Novel Dairy Product from Local Family Farm Launched at Balmoral
Quality milk, delicious yoghurt, and sustainable practices all come together at
Ballydown Milk, located on a successful and innovation-led dairy farm in the rolling
hills of County Down.
It’s an enterprising farm that’s led by James and Stephanie Martin, passionate
producers of farm-fresh products who are also dedicated to sustainable farming
techniques that includes an impressive anaerobic digester for turning waste into
energy to power the smart family enterprise.
Ballydown Farm is a testament to family, hard work, and a passion for bringing high-
quality, delicious products straight from our farm to local tables,” says Stephanie, a
mother of four young children, as well as a keen farmer.
The farm is another excellent example of how to ensure growth by creating
innovative commercial products from milk. Farmers like Ballydown are contributing
significantly to Northern Ireland’s £7 billion food and drink industry, the region’s
biggest manufacturing sector that also supports over 100,000 jobs and generates
export earnings through sales to over 70 external markets, Great Britain and the
Republic of Ireland being the most important in terms of sales,
James and Stephanie are both 4th generation farmers at Ballydown, a farm on rich
grass pasture land that has existed since the 1800s.
The business has an impressive range of products created on the farm that includes
ice cream, milkshakes and yoghurt. At Balmoral, Ballydown launched an innovative
range of kefir milk, a fermented dairy product, a tangy drink that’s often described as
a drinkable, slightly fizzy yoghurt that’s is exceptionally high in probiotics, promoting
gut health, aiding digestion, and offering high levels of nutrients like protein and
calcium.
Visitors to the FoodNI Food Pavilion were able to sample the new Kefir milk on the
Ballydown presentation, among around 100 companies, mostly artisan and smaller
enterprises, at the colourful event.
“We were delighted to see Ballydown using the Food Pavilion as a platform to launch
an exciting and highly innovative taste experience. The pavilion is an ideal marketing
opportunity due to the many international and national buyers among over 100,000
visitors expected to take part,” adds FoodNI chief executive Michele Shirlow.
Fermented milk is said to be good for treating gastrointestinal issues, reducing
bloating, and improving lactose digestion and tolerance. Regular consumption can
strengthen the immune system, provide antimicrobial properties to fight infections,
and reduce inflammation. It is rich in calcium and phosphorus to supports bone
health and can help prevent bone breakdown. It’s also said to be rich in vitamin B12
that can boost energy levels and aid cardiovascular health.
The impressive enterprise, a FoodNI member company, has worked with food
technologists on Loughry Campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Enterprise over the years. Cookstown-based Loughry is an acknowledged food and
drink innovation hub.
Ballydown was also among the first to introduce fresh milk vending machines to
Northern Ireland, according to Stephanie.
Stephanie explains: “A few years ago – after James came back from a trip to
Germany, we started researching vending machines, pasteurisers, and all the
regulations involved. We then built our processing room, designed our logo, and
entered headfirst into the world of milk vending.
“But we didn’t stop there! James, ever the yogurt enthusiast, spent a year learning
the art of yogurt making through trial, error, and countless internet tutorials. It wasn’t
always easy, but after a year of dedication, we finally cracked the code and created
our very own yogurt base.
“Today, thanks to a fantastic partnership with Loughry College, we’re continuing to
perfect our yogurt-making skills and develop exciting new flavours. Our existing
Greek style yoghurt is created in-house, and in conjunction with Loughry College we
hope to have a range of naturally flavoured yoghurts coming soon,” adds Stephanie.
The innovative products are based on the farm’s non-homogenised/non
standardised and gently pasteurised milk which is also used to produce a range of all
natural milkshake flavours that don’t overpower the natural milk taste.
Other produces sold by in the Ballydown well-stocked farm shop include local honey
from a specialist nearby at Gilford and a handcrafted granola.
James is a ‘son of the soil’ who was raised on the farm, working hard alongside
Sam, his father. He studied farming techniques in New Zealand as part of his degree
course, learning valuable lessons he brought back to the family farm.
Preserving the rich local environment is a key theme of the family business.
“Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to minimising
our footprint and leaving a positive impact on our land,” adds Stephanie.
