Ulster Grocer November 2021 by Helen Wright

GROCER ULSTER

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

NOVEMBER 2021

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

GROCER ULSTER

NOVEMBER 2021

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

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

NEGOTIATION GROUNDHOG DAY… BUT IS AN END IN SIGHT? AODHÁN CONNOLLY, DIRECTOR OF THE NI RETAIL CONSORTIUM, OFFERS AN UPDATE ON THE PROTOCOL

t seems to be another Groundhog Day for the business community in Northern Ireland as we are back into a period of intense negotiation between the UK government and the EU. The UK government’s plans were set out in a speech by Lord Frost, but as yet we have no granular detail of the legal text that has been put forward. The EU has gone a bit further and shared four non-papers. What is a non-paper I hear you ask? Well, a non-paper is an informal document put forward, usually in closed negotiations within EU institutions, in order to seek agreement on some contentious procedural or policy issue. They can be seen as a guide, but by no means the end of official policy. The proposals are based on four areas: SPS (plant and animal matter), customs, medicines and stakeholder engagement. The Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group welcomed signs of movement from both sides, which is needed to find a lasting solution but if these proposals are to work then they must meet the tests that have been set out by the NI business community, namely that they must provide stability, certainty, simplicity and affordability.

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McFADDEN’S SPECIALIST NEWSAGENT: WITH ITS OWN NICHE & A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP WITH S&W, THE SUCCESSFUL STRABANE SHOP HAS JUST CELEBRATED 50 YEARS IN THE SAME FAMILY

Some of the solutions being mooted go some way towards meeting those tests; however the NI Business Brexit Working Group is rightly reserving judgement until they have seen both legal and technical texts. Some of the proposals from the EU are deliberately vague to allow for negotiation with the UK government. But within that vagueness lies as many questions for business as there are answers. I keep getting asked is this good for the retail industry. Well, the retail industry is not one homogenous, monolithic group. There are many sectors within the industry and within those sectors there are many varied business models so what is good for one is not necessarily good for all. And quite frankly until we get answers to key questions from both the EU and UK, we simply don’t know. What we do know is that the NI Business Brexit Working Group will continue to talk to the UK government, the European Commission and EU member states to try to get the best deal to keep NI business competitive and maintain choice and affordability for NI households.

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GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2021: NI PRODUCERS WON 215 AWARDS THIS YEAR, WITH MORELLI’S PICKING UP THREE STARS & THE NORTHERN IRELAND GOLDEN FORK FOR ITS CARAMELIZED HAZELNUT ICE CREAM

NZ TRADE DEAL RAISES IMPORT CONCERNS

greement in principle on a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and New Zealand has raised concerns that imports of meat, dairy and horticultural products could undermine the local agri-food sector. “Combined with the Australia agreement at the beginning of this year, government has granted access to a significant increase of imported food, with no guarantees about how it was produced or if it meets our world-leading standards,” said Victor Chestnutt, president, UFU. “To make the situation all the more dire, nothing of substance was gained for our farmers. “The future of our unique farm family structure across Northern Ireland has become very vulnerable overnight as it could be severely damaged by the market access government has granted to both New Zealand and Australia. It’s extremely concerning for our red meat, dairy and horticulture farm sectors and for the public. “It seems that government are either oblivious to what farmers are dealing with or have chosen to dismiss it as they have created unfair competition within our home market which will affect the sustainability of our family farms in years to come.”

32-34

FOOD FORCE IRELAND: THE NI NISA BUYING GROUP HOSTED AN ONLINE CONFERENCE OVER SEPT 28-30 FEATURING SPECIAL DEALS FOR MEMBERS & ITS ANNUAL SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

MY LIFE IN THE GROCERY TRADE: FEATURING TAYTO GROUP MARKETING DIRECTOR ELLY HUNTER, WINNER OF LEADER IN MARKETING AT THIS YEAR’S ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS

email: info@ulstergrocer.com Volume 56 Number 10 NOVEMBER 2021 Editor: Alyson Magee E: a.magee@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4175 Contributors: Michele Shirlow, Sam Butler, Aodhán Connolly

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

AWARDS SUCCESS FOR NI ON A NATIONAL STAGE

elcome to the November edition of Ulster Grocer. Another year is approaching its end – how did that happen? Here at Mediahuis, we are starting to slowly filter back into our Belfast office on a hybrid working model for now. In the grocery sector, some of you may be doing the same or planning for some level of a ‘return to normal’ in the New Year. Many of you were of course unable to WFH and found yourselves working even longer hours on shop or factory floors to keep up with high demand and compliance with the new safety measures required by the pandemic. Hopefully, the pressures of the past 18 months related to Covid-19 are at least alleviating somewhat by this point. Unfortunately, other pressures are mounting from the ongoing wrangling over the Northern Ireland Protocol and related GB-NI supply problems to a shortage of drivers and wider grocery sector labour, as well as spiralling energy and other production costs. As our news story opposite highlights, the latest proposed solutions from the European Commission have been tentatively welcomed by retail and logistics sector representatives. However, lest we get too optimistic about the prospects for a breakthrough in the torturous process, these ‘non-paper’ proposals generate as many questions as answers highlights Aodhán Connolly of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium in his Protocol update on p3. It seems to be another Groundhog Day for the NI business community as the EU and UK government head back to the negotiating table, says Aodhán. It’s a sentiment we can all identify with,

having lived through the 2016 Brexit vote and the false promises, carnage and confusion that have followed over the last five years. We live in hope, and gratitude is due to the stoic figures diligently voicing sector interests and practical solutions to the Protocol, while others seek to tear it down without providing any viable alternative. Elsewhere in this edition of Ulster Grocer, the content is upbeat including two 50th celebrations for S&W Wholesale with a Keady shop the 50th in Northern Ireland to adopt the new Nearby fascia and another Nearby convert, McFadden’s Specialist Newsagent in Strabane, just marking its 50th year in business in the same family. Our November edition also has a distinct focus on awards success for the local grocery sector on a national stage including SuperValu Lisburn lifting Best Food-To-Go Outlet category at the Forecourt Trader Awards and Henderson Retail named Independent Retail Chain of the Year at The Grocer Gold Awards. And local producers have again punched above their weight in gathering Great Taste stars from The Guild of Fine Foods, and Blas Na hÉireann Irish Food and Drink Awards. Congratulations to all. I’m actually snacking on some Blasaward-winning Ke Nako Biltong right now and can’t wait to try the Morelli’s Caramelised Hazelnut Ice Cream – recipient of the Great Taste Golden Fork for NI – having been unable to see past their Parma Violet in the past. Enjoy…

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NEWS

CAUTIOUS WELCOME TO EU’S PROTOCOL PROPOSALS

roposals to reduce controls on goods moving from GB to NI, published by European Commission Vice-President Maros on October 13, have been cautiously welcomed by representatives from the local retail and logistics sectors. “I have listened to and engaged with Northern Irish stakeholders,” said . “We have put a lot of hard work into them to make a tangible change on the ground, in response to the concerns raised by the people and businesses of Northern Ireland. We are looking forward to engaging earnestly and intensively with the UK government, in the interest of all communities in Northern Ireland.” Additional to measures presented back in June 2021 relating to the movement of live animals from GB to NI, the new proposals outline further flexibilities in the areas of food, plant and animal health, customs, medicines and engagement with Northern Irish stakeholders. SPS checks related to food, plant and animal health would be reduced by 80% and customs paperwork by 50%, said Šefcovic, while the UK would need to deliver on its ‘commitment to complete the construction of permanent Border Control Posts, specific packaging and labelling indicating that the goods are for sale only in the UK, and reinforced monitoring of supply chains’. Glyn Roberts, chief executive, Retail NI, said: “It is welcome that both the UK government and the EU have brought forward proposals and are now in solution mode in relation to addressing challenges around the NI Protocol. This moves the situation forward and hopefully to a long-term solution which

gives our members greater stability in trading with GB suppliers and wholesalers. “There is much to recommend in the EU proposals and is clear that they are listening to the concerns of the local business community.” Seamus Leheny, NI policy manager, Logistics UK, said: “Both the UK government’s command paper and the recent EU proposals contain promising elements in response to the concerns and suggestions Logistics UK raised in its engagement with the two parties, to mitigate and solve the practical issues businesses and supply chains are facing in the implementation of the Protocol. “The proposed solutions concerning the level of required data and checks associated with SPS and customs procedures are welcome and could reduce administration, costs and time associated with moving goods, especially food products, parcels, medicines and mixed load consignments from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. “However, as always, the devil is in the detail, and Logistics UK is awaiting both the technical and legal texts before passing final judgement. Logistics UK will continue to work closely with both the UK government and the European Commission to discuss these proposals in full to understand how these proposals will keep GB-NI supply chains moving efficiently.” Negotiation between the UK government, and engagement with stakeholders in Northern Ireland will continue, said Šefcovic.

M&S APPOINTS NICOLA FINLAY AS NI REGIONAL MANAGER

Nicola Finlay, regional manager for M&S in Northern Ireland.

icola Finlay has been appointed as the new regional manager for M&S in Northern Ireland, succeeding Philip Conlon who takes up the role of head of division for Ireland. Finlay, who lives in Lisburn, brings a track record in retail spanning over 15 years at Tesco and then M&S, having studied Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Programming at Ulster University. “The role of regional manager is in excellent hands,” said Conlon. “Nicola is committed to delivering a first-class retailing experience for our loyal Northern Ireland customers and I wish her every success in her role.” Finlay will have an integral role within the M&S leadership team responsible for the strategic delivery of retail operations across 21 M&S stores, and ensuring her colleagues are motivated to deliver a first-class shopping experience for customers.

STONE BAKERY CREATING 20 JOBS WITH £4M INVESTMENT

ree-from company Stone Bakery is investing £4m to refurbish and extend the former Take N’ Bake factory in Crossmaglen, a long-standing employer in the area. With this investment, which includes £425,000 in support from Invest NI, the company is aiming to double its turnover over the next three years. “The McNamee family has been baking in Crossmaglen for over 80 years and I’m incredibly proud to continue that tradition with the

Ronan McNamee, owner, Stone Bakery, and Brian Dolaghan, executive director, Invest NI.

opening of the first dedicated freefrom manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland,” said Ronan McNamee, owner, Stone Bakery. “Delivering on our ambition to be the most trusted gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan bakery brand in the world, our new Stone Bakery manufacturing site will enable us to control the entire chain from seed to shelf and continue to supply the best quality flatbreads in the market with total processing transparency.” 5

NEWS

TOURISM NI ENTERPRISE PROGRAMME AIMS TO SPEED UP POST-COVID RECOVERY

GROCERY BASKETS SHRINK BY 5% IN LATEST KANTAR SALES DATA

P Lesley Ann O’Donnell, head of programmes, Tourism NI, and Anita Kirkpatrick, Shamrock Cottages.

ourism NI has launched its 2021/22 Tourism Enterprise Development (TED) programme, a series of webinars, online events and other supports designed to help tourism businesses to recover postCovid. The programme will start from November 11 and Tourism NI is encouraging businesses and organisations to sign up early via Tourismni.com. The programme is part of Tourism NI’s commitment to support the industry and will offer advice, encourage growth and provide guidance on health and safety issues. Lesley Ann O’Donnell, head of programmes at Tourism NI, believes that the Tourism Enterprise Development programme represents a valuable opportunity for every business in Northern Ireland’s tourism sector to accelerate its recovery post-pandemic. “It will be providing support and advice across a whole range of issues,” she said, “all of which are crucial for businesses seeking to speed-up their recovery after Covid.” The programme has five main themes, each with a particular reference to the specifics of the tourism sector. These are: performance & competitiveness, market retention & diversification, people skills & capability, sustainable tourism and digital skills & innovation. “We see enterprise development as a major part of our mission at Tourism NI,” said O’Donnell. “Right now, our role is to support Northern Ireland’s tourism industry in its recovery from the impact of Covid-19. We want to ensure that the industry regains its position as one of the most successful sectors of the Northern Ireland economy. “Our aim is that the region will succeed as an internationally competitive destination, renowned for world-class three-to-five-day breaks. This programme 6

will be helping to make that vision a reality. It’s full of expert advice from people on the ground in the sector.” Philip Stacey of Footfalls Walking Tours is a previous attendee. “Tourism NI are the ones bringing the trends in the outside world to us at ground level in Northern Ireland,” he said. Michelle Harding of Jamaica Inn agrees: “We think it’s great to see Tourism NI taking such a hands-on approach and bringing people in who can talk about things that are relevant to our business.” Anita Kirkpatrick of Shamrock Cottages attended the Tourism Enterprise Development programme in 2019. “It’s opened up lots of ideas for me. I’ve been taking notes on things I should improve upon, opportunities in social media, improving my website, lots of great things. I’ve really enjoyed it.” O’Donnell said: “That’s what the programme is here for. It’s all about helping businesses to understand what the market opportunities are, where they can maximise on those opportunities and how they can do it, especially now, post-Covid.” The main strand of the programme will feature a series of live webinars. Details for each will be online and people can register their interest to learn more about each weekly event. The following events have been confirmed, with further dates to follow: 1. Digital Innovation and Productivity November 11 2. Sustainable Tourism - November 18 3. GB Market Review - November 23 For full details on all the TED events and features, sign-up to Tourism NI’s mailing list at www.tourismni.com. The Industry Business Hub on tourismni.com also provides expert guidance and all the latest materials. This resource continues to grow and is tailored specifically to the tourism sector.

eople are buying less groceries in the latest 12-week data to October 3 from Kantar, with sales down by 4.8%, while 52-week figures indicate year-on-year growth of only 1.2%. “It’s been the year of the big shop as people tried to limit their trips to stores and pushed up the amount they bought per trip by 2% versus 12 months ago,” said Emer Healy, retail analyst at Kantar. “If we dig a bit deeper into data for the more recent period, however, there are signs of pandemic habits wearing off. “Over the 12 weeks to 3 October 2021, people have bought smaller amounts, with baskets shrinking by 4.8%, and they’ve visited the grocers less often as they started to enjoy eating in pubs, cafés and restaurants again. “That ability to socialise out of the home has seen alcohol sales via the supermarkets continue to decline, dropping 12.2% on last year. “Home cooking categories are also falling back, with sales down 13.5% as shoppers take the opportunity to treat themselves to meals out. Versus the market peaks of this time last year, overall sales are 4.8% lower in the most recent 12 weeks. “Tesco remains the largest grocer, pushing its sales up by 1.9% compared with last year as it benefited from the annual trend towards bigger trolleys. “Its shoppers picked up 4% more items while in store. The supermarket also saw an increase in the average price paid per pack. “Lidl is again the fastest growing retailer in Northern Ireland, a distinction it has held since June 2020, with sales expanding by 11.4%. Customers bought from the grocer more frequently, increasing their number of visits by 13.2% annually. “Asda’s sales rose by 1.2%, helping it to hold 16.0% of the grocery market, while Sainsbury’s grew by 0.8%. Both retailers saw an annual jump in the number of trips made by consumers.”

NEWS

AWARDS SUCCESS FOR LOCAL FOOD FIRMS

nvest NI has congratulated Northern Ireland’s food and drink sector on its significant success at this year’s Blas Na hÉireann Irish Food and Drink Awards and The Guild of Fine Foods’ Great Taste awards. Northern Ireland’s food and drink producers won 70 awards at the Blas Na hÉireann virtual award ceremony last month, including 30 gold award winners, following on from the Great Taste awards at which NI producers won 215 awards. “Our success across this year’s awards demonstrates the outstanding commitment of local companies to innovate and produce delicious food and drink, especially during what has been a difficult 18 months for the industry,” said John Hood, director of food & drink, Invest NI. “Northern Ireland produce is much sought after in highly competitive markets from Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland to China, Australia and the UAE. “Invest NI continues to support Northern Ireland companies to build on this as they seek to grow business around the world through our global network of offices, in-market support and suite of Research & Development support. “This strategic approach is helping drive the local food and drink industry,

maximise commercial opportunities and is helping ambitious food and drink producers to achieve further growth in international markets. “I would like to congratulate all of those who have been recognised by The Guild of Fine Food and Blas Na hÉireann, both immensely important stamps of excellence.” Great Taste three-star winners included Craigavon-based Hannan Meats for its Sugar Pit Bacon Rack; Portstewart-based Morelli’s Ice Cream for its Caramelised Hazelnut Ice Cream; Lisburn’s Pure Roast Coffee Valentia coffee beans from Brazil; Kilkeel-based Crawford Rock Seaweed Co for its Seaweed Salt; and Newrybased Rooney Fish for its Millbay Oysters. At Blas na h’Éireann, Northern Ireland food and drink producers took 30 golds, with Holmes Bakery in Portadown taking the prestigious Best in Ulster and Shane McArdle Shield award for its Holmes Butter Shortbread. En Place Foods in Cookstown picked up one of the coveted Chef’s Larder awards for its Melilot Sweet Clover Vinegar. Winners from Antrim included Dale Farm - gold; Dundarave Estate – bronze; Johnson Brothers - silver & bronze; Ke Nako Biltong - silver & bronze; Mauds Ice Creams - gold; SeaSugar Handmade Confectionery - gold & bronze; SUKI Tea

MORELLI’S WINS UK GREAT TASTE GOLDEN FORK FOR NI M orelli’s Ice Cream has won the Regional Golden Fork for Northern Ireland in the finals of the UK Great Taste awards. The company gained the award for its caramelised hazelnut flavour of ice cream. Based in Coleraine, Co Derry, Morelli’s is a leading producer of authentic Italian ice cream with sales outside Northern Ireland to multiple retailers in Great Britain including Morrison’s supermarkets and Tesco Ireland in the Republic of Ireland. The family business, a Food NI member, has been creating ice cream since 1911 in what was then the north of Ireland; now Northern Ireland. The business was formed by the Morelli family which moved to the region from Italy in 1911, making it

Northern Ireland’s oldest and best-known producer of a wide variety of ice cream flavours. Many of the enterprising company’s products have won prestigious Ice Cream

IN ADDITION TO ITS RANGE OF QUALITY ICE CREAMS, MORELLI’S HAS ALSO PRODUCED FROZEN YOGHURT IN COLLABORATION WITH CLANDEBOYE ESTATE, NORTHERN IRELAND’S ONLY MANUFACTURER OF YOGHURT, AND A RANGE OF DAIRY-FREE ICE CREAM.

Makers - gold, silver & bronze; Tartine at Distillers Arms – gold; The Brownie Barn – silver; and Tom and Ollie – gold. In Armagh, Holmes Bakery won gold & silver; Armagh Cider - silver & bronze; Burren Balsamics - silver & bronze; L’Artisan Foods – gold; Long Meadow Cider – gold; McCrackens Brewery – bronze; and White’s Oats - silver & bronze. Taste Joy Company won gold & Best in Co Derry-Londonderry; Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil - gold & bronze; and Corndale Farm - bronze. In Co Down, Cookie Jar won Bronze; Corries Meats – silver; Crawford’s Rock Seaweed Company – bronze; Deli Lites – silver; Prephouse - silver & bronze; Rooney Fish - gold & Best in County. For Tyrone, Karro Food won silver, bronze & Best in County. Meanwhile, two local artisan foods have been listed as gold Christmas products winners in the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards 2021. Lidl Deluxe Buttery Roast Potatoes from Willowbrook won gold in the Christmas Meal Accompaniments category for potatoes buttered and ready to roast, while Irish Black Butter was used to glaze a gold winning Aldi Specially Selected Cook in the Bag, Irish Reduced Salt Half Horseshoe Ham from Connolly Meats in Monaghan. Alliance industry, UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann awards. Morelli’s double vanilla, for example, was named Best in the UK and Ireland in the Ice Cream Awards in 2019. In addition to its range of quality ice creams, Morelli’s has also produced frozen yoghurt in collaboration with Clandeboye Estate, Northern Ireland’s only manufacturer of yoghurt, and a range of dairy-free ice cream. The regional Golden Fork is sponsored by business development agency Invest Northern Ireland. The award was presented by Michele Charrington, Invest NI business development director in Britain, as part of the Speciality Fine Food Show in Harrogate. Collecting the award at a gala presentation for food and drink industry leaders including chefs and food writers were Naldo Morelli, the managing director, and Daniella Morelli-Kerr, the marketing director. 7

STORE FOCUS

McFADDEN’S SPECIALIST NEWSAGENT, STRABANE CARVING OUT ITS OWN NICHE, AND A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP WITH S&W WHOLESALE, ARE THE SECRETS OF SUCCESS FOR MCFADDEN’S AS IT CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF TRADING, OWNER SEAMUS McFADDEN TELLS ALYSON MAGEE Shania McCafferty, Seamus and Terri McFadden, and Lorraine McLaughlin.

“F

ifty years is a long time,” says Seamus McFadden, owner of McFadden’s Specialist Newsagent in Strabane. “What an experience. It’s very seldom you would have the same owners for that long.” Seamus’ father James opened McFadden’s in 1971, having previously managed one of the old Kelly’s shops which later became Stewarts and Crazy Prices. After training as a chef at catering college, Seamus joined his dad’s business in 1980 and McFadden’s was redeveloped with a new build the following year. “You didn’t align yourself back then, it was completely different,” says Seamus. “You were just an independent. Back in the early 1980s, we were supplied by the Irish Agricultural Wholesale Society just outside Derry City and other smaller independent wholesalers. But all of that has evolved and changed.” McFadden’s partnership with S&W Wholesale dates back to the demise of a former supplier after they kept experiencing supply issues. “S&W came in like a breath of fresh air and suited my model,” he says. “They don’t encroach on my well-established magazine business, and they are very 8

supportive. I am very happy to have gone with them back then and together we have built on our relationship to what it is today. “Their service and support are fantastic. The BDM regularly calls and offers sound advice each time to help better the store for my customers. The S&W team all seem to care about the success of my store and are very hands on to make it perform successfully.” Originally adopting S&W’s Today’s symbol, McFadden’s moved over to its Nearby fascia this year and Seamus was

impressed the wholesaler sent over two representatives who collectively spent five full working days assisting in the migration to the new symbol. “S&W spent days tweaking the shop, which I’m grateful for as sometimes you don’t get a lot of time to see the obvious things that need to be done,” he says. Updates included new shelving and adding revenue drivers to the range such as a new increased section for hanging bags and £1 price marked bays. “I was over-faced with count lines like a single Mars Bar or Crunchie but under-faced where the growth was,” says Seamus. “They came in, did that work, placed the order and I can see they were right.” A NICHE IN SPECIALIST TITLES A specialist newsagent, previously picking up such accolades as CTN of the Year, Seamus says while the sector is in decline, a market still exists for special interest magazines. For newsagents, traditionally 80% of sales have come from 20% of the stocked titles. “Our little market is there within that 20%, so I’m quite happy to keep our six-metre bay of magazines,” he says. “It’s fairly lengthy, and you don’t see that so much now. “Here in the north-west, Omagh would be the main town, but people drop in here and say they can’t get what they’re looking for anywhere else, should it be National Geographic, a Bloomberg Election Special or Archaeology Ireland. “With Eason pulling out of Foyleside in Derry and even the fact we’re right on the border, and magazines in the Republic have VAT, we draw a bit of trade from all those neighbouring areas.” More recently, Seamus has introduced another point of difference into his shop with a one metre-bay devoted to Games Workshop. After closing its own standalone shops, the Nottingham-

STORE FOCUS

Damian Campbell, NI business development manager for S&W Wholesale, with Seamus McFadden.

based supplier of miniature wargames and models has been refocusing on a presence in newsagents. “My interest in that came from selling what you call partwork magazines and a magazine called White Dwarf,” he says. “It’s a slow builder, just something different.” Alongside its comprehensive range of specialist titles and the models, a further strength of the shop is its extensive display of greeting cards and gift bags. “I have an inlet area with three metres of greeting cards,” says Seamus. “I would do well on cards particularly during Covid because card shops were forced to close. Greeting cards and gift bags would be another strong point for us.” General grocery is strong, particularly baked goods, with suppliers including Gallagher’s Bakehouse and Highland Bakery just over the border in Donegal and Northern Ireland producers Craig Foods and Cottage Kitchen. Laurence Kee, owner of Galgormbased Cottage Kitchen, is an old friend of Seamus from their days together at catering college. Ready meals are produced for the shop by a local butcher, while a local fishmonger sources salmon and trout from Killybegs for the chilled counter. McFadden’s food-to-go offer features goods such as jambons, sausage rolls and bacon and cheese turnovers, all freshly baked in the morning alongside the shop’s fresh coffee machine. 50 YEARS OF TRADING A further redevelopment in 1999 extended the shop to around 1,600 square feet with two manned tills. As was the case for many shops during the pandemic, Seamus has struggled with staffing availability but now has two fulltime and seven part-time workers.

Evolving demand during the pandemic has also brought change to McFadden’s hours of operation. Previously 7am to 11pm, attracting later trade in party goers picking up cards and chocolate or locals piling out of a local bingo hall, lockdown brought an end to the trade and the shop now closes at 9pm. “I found there was no need to be here until 11pm, it was labour- and energyinefficient,” says Seamus. “I don’t think that’s come back. Covid changed it and people’s habits have changed with it. They all seem to be Netflix-ing in the house now. “The High Street has changed so much since we started. The irony is back in the day when we had to live with the unrest, there was never a shop unit vacant. Now you go into every town and there’s shutters down everywhere.” For Seamus, the worst experience in

those 50 years was not the tumultuous times of the Troubles but in 1987 when the River Mourne overflowed and flooded the shop with 2.5 feet of water. “It was in October when we had Christmas stock,” says Seamus. “I remember the police rescuing people from upstairs windows and I couldn’t get to the store until the water subsided and then coming in and looking at the mess. That was easily the worst experience I had.” A highlight, meanwhile, of the last 50 years was Seamus’ cousin Brian McFadden making an impromptu visit to the shop when his band Westlife was at the height of its fame, causing quite a stir. “He always dropped in here, and just appeared one day when he was number one in the charts,” says Seamus. “It was unbelievable.” Seamus is thoroughly enjoying the relationship with S&W and the service the team provides. “They understand me and my store,” he says. “I can’t fault their expertise. “I am enjoying the new Nearby branding also and so are my customers. The external Nearby branding has really lifted the look and feel of the shop and customers have fed this back to me, saying how great it looks. “For me it was a no brainer to take on their new Nearby brand. Straightaway I loved the name, as we are always nearby for our customers when they need us, and I loved the graphics internally and externally. “It has done wonders for my store. I am looking forward to what the future brings for my store and the local community.”

RETAIL NEWS - INDEPENDENTS

RANDALSTOWN STORE INDUCTED INTO BOOST HALL OF FAME

oost Drinks has announced Kearney’s, Randalstown as its inaugural inductee to the Boost Retailer Hall of Fame, attracting an impressive 30% of overall votes cast by the people of Northern Ireland. The Boost Retailer Hall of Fame search began in June to thank local retailers here for the dedication they have shown to their communities and give customers the opportunity to show their appreciation. Customers were asked to nominate their favourite retailer and share ‘what they were famous for’ to choose the first ever retailer to be inducted into the Boost Retailer Hall of Fame. Of the hundreds of nominations made, almost a third of these were for Kearney’s, Randalstown, which will receive a £750 holiday voucher, £100 worth of Boost Drinks stock, a winner’s plaque and bragging rights as the inaugural Boost Retailer Hall of Fame inductee. Kearney’s customers praised the ‘superb selection of quality, fresh food’, and amazing staff who ‘all seem to love coming into work’ and ‘consistently go above and beyond for each and every customer’. It was described as ‘an absolutely super shop’ and a ‘friendly,

NEW PASS CARDS OFFER ACCESSIBLE & AFFORDABLE PHOTO ID

he UK’s longest-established photoID scheme, CitizenCard, has teamed up with Post Office to issue Post Office PASS Cards at a cost of £15. The Home Office and policeendorsed PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) hologram on each card allow shops, bars, cinemas, clubs and travel operators to trust the card as a valid form of proof of age/photo-ID.

helpful family-run business with hardworking and dedicated staff who do a lot for charity’. Jack Taylor, Boost Drinks trade marketing manager, said: “Boost has worked with local retailers here for 18 years and during that time we have seen just how important they are to their communities, and equally their outstanding commitment to their customers.” Congratulations are also due to Moutray’s Costcutter in Lurgan and Costcutter in Moygashel in Dungannon, respectively placing second and third in the Boost Hall of Fame.

Kearney’s staff Mark Murray, Donna McAllister and Eimear Bradley celebrate with Gareth Hardy, NI representative of Boost Drinks.

Research suggests 93% of 16-34-yearolds take out valuable passports or driving licences to prove their age or identity to buy age-restricted products and services, while one million driving licences and 400,000 passports are lost each year in the UK. Elinor Hull, Post Office identity services director, believes the Post Office PASS card will help some of the 11 million people in the UK who own neither a passport nor driving licence to obtain a trusted proof of age/photo-ID. “At Post Office, our ambition is to make it easier and more affordable for everyone to access the products and services to which they’re entitled,” she said. “Our new EasyID app lets anyone use their smart phone to prove who they are or how old they are, and now the Post Office PASS card lets anyone obtain an affordable proof of age/photo-ID to keep in their purse or wallet.” Anyone in the UK can apply at a cost of £15 for a Post Office PASS card via postoffice.citizencard.com.

RETAIL NEWS - SYMBOLS

SUPERVALU LISBURN BEST IN UK AT FORECOURT TRADER AWARDS

uperValu in Lisburn has scooped the top award in the Best Food-ToGo Outlet category at the UK-wide Forecourt Trader Awards 2021. Regarded as the most prestigious competition in the UK’s petrol retailing sector, the Forecourt Trader Awards have been rewarding excellence and outstanding achievement across a range of specialist and regional categories for more than 20 years. “I would like to congratulate store manager Martin Reynolds and the team at SuperValu Lisburn for winning this award and staving off tough competition from across the UK,” said Trevor Magill, managing director of Musgrave NI. “We strive for excellence in all of our stores from our customer service to the produce we provide. This award demonstrates the hard work that has been put in by our colleagues both in the store and at a national level,

Tony Owen, category sponsor, Rollover; Martin Reynolds, SuperValu Lisburn (Best Food-To-Go Outlet); and Anton du Beke, Awards host and Strictly Come Dancing judge.

to continue to offer our customers a comprehensive range of Food-To-Go concepts, during what has been a very tough year for everyone.” Martin Reynolds, store manager, SuperValu Lisburn, said: “We have a great team here which is dedicated to ensuring our customers receive an excellent service alongside a superb food-to-go offering. It’s a fantastic achievement and I’d like to thank all of the team for their hard work.”

HENDERSON RETAIL CROWNED INDEPENDENT RETAIL CHAIN OF THE YEAR

enderson Retail has been named Independent Retail Chain of the Year at The Grocer Gold Awards 2021. Presented during a gala ceremony held at The Guildhall in London last month, the awards celebrated the extraordinary achievements of companies and individuals, and the role they played in response to the pandemic. “The Grocer Gold Awards are highly coveted and well-deserved recognition for all on our team and throughout the Group,” said Mark McCammond, retail director, Henderson Group. “SPAR and EUROSPAR remain as a top choice for local shoppers, and each

of our store teams stepped up over the past 18 months to create safe shopping spaces to provide essentials for all, going the extra mile to ensure they were there for their local communities more than ever.” Henderson Retail now operates 101 SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA branded stores throughout Northern Ireland, with many stores picking up prestigious UK-wide industry awards in recent weeks. The Grocer Gold Awards are judged by an esteemed panel of industry experts, with the Independent Retail Chain of the Year award said to celebrate the best and brightest independent retailers.

Amanda Jones, retail and franchise network director, Post Office; Mark McCammond, retail director, Henderson Group; and the Rt. Hon. Lord William Hague.

RETAIL NEWS - MULTIPLES

NBA CONGRATULATES ASDA FOR 100% BRITISH BEEF COMMITMENT

n an open letter to the joint owner of Asda, Mohsin Issa CBE, the National Beef Association (NBA) has extended its congratulations to the supermarket chain for fulfilling Neil Shand, its commitment to supply 100% CEO, NBA British beef on Asda’s fresh meat counters. In the letter, NBA CEO Neil Shand referred to an earlier letter sent to Asda in 2020, prior to Issa’s acquisition of the supermarket chain along with his brother Zuber and private equity partners TDR Capital, in which the NBA questioned the decision to stock imported beef products from Poland during the coronavirus pandemic. “At the start of the pandemic last year, ahead of your acquisition of Asda stores, we rather publicly challenged the decision to fill your shelves with Polish mince,” said Shand. “Whilst we understood the pressure to stock your shelves, this happened at a time when the farmgate price in the UK was at rock bottom and, in many cases, below the cost of production. “Moving forward, it is therefore fitting to acknowledge your show of support for UK beef producers, and for honouring the commitment you made in September 2020 to stock 100% UK/ British beef by the beginning of October 2021.” Shand praised the ‘patriotic support’ and welcomed the stability this move provides to the industry, from one of the biggest retailers in the UK.

TESCO SHOPPERS BOOST HEALTH CHARITY PARTNERS BY £1M

elfast shoppers have been thanked for contributing towards the £1m raised for three life-saving charities as part of Tesco’s Helping you to live healthier initiative. Tesco customers reached the landmark total for Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK over September 13-26 by rounding up their shop in store to the nearest £1. The funds raised will now help the three charities continue their vital work to save and improve lives. In addition to the £1m donated, the campaign raised awareness in Belfast about the importance of people making sustainable lifestyle changes that can help lower their risk of cancer, heart and circulatory diseases, and type 2 diabetes, using trusted health information and advice, which was shared to empower Tesco customers to take small steps to help improve their health. “It has been inspiring to see our customers really engage with the work we are doing together, and we hope that we have played a part in raising awareness for these conditions, as well as lifesaving funds,” said Oonagh Turnbull, head of health campaigns at Tesco. The campaign was part of the Health Charity Partnership between Tesco, Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK, which aims to inspire and support Tesco colleagues, customers and their families to make healthier food choices and live healthier lives.

BELFAST VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR FOOD COLLECTION THIS CHRISTMAS

ind-hearted Belfast people are being urged to sign up and join an army of volunteers needed to collect food for charities feeding people in their local community this Christmas. The Trussell Trust, which provides emergency food parcels to people in crisis, and FareShare which provides food to thousands of frontline charities and community groups, are seeking volunteers to help during this year’s Tesco Food Collection. The collection will take place in every Tesco store in the UK from November 18 to 20 and, with many people facing a particularly difficult winter, the need to collect food for the charities is greater than ever. Tesco will be topping up the donations made during the collection with a 20% cash donation to help the charities in their work. “With many people still feeling the effects of the pandemic and, with the huge increase in heating bills and living costs coming in the lead up to the cold winter months, we know that there will be many people turning to their local grassroots organisations for support with food this Christmas,” said Declan McKillop, development manager at FareShare. “We would be hugely grateful to anyone who is able to volunteer at the Tesco Food Collection this year to encourage more shoppers to donate much-needed food to FareShare.” Sign up via FareShare: https://fareshare.org.uk/ foodcollection/ or the Trussell Trust: https://www. trusselltrust.org/get-involved/tesco-food-collection/

ADVERTORIAL

NEARBY LAUNCHES ITS 50TH STORE ACROSS THE ISLAND OF IRELAND

n April 2021, after more than a century in the wholesale business, S&W rebranded their offering and promised A Whole Lot More for their symbol customers. S&W are making good on their promise as they launch their 50th Nearby symbol store - McGrane’s Nearby in Keady. Completely exclusive to S&W Wholesale, Nearby plays a vital part in a wider modernisation strategy to help independent retailers forge deeper connections in the local community. Despite the extensive challenges faced during the pandemic, Nearby will continue to operate to the highest standard of safety precautions with the opening of even more new stores planned across the island of Ireland. “Since the opening of the very first store back in April, we’ve been working to create a high-quality service for both Nearby retailers and their customers in-store. The new Nearby stores have been very well received in their local communities with retailers noticing an increased level of footfall in their stores as a direct result of the conversion to Nearby,” said Maurice Little, sales manager at S&W Wholesale. With a strong focus on local communities, it was especially fitting that the launch of their 50th store was with a family-run business in the heart of Keady, Co Armagh. Owned by brothers Tom and Dermot McGrane, the store has been in 14

safe hands for over 40 years and today customers can expect the same great service with the added benefit of it being part of a symbol brand. Working closely with the team at S&W, Tom and Dermot have spent the last three months planning the transition to Nearby; the most significant change being the introduction of the new off-licence, known as the Vineyard 2020. The store will also benefit from an investment in new refrigeration, additional shelving, an increased number of check-outs, along with a new hot-food and deli counter. With everything in one place, the store

now sits proudly in the heart of the local community. “We’ve been serving our local community for over 40 years and can’t wait for our customers to reap the rewards of our new venture as a Nearby store. As part of the Nearby family, we look forward to working with the team to bring great customer service and unrivalled value to the people of Keady and beyond,” said Tom McGrane, owner at Nearby, Keady. Retailers joining the Nearby family can enjoy all the benefits of a symbol brand while keeping total control over their business. From day one, S&W Wholesale works with store owners and employees to understand what makes their space unique. Unlike other symbol brands, Nearby doesn’t ask for a long term contract, marketing fees or weekly advertising fees. What they do offer is an attractive brand, bespoke signage, consumer promotional activity, central billing with all major local suppliers and a dedicated business development manager to support you with your business needs. Above all, they are ready to help and always Nearby. To celebrate the ongoing success of the brand and the opening of their 50th store, the team held a fun-filled launch event at McGrane’s Nearby in Keady. On the day, customers took part in a ‘basket dash’ for the chance to win instore vouchers, prizes from local suppliers and the latest Apple iPad. For those who

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didn’t manage to win a prize on the day, there was also delicious hot food sampling from their deli, wine tasting and Nearby goody bags with lots of tasty treats. “The opening of the 50th Nearby store is a big day for us all. We started this journey during the pandemic and to get to this point so quickly is a reflection of the hard work and passion from both our retailers and those behind the scenes at S&W Wholesale. We have big plans for the rest of the year and can’t wait to continue the growth of Nearby – watch this space,” said Daniel Comiskey, brand marketing lead at S&W Wholesale. 15

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CELEBRITY CHEF SUZIE LEE COOKS UP SIGNATURE DISHES FOR SUPERVALU Declan McAtamney; Suzie Lee, celebrity chef; and Patricia McIlroy, brand manager, SuperValu.

orthern Ireland celebrity chef Suzie Lee has teamed up with family run business McAtamney’s to craft two signature convenience dishes as part of an ongoing brand partnership with SuperValu. The new dishes, Sesame Soy Pulled Chicken and Family Favourite Mac & Cheese, are the latest addition to SuperValu’s SimpliDish fuss-free dinner range. Complementing the existing portfolio of over 50 quick and convenient main and side options, Suzie’s dishes have been developed using the freshest of

Suzie Lee creating two new dishes for SuperValu.

local ingredients and offer a simple dinner solution for families without compromising on quality or taste. The Lisburn local, who became a TV sensation when she was crowned the winner of BBC cooking show Best Home Cook in 2020 is best known for her feel-good, crowd-pleasing family meals. In 2020, Suzie partnered with SuperValu and shared several easy-to-follow food recipes with the brand’s customers through its seasonal retail magazine. Commenting on the launch of her new SimpliDish convenience meals, Suzie Lee said:

“I’m passionate about creating delicious, fuss-free food for my family – but as a busy working mum, I also know how challenging it can sometimes be to cook from scratch after a long day. “Sharing a meal together is a chance for everyone to stop and appreciate family time, which is why I have loved working with the team at SuperValu and McAtamney’s to create my Sesame Soy Pulled Chicken and Family Favourite Mac & Cheese. Both dishes are ready in minutes, but are bursting with local ingredients and flavour, so families know they can still enjoy a tasty and nutritious meal, in a fraction of the preparation time.” Julie Cherry, trading director, Musgrave NI, added: “Suzie Lee celebrates everything that SuperValu champions - local people and food, promoting a healthier lifestyle and encouraging family time. Her enthusiasm for all of the above, combined with the expertise of local producer McAtamney’s, has helped us to collectively create two delicious new meal solutions for the SimpliDish range.” The SimpliDish collection can be purchased at selected SuperValu stores located across Northern Ireland.

FOOD & DRINK NEWS

MAJOR UK ENDORSEMENT FOR TOP NORTHERN IRELAND RETAILER IS BOOST FOR LOCAL INDUSTRY BY MICHELE SHIRLOW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FOOD NI

was delighted to see Henderson Retail, part of the Henderson Group, named Independent Retailer of the Year 2021 by a panel of expert judges in the coveted UK The Grocer Gold Awards. Henderson Retail plays a vital role in our dynamic industry as Northern Ireland’s biggest food retailer and wholesaler. We certainly appreciate the longstanding support of the group, which includes SPAR, EUROSPAR, VIVO and VIVOXTRA grocery stores across Northern Ireland. The group’s Fresh Food Director Neal Kelly is a valued and immensely supportive member of the Food NI Board. The company, which is headquartered in Newtownabbey, was the only winner from Northern Ireland in the annual awards which covered more than 30 separate categories. It’s quite an achievement to win a Grocer Gold because the highly respected awards are regarded as the blue riband event of the £200bn UK grocery retail and wholesale sector. In the past, a number of local food processors have also won gold awards. I believe that it’s important for Northern Ireland to be showcased in awards such as Grocer Gold because it helps to increase awareness of Northern Ireland in what is our biggest single market for food and drink and especially in this postBrexit/Northern Ireland Protocol era. Henderson Retail, part of the familyowned and managed group, now owns and operates around 100 SPAR and EUROSPAR stores across Northern Ireland. Many of these are petrol forecourt sites, affiliated with major oil brands. Henderson Group also supplies independently owned EUROSPAR, SPAR, VIVO and VIVOEXTRA stores across Northern Ireland. While our industry, of course, benefits enormously from the support from most of the leading supermarkets, the Henderson Group has focused resources to help artisan and smaller companies in particular to gain first business with a significant retailer that’s been responsible for a series of imaginative initiatives. I think, for instance, of the group’s Kitchen and The Chef ranges of food products. The Chef range is a hugely impressive and successful development which set 20

the pace by creating an extensive range of restaurant-quality meals and sides for dozens of stores. The Chef represents a substantial investment by the group in the recruitment of a very talented and vastly experienced chef Carl Johannesson, and the construction of a state-of-theart kitchen at Randalstown to create and produce the meals which are exceptionally tasty and well-timed with the trend towards home cooking due to the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns. A further £120,00 was invested by the group in the range earlier in the year. The quality and outstanding taste of the range was emphasised in the UK Great Taste when four dishes achieved gold stars in the closely watched awards. The Great Taste winners included family favourites such as chicken and broccoli bake, lasagne, Irish beef stew and mango chicken curry; all made by Carl and his 27-strong team at the group’s dedicated kitchen unit Encouragingly, most of the ingredients were sourced from local suppliers such as K&G McAtamney in Ballymena, Magherafelt’s Bradmount Country Foods and Henderson Foodservice in Newtownabbey. The group, furthermore, has listed dozens of artisan and smaller food firms in its stores, providing them with substantial opportunities to reach hundreds of thousands of shoppers every week and thereby boost business and the local economy. Many of those companies were also included in an agreement between the group and Sainsbury’s supermarkets here to help plug gaps in their shelves due to Brexit and the associated Irish Sea Protocol. In addition to the business opportunities for smaller producers, the group also assists their development with advice in key areas such as merchandising. And they also give companies the time they need to grow sales without the anxiety of delisting. Another of our members, Moo to You food and drink delivery service, was also shortlisted in Start-up of the Year, an important recognition for a small and inspirational company launched

during the first lockdown. Moo to You, based on the Streamvale Open Farm near Belfast, helped a host of artisans with a distribution channel during a very challenging period… and continues to do so. Overall, it’s been another marvellous year for the local food and drink industry in various awards especially Great Taste and Blas na hEireann. We’ve also seen Dr Ulric Dyer’s Symphonia Gin in a major sustainability competition and Dram in a Can Irish Whiskey from Two Stacks in Belfast is in the running for one of the most prestigious awards in the Middle East for innovation and creativity. Two Stacks is one of our smallest distilleries which is creating an impressive reputation for highly original products such as Dram in a Can, the very first canned Irish whiskey, a product which has also been acclaimed in the US for the quality of its contents and overall originality. It’s all this success, and all of the great work by producers, that inspired us to deliver the Our food the power of good campaign which you will see being rolled out over the coming months.

ADVERTORIAL

PEPSI MAX LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN TO CELEBRATE THE SWITCH TO 100% RECYCLED PLASTIC BOTTLES*

epsi MAX has just launched a new brand campaign, Nothing tastes better than a 100% recycled bottle, which puts a spotlight on the brand’s switch to 100% recycled plastic for its single serve (500ml and 750ml) bottles*. Now consumers can enjoy their on-thego Pepsi MAX even more, knowing the bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic*. With placements across television, out-of-home, digital and social media, the 360 campaign aims to raise awareness of this change, encouraging consumers to recycle after use, and showing how they can feel good about choosing to drink Pepsi MAX. Set to the sound of Feeling Good by Nina Simone, the campaign TV advertisement shows the last drop of a bottle of Pepsi MAX being poured into a glass. Then in a turn of surprise, the leading actress proceeds to drink from the empty bottle instead of the glass. The campaign strapline, Nothing tastes better than a 100% recycled bottle, then concludes the advert. The campaign forms part of PepsiCo’s commitment to driving towards a circular economy and reducing plastic waste. Earlier this year, 7UP also transitioned its bottles from green to clear plastic to better support a seamless circular economy for plastic bottles. Adam Smart, general manager, PepsiCo Ireland, said: “Pepsi MAX is Ireland’s fastest growing cola**, so the shift to 100% recycled plastic on-the-go bottles* will make a tangible difference to our

THIS NEW CAMPAIGN ‘NOTHING TASTES BETTER THAN A 100% RECYCLED BOTTLE’, NOT ONLY AIMS TO ENCOURAGE A FULL CIRCLE OF RECYCLING IN IRELAND BUT HELPS CONSUMERS ENJOY OUR PRODUCT ALL THE MORE KNOWING IT HAS LESS IMPACT ON THE PLANET

environmental impact. This new campaign Nothing tastes better than a 100% recycled bottle, not only aims to encourage a full circle of recycling in Ireland but helps consumers enjoy our product all the more knowing it has less impact on the planet.” *Excluding caps and labels ** Source: Nielsen Scantrack Data (MAT TY) 15.08.21 All ‘100% RECYCLED’ branded Pepsi MAX, Pepsi, Pepsi Diet, Pepsi MAX Cherry 500ml single serve plastic bottles and Pepsi Max 750ml single serve plastic bottles in Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, excluding caps/labels, are made from 100% recycled plastic.

ADVERTORIAL

CARAMELISED HAZELNUT SCOOPS GREAT TASTE GOLDEN FORK FOR MORELLI’S

n Sunday 17 October, the Great Taste Golden Fork from Northern Ireland was presented to Morelli Ice Cream for its Caramelised Hazelnut Ice Cream. Sponsored by Invest NI, the trophy for best food or drink from Northern Ireland was announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Reception at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate, as the largest and most trusted food and drink awards on the planet reached its exciting finale. Out of 218 Great Taste 3-star awardwinning products to be re-judged to find this year’s Golden Fork Trophy winners and the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2021, this rich and smooth ice cream with a deep bosky hazelnut flavour was one of 13 products to pick up the coveted trophy for their respective country or region. Collecting the award were Naldo Morelli, the managing director, and Daniella Morelli-Kerr, the sales & marketing director. Now operated by the fourth generation of the Morelli family, the ice cream makers still use fresh double

Michele Charrington, Invest Northern Ireland, with Daniella Morelli-Kerr and Naldo Morelli.

cream and butter from the historic Ballyrashane Creamery, also on the North Coast. The winning flavour is already available to Morelli Scoop ice cream stockists as well as in a 2 Litre Retail pack. A smaller retail pack of Caramelised Hazelnut is also in the pipeline for 2022. Morelli’s produces over 50 flavours of ice cream at their factory in Coleraine. The range now includes Libero, a dairy-free ice cream which is made using plant cream, available in Vanilla, Chocolate & Strawberry. The traditional flavours are still firm favourites, but the company’s development team are always developing new and exciting tastes. Morelli’s has also collaborated with Clandeboye Estate for their range of scoopable Frozen Yoghurt and also Irish Black Butter to create an exciting ice cream paired with Double Cream Vanilla. A truly unique taste! Morelli’s range of retail packs is growing all the time with a 950ml Family Sized Tub available to retailers in four

flavours as well as a range of seven flavours in a 125ml spoon-in-lid individual sized tub. This range is supported with branded freezer deals and attractive point-of-sale materials. The Morelli Scoop Ice Cream Concept for retail is a complete service from planning and preparation through to training, product and menu selection and continued support. With over 110 years of ice cream experience, the Morelli family helps their scoop customers achieve the most out of selling their products. Enquiries are now open for the 2022 season. *Central Billing arrangements in place with most symbol groups For more information on the Morelli pre-filled Retail Range or Scoop Concept, please contact 02870 357155 or info@morellisices.com

GREAT TASTE 2021

SUPERVALU AND CENTRA NI WIN AT GREAT TASTE AWARDS

eading food market convenience retailers, SuperValu and Centra have been awarded 16 coveted Great Taste Awards for 2021, making a big impression with their own brand products. SuperValu NI took home 12 award wins at the world’s largest and most trusted food and drink awards, from condiments and everyday essentials to snacks and meals. In SuperValu stores across Northern Ireland, award-winning SuperValu Signature Tastes products on shelves include: Raspberry Conserve; Smoked

Irish Hampshire Easy Carve Gammon; Irish Hampshire Ham Fillet; French Brie de Meaux; Italian Prosciutto & Spicy Salami Stonebaked Sourdough Pizza; and Elderflower Presse. SuperValu Smoked Salmon Pate and Irish Creamery Butter, as well as Scone Mix and Cookie Mix also picked up Great Taste awards. Centra’s Greek Feta Cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano also won accolades while Frank and Honest Gourmet Coffee, which is available in selected SuperValu, and Centra and MACE stores across N.

Ireland, took home awards for its Lungo and Ristretto Capsules. Trevor Magill, managing director of Musgrave NI, said: “2021 has been another great year for SuperValu and Centra at the Great Taste awards and we are thrilled to see that both brands have been so successful once again. It is a real testament to the quality and value of our range, available in stores across the province.”

BALLYMALOE PICKLED IRISH BEETROOT SECURES TWO STARS B allymaloe Foods has secured a listing with Tesco stores across Northern Ireland for its Great Taste award-winning Ballymaloe Pickled Irish Beetroot. With this expansion to Northern Ireland, Ballymaloe Pickled Irish Beetroot is laying claim as the only 100% Irish grown and produced beetroot available across the island of Ireland. 100% of the beetroot used in Ballymaloe Beetroot is planted, pickled and packed in East Cork, with the Beetroot available in dices or slices and a great accompaniment to salads, sandwiches and more. When the judges at this year’s Great Taste gave the product two stars out of a maximum of three, they commented: ‘This is pure, beautiful beetroot, naturally sweet and packed with all the sweet earthiness we expected. The beetroot has retained

its natural crunch. So clever - so well done.’ “We have strong ambitions to grow in Northern Ireland and there is so much love for the brand across the market,” said Maxine Hyde, general manager of Ballymaloe Foods.

DROMONA PURE BUTTER SCOOPS GOLD AT GREAT TASTE AWARDS

Peter Rodgers, business manager at Valeo Foods; Michael Crealey, Tesco NI buyer; and Niamh Wall, national account manager, Ballymaloe Foods.

he team at Dromona Creamery in Cullybackey are celebrating their win at 2021 Great Taste awards for Dromona Pure Butter - the ‘richest taste from their creamery’. Dromona Pure butter is made from nutrient-rich summer milk, of local Northern Ireland herds, which leads to a deliciously creamy, golden butter. This award follows hot on the heels of recent packaging redesign that celebrates Dromona Pure butter’s provenance and quality, lifting a lid on the best of Cullybackey. Great Taste award judges recognised the superior quality of this butter, hailing it to be ‘far too easy to eat’. 25

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WHITE’S OATS SCORES TOP ECO RATING FOR ITS SUSTAINABLE OAT PRODUCTS

James Mathers, general manager, White’s Oats and Stuart Best, business development manager, White’s Oats.

reland’s leading oat producer, White’s Oats, has announced it has achieved an A+ Eco Score rating across its range of porridge oats as part of its ongoing commitment to provide the most sustainable oat-based product offerings. The Eco Score has been accredited to White’s by Foundation Earth, an independent non-profit organisation, following a first of its kind UK pilot study conducted by the organisation to understand the environmental impacts of producing and selling a product. Consumers will see the Eco Score displayed on the packaging of the company’s oat products from the New Year. An A+ rating is the highest score that can be awarded to a product and is reflective of White’s short supply chains, minimal processing, low water usage and minimal impact on biodiversity when producing its products. James Mathers, general

manager of White’s Oats, said: “We are proud that our range of oat products has achieved the highest Eco Score rating from Foundation Earth. Research shows that today’s consumers value transparency around the environmental impact of the products they buy, and

there is a clear shift towards more plant-based diets as consumers focus not just on their health but on the health of the planet. Our A+ environmental labelling on pack provides our customers with the confidence that they are making an informed choice and furthers our mission to deliver the most healthy, nutritious and sustainable oat-based product offerings.” Cliona Howie, CEO, Foundation Earth, said: “Foundation Earth is inspired to see bold action from innovative companies like White’s Oats release their front-

of-pack eco impact scores, offering consumers the credible information they need to make more sustainable buying choices. It’s a testament to the good work they’re already doing that their products rated highly. We’re excited to continue working with companies like this as our pilot continues to accelerate our food systems to net zero.” The announcement comes as White’s pledges to be carbon neutral in its scope 1 and scope 2 emissions within a year through a combination of carbon reduction and offsetting, with more ambitious targets set for becoming net zero carbon in its operations by 2030. The Eco Score is determined through a methodology developed by Mondra and borne out of research from Oxford university. A Life Cycle Assessment is carried out which measures the environmental impacts from creating a product across farming, transport, processing, packaging, and retail and awards that product an environmental rating from A+ to G, which is then communicated to shoppers via a traffic light system and a front of pack score. Some of the industry leading factors that have resulted in White’s achieving the A+ Eco Score include: • White’s works in partnerships with its growers and sources its conventional oats locally within a 60-mile radius of the mill. This is integral to supporting its sustainable sourcing model and ensuring a fully traceable grain supply. • White’s growers engage in supporting a range of biodiversity practices; from managed habitats such as wild bird cover to provide feed over winter, pollinators, rough grass margins which provide nesting for birds, to natural habitatshedgerows, woodlands and wetlands, with some holding the LEAF marque (linking environment with farming) - a global assurance system held by farms which meet the rigorous standards of sustainable farming practice. • All of White’s porridge oats are in fully recyclable packaging which can be collected via kerbside and its paper and board is made from 100% sustainably sourced FSC certified wood. It recently announced the move to a larger 1kg pack on three of its hero porridge products resulting in 35% less paper per tonne of finished product.

FOOD FORCE IRELAND ONLINE CONFERENCE

FOOD FORCE IRELAND CELEBRATES ITS LOCAL SUPPLIERS

ocal suppliers have proved more vital than ever for independent retailers throughout the pandemic, and the supply chain disruptions associated with the Northern Ireland Protocol, delegates heard at the second annual Food Force Ireland (FFI) Online Conference. The Northern Ireland buying group for Nisa members traditionally hosts an annual one-day event at the Culloden featuring trade stands, presentations and awards, but last year successfully introduced a new virtual format for the first time. Organised by Debra Johnston, trading controller of FFI, this year’s event included three afternoon sessions held over September 28-30. With key suppliers presenting their latest innovations and market trends as well as exclusive promotions, over £1m in trade is said to be generated through the event. And this year, the conference included video presentations by six FFI members showcasing their stores. “Sometimes it can be hard to explain the purpose of FFI in independent retail and I hope that by watching this conference, you’ve all learned something new and understand how important our members, our suppliers and Food Force are to the communities we serve,” said Jonathan Crawford, chairman of FFI, concluding the threeday event. “We’ve had terrific challenges this year with product shortages. We’ve been making representations at ministerial level of our concerns regarding the Northern Ireland Protocol and, although it hasn’t entirely gone away, we hope we’ll find a solution that is a positive one. “These national supply chain disruptions only further enhance the important link that we have with our local supply base. “It’s important to remember that national supply issues affect our UK multiple competitors much more than us, giving us opportunities to provide Northern Ireland consumers that others can’t. It’s an important time to support our local suppliers who supported us in the worst times of Covid and they will continue to be our strength as disruptions continue.” 32

Debra Johnston, trading controller, Food Force Ireland.

Jonathan Crawford, chairman of FFI.

SIX FOOD FORCE IRELAND MEMBERS WERE SHOWCASED DURING THE CONFERENCE

Stewart’s Cookstown

Emersons Armagh

McLister’s Ballycastle

Parkgate Service Station Lurgan

Robinson’s Ballymena

Springisland Coalisland

FOOD FORCE IRELAND ONLINE CONFERENCE

FOOD FORCE RECOGNISES ITS SUPPLIERS OF THE YEAR ACCOLADES WERE HANDED OUT ACROSS SEVEN CATEGORIES DURING THE BUYING GROUP’S ANNUAL SUPPLIER AWARDS

Bread Supplier of the Year: Colin Stevenson and Iain Waide, Allied Bakeries.

Ambient Supplier of the Year: Alan Crossen, Tayto Group.

Account Manager of the Year: Gary Hopkins, PRM Group.

Ambient Supplier of the Year: Martin McClinton, Northern Snack Foods.

Chilled Supplier of the Year: Patrick Donaghy and Gary Gillespie, Kerry Foods.

Special Recognition Award: Martin McMaster, Northern Snack Foods.

Soft Drinks Supplier of the Year: Peter Doherty, Britvic NI.

MY LIFE IN THE GROCERY TRADE ELLY HUNTER, MARKETING DIRECTOR, TAYTO GROUP BRIEFLY OUTLINE YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY TO DATE My degree in Food Science, Economics and Marketing took me to London where my first role was with AGB (now Nielsen) analysing and presenting market data to food companies. From there I worked at Safeway Supermarkets running test marketing for food brands in stores. My next role was within the character licensing industry where I sold the rights for brands such as Mr Men, Star Wars, Hanna Barbera, Spice Girls, Dennis the Menace and Tom & Jerry to food brands for products and promotions. I then worked for various advertising agencies with clients including Mars, Disney and Colgate Palmolive. I moved to Northern Ireland in 2003 with my husband (Northern Irish!) and two children. I was lucky enough to get the head of marketing role with Irwin’s Bakery, falling in love with their amazing product range and then moved to the same role at Dale Farm, looking after Dromona, Spelga, Dale Farm, Rowan Glen and Loseley brands. I joined Tayto in 2008. WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? I am responsible for all facets of marketing for the Tayto brand. There are over 100 products within our range

and several sub brands including Craft, Popcorn, Rough Cuts and snacks including Spirals, Onion Rings, Big Cheese and Whisps. I am responsible for bringing new products, packaging and flavours to market, ensuring the best quality at all times and supporting the brand through the full marketing mix. I also ensure that the brand is as sustainable as possible and actively seek new solutions. I work with and support the local community, seek and manage sponsorships and ensure that Tayto delivers the generous exuberance that makes it one of the most iconic brands in Northern Ireland. WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? I am passionate about the Tayto brand and love everything about interacting with consumers and ensuring they are #TaytoHappy. BRIEFLY OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY There is no typical day for me! There are lots of zoom calls and meetings with the Tayto team and my wonderful agencies. Planning, strategising and managing projects. Working on new product development, handling customer requirements, reviewing artwork and managing the process to launch. Dealing

with issues as and when they arise and coming up with fun campaigns to promote the brand. PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? I am proud to manage the Tayto brand, so every day is a good day. In 2019 I successfully relaunched the entire brand with a fresh new look to ensure ongoing relevance in this competitive market. Over 100 products were involved and so it was a very challenging 18 months from the start which involved swathes of research and strategic thought, through to the development of the new branding and packaging to timely launch and onward support. Of course, winning the Ulster Grocer Leader in Marketing award this year made me feel very proud too. BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL RETAIL INDUSTRY? Local retailers love the Tayto brand too and are amazing to work with, the teams are so approachable and open to new ideas and ways of supporting the brand. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? I have two energetic dogs and there is nothing better than going on long walks with them in this beautiful country (even in the rain). TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW I love quizzes and was lucky enough to appear on The Weakest Link – and won.

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

MOVEMENT ON TEMPORARY VISAS WELCOMED BY PORK SECTOR

‘S

light movement’ on the UK government’s stance, with the announcement that it will issue 800 six-month visas for the pork processing sector to address ongoing labour shortages, has been welcomed by the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU). “After a long period of intense lobbying by the UFU, we are glad that finally, some positive progression has been made on the issue of labour shortages,” said William Irvine, deputy president, UFU. “Processors across Northern Ireland have been seriously understaffed for quite some time now and this has been putting pressure on our farmers to house extra livestock as well as impacting their cashflow, especially when you take into account ongoing high feed prices. “However, while the movement on temporary visas is an encouraging start to help fill the vacancies in the processing plants and hopefully, help them to get back to the level of processing that is required, we fear it’s not going to fix the problem entirely, but it may be a start.

“The number of temporary visas granted do fall short, but we appreciate the government making them available to workers outside the UK. In the meantime, we will continue to engage at the highest level. “Other food processing sectors must not be forgot about as labour affects across the board. We will ensure that work continues, to overcome this labour shortage completely and drive the industry away from a looming crisis.” William Irvine

POTATO YIELDS IMPROVE AFTER GOOD GROUND CONDITIONS A round half of this year’s potato maincrop is now out of the ground, with good ground conditions improving the yield, according to local potato packer Wilson’s Country. “The weather has remained good for weeks and ground conditions have held up tremendously well,” said Stuart Meredith, Wilson’s Country agronomist. “In fact, the weather has been so good that growers have had a fair amount of difficulty getting crops burnt off. Crops just wanted to keep on growing.

James Kyle, North Antrim potato grower, and Stuart Meredith, Wilson’s Country agronomist, inspect a 17-acre field of Maris Piper, planted out in April. 38

“Crops that were affected by the dry spell back in July and yields are back accordingly. Disease pressure remained reasonably low throughout the growing season: it’s now a case of getting crops in store as quickly as possible.” According to the Wilson’s Country representative, the warm and reasonably dry period through late August and early September provided some growers with an opportunity to achieve some more bulk. “Crops were actively growing, and haulms have been difficult to kill simply due to the good growing conditions through September,” he said. “Crop yields to date have been very variable as a result of the drier than average summer. Yields on fields badly affected with drought stress are reported as low as 10t/ ac, yields on heavier land that received irrigation have been as far as 23t/ac.” Maincrop whites, such as Cultra, have been performing well, whereas Maris Piper crops produced high numbers of tubers but didn’t fill them out to their full potential.

MILK PRICE INCREASE NEEDED TO COUNTER INPUT COSTS

ocal dairy farmers need a reflective and meaningful milk price to counter mounting financial pressure due to rapidly rising input prices and labour shortages, says the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU). “Input prices have been rising all year and this was shown in recent analysis by local dairy consultants,” said Mervyn Gordon, dairy chairman, UFU. “They reported that the breakeven milk price has increased 3.5ppl in the last 15 months and the biggest worry is that it’s not going to stop there. “We’re going to have to factor in the impact of pending energy price and the predicted domino-effect that will come about with feed, fertiliser and fuel costs increasing. It’s going to be nearly impossible to keep up with rising input costs with the current base milk prices. “To aggravate the situation further, the UFU are now receiving reports of labour shortages on local dairy farms. The appeal of more sociable working hours and a pay increase as much as £5/hour is enough to draw workers away from our sector. “This then puts pressure on our dairy farms, not just the inflationary pressures on increasing wage demands, but also the lack of support to help run our farms.” “With dairy commodities prices getting significantly stronger in recent weeks, this supports the call for a higher local base milk price.”

MARKETING NEWS

COCA-COLA COMPANY UNVEILS BE ALLERGY NEW GLOBAL BRAND PLATFORM AWARE

oca-Cola has unveiled a new global brand philosophy and platform, Real Magic, inviting everyone to celebrate the real magic of humanity. The platform refreshes the brand’s trademark promise - to unite and uplift people every day - with renewed relevance for the world we live in today. The platform is built from lessons of the last 18 months: that we can find magic all around us when we come together in unexpected moments that elevate the everyday into the extraordinary. It also acknowledges the many contradictions experienced as new generations find harmony and human connection in a virtual and divided world. Real Magic marks the first new global brand platform for Coca-Cola since 2016 and is being launched alongside a refreshed visual identity for Coca-

Cola, as well as a new perspective on the Coca-Cola logo that will feature across Coca-Cola marketing. Inspired by its representation on Coca-Cola’s iconic packaging, the ‘Hug’ logo lifts the curved Coca-Cola trademark on bottle and can labels to provide a visual signature that will embrace and frame moments of magic across Coca-Cola’s communications. Real Magic launches with a new campaign, One Coke Away From Each Other. Blending real and virtual worlds, One Coke Away From Each Other is a metaphor that speaks to the belief that what unites us is greater than what sets us apart and celebrates our common humanity. The campaign also features social and digital executions, as well as out of home.

HENDERSON’S LAUNCHES £1.6M 12 DEALS OF CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN

enderson Group has launched its annual 12 Deals of Christmas initiative, with this year’s 12-week campaign highlighting seven weeks of enhanced double deals for SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO, ViVOXTRA and ViVO Essentials retailers in Northern Ireland. A fully integrated marketing push aimed at boosting Sara Murphy, footfall and basket spend marketing manager, for its retailers, the 2021 Henderson Group, campaign will include a range with Olivia Nash. of giveaways worth £12,000. For each shopper taking advantage of all the festive essentials deals, a collective saving of £45* would be generated, according to the Henderson Group. The group has invested £1.6m in this year’s 12 Deals of Christmas initiative, which was first launched in 2016 as a way for retailers to position their stores as a Christmas shopping destination for consumers. “The weeks and months leading up to Christmas provide a unique opportunity within retailing to harness consumer spending,” said Sara Murphy, marketing manager at Henderson Group. “Realising the opportunity to maximise sales, we have implemented an enhanced 12-week strategy promoting weekly deals at market leading prices across our network of over 500 stores.” Each deal will be available, while stocks last, for one week in all participating SPAR, EUROSPAR, VIVO, VIVOXTRA and VIVO Essentials stores and supermarkets across Northern Ireland and revealed weekly exclusively on SPAR and EUROSPAR NI’s social media platforms. * if every product is purchased at reduced price, compared to every product purchased at full price.

CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS NEW FOOD LAW

ith new legislation on allergen labelling come into force on October 1, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute is hosting a campaign to inform businesses of their responsibilities to label food correctly. Multilingual resources available include training videos, posters, presentations, handouts and case studies for food businesses in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. The Be Allergy Aware campaign was created by the Greater Gwent Food Group - a partnership between Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport City and Torfaen councils - with the support of the Food Standards Agency. It includes a handy factsheet for businesses, a series of posters in several languages reminding customers to notify staff of any allergies they may have, and an indepth information video explaining the risks of improperly labelled food. It urges businesses to ‘doublecheck, never guess’ whether the food they sell contains ingredients that may be allergens, and whether their customers have any food allergies or intolerances. Natasha’s Law, introduced on October 1, requires all food businesses to provide full ingredient lists and allergen information on foods pre-packaged for direct sale in the UK. The 14 allergens that must be declared by law when used as ingredients are: celery; cereals containing gluten; crustaceans; eggs; fish; lupin; milk; molluscs; mustard; nuts; peanuts; sesame seeds; soya; and sulphur dioxide. For more information, visit https:// www.tradingstandards.uk/ practitioners/food-allergen-resource.

ADVERTORIAL

BUILDING BETTER FOOD AND DRINK BRANDS: HOW CONSUMERS VIEW LOCAL BRANDS AND HOW THEY ARE RESPONDING TO COVID-19

ur exclusive research details the importance of local food and drink brands to consumers across the island of Ireland and examines how Covid-19 has impacted their focus on local as well as their cooking habits, revealing some key implications for retailers, food and drink brand owners and beyond. OUR FINDINGS LOCAL PRODUCE IS IN HIGH DEMAND Most consumers actively seek out locally produced or grown foods when shopping – particularly those aged 35+. In fact, a resounding 93% say that they seek out local food & drink when shopping. Breaking this down further, 26% say they always do, 35% usually do and 32% sometimes do. This is something that rises amongst older consumers – while 73% of 18-24s say they actively seek out local produce, this rises to 95% of consumers aged 35+. THE OPPORTUNITY We know that consumers want to buy local. The challenge for the year ahead is to ensure that brand owners are making the most of local credentials on pack and marketing communications. Retailers must ensure they can meet consumer demand with a sizeable local element to each of their food and drink categories. HIDE AND SEEK; A GAME YOU DO NOT WANT TO PLAY WITH CONSUMERS INSTORE Ease and clarity are key when it comes to identifying local food & drink instore. 86% of consumers said they would value a quick and easy way to identify local food & drink when shopping. This is more pronounced among women (88%), and ROI consumers (88%), compared to NI consumers (81%) and men (72%). 40

THE OPPORTUNITY Whilst a large majority of consumers would like to purchase local food & drink brands when shopping, a high majority can’t always find them (71%). To grow sales and overall brand awareness, local producers should work to increase the visibility of their local credentials.

THE OPPORTUNITY With consumers taking an interest in the local economy, food & drink brand owners should jump at the chance to show consumers how their instore spend benefits not only the brand owner but the employees and the wider community.

THE LOCAL ECONOMY IS A CORE MOTIVATOR TO BUYING LOCAL FOOD AND DRINK 8 in 10 consumers say that they buy local food & drink to support the economy. This is higher among ROI consumers (81%) than those in NI (76%).

QUALITY, TRUST AND NATIONAL PRIDE From our research, we identified several other key motivators for buying local. Almost half of respondents buy local because they believe it’s better quality (higher in NI at 51%). The same proportion buy local because they know

ADVERTORIAL

where it comes from. Both findings indicate that quality and trust underpin the motivation to buy local. National pride can’t be discounted either, with almost 1 in 5 (18%) saying that a sense of national pride is a great reason for buying local. This is certainly more the case in ROI (23%) than in NI (7%).

THE OPPORTUNITY With almost half of respondents believing that the quality of local food & drink is better, brand owners should work to review their price positioning and consider a pricing structure. The result could lead to increases in price and margin, supported by packaging and marketing communications.

HAVING A LOCAL AND VISIBLE PURPOSE 8 in 10 consumers expect local food & drink brands to be active in their community. In fact, it is the number one ‘important factor’ for customers when choosing food or drink products. Interestingly, while the 18-24 age group show a lower interest in the range of factors they seek from a food & drink brand, their interest spikes more when it comes to brands being involved in the community. Other factors important to consumers are the local heritage of a brand (79%), the food miles associated with the product (70%), and that it’s well known (60%). THE OPPORTUNITY This poses two questions for brand owners; what are you doing in your local community and how are you telling consumers about it? CONSUMERS ARE GOING ONLINE TO FIND OUT MORE - FEED THEIR CURIOSITY AND INSPIRE THEM With more than half of respondents visiting food & drink websites from time to time (55%) and almost half (48%) finding themselves looking up food & drink brands online, we must provide rich information to feed their curiosity. In addition, 8 in 10 consumers say they value recipe ideas from food & drink brands. 41

ADVERTORIAL THE OPPORTUNITY With consumers seeking new food & drink experiences from home, an online presence across multiple touchpoints is vitally important. There’s also an opportunity for businesses to reaffirm their brand story, highlighting key features and benefits to encourage repeat purchases.

FOCUSING ON LOCAL, SCRATCH COOKING AND FRESH. When asked about their grocery habits compared to pre Covid-19, over half of consumers say they are now buying more local food & drink products (55%). This rises to 59% for NI consumers versus 54% of ROI consumers. With almost half of consumers buying more fresh fruit & vegetables and over half saying they are cooking more from

THE TAKEAWAY HERO LOCAL INSTORE For retailers, there is a need to look at the food & drink category to find a way to highlight local producers with tools such as instore POS. HERO LOCAL ON PACK Brand owners should revisit their local message on packaging and in marketing communications to ensure they are making the most of their credentials. LEVERAGE LOCAL QUALITY TO BUILD MARGIN With consumers associating local produce with high quality, brand owners should think about adjusting their costs. To do this, the local message will have to be highly visible and supported by branding elements such as packaging and marketing communications. GET ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY AND SHOUT ABOUT IT! Consider the impact of your brand in the local community and how well you are communicating this to your customers.

scratch; consumers seem to be eating healthier than before the pandemic. A smaller proportion of consumers are saying they purchased more ready meals (14%), more pre-prepared side dishes (12%) and more pre-cut fruit and vegetables (11%). THE OPPORTUNITY Brand owners should start to think about new and exciting ways to appeal to the healthier, locally driven consumer. GIVE CONSUMERS HEALTHY INSPIRATION Post Covid-19, consumers are more interested in scratch-cooking, local produce and buying fresh, healthy ingredients. Inspire them to cook using your products by creating rich recipe content. WHO WE ARE As a Belfast-based branding and digital agency, The Foundation uses creativity and clarity to drive businesses forward today while building better for tomorrow. With services across branding, design, packaging, digital and campaign execution, we develop brands that enable businesses to inspire their people, excite their customers and generate long term commercial impact. We’ve done this for a range of food & drink brands including Mash Direct, S&W, Total Produce, Lynas, Ristretto, Symphonia, O’Doherty’s Black Bacon, Donegal Rapeseed Oil Company, Tipperary Water, Santa Rita Wines and Boost.

ABOUT THE RESEARCH As 2021 draws to a close and our clients start to plan for the year ahead, we examined consumer attitudes towards local TELL YOUR STORY ONLINE Your brand story is becoming more important food & drink, packaging information and the overall impact of Covid-19 on consumer to consumers, and they are going online to seek it out – make sure your content is visible behaviour. Our Strategy Director, Brendan Gallen, commissioned a unique study in and highly engaging. 42

partnership with FN Research, a leading Greater Belfast-based research agency.

THE SAMPLE Almost 500 consumers across Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland participated in the online survey which was conducted in September 2021. For more insights or to discuss how we can help you build better for your brand, get in touch with Brendan Gallen (brendan@ wearethefoundation.co.uk), or visit www.wearethefoundation.co.uk to download this report in full and find out more.

BUSINESS NEWS

AROUND NOON NAMED ONE OF IRELAND’S BEST MANAGED COMPANIES

ewry-based Around Noon has been named as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies by Deloitte Ireland, in association with Bank of Ireland. The company, which demonstrated superior business performance for a fourth year, was recognised with a Gold Standard – one of 17 awarded to companies across the island. The Best Managed Companies Awards programme promotes and recognises excellence in companies and is the only awards scheme on the island of Ireland to consider a business’ performance from every perspective. Entrants to the programme compete for the designation in a rigorous process evaluating the calibre of their management abilities and practices

in addition to the strategy, capability, innovation, culture and financial performance of their companies. Around Noon has been in business for over 30 years and employs over 300 people. It supplies a broad range of highquality sandwiches, wraps, salads, fruit pots and cold pressed juices to customers including forecourt and convenience retailers and cafes. It also sells healthy ready meals via its Simply Fit Food business and bakery items under its Sweet Things brand. “It’s great recognition for the whole Around Noon team to achieve a Gold Award,” said Gareth Chambers, CEO, of Around Noon. “We’re immensely proud of our people and the relationships we have forged with our valued customers.

Gareth Chambers, CEO and Mary McMahon, Group financial director.

MOY PARK OWNER ACQUIRES MEALS BUSINESS FROM KERRY FOODS

ilgrim’s, the US-based owner of Moy Park, has launched new food group Pilgrim’s Food Masters following completion of its acquisition of Kerry Group plc’s Consumer Foods Meats and Meals business. Pilgrim’s Food Masters said its new name expresses its passion for creating outstanding-tasting food and commitment to world class innovation meeting the needs of changing consumer tastes. Nick Robinson, CEO of Pilgrim’s Food Masters, will continue to lead the group’s 4,500 team members across the UK and Ireland and will seek to accelerate the current growth trajectory. Pilgrim’s Food Masters will remain headquartered in the UK with team members across 11 sites including facilities in the UK and Ireland, and an extensive 44

distribution network in both countries. “This is the start of an exciting new chapter in our history as we join the Pilgrim’s family and we’re feeling confident and ambitious about what the future holds,” said Robinson. “We have a strong track record in delivering growth and as Pilgrim’s Food Masters, we have the foundations of an already highly successful business. As one of the UK and Ireland’s leading food business, we remain committed to the communities and customers that we serve. “I’d like to thank our valued customers, suppliers and partners for their ongoing support and trust in our business. As Pilgrim’s Food Masters, we will uphold our unwavering commitment to quality, service and value, and making a positive impact on the environment.”

“At the heart of our approach to management is developing great people and ensuring that we run our business in a sustainable way. That’s why we have invested over £250,000 this year in green projects reducing our impact on our planet.”

LOWE ACQUIRES ABBEY DESIGN ASSOCIATES & SPHERICA SYSTEMS

isburn-based Lowe Corporation (Lowe) has completed its acquisition of Abbey Design Associates Ltd (ADA) and Spherica Systems (Spherica). The acquisition of ADA adds a substantial level of commercial refrigeration design and consultancy expertise to the group. Spherica, a recognised innovator in the IoT remote monitoring space, will join Lowe’s global LoweConex brand, bringing a ground-breaking and disruptive unified data platform to the international marketplace. “We are delighted to welcome ADA and Spherica into our high-performing group of brands,” said Rodney Lowry, CEO of Lowe. “With innovation and a customer-focused approach at our core, these two expectational businesses are a perfect fit. “There are excellent synergies between the companies, and this can be seen in aligned cultures around customer service and our reputation as trusted innovators. “Together we can take a great step forward, providing market leading end-to-end asset management control through IoT technology platforms, a first for the food grocery market. “The teams from Lowe, ADA and Spherica complement each other extremely well and I am delighted to have all formalities of the deal completed, clearing the way for our teams to start the business of building a collective powerhouse in food retail and associated markets.”

People on the move... in association with

NEW GLOBAL FORAGE ROLE FOR DR MARK LEGGETT AT VOLAC

eading animal nutrition and forage preservation company Volac has promoted Dr Mark Leggett to the role of global technical manager for forage. Originally joining Volac in 2014, Dr Leggett was previously a molecular biologist for the company, conducting research and development on silage production methods and the company’s Ecosyl range of silage additives. His new global role will see him continuing with research and development in a more strategic capacity, as well as taking on added responsibility providing technical support to Volac’s

customers as well as regional technical and sales staff. He will also support the manufacturing side of the business to ensure the company’s silage additives meet strict standards and provide training on Volac forage products. “As farmers look to increase milk and meat production from homegrown forage as a way of farming more sustainably, there is a real need to make the best possible silage,” said Dr Leggett. “Volac is a technically-led company. We remain committed to our goal of producing the best products,

Dr Mark Leggett

underpinned by the best research, and to ensuring our customers are supported in their best use.” Prior to joining Volac, Dr Leggett was at Cardiff University where he undertook his PhD in microbial ecology, followed by three years of post-doctoral research developing antimicrobial compounds.

ELIN WISENIUS APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF GROUP GLOBAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Elin Wisenius

ollowing a recent restructure that saw the launch of three specialist agencies for live, retail and digital spaces, the Bluedog Group has appointed Elin Wisenius as its first director of group global business development. Wisenius brings rich international experience from across the UK, Asia and Europe, with a particular focus on creative services and high-end products, including spirits and fine wine. “Elin brings a level of experience and dedication that is sometimes hard to find,” said Nick King, founder & Group CEO, Bluedog. “But since we started speaking in the summer, it was always going to be a matter of when not if she would join us, and we can’t wait to see what

she will bring in terms of impact, positive challenge and fresh thinking.” Wisenius said: “I am delighted to have gained the confidence of the team to continue to develop the group’s international presence across the breadth of sectors in which it currently delivers. “Bluedog has established an impressive portfolio over the years and already worked alongside many high-profile clients – including Bacardi and Treasury Wine Estates. I’m excited by the ambition of the specialist led restructure, the balanced focus in aligning sustainability and business goals, and the potential for new clients and expanded relationships with those already in the fold.”

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SHELFLIFE

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

NEW RUM CELEBRATES KILLYLEAGH CASTLE’S FRENCH CONNECTION

he Copeland Distillery has released a limited-edition Grand Cru Bordeaux Rum, its fourth rum innovation to date, celebrating Killyleagh Castle’s historic connection to France. In 1633 James Hamilton Jr sent word home to Killyleagh Castle for his father to send a ship and £350 to Bordeaux where he was at the time. A few weeks later, a direct shipment of fine French wine arrived to Co Down for the first time. “We have worked with a French estate to source the highest quality casks to deliver the superior taste and aroma

deserving of Grand Cru standard,” said Gareth Irvine, founder of The Copeland Distillery. “To share the story of Killyleagh Castle through this latest innovation, we knew we had to offer an authentic Bordeaux taste and I’m really proud of what we have created.” The Copeland Grand Cru Bordeaux Series is a blend of three to five-yearold aged dark rum from Barbados and double distilled pot-still rum produced at The Copeland Distillery. The carefully selected Barbados rum has been aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels, with Copeland’s own rum aged in Quarter Bourbon casks. After eight months, the rum is transferred into eight Premier One, French Grand Cru Bordeaux casks to finish for a period of four months. The Copeland Distillery has recently partnered with leading drinks wholesaler Drinks Inc., now part of the Musgrave Group, to distribute its products across Northern Ireland.

KP SNACKS LAUNCHES FESTIVE PACKAGING FOR TYRRELLS CRISPS

P Snacks has launched limited-edition Christmas packaging for its premium snack brand Tyrrells. The special Christmas packaging will feature across Tyrrells Hand Cooked Crisps and Veg Crisps sharing bags including classic flavours: Mature Cheddar & Chive, Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar, Lightly Sea Salted, Sweet Chilli & Red Pepper, Sea Salt & Black Pepper, and Mixed Root Veg with Sea Salt. Designed to excite and disrupt shoppers, the new pack design brings festivity to familiar and well-loved images by using a snow globe, an object synonymous with the festive season. At £1.3bn, sharing is the largest segment in CSN, and growing strongly at +6.2%[1]. CSN is a key category to back at Christmas, worth £300.1m[2] during the month of December alone. 60% of consumers say they are most looking forward to celebrating with friends and family[3] and 50% of consumers say snacks are a must-have for an evening in[4]. “Tyrrells is the perfect premium snack to share with family and friends over the festive season, with taste and quality at the heart of the Tyrrells offering,” said Beth Minch, marketing manager of Tyrrells. “Our quintessentially British crisps range is perfect for any premium sharing 46

LACTALIS NESTLÉ LAUNCHES NEW LINDAHLS PROTEIN PUDDING

estlé Lindahls, the UK’s #1 protein yoghurt brand from Lactalis Nestlé, has extended its protein range into the Chilled Desserts category with the launch of its new Protein Pudding in the UK. With over half (53%) of UK households looking to consume protein as a part of a healthy balanced diet and an increase of +110% in online searches related to ‘healthy snacks’ in the past year, the new Lindahls Protein Pudding offers consumers more variety to choose from as part of their balanced diet. An indulgent crème dessert with an ultra-smooth texture, it is high in protein and showcases best-in-class macros. Each pot contains 14g of protein and just 0.5g of fat and 4.9g of sugar. It comes in handy snack pots and is available in two flavours: Chocolate and Vanilla. “We are thrilled to be extending our range in the UK and entering the chilled desserts category with new Lindahls Protein Pudding,” said Paul Wiseman, marketing manager at Lactalis Nestlé Chilled Dairy. “We are always committed to providing great tasting, high protein snacks, and with the increased demand in healthy deserts, a Protein Pudding felt like the natural extension to our range.” The new Lindahls Protein Pudding is available in Asda now.

occasion, with many shoppers looking to trade up over the Christmas period. Tyrrells has performed extremely strongly in Premium Crisps and Snacks. The Christmas makeover will deliver a premium and special consumer snacking experience whilst growing sales.” Source: [1] Nielsen Scantrack 14.08.21; [2] 4 w/e 26.12.20 Nielsen; [3] Kantar Worldpanel Plus, Link Q, January 2021; [4] Mintel 2020

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GROCER ULSTER

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

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Q&A TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF I recently graduated with a degree in Food Quality, Safety and Nutrition from Queen’s University Belfast, and have been working at Linwoods for just over three years now. I started here as part of my placement year during my degree and thankfully have continued working here since. WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE? I’m not sure there are too many ‘typical’ days. I generally try and start by listing out all of the day’s tasks, which could include anything from carrying out sensory analysis on potential new products, overseeing a trial on the factory floor, or researching a new ingredient or trend. With many different projects running at once it can be important to prioritise different items to the to-do list and focus on moving these forward each day. WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? The launch of either our Multiboost Milled Hemp or Crunchy Seed Clusters ranges would probably be the highlight so far. These were the first projects I was properly involved in during their development, and it can be very rewarding to see a product you have worked on sitting on the shelf of your local supermarket. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? Every day presents different challenges, which provides great learning opportunities for someone like myself just starting out in my career. The NPD role encompasses many different aspects of food production from technical to marketing and commercials, so there is always a new lesson to be taken from any given situation. WHAT IS YOUR MOST DIFFICULT TASK? Definitely trying to juggle the many different projects at their different stages of development. It can be difficult to continue to progress each area and not let one fall by the wayside. I find taking time on a Monday morning to plan out what each project needs for the week ahead to be invaluable in this regard, allowing me to keep on top of things. We recently had a handful of projects all come to launch at the one time which proved to be quite stressful! 50

IN THE HOT SEAT CALLUM O’NEILL, NPD TECHNOLOGIST, LINWOODS HEALTH FOODS WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? I recently saw a quote which read ‘If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?’ which I found very interesting. Having that extra attention to detail in the short term can prove to be a great time-saver down the line – this is something I’m trying to work on at the moment. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GRIPE? Negativity or pessimism. If a problem does arise, I like to accept the fact and then start to look at how to rectify the issue instead of looking back wondering what might have been if I did XYZ instead. WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? I’ve sat at many a party/event and thought it would be great to be able to play guitar. I played some musical instruments in my childhood but interest soon faded. Sometimes I wish I had kept it going. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS/ AMBITIONS? I’m not exactly sure. Whilst being able to spend more time at home has been very enjoyable over the past two years, I am starting to get an itch to see some more of the world, so maybe some

travelling in the near future. I’ll not think too far beyond that just yet. WHOM DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? I’ve recently gained a higher level of admiration for my mum. I always think I don’t have enough time for things, but then I look at her and wonder how she manages her own busy job, keeps a house running and finds some time to eat in between things – all without so much as a whisper of a complaint. WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? A local beach Shelling Hill. Whether it is for a cold dip or just a nice walk, it is always very enjoyable to head down for some peace and quiet. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD PRODUCT? I find it hard to beat a nice sirloin steak when out for dinner, unless it is accompanied by a pint of Guinness. A summer spent in America made me realise the quality of Irish produce that we often take for granted. HOW DO YOU RELAX? In my spare time I play GAA for my local club St Laurence O’Tooles Belleeks. Going to training in the evening works wonders at clearing the head, and there are always great laughs had amongst teammates. A thick skin is definitely needed!