard to get their children to eat healthier snacks. Worryingly, only 42% of parents in the Fruit Bowl research agreed that it is important to buy healthier snacks and 11% of children never get their five a day.

We see the Veg/Power/ITV promotion as another and highly imaginative initiative in what must be a long-term campaign to effect a significant change in diet and thereby to ensure the health of children and young people in particular and combat life-threatening conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart and kidney diseases.

Fresh vegetables and fruit are essential

in a balanced diet that also includes meat, dairy and eggs, the premium quality foods with traceability and provenance which companies here produce.

I appreciate, of course, that retailers and schools throughout Northern Ireland certainly recognise the benefits of featuring more veggies and especially locally-sourced products.

Our farmers deserve great credit too for their commitment to raising a broad range of fresh seasonal ‘greens’ and fruits for retailers throughout the province.

And chefs in our school canteens and restaurants have long been keen to

feature seasonal veggies and fruit. We’ve got to make healthier snacking the ‘norm’ for children and young people, moving them away from fizzy drinks and sweets loaded with sugar, additives and preservatives.

Existing strengths here in vegetables include potatoes, a sector currently facing problems from last year’s summer, a range of salad ingredients as well as mushrooms including stuffed mushrooms.

We’ve also seen developments in different and exotic vegetables such as Japanese wasabi, Chinese pak choi and kale. Furthermore, there’s been a number of interesting products from smaller companies including kombucha, juices, spring water and medicinal mushrooms.

What VegPower also wants to see is more food processors throughout the UK including vegetables in original products.

It wants to see retailers commit to increase sales of veg by adopting new measures which drive increased consumption while maintaining their existing commitments to reduce waste.

We’d obviously be keen to see major retailers step up purchases from local suppliers.

The agri-food industry here also needs to be aware that interest in vegetarian and vegan products is showing little sign of slowing down, as retail sales are expected to increase to £658m by 2021.

VegPower highlights the key role our retailers have in supporting initiatives to address health challenges by making healthier snacking easier than ever before.

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS CALORIE CONTENT OF SCONES

A

sample of scones produced in Northern Ireland has found some individual scones to contain up to 750 calories and the equivalent of 10 sugar cubes.

A report, Nutritional Content of Scones, has been produced by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local councils with the aim of helping consumers in Northern Ireland to make informed choices about what they eat.

It is linked to the FSA’s Know Your Calories campaign which aims to educate the public on their recommended daily calorie intake and advise them where to find calorie

20

information when shopping and eating out.

“In 2018, the 11 district councils sampled a variety of plain, luxury and fruit scones from local coffee shops and cafes across Northern Ireland,” said Emily Latimer, principal environmental health officer. “The survey found a wide range of nutritional values of scones and, not surprisingly, highlighted a correlation between larger portion sizes and increased calorie content. The scone with the highest fat content (22.7g fat) was a raspberry and white chocolate luxury scone, while the largest, a fruit scone, contained in the region of 750kcal and 39.2g of sugar.”

NEWS

CONSUMER INSIGHT AND MARKET UPDATE

BY JASON WINSTANLEY, SENIOR INSIGHT AND RESEARCH MANAGER, MOY PARK NEW YEAR, NEW EATING HABITS?

F

or the last few years – it’s hard to tell exactly when – the traditional New Year’s resolution at the start of the year has been at least supplemented by and, in some cases, replaced by, a new phenomenon. This phenomenon is the month of ‘Insert Goal Here’ (Jan)uary.

We’ve had Dry January (no alcohol), Just Water January (just drinking water), Red January (running or walking every day to boost physical and mental wellbeing) and Veganuary (going vegan for the month). These challenges are gaining more and more attention in the media and especially on social media, and it feels like a growing number of people are participating in one way or another. In fact, it may be more than a feeling: Google Trends data shows a steadily growing interest in searching for many of these terms amongst UK consumers1.

However, whether or not these challenges lead to permanent behavioural change is more open to question.

Veganuary has had a lot of publicity, especially in the last couple of years, and the organisers of the campaign claim to have had pledges of participation from 250,000 individuals around the world during the 2019 event2. The campaign is a very visible one and has, to some extent, become the flagship of wider publicity around meat-free eating. But the relative success of Veganuary, and the interest it generates, doesn’t really tell us a lot about whether it has precipitated longer term change in eating habits.

In fact, the evidence suggests that only a very small number of consumers are engaged in the sort of large-scale lifestyle change which going fully vegan would represent. The Vegan Society’s own research says that, in 2018, 1.2% of the UK population identified as vegan3, and this is a figure which exactly matches findings from YouGov in January 2019. These findings also corroborate annual research carried out by Moy Park, which shows a very small rise in claimed veganism, but a corresponding slight fall in the number of vegetarians, meaning that the total proportion of vegans and vegetarians only rose by 0.2% in January 2019 compared to the previous year. However, a much bigger increase of 8% points was seen in the proportion of consumers saying that they are generally cutting back consumption of meat4. Whilst this may not sound like a huge amount, it does represent over two million households, so this is certainly a trend to be mindful of.

However, despite all the publicity, it remains the case that the majority of UK consumers are not limiting their intake of meat in any way5. This is borne out by annual data from Kantar Worldpanel’s Usage division, which showed that there were an additional 189 million in-home chicken consumption occasions during 20186 – amounting to almost three additional chicken meals per person during the course of the year – although there is evidence of some reduction in consumption of other types of meat.

So, for a small number of consumers, January may mark a short-term change to eating (or drinking) habits but, for the vast majority, eating habits are being slightly tweaked rather than radically overhauled.

(Source: 1 – Google Trends, February 2019; 2 – Veganuary. com; 3 – https://www.vegansociety.com/news/media/statistics; 4 – YouGov Profiles, January 2019; 5 – Moy Park research, January 2019]; 6 – Kantar Worldpanel, 52 weeks to 2nd December 2018)

MORELLI’S FREEZES OUT THE COMPETITION M orelli’s has been named the best in the UK and Ireland at the 2019 Ice Cream Awards in Harrogate, Yorkshire last month.

Judged by industry peers, the National Champion accolade is awarded by the Ice Cream Alliance, the official trade body for the UK’s £1bn ice-cream industry.

Morelli’s won the coveted title for its Double Cream Vanilla ice cream alongside gold awards for the same flavour in the Open Class and Best of the Best categories, as well as scooping gold for its Strawberry ice cream.

These wins follow on from Morelli’s success at the 2018 Ice Cream Awards when the team received five accolades including Double Cream Vanilla being crowned the best vanilla ice cream in the UK and Ireland.

The awards were collected by Arnaldo Morelli, who heads up the family business from its headquarters on the North Coast, alongside his brother Marino, sisters Daniela and Tania, Production Manager Eddie Johnston and Research & Development Assistant Christine Dixon.

PACKAGING FOCUS

QUEEN’S USING NON-EDIBLE FOOD WASTE TO MAKE REDUCED-PLASTIC PACKAGING

A

ground-breaking project at Queen’s University Belfast to turn non-edible food waste into new forms of packaging – in a bid to reduce plastic – has attracted substantial investment in a highly competitive European funding competition.

The project aims to use by-products of the food industry such as discarded food, crop and animal waste to create new packaging materials for food, reducing the reliance on plastic.

Research co-lead Dr Eoin Cunningham and his QUB team will partner with the ABP Food Group (Ireland), distinguished research institution Fraunhofer (Germany) and UK supermarket giant Waitrose for the two-year project, which has won the funding from the EIT Food consortium.

“It’s amazing what waste streams are available in agri-food and not yet exploited,” said Dr Cunningham. “Many of these waste products are natural ‘polymers’ which means they have a strong chance of being converted into packaging.

“There are two main types of waste that I’m interested in:

cellulose waste, which would include things like plant leaves, stalks, forestry residue like sawdust; and protein waste, which can be anything from poultry litter and blood to the casing used for sausages.

“It’s a very exciting project as it involves material that would otherwise end up being wasted – so if we can create something of value from something that is, essentially, free, that’s really playing into the circular economy. With the renewed news focus on reducing single-use plastic and plastics that are hard to recycle, this funding news couldn’t have come at a better time.”

His co-lead on the project, Dr Beatrice Smyth, also from Queen’s, will test the energy consumption of any new prototype to make sure it leaves a smaller carbon footprint than what it seeks to replace.

The project is funded by EIT Food, a knowledge and innovation community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.

LOOSE TEA AS A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TO TEA BAGS

W

ith progress slow in bringing plastic-free tea bags to market, Belfast tea and coffee importer SD Bell’s is highlighting loose tea in a teapot as a sustainable alternative.

“The UK and Ireland market for teabags is served using machinery that requires the heat-sealing of ‘paper’ bags, which are paper, part-infused with hemp and polypropylene (pp),” said Robert Bell, managing director of SD Bell & Co. “Without pp, tea bags would not

heat-seal effectively.

“Unfortunately, the industry’s massive investment in this technology is such that it will be many months before the pp is removed from all volume-produced teabags. This is an industry-wide issue, and SD Bell & Co is continually putting pressure on our suppliers to find alternative papers which can be put through existing machinery.

“Having said all that, the most environmentally sound way for the

consumer to reduce the plastic footprint of your tea-drinking, remains of course, with loose tea in a teapot. If the consumer is really interested in avoiding plastic, and other single-use packaging, then that is what they should do.

“Our Natural Leaf loose tea is sold in a clear PLA Natureflex lining bag within a carton that is 100% compostable.

No oil-based inks, glues or varnishes.

The whole lot, including your spent tea leaves, goes in the brown bin.”

MASH DIRECT AIMS TO MOVE AWAY FROM BLACK PLASTIC BY ST PATRICK’S DAY Mash Direct Carrot & Parsnip in its new fully recyclable tray.

22

M

ash Direct has pledged to remove all black packaging, totalling an annual 240 tonnes, by St Patrick’s Day this month, as well as extending its commitment to keep its range palm oil-free.

In 2018, the Comber-based business achieved its goal of eradicating palm oil from its products in light of the issues surrounding deforestation, reformulating the recipe of its Chilli Baby Bakes.

Mash Direct said, ‘being the farm and the kitchen’, it is in a unique position to have direct control over its entire range from farm to fork, creating one of the most vertically-integrated supply chains in the ready meal sector.

It has pledged to move its vegetable side dishes to environmentallyfriendly trays which can be fully recycled, in line with wider objectives to improve its environmental footprint and contribute to the longterm health and prosperity of the food and drink sector.

Meanwhile, in response to increasing interest in vegan products offering both environmental and health benefits, NPD set to reach the market by July 2019 includes Vegan Mashed Potato and Vegan Carrot & Swede.

ADVERTORIAL

FOX’S

Our beautiful loaf shaped Glacier sweets are boiled to a high temperature giving you a pure clear sweet that consumers have enjoyed for almost 100 years. The range includes the famously refreshing Glacier Mints, as well as the delicious Glacier Fruit, and the Liquorice and Aniseed flavour Glacier Dark for the connoisseur. All the sweets are wax wrapped giving you the assurance of a quality product that is great for sharing on a journey or just as a treat for you to enjoy.

POPPETS

Poppets, the timeless British classic that instantly fills you with memories of your childhood. Available in four fantastic flavours, little has changed over the years and Poppets still represent great value for money by maintaining its pocket money price.

Now also available in a sharing bag so the whole family can join in the fun!

XXX EXTRA STRONG

XXX Extra Strong Mints, from leading manufacturer Big Bear Confectionery, have continued to go from strength to strength, gaining a reputation for being the strongest extra strong mint on the market.

If you are looking for a great breath freshener then this product is for you.

JUST BRAZILS

Who can resist hand gathered South American Brazil nuts double enrobed in thick smooth milk or dark chocolate?

The perfect treat for the whole family!

VICTORIA

All of your favourite retro sweets in one place, from Midget Gems to Mint Humbugs, experience the taste and quality that transports you back in time. With over 20 different varieties to choose from, you are bound to find your particular preference in this classic range.

028 9267 3316

23

ADVERTORIAL

WHITE’S TARGETS ONLINE WITH ITS 2019 TASTE THE JOURNEY DIGITAL CAMPAIGN

W

hite’s Oats has recently launched its 2019 communications campaign building on last year’s Taste the Journey because not all oats are created equal communication proposition.

With over 175 years’ of heritage, expertise and craft, White’s overarching campaign highlights the time it takes to produce quality tasting and award-winning porridge oats and oat cereals at its mill in Tandragee, Co Armagh. With so much competition vying for share of voice within the cereals and breakfast categories, White’s had to execute a big campaign idea that would capture consumers’ attention online.

Under the campaign banner of Taste the Journey, White’s creatively communicates the time it takes to bring its process and provenance to life,

24

cleverly using illustration and typography that dials up cues of quality and heritage, ultimately providing the motivating reason to buy - taste. An illustrated oat kernel is brought to life through animation and acts as a common thread throughout the campaign.

Danielle Mc Bride, brand manager of White’s Oats, said: ‘’Building on our year one brand awareness activation, our year two approach stays true to the Taste the Journey communications platform but utilises much more impactful messaging to land in busy digital environments.

The campaign headline of You Don’t Know Oats Until You Know Ours heroes White’s Jumbo Organic Oats and amplifies White’s organic credentials.

Cues of taste are reinforced through copy while the overall creative connects

with White’s provenance and authenticity.’’

The medium weight campaign is being activated across multiple digital channels including, social, google and youtube; using 10-15-second animated GIFs, facebook and instagram ads and, geographically targeting core NI and GB markets.

A programme of brand building and brand recognition will continue for the GB market, while in Northern Ireland the campaign will seek to drive engagement into product conversion. A £1-off-yournext-purchase mechanic is being used to stimulate awareness into trial and drive traffic to the White’s Oats website, which will allow for retargeting of the White’s product range. Through effective segmentation and online consumer profiling, White’s campaign will travel to reach new audiences targeting interests relevant to the brand as well as traditional porridge consumers to encourage brand switching.

The Taste the Journey campaign will be supported through the line including PR, press, sponsorship and local events, reinforcing those key messages which are key to White’s online story and keeping the brand front of mind.

ADVERTORIAL

COCA-COLA HBC’S COMMITMENT TO A WORLD WITHOUT WASTE C

oca-Cola HBC is now in its 80th year of operation in Northern Ireland. In this milestone year, the bottling company has played a key role in shaping the local economy and the communities it serves.

Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland employs approximately 470 people from its state-of-the-art facility in Knockmore Hill, Lisburn, Co Antrim, and a further 280 through its operations in the Republic of Ireland. In the last year alone, the business made an estimated £5m capital investment in its facility to support its continued growth and sustainability agenda.

Coca-Cola HBC’s successful legacy in Northern Ireland has been built upon an authentic commitment to supporting and investing in local community, and sustainable and responsible operations.

Sustainability is at the core of Coca-Cola’s values and is a key part of its business strategy.

Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland commits zero waste to landfill at its Lisburn facility; achieving this five years ahead of schedule. It has reduced water usage by over 10% since 2010; improving its water ratio to 1:1.53. This means that just 1.53 litres of water is used to produce 1 litre of beverage. Energy usage has also been reduced by almost 19% since 2010, saving the company 32 million megajoules of energy; which is not just good for the planet, but also makes business sense.

Louise Sullivan, public affairs and communications director, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, explains: “Since opening our plant in Knockmore Hill, we have tangibly reduced our impact on the environment. In 2010, we set ambitious environmental sustainability targets and gave ourselves 10 years to achieve them. Targets were set against recycling and waste, energy usage and water conservation.

“Everyone in our business understands that they have a role to play in helping to achieve our sustainability goals, and we are proud to report that we have already made extensive progress, even achieving some of our targets ahead of schedule.”

A WORLD WITHOUT WASTE As a business, Coca-Cola HBC shares public concern about plastic and the 26

Louise Sullivan

impact it can have on the environment when it’s disposed of incorrectly.

Louise continues:“The majority of our consumers want refreshment in a light, resealable pack, and bottles continue to play an important role in getting our products safely to market. However, we also recognise that we must show leadership in making our bottles as sustainable as possible.

“That’s why, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, we launched our World Without Waste strategy last year, with localised commitments to make our packaging more sustainable.

“This global strategy sets out an ambition to design more sustainable packaging; to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can we sell by 2030; and to partner with NGOs, customers and stakeholders to help clean up the planet. And the good news is that in Ireland and Northern Ireland, we have already made significant progress to fulfil the ambitions of this strategy.”

Across the island of Ireland, all the bottles and cans that Coca-Cola HBC sells are already 100% recyclable and should, therefore, never end up as litter. The company is also focused on reducing the amount of plastic in its bottles overall and on integrating more recycled content into packs to create a true circular economy for plastic. By the end of 2019, CCHBC Ireland and Northern Ireland aim to have at least 25% recycled plastic (rPET) across its portfolio of plastic bottles.

The bottles are also being lightweighted, which means the company is reducing the amount of plastic it uses

across its supply chain overall. Last year alone, the plastic used in its bottles was reduced by 7% with the introduction of a smaller closure and will be lightweighted by a further 10% by 2030.

World Without Waste also sets out an ambitious global strategy in the area of packaging collection. By 2030, Coca-Cola will collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can it sells.

To achieve this, it is exploring how best to support reform of existing packaging collection systems and improvements in infrastructure for on-the-go packaging recovery.

And finally, the business recognises that it can’t do this alone.

Louise says: “We are partnering with those groups and stakeholders that can help us have the most impact on. We have worked with An Taisce and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful for more than a decade on the Clean Coasts programme – supporting volunteers to keep our coastline free of litter.

“Activities include Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week which encourages people to protect and celebrate their coastline.

In 2018, we also contributed to the Big Beach Clean, which saw more than 400 employees across the island take to local beaches in a mass clean-up.

“We are also using the power of our brands to encourage greater behavioural change and consumer awareness. We have integrated recycling messages across all Coca-Cola and Deep RiverRock advertising and onpack, and we are working closely with our retail partners to raise awareness of our actions in-store, among consumers.”

The Coca-Cola HBC Group has been recognised as beverage leader by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for four consecutive years. The local business contributes to these results, and in 2016, 2017 and 2018 achieved Platinum Status in the Business in the Community Northern Ireland Environmental Benchmarking Survey. It was also granted the Water Champions Award by the Consumer Council Northern Ireland in 2017.

For more information about Coca-Cola HBC’s commitment to a World Without Waste, visit ie.Coca-ColaHellenic.com.

ADVERTORIAL

NORTHERN IRELAND’S NO.2 SOFT DRINK* IS NOW BIGGER THAN EVER BOOST RED BERRY NOW AVAILABLE IN 500ML BOTTLES

T

HE phenomenal success of Boost Energy Red Berry in Northern Ireland, and popular demand for a bigger bottled product, has prompted drinks company Boost to launch the drink in a 500ml bottle format.

Last year, Boost Red Berry, exclusively available in Northern Ireland, experienced meteoric sales growth of 57%, making it the number two soft drink in the local convenience sector* with sales of more than 8 million cans.

So popular is the Red Berry flavour that it is now challenging Boost Energy Original for the number one spot in Northern Ireland – and the company has also decided to launch the product in the GB market.

“Something berry interesting has happened with this product in Northern Ireland,” said Amy Ankrah, trade marketing manager at Boost.

“Feedback from our retailers and customers in Northern Ireland is crucial to us and we always listen to what they have to say – which is why we introduced this flavour exclusively here in the first place.

“Since then, people haven’t been able to get enough of Boost Red Berry and there has been a growing demand for a bigger bottled version to suit their drinking habits.

“Of course we were more than happy to oblige with our new Boost Red Berry 500ml bottle and we are really looking forward to seeing how it develops and performs in the months to come,” she added.

“Red Berry is a flavour explosion of mixed berries and will also, we believe, be a welcome and delicious new addition to the shelves of independent stores across Great Britain. We are very excited to introduce the product to a bigger audience and have high hopes for its performance there.

“The Northern Ireland public have a

28

very discerning taste so if they love it here, then there is no reason why Boost Red Berry shouldn’t be as popular across the water.

“This success story highlights the importance of our We Love Local strategy and why we continue to invest in our independent retailers,” continued Amy. Driven largely by sales of Boost Red Berry, 2018 was a record year for Boost in Northern Ireland with total unit sales of a staggering 32.9 million, an increase of almost two million units year on year.

Boost Energy was established in 2001 after founder and MD Simon Gray saw the opportunity to offer consumers a great quality energy drink at a fraction of the price of other brands at that time.

Two years later in 2003, Boost Energy was launched in Northern Ireland and now the company owns the top three selling soft drinks within the independent convenience sector which covers more than 1,100 independent retail stores, excluding the large multinational supermarket chains.

Boost is available in various pack formats across seven core Energy flavours, as well as limited editions and Sports and Protein drinks. * Source: IRI Marketplace Data Symbols and Independents 52 weeks unit sales to 30th December 201

“FEEDBACK FROM OUR RETAILERS AND CUSTOMERS IN NORTHERN IRELAND IS CRUCIAL TO US AND WE ALWAYS LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY – WHICH IS WHY WE INTRODUCED THIS FLAVOUR EXCLUSIVELY HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.” Amy Ankrah, trade marketing manager, Boost

ADVERTORIAL

GETTING MORE OUT OF YOUR EPoS 20%

11%

10%

time freed up using PayPoint One EPoS Pro

improvement in sales margins

increase in store sales

Source: Rakesh Patel of Premier Aniraj Stores

I

n today’s ultracompetitive market, it’s essential that all convenience retailers make the very best use of every tool available to them to enhance their business efficiency and grow their profits.

A quick and easy way of doing that is to unlock the full potential and power of your EPoS system.

Many retailers, caught up in the day-today obstacles of running and managing their business are time poor and feel that they just don’t have the time to dedicate to learning more about what their EPoS system is truly capable of. This means most retailers make regular use of only a small proportion of the functionality and capability that their EPoS system boasts.

However, we are seeing more and more retailers realising the many benefits of having a system that can automate much of the work that goes into running a modern convenience store.

One such retailer is Rakesh Patel who uses PayPoint One EPoS Pro to run his business, Premier Aniraj Stores in Daventry.

“As I’m running a new business, I need to know how it’s progressing, so I need to take out reports which this is absolutely fantastic for, particularly analysing what’s selling and what’s not selling. PayPoint One EPoS Pro is so easy to use, and I soon discovered the benefits of the system.

“It enables me to keep on top of my deliveries and it automates everything, so I don’t need to be in the store to keep on top of what’s going on. I can be somewhere else, even on holiday, and still fully manage my business.”

With it’s cloud back office and the PayPoint One Mobile App, available for free on Android and iOS, retailers can have their ‘store in their pocket’ managing pricing, promotions, sales and even booking in stock from the palm of their hand.

Now in over 12,000 stores across the UK, PayPoint One is the marketleading, all-in-one retail services platform, delivering the full benefit of advanced cloud-based EPoS technology, contactless card payments and PayPoint services, such as bill payments and Collect+. With three levels of functionality – Base, EPoS Core and EPoS Pro – PayPoint One offers everything that a modern convenience store needs.

Patel said: “One of the main reasons I went for PayPoint One was to have everything in one device – card payments, PayPoint and EPoS. “I would definitely recommend other retailers to get PayPoint One, it’s incredibly easy to use and they have a 4-hour swap guarantee if there are any issues.”

PayPoint One app in action.

“PayPoint One is so easy to use and helps me keep on top of what’s happening in my store from anywhere.”

Rakesh Patel of Premier Aniraj Stores

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT PAYPOINT ONE,VISIT WWW.PAYPOINT.ONE OR CALL 01707 537 014.

30

COMPANY PROFILE

QUALITY FLOOR-CARE SOLUTIONS FOR SHOPS OF ALL SIZES REDUCE MANUAL LABOUR WHILE IMPROVING HYGIENE & SAFETY WITH THE RIGHT MACHINE

Kärcher Center Belfast Store Manager, Stephen Anderson, and the Spar Titanic Store Manager David Agnew.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW: T 9/1 BP

Kärcher Center Belfast store team member, Neil Black - sales and floor care specialist.

32

Our new T 9/1 Bp lithium Ion batteryoperated dry vacuum cleaner effortlessly combines wireless flexibility with the power and cleaning quality of a mainspowered dry vacuum cleaner. The highperformance, lithium-ion battery allows for a running time of 26 minutes (43 minutes with eco!efficiency) – enough time for intensive cleaning of most units. The rugged, low-noise machine is specifically tailored to the needs of retail stores, and it can be used at any time during the day as there is no trip hazard.

You can outright purchase this product from £495.00 plus VAT, or you can lease this product from £0.50 per day.

COMPANY PROFILE

PRODUCT OVERVIEW: BR 45/22 C BP

Our BR 45/22 C Bp Lithium Ion battery operated scrubber drier is the ideal choice for any environment as it is equipped with a roller brush head that is rotatable by 200 degrees in both directions. It is exceptionally maneuverable and therefore ideally suited to busy environments, such as medium to large retail settings and has a large brush width that is designed to clean under the pricing label. Our built-in, high-power lithium-ion batteries offer a lifetime up to three times longer than that of conventional lead batteries, and it also features a charge time of up to three hours with up to a two hour run time. The optional HEPA filter filters the exhaust air from the dirty water, allowing you to work in hygiene-sensitive areas, such as food prep and deli areas. You can outright purchase this product from £2,995.00 plus VAT, or you can lease this product from £2.49 per day.

Spar Titanic staff member using the Kärcher Br 45/22 C Bp.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW: BD 38/12

The BD 38/12 Lithium Ion powered battery scrubber drier is highly maneuverable, userfriendly and easy-to-maintain, this scrubber drier is a highly professional and efficient tool for cleaning narrow areas and cluttered surfaces making it the ideal product for small to medium-sized retail environments.

The machine is equipped with a disc brush 38 cm in diameter, it also features a new lithium-ion battery, with a charge time of up to three hours and a run time of up to two hours. It is 35% lighter than the other devices in this unit class, facilitating transport for everyone in the workplace, and is also available with a roller brush head.

You can outright purchase this product from £1,995.00 plus VAT or lease it from £1.85 per day.

TESTIMONIAL Andrew Davis (owner of Titanic Spar and 77 Retail) who purchased a Kärcher Br 45/22 C Bp for his Titanic Spar Store “Once I heard that Kärcher had opened up in Belfast, I immediately thought they might have a floor-care solution for myself and many other Spar owners, who have made significant investments into flooring, not knowing the best solution to maintain the floor. At my Titanic store, I have over 15,000 customers a week which means a lot of cleaning is required to maintain the floor, and the Kärcher BR 45/22 C Bp provided by Stephen Anderson (Kärcher Center Belfast Store manager) has significantly improved the appearance of the store while also greatly decreasing the time needed to clean it. I would urge any Spar owner to use Kärcher Belfast for their expertise and excellent after sales service.”

Kärcher Center Belfast, 1-2 Windsor Business Park, Boucher Place, Belfast, BT12 6HT. T: +44 28 90667 333 • E: info@karcher-center-craigmore.co.uk W: www.karchercenterbelfast.co.uk

PRODUCT OVERVIEW: B 40 W BP

For a large retail or FMCG warehouse, the B 40 W Bp walk-behind scrubber dryer is ideal with both roller brush head and disc brush head configurations, 55cm working width, maintenance-free battery, variable traction drive (forward and reverse) and KIK key system for protection against an incorrect operation. You can outright purchase this product from £4995 plus VAT, or you can lease this product for 48 months for £4.20 per day.

LEASING AND OUTRIGHT PURCHASES. All leasing prices are based on a 48-month contract and include breakdown coverage, and there is also an optional service contract for outright purchases.

If you have any further enquiries, please call Stephen Anderson 028 90667333.

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

TITLE SPONSOR RETURNS FOR EIGHTH OPEN FARM WEEKEND

From left, Richard Primrose, Bank of Ireland; David Brown, UFU; Kenny Hawkes, Ranelly Farm; and, front row, Jennifer Hawkes, Ranelly Farm and Heather Stewart, UFU with a Friesian heifer calf.

SUCKLER BEEF NEEDS BETTER MARKETING Ulster Farmers’ Union has called for a drive to promote the quality of beef from suckler herds. With both upland and lowland suckler herds struggling to break even, the image of this beef must to be promoted to boost returns, said Beef and Lamb Chairman Sam Chesney.

The UFU says current costs of producing suckler beef are up to £5 a kilo – far in excess of what the market is returning. It underlines that this enterprise is important to the structure of farming and as part of the image of quality beef production in Northern Ireland.

UFU DEMANDS CLARITY ON RHI TARIFF REPORT Ulster Farmers’ Union says it believes the conclusions of a report on the RHI scheme tariffs will see farmers who entered the scheme for legitimate reasons stigmatised and treated unfairly. UFU Deputy President Victor Chestnutt said he believed that, in the race by politicians and officials to distance themselves from this scheme logic, fairness and common sense had been put to one side.

UFU was commenting after the publication of a report into future RHI tariff arrangements. UFU has written to the DfE Permanent Secretary to request an urgent meeting to discuss the report and its consequences.

34

T

itle sponsor Bank of Ireland is continuing its support for Open Farm Weekend, now in its eighth year, and to be held over June 15-16.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union-led initiative has been principally supported by the Bank since 2014, and seeks to reconnect the public with where their local food comes from, offering an opportunity to meet the farmers and processors who produce it.

To date over 100,000 people, including children via the schools’ programme, have visited working farms in Northern Ireland.

Visitors also gain insights into how the

countryside is being shaped and cared for and Northern Ireland’s food tourism potential.

“The growth and prosperity of the wider NI economy also relies heavily on a thriving agri-food industry,” said Richard Primrose, UK agri business manager, Bank of Ireland. “Now more than ever, consumers are keen to learn about where their local produce originates from and we believe that Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend provides the perfect opportunity to practically illustrate and educate consumers on how our local food is produced.

“We know the hard work that farmers put into running their businesses and initiatives like Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend help to engage with the public and encourages more support towards local produce, which in turn benefits the farmers.”

A search is now on to find farms willing to open their gates and fields to participate in the Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend 2019. Farmers signing up to host will be given training and support in advance and a range of resources to help them get prepared for the public coming onto their land. To register, email Wendy Gallagher at causewayfoodie@ gmail.com or call 07912 408256/028 9037 0222.

LONG MEADOW FARM HOSTS APPLE TREELUMINATIONS A Treeluminations event held was held at Long Meadow Farm, Portadown last month, alongside tastings of Long Meadow Craft Cider and apple juice.

Information sessions were held on the attributes of the McKeever family’s Long Meadow Apple Cider Vinegar, and other products using Long Meadow From left, Walter Holt of Installations of Light and Orlanda Delaforce, Installations of Light; Catherine McKeever, Long Meadow Cider; Lord Mayor of Cider in their production Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Council, Councillor Julie Flaherty; Peter processes were on display McKeever, Long Meadow Cider; Sharon Graham, composer and musician; and and available for purchase. Pat McKeever, Long Meadow Cider.

“We were delighted and overwhelmed with the response and support we received for our first Orchard Treeluminations,” said Catherine McKeever. “We have some very interesting plans for the year ahead so keep an eye on our website for upcoming events.”

Installations of Light designed the lighting scheme, while Sharon Graham, a composer and musician from Londonderry provided a sound track to accompany the lighting display.

MARKETING NEWS

MASH DIRECT CHAMPIONS VEG POWER

M

ash Direct has joined forces with Veg Power and ITV in an exciting new campaign, Eat Them To Defeat Them, which recently launched on the TV channel.

The initiative is aimed at inspiring children to eat more vegetables, and Mash Direct is the driving force behind communicating the campaign across Northern Ireland.

With the help and support of key influencers such as Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Veg Power and ITV kick started the campaign with a national TV ad premiering during Coronation Street on January 25, and it will continue to be aired during some of the biggest TV shows in the UK including The Voice, Dancing on Ice and Britain’s Got Talent.

With a total advertising spend from ITV of £2m, the campaign will run for 12 weeks with a different vegetable focus each week. With the use of scary vegetable characters, the campaign depicts the kids as heroes as they help their parents save the world from being overrun by angry vegetables.

It will be boosted with in-store support across all major UK supermarkets, and supporting creative sent to schools, with Mash Direct sending out 50,000 school packs to Key Stage 2 children across Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Mash Direct hosted a Veg Power Giveaway event at Belfast City Hall on February 2. From left, Clare Forster, head of marketing; Jack Hamilton, chief operating officer; Gemma Mc Adam, digital marketing executive; and Reuben McFeeters, digital marketing executive at Mash Direct.

WHITE’S OATS PUTS ITS SUPPORT BEHIND LOCAL SPORTING STARS OF THE FUTURE From left, Keavy O’Mahony-Truesdale, Neill’s Flour and Ian Hunter, head chef and proprietor at Belfast Cookery School.

NEILL’S FLOUR SUPPORTS FIBRE FEBRUARY CAMPAIGN

N

eill’s Flour encouraged families across the province to look at incorporating more fibre into their diets, as part of Fibre February, a campaign led by the Flour Advisory Bureau to raise awareness of the benefits of eating fibre.

Recent research has suggested 90% of people aren’t eating enough fibre in spite of its health benefits such as reducing the chances of heart attacks, strokes and type-2 diabetes, as well as keeping weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels down.

“Most of us have a general understanding that fibre-rich foods like wholegrain products, fruit and vegetables are good for us, but the advent of low (and sometimes no) carb diets has seen people move away from fibre and forget about the incredible benefits that it has to offer as part of a healthy diet,” said Keavy O’Mahony-Truesdale from Neill’s Flour Sales.

“As part of our Fibre February campaign, we’re really urging people in Northern Ireland to find out more about fibre and its long-term benefits.”

Danielle McBride, brand manager of White’s is pictured with winners of the boys under 13 race.

W

hite’s Oats has given its support to Armagh’s flagship International Road Race event as principal sponsor of the U13 Races.

The road race, which was held on Valentine’s night at the mall in Co Armagh, attracted over 1,000 young runners from schools across Ireland, bringing together runners aged between 6 and 13 years.

White’s is passionate about supporting athletes and runners with its range of quality and award-winning porridge oats and encouraging young people to get involved in sport from a young age. From promoting the importance of a healthy and balanced diet to instilling good nutritional habits, the sponsorship provided a platform to develop the next generation of local sporting talent on such an elite stage of athleticism.

“The link between good simple nutrition and what it can deliver in terms of health, sustaining energy levels and supporting a strong body is becoming more readily understood and we welcomed the opportunity to promote the benefits around good nutrition and sport to our young aspiring athletes,” said Danielle McBride, brand manager of White’s Oats.

“Oats are a mighty superfood for runners owing to their complex carbohydrates, and vital for optimal training and performance. They are also hugely versatile and can be made into tasty and nutritious snacks for after a race.”

35

BUSINESS NEWS

HENDERSON GROUP OFFERS NEW BUSINESS EXPERIENCE PLACEMENTS

H

enderson Group, owner of the SPAR, EUROSPAR and VIVO retail brands in Northern Ireland, has offered a number of placements to second-year university degree students.

From July 2019, Henderson’s will offer a total of six placements throughout the Group’s companies, ranging from Henderson Foodservice to its technology and wholesale divisions.

The initiative will also offer one placement within Henderson Wholesale’s Fresh Foods Team as retail food-to-go development executive, as the company continues to grow its niche food-to-go and deli offering throughout its 450-plus retail outlets.

Applications are now closed for the placements, which have been offered in partnership with Ulster University, Queen’s University Belfast, the Open University and CAFRE’s Loughry Campus.

“At Henderson Group, we believe investing in the development of talent is crucial to the future of our business,” said

From left, Chrisanne English and Dr Lynsey Quinn, Open University; Adele Dallas, CAFRE Loughery Campus; Glen Young, talent acquisition specialist at Henderson Group; Jill McGrath, Queen’s University Belfast; and Maria Curran, Ulster University.

Glen Young, talent acquisition specialist at Henderson Group. “The opportunities that we can provide are within a thriving learning environment that is second to none, and we are excited to nurture the future of our industry.”

Henderson Group will invest over £90,000 in training, salaries and learning opportunities for the placement students, who will also be tasked with completing

LOCAL PRODUCERS SECURE LISTING WITH COTSWOLD FAYRE Allison & Will Abernethy.

Nigel Logan, MD of Hillstown Brewery.

L

ocal producers Hillstown Brewery and Abernethy Butter have secured export trade with Cotswold Fayre in Reading, a leading speciality food and drink wholesaler, supplying independent retailers, farm shops and delis across the UK and Ireland.

Hillstown Brewery won its first business in Britain with help from Mid and East Antrim Council and Food NI, and will ship its full range of craft beers and ales to Cotswold Fayre. The brewer attended the Speciality and Fine Food Show at Olympia in London last December with the council 36

and Food NI. “We had been looking for an opportunity to break into the British market,” said Nigel Logan, founder and managing director of Hillstown Brewery. “Taking part at Speciality Food was an extremely worthwhile experience. It proved to be the way to meet buyers face-to-face and to invite them to sample our beers.”

Logan will be supporting Cotswold Fayre at marketing events to launch Hillstown Brewery’s range of beers to customers in Britain.

And Abernethy Butter is now supplying its four-strong range of luxury butters to Cotswold Fayre, representing its first deal with a major distributor.

“The agreement gives us access to their

a group project based on a real-life scenario which they will then present collectively to a board of senior managers.

Henderson Group currently employs over 3,300 people across Northern Ireland, throughout its wholesale, property, retail, technology and foodservice companies and network of over 450 stores.

extensive network of customers focused on gourmet products,” said Allison Abernethy, co-founder with her husband Will. “It’s a good fit for us and we look forward to working closely with them in our most important market outside Northern Ireland.”

CITY STRATEGIC FORUM LAUNCHED

B

elfast City Centre Management has launched a City Strategic Forum, a dynamic partnership of representatives from business sectors and business organisations, who will identify strategic issues and respond to emerging issues in the city.

The City Strategic Forum will also act as a channel for the business community to influence both central and local government to support the sustainable growth of the City. Issues such as uncertainty around Brexit and the Bank Buildings fire influenced its creation.

For further information, visit www.belfastcentre.com.

APPOINTMENTS

MOUNT CHARLES BOOSTS TEAM EMILY HOLLAND, ASSISTANT ACCOUNTANT Emily Holland has been appointed to the role of assistant accountant for the Mount Charles Group.

She will be responsible for supporting the monthly management accounts process and the preparation of the yearend audited financial statements, as well as the development and maintenance of cash handling procedures across individual units.

EMMA-JANE McKEE, INTERNAL AUDITOR Emma is the internal auditor for the Mount Charles Group. McKee is a qualified chartered accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

Emma reports to the finance director and in her role she is responsible for supporting management in strengthening the internal control environment and providing assurance that the controls in place are adequate and reliable.

JOANNE McDERMOTT, MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT Joanne is a management accountant for The Mount Charles Group, with over 30 years finance experience spanning both public and private sectors.

McDermott is an accredited member of the Institute of Accounting Technicians Ireland.

She reports to the finance manager, her role within the finance team is to support the monthly management accounts production and the preparation of the annual financial statements. Her responsibilities also include managing some of the finance team.

NEIL JAMIESON, PROJECT MANAGER

STEPHEN MACKIE, MARKETING & BRAND MANAGER Stephen Mackie has been appointed marketing & brand manager for the Mount Charles Group. Prior to joining the company, he worked predominantly in the hospitality sector and most recently in a senior marketing role for Bachus Group on projects in Belfast and across the UK. Mackie will be working companywide on the marketing requirements for internal units and brands as well as for external clients.

MATTHEW McKINLEY, EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT CHEF Matthew McKinley has been appointed executive development chef for the Mount Charles Group, with responsibility for creating and developing bespoke catering solutions for clients, as well as the continual review, development and improvement of the menu portfolio and development of chefs across all units.

McKinley has almost 20 years of experience as a chef, working at Mourne Seafood and Home in Belfast before becoming a head chef in renowned restaurants in both Thailand and Australia.

Neil has been appointed as a project manager for the Mount Charles Group. He has a degree in engineering, is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and has over 20 years’ business improvement and project management experience.

His key areas of responsibility include delivering all capital projects on time and to budget, implementation and monitoring operational and functional KPIs, supporting delivery and monitoring achievement of tactical actions.

37

SHELFLIFE

To see your product featured in Shelf Life, contact Chris Keenan at c.keenan@independentmagazinesni.co.uk or Tel: 028 9026 4267

VOLVIC LAUNCHES TOUCH OF FRUIT RHUBARB SPECIAL EDITION V

olvic, the UK’s no 1 bottled water brand*, has launched a new Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Rhubarb flavour as a special edition.

The launch follows the brand’s special edition bestselling watermelon variant launched in 2018, which won several industry awards.** Available at retailers across Ireland from March, Rhubarb is a flavour trend to watch, according to Volvic Brand Manager MariaTzina Leria, with top British supermarkets reporting a 350% increase in people searching online for rhubarb products in 2018.*** “We’re excited to bring Volvic Touch of Fruit Sugar Free Rhubarb to our customers,” she said. “Inspired by traditional British flavours, we have worked hard to get the recipe right; the result is a refreshing tangy complimentary flavour.

“Taste is essential, but it doesn’t mean it has to be high in sugar.

We know more than ever that consumers are aware of their sugar intake and actively trying to reduce it where possible, seeking better options. People are looking to brands and manufacturers to help make health-conscious choices accessible, and our Touch of Fruit Sugar Free range offers this without compromising on taste.”

The launch will be supported by a 360-marketing activation from May and backed by an investment of £2.1m across the Touch of Fruit portfolio, and heroing the Rhubarb SKU. *IRI MAT 22/04/2018 ** won the Product of the Year award 2019 in the Bottled Water Drinks category *** https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/23/britons-gettaste-rhubarb-farmers-see-boost-sales-fuelled-drinks/

RISO GALLO LAUNCHES NEW READY-TO-HEAT RANGE I

talian grain expert Riso Gallo is launching three new grain ready-to heat-products to the UK: Rice, Wheat & Buckwheat, Venere Black Wholegrain Rice and Red Wholegrain Rice & Long Grain White Rice.

The range combines aromatic and healthy wholegrains in a convenient format without sacrificing quality. Each 200g product cooks in 90 seconds in the microwave, is aimed at inspiring adventurous cooks and ideal cold in salads or hot as a side dish or snack.

“We have created a range of wholegrain combinations that are not currently available in the UK, but are grown and milled in Italy,” said Jason Morrison, MD of Gallo UK. “The intention is to give consumers Italian quality in a convenient format.

“We want to allow the home cook to be creative and healthy, particularly those short on time. They are ready to heat products for foodies.”

38

CLASSIFIEDS

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

CONTACT CHRIS KEENAN ON 028 9264 4267 EMAIL: C.KEENAN@ INDEPENDENTMAGAZINESNI. CO.UK

CLASSIFIEDS

AN EASY REFERENCE TO THE BEST FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Q&A TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF I’m a local man originally from Bangor, Co Down and the founder of The Copeland Distillery, a Co Down spirits company producing gin, and soon whiskey.

IN THE HOT SEAT GARETH IRVINE, FOUNDER, THE COPELAND DISTILLERY

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE? Right now, my days are a little all over the place as we have just signed a 125-year lease on the premises that will be our new distillery so I spend half my days in our current premises in Saintfield looking after existing operations and the other half at the site in Donaghadee. My day generally varies hugely from making gin to meeting clients and liaising with internal teams. In the evenings you’ll find me at my new home trying to do DIY. WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? Has to be our recent business growth and the subsequent announcement that we are developing a gin and whiskey distillery here in Northern Ireland. To be such a young entrepreneur, backed of course by a similarly young team (but hugely talented), it is a privilege to be in the position we are today.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? To say everything would be cheating wouldn’t it? I really do enjoy working with the team I have around me. I made a point of recruiting similarly-minded, experienced people to be onboard my team. Their creativity and work ethic is a token to the company, but we’re also like a group of friends – and that’s special.

young 22-year-old wanting to make gin, most thought I was crazy, but not my close friends and family.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST DIFFICULT TASK? My most difficult task can be separating myself from work sometimes. I am very attached to my work and I do tend to find myself spending Saturday mornings and late evenings either on the laptop or over a gin still.

WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? I recently bought a new vehicle which given the right terrain can be off road – I would love to improve my driving skills and take up off-road racing.

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? If you want the honest truth, the best advice I received was from a good family friend about the original name I had for what would become The Copeland Distillery. I had thought I liked Crazy Gin but it just doesn’t have the same ring or meaning to it, does it? Apart from that, all of my family and friends have always encouraged me to just go for it, particularly during my time at university when I first came up with the idea. As a 42

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GRIPE? One thing I’m fussy about is time keeping – I am a very punctual person and I can get a little frustrated when others aren’t.

The other would have to be mess – keeping a tidy ship is key.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS/AMBITIONS? I am extremely focused on building a world class distillery that produces top of the range spirits, but I also want to create exceptional experiences for everyone that visits us. Making a lasting positive impression on people is important.

WHOM DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? As cheesy as it sounds my father is definitely someone whom I admire. His work ethic paired with his caring attitude for family has definitely helped to remind me that a work-life balance is important.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? Is it too obvious to say the Copeland Islands across from Donaghadee? I truly do love that area but if you were to take a local man out of Northern Ireland my next favourite spot would be Italy – I have spent many a holiday there and have come to love its food, hospitality and countryside.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD PRODUCT? There is a hidden gem in the town of Saintfield where we are currently based – Tribe Café. It has been fuelling myself and the team for over a year now and its range of traybakes and handmade lunch items are a must. I also love most of the Mash Direct range – especially in the cold weather when I have a craving for bangers and mash.

HOW DO YOU RELAX? I just recently got a new puppy – a small cockapoo called Elvis so a lot of my weekends and evenings are spent out and about across Northern Ireland on big walks with him and my girlfriend. It’s a great way to get some peace out of the office. And to unwind after that, a G&T always goes down well or a glass of red wine.