Clandeboye Estate, Northern Ireland’s only producer of yoghurt, has been named the UK’s Best in the highly influential Quality Food Awards.

The company, based on an estate near Bangor in county Down, gained the outstanding recognition for the quality and rich flavours of its multi-award winning Madagascan Vanilla Greek Style Yoghurt in the hotly contested Dairy category in the top awards, the most important of the UK’s supermarket grocery sector.

Clandeboye, which sources fresh milk from the estate’s pedigree and award winning dairy herd, was chosen by the expert judges over rival dairy products from Aldi, Arla Foods, Asda and Castle Dairies.

The Quality Food Awards are designed to recognise and reward those products which are leading the way in the market. They have a strong influence on food retailing especially among major supermarkets

Research shows the awards showcase the quality of a winning product and bring confidence to consumers and increase sales. It shows that 74 percent of consumers would trust the quality of a food product carrying the quality logo; 72 percent of consumers had seen the logo before; and 68 percent said they were more likely to buy a product which had won one of the quality awards.

Winning companies can expect extensive marketing support from the awards to showcase their achievement.

Clandeboye now supplies its range of yoghurts to every supermarket in Northern Ireland and to several in the Republic of Ireland especially Aldi-Ireland.

The ambitious company is currently finalising a state-of-the-art creamery on the estate which will provide scope of grow sales in Great Britain, the key target market for the Northern Ireland enterprise. It has already received approaches from retailers in Britain for its Greek style and fruit-infused yoghurts.

The new factory will enable Clandeboye to quadruple production of its range of award-winning luxury yoghurts using fresh milk from the historic estate’s own pedigree Jersey/Holstein herd.

Everything from grazing to production takes place within the Clandeboye Estate. Milk is sourced daily from the herd and those of other local producers – a complete ‘farm-to-spoon’ journey.

The farm currently boasts a herd of around 70 Holsteins and 30 Jerseys which is also not a stranger to awards, winning a string of major UK and Irish championship ribbons and herd competition trophies.

As the only yoghurt manufacturer now located in Northern Ireland, Clandeboye’s mission is to grow the business as sustainably as possible and to maintain the high quality of its natural handcrafted yoghurt offering. The estate has invested extensively in sustainability initiatives.

Clandeboye Estate’s range of Greek style and natural yoghurts were officially launched in 2008 as a farm diversification project by owner the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava who died last October.

Belfast Distillery Company, the company behind McConnell’s Irish Whiskey and a multi-million-pound distillery has secured a new distribution deal in Poland.

The company has signed a deal with Navigator – Spirit Depot, which will see the company export ‘McConnell’s Irish Whiskey’ in the Eastern European country.

The whiskey firm, now backed by US investment, is currently pushing ahead with a £20 million distillery development and tourist facility at the old Crumlin Road Gaol.

The multi-million-pound venture was first mooted by lottery winner Peter Lavery in 2012.

The proposal, now being taken forward by a number of US-based business figures, secured planning approval in March 2021.

McConnell’s, which dates back to 1776, has been revived as a brand by the Belfast Distillery Company, recently winning a gold medal at the Warsaw Spirits Competition for its five-year-old blend.

The awards have helped build the whiskey’s portfolio internationally, boosting its distribution network.

Chief executive John Kelly said the deal is the latest in the company’s expanding global distribution.

“We have now secured a long-term partnership with Navigator – Spirit Depot in Poland and I am very impressed by their knowledge, trade relationship and passion for quality product,” Mr Kelly said. “We are thrilled to partner with them in Poland.”

Grzegorz Suroweiecki from the Polish distributor, said: “We have seen the growth of the Irish whiskey category over the last number of years and wanted to find the right strategic relationship. We are confident that we have done just that through our partnership with Belfast Distillery Company and McConnell’s Irish Whiskey.”

Shortcross Whiskey named as Winner of New Irish Whiskey Category at the 2021 Irish Whiskey Awards.

Rademon Estate Distillery’s first-ever whiskey – Shortcross Single Malt Whiskey – has just been named as the Winner of best New Irish Whiskey at The Irish Whiskey Awards, which took place on Thursday 11^th November at Powerscourt Distillery, Co. Wicklow.

As the first new whiskey to be released from a Northern Ireland distillery in over 100 years, being awarded as the best Irish whiskey is an incredible achievement for the Co. Down based Distillery, who until now, has been best-known as the home of Shortcross Gin. 

With the first two casks of Shortcross Single Malt due to be opened in the coming weeks, just 700 bottles from the first-ever release of Shortcross Whiskey are available to reserve at the Rademon Estate Distillery website. 

Judging of this year’s awards took place earlier this Summer where organisers, Celtic Whiskey, posted out several hundred, blind tasting packs to members of the Celtic Whiskey Club, Irish Whiskey Society — Dublin and Dingle, Cork Whiskey Society, Waterford Whiskey Society, Kilkenny Whiskey Guild, Ennis Whiskey Club, 1875 Whiskey Club and Belfast Whiskey Club.

Well-regarded for being Northern Ireland’s original small-batch craft gin producers, David and Fiona Boyd-Armstrong, the Founders of Shortcross Gin, announced plans back in 2015 to expand into whiskey production. Following an investment of £1.5 million at the Rademon Estate Distillery in Crossgar, the new single malt whiskey has been entirely produced onsite at Rademon.

Commenting on the company’s win at the Irish Whiskey Awards, Head Distiller and Co-Founder of Rademon Estate Distillery, David Boyd-Armstrong says: “We have been working on bringing the first new release of whiskey from a Northern Ireland distillery in over 100 years since we casked our first barrels almost seven years ago, and to be awarded this top accolade by our peers, just before our first release goes on sale, is fitting timing.

“Fiona and I have invested so much time, effort and funds into the creation of our whiskey distillery and to see our first bottles go on sale in a matter of weeks is just incredible.”

Co-Founder and Managing Director, Fiona Boyd-Armstrong, managing director, adds: “This has been a long time coming, and we are delighted that our fantastic Irish malt whiskey has already been acknowledged by industry, in what we hope is the first of many awards for Shortcross Whiskey.”

“Our early December release is the first in a series of exciting plans that we have for Shortcross Whiskey. We have a packed cask room, full of barrels of whiskey, and throughout our journey, we have used a variety of casks, enabling us to release new and innovative flavours in 2022 and beyond.”

Rademon Estate Distillery was established in 2012 by Fiona and David Boyd-Armstrong, with Shortcross Gin quickly becoming an established brand in the gin market. A total of £3.5m has been invested in Rademon Estate Distillery since it was established and the Estate now houses the distillery, a state-of-the-art visitor centre and bottle shop.

The best pork sausages in Europe are made in Bangor, county Down, Northern Ireland.

McWhinney’s Sausages, among the best known names in food processing here has won the important accolade for producing best pork sausages in Europe at its modern processing unit just outside the town from leading international lifestyle publication.

A leading supplier of premium pork sausages to caterers throughout the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, McWhinney’s recently received the important accolade from LUXLife, a glossy publication aimed at people who enjoy the finer things of life, in its annual Food and Drink Awards 2021. The upmarket magazine has a circulation of almost 300,000 readers worldwide.

McWhinney’s Sausages, a traditional family run business that’s headed by Kevin McWhinney and spanning six generations, is the main supplier of high quality content pork sausages to fish and chip shops, cafes and other catering businesses in the UK, Ireland and other European countries. The company is understandably delighted by the influential award.

Kevin, commenting on the LUXLife magazine decision, said: “The award came as a very pleasant surprise. It’s a marvellous recognition and endorsement of the premium quality and outstanding flavour of sausages. This immensely encouraging award should help to increase awareness of our market leading premium pork products as we continue to grow our business in key markets such as Great Britain, Ireland and beyond.

“LUXLife is a quality conscious magazine that’s aimed at people who also enjoy the best food products available,” he adds.

The LUXLife Food & Drink Awards was created to “commend those who go above and beyond for their customers and/or consumers to ensure that their appetites are catered for, especially in light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak which has seen many businesses in the food and drink industry face unprecedented challenges over the past few months”.

The Food & Drink Awards commend businesses who prove themselves to be innovators in one of the world’s most competitive industries by bringing fresh, exciting ideas forward, and celebrate the outstanding achievements made by those looking to solidify their reputation as industry leaders.  All participants are judged purely on merit and only the most deserving are acknowledged.

Final judgement is based on various criteria such as: business values and performance, longevity, business growth (either sustained or rapid) and any significant innovations or feedback. The magazine spans “the highest net worth individuals from around the world” and major brands.

McWhinney’s traces its business roots to 1898 when Kevin McWhinney’s great great grandfather began production of quality Irish pork sausages in Bangor from his own recipe which remains a closely guarded family secret. The family also became involved in a successful butchery business in 1968.

Managing director Kevin joined the company has spearheaded its exceptional growth of the family business especially outside Northern Ireland. The ambitious local business has grown strongly and now operates from a modern factory in Bangor. It continues to invest substantially in its products, premises and in developing the skills of employees.

An extensive product portfolio includes 70% premium pork, the Bigfoot (12” 6oz 70% pork sausage), cocktail, breakfast and gluten sausages to name a few.

For more information or to arrange a sample for your business contact James Hughes on james@mcwhinneys.com

Two Northern Ireland meat processors have won a series of gold, silver and bronze medals in the recent World Steak Challenge in Dublin.

The successful Northern Ireland processors were Derry’s Foyle Food Group and Kettyle Irish Foods of Lisnaskea in county Fermanagh. In addition, James Whelan Butchers of Tipperary in the Republic of Ireland was successful with beef from Hannan Meats in Moira, county Armagh. Foyle Foods and Kettyle, now part of ABP, gained a total of six medals

The World Steak Challenge (WSC) is the world’s first event to give steak producers and suppliers a much-needed platform to showcase product quality, breed credentials and processing standards on an international stage. The event has a strong focus on grass-fed beef.

Now in its seventh year, the WSC continues to burgeon in popularity and has become the benchmark for tasting steaks around the world.

The event was suspended in 2020 due to the Covid-19 outbreak but received a record number of entries in 2019 from 29 countries.

WSC enables entrants to test their steaks against global competitors, delivering a recognised stamp of quality and setting the benchmark for global steak production.

The awards also provide an opportunity for entrants to engage with consumers and promote the benefits of eating steak which is sustainably sourced with a good providence.

Since 2015, WSC has seen over 1,000 steaks tasted, tested and scored through an independent, robust judging process at an annual judging day. The ensuing awards ceremony provides an unrivalled opportunity for producers and suppliers to showcase their produce whilst networking with buyers and experts from within the steak industry.

The awards for Northern Ireland processors were as follows:

Foyle Food Group – Gold for Sirloin, Bronze for Fillet and Rib-Eye

Kettyle Irish Foods – Gold for Fillet, Gold for Rib-Eye and Bronze for Sirloin

Bushmills Irish Whiskey has appointed Alex Thomas as Master Blender at The Old Bushmills Distillery, the world’s oldest licenced whiskey distillery.

Building on the legacy of generations of Bushmills’ whiskey makers, Alex will take responsibility for selection and management of the casks for Bushmills famous single malt, nurturing the Bushmills Irish Whiskey portfolio of premium blends and aged single malts, and new product development.

Born in Ballymoney, just 15 minutes from The Old Bushmills Distillery, Alex succeeds Helen Mulholland who began her long career at The Old Bushmills Distillery almost 30 years ago.

Alex joined the Bushmills team in 2004 and since then she has spent over 17 years honing her craft, fascinated in particular, by the maturation phase of the whiskey making process. This interest, and her initial experiences led to experimentation with different taste profiles and ultimately, her development of The Sexton Single Malt, where she was appointed as Master Blender in 2017.

Speaking about her new role, Alex Thomas, said: “It is a privilege to be appointed as Master Blender for Bushmills Irish Whiskey. The Old Bushmills Distillery is a very special place and I’m excited to explore my passion for developing new whiskeys and experimenting with different casks and flavours, while still maintaining the iconic Bushmills taste and quality.

The craftmanship and passion that goes into Bushmills is something that has truly captured my imagination. Whiskey fans know Bushmills Irish Whiskey for the brand’s 400 years of quality and taste, so part of my job will be ensuring that we continue to meet that high standard.

It is a really exciting time for Bushmills, and I look forward to seeing what the future brings both here at The Distillery and in the industry as a whole. I am very honoured to be a part of the amazing history and heritage and I look forward to using the wisdom and experience I have inherited from those who have gone before me.”

Colum Egan, Bushmills Master Distiller, said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Alex Thomas as Master Blender at The Old Bushmills Distillery. Over the years Alex has demonstrated exceptional skills in the art of blending and her passion and pursuit of excellence has truly made her one of the rising stars in Irish whiskey.

I look forward to continuing to with work with Alex in her new role and I am excited for the future of Bushmills Irish Whiskey. Alex will do an amazing job as she possesses the knowledge, expertise, and dedication to make an amazing Master Blender.”