DELI LITES WINS BIG IN UK SANDWICH OSCARS
Ireland’s leading food to go manufacturer, DELI-LITES, a Food NI member company,
has won yet another national award at the UK Sammie Awards, recognised as the
Oscars in the sandwich and food to go industry awards.
The firm, launched in 1994 by co-founders, Brian and Jackie Reid took top prize in
the highly competitive Hot Category for its premium Roast Mushroom, Truffle and
Mascarpone Tosta
DELI LITES Food Innovation and Development Manager, Donna McGuire, was also
a nominee in the final of the Sandwich Designer of the Year’s Kings Fine Cooked
Meats Gammon category.
The latest accolade brings to six the number of awards won by DELI LITES in The
Sammies in recent years.
The winning gourmet sandwich was developed with airlines in mind and for the
higher-end premium market in general.
Jackie Reid explains:“The product, created by our Innovation Team, was in many
ways inspired by current global trends which place an increasing emphasis on gut
health and great tasting, quality ingredients. We chose to use artisan Sourdough,
along with truffle and mushrooms with the mascarpone adding a layer of pure luxury
and premium indulgence.
“The standards within the Sammies continue to rise every year, so it was amazing to
hear the judges were unanimous in awarding us the Hot Category Award which was
open to any sandwich (not a range) marked by innovation in both the hot and cold
sectors and including, sandwiches, wraps, baguettes and paninis.
“Obviously it’s great to win and to have Donna featuring as a finalist in the Designer
of the Year category, but it’s a fantastic opportunity for us to see the very best within
the sandwich and food to go sector from right across Britain and Northern Ireland.
We always come away with fresh ideas to evolve our current product offering, which
is based on an extensive use of local, Irish ingredients with an international twist.”
Donna’s entry, “Hoggin’ the Mojo”, was inspired by her Caribbean travels.
“My creation was inspired by the bold, vibrant flavours I fell in love with during my
travels in the Caribbean. I’ve always loved how sweet and savoury work together in
the Caribbean cuisine, so I paired tender, high-quality gammon with candied papaya,
a kick of Dijon mustard and finished it with a zingy mojo sauce all on thick-cut fresh
bread to bring everything together for a delicious bite.”
She added: “Being a finalist is an honour and an exciting opportunity to showcase
the innovation and creativity we explore here every day at DELI LITES.”
DELI LITES was in the company of an array of retail giants and household names
including M&S, Starbucks, Greggs, Sainsbury and Caffe Nero.
The business, based on the outskirts of Newry, was set up by foodie entrepreneurs,
Brian and Jackie Reid who drew inspiration from the New York deli scene and came
to life after a 6-week market research trip around Europe trip in a borrowed Peugeot
405.
DELI LITES is a privately owned producer of high-quality, chef-led fresh, frozen and
baked goods based in Ireland. It produces around 30m sandwiches annually and
boasts a growing number of export customers.
