FoodNI are delighted to once again be involved in Enchanted Winter Garden for 2025. Please read all information within the application form carefully.
Applications open 25th September, and close 10th October. Final decisions to be communicated W/C 20th October.
Find application form here: https://forms.gle/n5eJFhdj5WCMGzzW9
Clandeboye Estate in Bangor has created two yoghurts in Marks and Spencer
branding as part of an exciting partnership between the food retailer and Applegreen,
Ireland’s leading motorway fuel and food retailer.
The new Greek style yoghurts are traditionally hand strained and are available in
natural and honey flavours. The distinctive M&S packaging carries the legend “Made
with whole milk from Co. Down” and is another important boost for Clandeboye in its
developing collaboration with M&S in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
For Clandeboye, the only significant producer of yoghurt here, the new products are
the first it has developed under the prestigious M&S brand. Clandeboye branded
flavoured and natural yoghurts have been on sale in M&S food halls here and the
Republic for more than 12 months.
Another boost for Clandeboye in the Republic came last week in the shape of a gold
medal in the prestigious Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards for its Raspberry and
White Chocolate flavour.
Applegreen, one of Ireland’s leading roadside retailers, and M&S Food are
expanding their partnership following a successful first year experiment. The
partnership will bring a wide range of M&S food to more consumers than ever.
Applegreen currently has around 200 outlets on the island. It also operates in Britain,
parts of Europe and the US.
They have signed an exclusive 10-year agreement that will add up to 60 new M&S
Food sections at Applegreen locations. Applegreen has opened an initial five M&S
Food ‘shop in shop’ outlets over the past 12 months. These stores carry a range of
up to 400 M&S products, and trading has already exceeded expectations.
M&S Food at Applegreen stores feature the best of the high-end grocer’s convenience
food, including fresh fruit, salads, Irish sandwiches, lunch on the go, dinner options
and a selection of other M&S favourites.
All of the new M&S at Applegreen outlets will also feature Click & Collect for M&S
Clothing and selected Home product ranges.
One of the primary objectives of the partnership with Applegreen is to expand the
footprint of M&S Food in Ireland. The addition of 15 new locations by the end of next
year, and many more in the years to come, will enable Applegreen to offer top
quality, trusted value M&S products to a broader customer base in Ireland.
Food NI members brought home a collective clutch of awards from The Mansion
House in Dublin on 10th September at the 2025 Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards.
In Carbonated Soft Drinks, Papas Mineral Company Longbridge Drinks won Silver
for their Pink Grapefruit Soda. Their Clove Cordial (Gold) and Irish Sisters Non-
Alcoholic Fiery Ginger (Silver) made it a hat-trick.
In the Breakfast categories, White’s Oats won Gold for their Aldi Kavanagh’s Double
Oat Granola and Silver for their Aldi Kavanagh’s Organic Porridge Oats.
In Snacks, Glens of Antrim Crisps Shindigs Rockin Irish Roots- Crinkle Cut Whiskey
Smoked Bacon Potato Crisps got a Silver prize.
Dundarave won Gold in the Preserves section with their Lemon and Champagne
Marmalade. Deli Lites took a Silver with their Deli and Firey Turk Bagel and another
Silver for their Foodservice Braeburn Irish Rarebit, Pulled Ham and Mature Cheddar
Tosta.
There was a Silver award for Crawford’s Rock Seaweed Salt n Chilli Chocolate.
Clandeboye Estate won Gold in the Yogurt category with their Raspberry and White
Chocolate Greek Style Yoghurt.
In Drinks, Long Meadow Cider won Silver for their Aldi Medium Cider and Bronze for
their Cullens Apple Cider. GetEr Brewed won a Bronze prize for their Belgian Triple
Prime Time of Your Life beer and Silver for Frankie and Eileen’s Craft Gin. Woodlab
Distillery took a Silver award for their Symphonia Irish Apple Rum.
In Foodservice, Long Meadow Cider won another Gold for their Apple Cider Vinegar.
This product was also given the Foodservice Product of the Year Award. Long
Meadow also won Silver for their Pure Apple Juice. There was a Silver for Irish Black
Butter.
Emma Connelly from Glastry Farm Ice Cream was Commended in the Rising Star of
the Year Category.
Well done to all our members!
Food NI member Basalt Distillery has won the Guild of Fine Food’s prestigious Great
Taste Golden Fork Award for Northern Ireland with their Volcanic Rock Gin. The
Bushmills, Co. Antrim distillery is inspired by the raw geology of the UNESCO-listed
Giants Causeway. It was founded by chemical engineers, Martha Garbe and James
Richardson.
Every drop of spirit is distilled with ultra-pure water from a 600-foot deep borehole,
naturally filtered through the ancient basalt rock that forms the Giants Causeway.
Judges described it as “fascinating, distinctive and irresistible- pure alchemy.”
The announcement was made at a ceremony in Battersea Arts Centre, London on
Tuesday 9th September, 2025. The annual event celebrates the most outstanding
food and drink from around the world.
The nominees were already recipients of a 3-star Great Taste Award- something only
1.9 per cent of total entrants achieved.
Also in the running for the award were two beers from GetErBrewed from
Randalstown, Co. Antrim. They were Ramza Barrel Aged Keptinis Beer and
Untamed Barrel Aged Wild Ale VI. They push the boundaries of fermentation
experimenting with brewing and blending techniques in what they say is an “actual
passion project” for them.
Congratulations from all at Food NI.
A small, independent brewery in rural Northern Ireland has achieved global recognition, taking home two ‘World’s Best’ titles at the prestigious 2025 World Beer Awards.
In total, Our Brewery, a FoodNI member, secured an impressive 12 medals – including seven golds for Best in Ireland, one silver, and four bronze in the national category. Two of those gold-winning beers went on to be crowned the best in the world in their categories.
From thousands of entries worldwide, Low Land Oud Bruin and Seasur Mixed Ferm Saison first triumphed as Ireland’s best in their respective styles, before being judged World’s Best by an international panel of industry experts.
“This is beyond anything we imagined;” said Johnny Mitchell, co-founder of Our Brewery. “We set out to brew world-class beer as a genuine passion project. To have our work recognised on the world stage is both humbling and exhilarating. These awards belong to our whole team and the community who have supported us from day one.
“We operate in one of the most challenging licensing environments in Northern Ireland. Hopefully, this achievement not only highlights the quality of beer being brewed here but also sparks conversations about much-needed licensing reform, ” he added.
Our Brewery’s complete 2025 World Beer Awards medal tally:
GOLD – Ireland
SILVER – Ireland
BRONZE – Ireland
The World Beer Awards is one of the industry’s most respected competitions, celebrating the finest beers from around the globe through blind tastings by an expert panel.
Founded in 2021, Our Brewery emerged from Get ‘Er Brewed’s brewing equipment showroom, transforming into a working brewery dedicated to experimental and historically inspired fermentation. Using traditional techniques, carefully sourced ingredients, and the unique natural influences of its environment, the brewery produces beers that take time and patience to perfect – pushing the boundaries between beer and wine.
Balsamic vinegars, fiery sauce, seaweed seasoning, fudge, savoury sauces, boiled fruit cake, and kombucha from FoodNI members have been shortlisted for the finals of the Great British Food Awards 2025 this October.
The popular UK competition continues proved extremely successful for local food and drink companies over the years. Foods from artisan producers and FoodNI members like Blackfire Hot Sauces, Belfast; Burren Balsamics of Co Armagh; Cookie Jar, Newcastle, Co Down; Crawford’s Rock Seasonings, Kilkeel, Co Down; Irish Black Butter, Portrush; Erin Grove Preserves, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh; Granny’ Shaw’s Fudge, Ballymena; Krazibaker, Dromore, Co Down; and Moocha Kombucha, Pomeroy, Co Tyrone.
In the running for awards are: Krazibaker’s boiled fruit cake; wheaten bread and fruit bannock from Cookie Jar in Newcastle; Burren’s unique balsamic vinegars; Blackfire’s ghost pepper and black lime ketchup; salted caramel sauce with Irish Black Butter from Alastair Bell; Erin Grove’s sour cherry and cracked black pepper; Moocha Kombucha’s gut balance fermented drink; chicken dinner seasoning from Crawford’s Rock; and pistachio, white chocolate and raspberry from Granny Shaw’s Fudge Factory.
Appearing in the awards is Dromore’s Krazibaker, Mark Douglas, who is famed for making traditional favourites at outdoor food markets especially Newtownards and Carrickfergus. His freshly baked potato and treacle breads are hugely popular, as are his pancakes and boiled fruit cake. “My boiled fruit cake is a long-time favourite with shoppers. It’s great to earn this important recognition in the food awards in Britain.”
He’s won UK Great Taste Awards in the past for his unique potato apple bread and potato breads.
Glen Houston, who owns Granny Shaw’s Fudge in Ballymena with wife Rhonda, is shortlisted for his trendy pistachio, white chocolate and raspberry fudge.
“This is another important boost for one of our most recent flavours with trendy pistachio. I am hoping the recognition will increase awareness throughout Britain of our range of tasty fudges,” adds Glen, who also specialises in home-made chocolates.
Bronagh Quail, a pioneer of fermented drink Moocha Kombucha, continues: “This is another significant recognition of the quality and innovation of my kombucha in Britain. Sales have been going well here over the past few years as more people discover the benefits of healthy kombucha tea.
Also in the running for the supreme award is spicy food lover Tim McCarthy, the founder and owner of Belfast’s Blackfire Hot Sauces. “It’s marvellous to see our ghost chilli and black lime sauce featuring in another important UK awards. We are aiming to boost our international sales including to Great Britain,” he says.
Susie Hamilton Stubber of Burren Balsamics in Richill has two of her successful vinegars in the running this year – blackberry and thyme balsamic vinegar from Modena and date and cinnamon infused balsamic vinegar.
Previous Northern Ireland overall winners include Burren Balsamics, Richhill; and CRAIC Foods, Craigavon, both from Co Armagh.
Susie Hamilton Stubber of Burren Balsamics continues: “We benefited enormously in publicity terms from our success in the past. It’s an important competition which helps increase awareness of the quality, innovation and taste of food products in Britain, our most important external market.”
The Great British Food and Drink Awards, now one of the UK’s most important competitions for smaller producers in particular, were launched in 2014 to celebrate the country’s finest artisanal produce, as well as the hard-working people behind the scenes in the enterprises.
This year, the awards are said to be bigger and better than ever, with lots of new categories and amazing celebrity judges including top chefs Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux Jnr and Shaun Rankin.
The influential awards provide companies with the opportunity to have their food and drink products taste tested by some of the UK’s most acclaimed chefs, food critics and influencers. It’s an exacting process, nevertheless, that has often led to new business in Britain for winning companies from here and elsewhere in the UK.
The shortlisted products will now be sent to a panel of expert judges around the UK for them to pick their gold, silver and bronze winners. The winning product in each category will then be sent to the final expert judge to choose the overall Grand Champion.