Ulster Grocer Yearbook January 2020

ULSTER GROCER

GROCER ULSTER

JANUARY 2020

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

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

JANUARY YEARBOOK 2020

MUSGRAVE LOOKS BACK ON YEAR OF GROWTH, INNOVATION AND PARTNERSHIPS

GROCER ULSTER

JANUARY 2020

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

TM

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

BUSINESSES TELL POLITICAL PARTIES: TIME TO GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER

BY MARGARET CANNING

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usinesses have urged political parties to work hard to restore the Executive during a “critical juncture” for Northern Ireland.

The leaders of our five main political parties held separate talks with Secretary of State Julian Smith on December 16, as the focus turned to restoring Stormont following the General Election.

The Secretary of State is required to call an Assembly election if agreement to restore power-sharing is not reached

by January 13. There is a renewed focus on restoring the Assembly following the elections, which the Conservative Party won by a 74-seat majority.

While “the political parties need to strike a deal and get back to work,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI. “A restored Assembly and Executive cannot be business as usual.

With much-needed decisions not being made on reform of business rates and infrastructure investment, not addressing an ever-growing skills gap and modernisation of our town centres, Northern Ireland is not just lagging behind the rest of the UK and Ireland, it is in real danger of being left behind

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internationally.”

Roger Fallon, FSB NI’s head of external affairs, said small businesses would be willing on the parties to reach agreement, “so we can finally end the almost three-year hiatus without a functioning Assembly and Executive.

“While there is no doubting that pressing issues affecting the health service will be high on the agenda for the next Executive, given the context of Brexit, it is vital that skills and access to labour, as well as infrastructure and business support, are in the minds of our political representatives.

“The business community will look favourably on political parties if they work pragmatically to reach a deal, so we can begin take the necessary decisions to tackle the many challenges facing our society.”

And Stephen Kelly, the head of Manufacturing NI, said the Assembly was required to influence the Prime Minister in implementing the detail of the Brexit withdrawal deal, and in particular, the detail contained in the NI Protocol dictating future trading arrangements.

“With the majority the Prime Minister

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Secretary of State Julian Smith with the DUP’s Arlene Foster at Stormont House on December 16.

now has, he can have whatever kind of Brexit he wants.

“His deal is better than no deal, but it comes with very significant burdens on our economy.

“Having an Executive would help him come to the right conclusions. We need voices not just in Westminster but the Assembly.”

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STORE FOCUS:

INDUSTRY ADVOCATE:

VEGAN FOCUS:

BUILDING BRANDS:

UG VISITS CUNNINGHAM’S BUTCHERS & FOOD HALL IN KILKEEL, A CENTURY-OLD BUSINESS THAT CONTINUES TO THRIVE IN FAMILY OWNERSHIP AS 2020 DAWNS

AGILE INDEPENDENT RETAILERS ARE WELL PLACED TO MAKE THE MOST OF EVOLVING GROCERY SHOPPING HABITS, RETAIL NI CHIEF EXECUTIVE GLYN ROBERTS

WITH FIVE FORECOURTS AND GROWING IN NI, IRISH OPERATOR APPLEGREEN IS EXPANDING ITS VEGAN-FRIENDLY FARE ACROSS ITS IN-STORE CONCESSIONS IN 2020

AWARD-WINNING CONSULTANCY RNN COMMUNICATIONS HAS BAGS OF CREATIVITY AND AN INSPIRING ETHOS TO OFFER CLIENTS IN THE GROCERY SECTOR

FOREWORD

email: info@ulstergrocer.com Volume 55, Number 1 JANUARY 2020

Editor: Alyson Magee E: a.magee@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4175 Contributors: Michele Shirlow Sales Manager: Chris Keenan E: c.keenan@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4266

www.ulstergrocer.com

FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS FOR A BUMPY RIDE

BY AODHÁN CONNOLLY, DIRECTOR, NORTHERN IRELAND RETAIL CONSORTIUM

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his year has been one of the toughest trading years for the NI retail industry in memory; not quite an annus horribilus, but not far off it.

For Belfast, the year 2019 started off as 2018 finished, with disruption and the City Centre effectively cut in five by the aftermath of the Bank Buildings fire, while outside of Belfast the early part of the year was marred by the destructive spate of ATM thefts that affected shop owners’ pockets, customers’ access to cash and made insurance premiums rise across the sector.

The year also saw rises in the National Living Wage and Statutory Pension Contributions that put pressure on bottom lines. And to top it off, we still had no Executive or Assembly sitting which could take mission-critical decisions for our industry like changes in the outdated business rates system or to the Apprenticeship Levy, which here in Northern Ireland is little more than a tax.

The longer we are without a government then, the further we fall behind our neighbours to the east and to the south.

But of course, the big story of the year was always going to Brexit. The three deadlines passed with retailers having to

spend hundreds of millions on stocking up so that we could prepare for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. But just as the nursery rhyme goes, we were marched up to the top of the hill and marched back down again. But it wasn’t just about the cost of preparations for our industry. The uncertainty over all this has had a knock-on effect.

At the time of writing, our footfall figures have had a dip for seven months in a row and consumer confidence has been erratic to say the least this year.

While we are all hoping for a good golden quarter, the fact remains that other key retail times such as Easter, the August Bank Holiday and even Halloween haven’t lived up to their potential.

The uncertainty has also stifled investment and made costs grow; for example, the fact that warehousing and chilled storage space is now at a premium. And just when we thought it couldn’t get worse, they call an election in the middle of our busiest time of the year… you might almost think that the politicians didn’t care much for retailers.

So, what does 2020 hold in store? Well the Tory majority means that, barring an act of God, the Withdrawal Agreement

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FOREWORD will go through and we will have less than a year to get not only the new systems and processes for goods from GB to NI up and running, but also to try and get a Free Trade Agreement with the EU. A tall order in anyone’s book. For our part, the NIRC knows that this is not the end of the Brexit saga, rather the end of the beginning.

We will be redoubling our efforts with colleagues in Retail NI, NI Food and Drink and the Freight Transport Association and others to make sure that

the EU and the Westminster and Irish governments understand that we need derogations, simplifications and commonsense adjudications from the new Joint Committee that will soon be constituted.

On the more positive side, the election results mean that it is now much more likely that we will have Stormont back up and running in 2020 which, although not perfect, is much preferable to the current stagnation. We have the results of the 2020 revaluation of business rates to look forward to and we are ever hopeful that,

between this and the review of business rates, our industry may see some more equity in a system which is punitive to retail.

But there is one thing that I am sure of. Our industry will weather the coming storm as we did in 2019, like Churchill said: “If you are going through hell, keep going”. As for 2020… I think the best quote for it is from Bette Davis in All about Eve: “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

EDITORIAL COMMENT

MUCH REMAINS TO BE CLARIFIED AROUND BREXIT A

Happy New Year to our readers and advertisers. Is anyone else finding it hard to get their head around the year 2020?

Welcome to the January Yearbook, our biggest edition of the year, in which we get the opportunity to reflect on the year past and look at prospects for the year ahead.

Much discussion in our commentaries and profiles of course focuses on Brexit and our suspended local government, now hitting a three-year milestone.

I concluded my editorial comment for last year’s Yearbook with the statement: ‘We can only go into 2019 hoping for the best and preparing for the worst’.

Has anything changed?

Brexit deadlines came and went throughout the year. The General Election on December 12 has presented Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a majority to pursue his Getting Brexit Done mandate, but will the passage of his withdrawal deal now be smooth sailing?

Even if it is, what does the PM’s withdrawal deal mean for Northern Ireland grocers? A disparity exists between promises Boris has made about no paperwork for goods travelling from GB to NI and the detail in his withdrawal deal.

And the Boris deal is widely regarded by the Northern Ireland business community as inferior to former PM Theresa May’s rejected withdrawal deal,

but nonetheless preferable to a no-deal scenario.

Thus, while some may have reluctantly transferred their vote to Boris with the hope of ending the Brexit purgatory, for businesses in Northern Ireland – and the grocery/agri-food sector in particular – there remains much to be clarified and ratified.

Further impact of the General Election includes not only a loss of the DUP’s position of leverage within the Conservative Party, but also its share of the vote and two MPs in Northern Ireland. Voter support also declined for Sinn Fein, while gains were made by the Alliance Party and SDLP. Whether our two obstructionist parties have been humbled by such a clear message of voter disgruntlement, which also saw a significant narrowing of the winning margin in many retained seats, is yet to be seen.

But certainly, talks to restore power have taken on a new vigour, as the parties seek to get Stormont up and running again before Secretary of State Julian Smith’s January 13 deadline.

Failure to do so is likely to send voters to the polls again for an Assembly election.

The grocery sector, and wider business community, are running out of patience with our local government inaction and its negative impact on the economy from funding not being allocated to policy decisions not being made.

Looking back on 2019, the year has not, however, been an overwhelmingly negative one with our Year in Pictures, commentaries and profiles again highlighting strong investment and innovation across the grocery sector.

Imagine what could be achieved with support from a strong, cohesive local government.

You’ll find a good cross section of the local grocery sector profiled in the pages that follow from dynamic, independent retailers such as Cunningham’s in Kilkeel and Mike’s Fancy Cheese in Belfast to cover star Musgrave NI. And Applegreen is, meanwhile, setting new standards in the forecourt category with an instore offer tapping into the burgeoning vegan trend.

Our Yearbook also features a comprehensive guide to grocery retailers, suppliers and service providers, and we hope you keep it at hand yearround as a useful resource.

As we finish the last few pages on the Yearbook, the magazines team and our colleagues at INM joined new owner Mediahuis NV, a private European media group with headquarters in Antwerp, Belgium, for an end-of-year presentation on their plans for the company.

As we move into 2020, we are excited about the opportunities our new owners will bring in terms of enhancing our digital operations to complement our print offering. Watch this space…

Alyson Magee 7

NEWS

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS DRIVING CONSUMER PURCHASING HABITS

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ver three-quarters of grocery shoppers have switched, avoided or boycotted buying certain brands, based on their environmental policies in the past year, according to new research by Kantar.

Kantar questioned over 1,200 UK consumers between the ages of 16 and 65+ about their concern over a range of environmental issues, their purchasing decisions based on a brand’s sustainability credentials, environmental responsibility and whether, as a consumer, they had ever decided to boycott buying a product or switch to another brand based on its environmental reputation.

Harsh working conditions, environmental pollution and the overuse of packaging are some of the issues consumers think carefully about before purchasing FMCG products.

Much needs to be done by the FMCG industry when it comes to publicising the positive work it is doing to address the environmental problems resulting from the throw-away, disposable culture we live in today, say 76% of consumers. Only 9% considered this issue unimportant.

“Responsible living is being driven by cross-generational groups of ‘woke’ consumers that look towards inspiring brand heroes as change leaders,” said Mark Chamberlain, managing director of Brand, Kantar UK. “Governments and organisations are being forced to listen and respond to consumers’ demands for greater transparency as businesses strive to become more purposeful.

“The rise in responsibility and conscious consumerism is being influenced by a top-down approach as the consumer voice grows and pushes forward

DUNDONALD SUPERMARKET REOPENS CREATING SIX NEW LOCAL JOBS

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UROSPAR Dundonald on the Upper Newtownards Road has undergone a £410,000 refurb, while recruiting six additional full- and part-time staff.

Marking the final project of 2019 for Henderson Retail, owner of the SPAR, EUROSPAR and VIVO brands in Northern Ireland, the refurb has allowed the community supermarket to expand its instore services, fresh ranges and forecourt operation.

“In recent years, we have been adapting our existing store footprints to provide an even better in-store experience for the way our consumers shop,” said David Miskimmin, area manager, Henderson Retail. “We have listened to the demand and invested heavily in 8

providing outlets which cater to their daily and weekly grocery needs.

“This refurb has been a cost-effective reimagining of the space to provide a community hub for the area, which applies to all our EUROSPAR supermarkets across Northern Ireland. Not only will we be there for shopping essentials, but we’ll sponsor and support local teams and charitable organisations too.”

Janice Gray, store manager of EUROSPAR Dundonald, said: “We now house an abundance of chilled bays so we can carry even more fresh local food, including EUROSPAR own brands such as enjoy local, The Greengrocer’s, The Kitchen and the new, restaurant quality range, The Chef.”

environmental and social agendas.

“Consumers now expect the FMCG industry to be driven by some direction other than simply making a profit.

These values are fast becoming key assets in helping boost brand value whilst projecting a positive corporate image and, by doing so, businesses can demonstrate a clear sense of purpose.

Purpose-led FMCG brands enjoy stronger growth and a deeper connection with consumers.”

Almost 90% of respondents surveyed agree that brands need to take more responsibility for the waste they produce and the impact it has on our environment.

Three-quarters of shoppers agree that, due to inaction from many of the world’s governments, they want brands to act as forces for positive change in our society.

NI LOGISTICS CHAMPION SELECTED FOR FTA’S 20 FOR 20 LIST

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amela Dennison of W S Dennison has been recognised by fta as one of the 20 UK industry Pamela leaders set to drive Dennison. the sector to new heights in the coming year.

The 20 for 20 supplement, published alongside fta’s Logistics magazine, celebrates the rising stars in the supply chain.

Dennison, from Antrim, was selected for her work to raise awareness of the skills shortage, promote diversity, and represent businesses’ interests in her role as chair of fta’s Northern Ireland Freight Council.

Currently, Brexit is top of the agenda during Road Council meetings: “It is absolutely fundamental to our industry that a Withdrawal Agreement with unfettered access of some sort is negotiated because Northern Ireland has such close links to the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the UK,” said Dennison.

“But in addition to that, we have no Northern Ireland Executive, so we’re getting left behind regarding industry change and technological advances.”

NEWS

CENTRA CLOSES 2019 WITH £2M INVESTMENT From left, Michael Quinn, Belfast retailer and Nigel Maxwell, Centra sales director.

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entra has opened new stores at Donegall Square East, Belfast and Curr Road, Beragh, alongside a refurb at Islandbawn, investing £2m and adding 50 new jobs across the three properties.

Centra Donegall Square East is the first Centra store for retailer Michael Quinn,

adding to his four MACE stores located within Belfast at High Street, Castle Street, Royal Avenue and Malone Road.

The store boasts Frank and Honest coffee, a hot and cold deli, salad concept Green Kitchen, self-service tills and a seating area.

Centra Curr Road, Beragh is the first store for retailer Naomi Curry, and is situated between Omagh and Ballygawley. The store features a hot and cold deli, Frank and Honest coffee, off-licence, whipped ice-cream parlour, seating area, customer toilets and complimentary wifi.

Centra Islandbawn, operated by local retailers Gerard, Cahal and Michael Boyd, has undergone significant refurbishment over the past year, with additions including a hot and cold deli, Burrito bar, hot carvery, Frank and Honest coffee, instore bakery and Moo’d ice cream. It also has a post office and off licence.

“We are delighted to see these stores coming on stream and the hard work by our teams coming to fruition,” said Nigel Maxwell, sales director, Centra Northern Ireland. “The stores are all trading well, reporting strong sales in their first few weeks and I wish the retailers and their teams every success.”

AIR AMBULANCE NI RECEIVES £25,000 BOOST B oost Drinks has raised over £25,000 for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland over the past year, after selecting the life-saving service as its charity partner for 2019.

Boost committed to raise funds and awareness to keep the helicopter and critical care medical team flying to serious trauma incidents.

The partnership kicked off with a product promotion whereby five pence from the sale of every bottle of the Northern Ireland-exclusive new Red Berry 500ml was donated to the charity, totalling £10,000.

September was an important month for Air Ambulance with the launch of the charity’s inaugural Three Peak Challenge sponsored by Boost. The event saw 400 people get their walking boots on for a trek to the top of either or all three of NI’s most famous mountains – Slieve Donard, Cuilcagh and Slemish – raising £14,625.

And over 2,000 cans and bottles of Boost were donated for sale at events such as Truckfest, Balmoral Show and North West 200, raising nearly £1,000.

Air Ambulance NI can get to anywhere in Northern Ireland in approximately 25 minutes.

From left, Lucy Manby, Boost Drinks; Phil Hay, Breige Mulholland, Richard Steele and Dr Stuart Lutton, Air Ambulance NI; and Jack Taylor from Boost Drinks.

TRADE NI JOINS CALL TO CREATE FORUM FOR SOCIAL DIALOGUE

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rade NI has joined calls from trade unions to introduce a Forum for Social Dialogue as discussion gets underway between local political parties to restore the NI Executive and Assembly.

In a joint statement, Trade NI (Retail NI, Hospitality Ulster and Manufacturing NI) said: ‘Whilst it is for politicians and government to draft and agree a Programme for Government, we believe there is an important role for civic society, through Social Dialogue, to work through, share, agree and get buy-in from the social partners on policy areas and help build stable government.

‘For us, the areas which can be usefully

supported are on the evolving world of work and quality jobs; an industrial strategy, productivity, skills and training; ensuring the NI economy provides opportunities for those not currently in the workforce; and seeking post-Brexit opportunities.

‘Social Dialogue is successfully used throughout the world, including Scotland and Wales, to discuss, negotiate and agree on issues that can improve the regional economy and society becoming a key component of a fully-functioning democracy and economy. It can help bind civic society together and to build crosscommunity consensus and assist in taking

tension out of issues.

‘We think the Brexit experience in NI should be seen as a game changer. We can no longer have a situation whereby unions, employers’ groups and others are expected to raise their voice about violence, Brexit etc. but then be ignored on other occasions.

‘A functioning government should see the benefits of creating formal representative structures whereby key and large organisations in NI can articulate their concerns and their interests for the people they represent, but most importantly consider solutions to the problems that exist.’

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GROCERY SECTOR ANALYSIS

AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE FOR THE RETAIL GROCERY SECTOR

BY DONALD C McFETRIDGE, INDEPENDENT RETAIL ANALYST

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s we enter a New Year, it is often useful to reflect on the trends and patterns from the year just past – particularly in such times of constant change and re-organisation in the retail grocery sector – both here in Northern Ireland and further afield.

In 2019, we witnessed the unsuccessful attempt by Sainsbury’s to merge with Asda. After lengthy discussions, and the clear and purposeful direct involvement of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), it was decided that the proposed merger would not be in the best interests of consumers in terms of pricing and competition. Many consumers breathed a sigh of relief, as well as staff in both companies who had feared that there would be store closures and job losses.

No doubt, Sainsbury’s were less than thrilled with the decision, and now – in 2020 – they have to reconsider their options. Some are suggesting that Sainsbury’s are still very much interested in other possibilities; whether or not they come to pass is something which remains to be seen. However, one thing is clear: Sainsbury’s have to get on with the job

“NOW IS THE TIME – MORE THAN EVER – TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR. RETAILERS NEED TO GRASP THE FACT THAT – NO MATTER HOW TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AND AESTHETICALLY PLEASING THEIR STORES ARE – THEY NEED TO BE FULLY AWARE OF THE CONSTANTLY-CHANGING CONSUMER.” of looking to the future, with or without further plans for mergers or acquisitions.

In the meantime, nationally and locally, the German discounters – Lidl and Aldi – have continued to make clear and progressive advances in the retail grocery sector in the United Kingdom. In fact, it could be argued that they are the only players making any real progress in terms 10

of store numbers and in gaining more customer loyalty.

However, it would be unfair not to note the progress in the local convenience store sector. Supervalu and Centra, Mace and SPAR, as well as Nisa, have all managed to retain an important place in the local grocery scene, with many reporting excellent trading results right throughout the six counties, and in the south of the island.

This is due, in part, to their pledge and excellent record of sourcing local products which more and more consumers are realising is vital in these times of Brexit uncertainty. It occurs to me that now, more than ever, consumers are starting to see the writing on the wall, and are becoming ever-more aware of the importance of supporting our local agri-food sector. Long may that trend continue.

In 1958, Professor Malcolm P McNair (Harvard Business School) championed the notion of the Wheel of Retailing where – inter alia – he noted the importance of retailers continuing to ‘trade up’ in order to meet customer expectations. There have been clear signs of retailers continuing to trade up during 2019, and this looks set to continue into 2020 and beyond.

Retailers (both food and non-food) realise that – in order to retain a place in the hearts and minds of consumers – they will have to continue to take cognisance of loyal customers’ expectations.

Often, when I talk to retailers, they all ask me the same question: what can we do to continue to meet customer expectations and, additionally, what can we do to attract more customers through the doors of our shops?

The answer to this is very simple: Listen carefully to what your customers have to say, and put into practice their points of view.

In retailing, it is very easy to become caught up in the minutiae of technological advances, store formats and layouts, and supply chain issues in the retail world.

Now is the time – more than ever – to pay close attention to consumer behaviour. Retailers need to grasp the

fact that – no matter how technologically advanced and aesthetically pleasing their stores are – they need to be fully aware of the constantly changing consumer. And they must respond too!

“IT WOULD BE UNFAIR NOT TO NOTE THE PROGRESS IN THE LOCAL CONVENIENCE STORE SECTOR. SUPERVALU AND CENTRA, MACE AND SPAR, AS WELL AS NISA, HAVE ALL MANAGED TO RETAIN AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE LOCAL GROCERY SCENE.” Consumers (like retailers) are caught up with living in a rapidly-changing world where their shopping behaviour and tastes and preferences are constantly evolving. Consumers in 2020 are not shopping the way they did in 2010 or 2015; they have had to take on board political, economic and social considerations at an unyielding pace and, therefore, their purchasing decisions, values and behaviour have all changed completely.

Consumers changed irrevocably during the recently-past recession and they will never revert to type. They live in a ‘discounted world’ where they don’t want to ever have to pay full price for products.

They are looking for new products, more interested in product provenance and healthy diets, and these trends will continue apace.

The wheel of retailing is constantly turning. Perhaps – instead of concentrating solely on best retail practice – it is time, at last, for retailers to focus more squarely on their customers and give them what they want, how they want it and when they want it.

The retail life cycle is indicating – ever more clearly these days – that not every retailer can survive for more than 150 years; some will reach maturity and decline.

In the meantime, 2020 will, no doubt, continue to be an extremely competitive marketplace for those operating in both the local and national retail grocery sectors.

2019 IN PICTURES

YEAR IN REVIEW ULSTER GROCER LOOKS BACK AT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019 SuperValu, Centra and Mace celebrate the opening of the 100th Frank and Honest site in Northern Ireland. From left, Ciara McClafferty, trading director, and Brendan Gallen, head of Marketing, Musgrave.

Karcher Center Belfast continues to roll out its customer base to the Northern Ireland grocery sector. From left, Stephen Anderson, store manager, Kärcher Center Belfast, and David Agnew, store manager, SPAR Titanic.

Mash Direct joins forces with Veg Power and ITV for the Eat Them to Defeat Them campaign promoting consumption of vegetables. Mash Direct hosted a Veg Power Giveaway event at Belfast City Hall on February 2. From left, Clare Forster, head of marketing; Jack Hamilton, chief operating officer; Gemma Mc Adam, digital marketing executive; and Reuben McFeeters, digital marketing executive at Mash Direct.

McCool’s SuperValu Ballymoney, Boyd’s Centra Junction one and Boyd’s Mace Toomebridge pick up the Store of the Year titles in their respective symbol groups at Musgrave’s annual awards. From left, Michael McCormack, managing director, Musgrave NI; Peter McCool, McCool’s SuperValu, Ballymoney; Andy Boyd, Boyd’s Centra, Junction One; Frank Boyd, Boyd’s MACE, Toomebridge; and Eamonn Holmes.

Boost Drinks selects Air Ambulance Northern Ireland as its chosen charity for the year, donating 5p from every sale of its Boost Red Berry 500ml bottles. From left, Glenn O’Rorke, operational lead paramedic, HEMS; Gareth Hardy, HSMNI, Boost distributor in NI; Francine Matthews, Boost Energy; Kerry Anderson, head of Fundraising, AANI; Lucy Manby, Boost Energy; and Dr Rob Barclay.

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Primary school children embark on a bread-making journey during British Science Week as part of a STEM initiative by local mill Neill’s Flour. From left, Ebony Stirling, Victoria Primary School; Keavy-O’Mahony Truesdale, Neill’s Flour and STEM ambassador; Lewis Noonan, St. Joseph’s Primary School; Julie Carson, STEM Ambassador Programme manager; Denis Ursu, Victoria Primary School; and Ruby Atkins, St Joseph’s Primary School.

Tayto launches its largest-ever TV, digital and promotional campaign as part of a £1m brand rejuvenation programme. Pictured is Elly Hunter, marketing director of Tayto.

A proposed merger between Sainsbury’s and Asda is shelved after it fails to gain approval from the Competition and Markets Authority.

2019 IN PICTURES Cloughbane Farm launches a new range of plant-based meals, gaining listings with the SPAR, EUROSPAR, VIVO and VIVOXTRA franchises in Northern Ireland. From left, Steven Kennedy, Henderson Group and Lorna Robinson, Cloughbane Farm.

Dale Farm secures a new contract supplying its new fresh semi-skimmed milk, Milk Plus, to all Asda stores in Northern Ireland. From left, Darren Hughes, senior national account manager, Dale Farm, and Emma Swan, Asda buying manager Northern Ireland.

K&G McAtamney is named Overall Supplier of the Year at the Henderson Wholesale Fresh Innovation Awards held during the Balmoral Show 2019.

Pictured are Gordon McAtamney, Neal Kelly of Henderson Wholesale and awards host Jo Scott.

The 31st annual Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards are held at the Grocers’ Ball in the Culloden Estate & Spa on May 10, with Hovis Ireland and Mash Direct sharing the top accolade of Best Marketing Campaign. From left, Clare Forster (Mash Direct), Trevor McCrum (Hovis Ireland), Lance Hamilton (Mash Direct), Martin Rice (sponsor PRL In-Market Solutions) and Chris Keenan (Ulster Grocer).

Moy Park embarks on a Marvellous Taste Tour around the island of Ireland over the summer, introducing its branded breaded products to consumers. From left, Estelle Robinson, Moy Park commercial manager; Andy Rea, chef and proprietor of Belfast Cookery School and Mourne Seafood Bar, Belfast; and Ellen Mullen, Moy Park brand marketing executive.

Omagh-based SPAR retailer Peter McBride is appointed to the InterSPAR Executive Committee by SPAR International. From left, Peter McBride, owner of McBride Retail Group and Paddy Doody, sales and marketing director at Henderson Group.

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2019 IN PICTURES Convenience store group Today’s is announced as the headline sponsor of the Ulster Rally, held over August 16-17. From left, Robert Harkness, president of Northern Ireland Motor Club; Julie Burden, marketing director, and Michael Skelton, sales director, Savage and Whitten; and Richard Swanston, event director, Ulster Rally.

Trade NI, a new alliance between Retail NI, Hospitality Ulster and Manufacturing NI, hosts over 350 MPs, peers and business representatives for the launch of its 10 year-plan Vision 2030 at Westminster on September 11. From Left, Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI; Colin Neil, Hospitality Ulster; and Glyn Roberts, Retail NI

Taste the Island, a new programme of food and drink experiences, is developed by Tourism NI, Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland. From left, launching the initiative at Life Centre Events Belfast are John McGrillen, Tourism NI; Paula McIntyre, chef; Louise Finnegan, Tourism Ireland; and Tracey Coughlan, Failte Ireland.

Premium natural pet food brand Naturo is the only NI company selected by Tesco to feature in its 2019 Incubator programme. John Mackle, managing director of Mackle Petfoods, is pictured with family pet Holly.

A total of 179 NI food or drink products receive gold stars in Great Taste 2019, with eight products attracting the coveted three-star rating including Neill’s soda bread flour. Left to right: Jenny Bristow, brand ambassador; Karl McCrum, sales manager; and Keavy O’Mahony-Truesdale, marketing manager

Ulster Farmers’ Union hosts its first Women in Agriculture conference at CAFRE Greenmount on November 15. From left, Roseann Kelly, WIB chief executive; Jennifer Hawkes, UFU rural affairs chairperson; Ruth Sanderson, BBC; and Paula McIntyre, chef.

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Lidl marks its 20th anniversary in Northern Ireland by highlighting its contribution to the local economy. From left, JP Scally, managing director of Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland; Neil McCullough, Oxford Economics; and Conor Boyle, Lidl Northern Ireland regional director.

2019 IN PICTURES Deidre Burns from Forest Feast exhibits at the 11th annual Tesco Taste Festival in Custom House Square, Belfast over September 20-22.

Ann’s Pantry in Larne wins Best Irish Wheaten at the World Bread Awards held on October 15 in London. From left, Claire Andrew, Andrew Ingredients; John Agnew, Ann’s Pantry; and Stephen Hall, chair of the judges.

SuperValu and Centra retailers reach a landmark £3m fundraising target for Action Cancer. Desi Derby, marketing director SuperValu and Centra (back left) and Gareth Kirk, CEO Action Cancer, join local schoolchildren Morgan Hall, Niall McCann and Elle Woods to celebrate reaching the £3m fundraising target.

Kerry Maxwell of Hovis Ireland is named Account Manager of the Year by Debra Johnston of Food Force Ireland during the Nisa buying group’s Direct Trade Supplier Day in the Culloden Estate & Spa on September 24.

The National Lottery celebrates its 25th birthday, revealing NI is one of the luckiest postcodes in the UK. Former Miss Northern Ireland Anna Henry celebrates The National Lottery’s 25th birthday.

Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland marks 20 years of school cookery demonstrations aimed at communicating the importance of consuming beef and lamb as part of a healthy diet. From left, back row, Liam McCarthy, ABP; David Brown, UFU; Colin Smith, LMC; and George Mullan, ABP; and, front row, Gerard McGivern, LMC; Heather Kettyle, Enniskillen Royal Grammar School; and Ian Stevenson, Cherrie Kenny and Lauren Hyde, LMC.

SPAR NI invests £500,000 in a new high-quality ready meal brand, The Chef, with chef Carl Johannesson leading a new team of 14 developing the dishes. From left, Neal Kelly, fresh food director; Carl Johannesson, SPAR NI’s first in-house chef; and John Agnew, chairman of the Henderson Group.

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COMMENTARY ➲ INVEST NORTHERN IRELAND

SUPPORTING THE GROWTH OF NI’S FOOD AND DRINK SECTOR

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orthern Ireland’s agriculture, food processing and drink sectors contribute significantly to our economy, accounting for over 20% of Northern Ireland’s manufactured goods exports and directly employing around 25,000 people. It is our aim to ensure that the industry remains competitive by helping companies grow sales, increase exports, and engage in innovation.

Although 2019 has been a challenging year with the uncertainty of Brexit, our local agri-food processors have shown significant resilience and are continuing to produce world-class, award-winning produce that is sold in many countries around the world.

We want Northern Ireland to continue to be one of the most innovative regions in the UK, and we recognise that innovation is crucial to ensuring that the food and drink sector continues to thrive. This year we have supported the sector to innovate through a multitude of support including our innovation voucher scheme and the recent launch of an Innovation Accreditation Programme with the Department for the Economy.

This programme aims to increase the number of Northern Ireland businesses successfully engaging in innovation activity.

We also continue to work with companies to help them expand and grow. Like supporting Carrickfergusbased WG Buchanan to build a new standalone nut factory complete with state-of-the-art processing and packing facilities. Or Lurgan-based Classic Mineral Water which we have supported to create 39 jobs so the company can capitalise on the growth of the bottled soft drink business across Ireland and Europe.

At this year’s supplier showcase in the Culloden Hotel, we had the pleasure of hosting over 80 NI producers and over 40 key buyers from GB, RoI and the Middle East as well as many influential food writers and bloggers keen to tell the Northern Ireland food and drink story. As with previous years, we are confident that business will result from the showcase.

We have also supported many companies to participate in major global food and drink exhibitions, most 16

John Hood, director of food & drink, Invest Northern Ireland.

recently Anuga in Cologne, where five Northern Ireland companies participated on the joint Invest NI and Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board stand under the Food is GREAT banner, and a further five companies exhibited on their own extensive stands.

The ever-changing landscape in grocery requires companies to have an in-depth understanding of the consumer. In response to this, we have formed a new Food and Drink Consumer Insights Team to help companies understand who is buying their food and why. This is helping companies find potential customers effectively sell and merchandise products, identify market opportunities and develop the right products to meet the needs of current and new customers.

Great Britain remains our largest market and in this past year we have enhanced our promotional activities in this key market. For the next number of years, we have partnered with Food NI to deliver the Small Business Programme aimed at supporting our artisan producers. This year we participated in several speciality retail and foodservice shows and exhibitions including the Scotland Speciality Food Show in Glasgow, Fine Food North Show in Harrogate and the Farm Shop & Deli Show in Birmingham.

We are aware of the challenges ahead with Brexit. Our dedicated Get Ready

“THE EVER-CHANGING LANDSCAPE IN GROCERY REQUIRES COMPANIES TO HAVE AN IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONSUMER. IN RESPONSE TO THIS, WE HAVE FORMED A NEW FOOD AND DRINK CONSUMER INSIGHTS TEAM TO HELP COMPANIES UNDERSTAND WHO IS BUYING THEIR FOOD AND WHY.” for Brexit microsite contains a wide and varied range of advice and guidance, including an assessment tool to check how ready your business is, and a range of best practice guides to help companies prepare as best they can. We also have a new Brexit Preparation Grant available to our customers to help with some of the costs associated with getting ready for Brexit.

In the coming year, we will continue to work with existing and new customers helping them to grow and expand by supporting them to innovate, identify export opportunities and invest in the skills of their staff. We will continue to develop our consumer insights offering by focusing on relevant trends and roll out our workshops and solutions, working with partners such as CAFRE to make sure this service is accessible. 2020 can be another great year for our sector and we are all ready to rise to the challenge. ■

COMMENTARY ➲ FOOD NI

OUTSTANDING YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENTS FOR OUR SUPERB FOOD AND DRINK IN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

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019 certainly ended on a high for the local food industry here with many companies winning awards and gaining national and international recognition in GB and Ireland. The year kicked off with 70 companies winning Great Taste awards, continued onto significant recognition for 41 companies achieving success in Blas na hEireann and finished with two local companies winning categories in the UK Quality Food Awards. White’s lifted the title for the UK’s Best Breakfast Product for its Organic Jumbo Porridge Oats and Heavenly Tasty Organics was the winner of the Best Baby Snack for its unique veggie waffles.

Our companies also fared extremely well in the World Bread and British Charcuterie awards. We were delighted to host many of them at a celebratory event in Hillsborough Castle.

Several, furthermore, are in the running for coveted Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards. It’s not always appreciated that we really do have a developing group of world-class products and producers.

Such important endorsements of individual products from our companies are good for their confidence and standing, and also help efforts to increase awareness among retailers, shoppers and caterers in Britain and the Republic. I’d certainly urge food and drink processors here to be ready when Great Taste entries open in February and Blas na hEireann and March.

Opportunities for producers here were broadened successfully during 2019 to include participation in a programme of trade events in Britain and the Republic of Ireland. This was through the Invest NI Small Business Food Programme delivered by Food NI. This Invest NI programme enables local food producers to participate in exhibitions across the UK and Ireland, such as the Gifted show at the RDS in Dublin at the start of December and Scotland’s Speciality Food Show in Glasgow from 19-21 January, an immensely important event for trade and the wider public in the Scottish marketplace. Many household names began their journey into success in Britain

Michele Shirlow, chief executive, Food NI.

in this easily accessible market.

The Invest NI Small Business Food Programme provides an important vehicle for smaller and start up food and drink companies keen to explore and grasp opportunities in our two most important markets. It’s a focus that also complements much of the work we’ve been doing with councils and other industry bodies to help food and drink companies prosper here.

Our approach has been – and will continue to be – to promote and support integration within the industry. We are committed to even greater co-operation and co-ordination. Northern Ireland is a small community which should facilitate a fully integrated approach to promote the food and drink industry.

2019 was also a year when we were able to harness the business potential of our success in bringing the World’s Best Food Destination title to Northern Ireland.

We appreciated greatly the enthusiastic support from a broad range of bodies especially Tourism NI, Tourism Ireland and a host of local councils.

We carried the message successfully to a series of trade events in Britain and

the Republic. It will continue to feature in our activities in the year. Furthermore, it underpinned our enthusiastic support for the imaginative Taste the Island initiative led by Tourism NI, Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland, which was held from September to the end of November.

We will continue to do everything we can to ensure it becomes an even greater success in 2020 and the following year.

It’s an initiative with huge potential to accelerate the growth in tourism to both parts of the island and also to enhance food and drink here and to create opportunities for both external and export sales.

We were delighted too to play our part in helping the caterers at The Open at Royal Portrush include many local products on their menus and in the shop.

It’s essential that our companies continue to benchmark their products and processes in both crucially important markets and indeed further afield. It’s well worth their attention in 2020 and beyond. We were thrilled to host a special celebration of their achievements at the splendid Hillsborough Castle venue at the beginning of December. We were again generously supported in this by the Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme.

Immensely encouraging too is the continuing interest in local produce by major retailers, independents, delis and farm shops here.

The growing awareness of the quality, wholesomeness and natural flavours of our food and drink has become apparent in Britain and the Republic and resulted in new business especially for smaller producers.

We now have a dynamic food and drink industry that’s dedicated to growth at home and abroad, an industry that recognises the importance of advancement to enhance market success.

Ambitious companies can continue to count on Food NI to deploy marketing and promotional opportunities to help them succeed in 2020 and beyond.

One thing is evident to see, the spirit of innovation within the industry continues to grow. ■ 17

COMMENTARY ➲ NORTHERN IRELAND FOOD AND DRINK ASSOCIATION

PUSHING INDUSTRY FORWARD AS A FORCE FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH

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he last year has been an extremely challenging period for the local food and drink industry, not least because of the continued threat of a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

This uncertainty, combined with the lack of a functioning Executive, has stifled investment and decision making, and continues to do so.

Against this backdrop, NIFDA has continued to lobby the UK government on behalf of our members, working on a number of committees to put forward the case for our food and drink sector - a £5bn industry which employs in the region of 100,000 people overall.

NIFDA is actively involved in the Food and Drink Federation Roundtable Brexit Forum, the national Food Council and in many other liaison groups. We have also been working with local government departments, including DAERA, FSA NI and Invest NI, to ensure that our members are given the most up-to-date information about labelling and packaging, export documentation requirements, tariffs and duties and potential new legislation.

Michael Bell, executive director, Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association.

Food and drink is the largest manufacturing sector in Northern Ireland and has continued to grow at a time when many other industries are contracting. Our food and drink has earned a great reputation in Great Britain and many countries further afield.

We punch well above our weight and are truly world leading when it comes

to innovation, quality and commercial success. This is evidenced by the number of products from Northern Ireland featuring on the Great Taste awards winners’ list, year after year. Put simply, we are good at food, and there is a strong case for pushing the industry forward as a force for economic growth.

Looking ahead, we urgently require the restoration of the Executive if we are to recognise the industry’s growth potential.

Food is a public good which delivers wider societal and economic benefits, and as such should be supported by government policy. If we are to compete effectively with our closest neighbours, we need a food marketing export body, funded by government, to support export growth and expansion into new markets.

We also need to continue working on strategies to minimise plastic usage within the industry. As always, our focus will remain on producing high-quality, innovative food products, ensuring continuity of supply for our customers and adapting to evolving consumer expectations. ■

➲ LIVESTOCK & MEAT COMMISSION FOR NORTHERN IRELAND

SEEKING FRICTIONLESS TRADE WITH GB AND THE EU

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ooking back on 2019, it would be fair to say that the beef and sheep meat industry in Northern Ireland had a particularly challenging year. The spectre of Brexit uncertainty continued to overhang the industry all year and consumers were subdued in their meat purchasing behaviour. The farming sector had a very tough time with over £30m in reduced returns to beef farmers during 2019 compared to the previous 12-month period.

Despite the challenging economic environment and political uncertainty, there were some positive developments to note from the last 12 months.

Internationally, the impact of African Swine Fever on the pig herd in China and the wider South East Asian region has created a huge pull for imported protein from across the world. Northern Ireland meat exporters are already very active in supplying locally-produced pork to the Chinese market. Our beef industry was given a huge boost of confidence during 18

Ian Stevenson, chief executive, LMC.

the year when China announced that it was happy to approve UK beef controls which paves the way for exports to commence in 2020. Having a wide range of availability to international markets is essential to ensure carcase balance is achieved as no single customer purchases all of the meat cuts from our cattle and sheep.

During the year, a huge amount of air time in the media and on social media was focused on climate change and the impact of livestock production on the environment. Whilst livestock do naturally produce methane from the digestion of forages in their rumen, it is far too simple to say that cutting back on livestock numbers and eating less meat will solve climate change. Grazing livestock and their products are fundamental assets to our sustainability that we cannot afford to lose.

Looking forward into 2020, it is clear that Brexit will continue to dominate the agenda for some time to come. Our industry craves a future with free and frictionless trade within the UK and with the EU. Within LMC, we will continue to support and inform the development of the industry and promote the excellent quality beef and lamb that is produced here and enjoyed by consumers at home and abroad. ■

COMMENTARY ➲ ULSTER FARMERS’ UNION

2020 TO BRING CHALLENGES AROUND BREXIT W

hatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, they will bring new challenges for everyone in the food industry. That chain extends from farm, through processors to the supermarket shelf and all the players are facing change and uncertainty from the new policy directions now being pursued. No-one, for now, knows what the changes that lie ahead will bring. What we do know is that we have to turn them from a threat to an opportunity.

We have been living with uncertainty and I have no expectation that this will end any time soon. However, the fundamentals of the industry at all levels are strong. We know we produce what consumers want; short supply chains benefit the environment and local economy. Food with genuine local provenance will always be a good seller, whether that is on the shelves of the biggest supermarket on the family-owned store. These are what marketing people refer to as our USP – unique selling proposition. They are not easily replicated by other suppliers. As farmers, we want to work with retailers to ensure those advantages are fully understood by those who buy our food.

Ivor Ferguson, president, UFU.

I worry when I hear politicians talk about leaving the EU paving the way for new ‘free trade deals’ with countries outside Europe. I do not understand

why they are not content just to make trade deals, and why there is this new political pressure for free trade. That can only result in cheap, poor quality food coming into the UK. Frankly, I do not believe politicians when they say they will protect standards for our food.

If they want free trade, they cannot demand that others only supply food that meets our standards. That, at a stretch, might be possible for basic hygiene standards, but they cannot deliver the environmental and husbandry standards that are part and parcel of a local food supply.

As a farmer, I believe consumers understand the difference. However, I lack faith in politicians, who I fear may be influenced by a desire to prove Brexit works for consumers by stacking shelves with cheap imported food. As farmers we certainly do not want that, and I am confident most retailers feel the same.

One thing we all have in common is that we want to be proud of what we sell. In this debate, I am often reminded of Oscar Wilde’s claims that a philistine knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. There is always a danger with politicians focusing on the wrong things. When it comes to our knowledgeable, local consumers, I believe they will seek out for their families the food they know is the best available, and by definition that will be locally produced and locally processed. ■

➲ COSTCUTTER SUPERMARKETS GROUP

GROWING RETAIL BUSINESS IN NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS 2 019 has been a pivotal year for Costcutter Supermarkets Group.

With our Co-op wholesale deal embedded in the second half of 2018, the past 12 months has enabled us to cement the strength of our offer and help our retailers focus on growing their business in new and innovative ways. Our Shopper First, Drive Five to Thrive business growth programme has provided our retailers with actionable insights to drive double-digit sales growth, often without the need for large scale investment. Combined with the unparalleled levels of availability, an exceptional range of products across key categories including fresh, food foodto-go, and footfall driving marketing

Sean Russell, marketing director, Costcutter Supermarkets Group.

promotions, we have provided our retailers with a compelling wholesale and retail offer.

Looking ahead to 2020, we will continue to focus on enabling independent retailers to respond to a more transient customer base, who have a greater variety of needs and missions driving their shopper habits. Ensuring we continue to provide expert guidance and solutions on market trends will also be key to continuing to drive growth for our retailers. Evolving store formats and continual investment in solutions that exceed the needs of ‘food for now’ missions will enable our retailers to create a modern convenience experience and capitalise on the growth of fresh foods. ■ 19

COMMENTARY ➲ GROCERYAID

INCREASED SUPPORT FOR GROCERY COLLEAGUES OF WORKING AGE

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ast year, the charity spent to support people across the £4.25m on making life industry in the aftermath of better for grocery people witnessing or being involved who found themselves in in an accident, robbery or difficulties. The number of assault in the workplace. colleagues we supported We also launched our rose by 8% and, of #definitelybuyingthat the 15,784, 69% were marketing campaign which working age. Awareness in flipped the focus of 2018’s Northern Ireland has been #notbuyingit campaign and a key focus of the charity highlights solutions to issues Steve Barnes, chief executive, that grocery colleagues over the past year and it’s GroceryAid. encouraging to see that face. This campaign helped this year there’s been a raise awareness of how the 46% increase in the number of colleagues charity can help when somebody finds that we have helped. It’s great to know themselves in difficulty. that our increased awareness work means Throughout the year, we’ve focused that more people know they can turn to on increasing mental health awareness GroceryAid when they need support. and launched our health and wellbeing We were busy in 2019 with highlights portal in line with this. This provides access including the launch of our Workplace to self-help information on a range of Critical Incident Support. This service aims topics across mind, body and behaviour

whenever people need it. If you’d like to find out more, please visit https:// www.groceryaid.org.uk/get-help/healthwellbeing/ In November, we released a short film called Martin’s story. Martin reached out to GroceryAid when he struggled with his mental wellbeing. GroceryAid stepped in at a pivotal moment in Martin’s life and he’s a great example of the impact that support from the charity can have. Please do visit https://www.groceryaid.org.uk/ourimpact/our-stories/martins-story/ to watch his story.

We are fortunate to have such generous support from Ulster Grocer who detail our confidential Helpline (08088 021 122) information in every edition. However, we remain convinced there are more colleagues in Northern Ireland that should be receiving our support. If you want to get involved, please contact GroceryAid on 01252 875925. ■

➲ GRANT THORNTON

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES REMAIN THE SAME, REGARDLESS OF BREXIT

Charlie Kerlin, head of agri food, Grant Thornton.

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here is no doubt there are tremendous challenges facing the food and drinks sector in Northern Ireland, but in that respect 2020 will be no different to any other year that has gone before. Labour shortages, access to skills, and trying to maintain margins in a climate of considerable consumer price pressure are all major factors.

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As it stands, producers have for the most part not been able to pass on increasing costs to consumers through the retail and foodservice channels. There has also been a reduction in investment in the sector, due in no small part to the uncertainty that surrounds Brexit and any future trading agreement.

Merger and acquisition activity has reduced in the latter half of 2019, but the anticipation is for a ’bounce back’ in 2020 as the fundamentals of cost reduction through consolidation and securing new high-growth products and markets remains.

We are also still in a low-interest rate environment with strong tax advantages for investment.

Our companies need to be focused on changing consumer and market demands. The rise in popularity of veganism and vegetarianism in particular poses a massive opportunity for our food and drinks firms and many are already responding.

A source of great frustration to firms operating in the sector presently is the

extent to which these, albeit ever present, challenges are exacerbated by external factors totally out of their control.

At the time of writing, the UK was preparing to go to the polls for a festive general election with all signs pointing to a Conservative majority.

That would put Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal firmly in the frame. Regardless of the outcome of the election, or any subsequent backing of that deal, the general feeling in the industry is that it will be immensely difficult to negotiate a free trade agreement by 31st December this year.

For that reason, many are still preparing for what could in effect be a no-deal Brexit, and wisely so. Government needs to be in a position to step in with support and flexibility for the industry to deal with some potentially significant issues.

Despite the many challenges that continue to exist, the agri-food sector in Northern Ireland remains one of the jewels of the local economy supporting tens of thousands of jobs and turning over close to £5bn annually. ■

COMMENTARY ➲ SAVAGE & WHITTEN

S&W WHOLESALE’S GROWTH TREND CONTINUES

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ndependent grocery wholesaler and symbol operator S&W has had another fantastic year, continuing the growth trend of the last four years with annual compound growth in excess of 13%.

Our business, based in Newry, can trace it roots back over 100 years to the separate cash and carry businesses of the Savage and Whitten families. We now supply convenience stores across the island of Ireland from our purpose-built facilities with our own fleet of ambient and temperature-controlled vehicles.

The continued development of the Today’s fascia is key to our growth, with over 100 Today’s symbol fascia stores in Northern Ireland and 30 in the Republic of Ireland. Both markets are growing rapidly, not least because of our flexible and collaborative approach to working with retailers to create value and our no-contract, fully-supported package

Michael Skelton, sales director, Savage & Whitten.

continuing to be attractive to retailers.

This year we were delighted to launch our new Primo symbol for larger-format stores in the Republic of Ireland, which has already been established in five locations and we continue to be encouraged by the level of interest in the market.

A key differentiator for S&W Wholesale

is the ease of doing business with us. A number of electronic ordering options, allowing 24/7 access, are available to our customers including internet ordering, Re-scan (our own EPOS for Today’s customers) and an EDI option for contract customers. Investment in electronic proof of delivery systems and customer portals has considerably reduced paper usage whilst again allowing customers to access information when it suits them.

Our investment in infrastructure ensures that we are in a position to continue to grow significantly in 2020, whilst at the same time maintaining the excellent service levels our customers have become accustomed to. We look forward to the delivery of economic and political stability, which will underpin additional investment and guarantee our ambitious growth plans for the years ahead. ■

➲ DERRY REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT

OFFERING FULL SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS FOR THE GROCERY TRADE Patrick Derry, MD, Derry Refrigerated Transport.

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019 has been a fraught year for the local economy which has teetered on the brink of recession with the weakest growth since 2010 while, for the transport industry, fuel prices and driver shortages continue to challenge businesses.

On top of this, we have had two Brexit deadlines come and go without any significant clarity on what the UK’s exit from the EU will look like in real terms for businesses.

Despite all this, 2019 has been a landmark year for me personally and professionally. In April we took delivery of 36 new Scania trucks, refreshing our fleet, with 90% of our plant being under 18 months old. It is improvements like this that enable us to provide reliable, temperature-controlled transport to our customers, as standard, while also reducing our carbon footprint.

In May, I had the pleasure of attending a CEO retreat in Hong Kong as part of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Ireland 2019 nomination, which was an incredible experience during which I had the opportunity to meet and share ideas with EOY alumni.

In October, I celebrated 20 years in business with the opening of a new state-of-the-art coldstore facility Carn Coldstore, offering cold storage and a full supply chain solution to our customers.

In November, I attended the EOY Awards in the Citywest Dublin. I also secured an acquisition of majority shareholding of Coldspeed Logistics,

which will further improve our network and efficiency.

Our continued drive and passion for our business ensured we exceeded our sales targets for 2019 while maintaining customer satisfaction. On top of this, we have secured new customers for our new coldstore, which we have almost reached capacity for. Our staff numbers have increased in 2019 from 180 to 240 and we look forward to 2020, where we intend to build on our current momentum, by developing our relationships with our customers and endeavouring to offer them a full supply chain solution for storing, picking, packing, labelling and distributing their product.

We will be moving our transport business and our head office to our new state-of-the-art facility and we will cultivate our operations in Dublin and Cork to evolve and expand the services we currently provide to our customers.

We also intend to create up to 50 additional jobs. ■ 21

COMMENTARY ➲ BOOST

BOOST CELEBRATES ANOTHER AMAZING YEAR IN NORTHERN IRELAND

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nergy drink Boost has enjoyed another phenomenal year in Northern Ireland, maintaining its position as the number one-selling soft drink in the convenience sector* with sales of an incredible 1,608,243 million cases across the entire product range.

2019 got off to a tremendous start with the announcement of a dedicated NI charity partnership with Air Ambulance Northern Ireland (AANI) which was set up to raise funds and awareness for this vital service.

Spring saw the exclusive launch in NI of Boost Energy Red Berry in a 500ml bottle - prompted by the huge success of the 250ml SKU and consumer demand for the flavour in a larger, bottled format.

Five pence from every bottle sale was donated to charity partner AANI. All eyes turned to New York in the summer with the launch of a nationwide on-pack promotion, offering one very lucky Boost drinker an all-expenses paid trip to the Big Apple. Throughout the campaign, consumers won various NYCthemed prizes with a chance to attend

Amy Ankrah, trade marketing manager, Boost.

an exclusive cinema event in partnership with Cool FM. September was an important month for Air Ambulance with the introduction of AANI’s inaugural Three Peak Challenge in partnership with Boost. This huge event saw 400 people get their walking boots on for a trek to the top of either or all three of NI’s most famous mountains – Slieve Donard, Cuilcagh and Slemish – raising a tremendous £14,625 in the process.

Autumn also saw the launch of Boost

Energy Cola - another NI-exclusive product - supported with a range of PR and marketing activities, including sampling at student nights, shopping centres and local shops where 93% of people sampled said they loved Boost Cola.

So, all in all, it’s been another amazing year for Boost in Northern Ireland with consumer engagement figures reaching an incredible 10 million across all PR and marketing activity.

Northern Ireland remains such an important market for Boost, as we continue our We Love Local ethos and sell only to the independent sector, supporting and championing the retailers who have helped make Boost a success over the years.

And 2020 looks bright for Boost with lots of exciting plans in place, including new range extensions, trade and consumer promotions, and the continued development of our charity strategy.

Watch this space. ■

* Source: IRI Marketplace Data Symbols and Independents 52 weeks unit sales to 6th Oct 2019

➲ THE CO-OP

SETTING ITS SIGHTS ON A PROSPEROUS 2020

Derek Furnival, Co-op divisional managing director.

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019 has proved to be another momentous and fast-paced 12 months for our Co-op in Northern Ireland – not only did we celebrate our 175th birthday, we also enjoyed year-on-year growth of 4.4% in an extremely challenging retail 22

landscape, welcoming an additional 274,000 UK customers through our doors in the last three months alone.

For our 550 colleagues, working across 27 stores, this is proof positive that consumers here enjoy shopping with a convenience retailer that enables them to shop little and often in new and modern stores that sell great-quality, fresh, healthy foods, meal ideas, award-winning wines and essentials.

From a store point of view, we’ve invested almost £2m in our estate over the past few years with major refits taking place at Ballysillan, Donaghadee and Knockbreda.

And with wholesale now part of our DNA, the presence of 108 Nisa stores across Northern Ireland means we are now able to get more great quality Co-op products into more hands.

Our community values continue to underpin our operations and I’m happy to say that our 40,000 members are making

a difference to daily life here every time they shop with us.

Whether it’s a pint of milk or an insurance premium, every purchase of Co-op goods and services provides a funding boost to a range of local charities and organisations.

Just last month, we paid out almost £95,000 to 45 local causes. It’s fair to say that our store colleagues absolutely love this time of year as they get to hand over large cheques to those community groups that are close to their hearts and doing important work at a local level.

So despite the ever changing political landscape, we have our sights set on another prosperous 2020, confident that people will continue to buy into our quality products and purpose-driven way of doing business.

We will stay connected to our customers by being closer to where they are, closer to what they need and closer to what they care about. ■

COMMENTARY ➲ CLOUGHBANE FARM

FARMING AND ENVIRONMENT PRESERVATION IN ITS DNA

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t Cloughbane Farm, we are proud to be Northern Ireland’s leading producer of healthy ready meals. Our products include a range of traditional meals, inspired by dishes I made for my own children when they were growing up - such as cottage pie and Irish stew – alongside new dishes, which we have developed with families in mind.

Since we launched our first ready meals in 2006, we are now listed in all major supermarkets in Northern Ireland and export 19% of our products to the Republic of Ireland. 2020 will see an increased strategic focus on the export side of our business, including growth in GB. We are extremely proud to have won 13 prestigious Great Taste awards for our products which, coupled with continued sales growth, is testament to the quality of the range.

In January 2019, we launched our plant-based range to the market. We developed the range in response to the growing trend for flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan meal solutions. As a farmbased business, we are so proud that the production of this range means we utilise the excellent produce grown by local farmers. In addition, we won

Lorna Robinson, managing director, Cloughbane Farm.

the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association award for Best New Product for the Spicy Lentil and Root Vegetable Casserole. Sales of this range have grown by 29% in the last quarter and we are working to add more products to the portfolio in 2020.

Another major NPD development which was launched in late 2018, and saw steady increased growth in 2019, is our Cloughbane Little Farm range, which was created for children aged nine months to six years old. As well as being stocked in most supermarkets in NI, we also secured listings with Ocado this year. Given the positive feedback we have received from

consumers, we will be embarking on an exciting new project ‘out of the kitchen’ in 2020, which will aim to educate children on farming and life in the country.

Farming and looking after our environment are in our DNA and we were delighted to win the Tomorrow Matters award from Henderson, which recognised the steps we have taken to reduce our carbon footprint and nurture our local ecosystem. This includes the installation of our own wind turbines, which means 100% of the electricity we use comes from green energy. It would be remiss of me to end without mentioning Brexit. The uncertainty of the past two years has driven raw material prices up and impacted on our margins and future investment plans. This has been the single biggest challenge since we started the business, not least due to the lack of clarity around the issue. Therefore in 2020, we need to see a steadying hand at the head of UK government, a resolution to Brexit and the reestablishment of the NI Executive.

All in all, 2019 has been a positive year and myself and all the brilliant team at Cloughbane are looking forward to an exciting and prosperous 2020. ■

➲ GENESIS

A CONTEMPORARY NEW LOOK FOR GENESIS

T

he past year has seen many developments at Genesis, possibly most notable is our recent brand refresh.

We listened to customer feedback and introduced a fresh, bold contemporary new look for the Genesis brand range.

Our customers love our products’ traditional credentials and, with new eyecatching packaging, they will be able to see exactly what they are getting.

Our extensive customer research led us to develop new recipes, with an increased shelf life and even better taste. The range, which includes delicious wheaten bread, pancakes, scones, soda bread, hot cross buns, coconut and iced fingers, brioche rolls and baps, launched into stores during the last quarter of 2019.

We have successfully reasserted Genesis’ position as an established industry leader and this refreshed identity,

supported by an extensive sampling campaign, new creative point of sale, digital, consumer and trade PR, will undoubtedly continue to build market share.

Further to this, we maintained our high-quality standards and developed innovative product ranges which assisted us in winning a range of significant new contracts over the last 12 months.

In terms of 2020, we have plans to launch a revamped cake range which will see new lines sitting alongside the company’s established favourites.

Additionally, due to the increased concern around all environmental impacts of business, we are driving innovation in terms of our packaging by currently trialling recyclable film across the range with a view to having 100% recyclable packaging by early in the New Year.

Paul Allen, executive chairman, Genesis.

Finally, further recruitment is also scheduled to keep pace with the level of ongoing expansion the business is experiencing. ■ 23

COMMENTARY ➲ ASDA NI

A STRONG TRADING YEAR FOR 17 NI STORES D

espite the uncertainty of Brexit and its obvious dent on consumer confidence, 2019 was another strong trading year for Asda’s 17 NI stores.

Our customers continued to enjoy the in-store experience, our excellent service delivery and innovations such as our Scan and Go app. From a commercial perspective, we’ve also benefited from positive online growth thanks to increasing demand for our home delivery and click & collect services.

Our supply chain remains centre stage for Asda and, throughout 2019, we added value through a range of initiatives, including delivering a comprehensive Supplier Development Academy for 15 local food and drink businesses; launching new NI lines including locally-grown pumpkins (a first for a major supermarket here); and our continued support for Open Farm Weekend and the Farm Safety

George Rankin, senior director, Asda NI.

Partnership. As always, we’ve listened to our customers and, for the vast majority, the environment remains at the top of their agenda with 96% of them telling us they want Asda to be a green retailer. And we’ve responded. Already, our Plastic Unwrapped programme has

removed 6,500 tonnes of plastic across the business, and we’re stepping up for 2020 with almost a third of Asda’s ownbrand plastic packaging set to come from recycled materials by the end of the year.

We become the first supermarket to move its entire own-brand fresh ready meal range to fully-recyclable packaging and all Asda cafes now offer free water refills.

Of course, community maintains its position at the heart of our business, with our 16-strong team of Community Champions supporting local good causes though fundraising and volunteering.

We remain committed to our national charities - Tickled Pink (breast cancer) and Children in Need - where Asda colleagues and customers raised £2.3m.

Our £20m Fight Hunger Create Change programme is also delivering on the ground. In partnership with the Trussell Trust and Fareshare we’ve ensured 100 tonnes of end-of-day surplus food has been donated to good causes across NI. Significant donations have also helped to support investment at food banks and warehouses, and local charities have also benefited from the financial support of the Asda Foundation. ■

➲ HENDERSON GROUP

IN A VERY HEALTHY POSITION FOR 2020

2

019 was a year of considerable growth and expansion for all companies within the Henderson Group.

We opened 15 new retail accounts in the past 12 months, including seven EUROSPAR supermarkets within our own retail operations, bringing the total number of company-owned stores to 92 and we have major works in the pipeline to increase this number throughout 2020, and indeed beyond.

Across the wider retail portfolio, we saw a 37% growth in retail space and an 18% growth to the average store size.

This is largely down to the hard work and success of our property and sales teams.

Of course, with an increase in store size, we need to increase our product offering simultaneously and this is an area we have invested in significantly during 2019.

Our aim at Henderson Wholesale is for fresh products to account for more than 50% of all retail sales and I’m 24

Martin Agnew, managing director, Henderson Group.

proud to say we have made impressive strides towards reaching this target. In 2019 we rebranded and relaunched The Greengrocer brand, working with existing suppliers and 18 new suppliers to deliver an enhanced range of products. This brand underpins our group’s commitment to the local agri-food sector, and we hope to continue to champion Northern Ireland farmers and growers in the years to come.

We also introduced our SPAR Bakery brand across the network, and more recently, launched our range of restaurant-quality homecooked meals under The Chef banner.

Technology is continuing to play a transformative role in our stores and Henderson Technology has enabled over 75 stores to be equipped with EDGEPoS self-checkouts.

In a global first, Henderson Technology worked with app-developers to introduce the Gander App to over 300 stores. This pioneering technology allows shoppers to see real time reductions on short-dated items and has rewritten the rule book on how stores deal with food waste.

Unsurprisingly, the app won Mobile App of the Year at the inaugural Belfast Telegraph IT Awards and will no doubt continue to achieve success in 2020.

Q3 sales are up 8% across the group and in the middle of a busy, final quarter, look to be in a very healthy position from which to springboard much of our 2020 activity which will continue to be driven by investment in new stores, new warehousing facilities, new technology, new customers and growth across all areas of the business. ■

RETAIL PROFILE

GROWING GOOD, SUSTAINABLE BUSINESSES FOR OUR PARTNERS MUSGRAVE NI PLANS TO BUILD ON A STRONG PERFORMANCE WITH NEW OPENINGS, STORE REFRESHES AND DEVELOPMENT OF ITS FRESH AND FOOD-TO-GO OFFER IN 2020, AS WELL AS LEVERAGING OPPORTUNITIES CREATED BY ITS ACQUISITION OF DRINKS INC, MANAGING DIRECTOR MICHAEL McCORMACK TELLS ALYSON MAGEE Michael McCormack.

“W

e’re really positive about the outlook for this year,” says Michael McCormack, managing director of Musgrave NI. “We’ve got a fantastic group of independent retailers working alongside our head office and store colleagues.

“As a company, our aim is to grow good, sustainable businesses for us and our partners - our suppliers, shareholders and retailers - and leave a lasting legacy for the next generation.

“Musgrave has been in existence for 140 years, and in Northern Ireland for 36 years, and we want to leave the business in a much better place, across all aspects, for the next generation.”

Progress towards the bold goal has been apparent in 2019, with the business embarking on an extensive programme of new store openings and existing store refreshes, as well as continuing to develop its fresh and food-to-go offers alongside its Frank and Honest coffee SuperValu Fruitfield: Nigel Maxwell, SuperValu sales director (centre) with retailers Neville and Phillip Woods.

26

brand offers in line with consumer demand.

And a further focus has been driving retail and foodservice trade through the Musgrave MarketPlace division, leveraging opportunities created by the earlier acquisition of La Rousse Foods and, more recently, Drinks Inc. RETAIL BRAND GROWTH For McCormack, strong growth in the Centra portfolio has been one of Musgrave NI’s sources of pride in 2019, with seven new stores added including City Quays, Donegall Square East and Bradbury Place in Belfast.

“We’ve also refreshed a lot of stores and, between ourselves and our retailers,

“THIS WAS AN AMBITIOUS ACQUISITION FOR SUPERVALU, TAKING ON A FLAGSHIP STORE IN THE ARMAGH AREA AND IMPORTANTLY, THE STORE IS ENJOYING STRONG SALES GROWTH.” now have 81 stores refreshed in the network,” he says, including Moran’s Strand Road in Derry~Londonderry, Campsie Road in Omagh and Watson’s in Cloughey. Centra has been transforming food retail while leading the way in delivering exciting healthy and inspiring

food that is value for money and supports local producers. Centra was named Convenience Retailer of the Year at the UK-wide Retail Industry Awards held in London last September, showing that the hard work has paid off.

SuperValu successes include the conversion of the former Fruitfield EUROSPAR in Richhill, Co Armagh to the Musgrave brand in partnership with the Woods family. “This was an ambitious acquisition for SuperValu, taking on a flagship store in the Armagh area and importantly the store is enjoying strong sales growth,” says McCormack.

Brand refreshes include the newlyrevamped flagship store in SuperValu Lisburn, which has benefited from a £1m investment and roll out of new concepts including Moo’d ice cream, rotisserie chicken and pizza, and an expanded fresh food and deli offering. “We’ve tripled the sales in the deli and hot food area and the new concepts are thriving,” he says.

Around 18 months ago, Musgrave NI began developing a new Store of the Future concept for MACE, with the Boyd family’s MACE Toomebridge pioneering the new focus on fresh and food to go.

“That was phenomenally successful, and we’ve now rolled it out to numerous MACE stores,” says McCormack. “Our plan is to roll that concept out into a further number of stores this year, and to grow our MACE store network.”

Musgrave NI already has 15 new stores confirmed across the Centra, SuperValu and MACE brands in 2020, and expects to refresh at least 30 existing stores.

Arguably the most successful innovation across the brands in recent years has been Frank and Honest coffee. “We now have 150 stores in Northern Ireland, and close to 700 outlets on the island of Ireland offering Frank and Honest,” he says.

Two standalone Frank and Honest stores have opened in Dunboyne and Dublin, and we are considering opening Northern Ireland’s first coffee shop under the brand in Belfast.

Meat, fruit and veg and the wider fresh category have all been a focus of innovation in 2019, including a successful

RETAIL PROFILE new Fresh for You food-to-go range developed in partnership with Deli Lites.

Across Musgrave NI, the SuperValu, Centra, MACE and Day-Today brands now total around 290 stores.

“We are always looking for opportunities to grow our store numbers while at the same time we want to be the best” says McCormack.

Identifying the majority of Musgrave NI’s store portfolio as now operating to a good standard, he says: “I think we’ve made good progress and have a really good group of independent retailers; some of whom have three, four or five stores.”

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT A priority for all retailers is what McCormack describes as “operational basics, which is effectively making sure the consumer gets the product they want when they want it; it’s on shelf, it’s available and it’s at the right price.”

“With the market tightening in terms of consumer spending, we see demonstrating our value as key in the convenience and foodmarket channels.”

Investment in technology over the past year includes digital shelf edge labels, a first in the local market, and a roll out of self-scanning tills to meet demand from, in particular, younger shoppers.

Thousands of in-house and retail partner colleagues have undergone training through the Brand Engagement customer service programme, while Musgrave NI’s own staff members also avail of its Breakthrough personal development scheme.

“It helps people think about what they want to do in their lives, focusing on how to develop a can-do attitude and allowing people to dream,” he says. “We measure success in the motivation of our colleagues and this year we’ve had the highest motivational scores we’ve ever had.”

And in line with the company’s goal of creating a positive legacy, sustainability and CSR are central to its business plans.

Moo’d ice-cream in SuperValu Lisburn.

Centra City Quays, Belfast.

“OUR PLAN IS TO BECOME ONE OF THE MAJOR PLAYERS IN THE DRINKS INDUSTRY IN NORTHERN IRELAND AND AS SUCH PROVIDING A ONE-STOP SOLUTION FOR OUR RETAILERS.” Initiatives such as pioneering compostable coffee cups on the island of Ireland were recognised with a Sustainable Development Goals Champion award in September 2019.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Action Cancer has been Musgrave NI’s primary charity partner since 2001, reaching a £3m milestone in 2019 with the support of SuperValu and Centra retailers, while MACE and Musgrave MarketPlace have raised £200,000 for Northern Ireland Chest, Heart & Stroke.

The business invests an annual £100m in local suppliers. “It’s really important for us,” says McCormack. “Our retailers are all local businessmen and businesswomen, they want to support local and we want to support local.”

Close to £2m has been invested in MarketPlace’s Duncrue and Derry sites, resulting in sales growth across retail and foodservice. A trial run opening the Duncrue cash and carry to the public has

been successful, and is likely to be rolled out further in 2020.

“We continue to grow our foodservice business in Northern Ireland in double digits, and our Belfast business is growing hugely,” says McCormack, who believes the recent acquisition of Drinks Inc will position the business for further growth in 2020.

“We believe there’s a great opportunity in Northern Ireland to grow our off and on-trade drinks business,” he says. “Our plan is to become one of the major players in the drinks industry in Northern Ireland and as such providing a one-stop solution for our retailers.”

RETAIL MARKET “A good part of our business is in convenience or top-up shopping, and that’s an area that I would say the consumer is moving more towards,” says McCormack.

One of the biggest challenges for the wider retail sector over the past few years has of course been Brexit, including concerns around any potential impact on labour or barriers to trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland or Great Britain.

“We’ve spent three years in Brexit planning mode,” he says. “We’ve been increasing stockholding, reducing it and increasing it again.

“We have a Brexit taskforce covering all divisions, and we’re well prepared for whatever happens. Hopefully it will be something that doesn’t have a significantly detrimental effect on the economy.”

Despite the doom and gloom around Brexit, McCormack believes 2020 will continue to offer opportunity for growth.

“We’ve got fantastic retailers, really motivated colleagues, and interested shareholders willing to invest,” he says.

“When you’ve got all of those together, it creates the right environment to grow your business and ultimately succeed.”

27

STORE FOCUS

CUNNINGHAM’S BUTCHERS & FOOD HALL, KILKEEL ULSTER GROCER HAS BEEN TO THE KINGDOM OF MOURNE TO FIND OUT ABOUT A CENTURYOLD BUTCHERY BUSINESS THAT CONTINUES TO THRIVE IN FAMILY OWNERSHIP AS 2020 DAWNS to break all sales targets. We created six new jobs in the process.

“Going from three staff to 50 overall was a big move, as we were always wary of over stretching our business and our brilliant staff.

“As we produce almost everything we sell in house, we don’t take expansion lightly but now that we were three years after the opening of our new award-winning food hall, we were very confident we had the structures in place to continue our growth,” says James.

James Cunningham Jnr.

E

ven in the depths of winter, the descent from The Mournes to the famous fishing port town of Kilkeel is dramatic.

The mighty Slieve Donard looms above the Irish Sea and Carlingford Lough as the terrain changes from cold, harsh and unhospitable into the lush, green fields of what is universally known as The Kingdom of Mourne.

Such has been the case for millennia, with the dramatic scenery of the Mountains of Mourne sweeping down to the sea inspiring poets and songwriters alike for centuries.

In Kilkeel’s main thoroughfare of Newcastle Street sits another example of heritage and rural culture, Cunningham’s High-Class Butchery, Food Hall & Bistro.

It has been a family business for over a century, on the same site.

James Cunningham Jnr lives and breathes the business, even living above the shop, just as his grandmother, Gertrude and his grandfather Tony, formally resided in a little street-front house.

COCKTAIL BAR That it is now the location for the expanded shop’s integral bistro and even the first ever butcher shop-located 28

cocktail bar – which points to another reason for the businesses’ longevity.

“I am the fourth generation to run our butcher’s - which was established in 1919 to showcase beef and lamb from our own farm a short distance away and I believe it is because it remains our family business that makes it so very special, as well as the everpresent innovation and development.

“In June 2016, we opened our food hall and bistro.

This developed our existing multi-awardwinning butchery, adding the deli, hot food counter, bakery, homemade Gelato icecream as well as seeing Cunningham’s join the hospitality sector with the 60-seat bistro,” he says.

At that time, the business more than doubled the workforce after the completion, and sales were up 35% and since 2010, sales are up 500%.

“Even more recently, we have opened our new high-class butcher’s shop in the Quays Shopping Centre, Newry. This has been a massive success and is on course

HERITAGE Cunningham’s has indeed a long heritage, topped off by celebrating its centenary year: “My brother Christopher and I are the fourth generation to come into the businesses,” he says.

“We are very fortunate to benefit from the hard work our father put into the business and our grandparents before him, all stemming from my great grandfather – also James – who ran the family farm, buying a small house on Newcastle Street in 1919 and turning the living room into the original shop.

“It is particularly pleasing that we have added the cocktail bar to our very popular restaurant, food hall and butcher’s as it sits on the actual site of the house my grandparents then lived in – right next door to the shop.”

That it is most likely to be the only such ‘cocktail bar’ in any butcher’s in Ireland, again representing continuing innovation.

“We have added a massive cocktail list all made fresh to order, as well as local craft beers, wines and spirits.

“It has been such a boost to our already-busy restaurant. It has broadened our reach, especially on our Friday and Saturday night evening trade.

“We were already number one on TripAdvisor for all restaurants in the area and in the Top 10 in the whole of Co Down.

“We offer so much more than just a traditional butcher’s shop.

“We plan to continue building on this success by offering customers high-

STORE FOCUS

quality products that respond to customer needs, but remain steeped in local provenance.”

Knowledge of farming and butchery extends back four generations as well as building knowledge of the sea – with fish sold today in an adjacent (separate) business that nevertheless complements that of Cunningham’s meat trade. James Cunningham Senior even spent a number of summers on Kilkeel trawlers while a student.

“We in turn supply nearly all our fishing fleet with their meat and vegetables when they go out to sea so it’s all about the community working together,” he says.

AWARDS “All the meat we sell is from Co Down and, in 2017, we became the first butchers in Northern Ireland to win UK Butchers Shop of the Year at the Farm Shop & Deli Awards, along with being Voted Best Butchers in Ireland at the Butchery Excellence Awards,” James says.

Previously, this expanded in 2010 through the two SPAR retail outlets situated in Kilkeel, offering fresh local

produce, including both pre-cooked meats and deli offerings.

In 2012, James was able to add a further 11 retail outlets, (seven Henderson stores and four privatelyowned shops) including a new butcher’s shop in one of the outlets.

James, like his ancestors, is very handson and lives upstairs: “Our second baby girl came along in March two weeks before the new shop so we have had a very busy 2019, especially as we are celebrating 100 years.”

He never really stops: “Even on honeymoon in Paris, I had my new wife in every butcher’s I could find, looking for ideas. As well as planning to extend our family, we are planning on extending the family business and, despite the long hours, few days off, sleepless nights, hard work and commitment that come along with it, we love it.”

But it still comes down to locallyproduced, quality products: “Selecting the suppliers and products we sell is very easy, ” he says.

“Our farm is too small to meet the demands of our shop all year round, so we then buy from other local farmers

that meet the highest standards and grades we set ourselves.

“We are also very lucky in Northern Ireland to have so many wonderful artisan food producers.

“We were one of the first butchers to sell Abernathy butter way back in 2011. Since then, they have gone on to win a number of Great Taste awards.

“Our local honey is produced up at the famous Silent Valley reservoir and our crisps are hand made from a local firm in Dublin.

“Our fruit and vegetables are delivered fresh from the Belfast Market every day.“ THE FUTURE So what’s new in 2020? “After a busy Christmas supplying in excess of 1,000 cooked ready ‘to heat and eat’ hams and over 500 boned and cooked turkeys - also ready to finish-off at home – on top of 1,500 fresh, whole turkeys, we are further addressing the convenience market.

“Large numbers of busy professionals have no idea what they are having for each night’s dinner table.

“We solve that by making precooked, quality meals available across a broad range of meats; that is the future and, after a century in business already, I trust Cunningham’s will continue to succeed,“ says James.

With the 2019 centenary celebrations also including Butchery Excellence’s Best Destination Shop award – on top of all the other meat and produce awards – that seems to be a given as the family business continues to both underline its heritage and, at the same time, innovate for the future.

29

RETAIL NEWS – INDEPENDENTS

COUNCIL VOTE REJECTING CARNBANE RETAIL APPLICATION WELCOMED

R

etail NI, Newry Chamber of Commerce and Newry Business Improvement District have welcomed a vote by Newry, Mourne and Down Council Planning Committee last month, rejecting a proposed out-oftown retail application in Carnbane.

Matrix Planning Consultancy, Retail NI and Newry BID had outlined their objection to the application to the Committee, which then voted 4-3 in favour of accepting Council Planners’ recommendation to reject the application.

In a joint statement, Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts, Newry Chamber CEO Colm Shannon and Newry BID MD Eamonn Connolly said: ‘This is a very welcome development and a good news story for Newry City Centre and its traders. If this application had been granted, Carnbane would

have been a competing city centre, drawing away jobs, retailers, hospitality and shoppers and would have caused incalculable damage to Newry City Centre.

‘It would have had a retail impact on Newry City Centre of nearly 30% and would have been completely contrary to the town centre planning policy and the local development plan. We want Newry City Centre to be the location for new retail stores.

‘Our three organisations believe that Newry City Centre has a fantastic future providing a competitive 21st century retail and hospitality offer which is fun and family-friendly for shoppers north and south. We need to build on Newry’s strong track record of being an ecosystem of innovation and meeting headon the challenges that Brexit presents to the city.’

RETAIL NI URGES ALL BUSINESSES WITH ATMS TO BE VIGILANT

R

etail NI has urged all businesses with an external ATM to be vigilant after an ATM attack on a Tesco store in Antrim last month.

“Yet again we awaken to the news of another disgraceful ATM attack on a retailer,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive, Retail NI. “In these next few weeks in the run up to Christmas, we would repeat our call for all retailers and businesses who have external ATMs to be vigilant, particularly if they are near building sites with diggers.

“Retail NI would again urge building contractors to review the security of their sites. The criminal gangs behind these attacks need to be caught and put in jail for a very long time. If the general public have any information about these attacks, they should contact the PSNI.”

CALLS FOR REVIEW AFTER 12% INCREASE IN SHOPLIFTING N

ews of a 12% increase in shoplifting in Belfast has been greeted with dismay by Retail NI, which is calling for a review by the Justice Minister addressing the problem.

“Shoplifting is not a victimless crime - it has a direct impact on our members’ profit margins,” said Glyn Roberts, chief executive, Retail NI. “This is becoming a huge and unacceptable financial burden for independent retailers in every town and city in Northern Ireland who are already paying the highest business rates in the UK. “For many of our members, staff who challenge these shoplifters have been subjected to threats and on occasion violence. No staff member should have to tolerate such abuse.

“We also appreciate the pressures that the PSNI are under with reduced budgets and numbers of officers patrolling town and city centres.

“Retail NI wants to see an incoming Justice Minister urgently review the law when it comes to shoplifting. The current policy of a fixed penalty notice of £80 for offenders is clearly not working.”

30

RETAIL NEWS – SYMBOLS

HENDERSON RETAIL PARTNERS WITH GREGGS TO OPEN FIRST SHOP WITHIN SPAR NI F ood-on-the-go retailer Greggs has opened its 21st shop in Northern Ireland, partnering with Henderson Retail to open within a newly-refurbished SPAR store in Larne.

SPAR Kilwaughter has recently reopened following an over-£1m extension and refurbishment, creating six in-store jobs.

The refurb brings a host of new services and more fresh local produce, as well as a new contemporary food-on-the-go experience from Greggs, which has also created an additional six new roles.

It is the second Greggs to open in Larne after the popular food-on-the-go retailer came to Northern Ireland in 2015, but the

From left, Ian Mullin, area manager; Kathy Moore, manager, Greggs; and Nicola Robinson, manager, SPAR Kilwaughter.

first to open within a SPAR store here.

“Partnering with one of the UK’s top performing food-on-the-go outlets brings

CENTRA CLOGHER UNVEILS £2M REFURBISHMENT

C

onvenience retailer Centra recently unveiled its newly revamped Clogher store to the public after a £2m refurbishment, adding 12 jobs at the site. The store is owned by local retailer John McDade, who also operates Centra Ballygawley.

From left, John McDade, store owner, Centra Clogher and Austin McGrath, regional manager, “At Centra, our focus is Centra. on redefining convenience - providing our shoppers with a healthier offering and innovative ranges, particularly in food to go and our Frank and Honest coffee brand,” said Nigel Maxwell, sales director, Centra Northern Ireland.

“Centra Clogher is a great example of providing shoppers with what they want - fresh, nutritious, inspiring and delicious food that is quick, easy and offers value for money.”

The bright and contemporary store combines high convenience with an expanded food-to-go offering, boasting a hot and cold deli, Green Kitchen (Centra’s salad offering) and the introduction of Frank and Honest coffee. An extended bakery and fruit and veg offering alongside a range of meal solutions and chilled products cater for all mealtimes. In addition, the store now boasts a larger off-licence with increased product lines.

For an enhanced shopping experience, Centra Clogher also features self-scan tills, a comfortable seating area and complimentary wifi to provide customers with a dedicated space to dine in and take some time out.

a new selling point to our stores, and we’re excited to see how the business performs in our newly-refurbished SPAR Kilwaughter store,” said Mark McCammond, director, Henderson Retail.

The refurbished store was the third to reopen during the month of November for the company, which opened eight new stores in 2019.

SPAR Kilwaughter also features a new Barista Bar coffee experience, Daily Deli hot food counter, chicken pick ‘n mix bar, SPAR Bakery and treat counter, and amenities such as the BP forecourt, Post Office, additional car parking, customer seating area with enhanced toilet facilities, free-to-use ATM and free wifi.

EUROSPAR PORTAFERRY REOPENS FOLLOWING £3M REFURBISHMENT

A

new state-of-theart EUROSPAR has opened in Portaferry bringing 10 new jobs to the local area.

The £3m supermarket will replace two former SPAR stores in the town From left, Brian Gibney, file maintenance clerk; square area of Portaferry Gregory Cochrane, store projects manager; Amy Anderson of the Anderson/McDonnell and combines the family, which previously ran the grocery store; adjacent hardware store and Brenda Gibney, assistant manager. and former bank buildings to create one community supermarket totalling 6,587 square feet of retail space.

Following seven months of extensive renovation works, the store opened for business on November 29, building on a long tradition of the McDonnell and Anderson families, which have been trading in the town for over 200 years.

“We are really excited to complete this renovation and bring even more daily services to our local shoppers,” said Darren Dickson, store manager. “The new store features our fullest range of product available, comprising lines from SPAR’s own brands, enjoy local, The Kitchen, The Greengrocers, a local artisan range and new restaurantquality range, The Chef.

“We’re proud that over 75% of our fresh products are sourced from local suppliers plus we are delighted to work with award-winning, traditional butchers H&J Carnduff for our in-store butchery counter.”

31

RETAIL NEWS – MULTIPLES

LIDL NORTHERN IRELAND LAUNCHES IN-STORE WASTE NOT INITIATIVE LIDL NORTHERN L IRELAND OPENS NEW idl Northern Ireland has launched a new Waste Not initiative, rolling out across all 39 stores from December 5, creating a significant price reduction on a range of chilled food products reaching their best before date but still perfectly fresh and fine to eat.

Fresh meat, poultry, fish, and chilled products such as prepared salads, cooked meats, milk and yoghurts will all qualify for a price reduction through Waste Not, with the reduction varying per product type: • Fresh meat, poultry and fish products priced £3 or less will reduce to £0.90 whilst those priced over £3 will reduce to £2 on their best-before date.

• Fresh chilled products, such as prepared salads, cheeses and cold cooked meats priced £1 or less will reduce to £0.20 whilst those priced over £1 will reduce to £0.70.

Reduced products through Waste Not will be clearly displayed and available to customers in a newly-branded area, located in the chilled food section of all 39 stores across Northern Ireland. Each store will refresh the area once a day to include a wide range of products for purchase.

The initiative complements Lidl’s existing partnership with FoodCloud, established in 2017, which sees surplus fresh fruit, vegetables and ambient products donated to hundreds of local charities across the country. Since 2017, over 400,000 meals have been donated by Lidl to charities right across Northern Ireland.

“Consumers are increasingly conscious of the products they buy,” said Deidre Ryan, head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland.

“They consider sustainability and waste before they make a purchasing decision. As one of the country’s largest food retailers, we’re constantly looking for ways to help consumers make sustainable purchases, without compromising on quality and value.”

DUNDONALD STORE

Pictured celebrating the store opening are Eoin Doherty and Leah McCourt.

L

idl Northern Ireland recently opened the doors of its new store in Dundonald, creating 16 new jobs and marking its 39th store in the region.

The refurbished store was officially opened by Lidl Sport for Good ambassador and MMA gold medalist and jiu jitsu champion, Leah McCourt, who cut the ribbon and welcomed hundreds of customers to the new store.

The Dundonald store incorporates a total sales floor of almost 1,300 square metres inside a 1,550-square-metre building which has been transformed to include additional parking, higher ceilings, a more spacious interior layout, an enlarged bakery area and a Lidl To Go coffee machine.

The new store format forms part of a multi-million-pound investment programme by Lidl to expand its presence in the region.

SIX LOCAL HEROES AWARDED SUPERSTAR STATUS S ix inspiring individuals from across Northern Ireland were awarded SuperStar status in Belfast, with the return of the third annual SuperValu SuperStars Awards.

The popular initiative recognises those who had gone beyond the call of duty to help people and communities in need. Almost 30 local heroes were shortlisted within the categories of Young SuperStar, Fundraising SuperStar, Unsung SuperStar, Community Group SuperStar and Social Enterprise SuperStar.

From life-savers to inspiring caregivers, volunteers, community activists and fantastic fundraisers, the shortlist shone the spotlight on the people who 32

Gary Trew, Unsung SuperStar and overall winner.

have gone above and beyond to make a difference in communities across Northern Ireland.

The dazzling SuperValu SuperStars finalists’ ceremony was hosted by TV personality Pamela Ballantine at Titanic

Hotel on November 21.

Winning the overall title was Gary Trew from Bangor, a single foster carer and voluntary leader of the Antrim Gateway Club, who dedicated his time for over 33 years to support those with learning difficulties through sport, leisure and social opportunities. He was also named Unsung SuperStar.

Other awards went to Kaitlyn McNally from Randalstown (Young SuperStar), Brian Doherty from Glarryford (Fundraising SuperStar), Patricia McConnell from Carnlough (Community Group SuperStar), Julie Graham from Dundonald (Social Enterprise SuperStar) and Deirdre Fegan from SuperValu Lisburn (Action Cancer SuperStar).

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS

32nd ANNUAL ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS SET TO BENEFIT FROM A STREAMLINED ENTRY PROCESS NEW SIMPLIFIED ONLINE APPLICATION EXPECTED TO BOOST ENTRY NUMBERS FOR THE 2020 AWARDS

E

ntering the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards has become easier than ever before, thanks to a new streamlined application form and online-only entry mechanism.

Recognising the time constraints faced by busy producers, processors, retailers and service providers to the grocery sector, and in response to competitor feedback, the entry process has been revamped to make the process as easy as possible.

Entry is now open until March 6, 2020 for the 32nd annual awards, which will be held at the GroceryAid Grocers’ Ball in the Culloden Estate & Spa on May 22, 2020.

Awards include Best Digital Marketing Campaign, Best Sustainability Initiative and the Lorraine Hall Young Marketeer Award, recognising up and coming stars in memory of the co-founder of Forest Feast.

Further categories include Best Marketing Campaign, Best Brand, Best In-Store Consumer Sales Promotion, Best New Product Launch/Relaunch, Best CSR

Initiative/Charity Partnership, Best Artisan Campaign and Best Export Marketing.

While the 10 core awards require entry through the new online portal, a new award added for 2020 – Ulster Grocer Leader in Marketing – will require only informal nomination by email (see below for details).

The Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards are an opportunity for companies operating in the Northern Ireland grocery sector to shine a light on their successes and achievements.

The awards are held during the annual GroceryAid Grocers’ Ball, the highlight of the sector’s social calendar attracting upwards of 400 guests and serving as the main fundraiser of the year for the

grocery charity.

Awards entry is open to all grocery stakeholders from producers, suppliers, wholesalers and independent retailers to retail groups. And the diverse range of award categories allows both wellestablished and up-and-coming companies to enjoy valuable media exposure and branding at the Grocers’ Ball, and across the print copies, websites and social media of Ulster Grocer magazine and its sister titles at Independent News & Media.

Widely regarded as the highest marketing accolade Northern Ireland grocery stakeholders can achieve, the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards are recognised as a mark of professionalism, raising awareness for companies shortlisted, highly commended and winning each category.

INTRODUCING A NEW AWARD: ULSTER GROCER LEADER IN MARKETING

A

new accolade, the Ulster Grocer Leader in Marketing, will be recognised at the 32nd Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards in addition to the 10 categories listed to the right.

Unlike the 10 other categories, there will not be a formal entry mechanism for this award. Instead, nominations for Leader in Marketing will be invited informally by email and can be made by anyone, including the nominee.

This new award will aim to complement the prestigious Lorraine Hall Young Marketeer Award by recognising individuals at a more advanced stage, or the end, of their career; having made a notable contribution to the field of sales and marketing within the wider grocery sector.

To nominate a potential Ulster Grocer Leader in Marketing, simply email the name of your nominee along with

anything from a few lines up to 300 words outlining why they should be recognised – for example, companies, brands, roles and campaigns on which they have worked and any additional contribution of note from mentoring to CSR work.

Nominations should be sent to Ulster Grocer Editor Alyson Magee at a.magee@independentmagazinesni. co.uk by a deadline of March 6, 2020.

OVERALL AND INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE 32ND ANNUAL ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS – FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, EMAIL ULSTER GROCER SALES MANAGER CHRIS KEENAN AT C.KEENAN@INDEPENDENTMAGAZINESNI.CO.UK.

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ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS

AWARDS CATEGORIES ✶BEST DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN

While digital is well established as part of the media mix considered by judges across the awards categories, this award exclusively focuses on online marketing activity, looking at campaigns which have successfully utilised tools such as social media, email, influencer engagement, content marketing and apps. Open to all grocery sector stakeholders (and both in-house and agency marketing teams), judges will consider results achieved in relation to the size of the business with the onus on applicants to demonstrate a clear link between their digital campaign and any subsequent boost in sales.

BEST SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE

✶

This category is open to all grocery industry stakeholders from food and drinks producers and other service providers to retailers. Entries should quantify green gains they have made, such as reductions in water, energy or their overall carbon footprint, highlighting the eco measures behind those gains from local sourcing to LED lighting, solar panels and any other energy and waste reduction systems. In particular, companies should demonstrate how they have communicated their green programmes and gains to clients and consumers.

✶LORRAINE HALL YOUNG MARKETEER AWARD The Lorraine Hall Young Marketeer Award will seek to recognise passion and drive among the up-and-coming marketing stars of the future; those who show they have already, in their short careers, made significant contributions to their respective company and industry. The judges will look for evidence of a candidate’s success across a variety of marketing challenges, their on-going desire to learn and innovate, and their understanding of the ever-growing array of marketing tools and channels at their disposal.

IN-STORE CONSUMER SALES ✶BEST PROMOTION

Best In-Store Consumer Sales Promotion could be a standalone promotion by a retailer or supplier. Equally, it could potentially involve a joint promotion between two companies; for example, two manufacturers/brand owners running a crosspromotion on complementary products or a retail group and a manufacturer working together on a promotion. Entries are welcome involving both exclusive single-store promotions and activity running across a group of stores.

✶BEST NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH/RELAUNCH

For Best New Product Launch/Relaunch, entries are invited from brand owners outlining their marketing activity to launch any new grocery product (not limited to, but including, food and drink) into the marketplace. This may include any of the following: press, TV, radio, outdoor, in-store POS/ merchandising, PR, website, leaflet, digital and SMS activity.

Pre-existing products which have been relaunched with new branding, and a complementary marketing strategy, are also eligible for entry. Please note: this category covers the marketing of new or relaunched products, rather than the new product development process.

✶BEST CSR INITIATIVE/CHARITY PARTNERSHIP

Best Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative or Charity Partnership is focused on the strength and commitment shown by retailers, producers, wholesalers and suppliers to CSR/charity initiatives and partnerships rather than the marketing of such activity. Open to any business operating in the retail grocery sector, from small producers and independent retailers through to large suppliers and multiple retailers, this category will also be judged on tangible results from the partnerships.

✶BEST MARKETING CAMPAIGN

✶BEST ARTISAN CAMPAIGN

✶BEST BRAND

✶BEST EXPORT MARKETING

Best Marketing Campaign could potentially involve a corporate, brand or project campaign with food and drinks suppliers, grocery wholesalers and retailers all eligible to enter.

While the subject matter of the campaign may be any aspect of grocery retailing, the marketing campaign should include some or all of the following elements - press, TV, radio, OOH, in-store POS/merchandising, PR, website, leaflet, digital and SMS activity.

Among the most prestigious and tightly-fought categories, Best Brand welcomes entries outlining marketing activity aimed at building a brand of any size in the Northern Ireland grocery market. The brand could be, but is not limited to, food and drink, and equally could be a retail brand from independent stores through to multiple and discount retailers. Judges will examine the effectiveness of any brand-building activity in relation to PR, advertising and marketing campaigns, brand equity, visibility and customer loyalty, and take into account the results achieved in relation to the size of the business.

Introduced to recognise a buoyant category in the local grocery sector, Best Artisan Campaign recognises that small producers often have limited marketing resources at their disposal but can make clever use of them. This category is open to producers, manufacturers, wholesalers or retailers marketing artisan food and drink, and entries should outline any press, TV, radio, outdoor, in-store POS/merchandising, PR, website, leaflet, digital and SMS activity.

Exports are a vital part of the business mix for Northern Ireland producers, and this award recognises efforts to successfully market, gain access and launch local products into international markets (from the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain to the other side of the world). Any local food, drink or other grocery product which has successfully gained access to new markets or grown their export sales/market share, secured new customers in existing markets or boosted existing export contracts is eligible for entry.

ENTRY IS NOW OPEN FOR THE 32ND ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS, AND WILL BE EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE VIA WWW.BELFASTTELEGRAPH.CO.UK/ULSTERGROCER. ENTRY WILL CLOSE ON MARCH 6, 2020.

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ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS RAISE AWARENESS OF YOUR BRAND WITH SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE ACROSS CATEGORIES INCLUDING:

• Best Marketing Campaign • Best Digital Marketing • Best In-Store Consumer Sales Promotion • Best Sustainability Initiative • Best New Product Launch/Relaunch • Best Artisan Campaign • Best Brand • Best Export Marketing

(CATEGORIES ALREADY SPONSORED NOT LISTED HERE.) PRE-EVENT • FULL PAGE ADVERTISEMENT IN ULSTER GROCER • INCLUSION IN PHOTOGRAPH AND MENTION OF BRAND IN LAUNCH ARTICLE IN ULSTER GROCER • INCLUSION IN PHOTOGRAPH AND MENTION OF BRAND IN LAUNCH ARTICLE IN BELFAST TELEGRAPH • INCLUSION OF YOUR BRAND IN ENTRY-DRIVER AND TICKET SALES PRINT ADS IN ULSTER GROCER • INCLUSION OF YOUR BRAND IN ENTRY-DRIVER PRINT ADS IN BELFAST TELEGRAPH • A BRANDED POST ON OUR SOCIAL PLATFORMS DRIVING ENTRIES TO YOUR CATEGORY • PROMOTION ON THE ULSTER BUSINESS WEBSITE • LOGO INCLUDED WITHIN EDITORIAL PIECE

AT THE EVENT • TWO SEATS AT GROCERYAID ULSTER GROCERS’ BALL, CULLODEN ESTATE AND SPA, MAY 22 • MAIN STAGE SCREEN AND SIDE PANELS BRANDED WITH YOUR LOGO • REPRESENTATIVE TO PRESENT AWARD AT THE EVENT • LOGO ON SHORTLIST CARD AT EACH PLACE-SETTING • PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL TO BE PLACED IN HAMPERS FOR GUESTS AT EVENT • PHOTOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITIES • SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE POST-EVENT • EDITORIAL COVERAGE IN THE ULSTER GROCER SPECIAL EVENT FEATURE INCLUDING: • BRANDING • A MESSAGE FROM THE SPONSOR • EVENT PHOTOGRAPHS • MENTION IN EDITORIAL COVERAGE IN BELFAST TELEGRAPH 35

MY LIFE IN THE GROCERY TRADE MICHAEL THOMSON, DIRECTOR/CHEESEMAKER, MIKE’S FANCY CHEESE

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? I am owner of Mike’s Fancy Cheese.

We make a raw milk blue cheese in Newtownards and have a cheesemonger’s at 41 Little Donegall Street, Belfast where we specialise in Irish farmhouse cheese. We are a team of three; Jonathan Chambers, Emily Searle and me. It involves picking up milk, making cheese and caring for the cheese at it matures, selecting cheese to send out and to buy in. We do a bit of wholesale for a few restaurants in Belfast and beyond.

OUTLINE YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY I started in food when I left school and fell into a job at Arcadia on the Lisburn Road. That’s where I got my interest in cheese and local food. From there, I did a course at the School of Artisan Food, where I learnt how to make cheese. You did some food business courses and food anthropology modules as part of that, and I had several months’ work placement around the UK with some of the best cheesemakers in the country before settling at Sparkenhoe Farm to manage the cheesemaking of three of their cheeses. I then returned to Northern Ireland and founded MFC in 2013, crowdfunded our start up and started making cheese in November 2013 and sold our first cheese outside Arcadia in March 2014. We opened the shop in November 2018.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? Everything from picking up milk, cleaning and making the cheese to working closely with customers all over Europe for Young Buck. We select and pick up cheese from other farmhouse Irish cheesemakers for sale in the shop too.

PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? We opened a shop in a street in Belfast in the back end of town with nothing around it, so it’s great to have so many regular customers come week in and week out to buy cheese.

WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? Best - Getting to work alongside my friends in making the cheese and also with the people we sell our cheese to. We are in a great spot where we can’t keep up demand for what we make, so we get to work with customers who like what we do and our product and appreciate that. Worst - Cheesemaking is a long slow process so early morning pick-ups when it’s pitch black on the farm and the rain is coming sideways is not always fun.

BEST THING ABOUT THE LOCAL INDUSTRY The people you meet. We have great support from other bars and restaurants and arts organisations so it’s all these small independent businesses coming together and realising we aren’t competition to each other. Great cities are built by the diversity of small business and hopefully Belfast will move that way.

BRIEFLY OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY Get up to Ards for 6.30am to get cleaned down and ready to pick up the milk.

Pick up the milk from the farm a few miles away and then back to get the cheesemaking started. 9am-9.30am: the glorious coffee break. The milk is in the vat heating, everything is washed down.

Alongside the current batch being made, we will be turning, piercing and looking after the other 400 cheese we have maturing at any time. Nip out after lunch to do any deliveries/go help in the shop.

Get home at 4pm to walk my dog.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? I’ve got a one-year-old mad Bassett hound that is great for walking and not having to think about anything for a while. I like to use the businesses close to us, go for a drink at The Sunflower, lunch at Established, dinner at Hadskis. Most things involve food and socialising.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW I have a real fear of public speaking, but we have several food tours that come through the shop each week so, after a few of them, it’s pretty exhausting.

RETAIL PROFILE

RETAILERS ARE ADAPTING TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE

AGILE INDEPENDENT RETAILERS ARE WELL PLACED TO MAKE THE MOST OF EVOLVING GROCERY SHOPPING HABITS, RETAIL NI CHIEF EXECUTIVE GLYN ROBERTS TELLS ALYSON MAGEE Glyn Roberts.

W

hile the independent retail sector is not without challenges, from high business rates to a spate of ATM robberies last year, consumer habits are shifting in its favour.

And guiding the sector through both challenges and opportunities is Retail NI, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

“We’re looking at various options to mark that throughout 2020,” says Glyn Roberts, chief executive, “and we also need to look at the next 20 years for the organisation; what are the big challenges and new strategic direction? We’re not far off 2,000 members and want to continue to grow.”

The launch of Trade NI in June 2019 formalised an existing alliance between Retail NI and industry bodies Manufacturing NI and Hospitality Ulster; lending weight to their collective voice.

“We’re now part of the biggest business collective in Northern Ireland,” says Roberts. “Obviously the big highlight for us was our event at the House of Commons, attended by nearly 350 business owners, politicians and diplomats.

“It was easily the biggest Northern Ireland event at Westminster for some time and following that, we had our reception at Downing Street which was a fantastic opportunity for independent retailers to engage with and question the Prime Minister.”

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Retail NI also launched Vision 2030, its 10-year plan for the Northern Ireland economy, at the Westminster event last September. Key tenets of its plan include support for vocational training, and infrastructure investment in rural towns and villages beyond the city deals.

“It’s been another busy year,” says Roberts. “Despite not having any government, we’ve been active on all the key policy issues.”

Top of the agenda has been business rates, currently under review after the Department of Finance issued a public consultation last autumn. Retail NI is seeking a complete restructure of the current system, alongside rates relief for independent retailers and hospitality operators after independent retailers in England were granted a third off their rates bill in the last budget.

“We wait to see the outcomes of that review and would hope it will be a bold plan for an incoming finance minister to hit the ground running,” he says.

Another focus for 2020, meanwhile, will be Land & Property Services’ NonDomestic Rates Revaluation. “There will be issues there in relation to the valuation lists and assisting members if they need to appeal,” says Roberts. “There were significant issues in the last revaluation four or five years ago, and we hope the lessons are learnt.”

Retail NI will also be keeping an eye

on any proposals to increase the Living Wage. “Our members always want to pay their staff well but, given the situation in Northern Ireland where we pay the highest business rates anywhere in the UK and have some of the highest costs of doing business, a £10/hour Living Wage may be unaffordable unless we get some of the big reductions in rates.”

And the organisation has been assisting members caught up in the plasma screen scandal associated with the sale of screens by Viewble Media UK on the basis advertising would cover their cost.

When the promised advertising failed to materialise, retailers have been left facing bills of up to £10,000, with the Rhino Media Group in Bangor taking over the accounts from Viewble.

“We’re not just a hobby organisation, we’re actually actively helping members with problems on the ground and I think that’s why we have a very healthy retention rate of members but also very healthy recruitment of new members,” says Roberts.

“One of the big challenges was the ATM robberies we had in the first six months of this year. Almost two dozen Retail NI members were actively targeted by these criminal gangs and we were there to ensure the views and concerns of our members were heard, and the police had the extra resources and manpower to tackle these gangs.

“We were very pleased the PSNI made a significant number of arrests. There are a number of ongoing court cases, and hopefully we’re able to see these criminal gangs put out of action.”

One positive outcome of the robberies has been to highlight community support for independent retailers and the role they play in rural areas.

“It’s almost like a perfect storm of issues around ATMs,” says Roberts, with retailers also facing a 95p-per-transation fee after the loss of rural ATM relief and rising insurance costs.

Many retailers are now pulling out their ATMs and, with banks already having closed a lot of rural branches, some communities are being left without access to cash. For some demographics in rural

RETAIL PROFILE

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF RETAIL NI IN 2019

From left, Glyn Roberts with Stephen Kelly (Manufacturing NI), PM Boris Johnson and Colin Neill (Hospitality Ulster) at Trade NI’s Downing Street reception.

communities still reliant on cash, such as pensioners and people on benefits, the trend is problematic.

RETAIL EVOLUTION The devastating Primark fire in August 2018 has ignited a broader debate about the future of, not only Belfast City Centre, but town centres in general.

“We do now have a much more vibrant, inclusive debate about what 21st century town centres should look like,” says Roberts. “I think 2019 has probably seen more change in the retail sector than any year so far and that process of change and reconstruction will continue in 2020.

“The high street isn’t in decline, it’s going through a period of reconstruction and, in any reconstruction process, there are winners and losers. But I think one thing that is very clear is that big is no longer beautiful when it comes to retail.

“In many respects, independent retailers are making a comeback. They’re learning from past mistakes, they’re more agile and open to change, they’re innovating and they’re one step ahead of the customers.

“Our goal to put the social into shopping has been making town centres fun places to visit and that’s how we take on the internet.”

While Retail NI is pleased to report rising confidence among its members, Roberts says the ongoing suspension of local government prevents the organisation from implementing many of its ideas aimed at revitalising high streets and town centres.

“We’ve run out of road in terms of the need to take decisions about the future of the economy and the health service and education,” he says, while “we’ve been very clear in relation to Brexit, there’s no good Brexit, there’s only damage limitation but I think we do need a deal.

“The deal currently on the table needs a lot more work. In terms of the east/west issues, there are huge challenges for the retail sector, and we hope to pick that up early with the Secretary of State.

Retail NI continues to stand opposed to out-of-town retail parks, and their impact in terms of drawing shoppers away from high streets and town centres.

“Certainly, we’ve seen a dramatic reduction in the amount of out-of-town retail applications, and that’s partly a result of the Town Centre First planning policy we have in place,” says Roberts.

“We’re firmly of the view that out of town belongs in the past and the future is very much 21st century town and city centres that are a vibrant mix of retail and hospitality businesses.”

While still an issue, with Retail NI recently claiming a victory when Newry, Mourne and Down Council Planning Committee rejected a proposed out-oftown retail application in Carnbane last month, Roberts says it is becoming less so as shopping trends change.

Grocery shopping is evolving away from the big weekly trolley shop, towards regular top-up shopping, to the benefit of small, agile retailers.

A survey by Retail NI as part of its annual Independents’ Day campaign found 70% of consumers have moved away from a weekly shop. “It’s all about convenience and that’s where our core membership has strategically placed itself,” says Roberts. “You’re seeing very big changes to the models of convenience retailing; it’s all about food to go and coffee.

“Ultimately, it’s about creating a fun environment for the high street, because there’s nothing fun about pushing a trolley about some big box in an out-oftown location.

“The big multiples will continue to face significant challenges because their retail

• Led a delegation of 23 business groups, trade unions and voluntary sector groups to Westminster to meet party leaders on Brexit in January 2019 • Launched Regeneration NI report setting out its vision for the future of our local high streets • Successfully lobbied for extra resources for the PSNI to tackle ATM robberies • Organised a local government conference, setting out Retail NI policy priorities to audience of over 200 councillors, MLAs and policymakers • Successfully secured review of business rates • Represented its members at meetings with the Prime Minister, Chancellor, Labour Leader, Lib Dem Leader, Shadow Chancellor, Taoiseach and over a dozen Cabinet ministers • Presented to all 11 local councils on policy priorities • Successfully launched Trade NI • Launched comprehensive Vision 2030 document - the first ever 10year plan for NI • Jointly organised the first-ever Downing Street reception for Retail NI members and the wider local business community • Played a key role in organising the largest-ever Northern Ireland economy-themed event at the House of Commons, with over 350 in attendance • Stopped the largest ever out-oftown retail development at Carnbane outside Newry model hasn’t adapted quickly enough to where 21st century consumers are.”

And Retail NI’s members are strong supporters of local food and drink, with many producers also members of the organisation. “In many respects, Retail NI really is becoming a supply chain organisation in its own right because we’re not just supporting our retailers and wholesale members, we’re also supporting suppliers and connecting them with our retail and wholesale members,” he says.

“As the old saying goes, change is the only constant, and that is the iron law of retail and I think those retailers who change and adapt are the ones who will ultimately survive and thrive as well.

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ADVERTORIAL

WE BUILT A KITCHEN…

F

or over 120 years, the Henderson Group has supplied Northern Ireland with the best food from this Isle and beyond.

In 2018, we felt there was something missing from our stores; a product our shopper needed that we didn’t yet have.

Every day we work with local suppliers to bring shoppers the top produce in-store, and now want to cook it for them.

So, we purchased kitchen facilities and created 14 new jobs, including SPAR NI’s first in-house head chef, in a £500,000 investment.

Chef Carl Johannesson, who has over 20 years’ experience including executive chef at the James Street South Group, leads our team of cooks who have designed and developed a new range of products that completely redefine the current retail offering of homemade meals.

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The restaurant quality products under new own brand The Chef, are handmade in small batches using quality ingredients, and are the first to come out of the new kitchen in Randalstown.

The Chef is a collaboration between our Wholesale and Foodservice operations, using local suppliers K&G McAtamney, Bradmount Foods, Elmore Fish Ltd., Big Pot Co. and Daily Bake.

Neal Kelly, fresh foods director at Henderson Group, which owns the SPAR, EUROSPAR and VIVO brands in Northern Ireland, says the products are enhancing their tonight’s tea offering and the Group’s Famous for Fresh strategy: “For over 120 years, we have been supplying food to the convenience sector, sourcing as much as we can locally. We have continued to invest significantly in ranges which bring out the best

local food producers Northern Ireland has to offer.

“The Chef is a range which is pushing new boundaries for us; producing chefstandard meals of our own, using top quality ingredients, available to pick up in store.”

The Chef consists of 35 mains and sides which includes family favourites such as beef Bolognese, fish pie and lasagne alongside world flavours such as risotto and stroganoff, curries and chowders, with added professional finesse.

Sides include cauliflower cheese, roast butternut squash with feta and honey, and garlic mushrooms.

Kelly continues: “Combining both our consumer and market knowledge, we have developed products with Chef Carl which can be bought when there is a need for a home cooked meal without the time it takes to cook from scratch, or even a midweek treat.

“Some of the products are those which shoppers may not expect to find in our stores but which we know will be incredibly popular.”

ADVERTORIAL IT’S ABOUT FEEDING A COMMUNITY The Chef is about making recognisable food, that there isn’t the time to cook every day. It’s about not compromising on quality and flavour. Our chefs have worked in restaurants across Ireland, Thailand and the USA where they served good quality food to 30 to 40 people a night, but with this range we can serve good wholesome food to thousands of people a night.

That’s what our team is passionate about. Giving home cooked, wholesome and flavoursome food that can serve families and save time.

Head Chef Carl Johannesson added: “It is an exciting time to bring my 20 years of restaurant cooking experience to SPAR

“COMBINING BOTH OUR CONSUMER AND MARKET KNOWLEDGE, WE HAVE DEVELOPED PRODUCTS WITH CHEF CARL WHICH CAN BE BOUGHT WHEN THERE IS A NEED FOR A HOME COOKED MEAL WITHOUT THE TIME IT TAKES TO COOK FROM SCRATCH, OR EVEN A MIDWEEK TREAT. SOME OF THE PRODUCTS ARE THOSE WHICH SHOPPERS MAY NOT EXPECT TO FIND IN OUR STORES BUT WHICH WE KNOW WILL BE INCREDIBLY POPULAR.” Neal Kelly, fresh foods director at Henderson Group

NI’s kitchen and to create both global and local dishes using local ingredients, on a retail scale.

“My team and I will be cooking wholesome food for hundreds of shoppers to enjoy every day without compromising on quality and flavour, that I would happily serve in a restaurant.

We’re confident to be bringing this level of quality food to the shelves of local stores and can’t wait for local shoppers to enjoy it.”

The Chef range is available now at selected EUROSPAR Community Supermarkets across Northern Ireland with a view for further roll out in the coming months.

For more information and all participating stores, visit eurosparni.co.uk/thechef.

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ADVERTORIAL

A SUCCESS STORY

The Bakewell, Applegreen M1 Lisburn South.

I

t was 27 years ago that Applegreen was started with the opening of its first service station in Ballyfermot, West Dublin. From there, under the stewardship of CEO Bob Etchingham and COO Joe Barrett, Applegreen has expanded rapidly and achieved consistent year-on-year growth. With five key forecourt sites in Northern Ireland, located at Ballymena, M2 Templepatrick, M1 Lisburn North and South and Hillsborough, there are over 483 sites in total, with the business employing circa 11,000 people across Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, UK and the USA. Applegreen’s brand reputation and success has been earned through the fuel price promise of ‘low fuel prices always,’ the ‘better value always’ promise to customers on store pricing and a high quality food-to-go offering. As Applegreen evolves with the expansion of new products and services, the commitment to their customers of a premium offering at better value continues.

FOOD BUSINESS At Applegreen, there is a strong food and beverage focus aiming to offer premium products and options to the customer. In addition to its own proprietary Bakewell brand, Applegreen enjoys established partnerships with a portfolio of high 42

The Vegan Sausage Roll is made from a recipe which combines a delicious blend of soya bean, chickpeas, herbs and spices, wrapped in a flaky puff pastry. It’s made in Ireland and tastes great, so ‘however you eat yours’, try it and see if you can go meat-free.

Vegan Falafel and Hummus Wrap is a hearty soft grilled ‘bar marked’ tortilla wrap filled with falafel bites, diced carrot, pickled red cabbage, a sprinkling of spinach leaves and hummus.

quality international brands.

Applegreen is passionate about delivering the most innovative, highquality, great tasting food to all their customers, being first to market with many products and sourced on the

Vegan Spicy Chickpea and Kale Pie is a delicious healthy blend of sweet potato, kale and chickpeas in a spicy tomato-based sauce wrapped in a light puff pastry topped with parsley.

island of Ireland, where possible. With the growing trend towards a higher consumption of vegetarian and vegan diets, Applegreen is well positioned to meet the consumer demand for healthier alternatives and plant-based food.

Applegreen offer a variety of plant based options within our established Vegan Food Range at The Bakewell. These amazing tasty products are available at M1 Lisburn, M2 Templepatrick and our Hillsborough sites.

The Vegan Sausage Roll is made from a recipe which combines a delicious blend of soya bean, chickpeas, herbs and spices, wrapped in a flaky puff pastry. It’s made in Ireland and tastes great, so ‘however you eat yours’, try it and see if you can go meat-free.

ADVERTORIAL BURGER KING The Rebel Whopper® allows Burger King® at Applegreen to cater for meat eaters who want an alternative to beef, and responds to the growing trends for flexitarianism and plant-based foods. The main ingredients are sustainable soy, wheat, vegetable oil, herbs and onion. Launching into Applegreen M2 Templepatrick and M1 Lisburn North and South on January 8, 2020. Go on... be a rebel!

Burger King, Applegreen M1 Lisburn South.

GREGGS In 2018, 20,000 people signed a petition calling for a vegan version of the sausage roll, Greggs’ most iconic product, prompting Greggs to work closely with Quorn to develop a meat-free filling. Importantly, the taste is as close as possible to the nation’s favourite meat sausage roll, using familiar herbs and spices and ‘wrapped in 96 layers of Greggs’ own puff pastry’.

The food-on-the-go retailer was surprised by the popularity of the vegan sausage roll when it was launched in January 2019, which quickly sold out as it capitalised on ‘Veganuary’, the UK’s growing demand for plant-based alternatives to meat. What was originally conceived as a limited-edition product for January is now a permanent item on the menu, and is inspiring future product development. Greggs Vegan Sausage Roll is available at our Applegreen Ballymena, M2 & M1 sites.

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ADVERTORIAL SUBWAY Vegans can also buy dedicated sandwiches from Subway which is now offering plant-based products.

Try the new Vegan Sub and Salad with a delicious new vegan patty - made with a mix of vegetables including red and green peppers, spinach, carrot and corn.

It is cooked with chillies, garlic and a mix of herbs and spices to pack the product with flavour and add some gentle heat.

Delicious with the Vegan Garlic Aioli - this vegan sauce has been developed to complement the vegan patty. With its zingy garlic flavour, it adds a flavour punch to both the sub and salad. This delicious range is available at Applegreen Ballymena, M2, M1 Lisburn sites and Hillsborough.

And coming to an Applegreen near you soon... Meatless Meatballs!

Subway, Applegreen M1 Lisburn South

CHOPSTIX NOODLE BAR Chopstix’s is going green with an expansion of vegan options! From spring rolls and salt and pepper potatoes to the new Thai Green Tofu Curry and soon to be launched Pumpkin Katsu, to the staple Chopstix noodle- all vegan friendly. Awesome!

Available at Applegreen M2 and M1 Lisburn sites.

Chopstix, Applegreen M1 South.

LAVAZZA Choose from a range of dairy-free milk alternatives to accompany your favourite freshly-ground coffee without compromising on taste and texture.

Lavazza baristas are professionally trained to make your coffee just the way you like it. Call in for a Lavazza coffee at Applegreen Ballymena, M2 & the M1 Lisburn sites.

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ADVERTORIAL CALIFIA FARMS As the popularity of plant-based nutrition has grown, one vertical that has been leading the charge is dairy-free milks. Califia Farms is at the forefront of this trend and is returning food to its original, nourishing purpose. Califia Farms apply creativity and innovation to craft a wide assortment of delicious plant-based products including almond milks and cold brew coffees. These products have become a healthy alternative for those who are lactose intolerant, vegan or for those just looking for a healthier alternative to milk. All this packaged in their signature, curvy bottles and available in every Applegreen shop across Northern Ireland.

HUNGRY VEGAN The Hungry Vegan is Northern Ireland’s most popular vegan food company.

John Darby is the founder of The Hungry Vegan and his vegan food roots go back to Northern Ireland’s first vegan food establishment in 2017 called That Vegan Cafe.

John was able to see the consumer trends beginning to change to embracing on-the-go food and made the decision to bring high-quality vegan plant-based food to as many customers as possible. To do this successfully, John established retail partners across universities and independent retailers across Northern Ireland.

John’s most prominent retailer relationship was forged in early 2019: “Our launch into retail went incredibly well. We have a simple mission and that is to bring high-quality, affordable vegan meals to as many consumers as possible. To continue this incredible growth, we realised we needed a forward-thinking retail partner who would deliver amazing footfall everyday to maximise our potential to

achieve our goals. Thankfully we found this partner with Margaret Gallagher, the regional manager in Applegreen, in Northern Ireland.

“I recall that first meeting and Margaret was so invested in diversifying the on-the-go food choices for Applegreen customers. Margaret loved our products and had a lot of ideas of how we could make this a great choice for Applegreen customers in Northern Ireland.

“Margaret’s retail experience has been invaluable in tailoring our range to best suit the unique customers that Applegreen attracts. The entire Applegreen retail team are so helpful and anytime we are on site, we feel like part of the family.

“We have amazing plans for our Applegreen range with a lot of new ideas that will be new to Northern Ireland customers. Everyone at The Hungry Vegan team are really excited with the endless possibilities for increasing great customer choice at all Applegreen sites across Northern Ireland in 2020.“

FLOWER AND WHITE Flower and White swiss baked meringues are handcrafted in Shropshire using the best quality ingredients available including free range eggs and natural flavours.

Flower and White gourmet meringues are low in fat, vegetarian, and gluten free. What’s more, they taste amazing!

It will be love at first bite, with Flower and Whites under-100 calories meringue bars and meringue bites which are covered in Belgian chocolate and a guilt free indulgence for that well-deserved sweet treat. To top it off, all products are wrapped in recyclable paper, what’s not to love? Available in every Applegreen shop across Northern Ireland.

Visit our website for more information www.applegreen.ie 45

ADVERTORIAL

PLANNING FOR 2020 WITH TODAY’S AFTER THREE YEARS OUT OF RETAIL, RETURNING TO FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS SEEMED TOO GOOD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PASS UP FOR BELFAST RETAILER GARY MASSEY

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ot a lot of retailers would say that three years is a long time in retail, yet this was definitely the case for Belfast retailer Gary Massey. Gary had been out of the retail game for three years until recently when he was made aware of an opportunity that had become available to take over a Today’s Local business that had recently traded on the Castlereagh Road in Belfast.

Gary explains: “When I was made aware of the opportunity, I made some enquiries and then everything just fell into place and it all moved forward pretty quickly. The fact that I would be returning to familiar surroundings seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.”

With almost 20 years’ retail experience, Gary is no stranger to the demands that the new business will bring his way. Along with the retail aspect of the business, Gary also has the main Post Office for the Castlereagh Rd area on site. This provides full Post Office services seven days a week. The site also has Paypoint, Lottery, parcel collections, fresh bakery and hot snacks to go. Keen to expand on the destination theme of the site, there are plans to introduce a new hot food/deli counter with a seated area, along with the introduction of a wellknown premium coffee brand all in the pipeline for early in the New Year.

Gary comments: “During the transition, the site has been totally redeveloped to include new energy efficient refrigeration to provide additional chilled space along with a new store layout and additional space for extended ranges of product, value lines and new promotional end bays to increase our value message in store.

“The promotions that Today’s provide are absolutely fantastic and it leaves you 46

“THE PROMOTIONS THAT TODAY’S PROVIDE ARE ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC AND IT LEAVES YOU VERY COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET. WE ARE NOW RUNNING THE THREE-WEEKLY CONSUMER LEAFLET, WHICH HAS BEEN A MASSIVE SUCCESS IN GETTING THE FOOTFALL BACK IN-STORE.”

sandwiches and food to go.

The Today’s Rescan EPOS system is also a big plus point for Gary, which allows him to get to grips with his daily sales and margin along with managing his stock control, promotions and all the ordering for the site. The additional online management system is really user-friendly and is a major benefit in helping with the administration side of the business.

Gary comments: “To continue to trade the site with Today’s and Savage and Whitten was the clear choice and the correct fit for my business model.

“The Today’s store development and facilitation team have been on site constantly, Gary Massey supporting me in getting the business reopened, setting and maintaining new standards, along with growing the profile of the site since it has reopened but more importantly, driving sales and profitability.

Support and guidance during this busy and challenging period has been always available when required.”

It has been an exciting and busy time since reopening the site for Gary, and who knows what the future holds in 2020.

Gary Massey, Belfast retailer

very competitive in the market. We are now running the three-weekly consumer leaflet which has been a massive success in getting the footfall back in-store.”

A cursory glance at the new Today’s Castlereagh Facebook page will unveil promotion after promotion with a wide range of products on offer from fresh food, grocery, bread and bakery to

CONTACT TODAYS NI SALES MANAGER, MAURICE LITTLE FOR MORE DETAILS T: 028 3026 3521E: info@sandwni.com W: savageandwhitten.com

ADVERTORIAL

BRAND STRENGTH, RETAILER INDEPENDENCE Dolan’s, The Fiveways

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ith multi award-winning stores such as The Milestone, Crawford’s, Dolan’s, The Fiveways and Joyce’s, to name a few, Nisa is the proven partner of choice for many market-leading, independently-minded retailers in Ireland.

For more than 40 years, we have worked with independent retailers to ensure we provide all the tools they need to compete effectively in the convenience retail sector.

With Nisa, retailers can operate under a choice of symbol fascias; Nisa Local, Nisa Extra and dual branded whereby a retailer maintains their local identity whilst benefiting from the strength of the Nisa brand. Alternatively, retailers can trade under their own independent fascia.

In the 18 months since Nisa was acquired by the Co-op, work has been focused on ensuring our independent retailers can experience the benefits as quickly as possible through their strong relationship with Nisa as their primary supplier. With newfound business stability and improved financial strength, Nisa partners can trade their businesses in the independent way they have always enjoyed, backed by competitive prices, promotions and a deeper own-brand range which is so important in today’s market in order to drive a real point of difference.

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The Milestone, Crawford’s,

Nisa provides a complete retail support package to its retailers to ensure they remain competitive. This comprises a strong retail-focused team, covering retail development managers and regional retail managers, in addition to fresh food development managers, who encourage retailers to make the most of this important category, and store development managers who help to further develop stores. Also offered is an enhanced category management system providing personalised planograms, a staff training facility and a comprehensive marketing package incorporating bespoke leaflets, point-of-sale material and a personalised Nisa FM providing retailers with a strong radio network for their store and national advertising.

A quality EPOS solution, Epositive Evolution, is provided exclusively to Nisa partners. With the ability to access promotions, stock lists and point of sale in a simple, touch-screen system, it is a complete business management tool. The updated Evolution Version 2.0 was rolled out to retailers during early 2019, with more intuitive software and new features which improve efficiency for retailers, and self-scan checkouts are also now being installed.

All of this is in addition to the award-

winning supply chain, excellent availability averaging 98% for 2019, two strong award-winning own-label ranges and over 13,000 SKUs. Nisa’s Evolution store format has seen great success and those retailers who have converted are achieving, on average, a 12% uplift in sales. The Evolution format prides itself on offering a greater degree of flexibility to retailers, moving away from a one-size-fits-all model to a more modular development format.

Nisa’s flexible model provides its retailers with an unbeatable breadth of range and an excellent availability rate. This is supported by Nisa’s awardwinning own-label range, Heritage, which provides retailers with great-quality products at affordable prices. And Nisa retailers also have access to more than 2,000 of Co-op’s high-quality, own-brand products across all categories, which is more than 80% of the Co-op range.

Nisa retailers can source local products and have them invoiced centrally, creating a simpler, time-efficient process.

All orders are placed directly with individual suppliers, deliveries are made direct to store, but the invoicing and administration is managed centrally.

This is all delivered by Nisa’s industryleading supply chain which retailers can trust with an impressive 99.9% of deliveries made on the day and 95.2% successfully made on time.

With convenience stores at the heart of their communities, we know community involvement is key, and our retailers can support their local area through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity. In 2018, it celebrated its 10th anniversary and, to date, more than 11,000 causes have benefited from donations totalling over £9m.

To find out more, complete the form on www.join-nisa.co.uk/contact-us or contact our development team on 0800 542 7490.

ADVERTORIAL

THE 2020 TRENDS THAT WILL UNLOCK BUSINESS GROWTH

BY SEAN RUSSELL, MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR COSTCUTTER

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020 will present independent retailers with another year of change and opportunity across a host of different areas. Working together to navigate this change, whilst carving out and capitalising on growth opportunities, will be central to their continued success.

The increasingly transient customer base will also require retailers’ attention, to ensure they can respond to the evolving shopper missions. Through our Shopper First: Drive Five to Thrive business growth programme, we have been helping retailers harness the power of data to drive double-digit sales growth for over two years. By using shopper insights to adapt their store, range and merchandising to reflect the changing needs of their potential shoppers, our retailers have been able to grow their sales by an average of 20%, often without major investment.

How retailers respond to a more transient customer base, who have a greater variety of needs and missions driving their shopper habits, will also be key to success in 2020. Through our Shopper First: Drive Five to Thrive business growth programme, we have been helping retailers harness the power of data to drive double-digit sales growth 50

for over two years. By using shopper insights to adapt their store, range and merchandising to reflect the evolving needs of their potential shoppers, our retailers have been able to grow their sales by an average of 20% and this hasn’t

always required largescale investment.

Ensuring we continue to provide expert guidance and solutions on market trends will also be key to driving growth for our retailers. Evolving store formats and continuing to invest in solutions that exceed the needs of ‘food for now’ missions, will enable retailers to create a modern convenience experience and capitalise on the growth of fresh foods.

Legislative change will continue apace

in 2020 and present retailers with several oncoming challenges. The continued uncertainty around Brexit will be of particular concern to Northern Ireland retailers.

With our unbeaten levels of retail support and our work with key trade associations this year, where we have championed the cause of independent retailers across the UK, we have developed a blueprint of how we can help our retailers navigate the uncertainty and distraction that legislative change can present so they can continue to focus on growing their business.

Independent retailers have played a central role in their local communities for years. As technology continues to proliferate the convenience sector, retailers must now embrace this to ensure that they are relevant to online communities as well; offering disruptive solutions can really enable retailers to create a point of difference and expand their customer base. Our sector first last-mile delivery partnership with Uber Eats, plus our market-leading social media support, are just two of the ways we are helping our retailers to thrive in this area.

ADVERTORIAL

‘GREAT’ ADDITIONS TO IFEX 2020 From left, Patricia Kingston, corporate events officer, Tourism NI; Joel Neill, operations director, Hospitality Ulster; Sean Owens, director, IFEX Salon Culinaire; Glyn Roberts, chief executive, Retail NI; and Caroline McCusker, event manager, IFEX.

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orthern Ireland’s premier food, drink and hospitality event, IFEX, returns to the TEC, Belfast from Tuesday 24th to Thursday 26th March 2020 and, with upwards of 7,000 visitors expected to attend, it’s one of the most eagerly anticipated foodservice events of the year.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, this year’s show is set to shine a light on the importance of IFEX to Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector and the role that it has played in the development of skills within the sector since the show’s first event, back in the King’s Hall.

Central to the long-standing success of Northern Ireland’s largest trade event is the International Salon Culinaire, headed up by Salon Director Sean Owens. As the stomping ground for student and industry chefs, Salon Culinaire is hotly anticipated as the place where the ‘best of’ culinarians in Northern Ireland are formally acknowledged.

Aiming to raise the bar in culinary skills, across the three days of the show, over 250 professional and student chefs will compete in over 30 category competitions. Vying for the title of Chef of the Year, six Northern Ireland chefs will get hot under the collar, battling it out for the accolade that’s previously been held by Michael Deane, Chris Bell, Roisin Gavin and Paul Cunningham, and some of Northern Ireland’s most respected catering colleges will go head to head in Street Food International.

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An industry event, the show is retaining its excellent relationships with associations in the province including Hospitality Ulster, the Federation of Small Business, Retail NI, Food Standards Agency, Restaurants Association of Ireland and The Guild of Fine Food.

Committed to serving up a great event is IFEX Event Manager Caroline McCusker, who comments: “IFEX has retained its place as the biggest, most comprehensive tradeshow for the foodservice and hospitality sector – always building and evolving – and we’re extremely proud to deliver an industry event that puts skills at the heart of the show.

“IFEX is on course to become a sell-out event, with 160sqm of floor space sold to new exhibitors and, with IFEX enjoying a record attendance in 2018, we’ve high hopes for the 2020 event.”

Home to over 200 exhibitors across the three-day event, many new exhibitors will sit alongside some of the biggest names in foodservice including Lynas Foodservice, Henderson Foodservice, Hugh Jordan, BD Foods and Stephens Catering Equipment.

Organised by leading events company, Montgomery Group (previously Fresh Montgomery), the trade expo has once again partnered with The Guild of Fine Food to introduce the Great Taste Market to IFEX, which will house many ‘great taste’ award-winning producers from across NI and RoI. From cheese producers to tea houses, the Great Taste Market has

already attracted many leading names including S. D. Bell, Yellow Door Deli, Goodness Grains, Woodlab Distillery, Ballymaloe Foods, and Warbler & Wren.

For small producers, the addition of the Great Taste Market at IFEX provides the perfect platform to connect with key buyers, make valuable contacts and increase awareness of their products.

As well as the array of exciting food and speciality products on offer, IFEX has partnered with Hospitality Ulster to launch a new Drinks Zone.

Colin Neil, CEO of Hospitality Ulster, comments: “We are seeing a boom in craft products like gin, beer and more recently rum, where people enjoy sampling a wide range of different types of drinks, so this new offering at IFEX – the Drinks Zone – will showcase the newest drinks and freshest innovations, all aimed at revolutionising the offerings available and making it easy for publicans to find something that will take their offering up a notch.”

From showcasing the latest food and drink trends to industry-leading technology, equipment and services, IFEX will feature a range of visitor attractions designed to inspire and engage and is the must-attend trade event for 2020.

Registration is now live, so don’t miss out! Book your place, for free via www.IFEXexhibition.co.uk.

FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

GALBERTS PREPARES FOR BIGGEST PANCAKE TUESDAY CAMPAIGN TO DATE

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albert’s range of Traditional, American Style and Bitesize Pancakes make the perfect sweet treat for Pancake Tuesday. Conveniently found in the chilled desserts section in

stores, Galberts pancake range takes the mess and fuss out of Pancake Tuesday.

The campaign will include product sampling sessions in over 150 stores across the island of Ireland on the approach towards Pancake Day on Tuesday February 25, 2020.

Backed by a brand partnership with Nutella, engaging social media activity, and in-store POS, the campaign is expected to generate a strong drive in sales of both the Galbert’s pancake range and Nutella.

Rachel Kelly, business development & brand manager at Galberts, said: “We are excited to be preparing our biggest

Pancake Tuesday campaign to date and are delighted to be working with Nutella once again. We are proud of our range of pancakes and to combine two category leading brands is a huge boost at an important time of the year.

“We will be encouraging our customers to adopt Pancakes Love Nutella as their key driver for Pancake Day 2020 sales.”

If you are interested in finding out more about Galberts full range of products, please contact PRM Group via telephone on 028 92620200 or email sales@ prmgroup.co.uk.

ADVERTORIAL

REBRANDING FOR THE NEW YEAR

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he team here at HFM are looking forward to another exciting year ahead in 2020, following on from the recent move into their brand-new purpose-built factory in Crossgar, Co Down. This has given the company an opportunity to showcase new and existing customers a wide range of new and used food processing and packaging equipment. The business is now looking forward to its sixth year in operation with a dedicated team. As we move into another year here at HFM, we will again be putting a strong emphasis on the team that the company priority is customer and price focused and to realise the industry and marketplace is constantly changing.

HFM presently supply into many sectors such as meat, poultry, fish, fruit, dairy, brewing and pet food, and the last few years have seen particularly strong growth within the ready meals, vegetable processing and bakery sectors. HFM works with well-known manufacturers Deighton Manufacturing, Apple Food Systems, Jaycraft Food Machinery, N&N Nadratowski, Robot Coupe and has recently become an agent for Rational

and OK International. “We believe we are supplying the market with quality equipment and automation,” says David Henderson. At present, 85% of all sales is new equipment, with the remaining ex-demo and used equipment.

MARKETING STRATEGY Always one for thinking outside the box, the team at HFM attributes its success in part to a bold marketing strategy and this year will be no different as HFM has an ambitious rebranding project planned, from their website, company vehicle rebranding and social media activity to producing and distributing newsletters. And, in 2020, HFM will again have a presence at various trade exhibitions. “Branding has always been so important to HFM and we are excited to be moving forward with our marketing strategy,” says David. “We strongly believe our rebranding project will help move us to the next level. We have a knowledgeable and customer focused team here at HFM and we hope 2020 will see continued success for the company.”

We aim to be your first choice for new and used food processing and packaging equipment, so why now give us a call to discuss your present and future machinery requirements. HFM: YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP FOR FOOD PROCESSING AND PACKAGING EQUIPMENT.

PARTNERS WORKING WITH HENDERSON FOOD MACHINERY INCLUDE: Apple Food Systems Depositors Deighton Equipment Forming, Battering, Breading, Frying Henkelman Vacuum Packers Infra Baker Baking Ovens ITEC Cleaning Equipment Jay Craft Food Machinery Vegetable Processing Equipment Metalbud Nowicki Bowlcutters and Injectors N&N Food Processing Equipment Mixers, Tumblers, Grinders OK International Ltd Bag Sealers and Closers QPM Metal Detectors and Checkweighers Rational Cooking Equipment Robot Coupe Commercial Catering Equipment Rotech Sleevers and Printers Siat Box Tapers Thissen & Stecher Cooking Vessels Thompson Meat Machinery Mincer Grinders

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ADVERTORIAL

DIET COKE INTRODUCES NEW LIMITED-EDITION CANS AS THEY BRING BACK THE YOU DO YOU CAMPAIGN IN JANUARY 2020!

• DIET COKE WILL BRING BACK FOUR FAVOURITE CANS FROM THE SUCCESSFUL SEPTEMBER YOU DO YOU CAMPAIGN – WHILE ALSO ADDING EIGHT NEW CANS TO THE MIX • THE FULLY-INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN INCLUDES NEW TVC, OOH, DIGITAL, SOCIAL AND PR

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anuary can be such a drag, I Know Right? It’s totally Obvs that you’re still as Super Cute as Last Year. So, wave Byeee to the January blues this January, You Do You! Whatever your mood, Diet Coke has got you covered with the new range of limited-edition cans available now nationwide.

The 12 limited-edition cans are one element of Diet Coke’s You Do You campaign which launches with a new TV ad, which will air from January, featuring scenarios which see people embracing mainstream trends and the basic things in life, with surprising and humorous results along with some familiar faces.

Cans will be in store from the first week in January, so for a limited time only you can grab a can of Diet Coke featuring the below:

• Obvs • Byeee • I Know Right • Super Cute • You Do You • Totes Emosh • Sooo Me • Same Same 58

Some firm favourites will also return to shelves:

• Can’t Even • I’m In • It’s Lit • Yaasss Your phrase of choice will help you express exactly how you’re feeling in those moments when you just can’t find the words. Be sure to keep an eye out for

the new look cans and get your hands on one before they’re all gone!

You can find out everything you need to know about Diet Coke on our social media channels - follow us on Facebook and Instagram @dietcokeie and tag us using #YouDoYou to share your Diet Coke mood.

ADVERTORIAL

INTRODUCING THE NEWEST MEMBER TO THE OASIS RANGE... DELICIOUS BLACKCURRANT AND APPLE

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asis finished 2019 in its second year of consistent growth and investment, with the total brand worth £997,000, achieving 775,000 transactions and accounting for 11% of the total Impulse juice value generated in NI (*YTD Oct 19*). 500ml Oasis Zero had over 682 transactions (*YTD Oct 19*), which equates to 95 bottles being sold an hour and 2,269 bottles a day. A strong consumer and shopper activity also helped increase brand awareness to 66.3% (+1.7% vs 2018) and trial to 23.1% (+1.8% vs 2018).

In 2020, we will continue to focus on accelerating the Oasis brand by launching a delicious new blackcurrant and apple variant, executing a unique shopper promotion targeted towards young adults and continuing to drive awareness and trial through a new integrated marketing campaign.

The new blackcurrant and apple flavour, which will be available across grocery outlets nationwide from January 2020, is a further addition to the current Oasis range which includes Oasis Zero

Summer Fruits, Oasis Zero Citrus Punch, Oasis Sours Cherry Apple and Oasis Sours Kiwi Apple. Oasis Blackcurrant and Apple is a low sugar, non-carbonated blackcurrant, apple and berry juice drink with no artificial flavours and colours and contains vitamin C. Targeted towards 1629 year olds, the new Oasis Blackcurrant and Apple flavour comes in a handy 500ml PET bottle and is perfect for onthe-go refreshment or with lunch.

The launch will be supported by a new integrated marketing campaign (IMC), based on the idea that, as far as advertising is concerned, consumers are more empowered and less engaged than ever, so we will turn this to our advantage in an only-Oasis-can-do way using targeted touchpoints including cinema, OOH, digital and social.

We will also have extensive sampling across key ‘teen/young adult’ locations to drive trial of the new flavour, as well as the existing Oasis range.

Source: *Nielsen Total NI YTD October 2019, BGS: YTD Sept 2019

“IN 2020 WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON ACCELERATING THE OASIS BRAND BY LAUNCHING A DELICIOUS NEW BLACKCURRANT AND APPLE VARIANT, EXECUTING A UNIQUE SHOPPER PROMOTION TARGETED TOWARDS YOUNG ADULTS AND CONTINUING TO DRIVE AWARENESS AND TRIAL THROUGH A NEW INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN.” 60

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

ATROCIOUS WEATHER HALTS POTATO HARVESTING UNTIL NEW YEAR

BY RICHARD HALLERON From left, Stuart Meredith, agronomist, and Lewis Cunningham, managing director, Wilson’s Country.

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pproximately 10% of potato crops in Northern Ireland will remain in the ground until the New Year, according to a grower-survey carried out by potato packer Wilson’s Country.

“Harvesting operations are now over for the year,” said Lewis Cunningham, managing director, Wilson’s Country.

Last year was one of the most trying years in living memory for growers, with crops were planted out in challenging conditions. A very dry spell followed, which hampered growth rates. But it has been the exceptionally wet autumn that has really hit farmers for six.

“Normally, the bulk of the harvest

UFU URGES VIGILANCE FOLLOWING REPORT OF AVIAN INFLUENZA

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lster Farmers’ Union is urging poultry farmers to be vigilant following the confirmation that Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) has been found in mid Sullfolk, England.

“While the risk to poultry in NI remains low, we strongly recommend that all poultry keepers, including backyard keepers, review their biosecurity measures and business continuity plans now,” said David Brown, deputy president, UFU. “Producers should familiarise themselves with DAERA’s guidance on good biosecurity and, if you have any suspicion of disease within your flock, you should contact your vet or the local DVO immediately.”

LPAI is a less serious strain of H5

avian influenza, which can cause mild breathing problems. However, affected birds do not always show clear signs of infection.

The Food Standards Agency has also made it clear that bird flu does not pose a food-safety risk to consumers.

“I would encourage producers to practise good farm hygiene and keep birds’ food and water in enclosed areas separate from wild birds wherever possible. Poultry keepers can also sign up to the Avian influenza text alert service to receive immediate notifications of a disease outbreak,” said Brown.

To subscribe, text BIRDS to 67300.

would have been completed by the end of October,” said Cunningham.

“However, the heavy rains of late summer, which persisted throughout the autumn, have conspired to get us to the stage we find ourselves at today.

In August the average rainfall for NI was 162% of the 30-year average with September at 121%, so as farmers started to lift crops, the ground was not in ideal condition.

“Ground conditions in recent weeks are atrocious, particularly in Co Down.

As a result, it has proven impossible for many growers to complete the harvest in a timely fashion.

“Levels of bruising and damage have been evident this year, resulting in more grading. The costs incurred by farmers in simply trying to get potatoes out of the ground have increased this year. A combination of a delayed harvest and increased costs is a challenging position for farmers.”

According to the Wilson’s Country representative, potatoes that are in the ground now will remain there until Spring 2020.

PROCESSORS FAILING DAIRY FARMERS, SAYS UFU

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f the Winter Fair is an opportunity to reflect on the past year, processors have made it a frustrating 12 months for farmers, according to Ulster Farmers’ Union Dairy Chairman Mervyn Gordon.

He said this was all the worse because there is no market justification for the financial pressure farmers face from poor milk prices.

“Dairy processors have refused to engage on prices, citing the threat of a no-deal Brexit as their priority,” said Gordon. “Dairy farmers, however, feel short changed. Last month, two processors cut the base milk price by 0.25ppl. This was unjustified.

Pressed to explain it, one said they needed to make ‘savings’. The savings achieved were £150,000 on sales of £15m – a gain of 1%, but only achieved at an enormous cost in terms of supplier goodwill.”

The UFU dairy chairman also warned that farmers were sufficiently wise and cynical to see that price cuts had been timed to kick in when winter bonus payments were due to begin.

PROFILE

BUILDING BRANDS IN FMCG AND RETAIL JUST NAMED OUTSTANDING SMALL PR CONSULTANCY FOR A SECOND TIME, RNN COMMUNICATIONS HAS BAGS OF CREATIVITY AND AN INSPIRING ETHOS TO OFFER CLIENTS IN THE GROCERY SECTOR, FOUNDER RIKI NEILL TELLS ALYSON MAGEE Riki Neill, founder of RNN Communications.

Photo credit: Paul Moane, Aurora PA

HOW DID YOU GET INTO PR? I did a degree in fine art as I was always creative and that’s what I wanted to pursue but it soon became apparent that I was really quite commercial. My degree show, which was billboards and light boxes, was even sponsored by local nightclubs.

Whilst studying, and thinking about what I was going to do next, I thought advertising or public relations would be an area I’d like to explore. I had met a lady called Carol Ann Dornan, who was the editor of Northern Woman, and started to do a bit of work with Carol Ann and a PR agency she also worked for called Life Communications. I started to go in on holidays and really enjoyed the cut and thrust of it, studied for a master’s in Communications, Advertising & PR at Ulster University and continued with Life Communications.

I worked at Life Communications for 10 years, starting literally as the office girl getting the coffee and working my way up. It was a really exciting time. One of my first briefs was launching Matalan in NI, followed by managing the PR for Specsavers and its stores in Ireland. I have great memories of travelling all across 66

Ireland, meeting the local newspaper editors, which, looking back, was an incredible foundation for my career in PR. Life Communications was founded by an utterly brilliant lady named Darlene McCormick, and much of my thinking and approaches today stem from what I learnt from Darlene. Life was then sold to a larger company called Freshwater, and I was promoted to managing director for Ireland and ran it for a while but decided a bigger set up wasn’t for me and it was maybe time to do my own thing.

YOU THEN SET UP RNN COMMS IN AN INNOVATIVE ECO OFFICE? I set up RNN Communications six years ago. My aim at the time was to deliver really good work and I worked solo, but I was becoming increasingly busy, so I took the decision to start to really focus on growing an agency, and building a team.

Having worked for lots of businesses in renewables over the years, I decided to build a very cool eco office in Co Down. RNN Comms is slightly left of centre, definitely quite quirky, a little like its founder! The workplace is changing and people don’t need to be in the city centre any longer so when I was building the office, I wanted something that reflected our values. It’s very cost effective to run, we have offset our carbon footprint and we are on a journey to become carbon neutral early next year. I think we’ll be the first agency in the UK to be carbon neutral, and our

Christmas gifts to clients this year were reusable water bottles to encourage them to adopt small behaviours that promote a sustainable lifestyle.

RNN COMMS IS AN ALL-IRELAND AGENCY? Another reason we built the eco office in Co Down is due to our work across NI and ROI - we work across the country therefore having an office in Belfast or Dublin city centres was simply an unnecessary expense. My working week is made up of around two days in Dublin and three in the north. We deliver 50% of our business in euro, so we’re tapped into media and deliver brand communications, sponsorships and trade campaigns in both the north and south.

We work with food distributors and retail clients in Dublin and have clients in the city centre, Malahide and Kildare, so we try to be really smart with our scheduling in order to work efficiently.

Client meetings are generally held in our clients’ offices, therefore planning is key.

With Brexit looming, we’re focused on building our Northern Ireland client base. We also offer a pretty unique and valuable service for brands that are interested in having their communications delivered seamlessly in both NI and ROI, without incurring the cost of two agencies.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TEAM & AREAS OF EXPERTISE There are four of us in the core team, and then we work with photographers, designers, videographers and digital

Team RNN Comms: from left, Jill McLernon, Riki Neill, Déarbhla Sloan and Jolene Kelly. Photo credit: Paul Moane, Aurora PA

PROFILE specialists who all run their own businesses. We pull in those resources when they’re needed.

We specialise in food, drink, retail and hospitality. Brand building is an area that I’ve always been interested in, especially in the FMCG world, and our team is skilled in building campaigns from scratch and crisis management.

We love campaigns that centre on big ideas, really make an impact and importantly, deliver solid results. We currently manage around 15 social media accounts on multiple platforms, taking the pain out of it for clients. The biggest problem for clients is time and also having compelling content, and we’re up to date with the latest apps and techniques.

Video is on an upward trend for most projects now.

Crisis management has always been an important part of our offering, but with the addition of social, a crisis is often amplified and plays out in real time.

Having an agency that’s got your back in the difficult times, as well as the good times, is one of the reasons that we’ve built long-lasting relationships with many clients – we can be counted on when it matters and that’s what clients remember.

One thing I think we do particularly well is to distil clients’ messages in numerous ways to target different media; be it business PR for the business pages, graphics and video for social media or a short blog piece for their website or newsletter.

We’ve worked with everyone from Valeo Foods to artisan SMEs. We have delivered amazing work with Ocean Spray, floating 200,000 cranberries in the pool of the Merrion Hotel and creating two show gardens in Dublin.

We deliver work for Eat Natural on the digital side of things and also offline and, for Fisherman’s Friend, we’re responsible for the brand’s social channels in Ireland and offline activity. Hospitality work has included Tedfords Kitchen, Brunels and a number of projects for the Horatio Group.

On the foodservice side, we’ve delivered the communications for IFEX in Belfast, and CATEX and Food & Bev Live in Dublin for many years; really exciting projects with multiple stakeholders and sustained campaigns which always deliver.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR AWARDWINNING WORK WITH GALA RETAIL? One of our clients in Ireland is Gala Retail, and we work with the company’s CEO and marketing manager to deliver

RNN Comms at work: IFEX Belfast and Ocean Spray’s gold-winning garden at Bloom in the Park in Dublin.

Gala’s entire communications remit, from sponsorships to PR stories, trade campaigns, in-store promos and CSR partnerships.

I have worked with Gala for over 10 years, and one of the campaigns we created and are most proud of is Gala’s support of Special Olympics Ireland. We’re really immersed in this sponsorship, and we even sent one of our team members, Jill McLernon, - to volunteer at the World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi last year. The campaign has been recognised for Best Sponsorship by a Retailer/Symbol Group at the FMCG Awards 2015; Best Charitable Initiative by a Supplier/Retail at

Team RNN Comms picking up Outstanding Small Public Relations Consultancy 2019 at the CIPR PRide Awards.

RNN also won the award in 2015. Photo credit: Darren Kidd, Press Eye

the FMCG Awards 2018; and Excellence in Community for Partnership with a Charity at the Chambers Ireland Awards 2019. It’s an amazing charity, they all do incredible work and it’s a privilege to work on.

WHAT ARE YOUR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PAST YEAR? We were really proud to be named as Outstanding Small Public Relations Consultancy at the CIPR PRide Awards in November. We also won this award in 2015. We’ve got a great team, we have worked hard to create a really positive culture and I think this award reflects that, our uniqueness with the eco office and delivering great campaigns for clients.

We also sponsored a Women in PR event on International Women’s Day last year at Stormont. In the last year I’ve met

a whole new cohort of colleagues and friends that we can all call upon through Women in PR, and it’s a network that we respect and value greatly.

TELL US ABOUT THE CULTURE AT RNN COMMS I have spent a lot of time developing our culture at RNN Communications, to make it a really fun and inspiring place. We offer a very flexible culture, with the team setting their own working hours, working from home on various days and leaving early on a Friday to offset all the time we spend out of working hours on social media and at events. We do fun things like creating our own candle range, and all ideas are brought to the table on how we can make our work life as good as it can be.

We have a 100% team retention record in six years, and I believe a lot of that has to do with the investment in people. We punch well over our weight and spend at least £2,000 per employee on training every year because we want to be the best. I’m a firm believer in happy team, happy clients.

We work on both a project and retainer basis and review our client relationships contracts to see if the client’s working for us as much as we’re working for the client. We’ve said au revoir to a few clients over the years, and not once have I regretted those decisions.

We’ve one life, and we’re determined to create the very best culture and deliver incredible work for clients who wish to work in partnership with an agency, and trust and value their counsel.

To get in touch with Riki Neill or for further information on RNN Communications, see: w: www.RNNCommunications.com t: 028 9521 3621 e: riki@rnncommunications.com Insta and twitter: @RNNComms @RikiNeill Facebook @RNNCommunications 67

ADVERTORIAL

MANAGING YOUR CASH SECURITY

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anaging cash security has proven to be problematic for many hoteliers/vintners.

Every effort to prevent theft at some time gets frustrated, due to busy periods where it is impossible to skim cash at the same regular intervals or if the safe key holder is absent from the premises.

Several solutions are available to assist, but a proven product that is available is “Safe-linK” The Cash Security Solution.

HOW DOES IT WORK? The cashier loads the “Safe-linK” pod with the surplus cash and inserts it into the send station. The system controls start and deliver the pod directly into the safe through a network of tubes by air vacuum. The sending station is situated adjacent to the cash register for regular ease of use.

• Improve productivity with better cash flow through the cash office • Key holder not required on premises for deposits • Can be connected to most existing safes The “Safe-linK” pods are available in 10 different colours to facilitate different staff shifts or days.

WHO USES “SAFE-LINK”?

Hotels, off licences, pubs, restaurants, convenience stores, supermarkets, “Safe-linK”, designed and petrol retailers, department manufactured by Advanced stores; in fact all have one WHAT ARE THE Pneumatic Technology Ltd. thing in common – Cash BENEFITS? (A.P.T.) in Balbriggan, • Cash is removed regularly Security. “Safe-linK” Co. Dublin is a modern and systems are installed in over and in smaller amounts secure way of transporting 1,200 outlets throughout • Reduce risk of external cash in-house from the point and internal robberies Ireland and connected of sale directly into a locked • Reduce associated risk to a wide range of safes safe in a secure part of the with insurance cash rating to staff in the event of a building. between £2K and £100K. robbery “THE JOURNEY TAKES JUST A FEW SECONDS … BUT THE PEACE OF MIND LASTS FOREVER.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: ADVANCED PNEUMATIC TECHNOLOGY LTD. 17 BALBRIGGAN BUSINESS PARK, BALBRIGGAN CO. DUBLIN PH. 01-8413005 FAX: 018411460 EMAIL: INFO@SAFELINK.IE 68

ADVERTORIAL

GO GREEN WITH PRIORY PRESS’ GREEN CREDENTIALS GO GREEN WITH US AND GIVE YOUR CARTON A CONSCIENCE

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riory Press Packaging has proudly secured its FSC and PEFC certifications and has maintained one of the highest grades of BRCGS: High Hygiene (AA). We believe packaging doesn’t have to cost the earth and are proud of our strong environmental sustainability ethos which is reflected in our certifications.

Our company is committed to protecting the environment through sustainably managed resources and this is reflected in many other aspects of our business.

As we have over 40 years’ experience in the industry, we know a thing or two about offering a one-of-a-kind, bespoke, tailored and personal approach that fits our customers’ needs. We are SEDEX approved, Walmart Asda Ethical Audit approved and our packaging is suitable for direct food contact. We print carton board packaging with finishing touches like foiling, embossing, UV varnish and window patching (biodegradable included.) With the help of our in-house dedicated design team, your packaging will certainly stand out on the shelves.

We work with a wide range of markets and retailers including Consumer Food Products, Food-to-go, Technology, E-Cig and Health & Beauty.

We print and create shelf-ready boxes,

sleeves and innovative designs. With customer consultancy all along the way, we can guide you throughout; whether you only have an inkling of an idea or a fullyfledged product with completed designs.

We are a family-owned business, so it’s vital that we apply family values to our customer relationships. Some of the brands we produce for include Tesco, Waitrose, Dunnes Stores, Sainsbury’s, Suki Tea, Field Day, Baskin Robbins and B-Perfect Cosmetics, to name a few.

We’re proud that our customer family has grown alongside our innovation to provide successful and sustainable packaging.

We’re continually seeking to evolve with the ever-changing demands of sustainable packaging.

That’s why it was important to secure one of the highest grades of BRCGS High Hygiene (AA) in 2018 and to secure FSC and PEFC certifications in 2019. FSC and PEFC are programmes that are dedicated to promoting and practicing sustainable forest management. It’s vital that we produce premium packaging without the worry of recycling repercussions. All of our carton board is biodegradable, recyclable and compostable.

Mark McConville, managing director, stated: “The team at Priory Press Packaging are delighted to have achieved certification for both FSC and PEFC. This will enable our customers to demonstrate

corporate responsibility for the origins of the materials used in their packaging by the use of either on-product FSC or PEFC logo - increasingly recognised by consumers who are becoming more aware of packaging issues globally.” If you want to find out more about the Chain of Custody involved with FSC and PEFC, check out their websites.

We have worked hard to develop our environmental responsibilities and sustainability. The inks we use are vegetable-based, our aluminium printing plates are recycled, we have installed low-energy LED lighting in our factory and we have a contract with a local power supplier who ensures all of the electricity used is certified as renewable.

We have instigated a full recycling system in our factory production and currently recycle all production waste; our waste collection partner collects all board, corrugated cardboard and plastics for recycling and we deliver used wooden pallets to a local recycling centre where they are converted to wood chip. We have also started to switch sales staff cars to hybrid electric vehicles, have a cycle to work scheme and recycle all used uniforms.

We have customers all over the UK and Ireland and we are proud to share a chapter of their success story. Start your story with us today and go green with our environmental credentials.

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ADVERTORIAL

LAMBERT & BUTLER ROLLS WITH THE TIMES WITH NEW LAUNCH

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“DEMAND FOR VALUE FOR MONEY IS A DOMINANT TREND WITHIN THE TOBACCO CATEGORY. AS MORE CONSUMERS SEEK OUT THE LOWEST OUT-OF-POCKET SPEND, WE’RE SEEING AN INCREASING SHIFT AWAY FROM FACTORYMADE CIGARETTES AND INTO ROLL YOUR OWN. WHILE OFFERING GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY IS CRUCIAL, MANY CONSUMERS MAKING THE MOVE INTO RYO ARE LOOKING FOR REASSURANCE ON QUALITY BY BUYING PRODUCTS FROM WELL-KNOWN BRANDS THEY CAN TRUST.” Chris Street, market manager UK at Imperial Tobacco

mperial Tobacco has announced the launch of a new Lambert & Butler roll your own (RYO) variant to help retailers take advantage of the growing value-for-money trend and rising demand for economy RYO products from trusted cigarette brands.

Available to retailers to buy now in both 30g and 50g formats and priced at just £11.00 RRP* and £18.15 RRP* respectively, the new Lambert & Butler RYO blend offers premium quality at an economy price point. The unique blend benefits from reduced moisture levels to make it easier to roll, which has proved exceptionally popular with consumers during testing, outperforming competitor brands.

The Lambert & Butler brand was first launched in 1838 and since then, the brand has grown its share through sales of its factory-made cigarettes and now accounts for 4% of the total market.

Today, the brand awareness of Lambert & Butler is at an impressive 51%, highlighting the popularity of the range within the UK. Brand recognition and quality are of paramount importance for any new tobacco product launches to succeed in today’s plain packaging market environment. While the move into roll your own will be a first for the brand, the high consumer awareness of Lambert & Butler as a trusted, reliable brand, combined with the premium quality product and economy price point, makes this new RYO variant a must stock for retailers.

Chris Street, market manager UK at Imperial Tobacco, commented: “Demand for value for money is a dominant trend within the tobacco category. As more consumers seek out the lowest out of pocket spend, we’re seeing an increasing shift away from factory-made cigarettes and into roll your own. While offering great value for money is crucial, many consumers making the move into RYO are looking for reassurance on quality by buying products from well-known brands they can trust.

With its strong tobacco heritage and brand recognition, Lambert & Butler is well placed to respond to this trend with its new RYO variant.”

*RRP as at November 2019. Retailers are free at all times to determine the selling prices of their products.

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BUSINESS NEWS

HENDERSON TECHNOLOGY PICKS UP IT AWARDS H enderson Technology has been recognised for Mobile App of the Year in recognition of its partnership with the team at Gander at the inaugural Belfast Telegraph IT Awards.

Held at The MAC, Belfast, the Awards served to recognise the best people, products and companies in one of the most-important and fastest-growing sectors of the Northern Ireland economy.

Gander is the world’s first real-time mobile app, developed to help food stores clear significantly more reduced-to-clear, often yellow-labelled food produce.

As items are stickered in store, they are displayed on the app and once that item is sold, it is automatically removed, providing an instant feed of all reductions in-store at any time. Henderson Technology partnered with Gander in 2019 to bring

From left, Darren Nickels, head of Henderson Technology; Peter Guzhar of Belfast Telegraph IT Award category sponsor Carson McDowell; and Mike Osborne, Gander.

this sustainable technology solution to life in stores supplied by the Henderson Group in Northern Ireland under the SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOxtra brands, via its award-winning EDGEPoS System.

“As an innovative and forward-thinking technology supplier, we are committed

to helping all our retailers reduce food waste,” said Darren Nickels, head of Henderson Technology. “As part of the Henderson Group, we believe that initiatives like this will help us tackle the moral and environmental problems associated with avoidable food waste.

“It has also been an opportunity to provide our retailers with means to increase revenue otherwise lost to waste and increase footfall. We are looking forward to seeing this app grow and to witnessing its positive impact for our retailers, loyal shoppers and the environment.”

The Gander app can be downloaded via the Apple or Android app stores and used to locate reduced items at your nearest SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOxtra store.

DONNELLY GROUP EXEC CHAIRMAN RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD T erence Donnelly, executive chairman of the Donnelly Group, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent Mid Ulster Business Excellence Awards. The Awards took place at the Corick House Hotel & Spa, where Donnelly was recognised for his contribution to the business community in Mid Ulster along with his commitment to the local community.

He was nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award by members of the Donnelly Group team who were present on the night to support him.

“From humble beginnings in 1947 in Caledon on the border of counties Armagh and Tyrone, the Donnelly Group is now the largest family-owned vehicle retailer in Northern Ireland, representing 18 manufacturers with over 700 employees and nine locations across the province,” said Dave Sheeran, managing director at Donnelly Group.

“Since joining his father in the family

Terence Donnelly, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, is pictured with friends and colleagues at the Mid Ulster Business Excellence Awards.

business in 1969, Terence has over the last 50 years led the Donnelly Group through its expansion, with a simple business ethos of ‘keeping the customer central to everything we do’.

“Terence has always been an innovator, placing Donnelly Group at the centre

of change in an ever-evolving industry.

In 2010 he was one of the founding members of the Northern Ireland e-Car consortium which provided the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, which will be the biggest growth sector in the industry in the coming years.”

ACTION RENEWABLES INVESTS IN TRAINING

R From left, Terry Waugh, Action Renewables; Lynsey Stewart, HeadsTogether; and Sarah McLarnin, Action Renewables.

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enewable energy provider Action Renewables is significantly investing in its workforce talent, with its top team achieving a major qualification in Leadership and Team Skills aimed at boosting confidence, performance and leadership qualities. The course was delivered as part

of a cutting-edge, bespoke workplace training package delivered by Northern Ireland professional human resources consultancy, HeadsTogether, which is based in Holywood. The course is accredited by the UK Institute of Leadership and Management.

APPOINTMENTS

LONDONDERRY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT

Redmond McFadden.

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edmond McFadden has been appointed 77th president of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce.

Redmond, currently regional manager of Danske Bank in the North West, was appointed at the AGM on December 5, taking over from outgoing President Brian McGrath.

In his address to members, Redmond said that he was taking over at a time of political instability and an uncertain outlook for business, particularly in the face of a General Election and Brexit.

Redmond will be supported in the role by Dawn McLaughlin from Dawn McLaughlin and Company Accountants, who becomes the Chamber’s new vice president for 2020.

“I am incredibly proud to have been appointed the Chamber president,” said McFadden. “I am looking forward to getting started and engaging with the membership on a range of different issues.

“On behalf of the Chamber, I want to thank Brian McGrath for his dedication and commitment. Brian has done a fantastic job of representing our

membership and their interests over the last year.

“I am under no illusions as to the challenge which lies before us going into 2020. While a no-deal Brexit was avoided at the end of October, the General Election will likely decide the fate of Brexit in the short- and medium-term.

“Our geographical location means access to markets in Great Britain, Republic of Ireland and the rest of the EU must remain open and unfettered. It is crucial that our members can trade on the same terms as before.

“I am excited to continue to showcase the huge potential of the North West to the rest of the UK, Ireland and Europe, and I will be working closely with our members over the next year to ensure we can fulfil our potential.”

THE JUNCTION APPOINTS NEW CENTRE DIRECTOR C hris Flynn has been appointed as centre director for Co Antrim retail and leisure park, The Junction.

With a career in retail spanning almost two decades, Flynn will oversee day-to-day business operations, managing the wider team to deliver first-class customer experience, while a significant period of growth and transformation takes place at the scheme. He will also play an instrumental role in developing and nurturing long-term relationships with new and existing tenants.

Flynn’s career within the retail sector began while studying at Queen’s University 18 years ago. Initially working as a part-time sales advisor, Chris progressed to become a store manager for Debenhams, working across its various department stores in Scotland and Northern Ireland, including the brand’s flagship Belfast store in CastleCourt Shopping Centre.

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Chris Flynn.

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

QUALITY FOOD AND DRINK AWARDS SUCCESS FOR LOCAL COMPANIES T

wo smaller companies have won hotly contested category awards in the annual UK Quality Food and Drink Awards.

The two winners in one of the UK’s most influential awards for food and drink products are: Heavenly Tasty Organics, a specialist in baby weaning and toddler foods from Augher in Co Tyrone and White’s Oats of Tandragee in Co Armagh.

Heavenly Tasty, a family business owned and managed by husband and wife team Shauna McCarney-Blair and James Blair, won the Baby Snacks category for its healthy and original Veggie Waffles Sweet Beet and Shallot. It was also shortlisted for Heavenly Baby Yummy Waffles Spinach and Kale.

White’s Oats, Northern Ireland’s only porridge oat miller and Ireland’s biggest oat miller won the Breakfast Product category for its Jumbo Organic Oats.

Based at Tandragee in Co Armagh, White’s uses organic oats mostly from growers in England.

The company, which has won a string of UK Great Taste awards, works with around 50 growers in Northern Ireland and England and sells a range of natural oat-based products, such as porridge, granola and muesli, to retailers throughout the UK and Ireland.

NUTTIN’ BUT WINS PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL QUALITY FOOD AND DRINK AWARD

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orthern Ireland company Nuttin’ but has been recognised for its Happy Gut Health range of drinks at the Quality Food and Drink Awards.

“The Quality Food and Drink Awards are the most prestigious awards for food and drink products on sale in the UK and it’s a great honour to be crowned Winner of the Cold Beverages - Cold Pressed category,” said Kathryn Dando from Nuttin’ but.

Each bottle of Nuttin’ but contains one billion bio cultures which, when consumed daily, are said to promote healthy gut flora supporting the immune 78

system and digestive health. At the heart of the range is a unique probiotic guaranteed to reach the lower gut intact.

Delicious and dairy free, the range of drinks is made using 100% natural, plant-based ingredients and is available in two different flavours: blueberry & apple and mango & turmeric.

Unlike other dairy alternatives which are heat treated, Nuttin’ but is 100% cold pressed, ensuring all the natural goodness is retained. Each bottle provides activated energy and is a healthy source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

INTRODUCING NEW LOOK, NEW RECIPE TRACKER BARS

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ars Chocolate Drinks and Treats has relaunched its popular Tracker bars, with a new look and a new improved recipe.

First launched in 1986, Tracker was the UK’s first cereal bar. Building on this heritage within the category, the relaunch sees a new, contemporary look and feel for the brand designed to delight new and existing shoppers alike.

The two flavours, Chocolate and Peanut now with more choc chips, and Peanut and Caramel now with more peanuts, bring out the best of the three layers of tasty - the Crunch, the Goo, the Chew - loved by Tracker fans.

“We are really excited to be relaunching the Tracker brand, packing even more flavour into the cereal bar aisle,” said Michelle Frost, general manager at Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats.

“In a recent survey, chocolate, nuts and caramel were ranked as the three most popular snack bar flavours – and the Crunch, the Goo, the Chew in Tracker delivers all three.”

AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

ALLEGRO SALES & MARKETING Innovation Factory Springfield Road Belfast BT12 7DG T: 028 9068 3040 W: www.allegro.ie PERSONNEL: Market Manager: David McCullough Purchasing/Logistics: Andrew Duff Commercial Assistant: Robyn Beattie Territory Manager: Padraig Martin (NI) Mob: 07736 213066 Account Manager Nivea: Jillian Savage Mob: 07810 791256 TYPE OF BUSINESS: Sales, Marketing and Distribution

TRADE DIRECTORIES 2020

AGENT&COMPANYINDEX • RETAILERSGUIDE

MAIN BRANDS: Nivea Nivea Men Elastoplast Atrixo Weetabix Weetos Alpen Oatibix McKinneys Sugar Pink Stuff Starbrands Superglo Firelighters 4head Astral Blistex Bassetts Vitamins Bazuka Treatment Gel Dentinox Ibuleve Speed Relief Otex Express Fenjal Mac Potters Throaties Victory V Seaband Nausea Relief Del Monte Kiwi Glade Mr Muscle Oust Pledge Toilet Duck Brillo Goddards Shout Raid Valley Gold Diabetic Marmalade Rescue Remedy Spatone Arnicare Teetha Lil Lets

SPECIALIST SUPPLIER TO THE FOOD INDUSTRY ANDREW INGREDIENTS LTD 27 Ferguson Drive Knockmore Hill Industrial Park Lisburn Co. Antrim BT28 2EX T: 028 9267 2525 E: sales@andrewingredients.co.uk W: andrewingredients.co.uk TYPE OF BUSINESS: Leading food and bakery ingredients supplier. Test Bakery and Kitchen open to existing and potential customers for product development, problem solving, workshops and demonstrations.

PRODUCTS: Bakery ingredients, flour, bread, cake and confectionery mixes, gluten free mixes, vegan range, reduced sugar cake mixes, icings, dried fruit, savoury and sweet sauces, colours and flavours, baking powders, raising agents, sugar, fats & oils, decorations, equipment, etc.

MAIN BRANDS: Macphie IREKS Carr’s Flour Braun Sonneveld Cardowan Creameries Olenex Flemings Renshaw R&W Scott Südzucker Tom Chandley Culpitt Meneba Kudos Dobla Ingram Odense AB Mauri

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AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

APPLEGREEN SERVICE STATIONS W: www.applegreen.ie Regional Manager: Margaret Gallagher 0342948026 Food Operations Manager: Christina Magee 07342947857 Johanna Boyle 07342948028 Commercial Fuels: Richard Wiseman 07342947486 Ballymena 153 Crankill Road Ballymena BT44 9HA 028 2568 5537 Site Manager: Gerard Crosbie M2 Templepatrick Northbound BT36 4RN Tel: 028 9083 3398 Site Manager: Sarah Thumann M1 Southbound Lisburn BT27 5SG Tel: 028 9082 7155 Site Manager: Mark Morgan M1 Northbound Tullynacross Lisburn BT27 5SE Tel: 028 9082 6378 Site Manager: William Page Hillsborough 161 Dromore Road Hillsborough BT26 6JA Tel: 028 9268 8512 Site Manager: Ilze Ozola TYPE OF BUSINESS: Food and Drink.

MAIN BRANDS: Burger King Lavazza Chopstix Subway The Bakewell Creggs The Hungry Vegan 80

ADVANCED PNEUMATIC TECHNOLOGY LTD 17 Balbriggan Business Park Balbriggan Co. Dublin T: +353 1 8413005 E: info@safelink.ie W: safelink.ie PERSONNELL: Sales NI: John Donnelly T: 07444565367 Sales ROI: John Hughes T: +35318413005 TYPE OF BUSINESS: Cash Tube Systems and Safes.

Safe-linK is an established system that is a must for every retailer. Not only does our cash tube system secure your cash directly into a locked safe but it also secures peace of mind.

ARYZTA FOOD SOLUTIONS Blaris Industrial Estate Unit 2 5 Altona Road Lisburn BT27 5QB Co. Antrim E: info@aryztafoodsolutions.ie W: www.aryztafoodsolutions.ie Telesales NI: 08000 973 282 Grange Castle Business Park Clondalkin Dublin 22 E: info@aryztafoodsolutions.ie W: www.aryztafoodsolutions.ie Telesales ROI: 1850 777 000 PERSONNEL: Chief Commercial Officer: Nigel Scully Regional Sales Manager: Philip Campbell TYPE OF BUSINESS: ARYZTA Food Solutions provides a quality bakery, food-to-go and beverage offering to the retail market.

Bringing you the very best in retail solutions from our well-known and loved brands: Cuisine de France Seattle’s Best Coffee

AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

BRADY FAMILY HAM O’BRIEN FINE FOODS Timahoe, Donadea Naas,Co.Kildare E: info@obrienfinefoods.ie W: www.bradyfamily.ie T: +353 (0)45 – 863650 PERSONNEL: Managing Director: John O’Brien Head of Sales: Adrian Whyte E: Adrian.Whyte@obrienfinefoods.ie T: 045 847025 Ext: 235 M: 087 8136022 TYPE OF BUSINESS: O’Brien Fine Foods, owners of the Brady Family brand, specialise in the production of both deli and pre-pack sliced cooked meats. The family owned company produces award winning own label and branded ranges. Brady Family continues to prosper within the cooked meats category and is currently the number 1 brand in the premium segment in ROI. Brady Family has consistently improved its ranking in the Top 100 Grocery Brands in Ireland and is now in the top 36 grocery brands in the country. It is also the leader in the pre-packed sliced meats category for the second year in a row, based on Kantar Data. Brady Family is made from 100% Irish pork, using only one single pork joint, with no added water.

BROW PACKAGING 1 Prince Regent Road Castlereagh, Belfast BT5 6SA T: 028 9079 8171 F: 028 9040 1095 E: sales@browpack.com W: www.browpack.com PERSONNEL: Sales Office Contact: Jean Gillespie 028 9079 8171 TYPE OF BUSINESS: We are Manufacturers of flexible film products and bags, using modern machinery to supply many customers reliant on good service levels, from a certified plant, making products to each customers specification.

We are also a Distributor of 3,000+ packaging lines and cleaning chemicals.

We are Specialist Packaging Suppliers to the bakery, butchery, food to go, food manufacturers and industrial sectors.

Please refer to www.browpack.com for a full list of products showing what we make and what we stock.

We have one of the biggest stock holdings in Ireland with a comprehensive showroom.

A family business with 76 years of experience, supplying throughout Ireland and into Europe, we would be happy to help you!

CAVANAGH FREE RANGE EGGS LTD 58 Clonkee Road Cavanagh Newtownbutler Co. Fermanagh BT92 8FH Tel: 02867737889 Email: eileen@cavanagheggs.com Website: www.awardwinningeggs.com PERSONNEL: Joint Managing Directors: John & Eileen Hall TYPE OF BUSINESS: Produce, grade, pack and deliver multi-awardwinning British Lion free range eggs to the Retail and Foodservice sectors

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AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

COCA-COLA HBC IRELAND & NORTHERN IRELAND LIMITED Knockmore Hill 12 Lissue Road Lisburn BT28 2SZ T: 028 9262 0520 E: customer.service@cchellenic.com W: www.ie.coca-colahellenic.com/en/contact-us/ Personnel: Managing Director: Miles Karemacher Commerical Director: Martina Lovetinska Key Account Director, Key Accounts: Gerry O’ Callaghan National Account Manager; Convenience, Foodservice & Wholesale: Ross Maxwell National Field Sales Manager: Stephen Stewart Regional Customer Manager; NI: Alison Mc Cluskey Marketing Director: Andrea Whyte

Type of Business: Coca-Cola HBC Ireland Ltd and CocaCola HBC Northern Ireland Ltd have been providing refreshment by producing and delivering soft drinks of the highest quality since 1939.

Our largest operation on the island of Ireland is Coca‑Cola HBC Northern Ireland Limited, located in our Knockmore Hill plant in Lisburn, Co. Antrim. This facility employs over 550 staff to produce, distribute, market and sell a wide range of soft drinks. Our portfolio includes international brands such as Coca‑Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Schweppes and Monster, as well as local brands such as Deep RiverRock and Fruice.

Our head office, Coca‑Cola HBC Ireland Limited is located in Huntstown Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin 11 with a staff of more than 300 in the Republic of Ireland and 450 in Northern Ireland.

As a major employer across the island of Ireland and a global brand, we are proud to contributing more than £10 million to the local economy through our supply chain.

Main brands: • Coca-Cola • Diet Coke • Coca-Cola Zero Sugar • Fanta • Sprite • Lilt • Dr Pepper • Coke Energy • Schweppes • Coca-Cola Signature mixers • Appletiser • Honest • Oasis • Fuzetea • Powerade • Deep RiverRock • Fruice • Monster • BPM • Reign

COSTCUTTER SUPERMARKETS GROUP Harvest Mills, Common Road, Dunnington, York, YO19 5RY T: 01904 488 663 E: businesssupport@costcutter.com W: www.costcuttersupermarketsgroup.com.

PERSONNEL: Head of Business Development, N.I: Adrian O’Brien adrian.obrien@costcutter.com T: 07747 752580 Marketing Director: Sean Russell sean.russell@costcutter.com T: 01904 488663 Ops / Logistics Manager: Claire White claire.white@costcutter.com T: 01904 488663 Business Development Director: Jamie Davison jamie.davison@costcutter.com T: 01904 488663 TYPE OF BUSINESS: As a leading UK Symbol Group, Costcutter Supermarkets Group has championed and supported independent retailers for over 30 years. Now, with over 1,550 stores nationwide, Costcutter Supermarkets Group is helping independent retailers to thrive throughout the UK. A great fit for retailers of any size, our award-winning brands include Costcutter and Supershop as well as the Co-op franchise. Today we are attracting the very best independent retailers into our Group due to our compelling retail offer, sector-leading commercial terms and unrivalled ability to grow sales and profits for our retailers. That’s why our mission is To Help Independent Retailers Thrive.

BRANDS WITHIN THE BUSINESS: Costcutter, Supershop, Co-op Franchise

82

AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

COOKSTOWN KARRO FOOD GROUP 70 Molesworth Road Cookstown Co. Tyrone BT80 8PJ T: 028 8676 3321 F: 028 8676 8524 W: www.karro.co.uk W: www.cookstownbrand.com PERSONNEL: Sales and Marketing: Kingsley Burrows

DCS Ltd AquaTwist 89a Moy Road, Tullygoonigan Industrial Estate, Armagh, Co. Armagh BT61 8DR DALE FARM LTD 15 Dargan Road Belfast BT3 9LS T: 028 9037 2200 F: 028 9037 2211 E: info@dalefarm.co.uk W: www.dalefarm.co.uk

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Pork manufacturer of Cookstown branded products, Private Own Label, Food service & Commodity products.

Personnel: Group Commercial Director: Stephen Cameron

DISTRIBUTOR/AGENT: O’Kane Foodservice

Type of Business: Dairy manufacturer

MAIN BRANDS: Cookstown McGee’s Butcher

Main brands: Dale Farm Dromona Spelga Rowan Glen Fivemiletown Mullins Ice Cream

PERSONNEL: Sales Director John Hamilton Mobile: 07802 965735 Email: john@dcsupplies.co.uk Sales & Marketing Director Gary Taylor Mobile: 07815 177018 Email: gary@aquatwist.com ROI Sales Manager Louise McKevitt Mobile: 00353 871205 183 Email: roi-sales@dcsupplies.co.uk Business Administrator Stacey McKinstry Tel: 028 3752 6764 Email: admin@dcsupplies.co.uk

83

AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

DMD PACKAGING MANUFACTURERS Units A - D Woodside Road Bridge of Don Aberdeen, AB23 8EF Tel: (01224) 706700 Email: sales@dmd-2000.co.uk Web: www.DMD-2000.co.uk Mon - Fri 7:00am - 4:30pm

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Leading designer and manufacturer of thermoformed plastic packaging for the bakery industry. We have a large range of stocked products for a variety of bakery goods from slices to cakes and biscuits to tarts.

PACKAGING MANUFACTURERS: • Collation Trays • Hinge lid trays • Bakery pack trays • Bespoke Service • BRC/IOP Accredited • Next day Delivery

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ELEVATOR 2 Pilot’s View 18 Heron Road Belfast BT3 9LE T: 028 9073 0899 E: info@elevatorpromotions.com W: www.elevatorpromotions.com Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Specialist promotional marketing agency creating effective campaigns for brands for 25 years.

What we do is all about joining the dots to make connections between brands and their consumers in an innovative, creative and relevant way.

We are digital, we are social, we are engaged, we are experiential.

At our very core, we are experts in marketing campaigns that deliver results for our grocery and retail clients, including: Tayto, Boost Drinks, Dale Farm, Irwin’s, Mackle Petfoods, Coca-Cola HBC, Linwoods, Arthur Mallon Foods, Henderson Wholesale, White’s Oats and Tennent’s NI.

KESTREL FOODS LTD Unit 8 Carn Drive Portadown Co. Armagh BT63 5WJ Tel: +44(0)28 38350934 E: Enquiries@forestfeast.com

Personnel: Business Development Manager: Barry Tyndall National Account Manager: Paul Ryan Product ranges: Kids Super Fruit Shapes, Premium Fruit, WholeSnacks, Slow Roasted Nuts, Real Value, Seasonal We are a team of outdoor enthusiasts who love travel, to be active in the outdoors, and who naturally love to be fuelled by great snacks! Since 1998 we’ve been exploring the globe making it our mission to find, craft and create the best snacks that take consumers on a taste discovery. Our aim is to create innovative snacks that are both delicious and nutritious. It’s in our DNA to be discovering, exploring and on-the-go so we know the value in energy boosting snacks to help you get the most out of life.

We live and breathe by our ethos as the ‘original snack explorers’ and see ourselves as the partner in discovering new experiences that have a natural snacking moment – helping to create healthy snacks that taste great for all of life’s adventures.

We’ve decades of collective experience working and travelling across the globe, bringing home the best ingredients and inspiration for new recipes and snacks. It is our varied interests, lifestyles and tastes that allow us to pour our passion into making great tasting and innovative snacks that we all take pride in.

We do all this with a strong focus on ethical trading, an ongoing commitment to sustainable sourcing and a continued focus on giving back to the community.

Our products bring our customers on a taste discovery and appeal to those who love to snack but don’t want to stick to standard choices. Those who love to try the new, the brave, the bold.

Our snacks are hand-crafted in our production facility in Portadown, making the most of our in-house roasting and flavouring capabilities. Innovative techniques and flavour combinations are combined to produce our award winning snacks.

AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

HENDERSON FOOD MACHINERY LIMITED Unit 4, Hillfarm 1 Cluntagh Road Crossgar Co. Down BT30 9ET T: 028 9099 4202 E: sales@hendersonfoodmachinery.com W: www.hendersonfoodmachinery.com TYPE OF BUSINESS: We work closely with quality suppliers of new and used machinery, when sourcing equipment on behalf of customers, we make sure a complete assessment is performed on all machines before dispatch. You will have peace of mind that when making your purchase from HFM you will receive quality equipment with the highest level of service. We are here to help, do not hesitate to get in touch, if you have any questions on any of the machines, we have on our website email or call us now on 02890 994 202 Global supplier of New and Used Food Processing and Packaging equipment Catering for all sectors including: • Contract Packers • Bakeries • Ready Meals • Seafood • Desserts • Meat Cutting Plants • Vegetable & Fruit Processors, Pet Food Companies and many more.

DISTRIBUTOR: Apple Food Systems Depositors Deighton Equipment Forming, Battering, Breading, Frying Henkelman Vacuum Packers Infra Baker Baking Ovens ITEC Cleaning Equipment Jay Craft Food Machinery Vegetable Processing Equipment Metalbud Nowicki Bowlcutters and Injectors N&N Food Processing Equipment Mixers, Tumblers, Grinders OK International Ltd Bag Sealers and Closers QPM Metal Detectors and Checkweighers Rational Cooking Equipment Robot Coupe Commercial Catering Equipment Rotech Sleevers and Printers Siat Box Tapers Thissen & Stecher Cooking Vessels Thompson Meat Machinery Mincer Grinders

HENDERSON GROUP Hightown Avenue Mallusk Newtownabbey Co. Antrim BT36 4RT T: 028 9034 2733 F: 028 9034 2484 E: info@henderson-group.com W: www.henderson-group.com PERSONNEL: Chairman and Joint Managing Directors: Martin Agnew & Geoffrey Agnew Chief Financial Officer: Ron Whitten Group Finance Director: Billy Moore Retail Director: (Henderson Retail): Mark McCammond Group Logistics Director: Pat McGarry Trading Director: Alan Fitzsimmins Fresh Foods Director: Neal Kelly Group Property Director: Mark Adrain Human Resources Director: Sam Davidson Sales & Marketing Director: Paddy Doody Managing Director Henderson Foodservice Ltd: Cathal Geoghegan Head of Corporate Marketing: Bronagh Luke Head of Brand Marketing: Brenda Mulligan Channel Sales Managers: Stephen Gibson, Sarah Halliday Regional Sales Manager (Supermarkets): Paul Deans Regional Sales Managers: David Bennett, Jonathan Finlay, Donal Bryce, Justin Hayes, Robert Caughey, Connor McCann & Laura Johnston Trading Controller: Glen Howe Fresh Foods Trading Controller: Nigel Dugan Henderson Print Manager: Alan Ritchie TYPE OF BUSINESS: Symbol Group Wholesaler for SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO, ViVOXtra and ViVO Essentials in NI. NUMBER OF STORES: HENDERSON WHOLESALE LTD SERVICE 469 STORES ACROSS THE FIVE BRANDS.

HOVIS BAKERIES IRELAND Apollo Road Belfast BT12 6LP T: 08707 288 888 (office hours) F: 028 9038 8558 W: www.hovis.co.uk W: www.ormobakery.co.uk PERSONNEL: Commercial Director (Ireland): Trevor McCrum Business Unit Controller: Ben Daggett Business Unit Manager: Billy Thompson Key Account Manager: Kerry Maxwell Brand Manager: Candida Corscadden Category Insights Manager: Barry Spence NPD Manager: Keith Fulton TYPE OF BUSINESS: Hovis Bakeries Ireland bakes and distributes quality, bakery brands including Hovis, Nimble, ORMO and Mothers’s Pride. The company also bakes retailer branded and Food Service breads and Morning Goods for customers in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.

MAIN BRANDS: Hovis® Ormo® Mothers Pride Nimble DISTRIBUTOR: New York Bakery Co.Bagels, Mr Kipling and Cadbury Cakes

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AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

IMPERIAL TOBACCO UK&I 121, Winterstoke Road, Bristol BS3 2LL Telephone: 0117 963 6636 Website: www.imperial-trade.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/ImpTobUK

PERSONNEL: General Manager UK & Ireland: Ales Struminsky

Area Business Manager, Northern Ireland: David Atkinson

Head of UK & Ireland Corporate & Legal Affairs: Duncan Cunningham

UK Communications Executive: Olivia Harrison TYPE OF BUSINESS: Imperial Tobacco Limited is headquartered in Bristol, England. Our core business is built around a tobacco portfolio that offers consumers comprehensive brand choice, while we also create new experiences – including the e-vapour product blu – through our nontobacco subsidiary, Fontem Ventures.

Imperial Tobacco Limited is part of Imperial Brands PLC, a multinational tobacco company with international strength in cigarettes and world leadership in fine cut tobacco, premium cigars, rolling papers and tubes. The Group currently has 44 manufacturing sites, around 33,0000 employees and our products are available in over 160 markets.

For more information, visit www.imperialbrandsplc.com MAIN BRANDS: Our product portfolio includes leading tobacco brands Lambert & Butler, JPS, Player’s and Golden Virginia, as well as the best-selling e-vapour brand, blu.

NORTHERN SNACK FOODS LTD Lissue Industrial Estate East Lisburn BT28 2RB T: 028 9262 2820 W: www.northernsnackfoods.com PERSONNEL: Martin McClinton M: 07850 410917 Contact Belfast and Co. Down: Nigel Morton M: 07720 967492 Contact North West and North Antrim: Des Jackson M: 07545 927064 TYPE OF BUSINESS: Distributor of Snack foods MAIN BRANDS: Hunky Dorys Crisps O’Donnells Velvet Crunch King KP Meanies Rancheros

INTERACTIVE (IRLAND) LTD Units 6/7 Grange Park Trench Road Mallusk Newtownabbey BT36 4LA T: 028 9083 1730 F: 028 9083 1731 E: mark.stuart@inter-active.org PERSONNEL: Managing Director: Mark Stuart M: 07919 122946 Commercial Manager: Sinead O`Kane M: 0778 5695903 Sales Manager: Ian Cochrane M: 07867 306343 Business Development Executive: Enda McDaid M: 07920 148780 Business Development Executive: Colin Espie M: 07900 584163 Business Development Executive: Paul Ritchie M: 07920 148580 TYPE OF BUSINESS: Sales, Marketing and Distribution to the Grocery trade.

MAIN BRANDS: House & Home: Duracell; Fairy; Febreze; Ambi Pur; Flash; Viakal; Ace; Ariel; Bold; Daz; Fairy Non Bio; Lenor.

Personal Care & Beauty: Tampax; Always; Always Discreet; Aussie; Head & Shoulders; Herbal Essence; Pantene; Shockwaves; Silvikrin; Wash & Go; Wella; Max Factor; Clairol Nice N Easy; Olay; Old Spice; Braun; Gillette; Rimmel; Sally Hansen, Sun Shimmer; Adidas Health & Wellbeing: Vicks; Crest; Fixodent; Clear Blue; Oral-B; Lypsyl; Dentek; Anthisan; Antistax; Maalox; Pharmaton Baby & Family: Pampers; Infacare; Ashton & Parsons Electrical Personal Appliances: Braun; Breville; George Foreman; Russell Hobbs; Trevor Sorbie; Remington; Nicky Clarke Electrical; Carmen; Glamouriser; Dreamland Electric Blankets; Warmnite Electric Blankets MISSION STATEMENT: Our mission is to fulfil customer satisfaction within our distribution channels and to represent our principals according to their world leading standards of innovation, service and quality.

86

AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

LYNAS FOODSERVICE

Lynas Foodservice offers over 6,000 products across frozen, chilled, ambient and non-foods on 1 invoice and 1 delivery.

Loughanhill Industrial Estate Coleraine BT52 2NR T: 028 7035 0600 E: webenquiries@lynasfoodservice.com W: www.lynasfoodservice.com Falcon House Ballough Cross Lusk Ireland T: 048 7035 0600 E: webenquiries@lynasfoodservice.com W: www.lynasfoodservice.com 4 Sholto Crescent Righead Industrial Estate Bellshill ML4 3LX T: 0141 308 8712 E: webenquiries@lynasfoodservice.com W: www.lynasfoodservice.com Managing Director: Andrew Lynas Deputy Managing Director: Ian Crowe Finance Director: Alastair Magee Sales & Trading Director: Mel Bacon Operations & Systems Director: Michael Lyttle Lynas Food Outlet: Our chain of Lynas Food Outlet’s provides convenience and value for your foodservice operation Lynas Food Outlet Ballymena Wakehurst Road, BT42 4AZ T: 028 2565 6451 Lynas Food Outlet, Bangor Clandeboye Road, BT20 3JP T: 028 9147 8750 Lynas Food Outlet, Coleraine Loughanhill Industrial Estate, BT52 2NR T: 028 7035 3765

McCOLGAN’S QUALITY FOODS LTD Dublin Road Industrial Estate Strabane BT82 9EA T: 028 7138 2797 E: sales@mccolgans.ie W: www.mccolgans.ie PERSONNEL: Managing Director: Grainne Hampton Commercial Director: Roy Wilkinson TYPE OF BUSINESS: Manufacturer of convenience food including pies, slices, pasties, sausage rolls, jambons, quiche. Foodservice and retail, chilled and frozen. Own label specialists. Brands include McColgans, Bakers Best, Strathmourne Foods, McColgans Choice Cuisine.

DISTRIBUTION: Multi temperature deliveries across NI, ROI and GB daily.

MOY PARK LTD The Food Park 39 Seagoe Ind. Estate Portadown Craigavon Co. Armagh BT63 5QE T: 028 3835 2233 W: www.moypark.com PERSONNEL: Senior Brand Marketing Manager: Moira Mills Brand Marketing Executive: Ellen Wright TYPE OF BUSINESS: Moy Park is one of the UK’s top 15 food companies, Northern Ireland’s largest private sector business and one of Europe’s leading poultry producers. Moy Park supplies branded and own label chicken products to leading retailers and foodservice providers throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe.

DISTRIBUTOR/AGENT: Neil McMullan Ltd 28 Halfpenny Gate Road Moira Craigavon Co.Armagh Northern Ireland BT67 OHW MAIN BRANDS: Moy Park O’Kane ZAP! Mamma Hen’s

Lynas Food Outlet, Cookstown Orritor Retail Park, BT80 8BH T: 028 8676 4152 Lynas Food Outlet Derry/L’Derry Balliniska Road, BT48 0LY T: 028 7126 1080 Lynas Food Outlet, Newry Plaza Retail Park, Belfast Road, BT34 1QA T: 028 3083 3094 Lynas Food Outlet, East Belfast Montgomery Road, BT6 9HQ T: 028 9070 4795 Lynas Food Outlet, South Belfast 55 Boucher Road, BT12 6HR 028 9066 3596 Causeway Prime: The culture and the heritage of rearing stock on the farmlands of Ireland allow us to produce the finest cuts of meat within our very own craft butchery.

T: 028 7035 0600 E: webenquiries@lynasfoodservice.com W: www.lynasfoodservice.com 87

AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

MUSGRAVE NI 1 – 19 Dargan Drive, Belfast, BT3 9JG T: 028 9078 7100 F: 028 9078 7101 E: mrpni@musgrave.ie W: www.musgravegroup.com PERSONNEL: Managing Director: Michael McCormack Trading Director: Mark Moriarty SuperValu Centra Sales Director: Nigel Maxwell Wholesale Director: Trevor Magill Marketing Director: Desi Derby Finance Director: Alan Cunningham HR Director: Catherine Lambe SuperValu Centra MACE Senior Business Development Manager: Adrian McCourt Wholesale Sales Manager: Tom Kinnier SuperValu Customer Manager: Geoff Johnston Centra Customer Manager: Norman Bennett Head of Marketing: Brendan Gallen MarketPlace Belfast Manager: Garry Williams MarketPlace Derry Manager: Emir Sheppard MarketPlace Lurgan Manager: Colin O’Hare TYPE OF BUSINESS: Musgrave (NI) comprises the retail and wholesale segments of Musgrave Group in Northern Ireland and supports 360 independent retailers through the SuperValu, Centra, Mace and DayToday brands and over 2,800 wholesale customers through the Musgrave MarketPlace brand across the province.

MAIN BRANDS: SuperValu, Centra , Mace, Musgrave MarketPlace, DayToday and Frank and Honest.

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NISA RETAIL LIMITED Nisa Retail Limited Partner Support Centre Waldo Way Normanby Enterprise Park Scunthorpe DN15 9GE T: 017 2428 2028 E: firstname.surname@nisaretail.com W: www.nisaretail.com FASCIAS: Nisa Extra, Nisa Local, dual branded, independent fascia Chief Executive Officer: Ken Towle Chief Operating Officer: John McNeill Finance Director: Scott Etherington

O’REILLY’S WHOLESALE LTD 1 Ashtree Enterprise Park, Rathfriland Road, Newry BT34 1BY Tel: 028 30250650 Email: info@orys.biz Web: www.oreillyswholesale.com PERSONNEL: Managing Director: Derek O’Reilly T: 028 30250650 SALES MANAGER: Ian Russell T: 07967 172324 HEAD OF OPERATIONAL CHANNELS: Anne O’Reilly T: 028 30250650

Trading and Marketing Director: Ayaz Alam

TRADING TEAM: Eamon Quinn Gavin O’Reilly Robert Hempkin T: 028 30250650

Business Manager Ireland: Jonathan Verner T: 077 8842 3322

WAREHOUSE MANAGER: Bryan O’Hare T: 028 30250650

Head of Retail Ireland: Pat Leneghan T: 079 5035 5991

TYPE OF BUSINESS: O’Reilly’s Wholesale Ltd are an FMCG company in our 60th year of trading in this industry.

We are ideally placed to service both the Northern Ireland and ROI marketplace. Our range of 5000+ product portfolio includes Confectionary, Soft drinks, Crisps & Snacks, Grocery, Tobacco, Household and Healthcare.

We negotiate and challenge our supplier networks in order to provide the best pricing structure to help you grow your business.

Sales Director: Steve Leach

Retail Development Manager NI: Paul Hewitt T: 077 1663 8523 Sales Manager ROI: Steven O’Doherty T: 00 353 87 291 3016 IT Engineer: Bryan Lurring

AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

PRM GROUP 16 Rathdown Road, Lissue Industrial Estate, Moira Road, Lisburn BT28 2RE T: 028 92 620200 E: sales@prmgroup.co.uk W: www.prmgroup.co.uk PERSONNEL: Managing Director: Philip Morrow Director: Lynne Morrow Sales Director: Aidan Fisher Senior National Account Manager for NI: Stephen Colgan Operations Manager: Colin Davis Transport Manager: Michael Tohill Business Support and Marketing Manager: Patrick Black TYPE OF BUSINESS: Chilled and Frozen Food Sales and Distribution KEY BRANDS: Müller, Alpro, Clandeboye Estate, Fage, Onken, Nomadic Dairy, Bernard Matthews, Cully & Sully, Fresh Food Kitchen, Spring Fresh, Galberts, Cottage Desserts, Kinder Chilled, Unilever Ice Cream, Innocent Drinks, Savse, Sunny D

STEPHENS CATERING EQUIPMENT COMPANY LTD 205 Carnalbanagh Road Broughshane, Ballymena Co. Antrim, BT42 4NY T: 028 2586 1711 F: 028 2586 2006 E: info@stephens-catering.com W: www.stephenscateringequipment.com

Centre, Hobart dishwashing, mixing and cooking equipment, Garland Catering Equipment, Foster Refrigeration, Frymaster fryers, Moffat Catering Equipment, Rational combi ovens, Ice-o-matic ice machines, Ubert hot and cold deli, Vizu SFC equipment, Florigo fish frying ranges, Bertos modular catering equipment, Carimali coffee machines, Salva bakery ovens, Panasonic microwaves, SCE in-house stainless steel fabrication.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ StephensCateringEquipmentCo

AGENTS FOR: Burshaw boilers, Mechline, Dualit toasters, Mermaid containers, Nuttall, Pestakill flykillers, Robot Coupe veg prep equipment, Seal glass cabinets, Frank Ford fish frying ranges, Lincat, Marco boilers, Williams Refrigeration, Winterhalter, IMC bar equipment, waste disposal and food prep, Falcon, Woodstone, Nuttall.

DIRECTORS: Paul Caves, Julie Morrissey, Ian Manson, Colm O’Neill, Conrad Greene SALES DIRECTOR: Ian Manson OPERATIONS MANAGER: Allen Witherspoon SENIOR SERVICE MANAGER: Geoff Scroggie AREA SALES MANAGERS: Patrick Graham - Area Sales Manager (Retail) Matthew Moorhead - Area Sales Manager (South Down, Armagh, Louth) Peter Smith – Regional Manager (Tyrone, Londonderry & Mid Ulster) Mark Green - Area Sales Manager (Donegal) Ronan Fitzpatrick – Area Sales Manager (Cavan, Monaghan, Fermanagh & Leitrim) Wilnor O’Neill (Showroom Sales Manager & North Antrim) Sandra Frampton – Area Sales Manager (UK Mainland Development) James Carmichael – Area Sales Manager (Belfast) David Graham – Regional Manager (Scotland) Live demo & test kitchen for training and demonstrating new technologies in energy & labour savings.

SOLE DISTRIBUTORS FOR: Manitowoc, Merrychef, Frima, Vario Cooking

WHOLESALERS FOR: Garland ranges and Cooking Equipment, Frymaster fryers, Hobart warewashing and food prep, Rational Combi Ovens, Foster Refrigeration, Ice-o-matic ice makers, Bertos cooking equipment, Panasonic microwaves, Ubert deli counters and rotisseries.

SERVICE: All equipment supplied is guaranteed for parts and labour covered by manufacturer trained engineers directly employed by Stephens for fast efficient service.

NORTHERN IRELAND: Test demonstration kitchen, full range of light equipment and contract furniture at: Stephens Catering Equipment Belfast Site 2 81 Dargan Road Belfast BT3 9JU T: 028 9077 0195 F: 028 9037 0238 SALES PERSONNEL FOR STEPHENS BELFAST: Ashleigh McCrellis - Light Equipment, Furniture & Consumables Alison Braithwaite (Showroom Sales)

89

AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

SHS SALES & MARKETING 199 Airport Road West Belfast, BT3 9ED T: 028 9045 4647 E: Info@shs-sales.ie W: www.shs-sales.ie PERSONNEL: Sales Director: Des McCullough TYPE OF BUSINESS: FMCG Distributor MAIN BRANDS: Airwick Askeys Batchelors Soups Batchelors Canned Vegetables Biobag Bloo Bonjela Bottlegreen Branston Beans Brasso Cillit Bang Colgate Cookeen Crisp & Dry oils Crosse & Blackwell Canned Vegetables Crucials Sauces Dettol Durex E45 Farmlea Finish Flora Oils Galaxy Rounds Gaviscon Harpic Jammie Dodgers Jeyes Jordans Jucee Lemsip Lyons Maguire & Paterson Matches Marigold Mars Cookies

90

Maryland Cookies Meridian Mr Sheen Napolina Nurofen Organix Baby Food Palmolive Parozone Parsons Primula Princes Food & Drink Royal Edinburgh Ryvita Sanex Shloer Senekot Silvo Steradent Strepsils Terry’s Toffypops Tunnocks Vanish Vileda Viscount Wagon Wheels Windolene Woodwards Gripe Water

SOLV-X LTD 112 Camlough Rd Newry & 20 Park Street Dundalk, Co.Louth T: 028 3086 8486 E: Sales@solv-x.com W: www.solv-x.com PERSONNEL: Managing Director: Colm O’Neill Financial Controller: Barry Duffy Purchasing Manager: Andrew O’Neill Operations Manager: Shane Kieran Office Manager: Doreen O’Neill TYPE OF BUSINESS: Solv-X supply 18 non-food product categories including Audio & Mobile,Personal, Baby, Stationery, Party, Hardware, Kitchen, Household, Candles, Car, Pet, Seasonal, Health and Vaping products. We supply a combination of quality own brand Solv-X lines sourced direct from factory as well brand leaders such as Edge, IVG, N-One, Eirvape, Rethink, FIFO, Bic, Murphy& Barrett Candles, Bob Martin, Favour, Little tree, Holts, Pretty Legs. We offer a full merchandising service with a range of display options.

MAIN BRANDS: Solv-X, Fifo, Edge, Rethink, Bob Martin, Favour, Little Tree, Murphy & Barrett Candles, Bic, Object, & Pretty legs.

STRATHROY DAIRY LTD Shergrim Omagh Co.Tyrone BT79 7JD T: 028 8224 0948 F: 028 8224 6280 E: info@strathroydairy.com W: www.strathroy.co.uk PERSONNEL: Managing Director: Patrick Cunningham Operations Director: Aidan McCarron Director ROI: Ruairi Cunningham Commercial Director NI: Eamon Lynch E: eamon@strathroydairy.com Commercial Director ROI: Phelim McCarron E: phelim@strathroydairy.ie Financial Controller: Jim McCann IT Manager: Damien Harkin Quality Control Manager: Tracy Doyle TYPE OF BUSINESS: Dairy Processing: Milk & Cream MAIN BRANDS: Strathroy Bainne Ur Erganagh Various Private Label Brands

AGENT & COMPANY INDEX

TODAY’S PRIMO S&W Wholesale Ltd Unit 1A Carnbane Business Park Newry BT35 6QH T: 028 3026 3521 E: info@sandwni.com W: savageandwhitten.com PERSONNEL: TODAY’S & PRIMO Team: Sales Director: Michael Skelton Todays NI Sales Manager: Maurice Little Business Development Managers NI : Paul McMullen Damian Campbell Customer Relationship Manager: Rachel Holmes Head of Retail & Development ROI: Arron Potts Today’s & Primo ROI Sales Manager: Jason McSteen Business Development Manager ROI Stephen Farrell S&W Team Operations Director: Norman Savage Trading Director: Alan Dorman IT Director: Richard Whitten Sales Director: John Whitten Marketing Director: Julie Burden Chief Financial Officer: Anthony McVeigh Operations Manager: Victor Carson Transport Manager: Sean McNeill HR Manager: Niaomh Rice H&S Manager: Niamh McCarry IT Team: Conor Duffy & Mark Turley

VALEO FOODS 10 Flush Park Lisburn Co. Antrim BT28 2DX T: 028 9267 3316 F: 028 9263 1131 Dublin Office: T: 00353 1 4051500 PERSONNEL: Commercial Manager: Maria Losty Marketing Manager: Joanne Beattie TYPE OF BUSINESS: FMCG Valeo Foods is a leading producer and innovator of high quality, categorydefining, branded food products, with a proud history that dates back to 1845.

We are passionate about food and out portfolio of iconic food brands, which are tried and trusted by consumers for their quality, wholesomeness, nutrition and fun.

We operate a diverse FMGC business across many categories with both company owned brands and those of brand partners. This combines food production, brand development and innovation, distribution and sales.

WHITE’S SPEEDICOOK LTD Scarva Road Tandragee Co. Armagh BT62 2BZ T: 028 3884 0592 F: 028 3884 1895 E: whites@whitesoats.com W: www.whitesoats.co.uk PERSONNEL: General Manager: James Mathers Sales And Marketing Manager: Mark Gowdy Business Development Manager: Stuart Best Brand Manager: Danielle McBride Trade Marketing Executive: Esther Jackson TYPE OF BUSINESS: Oat Manufacturer, Breakfast Cereals - Porridge Oats, Granolas, Mueslis MAIN BRANDS: White’s

Type of Business S&W are the symbol group wholesaler for Today’s NI, Today’s ROI & Primo.

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RETAILERS GUIDE THE CO-OP 1 Angel Square, Manchester, M60 0AG T: 0800 0686 727 W: www.coop.co.uk Regional Manager: Briege Ashley T: 07740958133

MULTIPLE RETAILERS ASDA Northern Ireland Office 150 Junction One International Outlet Antrim BT41 4GY T: 028 9448 5700 Senior Buying Manager: Michael McCallion DUNNES STORES HEAD OFFICE 46-50 South Great George’s Street Dublin 2 T: 0844 264 3185 W: www.dunnesstores.com ICELAND HEAD OFFICE Second Avenue DeesideIndustrial Park Deeside Flintshire CH5 2NW T: 0800 328 0800 W: www.iceland.co.uk LIDL NORTHERN IRELAND Tallaght Main Street Dublin 24 T: 00353 1 4212000 W: www.lidl-ni.co.uk MARKS & SPENCER HEAD OFFICE Waterside House 35 North Wharf Road London W2 1NW T: 020 7935 4422 W: www.marksandspencer.com Chief Executive: Steve Rowe

Divisional Head for NI: Laura Mitchell SAINSBURY’S SUPERMARKETS LTD NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE Forestside Shopping Centre Upper Galwally Road Belfast BT8 4FX W: www.sainsburys.co.uk

T: 028 9064 7386 NI Commercial Buyer: Claire McAlinney T: 028 9064 6913

T: 028 9034 2733 F: 028 9034 2484 E: info@henderson-group.com W: www.henderson-group.com

TESCO NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE Abbey Retail Park Church Road Newtownabbey BT36 7GU T: 0345 677 9373 W: www.tesco.com

Chairman and Joint Managing Directors: Martin Agnew & Geoffrey Agnew

Store Director for NI: Brendan Guidera

Retail Director (Henderson Retail): Mark McCammond

Local Sourcing Manager UK: Tess Osborne

Group Logistics Director: Pat McGarry

NI Buying Managers: Fresh: Sandra Weir

Trading Director: Alan Fitzsimmins

Packaging & Concessions: Jonathan McWhinney

SYMBOL GROUPS COSTCUTTER SUPERMARKETS GROUP LTD (NORTHERN IRELAND) Unit 1B McKinney Industrial Estate Mallusk Road Newtownabbey BT36 4PX T: 028 9034 2660 W: www.costcuttersupermarketsgroup.com Chief Executive Officer: Darcy Willson-Rymer Trading Director: Huw Edwards Marketing Director: Sean Russell Retail Director: Mike Hollis IT Director: Dave Morris Business Development Director: Jamie Davison Head of Business Development: Adrian O’Brien T: 07747 752580 Business Development Managers: Damien O’Donnell T: 07920 825505 Jim Cummings T: 07798 846093

Head of Stores: Nigel Macaulay

Simon Scott: T: 07747 752725

Category Trading Manager: Karen O’Connor T: 020 7695 0031

HENDERSON GROUP Hightown Avenue Mallusk Newtownabbey Co. Antrim BT36 4RT

Regional Supply Chain Manager: Lee-roy Allen 92

Chief Financial Officer: Ron Whitten Group Finance Director: Billy Moore

Fresh Foods Director: Neal Kelly Group Property Director: Mark Adrain Human Resources Director: Sam Davidson Sales & Marketing Director: Paddy Doody Managing Director Henderson Foodservice Ltd: Cathal Geoghegan Head of Corporate Marketing: Bronagh Luke Head of Brand Marketing: Brenda Mulligan Channel Sales Managers: Stephen Gibson, Sarah Halliday Regional Sales Manager (Supermarkets): Paul Deans Regional Sales Managers: David Bennett, Jonathan Finlay, Donal Bryce, Justin Hayes, Robert Caughey, Connor McCann & Laura Johnston Trading Controller: Glen Howe Fresh Foods Trading Controller: Nigel Dugan Henderson Print Manager: Alan Ritchie TYPE OF BUSINESS: Symbol Group Wholesaler for SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO, ViVOXtra and ViVO Essentials in NI. MUSGRAVE NI Musgrave Retail Partners NI 1 - 19 Dargan Drive Belfast BT3 9JG T: 028 9078 7100 F: 028 9078 7101 E: mrpni@musgrave.ie

RETAILERS GUIDE W: www.musgravegroup.com Managing Director: Michael McCormack

Business Manager Ireland: Jonathan Verner T:077 8842 3322

Trading Director: Mark Moriarty

Head of Retail Ireland: Pat Leneghan T:079 5035 5991

SuperValu Centra Sales Director: Nigel Maxwell Wholesale Director: Trevor Magill

Retail Development Manager NI: Paul Hewitt T: 077 1663 8523

Marketing Director: Desi Derby

Sales Manager ROI: Steven O’Doherty T: 00 353 87 291 3016

Finance Director: Alan Cunningham

IT Engineer: Bryan Lurring

HR Director: Catherine Lambe SuperValu Centra MACE Senior Business Development Manager: Adrian McCourt Wholesale Sales Manager: Tom Kinnier SuperValu Customer Manager: Geoff Johnston Centra Customer Manager: Norman Bennett Head of Marketing: Brendan Gallen MarketPlace Belfast Manager: Garry Williams

TODAY’S PRIMO S&W Wholesale Ltd Savage & Whitten Wholesale Ltd Unit 1a Carnbane Business Park Newry BT35 6QH T: 028 3026 3521 F: 028 3026 3143 E: info@sandwni.com W: www.savageandwhitten.com PERSONNEL: Todays & PRIMOTeam: Sales Director: Michael Skelton Todays NI Sales Manager: Maurice Little

MarketPlace Derry Manager: Emir Sheppard

Business Development Managers NI: Paul McMullen Damien Campbell

MarketPlace Lurgan Manager: Colin O’Hare

Customer Relationship Manager: Rachel Holmes

NISA Nisa Retail Limited Member Support Centre Waldo Way Normanby Enterprise Park Scunthorpe DN15 9GE T: 017 2428 2028 E: firstname.surname@nisaretail.com W: www.nisaretail.com

Head of Retail & Development ROI: Arron Potts

FASCIAS: Nisa Extra, Nisa Local, dual branded, independent fascia Chief Executive Officer: Ken Towle Chief Operating Officer: John McNeill Finance Director: Scott Etherington Sales Director: Steve Leach Trading and Marketing Director: Ayaz Alam

Today’s & Primo ROI Sales Manager: Jason McSteen Business Development Manager ROI: Stephen Farrell S&W Team: Operations Director: Norman Savage

Transport Manager: Sean McNeill IT Team: Conor Duffy & Mark Turley HR Manager: Niaomh Rice H&S Manager: Niamh mcCarry TYPE OF BUSINESS: S & W are the Symbol Group Wholesaler for Today’s NI, Today’s ROI & Primo.

FOOD FORCE IRELAND LTD 7 West Bank Road Belfast BT3 9 JL Trading Controller: Debra Johnston T: 028 9092 3130 E: foodforceireland@btconnect.com

TRADE ORGANISATIONS DAIRY COUNCIL NORTHERN IRELAND Shaftesbury House Edgewater Business Park Belfast BT3 9JQ T: 028 9077 0113 F: 028 9078 1224 E: info@dairycouncil.co.uk W: www.dairycouncil.co.uk FOOD NI LIMITED BELFAST MILLS 71-75 Percy Street Belfast BT13 2HW T: 028 9024 9449 E: info@nigoodfood.com W: www.nigoodfood.com Facebook.com/ foodni Twitter: @Food_NI Chief Executive: Michele Shirlow

IT Director: Richard Whitten Sales Director: John Whitten Trading Director: Alan Dorman Chief Financial Officer: Anthony McVeigh Marketing Director: Julie Burden Operations Manager: Victor Carson

FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY Northern Ireland 10A - 10C Clarendon Road Belfast BT1 3BG T: 028 9041 7700 F: 028 9041 7726 E: infofsani@food.gov.uk W: www.food.gov.uk/northern-ireland 93

RETAILERS GUIDE Facebook.com/FSAinNI Twitter: @FSAinNI Director: Maria Jennings Twitter: @MariaJenningsNI THE LIVESTOCK AND MEAT COMMISSION (NI) Lissue Industrial Estate East 1a Lissue Walk Lisburn BT28 2LU T: 028 9263 3000 F: 02892 63 3001 E: info@lmcni.com W: www.lmcni.com Chief Executive: Ian Stevenson Education and Services Manager: Cherrie Kenny NATIONAL FEDERATION OF RETAIL NEWSAGENTS Yeoman House Sekforde Street London EC1R 0HF Head Office: 020 7253 4225 Helpline: 0800 121 6376 W: www.nfrnonline.com NI District Vice-President: Gwen Patterson NATIONAL PHARMACY ASSOCIATION 38-42 Peter’s Street St. Albans Hertfordshire AL1 3NP T: 017 2785 8687 E: npa@npa.co.uk W: www.npa.co.uk Representation Manager NI: Anne McAlister T: 028 9266 1730 NORTHERN IRELAND FOOD CHAIN CERTIFICATION Lissue Industrial Estate East 1a Lissue Walk Lisburn BT28 2LU T: 028 9263 3017 F: 028 9263 3003 E: info@nifcc.co.uk W: www.nifcc.co.uk Operations Manager: Noel Lavery Company Secretary: Valerie McCann NORTHERN IRELAND FOOD & DRINK ASSOCIATION Belfast Mills 71-75 Percy Street Belfast BT13 2HW T: 028 9024 1010 F: 028 9024 0500 E: info@nifda.co.uk W: www.nifda.co.uk Executive Director: Michael Bell 94

E: mbell@nifda.co.uk Executive Assistant: Jill Devenney E: jill@nifda.co.uk RETAIL NI 245 Upper Newtownards Road Ballyhackamore Belfast BT4 3JF T: 028 9022 0004 F: 028 9022 0005 E: info@retailni.com W: www.retailni.com Facebook.com/retail-ni Twitter: @retail-ni Chief Executive: Glyn Roberts Office Manager: Lisa McMaster President: Peter McBride Chairman: Nigel Maxwell NORTHERN IRELAND PORK & BACON FORUM 475 Antrim Road Belfast BT15 3DA T: 028 9037 0222 F: 028 9037 1231 Executive Director: Deirdre McIvor E: deirdre.mcivor@ufuhq.com PETROL RETAILERS ASSOCIATION/ RETAIL MOTOR INDUSTRY FEDERATION 201 Great Portland Street London WIW 5AB T: 020 7580 9122 F: 020 7307 3406 W: www.rmif.co.uk Membership Manager for PRA: Steve Coombe T: 078 3137 3205 E: steve.coombe@rmif.co.uk SAFEFOOD 7 Eastgate Avenue Eastgate Little Island Co. Cork Ireland T45 RX01 T: 00 353 21 230 4100 Helpline (NI): 0800 085 1683 E: info@safefood.eu Twitter: @safefoodnetwork Chief Executive: Ray Dolan ULSTER CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION 2nd Floor Strand House 102 Holywood Road BELFAST BT4 1NU T: 028 9065 6576 E: info@uca.org.uk

W: www.uca.org.uk Operations Manager: Adrienne Clugston ULSTER FARMERS’ UNION 4075 Antrim Road Belfast BT15 3DA T: 028 9037 0222 F: 028 9037 1231 W: www.ufuni.org Chief Executive: Wesley Aston E: wesley@ufuhq.com

CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS

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

I would like to express a genuine thank you to our sponsors, advertisers, contributors and of course our readers for continued support throughout 2019.

Last year, Ulster Grocer maintained its position as Northern Ireland’s largest retail grocery magazine, with our ABC-audited figures confirming a controlled circulation average of 5,444 copies per edition; placing us well ahead of any competitor title in the Northern Ireland grocery market.

Our continued growth of the magazine was further strengthened by the acquisition of INM by Mediahuis, a European media group with a strong portfolio of news media and digital brands. With its wealth of experience in digitisation and as a strong advocate for independent and quality journalism, this is certainly an exciting time for the magazine and bodes well for the company, readership and customers.

As we move into a new year, the team here at Ulster Grocer are fully committed to delivering a worthy magazine for the Northern Ireland food, drink and grocery sector, publishing the latest news, developments and trends each month. We will strive to remain the number one magazine for the local grocery sector, and the go-to source for producers, suppliers, retailers and service providers.

From

www.ulstergrocer.com

facebook.com/UlsterGrocer

twitter.com/ulstergrocer

Happy New Year Chris Keenan, sales manager

e: c.keenan@independentmagazinesni.co.uk

CLASSIFIEDS

Q&A TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF I have been working for the business for the past three years. I love working in food\retail having worked for Tesco and Iceland previously. I am an ambitious, highly-motivated and results-orientated female, who is driven and stops at nothing to get the end result.

IN THE HOT SEAT CHRISTINA MAGEE, FOOD OPERATIONS MANAGER, APPLEGREEN NI

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE? I start off the day reviewing my numbers to see how the region has performed, and then the majority of my time is spent in sites reviewing brand standards, completing brand audits, coaching teams on improving operations and commercial performance and meeting with franchise partners. I have quite a diverse role so need to be flexible to meet the needs of the business.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? I recently received some recognition from one of our leading brands for my impact and influence on operations and commercial performance within my region. It was a real moment of pride for me because there was a lot of hard work and effort put in to drive an improvement here. I invested quality time in colleague engagement, unit operations and marketing initiatives. To see this hard work payoff through increased sales and YOY growth is a great achievement. This brand is now one of the hero brands in the region and I made that happen.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? Coaching colleagues, getting results and networking.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST DIFFICULT TASK? Cutting through the red tape – this can be a challenge, but I am not one to shy away. I have often been described as a tenacious person, so this quality comes in useful when I need something done.

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? “Leave it on the wave behind.”

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GRIPE? Poor time keeping!

WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? I have a voice and I like to be heard but I haven’t a note in my head. I really would love to be able to sing.

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WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS/ AMBITIONS? To be the best version of myself and to inspire people to live their best versions of themselves.

WHOM DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? Believe it or not but my Granny is the person I most admire. She has sacrificed so much for other people and is always putting others first. She is always positive, always smiling and only has a good word to say on anybody. She is a role model and an inspiration – she was the one who gave me the best advice I have ever received.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? Las Vegas has to be my top travel destination. There is so much to do in

Vegas regardless of what your interests are. It’s such a surreal city, you can almost taste the energy in the air.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD PRODUCT? It has to be Thai cuisine. I have literally just returned from Thailand where I had the opportunity to try the amazing street food which included crocodile and scorpion. Maybe not the tastiest product I tried but I would highly recommend the experience. My favourite Thai meal would a Red Thai Curry.

HOW DO YOU RELAX? In my downtime, I still like to keep active so you will find me working out at the gym or working the high street for much-loved retail therapy.