Ulster Grocer – April 2016 by Stuart Gray

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APRIL 2016

ULSTER

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Standout Stores for Standout Retailers Showcasing the very best of British seasonal and gourmet foods, Simply Fresh is an upmarket grocery store concept focusing on a local and healthy range of food.

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CONTENTS

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35-37

Volume 51, Number 4 April 2016 Editor: Alyson Magee E: alysonmagee@greerpublications.com Sales Manager: Mark Beckett E: markbeckett@greerpublications.com Senior Accounts Manager: Michelle Kearney E: michellekearney@greerpublications.com

Art Editor: Stuart Gray Production Manager: Stuart Gray

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10 RETAIL PROFILE – SEAN LARGEY: Tesco’s newly appointed commercial manager in Northern Ireland talks to UG about his life, work, what its like to be at the centre of the retail giant’s massive operation in Northern Ireland, and what he does to relax at the weekends.

Contents

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23-32

23-32 UG MARKETING AWARDS – THE SHORTLIST: As the big day approaches, judging has taken place and we’ve got the shortlist of entries. It’s a fascinating read and a brilliant insight into the world of marketing in our industry. Winners will be revealed at GroceryAid Ulster Grocers’ Ball in the Culloden Estate & Spa on Friday 6 May. 35-37 BREWING & DISTILLING: Michele Shirlow, chief executive of Food NI, toasts the innovation of our distillers and brewers, charting the staggering rise in craft and local operations in Northern Ireland. Some of what is happening is truly innovative. 38-40 CRISPS, NUTS & SNACKS: We’ve details of some delicious new products including a hand-cooked pepperoni crisp for the higher end of the market and a crisp range dedicated to footie fans savouring the imminent arrival of Euro 2016.

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44 INTERVIEW: Well-known chef Michael Deane reveals his plans to bring the best of Northern Ireland’s cooking and produce to the Middle East with a planned new restaurant in Dubai. Why is he doing it and what are the challenges? He reveals all. 50 IN THE HOT SEAT: Taking the chair this month is Kevin McManus, commercial manager of Unimush Ireland, the prepared and pre-packed mushroom specialists. Kevin reveals the secret of his success... and how his weekend interests including mountain biking and playing the piano (not at the same time, though!).

8 • Ulster Grocer | JANUARY 2011

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NEWS

Top of the class for IFEX – now for the next time S

o, after all the preparation, all the money spent, all the attention lavished... it’s time to reflect. We’re talking about IFEX, of course. For those who’ve been living on Jupiter these past few months, IFEX is Northern Ireland’s biggest bi-annual showcase for the food, drink, retail and hospitality sectors. The event featured over 1,400 exhibitors, all housed at the gloriously new Titanic Exhibition Centre in the heart of Belfast city.

(NI Chef of the Year) Pictured are Salon Culinaire Director Sean Owens, DARD Permanent Secretary, Noel Lavery, DARD NI Chef of the Year James Richardson from Weavers Lodge and IFEX Event Director Toby Wand.

The overwhelming view was that Titanic was a truly fitting venue. The level of support was fantastic, with top chefs like Michael Deane, Chris Bell and Roisin Gavin taking to the stage to give live cookery displays. It was gratifying that some of the participants in cookery demos were first recognised on earlier IFEX platforms. The exhibition is ably supported by the Department for Employment and Learning (DELNI), with the prestigious IFEX Northern Ireland Chef of the Year supported by Department of Agricultural and Rural Development (DARD). Their support – not least their cash investment – is much appreciated by the industry. As is the support of the many private sector companies like Hendersons that make the event possible. And let’s not forget the enthusiasm and expertise of the hundreds of people from local businesses who give their time to make the event such a success. There is no doubt that IFEX participation has become one of the most prestigious benchmarks for quality within food and drink products from these shores. It is a truly a fitting addition to Northern Ireland’s year celebrating food and drink. Just one observation, though... how exactly are they going to better this one in 2018?

Editor

Coco Mojo’s working as firm hits the big time L

isburn-based healthy drinks company Coco Mojo is moving from niche to mainstream with a major European supermarket deal and is in talks to secure export contracts in Australia and Asia. In the Nordic region of Europe, its coconut drinks will soon be on the shelves of value chain Netto, which has 1,400 stores across several countries, including Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Germany. Netto is part of Denmark’s largest retailer, the Dansk Supermarked Group, which also runs three other major grocery chains. Coco Mojo is supplying Netto with four flavours: pure coconut water, pineapple and watermelon, passion fruit and coconut milk with tropical fruit. “This is our first major export deal with the Nordic region,” said marketing manager Laura Jackson. “Up to now, we’ve been selling in a smaller way through delis and independent shops in Finland, but this deal marks a major breakthrough for us.” Closer to home, Coco Mojo is also about to make the jump from the independent sector to large scale retail, said Laura. “We’re in talks with one of the leading UK supermarket chains and we hope to have our products stocked in local stores initially, then we hope to push out into their stores in Great Britain. That will be a really big step for us and it’s a very exciting development.” 4

And far-flung export markets are opening up, too. “I’m taking part in an Invest NI trade mission to the Nordic region next month, then I’m off to Australia, also with Invest NI, to meet potential distributors for our products,” said Laura. “Australia is a very health-conscious market and we’ve had a lot of interest there. We’ve just got a new factory producing our drinks in Vietnam and hopefully that will help us to open up the Asian market too.” The company is based in Lisburn where it carries out product and flavour development, as well as packaging design. The drinks were previously manufactured in Finland, with the pure coconut water shipped in from Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Production has now moved to Vietnam and most of the coconut water will be sourced there, too. Laura said: “We’re well known for our coconut drinks and our coconut oil, and now we’re launching new products, coconut sugar and coconut flour. The sugar is an increasingly popular alternative to refined sugar, and coconut is a great baking alternative, as it’s healthy and gluten-free. Consumers are getting to know the benefits of it, but they’re not really sure how to use it, so we’re going to launch it with a range of recipes, like red velvet cake.” Coco Mojo’s range of coconut-based drinks was launched in April 2014. It has won a number of awards for taste and packaging design.

NEWS

Big Cheese and Beer Expo strikes gold F

Pictured are (l-r) Mark Windebank, chairman of Today’s Group and MD of S&W Wholesale; Michael Skelton, sales director, S&W Wholesale; and John Schofield, acting manager director of Today’s Group.

Savage & Whitten celebrate UK sales award S

taff at Savage and Whitten, Northern Ireland’s largest independent wholesaler, are celebrating after the company scooped a prestigious UK award. The Newry-based firm was awarded the Retail Operator of the Year title at the Today’s Group Trade Show Annual Awards Dinner. The award was made at the Liverpool Exhibition Centre, where 600 members and suppliers gathered together to celebrate the achievements of the Today’s membership over the last twelve months. Hosted by comedian and Phoenix Nights star Justin Moorhouse, the event was heralded as a “fantastic opportunity” to catch up with friends and colleagues. A Today’s team spokesperson said the event highlighted the pioneering thinking and business-boosting ideas of this year’s winners.

ood fans revelled in a major celebration of two of the North West’s most popular indulgences – cheese and beer. The Big Cheese and Beer Expo at Guildhall Square on April 15-17, launched by Derry City and Strabane District Council, shone a spotlight on some of the finest craft beers and cheeses being produced locally as part Brewing & Distilling month. The expo was supported by Tourism NI and DARD under the Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme. Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Elisha McCallion, said she was delighted to see another fantastic food event locally. “I’m really pleased to see businesses in the North West benefitting from another opportunity to showcase local produce, and some of the innovative work which is transforming the food industry here,” she said. “We have some extremely talented individuals who are dedicated to the development of the craft food and drink industry.” One of the highlights of the programme was a number of live demonstrations by former Coronation Street star turned Cheese champion Sean Wilson, aka Martin Platt, who has swapped the TV set for the kitchen, developing his own range of award winning cheeses. He was joined by a whole host of local culinary talents for cook-offs and demos throughout the weekend. Tourism Officer with Council, Mary Blake, said the Expo was a highlight in the NI Year of Food & Drink Calendar. “This event builds upon the success of events like Culture Tech and Sippy of Culture in celebrating the best of Beer and Cheese from across the North West and beyond featuring quality cheese producers and craft brewers,” she said. “The craft brewing industry is definitely on the rise and we already boast some great local success stories including the Walled City Brewery and Northbound Brewery here in the city. And passionate food producers such as Tamnagh Foods have been championing local cheese scooping an array of awards for their efforts in recent months, including 3rd in the World Cheese Awards for their Dart Mountain cheese.” The Expo featured an array of events geared towards all ages, from family friendly, cheesy themed activities, to adult only beer tasting and food sampling. Daytime family fun included pop-up puppeteers, face painting, culinary themed arts and crafts plus lots more. Eddie Rowan, Tourism NI’s Events Manager, said: “The event is a perfect platform to showcase our local food and drink suppliers alongside award winning produce.” The event was supported by the NI Regional Agri Food programme.

NEWS

Export success for Clandeboye Premium Yoghurt A

ward-winning Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt, the only yoghurt made in Northern Ireland, has won a contract to supply Aldi in the Republic of Ireland. Based at Bangor in Co Down, Clandeboye Estate recently installed a second pot filling line, a £70,000 investment, to support the new business with the leading German discounter. Clandeboye Estate, which has won a string of awards for its artisan products, is supplying its Greek-style and Madagascan Vanilla premium yoghurts in 450g pots. The approach from Aldi followed Clandeboye’s success in winning the yoghurt category in last year’s Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards. Bryan Boggs, Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt general manager, commenting on the contract with Aldi, says: “We are delighted to have won what could prove to be our biggest deal yet in the Republic of Ireland, a key export market for us. “Our success in the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards helped to open the door for us to this very exciting business opportunity with Aldi and with a number of other potential clients in the Republic. “Aldi was keen to add a premium yoghurt brand to its portfolio there. It’s a marvellous boost for us and will move our business in the Republic to a new level. “We have begun supplying our Clandeboye Estate branded yoghurts to the Aldi depot in Nass for distribution to 61 supermarkets across the Republic,” he adds. Clandeboye Estate luxury yoghurt using milk sourced from the farm’s own award-winning Holstein and Jersey herd and is produced using traditional handmade techniques that include straining the yoghurt. The artisan company’s natural and Greek-style yoghurts are hand made using traditional techniques to provide a rich creamy texture without fat content. The milk, sourced fresh every morning from the estate’s herd, is prepared and cultured very gently over a 24-hour period in small batches. This helps to create the exceptional flavour and texture.

Belfast Craft Beer Festival is coming – are you ready? B elfast’s Custom House Square is playing host to a myriad of Irish craft brewers, cider makers and distilleries. The three day Belfast Craft Beer Festival is transforming the wellknown city landmark into a lively festival offering attendees Belfast’s widest range of Irish craft beer, cider and whiskey as well as the city’s favourite artisan food stalls and live music. With over 25 producers and over 150 different craft beverages on offer – from brand new craft brewers to the god fathers of the industry – the festival is showcasing the best the island has to offer in the world of local produce and gives attendees the opportunity to meet the masters of their crafts! Each brewery, cider maker and distiller has their own bar within the temporary structure in Custom House Square in Belfast city centre offering all of their favourite products as well as some exciting festival specials! Seamus O’Hara, co-founder of the festival and owner of Carlow Brewing Company said: “We have hosted a sister festival to this in Dublin for the past five years. Each year, we have watched the industry grow from strength to strength. “With such a large contingency or breweries in Northern Ireland, it made sense this year to create a festival in Belfast! We are really excited about this opportunity and cannot wait to open the doors on the 21st April!” The festival is now sold out from an exhibitor perspective. The full house includes both Breweries and cider makers: Armagh Cider, Bushmills, Clearsky Brewing Co, Falling Apple Cider, Farmageddon Brewing Co-Op, Galway Bay Brewery, Hercules Brewery, Hilden Brewery, Jack Cody, Kinnegar Brewing, Knockout Brewing, Lacada, Longmeadow Cider, Mac Armagh’s Cider, Mac Ivors Cider, Mourne Mountain, Nightcap Beer, North Bound Brewery, O’Hara’s, Reel Deel Brewery, Stationworks, Tempted Cider, Toby’s Handcrafted Cider, Trouble Brewing, White Water Brewery and Wicklow Wolf. The festival also offers an array of local artisan food and live resident DJ’s.

NEWS

FSA launch the new Eatwell Guide in NI T

he Eatwell Guide has been launched by the FSA in Northern Ireland to replace the Eatwell plate and now reflects updated dietary recommendations, including those on sugar, fibre and starchy carbohydrates from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) report on Carbohydrates and Health in 2015. The guide shows that a healthy diet should now include more fruit, vegetables and starchy carbohydrates and have fewer sugary foods and drinks, as well as the revised proportions of the food groups that help us meet official advice and nutrient requirements. There is greater prominence for fruit, vegetables and starchy carbohydrates, preferably wholegrain, in the new guide. The FSA recommends consuming 30 grams of fibre a day, the same as eating five portions of fruit and vegetables, two whole-wheat cereal biscuits, two thick slices of wholemeal bread and one large baked potato with the skin on. Currently people only consume around 19 grams of fibre per day, less than two thirds the recommendation. Sugary soft drinks have been removed from the image and foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar have been moved to the periphery

of the guide, reflecting advice that they are not an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet. Adults should have less than six grams of salt and 20 grams of saturated fat for women or 30 grams for men a day. The FSA also advises limiting the consumption of sugar, for example from sugary drinks and confectionary. Adults have twice as much sugar as is recommended and children have over three times. Everyone over the age of 11 should consume less than 30 grams or seven cubes of sugar a day. ADVICE The advice that only a 150ml serving of fruit juice counts as one of the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is now extended to include smoothies. This is in acknowledgement of the high sugar content of smoothies. The Eatwell Guide now displays drinks recommendations which make clear that adults should be aiming to have five to eight glasses of fluids per day ideally from water, lower fat milks, and unsweetened tea or coffee. The Eatwell Guide depicts a healthy, balanced diet, which includes: • Eating at least five portions of a variety of

Irwin’s Bakery adds to cake range

rwin’s Bakery has added two new flavours to its growing Howell’s cake range, Mint Chocolate Marble Cake and Chocolate & Caramel Cake, following “significant and continuing” growth for the Howell’s cake range since 2015. “Sales of our Howell’s cakes have seen substantial growth and in order to build on this success, we have extended the range,” said Colette Wilson, marketing manager, Irwin’s Bakery. “Our research on consumer trends has shown there is a gap in the market for additional cake flavours, with top performing combinations of mint, chocolate and caramel. In addition, Easter is a key seasonal trading period, making spring the perfect time to introduce the Mint Chocolate Marble Cake and Chocolate & Caramel Cakes to the market. “The addition of the new products is an example of Irwin’s commitment to growing the Howell’s brand. We carried out a relaunch of Howell’s in September 2015 and we have invested £60,000 on the rebrand, including the purchase of a bespoke labelling machine to improve efficiency and increase production capacity. Howell’s cakes and biscuits are traditionally handmade in Howell House in Saintfield. Our aim is to retain the artisan look and feel of the products coupled with continually looking for ways to innovate and develop new Howell’s products consumers will love.” The Howell’s range includes Raspberry Marble Cake, Lemon Drizzle Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cake, Raspberry & White Chocolate Biscuits, Lemon Drizzle Biscuits, Salted Caramel Oatie Biscuits, Chocolate Iced Cupcakes and Lemon Iced Bite-Sized Cupcakes. The RRP for each product is £2. The range is stocked across Northern Ireland in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Henderson Group, Musgrave Group and independent stores.

fruit and vegetables every day. • Basing meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain. • Having some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options. • Eating some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including two portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily). • Choosing unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts. • Drinking 6-8 cups/glasses of fluid a day. If consuming foods and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar then have these less often and in small amounts. SMOOTHIES The Government 5 A Day logo has been refreshed and the criteria for use on smoothie products has changed to accommodate the new advice. In Northern Ireland the new Eatwell Guide makes healthy eating easier to understand by giving a visual representation of the types and proportions of foods needed for a healthy and well balanced diet.

PLATINUM SPONSORS CONTINUE their SUPPORT OF BALMORAL SHOW

he Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank has announced continued platinum sponsorship from SPAR, M&S, ABP, Tesco and LIDL, for the 148th show. Speaking at the platinum sponsor’s breakfast, Colin McDonald, RUAS Chief Executive, said: “The close relationship with our platinum sponsors continues to grow from strength to strength. Being associated with such key players in the agri-food sector helps the Balmoral Show promote agricultural excellence from the primary producers, through the processors, the new product innovators and the secure supply chain that delivers our food to the shop shelf.” Following Colin’s welcome the five platinum sponsors spoke of their plans for Balmoral Show 2016 as well as their businesses in the agri-food sector. A brunch of locally-sourced produce was served which was pertinent as Northern Ireland celebrates its Year of Food & Drink.

retail news – symbols

SuperValu invests in local with new partnership T

op local chef Noel McMeel has joined SuperValu to help launch a major investment in local food and produce. The leading foodmarket convenience brand announced McMeel, executive head chef of prestigious Lough Erne Resort in Enniskillen, as their new Ambassador Chef at an event in Tedford’s Kitchen in Belfast to celebrate Northern Ireland’s Year of Food & Drink, attended by tourism officials, media and stakeholders. SuperValu is rolling out a major upgrade of its 35 stores across Northern Ireland over the next 12 months aimed at seeing a “significant increase in its fresh offering in store and a wider range of quality produce to appeal to all customers.” McMeel will share his passion for local produce with SuperValu customers, promoting its extensive range of fresh, local and quality ingredients and encouraging consumers to shop local. SuperValu stores, which are owned by independent retailers, Nigel Maxwell, SuperValu Sales Director, Musgrave NI, announce a new partnership with currently sell in excess of £105m of local products annually. 60% top, local chef Noel McMeel. The SuperValu Ambassador Chef partnership is part of a major investment by the leading foodmarket convenience brand into its local offering of everything sold in the stores is produced or sourced in Northern and will celebrate Northern Ireland’s Year of Food & Drink. Ireland and more than 75% of all fresh ranges are sourced locally. 100% of SuperValu’s beef, pork, lamb, milk, cream and eggs are sourced in Northern Ireland which equates to £50m of locally-produced fresh foods annually. Michael McCormack, Managing Director of Musgrave NI, which operates the SuperValu brand, announced the partnership, saying: “SuperValu has always been at the heart of the local community, supporting real food and real people. We are currently implementing a major upgrade programme which will be rolled out across all of our 35 stores to offer customers the best in fresh, quality local convenience food.”

Henderson Foodservice celebrate double award win H enderson Foodservice staff are celebrating after scooping two more major awards. Along with qualifying for the Deloitte Best Managed Companies programme for the third consecutive year, it was also announced Henderson Foodservice has been awarded silver accreditation against the Investors in People Standard, demonstrating their commitment to high performance through good people management. Receiving this award, Henderson Foodservice joins an exclusive club of just 35 other companies in Northern Ireland who have been credited to this level by Investors in People. Throughout the scheme’s history only 600 companies across the whole of the UK have been awarded silver accreditation highlighting that Henderson Foodservice is operating at an “exceptional” level. The Deloitte awards scheme, run in association with Barclays Bank Ireland, seeks to recognise excellence in business management and outstanding performance across the board.

Damien Barrett, Managing Director and Kiera Campbell, Sales Director at Henderson Foodservice celebrate double awards success.

EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA hit £50,000 milestone T

here was good news for local charities as two Henderson companies hit a major fundraising target. EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA Northern Ireland have this week celebrated reaching their £500,000 fundraising milestone that will benefit local charity Cancer Fund for Children who they have been supporting since May 2011. Money raised at stores across the province will help the charity provide practical, emotional and financial support to local families whose lives are affected by cancer. Every year in Northern Ireland another three children, teenagers and young adults aged 0-24 years old are diagnosed with cancer. Cancer Fund for Children’s team of Specialists work with over 350 families helping them to deal with the issues relating to a cancer diagnosis, providing advice and one-to-one support. Cancer Fund for Children also offers free therapeutic short breaks at Daisy Lodge their purposebuilt facility in Newcastle, Co Down. A short break at Daisy Lodge does not offer a holiday in the traditional sense but is a nurturing place where families can relax and spend precious time together far removed from the busy round of medical appointments, hospital wards and invasive treatments. (L-R) Gillian Creevy, CEO Cancer Fund for Children and Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at the Henderson Group, owners of the EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA franchises in Northern Ireland.

retail news – MULTIPLES

Tesco cheers return to full-year profit T

esco has cheered “significant progress” in its turnaround as it returned to full-year profit and unveiled its first quarter of sales growth for three years. The supermarket giant posted bottom-line pre-tax profits of £162 million for the year to February 27 against losses of £6.3 billion the previous year - one of the biggest losses in UK corporate history. It also reported a 0.9% rise in UK like-for-like sales in its fourth quarter, which marked its first full quarter of growth since 2013, as the group’s recovery under boss Dave Lewis gathers pace. Mr Lewis said: “We have made significant progress against the priorities we set out in October 2014.” He added: “We set out to start rebuilding profitability whilst reinvesting in the customer offer, and we have done this. More customers are buying more things more often at Tesco.” But he added the group continued to face a “challenging, deflationary and uncertain market”. Its return to the black comes after a grim year when massive property writedowns sent it slumping more than £6 billion into the red. On an underlying basis, the latest set of results showed group operating profits of £944 million, up 1.1% on £940 million the previous year, when it reported a 68% slump in trading profits. The group said it had seen annual sales by volume rise for the first time in five years. Its fourth quarter rise in like-for-like sales growth is a vast improvement on the 1.5% fall the previous three months and follows a bumper Christmas for the group, when it saw a surprise 1.3% jump in sales over the six-week festive season. Mr Lewis said management actions had “stabilised” the business, which he admitted was in “crisis” when he replaced previous chief executive Philip Clarke in September 2014. He took over at a grim time, with Tesco uncovering a £326 million accounting black hole in autumn 2014 and suffering plunging sales. Its woes were compounded as trading across the sector was hit by falling food prices, made worse by a price war sparked by the increasing might of discounters Aldi and Lidl. While the results showed Tesco’s trading has turned the corner, Mr Lewis was reluctant to call the end of falling sales, stressing the group continued to trade in “uncertain times”.

Tesco posted bottom-line pre-tax profits of £162 million for the year to February 27

Tesco added the chain’s investment in price cuts would slow its profit improvement, “particularly in the first half”. Under Mr Lewis, Tesco has shut 60 unprofitable stores since the start of its financial year and shelved plans to open a further 49 shops. He has also cut prices across hundreds of lines, while making a raft of changes such as shutting Tesco’s final salary pension scheme, disposing of its loss-making Blinkbox operation selling online videos, and moving its main headquarters from Cheshunt to Welwyn Garden City in a measure expected to save £250 million. On Tuesday he kicked off the next expected wave of asset sales by offloading an 8.6% stake in Singaporean online business Lazada to China’s ecommerce giant Alibaba for £91 million. Tesco is also reportedly planning to sell off the Dobbies Garden Centres chain, coffee shop Harris & Hoole and restaurant Giraffe to focus on the main supermarket business, but Mr Lewis declined to comment on the speculation. Retail experts at Shore Capital said it had been a “year of delivery” for Tesco. They added that Mr Lewis “deserves considerable credit for steering this near retail shipwreck to calmer waters”.

Asda snapping at Sainsbury’s heels S

upermarket giant Asda is closing the gap with Sainsbury’s in its share of spend on groceries in Northern Ireland, figures have shown. Kantar Worldpanel’s report said Asda had managed to grow its market share in the year to March 27 and now has a 17.6% slice. That is just slightly below Sainsbury’s market share of 17.7% and contrasts with Asda’s performance UK-wide, where its sales have been declining. But German discount supermarket Lidl increased its popularity with shoppers at the fastest rate of any Northern Ireland operator. Lidl’s slice of grocery spending grew by approximately 13% in the year to March 27. But with just 5.2% of the market, it is still the smallest operator of the four main grocers - Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Lidl. Like Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s share of grocery spending also declined. It now accounts for 34.4% of grocery spending. There are around 55 Tesco stores of varying sizes across Northern Ireland. Sainsbury’s has 13, while Asda has 17. Lidl has 38 stores in Northern Ireland - though they are in a smaller format than their rival operators.

36 • Ulster Grocer | JANUARY 2011

RETAIL PROFILE

Twenty years of local sourcing as a core commitment Sean Largey, recently appointed commercial manager at Tesco Northern Ireland, talks to UG. and media support as well as the highly anticipated annual Taste Northern Ireland Festival, set to be the biggest and best yet. HAS THE NORTHERN IRELAND GROCERY SECTOR CHANGED MUCH? Yes, it is changing – the way in which people shop is changing. Our strategy is to be alive and responsive to trends whilst ensuring we offer our customers a range of choice when it comes to shopping at Tesco – whether that’s in a Tesco Express, one of our large Extra Stores or online. What we do know from market research is that, for Northern Irish consumers, being able to buy local food and drink is a major factor impacting their shopping decisions.

Sean Largey

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND? I’ve always had a career in retail. After graduating from Queen’s, I started off as a trainee manager in what was then Northern Ireland’s biggest supermarket chain, Stewart’s and Crazy Prices. I worked my way up to deputy manager before the chain was acquired by Tesco and, since then, I’ve enjoyed a 19-year career with Tesco working in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, first as store manager before moving into a stores director role. Here I was responsible for approximately 4,500 colleagues across 21 stores, playing a key role in shaping and implementing our regional strategy for Northern Ireland. My years in stores mean I’ve been at the coalface, interacting with customers and seeing first hand what products they come in to purchase, and where the gaps may be. This knowledge was invaluable to me in taking up the challenge of my new role as commercial manager. WHAT ARE YOUR KEY AIMS IN THE NEW ROLE? Leading the commercial buying team at Tesco Northern Ireland’s headquarters in Newtownabbey means I am responsible for all the commercial functions, including the procurement of local food and drink products, currently in excess of £550m per annum. Ensuring that I swiftly develop great 10

working relationships with all our local suppliers, and further enhance the conversations and opportunities we offer to potential suppliers, is my number one priority for the new role. There’s always a balance the retailer has to keep between the customer’s desire for value for money and our responsibility as one of Northern Ireland food’s largest customers, to support the local agri-food industry. Both priorities are front of mind all the time. HOW WAS 2015 FOR TESCO IN NI AND HAS THE RETAILER ANY BIG PLANS FOR 2016? Local sourcing has been a core commitment from Tesco in Northern Ireland for 20 years now and 2015 was no different. In the past 18 months, we have listed more than 200 new local products and looking ahead, local remains at the core of our plans. 2016 is the Northern Ireland Year of Food & Drink and, as the largest buyer of local food and drink here, we wanted to get behind the scheme as much as possible. That’s why we announced a £500,000 support programme back in January, providing a platform for our existing and prospective suppliers to showcase the best of what Northern Ireland has to offer. Over the course of 2016, Tesco activities will include in-store food fairs, multi-store sampling, radio and press advertising, PR

WHAT IS TESCO’S COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OVER OTHER RETAILERS? We were the first to get behind local food, and we have continuously supported local food since then. Not just in marketing terms in which we’ve invested heavily, but also in our people resource – a buying team of eight in our regional office that I manage. We have around 90 local suppliers supplying over 1,200 lines, including 100% of Tesco fresh beef, pork, chicken, eggs and milk from Northern Ireland. Scale, support and a genuine passion for ‘local’ have made our NI local campaign the success it has become – and truly sets us apart from our competitors. WHAT EXPECTATIONS DO YOU HAVE LOOKING FORWARD? That consumers continue to look for quality local produce, and value. Our focus in Northern Ireland is firmly fixed on our own game, providing these things as well as more choice and ever-improving levels of customer service. WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL INTERESTS and HOBBIES? I’m a dad first and foremost and my two girls take up most of my free time. We love getting away to our holiday cabin in the woods, getting back to nature and enjoying the fresh air. As a bit of a foodie, I enjoy bringing my knowledge of new local food and drink home, and sharing the delights of Northern Irish produce with my family round the dinner table.

My Life in the Grocery Trade David Henderson, managing director at Henderson Food Machinery WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? Managing director of Henderson Food Machinery, supplying quality new and used processing and packaging equipment. BRIEFLY OUTLINE YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY TO DATE I have spent over 20 years selling food processing and packaging equipment throughout the world, servicing small, large and global companies. WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? My role involves sales and marketing, and decision making on a daily basis, offering customers the best deals around. WHEN DID YOU TAKE UP THIS POST? Our company was established in June 2015; we are a growing and caring company. WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? The best part is helping meet customers’ needs. The worst part is not being able to offer machinery for certain customers but hopefully, in the next few years, this will change. BRIEFLY OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY. A typical day involves answering phone calls, and looking to the market to promote our partners’ machinery within the Irish market.

8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011

WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? Setting up the Henderson Food Machinery business last year, and seeing it grow month to month.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? My job entails working 24/7 so I don’t really switch off but spending time with my wife and friends does make me relax.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY? It is satisfying, seeing that we can help manufacturers in the Irish marketplace.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW I’m a qualified chef by trade, and worked within the Thistle Hotel Group.

STORE FOCUS John McDade

Centra Ballygawley John McDade, owner of Centra Ballygawley, tells Alyson Magee about the boosted footfall and sales resulting from his recent refurbishment of the store.

n expansion with more shopper-friendly floor space, an extended range of fresh produce, deli and ambient groceries, a new high-quality coffee dock and the addition of a Post Office have collectively revitalised Centra Ballygawley. John McDade, owner of the recently refurbished store as well as Centra Clogher, has been a retail partner with Musgrave since 2007. Involved in family business PJ McDaid Fruit & Veg for 15 years, John first stepped into the retail trade in 2000 when the proprietor of an independent store in his home village of Derrylin was retiring and, spotting an opportunity, he and his brother snapped up the business. John has since passed on ownership of the Derrylin shop but, in 2007, acquired the Ballygawley and Clogher sites and began running the stores under the Centra brand. He has high praise for Musgrave NI as a retail partner. “Their offering is fresh and current whereas a lot of other symbol groups, in my opinion, lack differentiation of offering,” he says. “It’s important you have a belief in the symbol group, and the 12

relationship between Musgrave and myself is very good. It has always been honest, open and relevant.” Musgrave assisted John with the planning behind the refurbishment of Centra Ballygawley; in particular Musgrave NI’s Regional Manager Chris O’Reilly and Centra Design Manager Alan Robinson. “Alan was instrumental in figuring out the best design and flow for the shop,” says John. “It was different from other shops in that it has two entrances, which was a particular challenge and the customer flow around the shop never really worked satisfactorily before the refit.” Around £200,000 was invested in the refurbishment, which was completed in September 2015. In addition to the challenge of two entrances to the shop, “before it was smaller and had a more limited range,” says John. “It had a shape internally that didn’t lend particularly well to trolley shopping.” Staff and office facilities and an ATM were all located on the ground floor of the shop, reducing the retail space to an L-shape. With the refurb, all the “back of house bits” were relocated to the first floor. Together with a general redesign of the shop floor, 30% more

retail floor space was created. “Now it works much better, and we’ve had a lot of positive comments from customers,” says John. “The aisles are wider and better placed to display goods, allowing our customers to navigate the shop in a more relaxed fashion.” The redesign has also improved access to the backup storage area, enabling deliveries to be made through the back door. Previously, goods arrived through the front door making deliveries more disruptive to shoppers. And in a further improvement to customer comfort, car parking facilities at Centra Ballygawley were doubled in size. Inside the shop, a new Post Office has increased footfall and trade and, in addition to the extended offering, resulted in the employment of four new staff members. A total of 25 full and part-time staff members are now employed at the shop, which operates daily from 7am to 10pm with the exception of Sunday when it opens at 8.30am. A focus of the refurbishment was to extend the offering of both local produce and particular grocery categories, among them fruit and veg, meat and poultry and

STORE FOCUS ready meals, including the popular SuperValu Signature Tastes range and the Fresh for You chilled foods range launched last year. The latter has been very well received by local customers. “The bread range was improved and extended, bringing in local bakeries,” says John, with additions including baked goods from Mullaghmore Bakery in Omagh, Graydons Sweet Temptations in Maguiresbridge and Cherry Tree Bakery in Lisnaskea. “The deli in the old shop was quite small so we refurbished the deli and changed the shape and orientation within the shop to make it more streamlined and more appealing to the customers,” says John. Further additions to the range include meeting demand for ‘free from’ products, and discretionary ambient lines “which we like to think will give the shop a more artisan feel for our ever more discerning customers,” says John. Among the most immediately successful additions is a new coffee dock, offering high quality, fair trade coffee alongside a range of complimentary syrups. “It’s now situated adjacent to the deli and sales have doubled through a better focus on the quality of the coffee and the offering,” he says.

The deli in the old shop was quite small so we refurbished the deli and changed the shape and orientation.” John is hopeful an extension of its Mauds ice-cream bar to a new a 12-flavour cabinet will yield similar results once the weather improves, and ice-cream season gets off the ground. In addition to extensive local marketing of the shop, “Musgrave would say it’s one of the reasons we’re doing as well as we are,” Centra Ballygawley is supportive of the local community in which it operates. As well as sourcing and funding the football kit for the local primary school, for example the store engages with the school regularly through seasonal events such as an appearance by Santa dispensing gifts at Christmas to educational visits with the kids challenged to find specific products and identify their prices. Following the success of the Centra Ballygawley refurbishment, John is already planning to do the same with Centra Clogher.

The aisles of Centra, Ballygawley.

BALMORAL SHOW 2016 Pictured at the launch of the Henderson Group’s Local Supplier of the Year awards are, from left, Neal Kelly, fresh food director and Patrick Doody, sales and marketing director at the Henderson Group with Lance Hamilton from Mash Direct, one of last year’s winners.

Platinum sponsor SPAR set to honour its top suppliers at 2016 Balmoral Show Expanded presence at show to include enjoy local marquee, cookery demonstrations by SPAR Ambassador Paula McIntyre and the SPAR Arena.

uppliers to local SPAR and EUROSPAR stores are being invited to enter the Henderson Group’s Local Supplier of the Year awards, with the winning ceremony taking place at the 2016 Balmoral Show. As owners of the SPAR and EUROSPAR franchises in Northern Ireland, the Henderson Group run the awards to celebrate the exceptional produce, practices and ranges of the companies it works with. Now in their fourth year, the awards honour a host of different companies operating across the agri-food industry which have shown a real commitment to delivering excellence. Entries are invited across five categories including Enjoy Local Supplier of the Year, CSR focused Tomorrow Matters, Best Direct to Store Supplier, Brand Innovation Award and Overall Own Label Supplier of the Year with the winners being announced at a special breakfast taking place at the Balmoral Show. As ever, the awards will be judged by an esteemed panel of food and agri experts including Joy Alexander, head of Food Technology at CAFRE; Freda Magill, UFU Rural Affairs Committee Chairperson; David Elliott, editor of Ulster Business; and 14

agriculture journalist Richard Wright. “As platinum sponsors, we recognise the Balmoral Show as being the pinnacle event in the calendar of the agri-food industry so holding our Local Supplier Awards during the Show is a natural fit,” said Neal Kelly, fresh food director at the Henderson Group. “These awards are the ideal platform to pledge our support for local suppliers and farmers and thank them for working hard to bring our customers the very best traceable and fresh produce we can offer. Having a key presence at the Balmoral Show has always been a wonderful opportunity for us to strengthen our links with the wider agri-food industry and I am confident that in the Northern Ireland Year of Food & Drink, the 2016 show will be bigger and better than ever.” Outside of the awards, SPAR will have a much wider presence at the show than ever before with a broad range of activities planned across the three-day event. The popular enjoy local marquee will be twice as big this year, and visitors are invited along to watch live cookery demonstrations by celebrity chef and SPAR Ambassador Paula

McIntyre who will be showcasing the enjoy local range of fresh meat and produce. The marquee will also be hosting a whole range of family fun and providing samples of some of the new additions to SPAR’S own brand range which has been created using top-quality suppliers from across Northern Ireland. Other highlights include the welcome return of the SPAR Arena, where show-goers can enjoy an array of family entertainment over the three days as well as the fully functional SPAR store where essentials for exhibitors and visitors can be found. “This is our sixth year as a platinum sponsor of the Balmoral Show and we are delighted to have furthered our involvement and be back on board to celebrate the 2016 Year of Food & Drink at The Show,” said Paddy Doody, sales and marketing director of the Henderson Group. “Balmoral is a fantastic family day out which is why we have a packed programme and entertainment offerings for all ages. We are already looking forward to meeting all of the visitors and having a successful three days exhibiting at the show.”

PROUD PLATINUM SPONSOR OF THE 2016 BALMORAL SHOW Join SPAR NI at Balmoral Show 2016 at our SPAR Pop-up Shop and our ‘Enjoy Local’ marquee alongside some fun and exciting children’s entertainment at the SPAR Arena.

spar-ni.co.uk

FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

7up’s new Mojito Free flavour targets the summer market T

o celebrate the arrival of summer, 7up is releasing a fresh take on their iconic lemon-lime drink, introducing the new 7up Mojito Free. By blending the classic 7up lemon lime flavour with the summery, refreshing taste of mint, 7up Mojito Free captures the taste and feeling of summer. Rolling out across Ireland from March 2016, and building on the hugely successful launch in France, 7up Mojito Free is available in both 500ml and 2l bottles. 7up Mojito Free is a non-alcoholic beverage, capturing the originality and authenticity that the 7up brand has embodied since its creation in 1929. The launch will be supported by a multi-media campaign entitled “Feel the Refreshmint” from May.

Champions crowned in first Mighty Spud Awards F

rom hundreds of entries in the inaugural Mighty Spud Awards 2016, the top honours of ‘mightiest’ potato dishes in Northern Ireland have been revealed across the categories of Chip, Mash, Healthy and Innovative Potato. The Mightiest Chip in Northern Ireland was awarded to Mortons, Ballycastle. The Hillside Bistro, Hillsborough won Mightiest Mash, Tony and Jen’s, Belfast picked up the accolade for Mightiest Healthy Potato Dish and The Yellow Door, Portadown is honoured with serving the Mightiest Innovative Potato dish in the Province. Launched in January, the public were called upon to nominate restaurants, takeaways and pubs in Northern Ireland which should be recognised for their culinary expertise when it comes to the ‘spud’. The entries were shortlisted by a judging panel made up of chef Paula McIntyre, Michele Shirlow (Food NI), Michael McKillop (Glen’s of Antrim Potatoes) and Angus Wilson (Wilson’s Country Potatoes), who then visited venues across Northern Ireland for a week of tasting before selecting the winners. “Firstly, I would like to congratulate the four winners for their award-winning creations,” said Paula McIntyre, chef and 16

(L-R): Ivor Ferguson, UFU Deputy President and chef Paula McIntyre are pictured alongside the four winners of the 2016 Mighty Spud Awards. Angela Morton from Mortons, Ballycastle; Simon Dougan, The Yellow Door, Portadown; Adam Harding, chef at The Hillside Bistro, Hillsborough; and Jenny Curran from Tony and Jen’s, Belfast.

head judge. “Personally I am a huge fan of the potato – for me it is one of life’s simple pleasures. But it was amazing to see the innovation and energy that the finalists brought to the table and how the winners transformed the humble spud into four very different, but equally, mighty tasting potato dishes. “It wasn’t an easy job short-listing the hundreds of nominations entered and we had some really tough decisions to make. One thing is for sure – people in Northern Ireland are passionate about the potato.”

Ivor Ferguson, UFU deputy president and chair of the NI Stakeholder Potato Promotion Group, said: “We are totally overwhelmed by the positive response from people across Northern Ireland to the Mighty Spud movement. The awards are part of an ongoing campaign to support the Northern Ireland potato industry, and what better way to do that than showcase the culinary talent that exists in Northern Ireland. The spud is more than just a bit on the side – each of the winning dishes are mighty in their own right.”

FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

Lagardère chief backs Northern Irish artisans A

unique Taste of Ulster shop has been launched at Belfast International Airport, stocking food and drink from almost 30 local suppliers, mostly artisans and smaller businesses. Located within the Aelia Duty Free shopping complex in the Departures Zone, the shop is a joint venture between Lagardère Travel Retail, Belfast International Airport and Food NI/Taste of Ulster. Aelia is part of Lagardère, one of the world’s biggest operators of airport duty free shops. Amaury Dehen, managing director of Lagardère Travel Retail UK and Ireland, attended the launch event last month, praising the quality and innovation of artisan food and drink producers in Northern Ireland. “This important initiative for us within Belfast International Airport is a demonstration of our longstanding commitment to engage with the local business community in the regions in which we have retail operations,” he said. “We believe it

Lagardère Managing Director Amaury Dehen, Trade Minister Jonathan Bell and Chef Paula McIntyre officially launch the Taste of Ulster shop at Belfast International Airport.

to be essential that our retail operations represent the best local merchandise available and contribute to economic well-being. The shop offers smaller companies access to almost three million passengers. The airport expects to be handling 4.9 million passengers. “The Taste of Ulster shop represents a significant development of the relationship that we have had with several Northern

Ireland businesses over many years. We’ve now extended this engagement to embrace Northern Ireland’s developing artisan food and drink sector, a sector including a great many companies which have achieved great recognition in international and national awards.” The Taste of Ulster shop was opened officially by Trade Minister Jonathan Bell.

Double gold for Baked in Belfast in global awards B aked in Belfast, the Northern Ireland specialist in highly original jams, has won two gold and two silver medals in the prestigious World Marmalade Awards 2016. Based near Enniskillen in Co Fermanagh, Baked in Belfast entered four products and gained the following awards: gold – Marmalade with Interesting Additions – Vodka and Orange Marmalade; goldMarmalade with Interesting Additions –

Mango Marmalade; silver – Marmalade with Interesting Additions – Mojito Rum/Mint; and Silver – Marmalade with Interesting Additions – Gin and Tonic Marmalade. The small company is run by husband and wife team Suzanne and Keith Livingstone. “We are delighted to have won so many awards at what is the world’s biggest and most influential competition for marmalades,” said Suzanne Livingstone.

“The expert judges clearly appreciated our range of highly original flavours. I hope the endorsement in these important awards will be beneficial as we seek expand sales throughout the UK, Ireland and further afield.” Baked in Belfast was among 3,000 entrants to the awards, held at the historic Dalmain Estate, near Penrith in Cumbria for the past 11 years.

Entries open for Irish food awards E

ntries are now open to producers across the island of Ireland for this year’s Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards. The Awards, which are now in their ninth year, take place at the Dingle Food Festival in October. Last year, there were more than 2,500 entries in what are the largest blind-tasted food awards on the island. The number of entries from Northern Ireland has risen by 40% in recent years. Previous winners and finalists include Glastry Farm Ice-Cream, Tamnagh Foods, Tempted? Cider, Harnett’s Oils, Linden Foods and Moy Park. “We have a very strong representation from Northern Ireland producers,” said Artie Clifford, chairman of the Irish Food Awards. “Each year, there are more and more entrants. We are hoping for an even greater number in this Year of Food and Drink 2016. “These are what I call the people’s awards. Our judging system is very rigorous. Each table has representatives from the industry as well as people who do their weekly shop in supermarkets. Every product that carries a finalist, gold, silver or bronze sticker is picked up more quickly than those without. Our research backs that up. “These awards are a real benchmark of quality. Winning producers from Northern Ireland have definitely seen financial benefits from entering them. Buyers see them as one of the most important events of the year. They congregate in Dingle for the Awards and they peruse the Buyers Directory for new suppliers.” John Hood, director of Food and Tourism at Invest NI, said: “Northern Ireland companies have a tremendous track record in the creation of products that combine outstanding taste and innovation. Companies entering the Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards recognise that success.”

John Hood (Invest NI) and Artie Clifford (Irish Food Awards) launch this year’s Awards.

MOY PARK PROFILE

A strong innovation pipeline and feel good marketing Andrew Nethercott, director of brand marketing at Moy Park, talks to Alyson Magee. How is trade for the Moy Park brand this year to date? It has been a challenging year to date with market conditions in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. However, Moy Park has maintained its position as Ireland’s number one poultry brand, providing a range of locally-sourced fresh, breaded and ready to cook chicken products to major retailers and convenience and independent stores throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain. What NPD is Moy Park Introducing in 2016? Within the food sector it is very important to keep a strong product innovation pipeline and 2016 for the Moy Park brand is no different. We are always looking at ways to adapt and grow in line with consumer trends and we recognise shoppers are increasingly looking for a helping hand when it comes to healthy food that is quick to cook. This is why we continue to invest in new product development and have created both fresh and convenience products under the Moy Park brand. 2016 has seen us extend our innovative and award-winning Moy Park-branded Roast in the Bag range, following its initial launch in April 2015. The new line, which contains Pork, Sage and Onion stuffing is now available alongside the Extra Tasty and Garlic and Herb variations. We also launched Moy Park ‘Chicken Sensations’ in January 2016. The Chicken Sensations product range is a new twist on the classic and much-loved Chicken Kiev. The range was developed in response to consumer demand for innovative products that offer a new alternative for meal time occasions. The new range uses 100% chicken breast meat and is available in three varieties: Garlic and Herb, Cheese and Bacon and Piri Piri. Going forward, we have exciting plans in place for the launch of Moy Park branded products throughout the rest of 2016/2017. What is Moy Park’s Marketing Strategy for 2016? At the start of the year we launched our new creative campaign for 2016 – ‘Share the Goodness’, which will run throughout all of our marketing activity. The focus of the campaign is very much fun, family and happiness – with Moy Park providing the feel 18

good factor when it comes to food, meal times and days out. Our campaign messages will also focus on the Moy Park brand values of local provenance, heritage and expertise. Throughout 2016 we will have a strong presence at both trade and consumer shows in Northern Ireland and GB, which is important in raising brand awareness amongst both our customers and consumers – and we are also engaging in a number of tactical sponsorships and partnerships for 2016. One of these was our sponsorship of UTV Ireland’s Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. The show is a perfect fit for the Moy Park brand and sponsoring the prime time programme allows us to extend our brand appeal to our Irish consumer base.

The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open is a real highlight. Being a sponsor of an international sporting event gives us the opportunity to showcase our products to over 100,000 spectators.” What plans does Moy Park have around its sponsorship of the Irish Open this year? The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open is a real highlight in the sporting calendar and we’re delighted to be involved as a sponsor again in 2016. We first got involved in the event in 2012 when the Irish Open was held at Royal Portrush. Being a sponsor of an international sporting event gives us a fantastic platform to talk about the brand – as well as the opportunity to showcase our products to over 100,000 spectators. New for this year, we will have a much bigger presence in the

Andrew Nethercott

Championship Village with our sampling van. Also, to celebrate our sponsorship and help build anticipation ahead of this year’s tournament, we have launched an on-pack promotion across our breaded range, which will give consumers the chance to win the ‘Ultimate Irish Open Experience’ which includes tickets to the Tournament. The promotion will be supported with tactical outdoor advertising, PR and digital media activity. Tell us about Moy Park’s innovative bus shelter project To celebrate Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink, we thought we would have a bit of fun and create an ‘outdoor oven’ in Castle Place in Belfast City Centre. The bus shelter in Castle Place was transformed, complete with temperature gauge and working timer to promote our innovative Roast in the Bag product range We wanted to capitalise on the unique straight-to-oven nature of the product. Our mascot Moy P was at Castle Place on Easter Monday and Saint Patrick’s Day – handing out money off coupons to drive sales of the range. We also ran a selfie competition on the Moy Park Facebook page encouraging city centre passers-by to take a selfie in our oven. What plans do Moy Park have for the Balmoral show this year? We’re delighted to be back at Balmoral Show for 2016! We look forward to taking part in the show every year – and even more so this year as it is the NI Year of Food and Drink. The Year of Food is a very exciting time for Northern Ireland and a real chance to highlight the quality of our food and tourism offering. We will have our corporate marquee again this year for Moy Park customers and growers as well as a stand in the NI Food Pavilion. Visitors to the show will have the chance to sample Moy Park’s range of products, as well as the chance to putt their way to the Irish Open with a special golf-themed activity!

Tee-time treats

g n i y fl e b l Th eyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;l ! s e v l e h s e off th

Give your customers a chance to win the ultimate Irish Open 2016 experience with Moy Park Breaded Chicken promotional packs. Stock up and share the goodness! Contact our Commercial team to stock up now +44 (0) 28 3835 2233

MP_Irish Open_Trade Press A4_notrophy_ROI AW.indd 1

The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation is one of the highlights of the golfing calendar. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taking place at the world-famous K Club in Co Kildare, from 19th-22nd May 2016. Prize includes event tickets, hotel spa break and VIP treatment.

Proud sponsors of

14/03/2016 17:18

ADVERTORIAL

Northern Ireland taste test crowns Sunblest Veda as ‘tastiest’ Results come as the popular Veda bread unveils an eye-catching new look.

he people of Northern Ireland have spoken (and eaten), voting Sunblest ‘Northern Ireland’s tastiest Veda brand’ in a blind taste test. Sunblest Veda was named best-tasting by a whopping 60% of respondents*. The taste test also revealed our Veda-eating habits and it seems that our country’s muchloved malt loaf is causing quite the culinary stir sparking a great Veda debate, with the people of Northern Ireland split over their preferred way to enjoy Veda. Those who prefer to toast Veda just pipped the post (55%), vs those in the untoasted camp. When it came to sliced vs unsliced, the results were similar with the self-slicers just winning out with over half (55%) vs those who prefer to pick up a pre-sliced loaf in the bread aisle. Interestingly, the country is split three ways in terms of the time of day we prefer to eat Veda: breakfasters account for 40%, while those who enjoy it in their packed lunch make up 38% and those who are remaining like to have it for supper before slipping into a slumber. Then came the toppings debate... while most of the Province enjoy Veda with plain old butter or margarine (90%), some push the boat out, melting cheese on top (63%). A select few of the taste test respondents confessed to putting weird and wonderful ingredients atop their Veda such as pickle and chocolate bars (though not together!), others favoured ‘posh toppings’ such as smoked salmon or olive oil. No matter how we choose to enjoy our Veda, when we slice the truth down, one clear result came from the blind taste test – Sunblest Veda trumps its competitor when it comes to taste. The preference was most marked in the 45-64 year age bracket – almost three quarters

Elva O’Connor, senior brand manager for Allied Bakeries celebrates Sunblest Veda being named the nations tastiest Veda brand. A blind taste test was conducted with results showing a whopping 60% of respondents choosing Sunblest as their favoured brand.

(74%) preferred Sunblest over others. When the blindfold was removed, 65% indicated that Sunblest Veda was their preferred option in the bread aisle. Trust, value and quality were named the top reasons Allied Bakeries have introduced a brand new pack for Sunblest Veda that is now available from all major retail outlets in Northern Ireland.

why shoppers chose Sunblest. A whopping 85% of respondents stated that Sunblest was a brand they could trust, and 71% feel that it is good value for money and 77% stated that Sunblest consistently offered high quality products. “We are over the moon that Sunblest has been voted Northern Ireland’s tastiest Veda bread,” said Elva O’Connor, senior brand manager, Allied Bakeries. “We started baking Veda in the 1950s and, back then, we could never have imagined that it would become the cult Northern Ireland product it is today and that we would be producing one million loaves per year and be voted the tastiest. “The people of Northern Ireland voted us number one for taste so we wanted to design our new eye-catching yellow pack to include popular Northern Irish sayings, to thank them and reflect that as a national treasure, Sunblest Veda really is, as it says on the pack, ‘our wee loaf’. “Keep an eye out for our brand new look in all major retail outlets in Northern Ireland – to steal from the pack: it’s magic! Once in your basket, it is completely up to you how you enjoy it, whether you are a toaster, a self-slicer or a posh topper!” * The taste test was conducted in Belfast City Centre from 20th-22nd January 2016 with 150 respondents.

For more detail on whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new with Sunblest Veda contact your Allied Bakeries Ireland Representative or call 08432 080 401

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11/03/2016 16:15

ADVERTORIAL

Local Nature’s Harvest potato brand celebrates 20 years

opular local potato brand Nature’s Harvest is celebrating 20 years as the trusted family favourite. Launched in 1996 by McCormack Potato, Moy, the much-loved range continues to delight customers with only the finest quality, seasonal potatoes delivered with loving care from field to fork. Retailing at all good supermarkets across the Province, Nature’s Harvest potatoes are a familiar favourite in grocery aisles and the range continues to go from strength to strength. The portfolio now boasts 17 seasonal lines, from award-winning chipping potatoes, the most flavoursome, floury table potatoes, perfect baby potatoes and premium seasonal varieties. Managing Director, Brian McCormack is delighted with Nature’s Harvest success, and said: “Local families and retailers have always trusted Nature’s Harvest potatoes for their consistent quality, flavour, freshness and all year round availability. We are proud to offer one of the Province’s best loved and most enduring potato brands. “When we launched the Nature’s Harvest range 20 years ago, we focused firmly on delivering consistently good potatoes every single time. The brand is still renowned for

Aiden, Barry and Brian McCormack, McCormack Potato, Moy who launched the Nature’s Harvest potato brand 20 years ago this month.

that today. Eating quality and flavour are key and we carefully source only the best seasonal varieties to bring versatility and choice to the consumer.” McCormack Potato continues to invest in the Nature’s Harvest range, as Brian explains: “To celebrate Nature’s Harvest 20th anniversary, we have refreshed the brand’s packaging and introduced colour coding to help customers spot their favourite potato varieties more easily at point of sale. We have

also extended the range with an exciting new addition ‘Chippers’, the perfect potatoes for chips, wedges and roasties. We won’t rest on our laurels and plan to execute some exciting Nature’s Harvest trade and consumer promotional activities throughout the year.” For Nature’s Harvest trade enquires contact: Barry McCormack, Sales Director – T: 028 8778 4429; E: sales@mccormackpotato.co.uk; W: www.mccormackpotato.co.uk.

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING AWARDS 2016 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES

G rocer Market ingAwards ULSTER

2016

Strong entries mark Northern Ireland Year of Food & Drink

ntries are up again for the 28th annual Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards, which will see winners announced at the GroceryAid Ulster Grocers’ Ball in the Culloden, Estate & Spa on Friday, May 6. Tickets are still available for the Grocers’ Ball (contact david.neill@kerry. ie) but generally sell out fast so book your table early to prevent disappointment. As usual, each couple attending the Ball will receive the famous Grocers’ Ball hamper, jam-packed with produce while, in addition to the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards, the event will include a drinks reception, outstanding meal showcasing the best of local food and entertainment throughout the evening with dancing after the meal and formalities are concluded. The prestigious Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards are chaired again this year by Michael Maguire of Quintus, while the judging panel also includes Marian Norwood, lecturer in marketing at the Ulster University, and Emma Cowan, a writer, editor, designer and business consultant specialising in food, drink and retail. We have an impressive range of sponsors on board for the Awards, showcasing the breadth of the grocery sector, including Invest NI, Henderson Food Machinery, FMI, Reach Retail Services, Hunky Dorys and Sales Placement. And, as you’ll see from the short-listed entries in the following pages, entries are particularly strong this year as the industry celebrates NI Year of Food & Drink. Ulster Grocer would like to extend its thanks and best wishes to all the local businesses competing in the Awards, and gratitude to the judges and sponsors.

Introducing the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards judges MARIAN NORWOOD, ULSTER UNIVERSITY Lecturer in Marketing and Course Director of the BSc Advertising and the BSc Creative Advertising Technologies programmes at the University of Ulster. Since graduating from the University of Ulster, Marian has been employed in a variety of roles within the local retail sector and higher education. For more than 20 years Marian has worked within the Ulster Business School at the Magee campus of the University of Ulster as a lecturer in marketing. She is responsible for the management and development of the advertising programmes at Magee. The ethos of the programme is to produce excellent graduates ready for work! The advertising programmes are rooted in market need, with updates and enhancements arising out of consultation with experts from the local advertising and marketing industry.

Michael Maguire, Quintus Michael Lawrence Maguire is a marketing analyst who specialises in business positioning strategies and brand development. Born in Belfast in 1948, he was educated in Kano and Lagos, Nigeria, and Dublin. In a 40-year career, he has worked and lived in Europe, and the United States. He spent his first decade in management positions in national companies and multinationals, and the second in public agencies involved in business development. For the last 20-plus years, he has worked in management consultancy, providing strategic marketing and business turnaround advice and guidance to many leading enterprises. A frequent columnist and commentator on international business, he is also author of ‘It’s Our Thing – 300 Years of Irish Brands’ published in 2011. He lists his hobbies as history, public speaking and people watching. He is married, has two grown up sons and lives in Crawfordsburn, Co Down.

EMMA COWAN, SUMMERISLAND Emma Cowan has worked as a writer, editor, designer and business consultant for over 20 years. Her writing/editing career has spanned a diverse range of business and consumer sectors and led to specialisms in hospitality, tourism, retail, food and drink. She has also published two magazine titles of her own and was co-founder of a successful web-based business magazine. Consulting clients have embraced public and private sectors, including local councils, construction, tourism, marketing and design, legal and health. As a designer, Emma has worked on publications, corporate materials and packaging and one of her food packaging design projects won a European Design Award. Emma is married with two sons and lives in rural Co Armagh. A business graduate from Queen’s University, her early career was in marketing research and business consultancy/development.

Sponsored by:

Established

1995

FIELD MANAGEMENT IRELAND

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING perspective AWARDS 2016 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES

Sales Placement joins Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards sponsors

“W

e are delighted to be able to sponsor the award for Best In-store Consumer Sales Promotion,” said Russell Johnston, field marketing director at Sales Placement. “While our business has grown, developed and diversified over the past number of years, the FMCG and retail markets are still the bedrock of our business and expertise. The majority of our clients have been with us for a number of years, and have bought into our open and honest approach, while we have integrated into their culture and have taken ownership of providing a return on Investment on any projects we work on. Our commitment to driving innovation and improvement, such as our bespoke stock control system, data collection and reporting apps, has led to clients requesting Contract People to offer additional services, having recognised that our strengths are in recruiting, training, measuring and coaching staff, managing logistics and third party suppliers to provide an efficient and effective service across any area of expertise. We then use our vast recruitment skills and experience to employ expertise in each area. This recognition from clients has allowed us to develop a full service offering for both the retail trade and their suppliers, with our latest successful innovation being a refrigeration installation, maintenance and breakdown team. For retailers, this means Contract People can now recruit the right staff, help set up or refurbish their outlet, payroll their employees, ensure their stores are compliant, measure and analyse their customer service levels and consumer feedback, and also install and look after their refrigeration equipment. For suppliers, we have a fantastic track record and longstanding reputation of recruiting the right staff for FMCG Clients across Ireland, whether on a temporary or permanent basis.”

BEST 2015 MARKETING CAMPAIGN SPONSORED BY FMI LIDL – LIDL COMMUNITY WORKS

idl had faced a number of issues in its challenge to provide a credible alternative to the established UK retailers in Northern Ireland. While Lidl could lay claim to quality products at low prices, there was no ‘reason to believe’ in Lidl beyond this – no meaningful, emotional reason why the NI consumer should choose to shop in Lidl. The solution to this was to establish Lidl as a true local retailer – one that was prepared to go further to roll its sleeves up and get involved in the things that matter to communities up and down Northern Ireland. However, given that this was nothing Lidl had done before, it required a significant effort and dedication of resources to put a Lidl team on the ground that would be active in the communities and using the range of integrated media such as TV, outdoor, press, social and digital communications to tell this story as it was happening. In a year, the percentage of shoppers doing their main shop in Lidl doubled and a range of brand tracker metrics show that the Lidl Community Works campaign has resonated at consumer level and given shoppers a reason to shop in Lidl. This campaign showed that marketing has the power to do more than just tell a story – it can create a story of how a retailer rethought its business and committed itself to making a positive difference in the communities it serves.

IRWIN’S – HOWELLS REBRAND

rwin’s Bakery celebrated 100 years baking in Northern Ireland in 2012. Currently, the bakery employs more than 450 staff and operates 24 hours a day, 363 days a year. Irwin’s is home to a full portfolio of brands including its cake and biscuit range Howell’s. In 2015, Irwin’s invested £40,000 in a rebrand of the cake and biscuit range. The investment included the purchase of a bespoke state-of-theart labelling machine to improve overall efficiency, drive volumes and increase production capacity. In addition, the investment enabled the creation of eight new lines of biscuits, cakes and cupcakes. Howell’s was introduced under the Irwin’s Bakery brand umbrella to enable Irwin’s to enter the confectionery market in 2007. Originally named Howell’s Handmade, the brand had reached a saturated point. If action was not taken the brand would begin to decline and disappear. Market research conducted by Millward Brown Ulster in early 2015 presented results which showed the brand to be a ‘quiet brand’ with low perception, it was not ‘relevant’ to today’s consumer and volumes were beginning to decline. Research showed NPD to be high on both shoppers’ and retailers’ agendas and with competitors rebranding and introducing new ranges to meet trends, action had to be taken.

IRWIN’S – RANKINS REBRAND

reated in collaboration with celebrity chef Paul Rankin, Rankin Selection is Irwin’s award-winning range of traditional Irish breads. Paul Rankin’s passion for great local produce inspired the development and launch of the Rankin Selection brand in 2002. Working with Irwin’s Bakery, he has successfully brought a taste of traditional Irish bread to the major supermarkets and consumers across Great Britain and Ireland. In order to achieve Irwin’s aims of building awareness for the Rankin Selection rebrand, the bakery devised an integrated marketing strategy to focus on retailer and consumer relations, to strengthen the brand. The rebrand aimed to resolve challenges such as appearance, distribution and volume. To promote the refresh, the team at Irwin’s developed a marketing plan that included sales promotion, strategic partnerships, PR and social media.

Sponsored by:

Established FIELD MANAGEMENT IRELAND

1995

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING perspective AWARDS 2016 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES DALE FARM – DROMONa THE REAL TASTE OF HOME

n May 2015 Dale Farm launched a fully integrated, strategic, multi-media campaign supporting growth for its Dromona brand: Dromona – The Real Taste of Home. With consumers increasingly looking for home-grown, high-quality produce with the added benefits of convenience, the Dromona butter, spreads and cheese range is recognised as a brand that can be trusted to deliver quality and taste. In addition to offering Dromona consumers a range of excellent quality and great tasting products, its consumers are reassured by the fact that by purchasing dairy products from Dale Farm they know they are helping to support local farmers and the economy. Dromona products are made from the finest, freshest local milk, and Dale Farm believes you can really taste that difference in its Dromona products – they truly are the real taste of home. Its Dromona – The Real Taste of Home advertising campaign highlighted how the brand has a constant presence in the heart of the home and how Dromona can play an important part in the lives of its target consumer – the busy mum. Dale Farm’s multi media campaign conveyed the fact that Dromona butter and cheese has a role to play at almost every mealtime. Despite persistent pressure from national brands, Dromona has continued to lead the way in the butter, spread and cheese categories. Updated sales figures and consumer engagement have proven the Dromona – The Real Taste of Home campaign has resonated with consumers, pushing Dromona’s market share in Northern Ireland further ahead.

MOY PARK – MOY PARK ROAST IN THE BAG CHICKEN

oy Park Roast in the Bag was the first roast in the bag chicken product to use cutting edge thermoformed packaging technology, with a printed, sealed pack that can go straight into the oven. Launched under the Moy Park Good Kitchen range, it targeted a growing market for added-value fresh chicken products. Given the topical nature of the FSA’s Campylobacter awareness campaign of 2015, the innovative packaging was appealing to consumers, because they didn’t have to touch the raw product at any point. The campaign tapped into changing behaviour of the target consumers families and young professionals - and allowed Moy Park to provide a solution – a delicious chicken with no touch, no prep, and full flavour. Moy Park’s through the line campaign - aligned with its overarching brand purpose of ‘wellness, goodness and togetherness’ - incorporated media relations, targeted social media and digital marketing, in-store activation, trade advertising and radio sponsorship. Its use of social media in particular encouraged interaction and was a public platform from which consumers shared how much they loved the product. Moy Park was present where our consumer was present, talking to them in a way that was meaningful to them, engaging them through common interests and providing solutions to their daily meal-time struggles.

HOVIS IRELAND – ORMO - BAKE ME HAPPY

rmo is a well-known and much-loved brand in Northern Ireland but over the last three years, it has seen its volume and share declining. Ormo started on a journey in September 2014 to reverse the decline. Its vision was about bringing passion back to the bakery fixture, making it more relevant, making it different and better. It needed to understand consumers’ views on bread, other bakery and how Ormo was perceived vs. the competitive set. In 2014 Ormo embarked on qualitative research with Millward Brown. There were four areas that Ormo felt were essential to rebuild trust and sales: an innovation strategy to develop a range of NPD that is modern, relevant and addresses the gaps and demands of consumers; Ormo re-positioning enabling the brand to target younger demographics and retain its key consumers; improve core products to make them best in class; and a media and communications programme allowing Ormo to make the emotional connection and communicate enjoyment. Consumers loved the new wheaten propositions, new flavours and easier to use shape. The new soda products attracted favourable feedback about calorie control and ease of use. All groups liked the pancakes as they focused on the big trend of health (Jan 2015 Millward Brown). Positioning and packaging still represented the core brand positioning but attracted younger shoppers with the Ormo – Bake Me Happy creative (Millward Brown Jan 2015). Product improvement was backed up with 82% of consumers preferring the new pancakes, and an integrated media plan. Ormo saw a turnaround in sales fortunes since the launch with NPD performing well in respective segments.

KERRY FOODS – DISCOVER NORTHERN IRELAND WITH DENNY

he Denny NI campaign was the first step in bringing through a new positioning for the brand, focusing on consumer interaction and engagement and getting stuck into the communities the brand operates in. Objectives were built around both commercial delivery and also consumer engagement with a key element of the campaign being a competition underpinning all activity offering 50 consumers the chance to win family breaks to some of Northern Ireland’s most treasured tourist attractions. The campaign, Discover Northern Ireland with Denny, was brought fully through the line with TV support, a radio sponsorship on Cool FM, proximity media, social media support and a strong trade plan. The latter included full brand promotions across back-to-back cycles and all NI retailers. The price plan was also supported with in-store theatre/POS, additional rental fridges, in store sampling days, handbill features across multiple retailers and a Facebook competition with a reach of 51,000 fans. The campaign wound up with PR coverage of the winners released to local media channels. In terms of delivery, the campaign achieved a +19% YOY revenue increase and +18% YOY volume increase versus 2014. Key consumer metrics were also hugely positive with 19,500 people sampled during the campaign, 5,000 competition entries, and engagement from 20,000 people online. Following a hugely successful campaign in 2015, 2016 sees a similar campaign kicking off bespoke to NI retailers and consumers building on the huge success of 2015.

Sponsored by:

Established

1995

FIELD MANAGEMENT IRELAND

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING perspective AWARDS 2016 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES HENDERSON WHOLESALE – CAMPAIGN: PROTECTING THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY

he aim of the marketing campaign was to encourage fundraising and public donations and communicate that sudden cardiac arrest could happen to anyone in our communities, old or young, regardless of how healthy they are. A mix of media was used to communicate these important messages including radio, outside broadcasts, outdoor and bus hugs. The Henderson Group also felt it was extremely important to educate the general public on the importance of CPR and ease of use of defibrillators, and hence produced public information leaflets and set up a dedicated information website along with the use of video to highlight survivors’ stories.

HENDERSON WHOLESALE – CAMPAIGN: SPAR PASSIONATE ABOUT LOCAL

or the past 50 years, SPAR has been owned by local business people who are passionate about serving their communities, sourcing ethically and supporting local good causes. These retailers have always been Passionate about Local. Inspired and shaped by shopper insight and a new business model, SPAR’s new Passionate about Local brand platform was launched in 2015. It comprised of five complementary ingredients, blended perfectly together, including a striking new fresh foods campaign; a distinctive new own-brand range of local produce; a high profile agricultural sponsorship; a major new local CSR initiative; and in-store activity emphasising local credentials. At a time when any sales increases were extremely difficult, the Passionate about Local campaign has proved to be a huge success, not only in ground-breaking fresh food sales performances of +12% but in changing shoppers’ purchasing habits, with an impressive 42% of shoppers saying ‘that SPAR has made improvements to its fresh foods in the last 12 months’ and 62% of SPAR shoppers indicating they are spending more in SPAR on fresh foods (SPARTracker2015). All indicators suggest there is a truly voracious appetite for SPAR’s Passionate about Local campaign amongst local convenience shoppers.

BEST BRAND SPONSORED BY HENDERSON FOOD MACHINERY IRWIN’s BAKERY – irwin’s brand

rwin’s Bakery has been baking bread in Northern Ireland for over 100 years. In 1912, WD Irwin started in business in Woodhouse Street, Portadown, Co Armagh as a grocer and was baking cakes and breads to sell in his shop. His wife Ruth and sister-in-law Flossie baked the bread at first, and the family saw the demand for fresh bread rise across the local community. By 1932, to meet an increasing demand for their products, distribution was expanded with a fleet of horse-drawn and motor vehicles to deliver fresh bread daily on a wider basis. Business continued to prosper and grow. In 1995, W.D. Irwin and Sons moved to new purpose-built, 100,000-square-foot premises at Carn Industrial Estate. Now in 2015, the bakery employs more than 450 employees and operates 24 hours a day, 363 days a year. Irwin’s produces a full portfolio of breads encompassing five brands: Irwin’s, Nutty Krust, Softee, Rankin Selection, and Howell’s. The company’s core values are reflected in every aspect of the business, from the bakery floor to marketing and advertising to the sales force. The Irwin’s ethos is based on quality, integrity, energy, family, the reduction of waste and community. While the bakery sector is a competitive one, Irwin’s continues to thrive by sticking to the principles of traditional bread making while always aiming to reach the needs of modern consumers through innovation.

MOY PARK – moy park brand

oy Park is one of the UK’s top 15 food companies, Northern Ireland’s largest private sector business and one of Europe’s leading poultry producers. In NI and GB, Moy Park had traditionally supplied poultry products to retailers as ‘white label’ chicken products. The fresh poultry market itself is dominated by private label, with an estimated 90% of the poultry market attributed to private label (Mintel, 2011). However, to grow margins and to increase supplier power, Moy Park put a focus on new product development over the past 18 months, to build consumer and retailer awareness and understanding of their own brand. A strategy was implemented to grow the Moy Park brand through: price positioning Moy Park branded poultry above own label; driving purchase through product innovation and expansion, quality messaging and deepening consumer engagement with the Moy Park brand in Northern Ireland (as well as Republic of Ireland and GB); and raising awareness of the brand with retailers (particularly GB-based buyers essential for NI listings). Through a brand focus on Goodness in Everything, supported by the four pillars of Goodness, Togetherness, Wellness and Youthfulness, Moy Park promoted its brand messages through a range of marketing activity, including through the line advertising, events, and sponsorship. Through sponsorship and events, it sought to be associated with activities that were family-focused, healthy, fun and wholesome. The brand building activity to date has been commercially successful and also elevated the brand’s visibility boosting Moy Park’s market share and increasing revenue significantly in NI by 14.6% YOY.

Sponsored by:

Established FIELD MANAGEMENT IRELAND

1995

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING perspective AWARDS 2016 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES HOVIS IRELAND – HOVIS BREAD: BUILDING BRAND AND CATEGORY VALUE

aked fresh in Belfast since 1974, the Hovis brand has gone from strength-to-strength over the last 40 years and is now Northern Ireland’s number one bread brand. Hovis continues to build the brand in NI, looking at ways to combat some trends and shopping behaviours negatively affecting growth in the bread market. Bread consumption in NI has been declining in volume for a number of years but no brand has looked at ways to increase consumption and bring shoppers back. Hovis operates in a very competitive arena where there has been a significant drop in value, driven by low prices, combined with a drop in consumption. Hovis don’t plan to fight against the trends and shopper behaviours; instead, it wants to embrace them. In 2015, Hovis developed a strategic plan to build future growth and unlock new bakery occasions with innovation that delivered excitement and inspiration. The plan included relaunching Hovis premium breads, growing weekly penetration and adding value to both the Hovis brand and the bakery category. Since the launch, Hovis has experienced a growth of 6% pts to 58% value share with category value growth of 14%. A new product launch – Hovis Good Inside – was created and launched to counter those negative attitudes towards bread and bring shoppers back. It was launched in October 2015 but, already, sales have tripled and volume stolen from Hovis Core, planned at 25%, is at 43%. Also, another new product launch – Hovis Other Bakery – was created and launched in an initial range of other bakery products adding incremental value to the Hovis brand and re-introducing Hovis to lapsed buyers.

NISA RETAIL – HERITAGE

he Heritage range is performing above and beyond expectations since the rebrand began hitting the shelves in June 2014, and has been a success with members and consumers alike. The success of the range has also been established by a number of award triumphs over the last year, with cheeses alone winning a total of 12 awards. The Heritage team has a real passion for food and this is successfully reflected in every aspect of the range. The Heritage team conducted a comprehensive range of consumer and member research to ensure it got a clear insight into the Heritage range and where any improvements could be made. This feedback was then used to create a range that would fulfil the needs of the consumer and the member. The company thoroughly assessed the market and observed the trends and influences affecting shopper behaviour such as people being increasingly time poor, the trend towards scratch cooking, eating in being the new eating out and the fact we have an aging population who tend to shop locally, and used this information to create a brand to meet its consumers’ needs. This culminated in the new look Heritage range which incorporates three tiers, of which Heritage is its mid-tier range which looks to offer consumers the same quality as their favourite brands.

BOOST – champion of the independents

oost offers excellent products, strong profit margins – of up to 50% – and dedicated support. Boost has a terrific proposition – great taste at a great price – and its NPD involves developing flavours and formats to meet the needs of retailers and consumers alike. Indeed, Red Berry, which was launched last July, was created exclusively for the NI palate/market. This was followed by the Limited Edition Winter Spice. Support included sampling, social media and POS like shelf talkers and high impact dump bins. Boost communicated with Northern Ireland consumers in a number of ways over the last 12 months. Sampling/promotions, reaching well over one million consumers in total, included: St Patrick’s Day Boost Your Luck campaign reached 60,000 consumers; university/college sampling; Belfast Telegraph/Tall Ships campaign reached 800,000 consumers; North West 200 sponsorship reached 150,000 consumers; Cool FM Winter Spice Rap competition reached 110,994 consumers on social media alone; and social media – a number of geo-targeted campaigns focused on NI run throughout the year. On the trade side, Boost’s Grab a Grand merchandising competition met with a fantastic reception from independents across the territory. Three NI retailers won £1,000 cash as well as £400 in marketing and advertising support. The only brand within the category to focus entirely on independent retailers, Boost has been in consistent growth for the last three years and continues to grow ahead of the category.

HENDERSON WHOLESALE: EUROSPAR – THE SUPEREASY SUPERMARKET

UROSPAR is a pan-European retail format operating in thirteen different countries with almost 900 stores. The brand was brought to NI by the locally-owned business Henderson Group in 2000, launching with just two stores in Bangor and Warrenpoint. EUROSPAR has been in Northern Ireland for 15 years and its presence can be seen across the province as store numbers now stand at impressive 49 (April 2016). Over the course of this time the brand has seen rapid growth, particularly in 2015 when performance excelled beyond all expectations with the development of 6 new state-of-the-art stores, recorded LFL wholesale sales growth of 25.1% and total sales value reaching almost £100m. These figures together with EUROSPAR’s retail sales growth of 7% in 2015 firmly established the brand as the fast growing local supermarket in Northern Ireland, particularly when put in context with other leading supermarkets performances. The success of the brand was attributed to a new £1m ‘Supermarket & Fresh Food’ focused marketing strategy, resulting in exceptional improvements in shopper perceptions of the brand and what it represented.

Sponsored by:

Established

1995

FIELD MANAGEMENT IRELAND

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING perspective AWARDS 2016 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES

BEST CSR INITIATIVE/CHARITY SPONSORSHIP SPONSORED BY HUNKY DORYS IRWINS – helping hand charity partnership

rwin’s Bakery has been baking bread in Co Armagh since 1912. The business has a long-standing relationship with its customer base and the local community. Supporting the home market through partnerships with selected local charities, as well as supporting cross-community sporting programmes has always been at the heart of Irwin’s brand values. Biannually, Irwin’s Bakery selects a local charity partner. This is a process that sets out to promote positive family values within the business through hosting fun fundraising events. The charity is chosen carefully to reflect Irwin’s own values. All Irwin’s staff members are encouraged to nominate a charity at the selection stage. The nominations are then shortlisted by the charity committee, made up of employees of all levels. The short-listed charities are then screened to optimise the fit between Irwin’s and the chosen charity. In 2015 the employees of Irwin’s Bakery selected Helping Hand, a charity that works alongside The Royal Victoria Sick Children’s Hospital. Inspired by the experiences of one Irwin’s employee, Irwin’s wanted to support the sick and vulnerable children who benefit from Helping Hand’s work. To that end, the team at Irwin’s set out to help make a difference for those children by raising more than £15,000 for the organisation and promote knowledge of the invaluable work the Sick Children’s Unit undertakes.

NISA RETAIL – MAKING A DIFFERENCE LOCALLY

isa believes that community engagement is key, which is why members are able to support good causes in their local area through Nisa’s registered charity, Making a Difference Locally (MADL). Making a Difference Locally was established in May 2008 to enable independent retailers to further cement themselves at the heart of their communities by supporting local causes with donations raised through the charity. These Nisa members raise funds through the sale of specific products in their stores, including all 800 items from Nisa’s award-winning own-label range, Heritage, and a selection of branded products, before choosing a local good cause or charity as the beneficiary of the donation. MADL also helps retailers to engage further with their communities as a large proportion of retailers ask their customers which charity or good cause they would like to see benefitting from a donation. There are over 2,000 stores nationwide participating in the Making a Difference Locally initiative. The scheme has also enabled Nisa employees to support hundreds of local causes through staff donations. Since the creation of Making a Difference Locally, over £5m has been raised through the charity which has helped thousands of charities and good causes across the UK.

LYNN’S COUNTRY FOODS – THE GOOD LITTLE COMPANY

he Good Little Company is a premium sausage brand which gives 50% of its profits to three charity partners in Africa – Christian Aid, Mulanje Mission and Samburu Trust. The Good Little Company believes corporate responsibility is not simply giving some of the profit to good causes, it is an integral part of good business. In addition, The Good Little Company has a commitment to the environment, supply chain and equality. The Good Little Company is very much at the heart of Lynn’s Country Foods, with Denis Lynn leading from the top. Internally, the Good Little Company is a brand everyone feels heavily connected to, and the business receives regular updates on the projects in Africa and holds various staff fundraising sporting and food-related events. Throughout 2015, the Good little Company saw a complete rebrand, with new packaging outlining key information on each of the charity partners and a new responsive website. Without the Good Little Company, its charity partners each would have struggled. Christian Aid would not have the innovative edge of having their logo displayed on the shelf of two major UK retailers (Waitrose and Tesco Northern Ireland). The Mulanje Mission may never have found the resources to take on new projects and build the strong business structure it has today and the Samburu Trust would not have been able to avail of the business expertise to build a clear business strategy.

HENDERSON WHOLESALE – PROTECTING THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY

‘I

n Northern Ireland, in a typical year, over 1,400 people suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Fewer than 10% of them survive to be discharged from hospital. Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and a defibrillator shock are vital to a person’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest’ (Source DHSSPS Northern Ireland Community Resuscitation Strategy 2014). The Henderson Group, in conjunction with its retail partners, was keen to install automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in communities throughout Northern Ireland, knowing they could play a vital role in helping to save lives, especially in rural areas where it may take longer for the emergency services to reach critically ill people. These defibrillators would be fitted outside stores, in special temperature controlled cabinets, to be available for the community to access 24/7.

Sponsored by:

Established FIELD MANAGEMENT IRELAND

1995

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING perspective AWARDS 2016 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES

BEST NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH/RELAUNCH MACKLE – CAT CLUB

ackle Petfoods relaunched their cat food brand, Cat Club in 2015. Made with the finest quality Irish meat, Cat Club is fully traceable from farm to can. Cat owners want to feed their feline friends only the best. But our feline friends can be fussy creatures and cat lovers know that palatability and quality is vital. They are looking for a high quality, tried and trusted cat food but at a value price, which Cat Club offers. As part of the Cat Club relaunch, new improved formulations were introduced across the range, improving the quality and palatability of the brand. Cat Club has also undergone a packaging redesign to increase the brand’s identity on shelf. The product range was also extended with the introduction of a new Poultry Selection Chunks in Gravy 6 Pack, to complement the current Cat Club Variety Chunks in Jelly 6 Pack and new Variety 3 Packs; Cat Club Variety Chunks in Jelly and Cat Club Variety Chunks in Gravy, both priced at two euros. As a platform to launch these changes Mackle Petfoods embarked on an exciting Digital Campaign, supported by a local Radio advertising campaign. The aim was to raise awareness and saliency of the Cat Club brand and convey the Cat Club brand values whilst incorporating a key brand message – ‘Cats love their Cat Club!’ Cat Club’s re-launch was a resounding success. The campaign successfully raised brand awareness through driving conversation and shareability across social media. As a result, sales are continuing to grow from strengthto-strength.

DALE FARM – DALE FARM PROTEIN MILK

n October 2015 Dale Farm launched a fresh milk product with 50% additional natural milk protein aimed at meeting the nutritional needs of the active consumer. Recognising the fact that local consumers are increasingly more aware of the connection between nutrition and exercise and particularly the role of protein in the growth and repair of muscle as well as the hydrating power of milk, Dale Farm Protein Milk was developed to create a fresh product which naturally boosts protein intake, is convenient to consume and is similar in taste to standard fresh milk. The strength of the product’s innovative positioning, positive price point and sustainable marketing launch plan enabled the commercial team to secure listings for Dale Farm Protein Milk in Asda, Tesco, SPAR, Nisa, SuperValu, Centra and Costcutter stores across Northern Ireland. Utilising the power of trusted and respected brand ambassadors such as Ulster Rugby and Peanut Butter Girl, Dale Farm educated consumers about the positive benefits of Dale Farm Protein Milk. A robust sampling plan ensured the consumer was able to try the product and Dale Farm’s dedicated sampling team was able to speak to consumers about the benefits and usage of the product. Sales figures and social engagement over the first three months are testament that Dale Farm Protein Milk and the marketing launch plan are winning local consumers over and creating opportunities for national listings.

MOY PARK – MOY PARK ROAST IN THE BAG CHICKEN

oy Park Roast in the Bag was the first roast in the bag chicken product to use cutting edge thermoformed packaging technology, with a printed, sealed pack that can go straight into the oven. Launched under the Moy Park Good Kitchen range, it targeted a growing market for added-value fresh chicken products. Given the topical nature of the FSA’s Campylobacter awareness campaign of 2015, the innovative packaging was appealing to consumers, because they didn’t have to touch the raw product at any point. The campaign tapped into changing behaviour of the target consumers – families and young professionals and allowed Moy Park to provide a solution – a delicious chicken with no touch, no prep, and full flavour. Moy Park’s through the line campaign – aligned with its overarching brand purpose of ‘wellness, goodness and togetherness’ – incorporated media relations, targeted social media and digital marketing, in-store activation, trade advertising and radio sponsorship. Its use of social media in particular encouraged interaction and was a public platform from which consumers shared how much they loved the product. Moy Park was present where our consumer was present, talking to them in a way that was meaningful to them, engaging them through common interests and providing solutions to their daily meal-time struggles.

KESTREL FOODS – FOREST FEAST STREET FOOD

estrel Foods is a family-run business at the forefront of the market for premium quality dried fruit and nuts in the retail and foodservice sector. Based in Northern Ireland, continuous investment in state-of-the-art production facilities, and an ambitious growth strategy, has cultivated a global customer base in over 30 countries. With a clearly defined research and development proposition, Forest Feast Street Food launched in January 2015 and has been instrumental in developing brand appeal. While reflecting the success of the range, the sales figures demonstrate a number of far more significant points integral to the range and overall business strategy. Firstly, the sales strategy of primarily focusing on multiple retail was indeed successful with multiple listings also promoting brand appeal through increased consumer visibility and, accounting for 40% of the overall sales value, this strategy enabled the business to secure volume and subsequently improve efficiency and utilisation of the companies roasting capabilities. Kestrel Foods focus for the future is to further develop its extensive product portfolio, anticipate growth opportunities and to continue to enhance opportunities new and existing international markets. With imminent plans to launch a number of additional pioneering new snack products in 2016, the company is firmly positioned to strengthen its place at the forefront of the global snacking industry aiming to achieve a £20m turnover by 2020.

Sponsored by:

Established

1995

FIELD MANAGEMENT IRELAND

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING perspective AWARDS 2016 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES HENDERSON WHOLESALE – SPAR ENJOY LOCAL

rivate label in SPAR NI had a history of underperforming. This presented a massive opportunity gap for SPAR NI in 2015. SPAR UK’s central office in London had a private label NPD department producing a range of long-life and ambient products for all stores in the UK. SPAR, locally, could then complement this range by sourcing fresh products under the SPAR private label brand. However, there were a number of issues identified with the range as it sat in 2014 – in terms of packaging, breadth of range and consumer traction. Research conducted on how customers viewed SPAR had shown that customers who bought SPAR private label liked SPAR more, thought SPAR was better value, shopped in SPAR more often, recommended SPAR to their friends and spent more. The prospect of gaining more loyal SPAR private label shoppers – coupled with the opportunity gap for growth of private label in the market – paved the way for a strategy to deliver a rebranded, reformulated and updated range of SPAR private label fresh lines. The success of the SPAR enjoy local range has exceeded expectations. With 144 lines, the range has had traction with both retailers and consumers and has helped to drive fresh food sales by 12%. The range has positioned SPAR as the rightful owner of the local retailer of choice crown.

KERRY FOODS – FIRE & SMOKE (HENRY DENNY)

enny faced intense competition in the sliced cooked meats market and needed to take a brave new approach towards growth. The challenge to the marketing team was to uncover a compelling unmet need that would reinvigorate and drive growth in the sliced cooked meats category without cannibalising our existing range. Denny needed radical thinking and action to shake things up. The response resulted in an epic adventure and the creation of a new brand – Fire & Smoke; a brand that would make pre-packed meat relevant to new target audience. The launch was inspired by the American Deep South. From inception to execution, the flavours and attitude were at the forefront of all activities. From a strong launch platform, Fire & Smoke has successfully grown the category by bringing in over 10% new consumers. The launch was supported with a multi-faceted campaign that cut through and resonated with the new target audience. Less than a year in the market, Fire & Smoke has generated over £700,000 in retail sales. The depth and thought that went into the launch of Fire & Smoke has KPIs showing well with penetration at 11% and frequency at three times. The brand is tracking well above the category average for being ‘differentiated’ and it is overindexing against the category for ‘tasting better than others’ and being ‘higher priced but worth it’ – the holy grail.

GREEN RETAILER OF THE YEAR ASDA – ASDA SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMME

sda’s sustainability strategy has been the driver to significantly reduce its carbon footprint in Northern Ireland. However, Asda takes a much broader view of what a green retailer should be, adopting a green retailer approach to its operations, including transport and packaging; products, including sustainable fish and local sourcing; and partners – suppliers, customers and communities. Asda is also making it fun, not least with the very successful introduction of its Wonky Veg range. Asda is committed to continuing its work on sustainability and is looking forward to making a real difference. As part of Walmart, Asda has a global responsibility to do the right thing for the environment. The retailer has made significant external commitments including being a signatory to Courtauld 2025 and realises that, within its Northern Ireland business, it can play a big part. Asda has committed locally to a wide range of activities across its business – reducing its transport emissions, adopting a zero waste policy, supporting partners on projects such as Love Food Hate Waste, maintaining a local sourcing team in Antrim and resourcing its unique Sustain and Save Exchange Programme, which enables its suppliers to share best practice. Put it all together and Asda’s Sustainability Programme is driving its business to be a great green retailer in Northern Ireland.

BEST FOOD EXPORT MARKETING AWARD SPONSORED BY INVEST NORTHERN IRELAND MACKLE – NATURO PET FOODS

ackle Petfoods wanted to produce a super-premium brand which would be an additional revenue stream to the business but also inject a new product concept into the pet food market to be an attractive proposition around the world. Mackle Petfoods understood that the brand would have to deliver added value to the pet care market in terms of product and packaging. The Naturo range answers consumer demand on many levels: Naturo is a healthy, all natural high quality food which cats and dogs love while offering the pet purchaser the convenience of plastic packaging – easy rip and tip concept. The grocery retailers, pet specialists and independent pet stores attract incremental sales, therefore not cannibalising existing business, through the super-premium product and differentiated packaging – the plastic pot / tray with cardboard sleeve. The attraction of Naturo as a unique super-premium offering has seen the brand now successfully enter new export markets. A keen awareness of the global pet food market and pet health trends means Mackle Petfoods have been well placed to take advantage of the growing need for pets to have the same food choices as their owners (parents!).

Sponsored by:

Established FIELD MANAGEMENT IRELAND

1995

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING perspective AWARDS 2016 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES KESTREL FOODS – FOREST FEAST STREET FOOD

estrel Foods Ltd is a family-run business at the forefront of the market for premium quality dried fruit and nuts in the retail and foodservice sector. Based in Northern Ireland, continuous investment in state-of-the-art production facilities, and an ambitious growth strategy, has cultivated a global customer base in over 30 countries. Continuing the growth trend, 2015 has been another year of exporting success, reporting a 14.8% increase in international sales on the previous year, with further growth already reported for the start of 2016. The business secured an abundance of new retail and foodservice customers internationally, expanding on its already established global presence in markets such as the Middle East, Norway, Hong Kong and China. A host of new territories taking on the company’s Forest Feast and ActiSnack brands include the Ukraine, Czech Republic, Malta, France, Austria and Switzerland. Kestrel Foods’ focus for the future is to further develop its extensive product portfolio, anticipate growth opportunities and to continue to enhance opportunities new and existing international markets. With imminent plans to launch a number of pioneering new snack products in 2016, the company is firmly positioned to strengthen its place at the forefront of the global snacking industry aiming to achieve a £20m turnover by 2020.

MASH DIRECT – mashed potato hit in middle east

ash Direct is an independent, family-owned farming and food production enterprise, which was launched by Martin and Tracy Hamilton in 2004 at their farm in Comber, Co Down, close to the shores of Strangford Lough. In just over 12 years Mash Direct has grown into a national household brand. Retail sales are up 34.2% in GB year-on-year (the highest growth in the category) bringing turnover to £15m. Exports form a crucial part of Mash Direct’s overall business growth strategy as the company has sought to develop its profile beyond Northern Ireland in order to grow sales and spread risk. In doing so Mash Direct has achieved phenomenal success within Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland as well as establishing itself within high profile supermarket chains across the United Arab Emirates with two thirds of sales coming from outside of Northern Ireland. A snapshot of 2015/2016 reveals that retail food sales to the UK (excluding NI) increased by 32.4%, whilst sales to Scotland increased by 19.5% to over £2.7m. Meanwhile, food service exports to England have grown by over 56% in 2015 (with year on year sales over £1.8m). Customers in the Middle East increased from 1 to 5, including the UAE and Bahrain.

WILLOWBROOK FOODS – WILLOWBROOK FINE FOODS range

he launch of the Fine Foods range represents the long-term commitment of Willowbrook Fine Foods to create innovative, fully traceable food solutions. One of the objectives was to launch the Fine Foods product range that competed in an export market adding value to the category. The New Fine Foods range proved very favorable and feedback was very positive consequently spreading awareness of the range throughout the UK and Ireland. Two major retailers on the mainland became interested and the increase in sales has exceeded all expectations. In conclusion, the launch of fine Foods has enabled Willowbrook Fine Foods to produce the range for not only the local market, but now boasts retailers like Budgens and Nisa and Joyces stores in Ireland. With higher sales than anticipated, Willowbrook Fine Foods have used feedback from our customers to improve the range and redesigned labels and sleeves in keeping with these premium products. With the success of the products, Willowbrook Fine Foods were able to strengthen relations with customers and make tailor-made suggestions to suit their consumers. The range launched into other markets and countries sooner than anticipated however we endeavor to develop the range going forward and promote the range further within the retail and food service industry. Going forward to 2016, the Fine Foods NPD team has developed a range of Ready Meal products which have generated even more interest from customers and potentially new customers, with the first launch August 2016.

WHITE’S OATS – hot cereal and granola

hite’s Oats occupies a market-leading position within the hot cereal and granola categories in its domestic market but had ambitious plans to grow the business by 51%. Its challenge was the restrictive size of its domestic market (Northern Ireland). Research showed that consumers globally were adopting more westernised and healthy breakfast cereals and White’s believed their products would have a good fit with consumers in a number of desirable export markets. White’s used its competitive advantage as a leading supplier of porridge oats and oat cereals to a range of blue chip customers with an objective to dominate the porridge oats retail sector throughout the Island of Ireland whilst developing the White’s brand within GB and selected international markets. A number of export opportunities were identified across the UK, the Republic and into international markets. It was agreed that the ready-to-eat sector provided the most scope for growth, in those markets close to White’s domestic market where the product was readily understood and matched consumer demand for healthy indulgence and convenience, those markets being GB and ROI. The granola and clusters market was also enjoying double digit growth of 22.4% year on year in GB (Source: Kantar Data Worldpanel y/e 3.11.14), providing a sound growth platform. The outcomes for success have been measured against distribution gains, new product listings, new customers and new export markets.

Sponsored by:

Established

1995

FIELD MANAGEMENT IRELAND

ULSTER GROCER MARKETING perspective AWARDS 2016 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES

BEST ARTISAN FOODS CAMPAIGN SPONSORED BY REACH RETAIL SERVICES CLOUGHBANE FARM – traditional family foods

loughbane Farm Shop is owned and managed by the Robinson family, in Pomeroy, Co Tyrone. The business had an opportunity to be a founder member of a local farmers’ market, and used this as a base to open a farm shop and then expand into its present cooked foods business. Lorna Robinson and her husband Sam have enjoyed the challenges of growing the business and feel very fortunate that their two sons are working alongside them, in the farm shop, the ready meals business and the farm. In the beginning, the business heavily relied on local press to sell its story about the farm shop, which is based on the family farm, and created leaflets and printed these off and posted them through the doors of housing estates in local towns and villages. Demand and popularity grew and Cloughbane was able to sell its produce into local stores – its first delivery driver was Richard, who delivered the product in a cool box on his way to his work placement. Over the years, Cloughbane has found innovative and cost effective methods to get its brand in front of customers such as the use of social media. This has meant the business has more resources available to reinvest in the company to make it more efficient. Cloughbane creates traditional family foods, using recipes handed down from Lorna’s mother and bringing them to a mainstream market; whilst still maintaining its artisan presentation, taste and hand crafted finish. Cloughbane has ensured that, despite growing pressures within the economy, it has never deviated from producing high quality ready meals.

BEST IN-STORE CONSUMER SALES PROMOTION SPONSORED BY SALES PLACEMENT HENDERSON wholesale – EUROSPAR TESCO PRICE MATCH

UROSPAR is a pan-European retail format operating in 13 different countries with almost 900 stores. The brand was brought to NI by the locally-owned business Henderson Group in 2000, launching with just two stores in Bangor and Warrenpoint. EUROSPAR has been in Northern Ireland for 15 years and its presence can be seen across the Province, as store numbers now stand at an impressive 49 (April 2016). Over the course of this time, the brand has seen rapid growth, particularly in 2015 when performance excelled beyond all expectations with the development of six new state-of-the-art stores, recorded LFL wholesale sales growth of 25.1% and total sales value reaching almost £100m. These figures, together with EUROSPAR’s retail sales growth of 7% in 2015, firmly established the brand as the fast growing local supermarket in Northern Ireland, particularly when put in context with other leading supermarkets performances. Following consumer tracker research in 2014, this identified that consumers were price sensitive and that Tesco was their number one place to shop, hence EUROSPAR launched a price matching scheme, Tesco Price Match. This was launched to support key marketing and business objectives for the brand. Objectives for 2015 were for consumers to recognise EUROSPAR as a supermarket; to invest in a range of key household brand names that EUROSPAR could price match with Tesco; to increase sales with new shoppers who switch to EUROSPAR; and to increase basket spend, as if consumers perceived prices to be more competitive, they were likely to purchase more. The scheme was supported by a through-the-line marketing campaign including in-store POS materials, external site branding, heavyweight outdoor, radio, direct mail and digital. Results identified the awareness of the scheme increased for EUROSPAR consumers and that Tesco Price Match was a key reason why consumers shop at EUROSPAR. Ultimately the price matching initiative has retained and accumulated new customers to EUROSPAR stores, supporting LFL wholesale sales of 25.1%.

ULSTER GROCERS’

Gala Ball

Incorporating the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards

Supporting GroceryAid

Winners will be announced!!!

Friday 6th May 2015 Culloden Hotel : Contact david.neill@kerry.ie

Sponsored by:

Established FIELD MANAGEMENT IRELAND

1995

Henderson Food Machinery Company

Global supplier of New and Used Processing and P ackaging equipment Catering for all sectors including: Contract Packers Bakeries Ready Meals Seafood Desserts Meat Cutting Plants Vegetables Fruit and many more...

ISHIDA BAADER SEYDELMANN YAMATO MULTIVAC TREIF

GEA CFS KOPPENS JBT FRIGOSCANDIA REISER HANDTMANN WEILER FORMAX

LINCO HOBART KRONEN DC NORRIS STEPHEN BCH

In partners hip

hendersonfoodmachinery.com +44 (0) 2890 994 202 Unit 5 路 Madines Site 路 79 Downpatrick Road Crossgar 路 County Down 路 BT30 9EH

with

HENDERSONS FOOD MACHINERY

FPE Grinders built to exacting specifications A

t Henderson Food Machinery we can supply a wide range of Grinders from FPE. When purchasing a FPE FG Grinder you will need to look at your required throughputs, what working footprint you have in your facility, also your service requirements, what type of finish is required

FPE Range of Grinders We have available in stock for quick delivery the following equipment from FPE FG130/ FG250/FG300 The FPE FG-130 Grinder is designed primarily for fresh trimmed material, producing a free flowing and non smeared product, throughputs from 1000/2000KG per hour product dependent, can mince flaked meat at temperatures down to -5 degrees, 9/11kw motor, small and versatile machine. The FPE FG-250 Grinder is designed for fresh and frozen products with a single or double knife set up arrangement, can be supplied with bone elimination system. The FPE FG-250 Grinder produces a free flowing and non smeared product, throughputs from 3000/5000KG per hour product dependent, product temperatures down to -10 degrees, 35kw motor, the FPE FG-250 Grinder produces an excellent particle definition with minimal working of product.

8 • •Ulster 3634 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011

The FPE FG-300 Grinder is designed specifically for grinding whole deep frozen blocks down to -18 degrees, throughputs up to 6000kg per hour, 55kw, the FPE FG300 Grinder is also suitable for mincing fresh and frozen products together. A meat grinder or meat mincer is a machine for fine chopping (‘mincing’) of raw or cooked meat, fish, vegetables or similar food. The fineness of the meat depends on the size of the hole plate, the range of machine are suitable for fresh or frozen products. FPE’s new FG Series of Food Grinders have been designed and built to exacting specifications, incorporating many years experience in the food industry. We have built this range of machines to be robust enough to handle the toughest of applications, uncompromising in quality yet keeping the machines simple, easy to maintain and cost effective. Utilising the best available manufacturing techniques has enabled us to offer high quality machinery with real value-for-money prices in today’s market.

Contact Henderson Food Machinery for more information on the FPE FG Grinder Series of meat grinders.

Tel: 028 9099 4202

www.hendersonfoodmachinery.com sales@hendersonfoodmachinery.com

Toasting the innovation of our distillers and brewers by michele shirlow, chief executive, food ni

ear of Food & Drink, now in its fourth month, celebrates our tremendous culture of distilling and brewing throughout April. And there’s a huge amount to celebrate and showcase in both categories. Both are growing steadily, especially brewing. When I was growing up, Northern Ireland had one distillery and a couple of major brand breweries. The sole distillery was the historic Old Bushmills in Co Antrim. It started distilling whiskey in the 17th century, 1622 to be precise, and continues today as one of our genuine world-class brands. At the turn of the 20th century, the north of Ireland had around 20 whiskey distillers including the two biggest producers in the world, the Royal Irish off the Grosvenor Road, Belfast, producer of Dunville, VR and Three Crowns, three of the biggest selling Irish whiskies in the US back then, and Watts in Derry’s Waterside, again supplying the huge US market. Both were badly impacted by Prohibition in 1929. The last major brewery, Bass Ireland, closed its doors in Belfast in 2005. Better known as The Ulster Brewery, it was founded in 1897 by Thomas R. Caffrey. It passed through a number of owners until 2005. How things have changed in the past five years. We now have another distillery producing whiskey, Echlinville in Kircubbin, which has rejuvenated the old Dunville brands as well as planning to launch its own gin, vodka and rum. Niche Drinks in Derry has launched The

Quiet Man Irish Whiskey. Other spirits are now being distilled – Rademon Estate Craft Distillery in Crossgar has won global acclaim for its Shortcross gin, RubyBlue in Lisburn, famed for its Boozeberries liqueurs, is now selling an Irish potato vodka to customers worldwide including Russia, Duallist spiced rum has been developed by a small business in Ballynahinch, and Jawbox has been created in Belfast. All draw on the great traditions of distilling here over the decades. It’s the same story in brewing. We now have around 30 craft breweries, several of which are exporting beyond these shores, the best known being Hilden in Dunmurry, Ireland’s oldest craft ale, beer and stout producer, and Whitewater in Kilkeel, which is now shipping its beers as far as China. There’s now a brewery in most parts of Northern Ireland, several of which are integrating with other artisan businesses. For instance, Northbound in Derry is supplying its ale to Dart Mountain in Dungiven for Banagher Bold, a pasteurised cow’s milk cheese washed in beer for a distinctive flavour. The beer is already being enjoyed by diners in local gourmet restaurants. Hillstown Brewery in Ahoghill is using grain from the brewing operation to feed cows for the production of a Wagyu-style beer flavoured meat. And Farmageddon, a co-operative brewery in Comber is also using grain waste to feed a small herd of pigs. Bacon from the Farmageddon pigs is attracting the attention of top chef Danny

Millar of Balloo Inns. Also significant is a recent partnership involving three craft breweries – Farmageddon, Hillstown and Pokertree in Tyrone to develop a new beer for export to Britain and the Republic. They’ve pooled their expertise and resources to develop the beer, Three-Way, and to ensure the capacity to produce it for export. As well as a vast range of craft beers, Northern Ireland has a thriving cider industry that is winning acclaim in Britain and the Republic. Our cider is produced from 100% apple juice. In Britain, cider is generally made from concentrates with preservatives. Our cider is natural and delicious. Thus there could scarcely be a better time to raise a glass, and to stock our innovative and enterprising distillers and brewers.

Global award for Dunville on St Patrick’s Day

orthern Ireland’s Echlinville Distillery has gained a major international award for its Dunville PX Single Malt Irish Whiskey. The distillery, based at Kircubbin in Co Down, came out on top in the Single Malt 12 years old or under category in the prestigious World Whiskies Awards. The award for the premium Dunville single malt was announced at a gala dinner on St Patrick’s Day in London, and followed an extensive blind tasting by a panel of expert judges. The World Whiskies Awards are part of the prestigious World Drinks Awards programme, launched in 2007. “This is a tremendous endorsement of the taste and quality of Dunville PX, our premium single malt,” said Shane Braniff, founder and managing director of Echlinville Distillery. “There could not have been a better time to win this immensely important recognition for our Irish whiskey than on St Patrick’s Day. The award will be hugely significant as we step up global marketing of our Dunville whiskies, the PX premium single malt and our blended Three Crowns particularly in the crucially important US marketplace.” Braniff revived the Northern Ireland historic Dunville Brand, once among the biggest selling Irish whiskey brands in the US, as part of an investment in distilling that will see new product launches in both the short and long term. The company is developing a portfolio of spirits, including the recently launched single estate Jawbox Gin, using barley grown on Braniff’s Echlinville estate.

8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011

First Minister Arlene Foster is pictured with Heather Quiery (second left) and Laurie Davies (second right) visiting Lacada in February.

Lacada offers ‘art in beer, democracy in business’

by ALYSON MAGEE

midst the buoyant local craft beer scene emerging in the last few years is a North Coast community co-operative offering a quirky range of beers by the people for the people. The seeds of Lacada Brewery were sown (or perhaps hops and malt were brewed would be more appropriate) when Laurie Davies, now head brewer and a co-director of the co-op, had been home-brewing and friends encouraged him to pursue it commercially. “I looked into it but it was quite a lot of money up front and I’d always thought, if I was to go into business, I’d do it as a cooperative,” he says. Reading a piece in The Guardian about the Co-Operative Business Hub offering assistance to local co-ops, he went along to an event. “That really gave me the confidence this could actually work,” says Laurie, with the Hub offering reassurance he’d “be surprised how many people will want to own a brewery.” A steering group of enthusiasts was established and, after six months, held its first beer tasting in Portrush Town Hall. One of the first through the door was Peter Bolan, a senior lecturer in travel and tourism management at Ulster University, regular contributor to Hospitality Review NI and now co-director of Lacada. The fledgling microbrewery ran a community share offer in November 2014, which raised £97,000 and brought 270 members on board. Most members are local but ex-pats as far afield as France, Spain, Norway and the US have also bought into the concept. 8 • •Ulster 3636 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011

Following market research, a decision was made to create an approachable range of beers appealing to male and female drinkers alike. Looking for a site to set up the microbrewery, the main focus was finding somewhere with capacity to expand. “We could easily have got grants and support if we’d set up in the rural community but we felt it was important to be in the town centre because we’re looking towards the tourism potential,” says Heather Quiery, a marketing coach and chair of the 10-strong co-op Board of Directors. A suitable building was secured and renovated, with planning approval granted in August 2015 and brewing underway the following month. “When we started out, all the bottling was done by co-owners,” says Laurie. “We wanted to find out how it was done before we started employing people.” Co-owners also assisted with clearing out and painting the building, the planning application, the marketing concept behind the brand, the quirky name choices and label graphics. “You’re able to pull on such a diverse range of expertise and skills sets and experience, and that’s been a real strength,” says Peter. Manchester-based PBC supplied the commercial brewing kit, supplemented by a couple of repurposed milk tanks. “We weighed up doing a self build but it would have taken us longer and there would have been some mistakes made,” says Laurie. “If you get a kit that’s proven, you can run with it.”

PBC assisted with the first brew, while Laurie had also visited a number of breweries across Ireland and England for research. “The brewing industry is very collaborative,” he says. “People don’t go into brewing and make money; they do it because they love brewing.” The co-op now employs seven part-time employees including drivers, bottlers, sales and administrative staff, and hosted Arlene Foster back in February. The First Minister was bemused with Stranded Bunny, Lacada’s porter, which sits alongside its Giant’s Organ IPA, Sorley Boy’s Stash Golden Ale and Utopian Stout, the first in the Salamander series of limited edition beers. Lacada references Lacada Point, where the Girona was wrecked and the famous ruby-encrusted Salamander among the treasure recovered. While prominent on the limited edition lines, the Lacada branding is minimised on the main range with future export markets in mind. “It’s an Anglicisation of an Irish term but it sounds Spanish and we didn’t want there to be any confusion,” says Heather. “Our Stranded Bunny has really surprised the market, and we want that to be able to sit in an off-licence in Camden and be able to be sold as itself with its own personality.” Already available in 60-plus outlets, Lacada is gaining popularity on the North Coast and in Belfast and Derry’s burgeoning craft beer scenes. “It’s consumer led,” says Laurie. And with 270 co-owners and their family and friends all ardent supporters, “we call them special agents because they’re everywhere.”

Year of Food & Drink

continues with Brewing & Distilling Northern Ireland Year of Food & Drink 2016 is a celebration of everything that makes local produce so good including epic landscapes, time-honoured traditions and the people and producers behind its food heritage. The theme for April is Brewing & Distilling.

APRIL 2 Walled City Market - 9am-4pm - Guildhall Square, Derry~Londonderry Ballycastle Diamond Market - 11am-3pm - Ramoan Parish Centre Car Park, The Diamond Chocolate Ecstasy Tour - with Neary Nogs, Belfast APRIL 5 Bangor Beer Club - 8pm - Salty Dog, Seacliff Road - Bangor

APRIL 7 Comber Farmers’ Market - 9am-1:30pm - St Mary’s Parish Church car park, The Square Comber APRIL 9 The Causeway Speciality Market - 9am-4pm The Diamond, Coleraine Craft Beer & Gin Tasting - Newforge House APRIL 16-17 Big Cheese & Beer Expo Derry~Londonderry APRIL 19 Taste of Tourism Summit - Culloden Estate & Spa

APRIL 22 Newry’s Food Festival - 12-6pm - Newry Variety Market APRIL 29 Newry Farmers’ Market - 9am-2pm, Hill Street, Newry APRIL 23 Woodland and Whiskey Tour - Co Down APRIL 30 Inns Market Newtownbreda - 10am-2pm Saintfield Road, Belfast Ballymoney Market - 11am-3pm Castlecroft Square, Ballymoney

APRIL 21 Queen’s University Campus Food & Drink Market - Elmwood Hall, University Road

The theme for April is Landscape & Places. For more information on getting involved in Year of Food & Drink 2016, visit www.discovernorthernireland.com.

Debut North West Brew Fest set for April 30 A

new event, the inaugural North West Brew Fest, is to be held in The Pavilion at the Silverbirch Hotel, Omagh from 4pm on Saturday, April 30. It will showcase local beer, stout, ale and cider produced from across the North West including Pokertree Brewery (Carrickmore), Long Meadow Cider, Hillstown (Randalstown), Red Hand Brewing (Donaghmore), Farmageddon (Comber) and NorthBound (Derry). Beer-battered fish and chips and other food will also be on offer. The event is being held in conjunction with Brewing & Distilling month as part of the NI Year of Food & Drink. “We are excited to host the first North West Brew Fest, as we are aware that food and drink experiences have become increasingly important to guests,” said Allan Duncan, owner of the Silverbirch Hotel. “The event will give people the opportunity to taste new products and meet the local companies producing the goods.” North West Brew Fest tickets are now on sale from the Silverbirch Hotel reception, and include one free drink and entry into a raffle to win an overnight stay and tour of Pokertree Brewery for six guests. Silverbirch Hotel’s Pavilion will be transformed with a beer garden theme for the event, with live entertainment from local Tyrone band Hootin Annie’s and Fermanagh duo Niall and Karl.

8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011

CELIA brews truly premium lagers that are not only traditionally batch brewed but have the benefit of being gluten-free and naturally carbonated for a lighter experience. CELIA Organic uses the only protected hops in the world, the noble Saaz hop and CELIA Dark offers a truly unique toffee Bavarian malt flavour. Request samples from Anzac wholesale via 028 2076 1141 or sales@anzacwholesale.com and receive bar runners, beer mats, posters and flyers with your first order.

www.celialager.co.uk 37

THIS MONTH’S EVENTS:

APRIL 1 Year of Food & Drink Sampling - 10am-4pm - Tesco Newry, Carneyhough Twilight Market Newry - 5pm-11pm - John Mitchel Place, Newry Beer and Cheese at Indie Fude - 7pm - The Courtyard, Comber

ADVERTORIAL

Bolder, crunchier and tastier – McCoy’s, now even better M

cCoy’s, the UK’s No.1 ridged crisp brand1, is set to give shoppers a bolder taste experience as it introduces an even better texture across its entire range and a stronger flavour across its top-selling packs: Salt & Malt Vinegar, Cheddar & Onion, Original and Paprika. On-shelf now, the upgrade builds on the momentum of the brand’s recent re-design and will further strengthen its appeal to a younger male audience. In addition to the improved taste and crunch, the packs will now also feature a front-of-bag flash communicating the ‘Now even stronger flavour’ message to really grab consumers’ attention. Jeff Swan, Marketing Director at KP Snacks comments: “McCoy’s is a hugely popular brand with strong heritage in the UK and NI, and we’re excited to kick off the year with plans that will drive this further. Consumer research has shown that taste and strength of flavour highly influences purchase decisions2, so we’re confident that McCoy’s fans will love our stronger flavours and even crunchier texture”. “In such a significant and growing category, it’s important that we continue improving our products in order to give consumers the best possible eat experience. McCoy’s is a big seller in the convenience and impulse channel and our range is a must-stock for every retailer selling crisps and snacks.” To find out more about McCoy’s and its merchandising solutions, retailers can contact the SnacKPartners team on email: SnacKPartners@mercieca.co.uk. 1: Nielsen data 7.11.2015; 2: TNS 2013.

McCoy’s hits the screen with £3m ‘When Flavour Calls’ campaign M

cCoy’s, the number one ridged crisp, is back on TV screens with a new creative, positioning itself as a brand that’s famous for delivering on flavour. To deliver strong cut-through and get McCoy’s on consumers’ shopping lists, a heavyweight and targeted £3m marketing campaign is being put behind the launch, including an all-new TV advert titled When Flavour Calls. Live now, the new advert will communicate McCoy’s superior flavour by showing viewers what would happen if ‘Flavour’ literally were to call, featuring across popular TV networks; ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5; digital channels and online throughout 2016. As well as the heavyweight above-the-line campaign, McCoy’s will be driving further visibility in-depot via a raft of eye-catching display solutions. High-impact outdoor advertising describing McCoy’s’ flavour experience will also be unveiled on six sheets nationwide from April 10th. Jeff Swan, Marketing Director at KP Snacks, comments: “McCoy’s is a hugely popular brand with strong heritage. Already worth over £100m3, this year we are continuing to ramp up investment in the brand as we look to appeal to a wider population of snackers with our improved and even stronger flavour. Our new TV campaign is a great way to create noise around McCoy’s’ taste credentials, bringing new consumers into the brand and significantly driving overall category sales. “Convenience retailers can capitalise on the upcoming mass marketing awareness and really drive growth in their Crisps & Snacks category by stocking a wide range of McCoy’s packs and using our extensive choice of POS to maximise stand-out and visibility in store.” 3: Retail Sales Value.

/HUNKYDORYS

@HUNKY DORYS

CRISPS, NUTS & SNACKS

Golden Wonder launch GOALden Wonder EURO 2016 sharing packs W

ith the Euro 2016 tournament drawing every closer, Golden Wonder have launched a striking new 150g GOALden Wonder sharing pack of its number one selling flavour, Cheese and Onion. Available in supermarkets and convenience stores from early May with a recommended retail price of £1.29, the limited edition GOALden Wonder Cheese and Onion sharing packs are sure to score big with fans. The distinctive football pitch themed packaging makes them the perfect snack to enjoy during the matches. Golden Wonder is owned by Tayto Group Ltd, which is the biggest indigenous crisp and snack manufacturer, producing five million bags a day across its five UK sites. The company remains family-owned and its headquarters are in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland. Its portfolio also includes Mr Porky, REAL Crisps, Jonathan Crisp and Tayto. For further information, visit www.tayto.com.

REAL Crisps launches limited edition Pepperoni flavour handcooked crisp G

rowing handcooked crisp brand REAL is launching a limited edition Pepperoni flavour, which will be available in retail outlets from late May 2016. REAL Pepperoni, which has a rich, spicy and meaty flavour, will be available in supermarket and convenience stores as well as Foodservice and Cash & Carry in 35g, 50g and 150g packs, with suggested respective retail price of 61p, 86p and £2.09. The new flavour will join the brand’s other strong, ‘REAL’ varieties, which include Ham and English Mustard, Jalapeno Pepper and Roast Ox. The REAL brand was acquired by the Tayto Group in 2007, which has a portfolio that also includes key brands Golden Wonder, Mr Porky, Jonathan Crisp and Tayto. Matt Smith, group marketing director of Tayto Group, commented: “REAL Crisps has been gaining traction in the Handcooked Crisps market, as consumers experience the punchy, strong character that is synonymous with the range. “We have developed REAL Pepperoni as our latest limited edition which complements our other flavours in terms of its powerful non-nonsense punch and we expect it to be a popular choice with consumers who know are always looking for new flavours to taste. ” REAL’s parent company, Tayto Group Ltd, is the biggest indigenous crisp and snack manufacturer, producing five million bags a day across its five UK sites. The company remains family-owned and its headquarters are in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland. For further information, visit www.tayto.com.

DRINKS NEWS

Boost your summer sales with Guango B

oost Drinks is currently enjoying tremendous growth, especially in flavours, and retailers can benefit from this trend with the challenger brand’s latest product launch. Tropical Guango is a refreshing summer drink that combines guava and mango and features an iconic can design. This exciting new SKU is a limited edition line available from the start of April, and is intended to capitalise on summer festivals, carnivals and big sporting events in particular. Boost sees investment in new product development as a key part of its Champion of the Independents commitment, providing great tasting, competitively priced products that are not available in multiples. With fantastic profit margins, independents can benefit significantly from stocking Tropical Guango. This new SKU is also sugar free, which is another reason why it should perform very strongly. Tropical Guango is available in 250ml cans price-marked at 49p, and comes in cases of 24. Boost will be supporting the launch with sampling, high impact tropical merchandise and POS material. Boost marketing field manager for NI, Noel Allen, believes that Tropical Guango is going to be met with a great reception from consumers. “The latest insight tells us that sports and energy drinks now make up over a third of all soft drink sales,” he says. “Guango has a striking tropical can design which will give it dynamic standout on the shelf. We are really pleased with the new format and have a fantastic programme of sales support for retailers.” In Northern Ireland, Boost continues to outperform the market and is keen to capitalise on its current success, extending its reach to new consumers. For more information on Boost, visit www. boostdrinkstrade.com.

8 36• •Ulster UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

Clarke Black wins the Belfast Telegraph Cup UFU 2016 Annual Dinner

Clarke Black was awarded the prestigious Belfast Telegraph Cup this year for outstanding agricultural achievement. Pictured accepting the trophy on his behalf is Cyril Miller, UFU County Londonderry Chairman, with Minister O’Neill and Wesley Aston, UFU Chief Executive.

ormer Ulster Farmers’ Union chief executive Clarke Black has won the prestigious Belfast Telegraph cut at this year’s UFU dinner. Clarke was presented with the cup at the annual event, held this year in Belfast’s City Hall on 1 April. UFU President Ian Marshall has said that he was delighted to welcome over 300 guests, including UFU members, key representatives from the agriculture industry and politicians to the glittering event. Notable attendees included the DARD Minister, Finance Minister, Justice Minister, Rural Development Minster, Councillor Stan Phillips of Agricultural Affairs from the US Embassy, MLA’s, Northern Ireland’s three MEP’s and the presidents of the National Farmers’ Union, NFU Scotland, NFU Cymru, and the national chairman of the Irish Farmers’ Association.

“For us the UFU annual dinner is not only an opportunity to celebrate Northern Ireland’s farming industry particularly in this the Year of Food and Drink but also a chance to show our appreciation to the huge network of industry, partners, policy makers and politicians that we work with on an ongoing basis,” said Mr Marshall. “Over the last 18 months, we have faced some of the most challenging farming conditions in living memory but at the same time, it is extremely important that we celebrate all that’s good with Northern Ireland food and farming.” Following the president’s address, the prestigious Belfast Telegraph Cup for outstanding agricultural achievement was awarded to Clarke Black former Chief Executive of the UFU. Ian Marshall continued: “Clarke took up the helm of the UFU in 2002 providing

strong leadership to the organisation throughout his tenure. During his time as Chief Executive, Clarke steered the organisation through a number of significant events such as various reforms of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), episodes of severe weather, the 2008 dioxin scare, and the devastating foot and mouth crisis. “Under his leadership the organisation has grown and developed and he retired leaving the UFU in a strong and healthy position. Through his work in the agriculture industry, not only locally but also at a UK and European level, Clarke commanded huge respect. “His work, determination and integrity in lobbying on behalf of farmers make him deserving of this award.” The UFU also presented two other awards on the night. The Mary Wilson Trophy for best overall UFU group performance in 2015 was presented to the South Tyrone Group. This award recognises the South Tyrone Group’s outstanding performance in membership recruitment; securing subscription income; and their successful delivery of group meetings and social events throughout the year. The Cuthbert Trophy was awarded to the North East Armagh Group for retaining the highest percentage of their members in 2015. The dedication and commitment shown by the group managers and their staff over the years have enabled them to achieve a retention rate of just under 99%.

Ulster Rugby’s Ruan Pienaar has shown his support for the Young Farmers

lster Rugby’s Ruan Pienaar has shown his support for the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster ‘86 Miles for 86 Years’ charity cycle. The cycle saw YFCU President Roberta Simmons lead a team of young farmers’ across 86 miles of Northern Ireland to celebrate 86 years of the organisation. The charity cycle raised money for the YFCU’s 90th Anniversary Fund as well as Diabetes UK Northern Ireland. Roberta who is a Type 1 Diabetic herself commented, “The money we raise on our cycle will be split equally between the organisation’s 90th Anniversary Fund - providing education, support and training to our rural youth - as well as Diabetes UK Northern Ireland. The health and wellbeing of the members of our organisation are very important to us and as a type 1 Diabetic myself, diagnosed three years ago, I am keen to see a cure found and the condition eradicated.” A number of bikes were donated by Belfast Country Bike Tours and John McElderry Motors & Tractors Ltd in Ballymoney donated a Massey Ferguson tractor to lead the cyclists throughout the route. The route for the cycle was the ‘Lap of the Lough’. Roberta’s Just Giving Page can be found at: www.justgiving.com/ROBERTA-SIMMONS1

Ulster Rugby’s Ruan Pienarr shows his support for the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster ’86 Miles for 86 Years’ charity cycle which took place throughout various towns across Northern Ireland. He is pictured with Diabetes UK Northern Ireland Regional Fundraiser, Naomi Breen.

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

CAFRE student butcher makes the cut in national awards

allymena butcher Christopher Quigley has won the UK Retail Butchery Student of the Year. Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill praised the hard work of the CAFRE Level 3 Food and Drink Apprentice which helped him secure this top award. The Minister said: “It is so encouraging to see the dedication and motivation of such up-and-coming talent being recognised by the industry. “I know Christopher has studied diligently and works very hard his job in K&G McAtamney Butchers in Ballymena, where he excels in customer services and has introduced new recipes, tasting sessions and meal suggestions for customers. “It is very rewarding for me to see his

determination and commitment paying off. He is certainly a cut above the rest. “I send him my warmest congratulations and wish him and the other Food & Drink Apprentices every success as they move forward to succeed as the next generation of food industry professionals.” Christopher’s mentor and assessor from CAFRE, Nicola Kerr, said he is a great student to work especially when applying his experience to the quality and marketing modules. “Christopher has really embraced the opportunity offered through the Apprenticeship programme. His enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge make him a worthy winner of this award,” she said. The award, sponsored by The National Federation of Meat & Food Traders, was presented to Christopher by the Institute of Meat and Worshipful Company of Butchers during a gala luncheon at Tallow Chandlers Hall in the City of London. After his fillet of beef lunch Christopher, who has had a Saturday job in K&G McAtamney since he was 12 said: “I’m really delighted to have received this award. I know there was a lot of tough competition so it really is an honour. I want to thank CAFRE for nominating me and Nicola and the rest of the Loughry staff for all their help and support.”

Pay increase for agricultural workers A

t a meeting of AWB the Board increased minimum rates for agricultural workers across all grades by 2% from 6 April 2016, in addition to a rise in the accommodation offset to a maximum of £34 per week. The new rates are: Minimum rate, applicable for the first 40 weeks cumulative employment - £6.76 per hour Grade 2 - Standard worker - £7.05 per hour Grade 3 - Lead worker - £7.74 per hour Grade 4 - Craft Grade - £8.31 per hour Grade 5 - Supervisory Grade - £8.80 per hour Grade 6 - Farm Management Grade £9.53 per hour The definitions for the grades and the qualifications required for each grade are available via the www.dardni.gov.uk/articles/rates-payorders-and-reports DARD website or by contacting the Agricultural Wages Secretariat, Room 917, Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 3SB (Tel: 028 9052 4012).

Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster celebrate with festival gala dinner and awards T

he Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) popular Arts Festival Gala recently took place at the Millennium Forum in Londonderry. Sponsored for a number of years by NFU Mutual Insurance Society Limited, the Arts Festival Gala evening saw the top five clubs from the YFCU’s arts festival perform to a sold out crowd. A VIP reception sponsored by Chestnutt Animal Feeds was also held before the performances. The clubs that took to the stage were Finvoy YFC, Spa YFC, Lylestone Productions (Lylehill YFC and Holestone YFC ), Randalstown YFC and Glarryford YFC who performed a short drama piece which the members wrote and produced themselves. The compare for the evening was actress and comedian Nuala McKeever. Guest speaker at the Gala was UFU President Ian Marshall who presented the awards following the performances.

36 • Ulster Grocer | JANUARY 2011

The results were as follows; Most amusing moment: Lisnamurrican YFC - ‘Smooth Gliders, Syncronised Swimming’ Most innovative musical moment: Glarryford YFC – ‘See you again’ Most imaginative theme: Kilrea YFC – ‘Downton Shabby’ Best choral piece: Spa YFC Best choreography: Glarryford YFC Best newcomer: Trillick YFC Outstanding Performance of the Night: Glarryford YFC Awards of Special Merit: Spa YFC, Finvoy YFC, Randalstown YFC, Lylestone Productions (Lylehill YFC and Holestone YFC) and Glarryford YFC. DARD is pleased to be associated with the YFCU which is the leading representative group for young people in agriculture and rural communities in Northern Ireland. For the full set of photos from the night visit: www.yfcu.org/galleries/140/artsfestival-gala-2016

INTERVIEW

Michael eyes growth in Middle East by Sam Butler Michael Deane

plan by award-winning chef/restaurateur Michael Deane to open a gourmet restaurant outside Northern Ireland could bring important business to local food and drink companies and boost the region’s culinary standing. Among the most creative and respected local chefs and a hugely successful restaurateur in Belfast, he now has his sights set on opening a gourmet restaurant in Dubai, the business and tourism capital of the United Arab Emirates. Michael has already appointed an agent there and will be visiting the city, among the world’s most dynamic commercial centres in the oil rich Middle East, within the next few months. They’ll be scouting suitable locations for a new restaurant. It could be in one of Dubai’s luxury hotels. Committed to locally-sourced ingredients and a role model for many chefs, Michael has helped to revolutionise the eating out scene in Belfast over the past 15 years. He has held a Michelin Star for 12 years, the longest ever in Ireland, and last year gained this coveted recognition for his acclaimed EIPIC restaurant in Belfast. His restaurants have also won impressive plaudits from many of the world’s most influential food writers. “Setting up a restaurant abroad has been on my mind for several years. London isn’t really an option because I worked there for 10 years including five years at the Dorchester Hotel and had no real interest in setting up there. I’ve been looking at other possible locations beyond the British Isles and came down in favour of Dubai because it’s such a vibrant and rapidly developing business and tourism centre. I was also aware of the business there of a number of our food business including smaller enterprises. “I believe the time is now right for us 44

to take Northern Ireland’s culinary skills, knowledge and local ingredients to an international marketplace such as Dubai. I am convinced that Northern Ireland must raise its game in terms of the international awareness and the overall profile of our gourmet food and drink. “If we want to establish Northern Ireland as a good food destination for tourists we’ve got to get beyond the Ulster Fry, soda breads and stout and turn the spotlight on the creativity of our chefs and the innovative gourmet dishes being produced using the fantastic ingredients

that are readily available here. “What I’d like to see as a legacy initiative from Year of Food & Drink is a coordinated and coherent campaign, a roadshow, involving local chefs in promoting the breadth and quality of our food in targeted centres abroad. This would do wonders for our gastronomic reputation, would boost tourism and could also support the inward investment drive,” he adds. His thinking about such a roadshow and the decision to push ahead with a restaurant in Dubai has been influenced by his successful stint recently as guest chef at the plush St Regis Hotel in Bangkok, one of Asia’s most respected hotels. Owner of seven highly-rated restaurants in Belfast, Michael cooked meals for leading business people and food writers over a week-long stint at the critically acclaimed VIU restaurant on the 12th floor of hotel in Bangkok. He was invited to showcase the best of Northern Ireland food and drink by the hotel’s management. The five-star St Regis Hotel regularly holds promotions featuring food from around the world for its guests and invited VIP diners. “I asked diners at the hotel what they knew about Northern Irish food. Those that had heard of Northern Ireland before came up with Guinness and shellfish. We’ve got to get beyond this and to show the world the breadth, quality, outstanding taste, wholesomeness and provenance of all our food and drink and the tremendous talents of our chefs. “I am convinced that there are opportunities in hotels worldwide to highlight the quality of our food and drink and to establish Northern Ireland as a genuine global centre of gastronomic excellence.” The gourmet menus featured quality ingredients from Northern Ireland suppliers including Glenarm Organic Salmon, Co. Antrim, Omagh’s Abercorn Estate Venison, Hannan Meats, Moira, Lough Neagh Eels, Abernethy Butter from Dromora and Young Buck Cheese, Newtownards. The restaurant was packed every evening, and the dishes he supervised were acclaimed by diners for their delicious flavours and innovation. “It was good, hearty Northern Irish food creatively cooked to ensure rich flavours for discerning diners. I was delighted to have this opportunity to showcase how the superb ingredients readily available in Northern Ireland can be harnessed to produce outstandingly tasty and original dishes. This is the message we need to be promoting professionally in the global marketplace,” he adds.

EXPORT NEWS

Bell welcomes export ambition of Linden Foods T

rade Minister Jonathan Bell has welcomed the export ambition of Linden Foods during a visit to its Tyrone headquarters. Owned by Fane Valley Group, the award-winning meat processor is planning to expand into new markets and double export sales with its new premium brand of Turf & Clover products. The Dungannon-based company launched its new brand portfolio of beef, lamb, poultry and pork meats to trade buyers at Anuga 2015 and is now following up on several leads across Europe. “Linden Foods Limited is a market leader within the Northern Ireland fresh meat processing industry and makes a valuable contribution to growing our agri-food industry,” he said. “The development of its Turf & Clover range demonstrates Linden’s commitment to innovation in order to remain profitable. “Linden’s export ambition reinforces the company’s passion to expand its international presence and leverage the profile of its award winning produce during Northern Ireland’s Year of Food & Drink 2016.” Linden Foods services a range of retail multiples, convenience food manufacturers and the wider meat packing industry in the UK and Europe. Gerry Maguire, managing director of Linden Foods, said: “Profiling our Turf & Clover range at Anuga was tremendously successful for us

Pictured with Trade Minister Jonathan Bell (centre) are Gerry Maguire, chief executive and Elaine Willis, head of Business Development & Innovation at Linden Foods.

and gave us an unrivalled platform to strengthen Linden’s worldwide reputation for our finest Irish meat cuts. “After a challenging couple of years in the sector, our sales outside the UK have stayed relatively stable at £42m for 2015 complemented by new export contracts to countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, France, Denmark and Finland.”

Free’ist secures supermarket listing with Morrisons F ree’ist, the specialist in sugar free and gluten free products, has won its first business from a major supermarket chain in Great Britain. Morrisons has placed an order with Free’ist for chocolates, popcorn and marshmallows from its range. The Bradford-based multiple retailer serves customers across Britain from more than 500 stores and an online home delivery service. Every week, 11 million customers shop at Morrisons stores. The sugar-free market is currently showing strong growth, boosted by media attention such as the Jamie’s Sugar Rush TV programme and the creation of a UK Government & Parliament Petition for the introduction of a sugar tax receiving over 100,000 signatures in days. “This is a hugely important contract for us in Great Britain, a very important market,” said Gerard McAdorey, founder and managing director of Free’ist. “It follows extensive negotiations and product sampling over many months. “The contract gives a very strong platform for further growth with a retailer committed to the expansion of its free from offering in line with a rapidly developing market trend towards quality, sugar free products that are also very tasty.”

Antrim Hills takes water to the desert B

allyclare-based Antrim Hills has won its first export business in the United Arab Emirates, securing a contract with Dubai Duty Free. Speaking at the official launch of the ‘Water Within’ range in Dubai airport, Alastair Hamilton said: “This is a very important contract for this family-owned business and will see the Water Within range on the shelves of one of the leading airport retailers in the world. “The company was first introduced to Dubai Duty Free by Invest NI at Gulfood in 2014 and Water Within is now the only water brand from Northern Ireland available in this market. “Relationships are a very strong part of the Middle East culture and Antrim Hills has invested a lot of time to develop these and win this significant business. This new contract is a further example of the scale of business opportunities in the UAE for Northern Ireland companies prepared to invest in growth in international markets and puts this company in a strong position to secure further business in this market.” Peter Geary, CEO of Antrim Hills, said: “Over the last number of years we have worked hard to develop our brand and communicate the uniqueness of its natural artesian source.”

Invest Northern Ireland’s Chief Executive Alastair Hamilton (right) is pictured with Peter Geary, Antrim Hills, and Colm McLoughlin, Dubai Duty Free.

BUSINESS NEWS

New register for tobacco retailers F

rom 6 April 2016, under the Tobacco Retailers Act (Northern Ireland) 2014, all retailers of tobacco products in Northern Ireland must be registered. The new legislation is just one of a range of measures being introduced in order to reduce smoking prevalence amongst children and young people. Health Minister, Simon Hamilton, said: “My Department is committed to tackling the high levels of premature death and preventable illness caused by tobacco. Most smokers take up the habit whilst still in their teens, before they are old enough to fully understand the consequences. While the majority of retailers in Northern Ireland are responsible and comply with age of sale tobacco laws, there are still a number who continue to sell cigarettes to children.” Mr Hamilton continued: “The main aim behind introducing a tobacco register is to assist authorised officers in enforcing tobacco control legislation by providing them with details of tobacco retailers in their area. Members of the public will also be able to check online to verify whether their local retailer is registered.” Registration is quick, easy and free. Retailers can either register online on the Tobacco Register NI homepage – www.tobaccoregisterni.gov.uk – or by paper on an application form available from the environmental departments of all district councils. While the Tobacco Register NI website went operational on 6 April, existing retailers have until 1 July 2016 to register. After this date it will be illegal to sell tobacco products if not registered to do so. Penalties for not being registered range from £500 if served with a fixed penalty notice to £5,000 which is the maximum fine applicable on summary conviction. Additional provisions under the Tobacco Retailers Act which also come into force from 6 April include the offence of proxy purchasing, that is, an adult buying tobacco products on behalf of a child and an increase in the maximum fine applicable for selling tobacco to a minor. This will rise from £2,500 to £5,000.

Local small traders will struggle to afford living wage – NIIRTA T

he Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) has expressed concern that many local small traders will struggle to afford the National Living Wage, which has just been introduced. NIIRTA Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said: “Small traders are facing a perfect storm of business costs with the Rates Revaluation, the National Living Wage and Auto Enrolment Pensions. Our members will be facing a nearly 50% increase in their wages bills as a result of the Living Wage and Auto-Enrolment, not to mention many of them paying up to 100% extra in their rates bill.” “Given that 99% of all local business is small, the impact of the National Living Wage will have a particular detrimental impact on our indigenous business base.” “It is the cumulative impact of all these costs and red tape which narrow margins and restrict their growth potential. A number of our members have indicated that expansion plans for their businesses are being put on hold as they struggle to afford to pay these crippling costs.” “Unless the issue of high costs is addressed, the creation of jobs and new investment will be reduced at time when government needs to be doing more to support our private sector.” “In principle, NIIRTA is not opposed to the National Living Wage, but the Chancellor needs to give small traders greater tax relief to alleviate the big jump in their wages bills.” 46

APPOINTMENTS

People on the move...

in association with

To support the continued growth of the Todays Brand, Savage & Whitten have appointed an additional 2 Business Development Managers – Mark Nesbitt & Paul McMullan. MARK NESBITT ark Nesbitt has over 24 years experience working in the Retail Grocery Sector and commenced his career as a merchandiser with Henderson’s in 1992 to 2005. In 2005 he joined Musgrave SuperValu/Centra, as a New Store Facilitator and was responsible for the induction of new stores into the Musgrave estate... In the last 3 years Mark was a Regional manager working within company owned stores and in the latter independent SuperValus. Marks role within Savage & Whitten will involve the development of the Today’s Brand by supporting existing and new retailers, playing a pivotal role in driving sales/margin within the stores with particular emphasis on chilled food, Food to Go and fresh.

PAUL MCMULLAN aul joins Savage & Whitten Wholesale with over 28 years experience, having managed various symbol stores across Northern Ireland for Nisa/EuroSpar/SuperValu independent retailers. Paul’s career began as a student working in Dunne’s Stores, before progressing to being a supervisor in Carlisle’s Fresh Foods˜Ballynahinch. In 2001 Paul became the manager of 2 new stores for Carlisle’s Fresh Foods before he became a company-owned store manager for Musgrave. In 2014 he joined Henderson’s as a Regional Manager working with independent EuroSpar retailers to grow sales and margin. Pauls role within Savage & Whitten will involve the development of the Today’s Brand by supporting existing and new retailers, his experience will play a key role in driving sales/margin within the stores and his knowledge of key categories such as chilled food, Food to Go and fresh will be invaluable within his new role.

New PR & Communications Manager appointed at Henderson Group

he Henderson Group has announced the appointment of Victoria Poole as its new PR & Communications Manager. Victoria will be responsible for implementing and delivering a dynamic corporate PR and communications programme for the Henderson Group as a business and for each of its four companies in line with the overall corporate strategy and individual company objectives. Victoria will also be responsible for the activation of PR activity across the company’s retail brand franchises; SPAR, EUROSPAR, VIVO and VIVOXTRA to enhance each brand’s compelling profile on a local level throughout Northern Ireland and ensuring that almost 3,000 members of staff are kept upto-date with all the Henderson Group news. Victoria boasts over 5 years of PR & Communications experience and joins the Henderson Group after successful roles with Public Relations & Public Affairs Agency Weber Shandwick NI, TAYTO NI and Lisburn City Council, gaining valuable experience in delivering comprehensive communications strategies as part of wider integrated lobbying and PR communication campaigns, across a diverse client portfolio.

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SHELFLIFE

To see your product featured in Shelf-life, contact Mark at markbeckett@greerpublications.com or Tel: 028 9078 3235

Maine Soft Drinks launch first zero-sugar minerals M

Healthy innovation drives Suki Tea’s growth S

aine Soft Drinks has launched its first zero-sugar products to meet the growing market trend for such products. The company, based at Ballymoney in Co Antrim, has developed zero sugar versions of two of its most popular minerals – Pineapple and Cloudy Lime – for Tesco and wholesaler Musgraves. Both are available in one litre plastic bottles for the retailer. Maine Sales Manager William McLaughlin says the new zero minerals are in line with the market trend, and government moves towards sugar-free products. “We’ve been talking to Tesco about sugar-free products for some time,” he said. “Our Pineapple and Cloudy Lime are among the most popular in our range. We are also looking at other products in our portfolio.”

Limited-edition Twinkies Ghostbusters launch in UK market

nnovative Bites, a UK supplier of core American snacks and confectionery, have signed a deal with Hostess to distribute its limited-edition Twinkies Ghostbusters Key Lime Slime product in the lead up to the film’s UK release. The product, which features bright green cream filling, will be available to retail from early June. Innovative Bites has already confirmed listings with Selfridges, Sainsbury’s and Urban Outfitters. The limited edition product will be sold in multi-packs of 10, and comes with the additional option of supporting point-of-sale in the form of Ghostbuster-branded shippers. “We are delighted to be able to offer this exciting limited-edition variant of Twinkies to tie-in with the release of the new Ghostbusters film this summer,” said Haris Deane, brand and marketing manager at Innovative Bites. “Retailers are already snapping up the unique piece of edible movie merchandise, which will give consumers a taste of Ghostbusters – quite literally. “The Ghostbusters franchise has a huge UK fan base, so we are confident the Key Lime Slime flavour will capture the public’s imagination and absolutely fly off the shelves.” Innovative Bites has been the sole distributors of Twinkies since the brand officially launched in the UK last year in three flavours – Original, Chocolate and Banana.

uki Tea, the Northern Irish boutique tea blender, is aiming for healthy business with a new infusion of two ‘super foods’, Goji Berry and Pomegranate. The new infusion is among four of a record 50 innovative teas just launched by the Belfast-based blender, winner of a host of UK Great Taste Awards. Other refreshing new infusions are Organic Pink Grapefruit, Tangy Lemon and Blood Orange. Pomegranate is regarded as a good source of fibre. It also contains vitamins A, C and E, iron and other antioxidants (notably tannins). Goji berries are said to be rich in vitamin C, vitamin B2, vitamin A, iron, selenium and other antioxidants.

Riso Gallo’s award-winning gluten-free pasta

talians are serious about pasta. Riso Gallo’s 3 Cereali is an authentic, delicious gluten-free pasta with traditional farina flavour and perfect ‘al dente’ texture as only Italians would make. 3 Cereali provides a light, more digestible alternative to wheat pasta, without sacrificing flavour, texture, or nutrition.

‘Freeze’ for the summer

hese great 20x45ml freezepops are portion controlled, made with natural spring water, fat free and below 20 calories per serving making them a permissible every day treat. As the top seller in the Mr Freeze range they are sure to be a hit this summer. Available now from Valeo foods, contact us on 028 9267 3316.

Huge range of new, used and ex-demo Food Machinery immediately available

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Q&A WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? I always remember the wise words of Stephen Covey: ‘Seek first to understand, and then be understood’. I think it’s always key to see something from another person’s perspective and, where required, seek the third alternative, ie there is always a position of compromise! WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GRIPE? Procrastination! WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? Maybe a little more patience! WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS/ AMBITIONS? Personally, to progress within my career as well as keeping a firm balance of the important things in life like family and friends. Work-wise, ensure our strategic objectives with Unimush Ireland are made a firm reality.

In the Hot Seat Kevin McManus, commercial manager for Unimush Ireland TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF Kevin McManus, commercial manager for Unimush Ireland, Armagh for over two years, living in Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh and married with two children. WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE? My role has quite a wide remit working across all departments of the business. A typical day consists of working across departmental functions to understand, support and address daily priorities whilst helping to manage and achieve profitable growth across our current and future client base. WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? Working with, and helping build, a 8 • •Ulster 3650 UlsterGrocer Grocer| JANUARY | JANUARY2011 2011

fantastic team here at Unimush Ireland as well as my contribution to the overall growth and progression of our Prepared Foods business. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? The variety and sense of team collaboration with clients and internally really does provide a great deal of job satisfaction. WHAT IS YOUR MOST DIFFICULT TASK? My most difficult task would be ensuring that meaningful projects across the business are developed and managed on top of what is an already busy working schedule. Not enough hours in the day!

I always remember the wise words of Stephen Covey: ‘Seek first to understand, and then be understood’. It’s always key to see something from another person’s perspective.” WHOM DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? Stephen Covey for his practical yet meaningful points for effectiveness in home and working life and his ideology that we all have a high value and sense of purpose, we just need to recognise and nurture it. WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? San Francisco. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD PRODUCT? Indian Food, love it! (Oh, and our delicious Bacon and & Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms). HOW DO YOU RELAX? I like to relax with trail running and mountain biking, playing piano and entertaining family and friends.

BARBECUE LUAU ‘16

ALOHA! Join us for a

A U U L PARTY AND BBQ

FRIDAY 3RD JUNE 2016 TITANIC BELFAST, 7PM ‘TIL LATE Don’t miss the Luau of the year. Great food, live music and fantastic prizes. Tickets £40

Ireland & Northern Ireland

To book your tickets contact, Marlene Scott Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland T: 028 92 642356 E: marlene.scott@cchellenic.com