Northern Ireland food and drink producers have punched well above their weight in this year’s Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards. They are the largest blind-tasted food awards on the island of Ireland. The results were announced online on Saturday 4th October 2021.

The bronze, silver and gold winners from Antrim across a range of different categories are: Dale Farm – Gold, Dundarave Estate – Bronze, Johnson Brothers– Silver & Bronze, Ke Nako Biltong – Silver & Bronze, Mauds Ice Creams – Gold,  SeaSugar Handmade Confectionery – Gold & Bronze, SUKI Tea Makers -Gold, Silver & Bronze, Tartine at Distillers Arms – Gold, The Brownie Barn – Silver and Tom and Ollie- Gold

In Armagh, Holmes Bakery won Gold, Silver and Best in County, Armagh Cider took Silver & Bronze awards as did Burren Balsamics. L’Artisan Foods won Gold as did Long Meadow Cider. There was a Bronze award for McCrackens Brewery and White’s Oats took home Silver and Bronze.

Taste Joy Company won Gold & Best in County Derry-Londonderry, Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil won Gold & Bronze and Corndale Farm took a Bronze trophy. 

In County Down, Cookie Jar won Bronze, Corries Meats a Silver, Crawford’s Rock Seaweed Company – Bronze,  Deli Lites – Silver, Prephouse took Silver and Bronze prizes and Rooney Fish won Gold & Best in County.

Finally, for Tyrone, there was a Chef’s Larder award for En Place Foods and Karro Food Ltd won Silver, Bronze and Best in County.

Congratulations to all the winners!

One of Northern Ireland’s leading chilled and frozen food producers, TS Foods, has secured two new listings for their iconic Tony’s Chippy brand worth £150,000 with Aldi Scotland. 

The two new products – Spicy Lorne Sausage Bites and Spicy Beef Bites –  have a firm regional focus, that offers consumers a fast and convenient meal solution as either a supper or a sharing occasion with family and friends.

 The new range is available at all Aldi stores across Scotland with an RRP of £2.00.

 Founded in 1978 by Tony and Ann Steele, Castlewellan, county Down-based TS Foods is now run by their daughter Joanne Molloy and son David Steele. 

 Managing director, Joanne Molloy, says: “Tony’s Chippy was the first brand TS Foods offered to consumers over four decades ago and we are pleased that the range continues to evolve in order to remain relevant to today’s consumer – particularly as retailers like Aldi have been working harder than ever to bring their customers exciting offerings to enjoy at home to keep in-home dining interesting and fresh and we’re proud that these two new products deliver this.

“Scotland continues to be an exciting market for us and we are pleased that our new products are being well received by Scottish consumers,” she adds.

Pictured: Joanne Molloy – Managing Director – TS Foods Ltd

Two Northern Ireland companies have won recognition in the annual Nourish Awards, the UK’s most important competition to find the best health foods.

The successful local companies, both winning silver awards, were Crawford’s Rock Seaweed Company from Kilkeel and That Protein, a specialist in high protein superfoods, from Belfast.

Crawford’s Rock, Kilkeel won silver in Cupboard Essentials and Ingredients for its Seaweed Seasoning with Toasted, Nori, Pepper Dulse, Chilli and Sesame Seeds; and

That Protein, Belfast won silver in Breakfast Foods and Drinks for its Blissful Double Choc Protein Porridge – it’s the fourth year in a row that the company has won a Nourish Award. The porridge was launched late last year. The company is owned and managed by clinical nutritionist Darlene McCormick.

Crawford’s Rock was formed by Michelle Wilson and has also recently won a UK Great Taste three-star award.

In 2017, the Nourish Awards were launched to celebrate a new generation of health foods in the UK – meeting current consumer demand and advocating a healthier lifestyle.

The aim of the awards is “to help and support health food brands and businesses by providing the recognition they deserve, which can help with getting that crucial investment, open doors to supermarkets and ultimately get product off the shelves”.

Now the UK’s leading health food award, entries are judged by an expert panel of nutritionists, health and food industry experts. Their role is to look for real and natural food products, with most of the categories accepting gluten free options alone.

Nourish Award winners receive the Nourish logo and a PR kit to maximise the benefits of winning.

Linwoods Health Foods in Northern Ireland has unveiled a new range of healthy seed blends with body functionality in mind.

The exciting new Functional Range has been backed by NHS GP and regular medical contributor on ITV’s This Morning, Dr Zoe Williams, who has been brought on by Linwoods as a brand ambassador for its latest targeted range of products.

The Functional Range, from Linwoods, which is based in Armagh, consists of two new products – Menoligna and Immune Support – formulated to naturally support and enhance the natural processes of the human body.

Menoligna is a plant-based blend of sprouted milled flaxseed and milled chia seeds, containing important vitamins, minerals and added Lignans. It has been specifically developed for women during the menopause stage of life.

Lignans are naturally occurring phytoestrogens found in flaxseed which mimic the role of oestrogen. Flaxseed is particularly abundant in the lignan, secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG). Lignans are found in the inner layer of the flaxseed hull. Each 30g serving of Linwoods Menoligna offers 300mg of SDG lignans.

This blend also contains 96 percent of the daily recommended intake of Vitamin B6, which contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity, and vitamin B12 which can reduce tiredness and fatigue. Additionally, Menoligna contains Calcium, Vitamin D and K2 which contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.

Immune Support is specifically formulated to help maintain a healthy immune system. The blend includes Linwoods’ award-winning sprouted milled flaxseed, hemp seeds, milled brazil nuts and Ganeden BC30 probiotic cultures. The blend also provides a natural source of selenium, iron and zinc, which contribute to the normal function of the immune system. Other immune boosting ingredients include omega-3, protein, fibre and a host of nutritious vitamins and minerals like vitamin D3, vitamin C and vitamin B12.

Patrick Woods, Director for Linwoods, said: “We are delighted to bring our new Functional Range to the UK market. At Linwoods, we believe passionately that nutrition is the key to good health and plays a vital role in managing certain ailments. Our expert team has been busy crafting these nutritionally dense blends to ensure they are designed to maintain healthy body functionality. We look forward to hearing more about how they are benefitting our customers.

“We recommend that customers add a 30g daily serving of the Functional Range blends to their diet for optimal health benefits. Each versatile blend can be easily added to your favourite dish, from breakfast yoghurt and smoothies to soups and salads.

“Our plan is to expand our Functional Range later this year with additional product blends, providing our customers with even more choice when maintaining their health.”

Dr Zoe Williams, NHS GP and This Morning contributor, said: “These days women are more comfortable talking frankly and openly about the impact menopause has on their bodies. Unfortunately, menopause stigma can still stop some women from approaching their GP with medical concerns. It’s really important that women seek medical advice if struggling with their physical and mental health during this entirely natural, but sometimes distressing, process in their lives.

“Nutrition is also vital. It is great to see Linwoods designing products specifically with women in mind, so many of whom struggle during their perimenopause years due to hormonal changes happening within their bodies. Linwoods’ Menoligna blend offers a convenient way to add key nutrients into the diet to help regulate their hormones and help to maintain bone density, which can decrease during menopause.

“I was thrilled when Linwoods asked me to be involved in the launch of the Functional Range. I have been a regular consumer of their other products for years.

The Menoligna blend will be available in a 210g pack, priced at £7.49. The Immune Support blend will be available in a 210g pack, priced at £5.49. The packaging in Linwoods Functional Range has been designed to be 100 per cent recyclable. The range will be available exclusively on Linwoods website. www.linwoodshealthfoods.com

Ten products from four Northern Ireland companies have been shortlisted in the UK Quality Food Awards 2021, the most important annual event in the retail grocery calendar.

The successful local companies in the awards were Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt, Bangor; Dunbia, Dungannon; Finnebrogue Artisan, Downpatrick; and Mash Direct, Comber.  Finnebrogue has five foods shortlisted and Dunbia three.

The Quality Food Awards are the most prestigious awards for food and drink products on sale in UK grocery outlets, especially supermarkets.  What sets these awards apart is the impartiality and robustness of the judging process, which rightly sits at the heart of everything. Business development agency Invest NI is among the sponsors of the prestigious competition.

The judging panel is comprised of experts from many different industry disciplines and are a vital component of the validity and robustness of the results. They take every aspect of a product into consideration rewarding: great flavours, high-quality ingredients, excellent value for money and outstanding packaging, which increases the retail success of a product.

The Quality Food Awards were established over 35 years ago. The portfolio has grown significantly and now it also includes: the Quality Drink Awards, the Wholesale Quality Food & Drink Awards, the Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards.

The shortlisted products from Northern Ireland are:

Madagascan Vanilla Greek Style Yoghurt from Clandeboye Estate in the Dairy category;

Curry Chips from Mash Direct in Meal Accompaniments;

Lidl Birchwood 28 Day Matured Beef Sirloin Steak with Parmesan & Thyme Butter and Lidl Birchwood Steakhouse Selection Extra Thick Cut, Grass Fed 12oz Sirloin Beef Steak 36 Days Matured, both from Dunbia in Beef;

Co-op Irresistible Rib and Brisket Burger with Creamy Vintage Cheddar and Caramelised Onion Melt, Dunbia in Burgers and Meatballs;

Asda Butchers Selection Maple & Bacon Sausage Squares from Finnebrogue Artisan in Sausages; and

In Vegan, Asda Plant Based Fishless Fillets; Asda Plant Based Meat Free Chicken Style Kievs; Naked Without the Cluck No Chicken Kievs; and Naked Without the Splash No Fish Goujons, all produced by Finnebrogue Artisan.

Burren Balsamics, Northern Ireland’s multi-award winning producer of handcrafted balsamic vinegars, jams, sauces and relishes, has introduced two original products.

Based at Richhill in county Armagh, the company, which is owned by former chef Susie Hamilton Stubber, who works alongside development chef Bob McDonald on new product development, has launched a Balsamic and Honey Piccalilli and Pear, Ginger and Golden Raisin Chutney.

“The Piccalilli is a traditional British pickle that’s hand chopped and made with our White Balsamic Condiment and locally sourced honey,” Susie explains. “It’s a rich, smooth and golden sauce filled with crunchy vegetables with flavours of turmeric and mustard. It’s perfect with cheese, sausages, ham and other cold cuts, meat pies and more,” adds Susie.

Burren Balsamics has won a series of UK Great Taste Awards and Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards for its extensive range of vinegars which include fruit-infused products for both retail and hospitality.

The Northern Ireland family business recently received a series of gold stars for four balsamic vinegar products in the Great Taste Awards 2021 including two stars for its Infused Balsamic Vinegar.

Amongst its high-profile customers is the iconic Harrod’s store in London’s Knightsbridge. The vinegars use only natural whole fruits for flavour and are available in distinctive 250ml bottles. The products are also available in special gift packs.

The small company was established by Susie in 2014 and has since gone on to develop extensive business in the UK and Ireland and an impressive portfolio of innovative products. The company recently took part in the influential Speciality Fine Food Fair in London.