GROCER ULSTER
™
At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry
SEPTEMBER 2014
N o . 1 m a g a z i ne f o r t h e l o c a l g r o c er y se c t o r
We hope you enjoy your latest copy of
TM
At the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry
The results are in and the latest Audit Bureau of CirculationS figures have confirmed that July 2013-June 2014
Ulster Grocer is...
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CONTENTS
email: info@ulstergrocer.com Volume 50, Number 8 September 2014
www.ulstergrocer.com
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Editor: Alyson Magee E: alysonmagee@greerpublications.com Contributor: Brian McCalden Advertising Manager: Lynne McBennett E: lynnemcbennett@greerpublications.com Senior Accounts Manager: Michelle Kearney E: michellekearney@greerpublications.com Art Editor: Karen Donnelly Production Manager: Stuart Gray Accounts: Gerardine Carson
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30-33
20-29
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Publishers: James and Gladys Greer
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Subscription: £27.50 per annum £37.50 outside UK Designed & Produced by: Greer Publications Design Tel: 028 9078 3200 Printed by: W&G Baird, Antrim Tel: 028 9446 3911
Contents
@ulstergrocer
19 – FRESH FOCUS: The latest Q&A profiling fresh food suppliers to the Henderson Group focuses on Fresh Fields, a Comber-based business which supplies 26 lines including root veg, brassicas and scallions to the SPAR, EUROSPAR, VIVO, VIVOXTRA and VIVO Essentials brands.
20-29 – NORTHERN IRELAND HAS GREAT TASTE: Winners in this year’s Great Taste Awards are profiled alongside their products picking up one, two or three gold stars.
30-33 – HOT TO TROT: Find out what’s happening in the world of hot beverages with the latest on consumer trends and innovation from Robert Roberts, Costa, Johnson Coffee and Thompson’s Family Teas. 34 – IN THE HOT SEAT: George Rankin, senior director NI for Asda, takes the hot seat this month, to talk about his rise through the ranks from the shop floor of Safeway in Ballyclare.
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8 • Ulster Grocer | JANUARY 2011
39 – BRIDGING THE GAP: Millennials are building a new model for creating such as Cargo with its Brewbot app, says Daniel Hurley of AV Browne.
42 – LEARNING ABOUT LOCAL: Lynsey McKitterick of the Ulster Business School at the University of Ulster looks at support programmes for small food producers aimed at sharing learning and closing gaps in policy and practice.
ULSTER GROCER
Ulster Grocer is published by Greer Publications 5B Edgewater Business Park, Belfast Harbour Estate, BELFAST BT3 9JQ Tel: 028 9078 3200 Fax: 028 9078 3210 Web: www.ulstergrocer.com
11-15 – GOING GREEN: UG looks at retailers investing in environmentally-friendly stores, and the specialists supplying eco equipment and services, in our Energy Feature.
3
NEWS
Editor’s comment: star-studded Ulster O
ur local agri-food scene has been grabbing the headlines on two fronts this month, with the first being another star performance from Northern Ireland in the Great Taste Awards. Continuing to over-perform in the awards against the other regions of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, Northern Irish producers put in a record overall performance with eight products also making it into the Top 50 (p6 and ps 20-29). The second headline-grabbing event with a local link was the longawaited publication of Professor Chris Elliott’s report commissioned in the wake of the horsemeat-in-beef scandal. The Queen’s prof is recognised as a leading light in food security UK-wide and increasingly
wider afield, and is creating a centre of expertise in Belfast with the Institute for Global Food Security. In his report, Prof Elliott advocates the importance of shorter supply chains and sourcing locally-produced foods in long-term partnerships to create a more secure food chain, while recognising the need for systems allowing safe sourcing from complex global markets. Both pieces of news reinforce Northern Ireland’s growing reputation for quality and expertise in agri-food.
Alyson Magee
‘Horsegate’ report welcomed by the industry R
epresentatives from the local agri-food sector have highlighted its strengths and pledged to continue working together to boost food security, following publication of the Elliott report earlier this month. Immediately following its publication, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in Westminster announced a new Food Crime Unit is to be established as part of the Food Standards Agency. Professor Chris Elliott, director of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast, was commissioned by Defra in Westminster to conduct a review into the integrity and assurance of food supply networks in July 2013. An interim report was released in December 2013 with the final report, A National Food Crime Prevention Framework, published earlier this month. Among local organisations welcoming the report was the Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association (NIFDA). “NIFDA has continuously invested in the promotion of food integrity – setting up organisations such as Northern Ireland Food Chain Certification Ltd, which has been operating since 2001 to
enhance standard accreditation throughout the industry,” said Michael Bell, executive director of NIFDA. “Going forward, we must work together across the sector to maintain consumer confidence in our award-winning, high quality produce.” The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), meanwhile, joined other industry voices calling for the UK government to allocate greater funding to its new Food Crime Unit. “During the horsemeat scandal, the actions of a small number of unscrupulous individuals put the reputation of the entire food industry on the line,” said Ian Marshall, president of UFU. “Defra’s support for a Food Crime Unit within the Food Standards Agency is a positive move. However, it would need to be adequately funded and resourced if it is to make any real difference. A key aspect of this new Food Crime Unit will need to be information and intelligence sharing, especially given that food fraud is not just solely a UK issue but, as demonstrated by the horsemeat scandal, often is an issue that crosses many borders.” Professor Elliott’s foreword in the report says: “My systems approach is based on
Arlene Foster, trade minister, is pictured with Nigel McSorley, managing director of Webtech (NI), after announcing an £11m investment expected to create 35 jobs at the Enniskillen-based packaging company.
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eight pillars of food integrity and means that no part can be considered in isolation and cherry picking of the recommendations will not work... There needs to be a partnership approach between Government, regulators and industry to implement this national food crime prevention framework.” A number of his recommendations have already been taken on board by industry, he says in the report, while highlighting he sees no need for additional regulatory burdens and believes the proposed systems would actually help lift some existing burdens. The eight pillars of the Elliott report: 1 - Consumers First 2 - Zero Tolerance 3 - Intelligence Gathering 4 - Laboratory Services 5 - Audit 6 - Government Support 7 - Leadership 8 - Crisis Management See https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/elliott-review-into-the-integrityand-assurance-of-food-supply-networks-finalreport for the full report.
Belfast Metropolitan College student Patryk Sojka, winner of a Tesco bursary which saw him work with leading chefs Gordon Ramsay and Tom Kerridge this summer, launched the Tesco Taste Northern Ireland food festival earlier this month alongside Brendan Guidera, Gary Mills and Cliff Kells from Tesco NI. See next month’s UG for more on the three-day festival held in Belfast’s Custom House Square.
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NEWs
Repeat success for NI at Great Taste dinner C
From left, John Farrand is pictured with John Hood, director of food at Invest NI and Peter Hannan of Hannan Meats.
From left, John Farrand of Great Taste is pictured with Michael Lane, assistant editor of Fine Food Digest, and Simon Dougan and Stephen Dowds of Yellow Door Deli.
heers could be heard throughout London as Hannan Meats once again received the Great Taste Golden Fork for Best Speciality from Northern Ireland for Moyallon Three Sweet Bacon Ribs. “For the third consecutive year, Hannan Meats has been in the top award winners,” said John Farrand, MD of the Guild of Fine Food, organisers of Great Taste. “After winning the Supreme Champion title in 2012, Hannan Meats then went on to win Best Speciality in Northern Ireland 2013, and this year the same regional Golden Fork title goes back with Hannan Meats which is a magnificent result for Northern Ireland food as a whole. The quality of Hannan Meats’ products is outstanding and our judges were impressed, not only with the winning Sweet Bacon Ribs but also with the Himalayan Salt Aged Rib of Beef which was also nominated for the award.” More than 300 guests from the world of fine food gathered for the Golden Forks Dinner on September 8, to hear the results of many months of judging. Also nominated this year was a Great Taste 3-star Venison Loin from the Baronscourt Estate in Omagh, Tyrone. There was more success for Simon Dougan from the Yellow Door Deli in Portadown. He’s celebrating for a second year running as the winner of the Deli & Farm Shop Signature Dish award in Great Taste 2014. A suitably local dish of Strangford Prawn, Leek and Comber Potato Soup won the judges’ praise. “It was a joy to eat the soup and our judges were completely in agreement that it was a dish worth celebrating. It is a perfect dish to serve in a deli or farm shop and our judges commented that Simon clearly understood every facet of his dish, with impeccable sourcing and wealth of knowledge about the ingredients,” said Farrand. Dougan chose Strangford Lough prawns, leeks and Comber potatoes, which have PGI status, to reflect the food culture of Northern Ireland. In third place was Quails Hanger Steak with Chimichurri and Roasted Beet Puree from Quails Fine Foods of Banbridge.
Henderson Group turns milk into money for Tearfund
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he annual Milk It campaign returns this month, with Henderson Wholesale donating 5p to Christian international aid and development agency Tearfund for every 2 litres of SPAR or VIVO own brand milk bought from any SPAR, EUROSPAR, VIVO or VIVOXTRA store. Last year, a donation of £150,000 was given towards providing over 15,000 people in Uganda with access to clean water. This year the money will Sarah Travers, centre, joins Paul Francis of go towards projects based Tearfund and Bronagh Luke of the Henderson specifically in India that deal Group to launch this year’s Milk It campaign, which starts on September 22. with tackling the problem of trafficking, both from a preventative perspective, as well as supporting and rehabilitating those who have come out of the trade, and been rescued. These projects will help keep up to 80,000 vulnerable children and women safe from trafficking. “We’re delighted to support Tearfund with our Milk It campaign again this year,” said Neal Kelly, fresh foods director at the Henderson Group. “Our retailers are fully behind the initiative and we hope their customers will support the cause too.” 6
NEWs
Ulster’s oldest dairy unveils new New Craigavon Agri-food £8m ‘high care’ butter plant and Drink U
lster’s oldest dairy, Ballyrashane, has unveiled a new state-of-the-art £8m ‘high care’ butter plant it believes will drive fresh global export growth. Trade Minister Arlene Foster and DARD Permanent Secretary Noel Lavery were among VIPs and invited guests attending the opening ceremony on the outskirts of Coleraine earlier this month. The company has developed a new premium textured butter product aimed at key markets including France and Germany as part of the expansion, which the company believes will position it for further global growth. According to Ballyrashane Chief Executive Nigel Kemps, the new 35,000-square-foot production, chilled and deep freeze facilities which are Spreading the good news are, from left, Noel Lavery, permanent amongst the most advanced in Europe secretary at DARD; Roy Irwin, chairman of Ballyrashane; Nigel – will double manufacturing capacity Kemps, chief executive of Ballyrashane; and Arlene Foster, trade minister. of butter and enable the business to increase sales of its innovative premium butter products initially in target European markets. “As well as enhancing our butter product offering and ensuring we can capitalise on the demand for our high-end textured butter products in locations such as Belgium, Germany and France, the new equipment and technology will improve overall efficiency and thereby make us more competitive all-round,” said Kemps. “We will be continuing to work closely with our sales and marketing partners Greenfields and De Brandt to fully exploit the opportunities the new facilities provide us. While this and other strategic initiatives will create around 10 new jobs within Ballyrashane, the emphasis is on sustaining current employment levels as efficiencies are improved so it really is good news for all our people, the local community, the 107 local farmers who supply us milk and our extensive customer base.”
Montgomery Food Consulting invests £250,000 in new premises T
rade Minister Arlene Foster has officially opened Aughnacloy-based Montgomery Food Consulting’s new premises following a £250,000 investment. A leading food consultancy provider offering food safety, quality management, training and interim technical support services in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the company’s new site includes a training facility, a food innovation kitchen and new workspaces. “Since its humble beginnings four years ago, Montgomery Food Consulting has placed a high priority on continued investment and innovation and I am pleased that it has continued to work with Invest NI in developing the business,” said Foster. “The company is a valuable employer in South Tyrone and its investment will not 8
only enhance Montgomery Food Consulting’s reputation across Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, but also reinforce the capabilities of Northern Ireland’s world class food sector.” Rhonda Montgomery, managing director of Montgomery Food Consulting, said: “I established Montgomery Food Consulting in 2010 and the business has grown rapidly. We’ve worked with Invest NI over the past couple of years, and the help, support and financial assistance offered has been invaluable. In particular, the small business loan has helped us to fast-track our expansion and avail of current growth opportunities. Ulster Bank has also been of great support during the past few years of exceptional growth.” The business has grown by 500% since 2010.
Forum targets opportunities
C
raigavon Borough Council has established a Craigavon Agri-food and Drink Forum in a bid to respond to growth opportunities within the agri-food and drink sector. The Forum will serve as a partnership between local producers, SMEs, business leaders and representatives from key stakeholder organisations such as the Planning Service, Invest NI, NIFDA and Food NI, with the aim of boosting opportunities for export, innovation and entrepreneurship. Among manufacturers with sites in Craigavon are Moy Park, Irwin’s Bakery and Avondale Foods. Stated aims of the Forum include: • To harness the exporting expertise in this industry, to help ensure the competitiveness of all local producers and agri-food businesses within the Borough. • To create networking opportunities for young entrepreneurs in the industry to ensure the agri-food industry is strengthened for generations to come. • To encourage and provide the skill to local agri-food and drink producers to enter their products into prestigious competitions such as the Great Taste Awards to increase the standard and reputation of these businesses within the Borough, across Northern Ireland and beyond to export markets. • To promote and encourage the development of Craigavon as a Centre of Excellence for the Agri-food and Drink industry which will assist with the marketing and promotion of the area to export markets. Quarterly seminars/workshops are to be held, involving guest speakers on key subjects such as how to supply to the multiples and why accreditation is important. For further information please contact Louise Cushnahan, regeneration and economic development officer, louise.cushnahan@craigavon.gov.uk or 028 3831 2572.
RETAIL NEWS – SYMBOLS
The search is on for a STAR in the making
Pictured are Citybeat’s Stephen Clements, Bronagh Luke from the Henderson Group and Peter Corry of PC Productions
T
aking inspiration from the X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, SPAR has joined forces with a team of talent seekers searching for a singing star in Northern Ireland. To celebrate the hugely popular Christmas show The Music Box,
returning to the Belfast Waterfront with this year’s brand new production Home for Christmas, PC Productions is joining forces with the Henderson Group and Citybeat to find new talent. The winning talented teenager will win their place on stage during four shows from December 18-20. To enter, young singers between the ages of 13 and 16 are invited to film their audition, visit the SPAR NI Facebook page and click on the SPAR Star app. From there, their audition can be uploaded up to September 21 and viewed by the judges, who will then decide on a shortlist to be announced in October. “SPAR are delighted to sponsor The Music Box – Home for Christmas for the 2014 series of shows at the Belfast Waterfront,” said Bronagh Luke, corporate marketing controller at the Henderson Group. “To celebrate this we’re so excited to find some amazing, young singers from our shores. We have seen what bright young talent comes out of our country, so we hope many more ambitious performers will show us what they’ve got.” Live auditions will take place on a date to be announced in October 2014.
Irwin’s offers Back to School promotion
P
ortadown-based Irwin’s Bakery is helping pupils across Northern Ireland start the new school year in style with a ‘Back to School’ promotion. From August 31, consumers were able to pick up a free Irwin’s drawstring bag, ideal for lunch boxes or PE kits, in SuperValu and Centra stores when they purchase three products from the Irwin’s range. Shoppers can choose from lunchbox favourites, Irwin’s Muffins, Irwin’s iconic Nutty Krust, Irwin’s Softee and Howell Handmade Jammy Joey Bites. “Irwin’s Bakery has been baking bread for families across Northern Ireland for over 100 years,” said Colette Wilson, marketing manager at Irwin’s Bakery. “We understand that consumers want high quality products, which are value for money and perfect
for the whole family to enjoy – at breakfast time or in lunchboxes. Our promotion with Musgrave Retail Partners NI will give families a helping hand at what can be an expensive time of year.”
U
Pictured are, from left, Colette Wilson, marketing manager at Irwin’s Bakery, Charlotte and Tom Little, and Julie Cherry, trading manager at Musgrave Retail Partners NI.
Nisa announces surplus distribution to members
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isa has announced it will pay over £2.2m to its members in the form of surplus distribution and dividend payments. The dividend payment represents a payout of £14 per share, providing a return of over 7% on each share owned by members, of which they can own up to 250. Further to this, the surplus payment looks to reward those members who have shown loyalty and support to Nisa by ordering products through its Central Distribution Services. These payments are on top of the £31m that was paid out to members in the form of rebates in the last year. “This is one of the many benefits of being a member-owned organisation as any surplus profits are distributed back to our members, allowing them to use this money to further enhance their businesses,” said Simon Webster, finance director of Nisa. “Nisa achieved pleasing profits in the 2013/2014 financial year and has significantly strengthened its balance sheet as well as making this significant payment to members. Nisa is committed to making money for its members rather than out of them and this is a perfect example of this.”
8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
Rugby stars in the making at Centra Ulster Rugby Camp lster Rugby heroes, Neil McComb, Bronson Ross and Kyle McCall recently visited the Centra Ulster Rugby Summer Camp at City of Derry, to give hints and tips to the budding young players attending the camp. One lucky player, Sean McLaughlin from Buncrana, received a special certificate in recognition of his playing skills, while all participants received a Summer Camp boot bag with a t-shirt, rugby ball and voucher to claim a free ticket to an Ulster Game at Ravenhill. Ulster Rugby Summer Camps, sponsored by independent retail group Centra, took place at 22 province-wide locations over the summer catering to more than 1,000 children.
Pictured are, from left, Ulster Rugby Players Neil McComb and Bronson Ross; Best Skills Award winner Sean McLaughlin; David Kelly, owner of Centra Trench Road Londonderry; and Ulster rugby Player Kyle McCall.
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RETAIL NEWS - MULTIPLES
Chowder made in Cookstown is great catch for Tesco C
ookstown-based Big Pot Co has secured a listing in 19 Northern Irish Tesco stores for its Smoked Haddock Chowder produced from locally-sourced ingredients. The chowder’s ingredients include smoked haddock from Mourne Seafoods in Kilkeel, butter and cream from Strathroy in Omagh, potatoes from Wilson’s Country in Portadown and leeks and parsley from Quinfresh in Dungannon. “It truly is a Northern Ireland chowder as it features ingredients supplied from three different counties,” said Alison Seaney of the Big Pot Co. “It’s a creamy blend of potatoes and leeks enriched with fish stock and herbs
with flaked, smoked haddock that is lightly seasoned. We see it as homely comfort food. Sandra Weir from Tesco said: “This product proves that you don’t have to go to New England in the US to find an excellent seafood chowder. It really is first class and is already selling well.” The Cookstown food company, which makes soups and specialist meals, believes the deal to supply the chowder to Tesco could initially be worth around £50,000 per annum. Big Pot Co soups already listed by Tesco include five regular flavours and two new variants, Spicy Butternut Squash and Lentil, and Cream of Wild Mushroom.
Alison Seaney of the Big Pot Co is pictured, right, with Lisa McBride from fish supplier Mourne Seafoods and Philip Heelham, fresh food manager at Tesco’s Newcastle store.
Local SuperMums honoured in inaugural competition T
Cathy Humphrey from Ballymoney, Co Antrim, is among finalists in the inaugural SuperValu SuperMums campaign. She is pictured with Peter McCool, owner of SuperValu Ballymoney, along with her sons Zak and Alex.
hirty mums from across Northern Ireland will be honoured at a prestigious ceremony at Stormont in October as part of the inaugural SuperValu SuperMums campaign. Sponsored by P&G, the event was launched in March, received over 200 nominations of inspiring, gutsy and muchloved mothers, and 30 finalists have been chosen from SuperValu stores in Northern Ireland. The judging panel comprised of Sunday Life’s Martin Breen, U105’s Peter McVerry, TV personality Claire McCollum and representatives from SuperValu and sponsor P&G.
The grand final will be hosted by TV personality Claire McCollum who will crown the overall SuperValu SuperMum 2014, and the winner will take home a family holiday to Malaga, courtesy of Jet2.com, with each finalist receiving a pamper hamper. “The standard of entry for the SuperMums competition was overwhelming,” said Donna Morrison, marketing manager of SuperValu. “There are so many inspirational mothers out there taking life’s challenges, opportunities and issues in their stride and the people who nominated them gave us so much to think about when it came to choosing them as our finalists.”
Ulster Pork and Bacon Forum launches origin scheme
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he Ulster Pork and Bacon Forum has devised an Assured Origin scheme to promote Northern Irish pork products to shoppers throughout Northern Ireland. The scheme is a voluntary code of practice for the labelling of pork products – designed to communicate to shoppers that the sausages, bacon or cut of pork bearing the label has been produced in its entirety in Northern Ireland to some of the highest possible standards throughout Europe. The Forum recognised shoppers in Northern Ireland want to know where their pork products come from and are keen to support the local industry. As a result, an advertising campaign is being rolled out to encourage consumers to look out for the Assured Origin label when shopping in supermarkets, convenience stores or butcher counters. “The Assured Origin label guarantees that 10
the product it appears on – from pork chops to shoulder of pork – is wholly produced here in Northern Ireland to the highest possible standards,” said Norman Robson, chairman of the Ulster Pork & Bacon Forum. “We are incredibly proud of our meticulous standards, our industry and the role it plays in our economy. We are also delighted Tesco and other major retail partners are supporting our campaign by stocking locally-produced pork.” The pig farming industry makes a significant contribution to the agri-sector in Northern Ireland sustaining over 400 farming families and 2,000 local jobs. Cliff Kells, commercial manager at Tesco NI, said: “We wholeheartedly embrace NI Pork’s Assured Origin scheme as it lets our shoppers know that Tesco-brand pork products are reared and produced in Northern Ireland. We believe our customers have a right to know where their food comes from
Pictured launching the NI Pork ‘Assured Origin’ Campaign in Tesco Newtownabbey are, from left, Deirdre McIvor, executive director of the Pork & Bacon Forum; Caoimhe Mannion, marketing manager of Tesco NI; and Norman Robson, chairman of the Ulster Pork & Bacon Forum.
and this campaign helps customers make informed choices about the origin of their pork products.” Assured Origins labels will be on NI Pork products across Tesco stores nationwide from September.
ENERGY FEATURE
N.I. LED lights the way to a greener future Replacing conventional lighting with LED saves energy, carbon output and money, potentially reducing lighting costs by up to 80%, says Mark Magee of N.I. LED. WHEN WAS YOUR BUSINESS ESTABLISHED AND WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT? Our business was established in January 2011, and the inspiration behind it was greener use of electricity, reducing the carbon footprint and, at the same time, saving money for clients.
the global green initiative. It embodies our commitment to top quality LED products, and exceptional customer service. LED lighting systems can be used widely for shops, offices, residences, factories, malls, airports, street lighting, sport grounds and auditoriums, and hotels and restaurants as a replacement for conventional light sources.
WHAT DOES YOUR BUSINESS OFFER? N.I. LED specialises in high quality Solid State Lighting (Light Emitting Diode), helping clients maximise their lighting energy, monetary and carbon savings; potentially reducing lighting costs by up to 80%. Based in Lisburn, we can supply products throughout the UK and Ireland. We have three full-time employees and a network of electrical companies for installation work. At N.I. LED, we are fully committed to providing all our clients with the highest quality of LED lights and lighting solutions. N.I. LED is more than just another lighting company; we are dedicated in our mission to create more awareness of green energy and
HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS EXPANDED or EVOLVED SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED? LED products have moved on over the last few years. Prices have come down, technology has improved and our commitment is getting the best product and price for our clients. WHO ARE YOUR MAIN CUSTOMERS? The business has expanded well over the years and is growing with some key clients on-board. We target retailers and hotels and are now in discussion with the councils for our new smart street light that would be great for large supermarket car parks.
WHAT ARE YOUR PRODUCT LINES AND WHAT MAKES THEM UNIQUE OR SPECIAL? We aim to offer the market the widest range of direct incandescent replacement LED luminaries, clusters, arrays and control gears. We continually identify new technologies, sourcing the most up-to-date LED products to ensure we continue to deliver the most innovative and (energy and carbon) efficient range of lighting solutions to meet our clients’ needs. Working with clients on a project by project basis, offering technical advice as well as financial projecting, our clientfocused sales approach is founded on understanding our customers’ individual needs and expectations and delivering the right solutions time after time. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS FOR THE BUSINESS? As mentioned, we are expanding into the street lighting section of the business, as well as car parking and perimeter lighting.
Centra Ballybogey half way through the project…
...the completed project.
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ECO STORE FOCUS EUROSPAR Ranfurly has undergone a significant expansion, completed in July.
Eurospar, Ranfurly Previously a SPAR, the Henderson Group-owned and operated store was converted into an environmentally-friendly EUROSPAR earlier this year with its expanded range and amenities pulling in a wider range of shoppers, says Alyson Magee.
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UROSPAR Ranfurly is an exemplar of the Henderson Group’s environmental policy, with the recently-refurbished store incorporating a range of energy-saving features which result in cost savings for the business as well as reduced emissions and wastage. Henderson Retail was runner up in the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards 2014 Green Retailer of the Year category, recognising its work with employees and suppliers to implement policies and best practice aimed at improving environmental performance. The overall Group’s green ethos is reflected in its Tomorrow Matters manifesto, which identifies specific targets in terms of reducing energy usage and waste sent to landfill. Located on Moy Road in Dungannon, the site of the new EUROSPAR Ranfurly operated as a petrol station for many years and was acquired by the Henderson Group in 2002. It was reopened as a complete rebuild the following year featuring a 3,000-square-foot shop and petrol filling station. The latest refurbishment, completed in July, marked an investment of around £800,000 and extended the site to 5,200-square-feet alongside a re-branding from SPAR to EUROSPAR. With the extension added on while the existing shop was operational, and then 8 • •Ulster 3612 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
stock moved over to the new square footage while the old part was refurbished, the store was able to continue trading throughout the project. With greater floor space, the store’s range of produce has greatly increased while the EUROSPAR conversion also facilitates better price promotions and a Tesco price match offer. The Streat deli and food-to-go area within the store has been expanded with three types of coffee and freshly baked bread available, while additions include a Doweys butchery and Quinn’s gelato ice cream. EUROSPAR Ranfurly now has the highest ice-cream sales of any store in the Henderson Group. “We’ve had really positive feedback about the range now in place, and how bright and welcoming the store is,” says Lynn Smiley, store manager. Smiley began her career with the Henderson Group at the Ranfurly store eight years ago, working at other SPAR shops in the interim period, before returning as manager last October. Alongside wider aisles which are easier to shop in, the addition of a butcher and availability of hot food up to 7pm has enabled the shop to catch more “tea-time trade”. “It saves people having to travel further or across town to the multiples,” says Smiley. “It
used to be a transit site but we have noticed a difference since we reopened, with more trolleys and families coming in to shop which is what we wanted. “It’s not a convenience store any more, it’s a supermarket. We have 1,500 to 2,000 more customers a week. The average basket spend was £4.59 and the target now is £5.03. “We’re a lot busier on Sundays; it’s the busiest day by a mile. It shows people are thinking of us to come shopping for kids’ lunches and weekly meals. Sunday would have been quiet before. Our doors are open 24 hours; before we would have only opened the hatch in the evenings and now factory workers are coming in, in the early hours, to do a basket shop.” In the forecourt, more parking spaces have been created by removing the old drive-through car wash. Staff numbers have, meanwhile, doubled as a result of the refurbishment and now total 40 full and parttime positions. ECO FEATURES New green features incorporated in the store include an improvement in the thermal properties, on the previous site, of 25% for walls and 30% for the roof. Photovoltaic solar panels have been fitted to the roof structure,
ECO STORE FOCUS generating low carbon footprint electricity used within the store to power electrical equipment such as the refrigerated display cabinets. Refrigerated plant systems used in the store have been replaced with new energy-efficient units, which only draw on energy as required; similarly to stop-start technology used in cars. “Instead of three compressors, they just use one,” says Conor Lavery, senior property manager at the Henderson Group. And: “As part of the improvement works, the existing inefficient single-glazed shop front was replaced with a highly efficient doubleglazed curtain walling system. This improved specification has significantly reduced the demand for air conditioning during the summer months and mechanical heating in the winter months, thus producing a more acceptable average ambient temperature within the shop all year round.” New flooring, meanwhile, complies with current building regulation standards and substantially reduces heat loss. Sensor technology is used for lighting, which has been converted to LED throughout the store. “Ranfurly represents our biggest step towards 100% LED lighting at a store,” says Glen Crumley, energy manager at the Henderson Group. “Internally, LED lighting has been propagated throughout our existing stores but this is the first store that sees LED solutions being brought to the outside lighting as well. Technological advances and lower costs in external LED lighting have facilitated this. LED lighting is now the first choice across all application areas. “Henderson Retail has now reached a milestone in energy savings, with this year seeing them reach over 30% in like-for-like
energy reduction at their stores following a five-year programme of staff management and investments in energy saving technologies. “Strategic procurement of energy and investments in technologies ensure operating costs are kept to a minimum and make us extremely competitive in this challenging marketplace.” All energy usage in the store is metered and monitored for assessment and adjustment if necessary. A staff member within the Ranfurly store is appointed as energy rep and responsible for maintaining daily sign-off sheets to ensure blinds are down, computer monitors are switched off and so on. “And the energy rep would look at the reports and put together an action plan if needed,” says Smiley. Investment in the store, while significant, has been well spent, says Lavery, and should see payback in two to three years. The Henderson Group currently has around six other ‘green’ refurbishment projects on the go at its own stores around Northern Ireland, and offers the same technology and advice to its retail partners. “We do apply best practice, and would present that to our retailers,” he says. “A lot would take that on board and even do it themselves.” ONE-STOP SHOP The Henderson Group is pleased with the results of its investment, with EUROSPAR Ranfurly now serving a diverse range of customers including people on-the-go commuting to and from work or doing school runs, top-up shoppers, consumers looking for meal solutions and “people who live in the immediate area and do not want the hassle of driving to their local supermarket and
parking away from the store and walking up aisle upon aisle to get what they want,” says Lavery. “We have developed the store into a more super-easy, supermarket style of shopping that is filling a void that we perceived to be missing at that part of the town. The competitive advantage for our site is that we have all the above under one roof in a convenient supermarket environment; great customer service in a great shopping environment.” “It was a transit store and has now become more of a one-stop shop. Sales have been very promising since the work was completed, surpassing expectations.”
All energy usage in the store is metered and monitored for assessment, and adjustment if necessary
New flooring reduces heat loss while spacious aisles make the store more suitable for a trolley shop.
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ENERGY FEATURE
KES Solar the leading Solar PV installer for the retail and agricultural sectors KES Solar supplied panels for JC Stewart’s new store expansion.
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ith electricity prices continuing to rise – and consistency of supply even an issue in some parts of Northern Ireland – local business KES Solar is offering specialist solar panel solutions to the agri-food sector. “Typically the retail and agricultural sectors are large users of electricity and we have specifically designed solutions to reduce cost and the carbon footprint,” says Ciaran
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Murphy, sales manager of KES Solar. “We have expertise in these sectors, and offer high quality systems with professional installation. We are the only Northern Ireland company also offering a Free Solar option and this is available in the commercial sector.” Based in Drumquin, Co Tyrone, KES Solar is the approved installer for Moy Park and Skea Eggs, and has also installed systems
for the McBride Group and JC Stewart (see right), installing the Magherafelt store’s original 16kw of panels and its expansion last month. KES Solar is a family-owned company with over 50 employees, and over 20 years of experience working in the commercial electrical industry. A Solar Photovoltaic (PV) installation specialist, its panels convert daylight into free electricity for use in homes or businesses and can be combined with other ingenious and technologically-advanced components to maximise benefit. KES Solar’s team of professionals offer a wide range of services, from the design and planning of complex systems to advice on procurement routes and finance availability with the aim of serving as a one-stop shop for clients’ solar needs. “There’s an excellent return on investment for customers’ money,” says Murphy. “PV offers excellent value and ever-increasing electricity costs mean solar will increase in value year-on-year.”
ENERGY FEATURE
Grocery retailing goes green Being environmentally responsible is a core value for Magherafelt-based JC Stewart Foodhall.
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or the past decade, JC Stewart has been on a journey to manage energy and waste. This commitment has led to many initiatives, including: • Staff training focuses on waste and energy usage being everyone’s responsibility and waste is a key performance indicator for each department. • 80% of waste is separated and recycled, with cardboard and plastic being compacted, baled and sold on. JC Stewart measures landfill waste and works closely with Magherafelt District Council to reduce the amount of landfill. One simple, visual indicator of these efforts is that the Staff Canteen has five separate waste bins. • Fridges curtains are used when the store is closed and, when fridges are low in stock, the stock is cleared and the fridge switched off. • Oven use is scheduled to ensure efficient use (full loads). • Fresh produce that is imperfect and would otherwise be put into waste is used by JC Stewart’s Chef Department for preparation of soups and ready meals. Fresh produce that is beyond salvage is given to pet owners. • Energy efficiency is a critical criterion in the purchase of new equipment. In addition, existing equipment is held to a regular maintenance schedule to ensure optimum performance. • A Bio Mass Boiler, first installed in 2008, heats the store. This uses wood pellets, from a local supplier, which are a by-product of saw-milling. Since 2008, this system has offset 28 tonnes of carbon each year; this figure increasing in 2014 with the installation of a new, more efficient and cleaner bio mass boiler. • All the hot water for the store is produced by a Heat Recovery System that exchanges heat produced by the store’s refrigeration and distributes it as required.
• Destratification fans are installed in the ceiling pushing hot air downwards, preventing it from being lost in high areas at the front of the store. • Solar Photovoltaic Panels were installed in 2013 yielding an energy output of 16k kWh and this offsets over 10 tonnes of carbon per year. The installation of a second array of panels, which will double both the output figure and the offset carbon figure was completed in August 2014. • Water is conserved by ensuring taps are not left running (part of staff training and reminder notices). All laundry is out-sourced. CONSERVATION Electricity conservation is a major focus and, as a result, the following measures have been implemented: • Installation of a Blackbourne Voltage Power Optimisation unit, lowering electricity consumption and saving 20 tonnes carbon emissions annually. • Installation of a power conditioning unit (GatorboXx 400) to improve quality of power that is delivered to electrical equipment. • EC (electronically commutated) fans have been installed on all fridges. These fans have a much higher degree of efficiency and reduce power consumption (estimates of up to 30% reduction compared to AC fans). • Movement sensors and LED lights have been installed in the warehouse replacing fluorescent tubes and reducing associated electricity consumption by 65%. • Switching-on times for shop floor lighting have been adjusted to reduce usage. • LED lamps have been installed on the shop floor reducing energy consumption by over half (24 watts per fitting compared to 58 watts per fitting) and reducing combined energy and maintenance costs by 67%. The
carbon offset figure is 5.46 tonnes per year. JC Stewart has taken a lead on environmental issues through these initiatives. The Carbon Trust has been on board since 2005 and has helped to embed sensitivity to the environment throughout the business. Their professional auditing and advice have been integrated into decision-making on many fronts – staff training, equipment purchase, energy usage and energy efficiency measures. As evidence of commitment to the environment, a member of staff is dedicated to facilities management, measuring and monitoring of environmental issues (energy, waste and recycling) and the promotion of practices that minimise environmental impact. JC Stewart has gained awards for its environmental credentials, including the Green Apple Environmental Award, Gold Winner (Retail Ireland) and The SME Award for Energy Efficiency presented by The Environment and Energy Awards. JC Stewart’s installation of a Bio Mass Boiler has been used as a case study for Green Energy Ltd and for Brites (the supplier of wood pellets). And the presence of a large hopper for wood pellets in the customer car park is a constant visual reminder of environmentally friendly policies and practices at JC Stewart Foodhall Ltd. The policies and practices adopted have achieved significant reductions in carbon imprint and they have enhanced cost efficiency. It is worth putting these in context. JC Stewart Foodhall is a family-run business that has been an integral part of the community since the 1800s. The business has an authentic sense of social responsibility and wishes to be a role model. Minimising the store impact on the environment is therefore very natural and satisfying on the ‘feel-good’ front and the economic front. 15
My Life in the Grocery Trade Mark Austin, business manager foodservice of Robert Roberts NI WHEN DID YOU TAKE UP THE POST? May 2010. WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? Development of the Robert Roberts coffee and tea business in Northern Ireland. WHAT IS YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY TO DATE? Marketing executive Dillon Bass, Bacardi etc 1993-97. Various sales roles Holywood & Donnelly 1999-2009. Business manager food service Robert Roberts 2010-present. WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? Every day is different and challenging. WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE FOR YOU? Every day varies. You can be out selling to customers, or involved in customer tastings, completion of administration and management of enquiries with the engineering team. WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? As business manager of Robert Roberts, helping restructure and grow the business and help regenerate the brand in the last four years. WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL
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RETAIL INDUSTRY? It’s fast moving and always changing, which means it keeps you on your toes. It’s also a people industry. WHAT DO YOU DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? Spending time with family and friends. I especially love sport and travel. I don’t get
time to unwind; with three children, life is busy but I wouldn’t have it any other way. TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW I have been to 54 countries and almost every continent in the world. I only have the Antarctica Continent left to have visited them all.
FOOD & DRINKS NEWS
Local hotelier launches new gluten-free Rule of Crumb range
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allycastle businessman Colum McLornan has launched a new range of gluten-free products, with the aim of creating a better future for the estimated 5 millionplus coeliac disease sufferers in the UK. Rule of Crumb is Chicken Kiev from Rule of Crumb. a new speciality food brand with a mission - to ease the pain and discomfort of the UK’s one in 10 coeliacs, and to give them more confidence in being able to eat out. Rule of Crumb aims to revolutionise the gluten-free food market with a wider choice of innovative better-tasting products, which are individually wrapped to make it easier to avoid cross-contamination wherever they might be used, while also embarking on a pro-active programme of education to increase awareness of the need of coeliacs. Gluten-free is the fastest growing food sector, witnessing 46% growth in the last year, but more needs to be done to meet the needs of coeliacs. McLornan was inspired to do something after witnessing a close friend suffer from eating gluten-contaminated food. The new range includes gluten-free Breaded Chicken Goujons, Chicken Kiev and Chicken Maryland, individual portion-sized Breakfast Cereals and individually wrapped Part-Baked Bread Rolls.
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Dale Farm sweeps the cheese board at Nantwich Show
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ale Farm has been recognised for the excellence of its cheese and yogurt products, picking up 17 wins at the recent International Cheese Awards at Nantwich. The company’s award-winning cheese portfolio includes its Dromona, Fivemiletown and Loseley ranges, sold across the UK and further afield. The clutch of wins included three gold, two silver and two bronze awards for its cheddar cheeses and a gold, silver and bronze award for Fivemiletown speciality cheese including a gold for Ballyblue, one of the first blue cheeses to be developed on the island of Ireland. “Dale Farm has been investing heavily in recent years to develop its cheese business and for our products to win 17 awards at one of the leading international cheese shows is an excellent achievement,” said David Dobbin, chief executive of the Dale Farm Group. “Fivemiletown cheeses are a major recent addition to our product portfolio and having rescued the business from closure only two months ago, it is encouraging to see the craft and quality of our cheese makers in Fivemiletown being recognised as best in class. “At every stage of our supply chain, our focus is on quality from sourcing red tractor certified milk from local family farms to investing in making our cheese making facilities amongst the very best in Europe. These awards are a seal of approval for consumers and important recognition for our dairy farmer members, cheese making team and employees across the business.”
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FOOD & DRINK SHOW NI
James Martin and John Torode to top the bill at Food & Drink Show NI James Martin.
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aturday Kitchen’s James Martin and Master Chef’s John Torode are to top the bill at this year’s Food & Drink Show NI. The Show, which is the biggest indoor consumer food and drink event held locally, will take place on the weekend of October 2426 in the King’s Hall Pavilion, Balmoral. Last year’s inaugural event attracted just under 10,000 visitors and, this year, the organisers are aiming for 12,000 food and drink lovers over the three days. Martin and Torode will be heading the lineup of TV chefs who will be appearing in the Moy Park Celebrity Chef Theatre. Also taking part are Simon Rimmer of Channel 4 Sunday Brunch fame and Rachael Allen of the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School. Commenting on the Show’s line up, Show Director Judith Brannigan said: “What sets the Food & Drink Show NI apart is our dedication to providing a truly world class event that consumers want to visit, with big name chefs providing a draw that our foodie public simply can’t resist. Last year’s event proved that we can draw the crowds, entertain them and deliver enthusiastic customers to our exhibitors and sponsors. “The show is the biggest local event for businesses that produce or supply quality food and drink related products whether it’s through retail, directly or on-line, to engage, inspire and sell to the end customer. “The feedback from our trade exhibitors and sponsors tells us that it’s all about the quality of the visitors that the show attracts. They’re people who are really interested in food and drink, who care about the provenance of what they buy and who enjoy meeting producers and traders face to face 18
John Torode.
and discovering new products and the story behind them. “Of course the entertainment draw of the show is a major factor in its success. Anyone who saw James Martin on the Sunday last year will know how big a draw he is – every one of his demonstrations in the Moy Park Celebrity Chef Theatre were sold out. James loved the show so much that this year he’s opening for us on the Friday, flying back to London in the evening to get ready for Saturday Kitchen and then coming back to Belfast in the afternoon to be with us for Sunday again. It says a lot for our event when someone of his calibre is prepared to make a commitment like that.” And the show entertainment is not just provided by TV chefs. This year, safefood is sponsor of the Open Kitchen stage where local chefs and food heroes such as Danny Millar, Emmett McCourt, Derek Patterson and Jane McClenaghan to name but a few will be performing. Safefood will also be delivering a range of presentations throughout the event. The Food & Drink Show is billed as a three-day feast of entertainment, inspiration, sampling and shopping, and Judith is keen to stress how important the range and diversity of the show’s exhibitors are. “If you are in the business of selling and promoting food and drink products, this is the definitive marketing event for you,” she said. “Food and Drink Show exhibitors sell – just ask the producers, distributors and retailers who took part last year and who signed up months ago to be there again this October. Being able to meet producers, sample their products and buy them to take home is a major part of the enjoyment for visitors. Every visitor gets a Food and Drink Show NI
shopping bag when they come through the entrance so the emphasis is very much on shopping right from the start. “This year, we have expanded our NI Artisans Village thanks to the support of Food NI and funding they received from the Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme. This Artisan Village area is dedicated to small producers with a turnover of less than £300,000 pa. We are very keen to make this one of the biggest sections of the show and are still open to enquiries from artisans who would like to get involved.” Other key features of this year’s show include Kitchen Living for all the accessories, gadgets and equipment that make our kitchens the centre of our homes; FoodWise for health-focused products and services; the Bake It Stage with demonstrations from local cake and bake experts, NI Brews and Brewers featuring NI Craft Beers and Ciders; and Gourmet Grazing, an area of quality street food traders for visitors to savour. Exhibitors signed up to take part in the Food & Drink Show NI 2014 include food and drink producers; food and drink retailers; energy companies; cookery schools; book vendors; kitchen, appliance and accessories brands; and government and not-for-profit organisations involved in food promotion, safety, waste minimisation and health.
The Food & Drink Show NI will take place at the King’s Hall Pavilion, Belfast on October 24–26. For information about exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.foodanddrinkshowni.com or call Judith Brannigan on 028 9089 1710.
Q&A
Focus on Fresh - featuring Mark McKee, founder of Fresh Fields Mark McKee
WHAT IS FRESH FIELDS? Originally branded Sparky Pac, it was founded by my wife Gwen and myself in 1989. James McKee, my brother, joined in 2008 as a director. The business is based in Comber, Co Down; an area famous for its vegetable growing. James and I have been growing vegetables on the family farm since the 1970s, and Fresh Fields now grows 300 acres of vegetables, with the main crops being carrots, parsnips and brassicas. We have specialist growers for leeks, turnips, broccoli and scallions, all of whom farm in the Comber/Newtownards area of Co Down. WHEN DID YOU BEGIN SUPPLYING THE HENDERSON GROUP? We started supplying the Henderson Group in 1992, 22 years ago. Our business then had the sole purpose of adding value to the family farm’s produce. We started with a small trial order for packed carrots and parsnips – at this time the Henderson Group sourced most of their produce from Belfast’s wholesale market. It became clear that by dealing directly with the grower, the supply chain was shortened and the resulting shelf life increase could be passed on to its retailers. We started with two produce lines and this has developed over the years to the current range of 26 lines, supplying a full range of root veg, brassicas and scallions. In the late 1990s, we developed the brand Fresh Fields exclusively for the Henderson Group, which now has 13 lines. The Henderson Group are fantastic to
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Mark’s brother, James McKee
The Henderson Group are fantastic to work with, their trading team are a vital support to our continued business.” work with, their trading team are a vital support to our continued business. We are proud to grow and pack our vegetable range for SPAR, EUROSPAR, VIVO, VIVOXTRA and VIVO Essentials brands.
Down crop is harvested. We emphasise the provenance further by printing the area we are harvesting the crop from on the packaging, and customers can visit our website to identify the areas on a map (www.digin-ni.com).
WHICH PRODUCTS ARE PERFORMING BEST? In our SPAR range, the best performers by far are the carrot and parsnip lines. We have many opportunities due to our short supply chain and increased crop yields to offer great value to the Henderson Group; which in turn means they can pass on to their retailers and shoppers through weekend specials and scheduled seasonal promotions, ultimately driving sales up. The Dig In carrots and parsnip range has also been a great success with the Henderson Group’s retailers – we created this brand as we felt there was a gap in the market for a local vegetable brand that would guarantee the consumer Northern Ireland produce. No imported produce is packed under this label, and so this reintroduces the consumer to the seasonality of our local crop – Dig In carrot and parsnip lines are available August to April, the months when the local Co
ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR BUSINESS? Number one on the list has to be the everchangeable Northern Ireland weather. A prolonged period of rain or frost used to mean disaster for our harvest, but we have worked hard to build in many contingencies to overcome these problems. We employ the services of the best agronomists in the UK, who advise us on every aspect of growing and harvesting our crops. They suggested that we concentrate on sourcing the best land available in Northern Ireland, as a good soil is vital to attaining good crop yields. We have moved much of our growing to East Down around Tyrella and St. John’s Point, where the soils are free draining and relatively frost free. We protect our carrots from frost by using a layer of straw, like a blanket. These measures have resulted in a crop that is harvestable in all weathers, ensuring a reliable supply of produce.
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GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2014
Guild of Fine Food applauds NI’s Great Taste N
orthern Ireland punches far above its weight in food and drink products, according to the Guild of Fine Food, organiser of the Great Taste Awards. “Judging in Belfast earlier in the year gave our Great Taste judges an opportunity to taste hundreds of entries and there was a collective appreciation of the innovative, the traditional and the sheer perfection of some of the products judged,” said John Farrand, managing director of the Guild. “It is obvious that skill, talent and the dedication to grow the speciality food sector in Northern Ireland is driving forward superb quality and raising the bar each year.” Three-star winners included the Baronscourt Estate with a fully-traceable Wild Sika Venison loin described by one judge as “simply superb, delicious flavour and as soft as butter”, while judges also rated a Whole Peppermint Leaf Tea from Suki Teahouse. The sweet smoked flavours of Walter Ma’s Traditional Smoked Scallops from Ewings Seafoods were deemed well balanced, and the Hannan Meat Salt Aged Rib of Beef was again a high spot for judges who commented “the meat has layers and layers of flavour and the fat is incredible”. On September 8, the Supreme Champion was announced at the Great Taste Golden Forks dinner in London. Great Taste is simply about taste, not
clever branding or smart packaging. Judges are presented with a spoonful of jam, a pie, a slice of salami, or a cup of espresso, with no wrappings, jars or marks – and they taste, confer and re-taste before making the decision on whether a product should be a Great Taste one-, two- or three-star winner. Judged by over 400 of the most demanding palates belonging to food critics, chefs, cooks, members of the Women’s Institute, producers and a host of food writers and journalists, Great Taste is widely acknowledged as the most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food producers. In the words of highly regarded restaurant and food critic Charles Campion, “Great Taste is the only food award worth having”. When a product wears a Great Taste label, it carries a badge of honour but more importantly, the Great Taste logo is a signpost to a wonderful tasting product. Hundreds of judges have worked hard to discover the very best food and drink through hours and hours of blind-tasting a total of 10,000 different products. Of those 10,000 entries, only 153 have been awarded Great Taste three-star. A panel of supremely talented judges including: Masterchef judge and restaurant critic Charles Champion, BBC Food Programme presenter Sheila Dillon, Great British Bake Off winner
John Farrand
Frances Quinn, MasterChef 2013 Natalie Coleman, food buyers from Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Whole Food Markets, and chefs including James Golding, chef director of The Pig hotel group, have together re-judged and tasted yet again the three-star winners to finally agree on the 2014 Top 50 Foods, the Golden Fork Trophy winners as well as the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2014. A total of 10,000 products were entered in 2014, with 2,531 awarded one star, 697 two stars and 153 three stars.
Gaynor helps Robert Roberts win 17 Great Taste golds A
€350,000 investment in ‘Gaynor’ - a state-of-the-art Italian Brambatti roaster – last year is paying dividends for one of Ireland’s oldest coffee and tea companies, Robert Roberts. Robert Roberts has been awarded a record haul of 17 golds at the annual Great Taste Awards for 13 of its coffee and tea blends. Included in the winning products are four two-star gold accolades - which classes products as ‘faultless’ - for Robert Roberts’ Colombia Coffee, Fairtrade Luxury Tea, Vivaldi Espresso and Mocha Java. An additional nine products were also awarded a one-star gold – ‘close to perfect’ including Robert Roberts Rainforest Alliance organic tea, Robert Roberts Costa Rica coffee, and the company’s Decaf Black Tea. Highly regarded as the Oscars of the Food and Beverage Industry, the Great Taste Awards are organised by the Guild of Fine Food. The Brambatti roaster was named Gaynor after one of the founding fathers of Robert Roberts, E Gaynor Goodbody, and this is Robert Roberts’ first submission to the
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awards since its significant investment in the roaster. The record haul of Great Taste golds is a huge vote of confidence in Robert Roberts and the capabilities of Gaynor. This year’s Great Taste accolades bring the total number of golds that Robert Roberts has been awarded to 55 gold Great Taste awards, in just six years of entering. This includes a three-star gold – the highest possible accolade - for Robert Roberts’ Java Beans Coffee in 2012. This year’s Great Taste Awards’ judging involved 400 judges tasting over 10,000 products across Ireland and the UK, over a 50-day judging period in what is the world’s largest blind-tasted food and drink accreditation scheme. Garath Scully, master coffee roaster at Robert Roberts, said: “In addition to lowering the company’s carbon emissions through more energy efficient technology, Gaynor has enabled us to further refine our roasting. The roaster allows for even finer variations in the way we roast our coffee, taking advantage of the variation of the beans. “This year’s 17 Great Taste golds are very special as they’re a stamp of excellence for
our products. Our state-of-the-art technology, coupled with the old-fashioned tasting rituals that we use daily, are proving to be a winning combination.” Joanne Beattie, brand manager at Robert Roberts, said: “The Great Taste Awards are hugely influential in the food and drink industry and for shoppers, they are widelyrecognised as an indicator of ‘the best of’ products. “Our Roastery in Dublin 24 is the heart of our business and it’s vital that the superior quality and consistency of our coffees and teas is communicated to our retail and foodservice customers. The Great Taste Awards enables us to do this as its judging process is completely independent and very robust.” Robert Roberts’ coffee is available in all major supermarkets and convenience stores. Its foodservice offering supplies many of Ireland’s premier cafes, restaurants, hotels and canteens across the country. It is one of the oldest tea and coffee businesses in Ireland, with a history that goes back to the 1840s.
GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2014
White’s tastes success with nine gold stars L
ocal oat miller and cereal brand White’s Oats was the star of the show at this year’s Great Taste Awards winning an impressive nine gold stars for its range of oat-based cereal products. For a seventh consecutive year, White’s dedication, passion and expertise in growing and milling the best quality oats has been recognised by the Guild of Fine Food, the authoritative, independent standard for Britain’s fine foods sector. White’s now boast a grand total of 41 gold stars – an incredible achievement for Northern Ireland’s only oat cereal processor. “We are delighted that our cereals have once again been so highly received at this year’s prestigious Great Taste Awards,”
Pictured enjoying the sweet taste of White’s success ahead of the final oat harvest in Tandragee is Beatrice Agnew, 4, from Hamiltonsbawn, Armagh.
said Danielle McBride, brand manager of White’s Oats. “While we now hold over 40 Great Taste Gold Stars, the true stars are our loyal consumers whose love for White’s drives the passion and dedication we have for our
Double win for Willowbrook Foods
Creamy Rooster Mash
• Winner of two ‘Great Taste Awards’
business and our products.” Topping the pack at White’s this year were Toat’ly Oaty with added Multi Seed and Irish Oatmeal Steel Cut Oats which both received a double seal of appeal, each picking up two gold stars.
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Creamy Curry Coleslaw
• Innovation is key to success at Willowbrook Foods • Distribute throughout the UK & Ireland 50a Whiterock Road, Killinchy, Co Down, BT23 6PT T: +44 (0)28 9754 1603 E: info@willowbrookfoods.co.uk W: www.willowbrookfoods.co.uk
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illinchy-based fresh food producer and processor Willowbrook Foods has achieved gold stars in the Great Taste Awards for its Creamy Curry Coleslaw and Creamy Rooster Mash. Established in 1968 on land farmed by the McCann family for over 200 years, Willowbrook Foods uses the fertile soils on its acreage alongside Strangford Lough to produce vegetables to a very high standard as well as working with other farms and local growers. To accommodate demand from a core market of retail and foodservice customers, Willowbrook Foods invested £5.5m in a purpose-built manufacturing factory with a cutting-edge Food Innovation Centre in 2011. With just over 220 employees working across three factories in Northern Ireland, the business is now the largest processor of lettuce bags and salads in all-Ireland, with GB also an important market. As well as salad bags and bowls, lines include Prepared Vegetables, Stir-Fries, Noodles, Farm Grown Beansprouts, Mash, Vegetable Products, Food To Go, Dressed Salads, Sandwich Fillers and Mayonnaise. Willowbrook Foods has sustained BRC accreditation Grade A for over 10 years and is approved by the Soil Association for processing organic salads; the only company in all- Ireland with this accreditation. Customers include Tesco, Iceland, Lidl, Aldi, Spar, Subway, KFC, Dominoes, McDonald’s, Costcutter, Nisa, Booths, Budgens, and the Musgrave and Henderson groups.
GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2014
Bringing great taste to family meals with PEPPUP E
arning a Great Taste gold star before it’s even on the market is high recommendation for PEPPUP, a new table sauce which is strong on flavour, colour and concept. Developed by Dr Luca Montorio, PEPPUP takes its name from its key ingredient of roasted peppers and of course ‘ketchup’. Luca’s eight-year-old son Oliver came up with the catchy moniker, tying in nicely with the brand image of good food revolving around families and friends. “I reflect fondly over my Italian childhood, which taught me the importance of striking a good balance in life,” says Luca. “Today, my kitchen is the hub of family activity and, while lovingly preparing good food for my family and friends, I have created PEPPUP saving you time to share with your family and friends.” With Luca and his wife Liz both academic researchers, they have moved around a lot but are happy to have now settled in Portaferry, with Oliver and his four-year-old brother Dante, where Liz works at Queen’s University marine laboratory. Taking over child care responsibilities when his wife started her new appointment
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Luca Montorio, founder of PEPPUP
two years ago, Luca tinkered with a sauce recipe in his own kitchen for around a year before taking the concept to CAFRE. “I then spent a year developing in the kitchen at CAFRE, and looking at how we could manufacture it there with existing technology,” says Luca. “I really didn’t want to compromise with flavour. We did a lot of testing to establish the process to use and the ingredients to use.” Luca knew he wanted to use quality ingredients and keep the label clean and short; in addition to roasted pepper, the only ingredients are tomato, sugar, salt and vinegar. “This is a genuine product I can give to my kids,” he says. “The brand is about flavour, with roasted peppers as the main ingredient. I didn’t want to put any water or thickening in it but keep it as concentrated as possible.” Embracing the family concept further, the vibrant labelling is the handiwork of Luca’s mother Sandra, while the passata-style bottle has a vintage look, “reflecting the simplicity of the ingredients,” says Luca. Invest NI has supported the project including the Great Taste entry and development
of two further PEPPUP variants, one with reduced sugar and salt featuring identical ingredients in different proportions and a mildly spicy version with chilli. Valerie Finlay, food technologist at the Loughry Campus of CAFRE, says: “I was delighted when PEPPUP’s Roasted Pepper and Tomato Table Sauce was awarded a Great Taste Award. Luca continues to use the range of technical support available at Loughry when developing his unique range of table sauces. Throughout this process, Luca has developed his technical knowledge in processing parameters and evaluation criteria and, by using pilot processing equipment in our Food Technology Centre, Luca has had the opportunity to produce prototype samples.” With PEPPUP registered as a limited company a few months back, Luca is now looking for a multiple retail partner to get the product off the ground and his top priority is finding the right fit for the fledgling brand. “I’m taking the opportunity to promote the brand, and explain what it’s about,” says Luca. “It’s a start-up, with a start small and think big philosophy.” The business is ready to take an order of any size, and has a long-term aim of becoming a well-known quality brand in the grocery market. “It is something designed for the mass market,” he says. “It’s an authentic versatile sauce that can be used to flavour all your favourite dishes, or even enjoyed on its own.” PEPPUP has ambitious plans. “The aim is as soon as we enter the retail sector to target the foodservice sector,” says Luca. “The bottle would look good on tables. We also plan to develop other products in the condiment sector around roast peppers.” 23
GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2014
RubyBlue toasts success at Great Taste Awards 2014 H
ughes Craft Distillery, based in Lisburn, Co Antrim, has gained a series of awards over the last four years for its RubyBlue branded Craft Spirits. Last Year, the small artisan distillery gained the top award in the International Liqueur Masters for RubyBlue Wild Blackcurrant 17% and now it has been voted ‘simply delicious’ by the panel of expert judges at the 2014 Great Taste Awards. “Winning awards in such prestigious competitions is a marvellous endorsement of
the quality and innovation which underpins our range of liqueurs and will be an immense benefit to us as we drive sales in all our target markets especially in Ireland, London and throughout Europe,” said Barbara Hughes, director. Hughes Craft Distillery has developed a range of natural liqueurs made with real fruit, which are emerged and aged inside the bottle with Irish grain spirit to provide a clean, true flavour. Not syrupy and sweet as often expected, RubyBlue liqueurs are beautiful
to enjoy over ice, with sparkling wine and Champagne or to add unique flavour to cocktails and desserts.
Johnsons Coffee scoops another Great Taste Award F or a third consecutive year, Johnsons Coffee has won a Great Taste Award; this time for its Continental blend coffee. The fourth generation family-owned company, which celebrated its centenary as a coffee roaster in 2013, adds this year’s award to Great Taste awards in 2012/13, a Blas na hEirann award in 2013, a brand award from the Chartered Institute of Marketing plus recognition as Supplier of The Year at the 2013 Institute of Hospitality Awards. “We are delighted to have been awarded yet another award for our coffees,” said Philip Mills, group sales director of Johnsons Coffee. “Having won Great Taste Awards for our Costa Rica coffee
in 2012, followed by our Kenya blend in 2013, the 2014 Gold for our Continental blend, means that the three mainstay grocery coffee blends have each received recognition from the Guild of Fine Foods. “Receiving quality awards for our Johnsons Coffee blends plus our Bellagio Espresso blend is testament to our ongoing commitment to quality. This, together with awards for brand marketing and customer service, is a welcome reward for the efforts of every member of the team here at our Lisburn roastery.” Johnsons Coffee is sold not only into the grocery sector locally, but also exported to the USA and UAE, as well as being the coffee of choice for foodservice outlets across Ireland and Great Britain.
Love for natural butter continues to spread N
orthern Ireland’s number one butter brand, Dromona, continues to prove a winner with both consumers and industry experts alike, thanks to its consistently high quality and taste. Dromona Pure Butter continues to be recognised year-on-year by food experts at industry awards and remains one of the brand’s most successful product lines. With a naturally soft texture and creamy taste and made using only the finest summer milk, Dromona Pure Butter was awarded a gold star at this year’s Great Taste Awards, the fourth great taste
award the product has collected in recent years. “The Great Taste Awards are judged by
over 400 food experts, from chefs to retailers and journalists, so the stars our products have been awarded are a truly independent stamp of approval,” said Jason Hempton, commercial director of Branded Products for Dale Farm. Our long history of expertise in dairy means we use only the finest locally-sourced milk and always focus on quality and flavour across our entire range of Dromona butters, spreads and cheeses. We’re proud that this commitment translates to consumer loyalty at the checkout and valuable industry recognition at the Great Taste Awards.”
Linden Foods lifts golds for Inisvale brand L inden Foods has garnered gold stars in the Great Taste Awards for its Inisvale brand of meats developed with Lidl Ireland. Two stars went to its Irish Hereford Cheddar and Onion Beef Burgers, while one star apiece went to the Inisvale Irish Hereford Ribeye Steaks and Irish Hereford Fillet Steaks. Dungannon-based Linden Foods forms part of the Linden Food Group, alongside Slaney Foods and Irish Country Meats. Together they form an integrated major fresh meat processing operation with four strategic locations in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Rita O’Kane, new product development manager at Linden Foods, is pictured (right) with Catherine Hunter, retail account manager at Linden Foods, with the Inisvale Great Taste winning products for Lidl.
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GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2014 Brother and sister Will and Jane Harnett.
A star for Harnett’s Oils
Great Taste baby food first for Heavenly Tasty Organics L
ocal baby food manufacturer Heavenly Tasty Organics is now the only baby food company in the UK and Ireland to carry the Great Taste seal of approval. Two products, Spaghetti Bolognese (Stage 3: 9mths+) and Lentil and Vegetable Soup (Stage 2: 7mths+), were awarded a gold star. “We are just thrilled to have been awarded the Great Taste stamp of approval and have the products acknowledged for their quality by such an esteemed panel of judges,” said Shauna McCarney-Blair, managing director of Heavenly Tasty Organics. “Both these products previously won Silver and Bronze in the Irish Food Awards in 2013, so to win additional taste awards really confirm just how good they taste – even when tested on an adult’s palate. Shauna McCarney-Blair and James Blair with their daughter Elsa Blair.
H
arnett’s Oils is an award-winning rapeseed and hemp oil company that sells oils and flavoured vinaigrettes in St George’s Saturday Market, through its website www.harnettoils. com and at artisan food markets. It is the only oil company on the island of Ireland that grows, cold-presses, filters, bottles and markets its own ranges of oilseeds. It has strong customer and industry support, having won a gold star in the recent Great Taste Awards 2014. Rapeseed oil is very versatile and can be used as a salad dressing or for frying and roasting. It is also used to flavour other products and can even be used in your beauty regime. Hemp oil is known as a superfood, which has a great source of omegas, vitamins and minerals.
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GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2014
TEA-rrific result for Punjana team at Great Taste T
hompson’s Family Teas, the family behind Northern Ireland’s best-selling tea, Punjana, has smashed its 2013 haul of Great Taste Awards with an extraordinary 20 gold stars this year. The Belfast company has an excellent record in the Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards, having been awarded nine in both the 2011 and 2012 Awards and 11 gold stars in 2013. This year, triple gold was won by Thompson’s Organic Green tea with Ginger and Pineapple, matching the triple gold awarded for Thompson’s Titanic Tea in 2012 - establishing a new presence in the Speciality sector for the independently-owned family business. Just as significant for the company are the two gold stars won by their hero brand Punjana. Cousins Ross and David Thompson blend the entire range of Thompson’s Family Teas and their claim to blending the Perfect Everyday Cuppa was further strengthened by Punjana, reaching a remarkable total of 12 gold stars over the past seven years - a feat achieved by no other tea brand in the allimportant ‘blended tea bag’ sector. “I get very excited about the Great Taste Awards, it’s an accolade that purely takes into account the quality of the teas, which are blind tasted, with no chance of a judge being influenced by brand names,” said Ross Thompson, joint managing director of Thompson’s Family Teas. “Recognition from the Guild of Fine Foods makes the ongoing investment in our products and our commitment to producing premium tea blends, at affordable prices, worthwhile.” Thompson’s Family Teas also won two gold stars for Thompson’s White meets Green, Punjana loose tea, Thompson’s Signature Blend and Thompson’s Irish Breakfast tea bags with Thompson’s White Tea Romance, Thompson’s Titanic Luxury Loose, Thompson’s Single Estate Darjeeling, Thompson’s Everyday Blend tea bags, Punjana Green Tea bags and Thompson’s Turkish Apple all picking up a gold star each; bringing the 2014 Great Taste total to an unprecedented 20 gold stars. Before gold is awarded, between 12 and 20 experts taste, discuss and agree on the merits of every product. For two or three stars, up to 25 judges must unanimously agree an entry has achieved absolute perfection. One star means ‘virtually faultless’, two – ‘outstanding’ and three ‘exquisite. Wow! Taste that’. The Great Taste Awards is the largest and most trusted awards scheme for speciality Fine Food & Drink - with a panel of over 400 experts made up of chefs, buyers, food writers and retailers. The awards are co-ordinated by the Guild of Fine Food and this year, for the very first time, featured judging in Northern Ireland. Tea samples are tasted over 50 8 • •Ulster 3626 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
Pictured with their triple gold award-winning Thompson’s Organic Green tea with Ginger and Pineapple are cousins Ross and David Thompson, the family behind Punjana.
On a tea break from making award-winning Punjana tea are, from right, Christine McCluney, factory supervisor; Greg Earl, operations manager; and Chloe Brooker, technical supervisor.
days, in different locations across the UK and Ireland to ensure impartiality, and critical feedback is given to all entries, hence the Great Taste Awards being commonly referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of the food and drink world. “We have been blending tea in Belfast for over 100 years, with a member of the Thompson family being involved in every blend we create,” said Celebrating with a nice cup of award-winning Punjana are Thompson’s Family David Thompson, fellow Teas managing directors Ross and David Thompson. joint managing director of Thompson’s Family Teas. founded by Robert Thompson, Ross and “Winning these awards David’s grandfather, in 1896. Until this day illustrates our devotion to quality as shared by Punjana remains Belfast-based, employing previous generations.” local staff at its state-of-the-art tea blending The local family business, Northern and packing facility. Ireland’s largest remaining tea blender, was
GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2014
Eight accolades for Genesis Crafty at Great Taste M
agherafelt-based family bakery Genesis Crafty has ‘risen’ to the Great Taste challenge, with gold stars for an impressive eight products at this year’s Awards. “We have entered the awards for a number of years as we believe our products are of such a high quality,” said Brian McErlain, managing director of Genesis Crafty. “For all of our products that have won awards, we will feature the award logo on the packaging, informing our customers of the accolade. It will also show potential customers the quality of the product before they even try it.” Genesis Crafty’s best know product lines in Northern Ireland would possibly be its wheatens and sodas, while other lines include baps, rolls, cakes, pancakes and scones. “The bakery is still run by producing everything the traditional way,” says McErlain. “So all of our scones are cut by hand, our pancakes are flipped by hand, our rolls and baps are hand kneaded and our cakes are all finished and decorated individually by hand. By maintaining the hands on approach, we can maintain the home-baked taste and texture.” Established in 1968 by Joe and Roberta McErlain, the business began as a simple home bakery serving the local community with one bread cart. “The inspiration behind the brand has been only sell what you would eat yourself and, as
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Seeded Sub Rolls were among Genesis Crafty branded lines gaining a gold star at the Great Taste Awards 2014, alongside White Sub Rolls, 2 Round Sodas, Fruited Toaster Wheaten, Plain Scones and Ultimate Mince Pie. Two further products, SuperValu Brown Soda Quarter and SuperValu Wheaten Soda Loaf, entered under the Musgrave brand also gained stars.
such, the bakery has always been based on producing products the traditional homemade way, using only the best ingredients,” said McErlain. In 1982, Genesis Crafty started supplying a number of retailers including Wellworths, one of the largest retailers in NI at the time, while local stockists now include Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, the Henderson and Musgrave groups, Shop 4 You, Dunnes Stores and independent stores. In GB, Genesis Crafty is listed by Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. “Our business in the UK has also continued to expand with more and more of our lines
being listed by Waitrose – six in total at the minute but we also have a new line of products launching soon,” said McErlain. The business also supplies a number of foodservice customers, and own-label produce for clients such as M&S, while employee numbers now total 220. As for future plans, “we are continually looking at ways to develop our business and product offering for our customers, both locally and in GB,” said McErlain. “We are working on a number of exciting new product launches that will take place over the coming weeks.”
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GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2014
ORMO wheatens win Great Taste Awards O
RMO Wheaten breads have been recognised at this year’s Great Taste Awards, with gold stars going to both ORMO Farmhouse Wheaten and ORMO Square Wheaten. Run by the Guild of Fine Food, the Great Taste Awards are the largest and most trusted awards scheme for speciality fine food and drink. A panel of over 400 experts including chefs, buyers, food writers and retailers, put the food to the test. Judges said of the ORMO Farmhouse Wheaten, “a lovely looking loaf, with a good crust. Good and moist inside, cuts cleanly and holds together well – a nice loaf.” And of the ORMO Square Wheaten, they were equally as complimentary, “a very nice looking loaf. The texture is moist and there is a good aftertaste. Good levels of sweetness. Worthy of a star.” Great Taste is widely acknowledged as the most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food producers. When a product wears a Great Taste label, it carries a badge of honour but more importantly, the
Great Taste logo is an endorsement of a wonderful tasting product. Hundreds of judges have worked hard to discover the very best food and drink through hours and hours of blindtasting a total of 10,000 different products. “ORMO has over 125 years of heritage in Northern Ireland, and we are so proud that the great taste of our wheaten has been recognised by such an esteemed panel,” said Trevor McCrum, business unit director at Hovis Ireland, in Belfast where ORMO wheatens are made. “Ormo has been and remains one of Northern Ireland’s best known bakery brands. Great taste is at the heart of what we do, and these Great Taste Awards are proof that we are doing something right. In the coming months, we’ll be highlighting the stars on pack and on POS material to support the retailers in sales activity.”
Great taste and texture of homemade food M
ash Direct has been recognised again with Great Taste Awards success for three of its products bringing their total number of Awards to an impressive 14. The judges loved the deliciousness of the Red Cabbage and Beetroot (twice Great Taste Award winner) and praised the Potato Cakes with Bacon as being one of the nicest potato cakes they had tasted. They also thoroughly enjoyed the taste and texture of the Cauliflower Cheese Gratin. “We are delighted that even more of our products have been recognised for their great taste,” said Martin Hamilton, managing director of Mash Direct. “This year marks our 10th year in business and it is a real credit to all of our staff who are dedicated to producing high quality vegetable dishes that really do have the taste and texture of homemade food.” With six generations of farming expertise to draw from, Mash Direct is a specialist in its field, selecting older heritage varieties of vegetables that are bursting with flavour and gently steam cooked, prepared and packed on the family farm.
Flahavan’s proves its Great Taste with gold stars F
amily porridge producer Flahavan’s has proven it’s worth its weight in gold by securing five gold stars at the prestigious Great Taste Awards 2014. A leading Irish porridge brand, it received gold stars for a number of products including Flahavan’s Irish Organic Porridge Oats and Flahavan’s Porridge Oats. “Winning at the Great Taste Awards is a fantastic accolade for our business and proof to the consumer that Flahavan’s
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is committed to excellence,” said John Noonan, sales and marketing director at Flahavan’s. “Our unique milling process retains the full rich texture of Flahavan’s plump Irish oats - sealing in the natural aroma - and giving our products a distinctive creamy taste. With seven generations of milling experience, Flahavan’s remains focused on innovation and quality in order to ensure we maintain our high standards - and these awards are testament to that.”
GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2014
Hannan Meats is Best Speciality from Northern Ireland H
annan Meats received Great Taste Golden Fork for Best Speciality from Northern Ireland with Moyallan Three Sweet Bacon Ribs at the Great Taste Awards 2014. Hannan Meats uses fully traceable, local meat and traditional butchery skills combined with a unique Himalayan Salt Chamber for dry aging. Its Moyallon Sweet Bacon Ribs were described by one judge as ‘delicious sweetness with perfect fat and meat layers, well balanced and really very good’. The Moira-based business’ Sweet Bacon
Ribs were listed as one of the Great Taste Top 50, alongside four other products including its Salt-aged Fillet Steak, described by judges as a ‘very special fillet steak that is dry-aged on the bone’ and ‘carried a wonderfully balanced flavour and delivered a great after taste’. Himalayan Salt Aged Rib of Beef was, meanwhile, described by judges as ‘pure beef genius’ and ‘melts in the mouth’. They applauded the ‘flavoursome fat and tender texture of the meat’. Seven of Hannan Meats’ bacon and beef
products gained three-star ranking in this year’s awards, while one of its products was named Supreme Champion in the Great Taste Awards 2012. It has now gained 128 gold stars in the past four years – more than any other individual company in the event’s history.
Baronscourt Venison listed in top 50 foods
V
enison Loin from Baronscourt Estate in Northern Ireland is listed among the Top 50 Foods organised by the UK Guild of Fine Food in the Great Taste Awards 2014. Baronscourt Estate is located near Omagh in Co Tyrone and is one of
Northern Ireland’s great estates. The venison loin comes from wild sika deer that freely roam the huge estate. Great Taste experts said: ‘this lean joint of venison is tender, moist and carries great gamey flavours, without being too overpowering. It has great character. The meat has impressive, long lasting flavours’. The meat produced when the herd is culled is fully traceable and processed in the estate’s EU approved game handling facility, one of only two in Northern Ireland. All meat is vet-inspected and passed before leaving the estate. A selective cull then takes place in order to balance the breeding population with the likely food source for the season. The estate’s detailed management of this herd was recognised when it received the Laurent Perrier Award for Wild Game Conservation. Sika is a very lean and succulent meat, having the lowest calories and cholesterol levels compared to any other red meat products. Combined with the high levels of protein, venison can be classified as a red meat super food. In addition to high quality venison, the estate also produces oven ready pheasants and ducks during the shooting season, all of which are home reared.
Raising the game in the food sector G
reenmount Farm Shop’s Game Pie was awarded three gold stars while its Chicken & Ham Pie merited one gold star in the Great Taste Awards 2014. The Richhill-based business sources most of what it puts in the pies from its own farm. “We are absolutely delighted with the gold star awards, particularly the three gold stars for our Game Pie,” said Dean Irwin, proprietor. “It is difficult enough to win a gold star in this very prestigious competition organised by the Guild of Fine Food but to be awarded three gold stars is a little bit special.” Featuring venison, duck, steak, bacon, mushroom, peas, red currant jelly and seasoning, the judges said it was ‘a fabulous looking pie topped with crunchy butter puff pastry’. They also said the Game Pie had ‘beautiful flavours to the meat’ which ‘married well together and which were cooked to perfection’. Greenmount Farm Shop’s Chicken & Ham Pie also came in for favourable comment. The judges said it had ‘golden flaky pastry, succulent pieces of ham and chicken with a good flavour’. “Our game pie has always been very popular but this year we further enhanced the recipe and that has certainly paid dividends,” said Irwin. 8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
Dean Irwin is pictured with Cherith Hall, left, and Hannah Dougan of Greenmount Farm Shop displaying their award-winning Game and Chicken & Ham pies.
As a result of the success, the Farm Shop is now looking at introducing two-portion and single-portion Game Pies. 29
HOT BEVERAGES
Grab a quality Costa coffee on the go Stephen Kelly, Director of MBCC Costa Ireland, tells UG about the profits to be made from installing a Costa Express machine in your store. RTD COFFEE SAW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN 2013 AND IS HUGELY COMPETITIVE. HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE YOUR PRODUCT IN SUCH A CROWDED MARKET PLACE? Using the same freshly ground Mocha Italia beans you’ll find in our stores and fresh milk in every cup, Costa Express is a great way for your customers to grab a quality Costa coffee on the go. There’s minimal outlay as we install your machine for free, and we’ll provide all of your coffee and consumables. Our unique revenue share scheme means income is shared at an agreed rate and we’re always on hand if you need us. All you have to do is keep your machine topped up with fresh milk and watch your profits grow. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE TO BE AT THE CORE OF THE COSTA EXPRESS BRAND? Authentic Costa quality, ingeniously selfserved in every cup, delivering unprecedented growth in our partners’ outlets where Costa Express machines are installed. HOW HAS THE COSTA EXPRESS BRAND INNOVATED TO MEET CONSUMER TRENDS AND REGENERATE INTEREST IN YOUR CATEGORY? Innovation is at the heart of Costa Express;
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our touch screen coffee bars are simple to use and customers can choose the drink and size of their choice. They can even choose to have a free shot of caramel or vanilla syrup. Each Costa Express machine is fitted with telemetry that ensures that the quality and consistency of each drink is correct. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER RETAILERS TO HELP DRIVE SALES IN YOU CATEGORY? Listen to customers. Whether it’s a forecourt or convenience store, customers want consumer brands that they trust. In a recent survey, the top three consumer demands were: · Cleanliness of machine · Coffee always needs to be fresh and taste great · Ease of use of machines WHAT MARKETING INITIATIVES HAVE YOU PLANNED OVER THE COMING MONTHS? One of the advantages of the Costa Express machine is that we can remotely change the imagery on the screen for seasonal events like having a Christmas signature drink. We are also planning various exhibitions and trade press updates.
Costa Express can help you turn 1m2 of floor space into an extra profit stream for your business. There is no capital outlay, installation is free and easy and consumables are provided. All you need do is add milk and watch your profits rise.
To find out what Costa Express can offer you, contact:
ROI tel: 021 500 3526 NI tel: 02892 689204
HOT BEVERAGES
A second century of quality for Johnsons Coffee T
he words of Robert Johnson, “We have a responsibility as a roaster to father the coffee to the cup”, uttered in 1916, have remained the maxim for local coffee roaster Johnsons Coffee, which this year commenced its second century in the industry. While the marketplace, company and product offering are hugely different now to a century ago, the driving force behind the fourth generation family-owned business remains unchanged, as Group Sales Director Philip Mills explained: “We have traditionally been known as a nation of tea drinkers, however, since the mid 1990s, the cafe culture and rise of specialty coffees has meant that coffee has become part of our everyday routine. As consumption has increased, so too has consumer awareness and the quality in the cup is the ultimate test for the consumer. Sourcing premium grade coffees, blending and roasting locally and operating a ‘just-in-time’ production/delivery timeframe, means that we can meet the responsibilty handed down through generations of Johnsons family.” Over the past few years, this has been
recognised by the Guild of Fine Foods and the Irish Food Guild which have awarded Johnsons Coffees Great Taste & Blas na hEirann awards respectively in 2012-14. “We are very proud of our achievements in having received awards for our coffees over the past few years,” said Mills. “Importing high grown pure arabica coffees from around
the globe into Lisburn means that we can control quality, roast freshly and offer the local consumer a comptitive product as there are fewer links in the supply chain.” Johnsons Coffee is the coffee of choice not only for households but also for the foodservice sector both in Ireland and across the UK.
Suki Teahouse invests £250,000 S
uki Teahouse in Belfast is investing £250,000 with assistance from Invest Northern Ireland’s Jobs Fund to expand sales outside Northern Ireland. Suki, based at Twin Spires on Northumberland Street, is creating seven new jobs and has received Invest NI Jobs Fund assistance of £35,000 towards the expansion. The new jobs, three of which are already in place, will mean an additional £127,315 in salaries and wages for the local economy. The company, an award-winning blender of teas and herbal infusions, is aiming to grow its business in GB, the Republic of Ireland and further afield. It already sells to customers in Japan, Europe and Africa. The new equipment will assist the business in the development of innovative products to enhance its portfolio of popular teas.
Anne Irwin and Oscar Woolley of Suki Teahouse in Belfast, are pictured with John Hood, director of Food and Tourism Invest NI.
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HOT BEVERAGES
Robert Roberts adds Coffee Capsules to its retail coffee range W
ith more and more coffee-loving homes in Northern Ireland moving towards capsule machines, Robert Roberts – one of Ireland’s oldest coffee and tea companies - is the first Irish company to launch its own roast-ground coffee capsules. Available in 10-capsule boxes, the new range is aimed at meeting customer demand for easily accessible, affordable and great tasting coffee pods. Compatible with all Nespresso® home machines*, Robert Roberts’ coffee capsules are available in three different intensities – 7, 9 and 10.
• Intensity 7 coffee capsules make the perfect morning coffee. 100% Arabica, the coffee is smooth, sweet and soft with a well-balanced acidity. • Intensity 9 capsules deliver a medium bodied coffee with a smooth profile and finish. This nutty coffee with unsweetened chocolate notes is a great choice for an afternoon boost. • Intensity 10 capsules intense dark roasted in the southern Italian style, make a great espresso and also work well with milk; it is perfect for lovers of strong coffee. Robert Roberts has worked hard to ensure quality and consistency in each and every coffee pod. Importantly, the range of capsules will offer choice to customers with compatible machines and they’re available across Northern Ireland, making ‘at home’ quality, fresh coffee drinking so much more accessible. Robert Roberts 3-star coffee beans Robert Roberts has been
selecting, roasting and blending the world’s finest Arabica coffee beans in Dublin since 1905, taking time to ensure customers get the same great taste every time by continuously tasting the beans and blend at every stage of process. Look out for the freshness value at the front of our pack; coffee is packed immediately after roasting to preserve the fullest flavour. Why 3-star beans? Robert Roberts’ coffee craftsmanship was recognised by the Great Taste Awards selection committee, which awarded the beans 3 gold stars. The judging panel only awarded 3 stars to 230 out of 8,800 products tasted and judged these beans as ‘truly outstanding’. The beans have been specially selected and roasted for bean to cup or espresso style coffees but can be used for any brewing method, and are ideal for making espresso based drinks like lattes or cappuccinos. The rich, spicy aroma created by the grinding of fresh roasted coffee is said to be nothing short of amazing. Grinding beans just before brewing coffee retain its freshness.
Thompson’s Family Teas has Great Taste T
hompson’s Family Teas, the family behind Northern Ireland’s best-selling tea, Punjana, has been brewing tea in Belfast for over 100 years - with a member of the Thompson family tasting every blend. The local company, Northern Ireland’s largest remaining tea blender, was founded by Robert Thompson, Ross and David’s grandfather, in 1896. Punjana remains Belfast-based, employing local staff at its state-of-the-art tea blending and packing facility. The family is currently celebrating their biggest Great Taste Awards win, described by many as the Oscars of the food and drink world. The Thompson family won 20 golds; that’s more than any other tea company. They also won the highest accolade possible, triple gold, for their Thompson’s Organic Green tea with Ginger and Pineapple, with their three best sellers, Punjana Original, Thompson’s Irish Breakfast and Thompson’s Signature Blend all winning double gold. “Not everyone is aware that Punjana has always been locally based and indeed our family has been importing and blending some of the world’s finest teas in Belfast for over 100 years,” said Ross Thompson, joint 8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
managing director of Thompson’s Family Teas. “We are thrilled to exceed last years’ tally at the Great Taste Awards, itself a record – especially as the awards extend right across our tea bag and speciality loose tea range. Whilst Green tea and Fruit and Herbal teas continue to increase in popularity, it is ‘everyday black tea’ that dominates tea consumption in Northern Ireland,
representing over 70% of all tea sales. We are therefore especially pleased that our hero brand, Punjana, has reached a grand total of 12 Great Taste gold awards over the last seven years; a feat achieved by no other tea bag blend throughout these islands. It just goes to prove that, when it comes to tea, the people of Northern Ireland have got great taste.” To find out more, visit www.punjana.com or like Punjana on Facebook. 33
Q&A
In the Hot Seat George Rankin, senior director NI for Asda. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF I currently hold the position of senior director NI for Asda. I have been in this post for nine months now and have loved every minute so far. I have always had a passion for retail and have worked my way up through the ranks, having first started on the shop floor of supermarket chain Safeway in Ballyclare. I have been part of the Asda family since they acquired Safeway Stores in 2005 and, over the years, I have had many roles including general store manager at Asda stores in Ballyclare, Antrim and Belfast. I live with my wife Jenny in Ballyclare and our two children, Edee (6) and George (3). Jenny and I actually met when we worked together at Safeway in Ballyclare, so she really knows the ins and outs of what it is like to work in such a fast-paced and busy environment.
world of work. So I was delighted when Asda NI helped sponsor this year’s regional Young Enterprise initiative and supported boys from Omagh CBS who made it to the national final. We also launched our ‘Get into Retail with Asda’ programme in partnership with the Prince’s Trust earlier this year. We were delighted to see 16 of the participants go on to secure employment with Asda as a result.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE FOR YOU? As part of my job, I am responsible for managing the entire operating system of Asda NI and also for leading a team of over 5,000 colleagues – so, as clichéd as it sounds, no two days are the same! My role is very hands on and I spend a lot of time out and about speaking with colleagues at each of our 17 Asda stores or meeting with our local sourcing team to discuss what new local suppliers we have coming on board. Another day I may find myself sitting down with customers and politicians to discuss how we can continue to support each of the local communities we operate in. In fact, just last week I took a trip alongside members of our Community Life team to Rathlin Island to meet with members of the Rathlin Development Community Association. Through our charitable trust, The Asda Foundation, we have donated £20,000 to the group to support the refurbishment of their community store on the island. Each day brings something different, which makes coming into work so rewarding.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST DIFFICULT TASK? Making sure that all of our colleagues are, not only happy, but engaging with our customers to provide the very best service possible is one of my more complex tasks. I work with a really fantastic People Team and try to ensure that those lines of communication from shop floor to me are always open.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? I recently returned home from Essex where I held the post of regional operations manager for Asda. Coming home to, not only rejoin, but to lead the Asda Northern Ireland team has been a real honour and is up there as one of the highlights of my career so far. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? The very best part is working with various team members to help support our colleagues and encourage them to develop in their role. We have a Retail Academy located at our Antrim store and each year we have huge numbers of colleagues who make use of the training opportunities. I take great pride in seeing our colleagues happy and doing well in their career. I also have a keen interest in initiatives that help young people develop their skills and access the training they need to move into the 8 • •Ulster 3634 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received is that if you want to move up in your career, then you need to take every opportunity that is open to you; especially ones where you get to demonstrate or show your ability. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS/ AMBITIONS? Over the coming months and years, I want to make sure that Asda consistently remains the best place to shop and work for our customers and colleagues alike. I also want to make the most of my new role and engage with a wider range of people, both internally and externally, than I previously would have. For example I have really enjoyed working with our property team to discuss future business opportunities in Northern Ireland or our community team to learn more about the excellent work our Community Life Champions and colleagues are doing in their local areas. WHO DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? Footballer Steven Gerrard is up there on the top of the list for his ability to pull his team together and achieve great things as a result. WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? One of my favourite places is out and about in the parks and fields around Ballyclare. I love
nothing more than going out for walks with my wife, kids and our two dogs Bailey and Fonzie. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD PRODUCT? Without a doubt it has to be cheese! Luckily we have some world-class cheese producers in Northern Ireland including Dale Farm and Fivemiletown. I am delighted that our local sourcing team work in close partnership with so many excellent suppliers from across the region to fill our shelves with high quality products, although it does make leaving work each evening without stocking up quite difficult! HOW DO YOU RELAX? When I can, I really like to switch off my phone so I can really unwind. I also love to cycle and try to get out on my bike at least once a week if I can. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GRIPE? I don’t like to see people wasting their talent. That is why I am really passionate about programmes such as the ‘Get into Retail with Asda’ scheme or Young Enterprise which are creating opportunities to encourage young people to make the most of their skills. WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE? I would like to be able to see into the future and predict what lies ahead both in a work sense and in life.
MARKETING NEWS
SCA raises global profile with major sponsorship by alyson magee
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wedish hygiene and forest products company SCA, manufacturer of the Plenty, Velvet, Cushelle, Bodyform, TENA and Tork brands, has invested in a major marketing opportunity aimed at elevating its global profile. SCA is sponsoring an all-female team in the Volvo Ocean Race, a gruelling ninemonth yacht race involving a 38,739-mile circumnavigation of the globe. Thirteen women, including five Brits, are competing in Team SCA with the race beginning in Spain in October 2014 and finishing in Sweden in June 2015. While a NASDAQ-listed group with sales totalling €10.7bn in 2013, and 44,000 employees in 100 countries, SCA has been relatively unknown despite the high profile of its brands in the grocery sector, and Tork as a commercial hygiene brand. The Stockholm-based group is the largest private forest owner in Europe, and has 1,800 employees across seven UK manufacturing sites and commercial offices in Manchester, Dunstable and Dublin, with its sales in the UK and Ireland last year totalling £840m. “SCA is supporting an all-female team because globally about 80% of the retail products SCA makes are purchased by women,” said Sally Barker, UK and Ireland managing director of SCA. “This gives SCA a natural interest in the role that women play in the field of hygiene of millions of families around the world. “Furthermore, SCA supports women’s empowerment and their freedom to participate fully in society – socially, educationally and professionally – across the world by giving them access to and education about hygiene products and solutions. “SCA is also participating in the Volvo Ocean Race because it is a unique global platform for building greater awareness of SCA and our leading personal hygiene brands. SCA’s vision is to make a difference by providing the essentials for everyday life and Team SCA will be at sea for nine months, which means these 11 women will encounter unique hygiene challenges over the course of the race.” Racing on the Volvo Ocean 65, the world’s most technologically-advanced offshore racing boat, Team SCA will sail non-stop 24 hours a day for up to three weeks at a time, calling at 10 ports around the globe – and flying the flag for SCA - over the nine months. SCA has also, meanwhile, embarked on a series of new launches and marketing activity across its brands available in the UK and Ireland, including: New Roll.Press.Go wrappers from Bodyform As Bodyform prepares to launch its new Live Fearless campaign, encouraging and inspiring women to say ‘yes’ to life, the brand is also 8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
An all-female Team SCA will be competing in the Volvo Ocean Race from October 2014 until June 2015.
launching new, innovative Roll.Press.Go wrappers for its Ultra Towels involving a wrap completely sealing all sides for discreet and hygienic disposal on the go. With a £4.5m marketing investment, the new Live Fearless campaign is the biggest relaunch in Bodyform’s history and includes new packaging, new communication and exciting new product development. Launching on September 22, Live Fearless is supported with a new TV campaign Times Have Changed nostalgically exploring how women’s sanitary protection has changed over the years, alongside Bodyform’s role in driving category innovation with its new Roll.Press.Go. Ultra Towels. “The Live Fearless campaign is all about giving women greater confidence and encouraging them to live life to the full”, says Traci Baxter, brand marketing controller at Bodyform. New lines added to TENA TENA, SCA’s market leading continence care brand, has added a number of new lines including TENA Lady Pants and TENA Lady Maxi, as well as new TENA Comfort and TENA Slip ranges featuring ConfioAir technology. TENA Lady has re-launched TENA Protective Underwear, which will now join the TENA Lady portfolio of products as TENA Lady Pants. Designed to help tackle the reluctance to purchase heavier pants products, the new feminine pack design will be launched in a smaller pack size with a reduced price point to encourage customers to trade up from pads designed for lighter bladder weakness. The new TENA Comfort and TENA Slip products with ConfioAir technology uses dermatologically tested and breathable materials to allow the skin to breathe, and maintain skin health, while the new TENA Lady Maxi is the longest and fastest ever absorbing pad in the
TENA Lady range, 37mm longer than TENA Lady Extra Plus and featuring an innovative InstaDRY zone which absorbs 40ml more than its predecessor. Lights by TENA, its range of purpose-made liners, has meanwhile been awarded Reader Recommended status for 2014 by Cosmopolitan after readers were invited to take part in a robust product trial. TENA Liner, Long Liner, Light Liner and Single-Wrapped Liner were all given the seal of approval, with the logo appearing on-pack from May. And TENA has relaunched its free pelvic floor fitness app, following positive consumer feedback, with improved usability. New pack design for Plenty UK branded kitchen towel market leader Plenty* has repackaged its lines for ease of navigation in the overwhelming household towel category, and to clarify the positioning of each product in the portfolio. Lines include Plenty The Original One for a range of household tasks, Plenty The Fat One which needs changing less often, Plenty The Big One with bigger sheets for bigger tasks such as cleaning windows, and Plenty Dura Cloth combines the cleaning power of a cloth in a paper towel for tougher tasks. Plenty is the first household towel brand to be awarded Good Housekeeping reader recommended endorsement, and has utilised Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended tips to create a new You Tube tips channel while also increasing consumer awareness of the brand. “To effectively drive sales, retailers should begin to recognise that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is no longer appropriate for this category,” says Laura Burrows, brand manager for Plenty. “Paper is a key footfall driver so responding specifically to trends and consumer needs is imperative to help increase numbers of impulse paper purchases.” * IRI data to 52 w/e 14th June 2014 35
AGRI-FOOD NEWS
UFU host UK unions dairy meeting
Irish company patents new DNA testing technology for meat
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Pictured at Thomas Steele’s Dairy farm outside Kircubbin are, from left, Rob Newberry (NFU senior policy), William Irvine (UFU vice dairy chairman), Rob Harrison (NFU dairy chairman), Jonathan Moore (UFU dairy chairman), Aled Jones (NFU Cymru dairy chairman), George Jamieson (NFU Scotland senior policy), Thomas Steele, Samuel Steele, Gary Mitchell (NFU Scotland chairman), Barclay Bell (UFU deputy president) and Sian Davies (BAB assistant director).
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airy representatives from each of the UK farming unions were in Northern Ireland recently, hosted by the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), to discuss a wide range of issues affecting the dairy sector. Representatives from NFU, NFU Scotland, NFU Cymru and Brussels Agricultural Bureau (BAB) were present. “The meeting was a perfect opportunity for us to meet with our GB counterparts to discuss a number of issues affecting the dairy sector,” said Barclay Bell, deputy president of UFU. As well as Russia’s decision to ban all agri-food imports from the EU, “the current direction of farmgate milk prices, pricing volatility, the possibility of forward contracts and the Voluntary Code of Practice were also up for discussion,” he said. “We looked at the functioning of the Red Tractor Assurance Dairy Scheme within the UK and how the future certification effectiveness will be measured. We also had a lengthy conversation about the EU Commission’s recently launched Milk Market Observatory (MMO). We agreed that for the MMO to be a success, the availability of reliable data specific to each EU member state dairy sectors must be easily assessed and be presented to the MMO in Brussels. UFU is pressing that Northern Ireland specific dairy data is accounted for in all submissions.”
Agri-food news in brief... Leadership needed over cattle residency UFU President Ian Marshall is calling on meat processors to show leadership and provide constructive solutions to the ongoing issues with regards to cattle residencies, following reports that certain meat processors have yet to relax the penalties applied on cattle with more than four residencies. UFU will continue to monitor the situation closely as well as report processor practices and would advise farmers to explore all options available when bringing cattle forward for sale.
rish genetics company IndentiGEN has patented a new chemistry-based technology which can cut the labour cost of DNA testing by 60%. IdentiGEN is based in Dublin and offers DNA traceability services to major meat producers across the globe, with offices and laboratories in Dublin, Wales, the US and Canada. Its novel chemistry-based approach to genotyping brings major advantages over the market leading alternatives, according to the company. “The new testing approach, for which patents have been filed, has been delivering transformational improvements in DNA sample analysis since it was put into production testing earlier this year,” said Ciaran Meghen, founder and managing director of IdentiGEN. “In particular the technology can reduce the labour cost of data scoring by more than 60%. The experience within IdentiGEN’s own facilities has been a dramatic reduction in the cost of generating results. “While this technology has transformed our internal cost base, and will support our continued growth and development in the area of animal and meat product identification in particular, the opportunity to promote our new formulation to a wider customer base is an exciting development for our business.”
Linden Foods launches new Farmers Range meats L
inden Foods has launched a Farmers Range meat brand for sale through farm supply stores operated by its parent company Fane Valley Co-Operative, which is Northern Ireland’s biggest farmers’ co-operative with sales in excess of £500m last year. An introductory range of products has been hand selected at the perfect point of maturation, shock-frozen to lock in the flavour and freshness and conveniently packed. The initiative represents a strategic development by Fane Valley, which also includes White’s Oats in Tandragee, Fane Valley Dairies in Banbridge and Kettyle Irish Foods in Lisnaskea. Other group food products may be included in the stores in due course. “We are delighted to be able to add to our vast product range,” said Dessie Ferguson, general manager of Fane Valley Stores. “This new venture will certainly add a unique dimension to the Fane Valley Store network.” Local Armagh beef farmer Joe McCarragher, said: “I think it is a great idea. I am a Fane Valley customer and supply my beef cattle to Linden Foods. Farmers Range really completes the full circle of what Fane Valley can offer me as a customer. I know the quality of product is extremely high and it is especially pleasing to know that I am eating beef I have supplied and trust.” 36
Armagh Fane Valley Stores Manager George King is pictured with Farmers Range customer and local beef farmer Joe McCarragher and daughters Anna and Cassie.
EXPORT NEWS
Northern Irish eel products developed for global markets E
els from Europe’s largest remaining wild eel fishery in Lough Neagh are being developed into added-value products for international markets in a new business plan that aims to harness the economic potential of their EU Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) status. Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative Society in Toome, Co Antrim is investing over £400,000 in a new processing operation for the eels, which have long been exported live to processors outside Northern Ireland and are regarded as a delicacy in these markets. Invest NI and DARD provided £121,380 of the total. The society has played a pivotal role in
managing the fishery to conserve eel stocks and overall sustainability over the past 50 years. This has included investing over £3m of its own funds in supplementary eel restocking, an indication of its commitment to securing a sustainable and viable future of the fishery. “This is a very significant project for the society, our suppliers and the wider community from around the lough, the UK’s biggest inland waterway, who are involved in the fishing industry,” said Pat Close, chairman of the co-operative. “We have established a new processing facility for the preparation and vacuum packing of the eels for sale in Northern Ireland, Britain and other parts of Europe,
where they’ve been popular with restaurants and with ‘foodies’ for over 40 years. “We see this investment as the start of a process that will also result in the development of a distinctive Northern Irish eel brand and will include other added-value products for export these projects will also help the society, a not-for-profit organisation, to secure new funding.”
Moy Park launches Good Kitchen range
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oy Park has launched a new range of pre-prepared chicken products in stores across GB under the Moy Park Good Kitchen brand. Developed to target a growing market for added-value fresh chicken products, the innovative Good Kitchen range includes three ready-to-cook, flavour-infused chicken breast products – Garlic &
Herbs, Ginger, Lime & Coriander and Pesto & Sunflower Seeds. As an extension to the Good Kitchen range, Good Kitchen – Chef’s Specials includes three straight to pan ready-to-heat products, using cooked Moy Park chicken and a selection of sauces inspired by world cuisines, including Szechuan, Thai and Tikka. “We have developed the Good Kitchen range in response to consumer demand for a convenient, high quality main meal solution,” said Paul McGurk, brand marketing manager at Moy Park. “According to research, although people want flavoursome meals, over a third of consumers cook and eat chicken plain, due to a lack of time to prepare dishes from scratch. Each product in the ‘Good Kitchen’ range is pre-prepared, using locally-sourced chicken and a range of flavour combinations, which means consumers can have tasty, flavoursome meals made from fresh chicken that are quick and easy to cook.” The Moy Park Good Kitchen product range was available in Palmer & Harvey, Costcutter, Mace and Ocado from August.
New technology to save native oysters I
sland Shellfish in Northern Ireland has developed an innovative commercial micro hatchery to regenerate the European native oyster, an endangered species. The new system is already attracting business from Hong Kong and inquiries from UK producers as well as from France, China, New Zealand, Kenya and Pakistan. The small company has developed breakthrough technology enabling shellfish production areas to use indigenous stocks to produce seed oysters or other shellfish including clams. This control over seed supply removes the need to import shellfish such as Pacific Oyster, helping to protect the industry from potential diseases.
Island Shellfish, based on Larne Lough in Co Antrim, once a major oyster rearing area, was formed in 1997 by Dr Don Saville, a marine parasitologist, and engineer Billy Johnston as a research project to help
regenerate the native oyster sector. The company is now commercialising the research. “Our modular system offers producers the ability to scale production up quickly,” said Saville. “It has been designed to carry out the complete operation from spawning to settled seed oysters, and features a nursery system of floating trays for on-growing that protects juvenile oysters. This protection from predators in their vulnerable stage increases survival of oysters in the wild to over 50%, from the current 1% level. “The micro hatchery will assist the development of the shellfish industry particularly for the European Native or flat oyster. This species is growing in popularity with chefs and restaurateurs.” 37
BUSINESS NEWS
Grow your business with upcoming events A number of events are taking place in Belfast over the next few months to help businesses ‘grow’. The Go for Growth programme will offer support to nearly 500 small businesses in the city. The innovative initiative is part funded by Belfast City Council, Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland. As part of the programme, workshops targeting skills development, business networking events and best-practice company visits will be held during September, October, November and December. A skills development workshop, 10 Ways to Save Money, is taking place on September 24 over 2-5pm at the Ulster Bank headquarters, Donegall Square East
in the city centre. This interactive workshop will examine ways to save money and take financial control of your business to make it more profitable. Using Digital Media to Promote Your Business will be the topic of an upcoming workshop on October 29 over 2-5pm at Ormeau Business Park, while Managing Time and Stress Effectively While Running a Small Business will be explored at another workshop in December with the time/venue to be confirmed at a later date. All of the workshops are free to attend, and two free networking events will also be held, looking at Employers’ Rights in Malone House on October 22 from 5.30-7.30pm and How to Choose An Export Market in the Ulster Museum on December 10 from 5.307.30pm.
For more information on the events taking place as part of Go for Growth, contact the programme delivery agent Full Circle at 028 9069 1027 or email claire@fullcircle.eu.com.
Farry launches Food Engineering Apprenticeship E
mployment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry launched a new apprenticeship in Engineering in the Northern Ireland Food Sector earlier this month. The pilot Food Engineering apprenticeship has been designed by a number of leading local food manufacturing companies, in partnership with the Department, Southern Regional College (SRC) and the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise; with training taking place at SRC’s Portadown campus. “The importance of the agri-food sector to Northern Ireland’s economy cannot be underestimated,” said Farry. “As co-chair of the Food and Drink Future Skills Action Group, I work directly with leading employers from the sector to develop and implement solutions such as this apprenticeship programme to address the skills gaps of the existing workforce and to raise the skills levels of new entrants. “The development of the Food Engineering Apprenticeship will provide participants with the skills and experience to take up exciting engineering opportunities in the food and drink manufacturing and processing sector. I am confident that this type of intervention
Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry is pictured at the launch of a new apprenticeship in Engineering in the Northern Ireland Food Sector, with John Quinn, director for Business Engagement and External Relations SRC and Neil Clarke, engineering manager at Moy Park, Craigavon.
will ensure a highly skilled workforce that will support the growth of this important sector.” Participating employers include Irwin’s, Dale Farm, ABP Food Group, Gourmet Island, Gilfresh, Moy Park and Linden Foods. The programme will provide successful applicants with employment in one of the participating companies who will invest in the training of the young people developing vital technical and practical skills. SRC has organised a number of candidate
information sessions this month. John Quinn, director for Business Engagement and External Relations at SRC, said: “SRC plan to further develop our provision to enable a progression pathway in the future onto a higher level apprenticeship, enabling the employees to undertake a foundation degree as part of their higher apprenticeship framework. This alternative route to third level education is becoming a preferred choice as young people are seeing the benefits of securing employment initially and then simultaneously studying for their degree programme as part of the apprenticeship.” The programme targets GCSE or equivalent applicants and the selection process will involve aptitude testing and interviews. Successful applicants will receive training in the Southern Regional College and will be employed in various locations across Northern Ireland. For further information, and details on how to apply, please see http://www.nidirect. gov.uk/engineering-apprenticeship or contact Southern Regional College 028 3839 7778 or 028 3839 5664. Applications for the Food Engineering Apprenticeship must be received by 12 noon on September 26.
Alcohol wholesalers warned over HMRC registration B
rewers, vintners and distillers must register with HMRC under a new wholesaler scheme, warns accountant and business adviser James Cowper. HMRC is requiring all companies wholesaling alcohol to register with HMRC as it continues to battle alcohol duty fraud, according to the firm. Alcohol duty fraud costs UK tax-payers an estimated £1bn each year. In 2010,
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HMRC introduced its Tackling Alcohol Strategy, and has tripled the amount of revenue secured via increasingly tough enforcement measures. “HMRC is requiring all alcohol wholesalers to register under the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme, effectively introducing a central point of control on alcohol sales,” said Ruth Corkin, VAT senior manager at James Cowper. “Retailers will only be allowed to
purchase from registered wholesalers. “Whilst the details of the registration scheme have yet to be fully announced, we fully expect the scheme to extend to breweries, vintners and distillers that sell to the retail trade. “There is some confusion as to whether producers registered to pay excise duty – breweries for example – will need to register separately.”
AV BROWNE COMMENTARY
Bridging the gap between real and digital worlds Millennials are building a new model for creating, says Daniel Hurley of AV Browne, such as Cargo which is generating buzz within the wider nano-brewing community and beyond with Brewbot.
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’ve always liked making things. I made a lamp once out of some scrap metal. And a longbow too when I was 12; but needless to say my parents took it off me. They didn’t really love the lamp either. But whatever the end product was, my starting point for any creation was almost always a question, ‘What would happen if?’ To which my response was almost always, ‘Let’s see’. It was a great way to learn. To me, this ad hoc crafting connected science to geography to culture and, at the same time, created an honest sense of ownership and achievement. I ended up with something physical, a tangible object that had form and, in most cases, function. Interestingly, even in this digital age, there’s been a global re-engagement with similar basic processes. This is linked with issues of consumption and a growing interest from the Millennial generation in provenance and authenticity. There’s a desire to reconnect with our physical surroundings. Bridging the gap between the real and digital world is something we investigate each day for our clients. How do we engage someone digitally to evoke an action physically. The goal is to create a cause and an effect. Never has a generation been so appealing to brands as Millennials – of which, coincidently, I am a member (just about). We are cited to be ‘confident, liberal, self-expressive, positive and open to change’. Surely companies will have no problem selling their products to us in this überconnected world? Well yes, there’s much more power to connect, but it’s wrong to think it’s as simple as pouring presence into every channel available and expecting a valuable return. We’re already wise to that approach. We’ve been conditioned for years. Sharing and connecting are second
nature. There’s already a torrent of information out there; what we do, what we think, what we feel. If you want to break through the social noise, if you want to ignite passion for your brand, look no further than the power of the idea. Millennials are the community generation. Ideas thrive in community and it’s communities that create change. Consider, for example, the surge in popularity over the last number of years for home-brewing - historically an odd combination of community, tradition and technology. It’s fair to say beer is undergoing a bit of a cultural revival. Like most things that have an ounce of cultural resonance, there will undoubtedly be spawned any number of gadgets, technology, apps and innovations. Not all of which are good ideas. Try Googling ‘beer drone’... On the other hand, some innovations that involve beer can be good ideas. Take for instance Brewbot, an all-in-one streamlined beer brewing system created by local design collective Cargo. This is a product essentially born out of a community. Like many tech startups, Cargo decided to fund the Brewbot via Kickstarter; that virtual Dragons Den where people like you and I become the poor man’s Peter Jones or Deborah Meaden. If enough of us like the idea and pledge enough cash, the Brewbot is an all-in-one streamlined beer brewing system, which can be controlled by smartphone. project becomes reality. Needless to
8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
Daniel Hurley
say, Brewbot did. A product for the people, by the people. Most companies like to believe they’re in conversation with consumers, when in reality it looks like many have forgotten what it really means to talk to a person. It’s easy to point at spread sheets and say engagement is happening; It may have been some time ago, but the Scottish Victorian author Andrew Lang summed up this approach to metrics well when he said, ‘He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp posts. For support rather than illumination’. By all means examine the stats but, more importantly, measure the relevance. Cargo listened to their audience and made adjustments to their product at each stage of the process creating a real buzz within the wider nano-brewing community and beyond. I even believe Prince Felipe of Spain is a fan. Fancy. In essence Millennials are building a new model for creating. One that everyone can participate in, and one that’s getting stronger every day. There’s never been a better time to reach out to these new customers, but dare to be different. Provoke emotions and resonate with the audience in ways that matter to them. Of course including beer is always a plus. Daniel Hurley is lead digital creative at AV Browne. Contact him at daniel.hurley@ avbrowne.com. To find out more, see www. avbrowne.com and follow @avbgroup. 39
Leanne Rice joins Henderson Group T
Leanne Rice
he Henderson Group has appointed Leanne Rice as brand manager of their large format/ supermarket retail offering, including EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA. Rice will be working to drive sales and awareness of the supermarket brands throughout Northern Ireland, and will plan, execute and manage strategic marketing plans, develop advertising creative, and devise retailer marketing plans and in store point-of-sale projects in line with brand objectives. She has six years’ experience in the marketing industry, working for insurance and charitable organisations, as well as the local agri-food industry to deliver successful marketing campaigns and brand awareness.
Mount Charles appoints director for fast-growing cleaning division
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reland’s largest indigenous food service business support services company, the Mount Charles Group, has appointed Jonathan McKinlay as director of its Cleaning and Support Services Division. McKinlay originally joined the Mount Charles Group as business development manager from The British Standards Institution in 2011, and has been promoted to the new role with immediate effect. “The Cleaning and Support Services Division has grown by 30% in the last year,” said Cathal Geoghegan, managing director of the Mount Charles Group. “It was conceived from a modest base in 2010 to one which now Lynne McBennett
generates annual revenue of close to £4m. “With the guidance of our Operations Director Siobhan Lynch, Jonathan has been instrumental in the rapid success of this division and his appointment to the newlycreated role of director is a strategic move that will see us further focus on its development. “Whilst the business began as a contract catering company and that still accounts for a significant part of the Mount Charles Group, we are proud to have evolved and grown the catering, retail and vending divisions into profitable divisions in their own right. “Ultimately, our customers are increasingly looking for a multi-service partner and we
Jonathan McKinlay
will continue to adapt to meet their needs and provide the best possible service.” The Mount Charles Group has begun a recruitment campaign to appoint a dedicated business development/key account manager for the Cleaning and Support Services division.
Lynne McBennett (Campbell) has been appointed manager of Ulster Grocer at Greer Publications. L
ynne has 17 years sales and marketing experience gained with Hibu (Yell Ltd) and Coca-Cola Bottlers Ulster in various key account and sales management roles. From her commercial merchandising and retail experience with Coca-Cola to her customer driven focus in Hibu, Lynne brings a wealth of knowledge to her role. She will combine the best of what makes Ulster Grocer important to the sector with a desire to see local suppliers and retailers thrive as the economic outlook turns to more positive indicators.
LOCAL FOOD ISSUES
Sharing and learning from
best practice
In the first of a series of pieces looking at issues of pertinence to the local grocery market, Lynsey McKitterick of the Ulster Business School looks at Small/micro food producers: transferring learning and closing gaps in policy and practice.
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n a recent trip to London, I had the pleasure of visiting Borough Food Market. It was a triumph of small/micro food producers selling an eclectic range of freshly-produced foods and drinks. This got me thinking about the importance of sharing and learning from best practice and what we in Northern Ireland can learn from our European counterparts. One way we are currently exploring this at the Ulster Business School, University of Ulster at Jordanstown, is through an ERDF INTERREG IVC policy programme. Running from 2012-2014, the aim of the project is to examine the effectiveness of support programmes and policies for the local food sector in Northern Ireland and beyond, and particularly with respect to fostering innovation for small food producers. The project covers a range of countries in addition to Northern Ireland, including Norway, Sweden, Slovenia, Spain, Bulgaria, Italy, Greece and Switzerland. One of the key outputs of the LOCFOOD project has been to produce a Good Practice Guide. Each partner was required to identify a number of policy/support initiatives that have assisted greatly in the development of local food production in their region, and which would be potentially transferable across regions. The good practice initiatives were categorised broadly into four types that supported the development of small food producers including: • Local food sourcing and supply; • Local food networks, collaboration and business development; • Marketing and promotion of local food; and • Local food tourism.
These good practices displayed wide ranging objectives and involved multiple target groups and stakeholders. For example, good practices with a strong networking and business development focus had broader education, and consumer awareness agendas. The good practices demonstrate the value of a network and trade name, for the food business and the region. Where farmers/ producers work together, they can promote themselves better and raise awareness of the work they do. Networking led to new business opportunities for the participating companies and facilitated knowledge transfer 8 • •Ulster 3642 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011
and learning Lynsey McKitterick among the participants. The sustainability of projects is a major theme throughout the good practices. These initiatives need on-going administrative and funding support to survive and, where such support is not maintained, the benefits from the network will be lost. An examination of these good practices highlights a number of areas worthy of consideration by policy makers and support agencies with responsibility for local food promotion and small business growth: • Policy makers and agencies should review types of support currently available and tailor the support to the needs of small and micro food producers, where necessary, to increase innovation and growth; • A strong emphasis should be placed on mentoring and a business development role to provide sector specific expertise; • Agencies should develop a strategy for the development of collaborative networks for micro food producers, including creating awareness of existing provision and the supply of incentives for collaboration. • Attention should be focused on the measures to be put in place to ensure the sustainability of networks following the completion of the programme; • Agencies should exploit opportunities for economic growth through the further development of links between tourism and local food production and supply.
The identification of good practice initiatives across regions can help in transferring learning and close gaps in policy and practice. There are a number of questions for policy makers to consider when evaluating the merits of good practice adoption from other countries, such as: • What can we learn from other European regions/countries? • Can this learning be applied in our region and, if so, how? • And what, if any, barriers are there? The identification of good practices in this guide will assist the project partners in the development of their regional implementation plans, which will identify elements of good practices that could be transferred to the local region. For a copy of this guide, or for any further information about the LOCFOOD project, please contact Lynsey McKitterick: l.mckitterick@ulster.ac.uk.
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