Five local companies are showing a range of food products for the developing food-to-go marketplace on the Invest Northern Ireland group stand C75 at Lunch! in ExCel in London from 23-24 September.

On show for buyers to sample will be South African flavoured Boerewors coiled beef sausages, burgers and meatballs; desserts; pies and quiches, oat-based health pots and immune bars, and a range of quality sauces including plant-based alternatives.

Most of the companies is the Invest NI showcase at Lunch! are already active and successful in the UK food-to-go market and several will be launching innovative solutions for operators including cafes and canteens.

Drew McIvor, Invest NI’s Business Development Director in Britain, commenting on the Northern Ireland presentation at Lunch! says: “It’s great to be back at Lunch! again for face-to-face samplings and business meetings.

“Lunch! is a show which has proved successful for many Northern Ireland companies before the Covid-19 pandemic because of the focus of many of our companies, both large and small, of what has become a very dynamic and growing marketplace in the UK and further afield. This sharp focus has also led to the development of original foods by our companies over the year for Lunch!.  And this commitment to original solutions for food-on-the-go continues today in the shape of quality and healthy snacks including on-trend plant-based options,” she adds.

The Northern Ireland companies at Lunch! are:

Davison Puds, Portadown, Co Armagh, a producer of the Simply Puddings range of hot desserts including sticky toffee pudding, bread and butter pudding, fruit based crumbles and jam sponges;

Hellbent, Belfast – a developer of specialist meats for snacking including Boerewors coiled beef, burgers and meatballs using Northern Ireland beef with South African spires;

McColgan’s Quality Foods, Strabane, Co Tyrone, a manufacturer of savoury pastry – pies, quiches, pasties, and sausage rolls

Nuttin’ But, Lisburn, Co Antrim, a developer of healthy oat-based breakfast pots and Immune snack bars in various flavours to support the digestive system; and

Rich Sauces, Newtownards, Co Down, a developer and manufacturer of a wide range of quality sauces for foodservice and new plant-based foods.

Finnebrogue Artisan in Northern Ireland has announces the launch of a “ground-breaking Naked Evolution Burger with Waitrose, Ocado and Dunnes”.

The company, which is based at Downpatrick in county Down, says the Naked Evolution Burger:

• matches ‘Beyond Burger’ in independent blind taste tests – and is 40 per cent cheaper! 
• It has 40% less saturated fat than a standard beef burger. 

“Bursting with chargrilled flavour, this ‘next level’ burger, has all the succulence, texture and ‘beefiness’ you’d expect from a burger: just without the meat!
 
“You’ll find it in the fresh, plant-based section of the supermarket, with rrp £3.00 (two burgers), which is 40% cheaper than the leading plant-based burger brand, Beyond.”

The company says the new Evolution Burger does not compromise on quality, flavour or nutrition.  “In fact, we believe plant-based food should be no more expensive than the meat it is replacing, and without any compromise on quality, flavour or nutrition.

“The Naked Evolution Burger is high in pea protein (17g per burger), has 40 per cent less saturated fat than a traditional beef burger, and is a source of iron, zinc and vitamin B12,” the company says.

The new burger has also been granted an A-grade enviro score by the non-profit organisation Foundation Earth, and it is both soya and gluten-free.

The company continues: “In blind taste tests carried out by experts and the UK’s leading food science and technology centre, Campden, Naked Evolution Burger matched current market leader Beyond. So whether you’re vegetarian, vegan or trying to reduce your meat consumption, Naked Evolution Burgers, ‘do good; with every bite!”

TS Foods in Castlewellan, county Down has been shortlisted for the final stages of the influential Energia Family Business Awards in the Republic of Ireland.

The Northern Ireland company, a leading supplier of branded prepared foods to major supermarkets in the UK and Ireland, is listed in the Producer of the Year category in the annual awards.

TS Foods was established in 1981 by husband and wife team, Tony and Ann Steele. Since then, TS Foods has grown into one of Northern Ireland’s most successful commercial food manufacturers, providing customers with exceptional choice, quality and value. It remains a business owned by the family.

The company initially began as a popular fish and chip shop, where Tony and Ann identified a gap in the market for value added coated products within the local food service sector. They worked together to create their iconic ‘Chip Shop Pastie’ – the first of its kind to be sold to food retailers throughout Northern Ireland – which was met with unprecedented demand nationwide.

Following its huge success, Tony and Ann developed and marketed an entire range under the popular ‘Tony’s Chippy’ range from their purpose built premises in Castlewellan.

In 1983, they pin-pointed another gap in the market and became the first food company in Northern Ireland to sell ready prepared fresh breadcrumb stuffing.

The resilience and adaptability of family run businesses across Ireland during the recent pandemic is to be recognised at this year’s Energia Family Business Awards. The event, which was postponed due to Covid-19, celebrates generations of families who work together. The virtual event will kick off on the 18th of October 2021 with the theme of this year’s awards focusing on ‘resilience through generations’.

The theme of ‘Resilience through generations’ aims to recognise the most adaptable family businesses across the country and those who are helping keep the wider SME sector alive.

Alan Mulcahy, head of sales at Energia, said: “Irish family businesses have experienced unprecedented challenges over the past year. The lifeblood of communities across Ireland, their resilience has been an instrumental part of the broader national effort to combat the impacts of the pandemic.

“Therefore, as we continue what is a hopeful reopening of our society and economy, the timing of these awards is fitting. As a founding supporter of the Family Business Awards, we are delighted to once again be able to celebrate the best of indigenous Irish businesses and wish all the finalists every success.”

The virtual ceremony aims to honour these businesses who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and resilience throughout the Covid-19 pandemic while continuing to thrive and grow.

United Wines, the leading Northern Ireland drinks distributor, has secured an exclusive all-Ireland distribution deal with Titanic Distillers, Belfast’s newest premium Irish whiskey brand.

The partnership will see Craigavon-based United Wines handle all distribution for the whiskey through its extensive on- and off-trade customer base in Northern Ireland and the Republic – including more than 1,000 bars, restaurants, hotels, off licenses, cash and carries, regional wholesalers and national multiples.

“To say we are excited to have secured the exclusive distribution rights for Titanic Distillers Premium Irish Whiskey is an understatement,” said United Wines managing director Martin McAuley.

“To secure such a premium brand as Titanic Distillers is a real coup. The whiskey itself is second to none but the plans that the company has for a distillery on the very site where the Titanic was built, gives the brand a uniqueness and an authenticity that is impossible to recreate.

“Irish Whiskey is the fastest growing spirits category of the last 10 years with sales expected to double in the next 20 years.  We’re really looking forward to working together with Titanic Distillers to promote this truly unique brand and product.”

This year promises to be a massive one for Titanic Distillers. having already secured one of the most globally recognised brand names on the planet, it has also submitted plans to convert the historic Titanic Pump-House and Thompson Dock into a new distillery and world class tourist attraction.

Titanic Distillers commercial director Stephen Symington said: “We’re delighted to team up with United Wines as we launch Titanic Distillers Premium Irish Whiskey into the Irish market.

 “We’re very aware that, in Titanic Distillers, we have a big responsibility as custodians of a huge historic global brand that is synonymous with Belfast – so we have laboured long and hard to develop and create a premium Irish Whiskey brand of which Belfast and Northern Ireland can be very proud.

“In the days before Prohibition, Belfast was once the largest producer of Irish whiskey on the island of Ireland. We want to revive this great distilling tradition and bring Belfast back to the forefront of Irish Whiskey production. What better way to do that than with an authentic brand that we feel embodies the very spirit of Belfast and of the workers who built the Titanic.

“We are now collaborating with stakeholders and funders, including Invest NI, on some really exciting plans for the Titanic Pump-House and Dry Dock which will only serve to reinforce this spirit. We look forward to sharing these plans in due course.”

Titanic Distillers Premium Irish Whiskey, which is described as ‘full and rich with a smoky hint and a lingering finish’, is already listed in many of Belfast’s best-known pubs and hotels, including Bittles Bar, The Duke of York, Dark Horse and the Hastings Hotels group.

It retails at £34.95 for a 700ml bottle.

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Titanic Distillers commercial director Stephen Symington and United Wines managing director Martin McAuley toast their new partnership

Hellbent, the Belfast-based specialist in Northern Irish beef with spicy South African flavours, has achieved its first business in England following a deal with a leading food retailer in London.

The company, formed by former Ulster rugby stars Louis Ludic and Schalk van der Merwe, has begun supplying its award-winning Boerewors coiled beef sausages, burgers and meat balls to Planet Plenty Food and Wine which has food retail outlets with takeaway services in Fulham and Wandsworth.

The London breakthrough follows the small company’s success in winning business with Aldi supermarkets in Scotland in a deal assisted by business development agency Invest Northern Ireland.

The new business, according to Louis, is an outcome of Hellbent’s participation in the big Speciality and Fine Food Fair for artisan enterprises at London’s Olympia exhibition centre earlier in the month. “We had our own stand at the show, one of the most important in Britain due to the large number of food and drink buyers it attracts every year,” he adds.

“Planet Plenty buyers were among the many retail and foodservice representations visiting our stand during the show’s two days. Indeed, we were very impressed and encouraged by the interest shown in our fresh products in particular such as our Boerewors sausages, burgers and meat balls as well as our prepared Northern Irish pork dishes,” he continues.

Planet Plenty subsequently approached the two Hellbent directors to supply their meats for the London stores. “The order, our very first in London, was a tremendous boost for our marketing initiatives in Britain, a key market for us,” Louis says. “We are also following up other leads and hope to convert these into further business in the near future.

“Taking part in Speciality Fine Food, our first time at this impressive marketing opportunity, proved to be a very worthwhile initiative for us and encourages us to look at other events of this kind in Britain. The Planet Plenty business shows we have original products that the market wishes and that we are competitive,” adds Louis.

The company has also achieved success in the Republic with Aldi Ireland. Customers in Northern Ireland include Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Eurospar supermarkets.

Hellbent was established in March 2018 to develop a range of meat products including South African style boerewors beef sausages, burgers and meat balls. The company sources its meats from Corries farm and retail business near Newtownards.

Image: Louis Ludik, left, and Schalk van der Merwe of Hellbent in Belfast

Delicious and original food and drink from a range of local artisan companies from across the country will be showcased at this year’s Balmoral Show in the colourful Northern Ireland Food Pavilion organised by leading promotional body Food NI, and supported by the Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme, and Tourism NI.

Visit Balmoral Park from 22^nd – 25^th September where there will be hundreds of innovative products on Show. The NI Food and Drink Pavilion will host the biggest celebration of the outstanding tastes and rich flavours from local companies,including many which have won top awards for originality and quality in prestigious national and international food challenges. 

These high-profile food accolades include the UK Great Taste Awards, the Blas na hEireann Irish National Food Awards, the UK Food and Drink Quality Awards and the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards where the smaller food and drink producers have ‘punched above their weight’ in such challenges for many decades. A host of excellent local companies including Milgro, Glastry Farm Ice Cream, Erin Grove, Ballylisk of Armagh, Kennedy Bacon, Natural Umber, Ke Nako Biltong and Irish Black Butter will be sampling and selling their products.

An exciting new addition to the Pavilion this September is the NI Food and Drink Experience Kitchen, supported by Tourism NI. Situated right in the heart of the Food Pavilion, the Experience Kitchen will provide a platform to showcase dozens of talented producers and foodie experiences from across Northern Ireland.

The Food NI Food Pavilion is one of the most popular attractions at the Balmoral Show and it provides opportunities for visitors to meet producers and learn how they hand craft the food and drink to ensure consistent quality and memorable flavours.

Virtually every sector in this vibrant industry, Northern Ireland’s largest single manufacturer and the only industry represented in every community, especially rural areas, will be featured in the pavilion. It’s an industry which generates over £5 billion annually to the local economy and contributes particularly to the wellbeing of rural communities. 

Food and drink products from local companies are now exported to over 60 global markets such as the Republic of Ireland, other parts of the EU, as well as the US, Middle East and Asia.

Food NI’s Chief Executive Michele Shirlow, commented, “It’s marvellous to be setting up the Food Pavilion again for thousands of people to see and sample the best of local food and drink. It’s always been one of the most popular presentations at a show which draws visitors from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and further afield.

“Food writers and journalists we’ve worked with from outside Northern Ireland have always been impressed by the overall showcase and talented producers.

“We’ve certainly missed the show since it was paused over the last two years by the awful pandemic. During the Show, we have taken steps to ensure visitor safety by implementing systems which promote social distancing and hand sanitation throughout the pavilion. We have also involved increasing space between stands and reduced company numbers this year. Visitor and participating company safety is a priority for us. We would urge visitors to comply with Government guidance and to make yourself familiar with the mitigations implemented by the Balmoral Show to ensure the event is as safe as possible for all who attend.

“I am sure that our changes won’t impact the enjoyment of visitors to the pavilion. They’ll have an unprecedented opportunity to experience the very best of our outstanding and award- winning food and drink.”

The Balmoral Show, Northern Ireland’s largest agri-food event will take place from Wednesday 22^nd September to Saturday 25^th September at Balmoral Park, Lisburn. Tickets are available to purchase online at www.balmoralshow.co.uk. Please note this year tickets are day specific only and must be purchased prior to the Show. Conditions of entry can also be found online.