Bushmills^® Irish Whiskey has announced the release of the Caribbean Rum Cask Finish, the first in a series of exciting and innovative whiskeys from the new Bushmills^® Original Cask Finish range. 

The Caribbean Rum Cask Finish, available from Thursday15 April across the island of Ireland, features the award-winning single malt used in Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey, finished in hand-selected fine oak Caribbean Rum casks. It’s then blended with the brand’s signature triple distilled Irish grain whiskey to create tropical fruit and dry spice flavours.

The secret lies in the casks. First used in the Caribbean to hold rich rum for a minimum of seven years, each cask has beencarefully selected by local rum makers and transported to Ireland.  Over years in Bushmills’ warehouses, these casks impart mellow aromas and flavours to our wonderful single malt in the cask finishing process. The casks impart pineapple sweetness, caramelized brown sugar notes and toffee tones, delivering a long, smooth finish to this rich gold spirit.

Helen Mulholland, Bushmills Master Blender, commented:“The launch of the Cask Finish series is an exciting and innovative move for Bushmills^® Irish Whiskey. The Cask Finish series adds an extra dimension to our acclaimedBushmills^® Original.  As the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, The Old Bushmills^® Distillery has warehouses bursting with unique casks ageing exquisite whiskey.  We’re very excited to bring our latest innovation to new and discerning whiskey drinkers across the island of Ireland.”

The Bushmills^® Original Cask Finish range is the newest addition to the Bushmills^® family. Each unique cask finish creates extra flavour, choice and variety for premium Irish whiskey drinkers and spirits explorers.  For established Bushmills^® brand lovers, they represent an exciting alternative and a special reward. 

The Bushmills^® Caribbean Rum Cask Finish is on sale from Thursday 15 April via select online and in-store retailers,bottled at 40% ABV, and priced at €30 / £24 for 700ml.

Yellow Door in Portadown, part of one of Northern Ireland’s leading catering and food businesses, has joined other organisations successfully reducing their plastic footprint, despitethe Covid-19 pandemic 

Yellow Door is backing local environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful which is reaching out to the food industry across Northern Ireland to tackle pointless plastic.  

It’s encouraging businesses to complete the ‘Tackling Plastic Business Toolkit’ – a five step guide that can help businesses to navigate reducing their commercial use of plastic.  Steps are designed to showcase businesses efforts by creating a straight forward action plan, saving organisations money and helping to limit plastics entering the environment.  

Yellow Door is one such business that has successfully completed the toolkit. The popular family deli and catering business has made sizeable sustainable strides, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The Portadown location has taken steps to remove nearly all single-use plastics and has found biodegradable alternatives where possible. Changes include switching from plastic-lined takeaway cups to 100 percent compostable cups. It demonstrates that despite trading uncertainty, it’s possible for the hospitality industry to make more sustainable supplier choices. 

Businesses who complete the toolkit receive an official certificate and sticker to promote them as a ‘Tackling Plastic Business’ – demonstrating their commitment to helping the environment. 

Richard Wright, manager at Yellow Door, says: “As a business, we’ve been tackling our plastic use and replacing single-use plastics and packaging with alternatives such as compostables and recyclables for quite a while. 

“It’s something that our customers have noticed and are really appreciating. More companies are beginning to offer a greater range of these more sustainable packaging alternatives, and whilst they are a bit more expensive, it’s worth it to know we are doing our bit,” he adds.

There’s now a greater awareness of sustainabilitywithin the food industry. After a successful launch in France in 2020, the Michelin Guide will beintroducing the Green Clover Award into the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2021. This award will celebrate a restaurant’s commitment to sustainability through production methods, sourcing and waste management. This includes conservation of resources, managing food waste and recycling efforts. The Michelin Guide has praised restaurants for their continued sustainability efforts despite the huge challenges faced by the hospitality industry. 

Simon Dougan, Yellow Door managing director,adds: “No-one can be in any doubt that we are facing into a climate emergency. As well as supporting sustainable supply chains, as an industry we need to do our bit to ensure we are as sustainable as possible in every area of the business. Last year we joined the Sustainable Restaurant Association and despite the year we have had we’re determined to keep implementing sustainable changes.”

Claire Hudson, Tackling Plastics coordinator at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, says: “Since we issued the Litter Composition Report in March 2019, we have had an influx of local businesses, food industry in particular, seeking advice on changes they can make to join the effort to tackle plastic.  In response, we created this toolkit that gives businesses the tools they need to understand how they can make changes for the better as a business and as a member of our community.”

Claire continues: “The templates provided help businesses audit their current situation and highlight where change is needed – it then rewards their efforts, helping to promote to customers and other businesses that they are joining this fight and evoking change. It is our vision that every business in Northern Ireland will download this toolkit and even in the smallest way – strive to eradicate pointless plastic.” 

Many of the offending items identified in a recent Litter Composition Report 2019-20 commissioned by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful were linked to food industry such as single-use plastic bottles, takeaway cups and confectionary wrappers. There are up to 1.3 million littered items on Northern Ireland’s streets at any one time, with 71% containing plastic*. The toolkit also has information on current EU Directives, examples of how to streamline businesses use of plastic and even how to create an Environmental Policy.

Castlescreen Farm, a producer of a wide range of premium meat products, has beencertified by the Pasture Fed Livestock Association (PFLA), the only Dexter farm to achieve this important certification.

PFLA champions the virtues of pastoral farming, providing a distinct identity for systems where animals eat only grass and forage crops their entire life. Food produced this way is much tastier and healthier for humans to eat than meat from animals fed grain. 

Some meat and dairy in the UK is already sold as ‘Grass-Fed’. However, this term can be used to describe products from animals that, as well as grazing, have also eaten cereals, manufactured feeds, or by-products from food manufacturing.

Only meat and dairy displaying the Pasture Mark comes with a guarantee the animals have been fed a completely natural diet. 

Only farms inspected and certified by the PFLA can guarantee that an animal has been fed a 100 percent pasture diet. 

There are significant benefits for people, animals and the countryside, from eating food derived from pasture farming. Fields of just grass can provide all the nutritional components an animal needs. However, pastures which contain a variety of plant species, including herbs, wildflowers and clovers provide an even better diet – rich in essential vitamins and minerals drawn up from the soil below. They also support a diverse range of wildlife. 

We are always working to produce ethical meat, farmed in a manner that honours natural systems and increases bio-diversity, having a positive impact on our soil and countryside. The PFLA certification recognises and honours these standards. 

Castlescreen Farm is owned and run by Damien Tumelty and partner Jackie Gibson, regular participants at local farmers’ markets.

As well as a range of premium quality dexter beef products, Castlescreen has expanded to include other meats including pork, lamb and chicken, all readily available in the butchery now a central part of the recently opened farm shop. There’s also honey from hives on the farm.

Bertie’s Bakery, the craft bakery, launch of which coincided with lockdown in March 2020, has defied all the challenges presented by the pandemic to celebrate significant success in its first year.

 Representing an investment of £1million, Bertie’s Bakery was set up by business and food production specialist, Brian McErlain, at Creagh Industrial Park, just outside Magherafeltin county Derry.

 Over the past twelve months, the company has more than doubled its workforce to 26 employees, expanded its customer stores from 12 to 104 and increased its delivery vans from two to six. Its first anniversary is also being marked with a brand makeover and the launch of an additional 35 new products with a focus on cakes.

 Brian McErlain explains, “In March last year, we took a giant leap of faith by entering an already crowded bakery market during an uncertain and unsettling time for business. We made the positive decision that our new bakery could play an important part in answering a need for a potential surge in demand for fresh products. Our twin goals were to achieve stand-out and swiftly gain a reputation for the quality and taste of our products.

 “To that end and focusing on handcrafted and hand finished methods we assembled a highly skilled team of bakers. That team has been further enhanced this month with the recruitment of two additional master bakers joining us from Hyndman’s Bakery. Geoff Lee and Nigel Chambers together bring over 50 years of baking expertise to the company with particular skills in soda farl production and will make a significant contribution to our desire to produce both traditional products and new interpretations of old favourites.

 “From day one we have also sought customer feedback which has helped to refine and modify our products to make them the best they can be. With a Great Taste Award presented to us in October for our wheaten bread with honey and yogurt, that attention to detail is being rewarded and the products are making their mark. As a result, we have given the Bertie’s Bakery brand a fresh new look to add vibrancy and enhance shelf stand-out.

 “We have also introduced an additional 35 products, including new cake varieties to further broaden our appeal across the grocery sector.  

 “It has been a remarkable first year and we are delighted that despite the pandemic, we forged ahead and launched the company. We are particularly grateful to Henderson Wholesale who supported our start up and to the many other store owners who have since come on board.”

“Customer and retailer response to our products and service has exceeded expectations and we are looking forward to further development and growth in our second year,” added Mr McErlain.

 Bertie’s Bakery range of products includes hot plate goods, baps and rolls, oven bread and scones as well as cakes, pastries and other sweet treats. The new range of 22 cakes features cake slices, traybakes and sharing slabs, which include a Biscoff and Nutella Tiffin and a Peanut Butter Brownie.

Cider lovers in Great Britain are now enjoying award-winning craft products from Long Meadow at Loughgall in county Armagh.

Based on a family apple orchard, Long Meadow, owned byexperienced farmer Pat McKeever and wife Catherine with son Peter, has won a listing on Amazon, the leading UK online retailer, for its range of successful craft ciders.

It’s a major breakthrough for the Northern Ireland business which has been targeting Great Britain for faster growth over the past few years and especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

The important deal, according to Catherine McKeever, followed an introduction from friend and neighbour Ryan McCracken of McCracken’s Real Ale in Portadown.

Catherine explains: “Ryan made an introduction for us to Copperstar, who has also listings with the Wirral based craft distillery.  As they didn’t have a craft cider in their portfoliothey were keen on the quality and outstanding taste of our ciders. Our discussions led to a listing with them, and we were delighted by their interest in our craft ciders.

“They also offered the facility of our craft cider range being listed on Amazon, an exciting opportunity we obviously jumped at, through their business with the very influential and successful online retailer.

“As a result of both listings with Copperstar and Amazon, orders for our ciders are coming in regularly.  This is a great boost to our family business considering Covid has closed the hospitality sector, one of our most important sources of business especially in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland,’ adds Catherine.

Faced with the closure of hospitality customers, Long Meadow stepped up its marketing activities to grow its retail business.

Catherine continues: “The Amazon and Copperstar listings offer a doorway to our customers who can now receive our products with delivery straight to their door,” she adds.

Orders can also be placed via the Long Meadow website https://www.longmeadowcider.com/products/ which redirects customers to Copperstars site https://ordr.me.uk/long-meadow-cider/

 Catherine continues: “We also currently have an offer on our website for our 10 litre container of Apple Cider Vinegar with code Vinegar5.  Customers receive £5 off their order with the added benefit of delivery to their door https://www.longmeadowcider.com/product/irish-cider-vinegar/

Long Meadow Ciders, Apple Cider Vinegar and Apple Juice was established in 2014 on the back of a family heritage of growing applies for more than 50 years. 

Long Meadow grows and harvests apples from over 100acres, 30 of which are on the home farm. They have an outstanding track record in developing original ciders including the first vintage matured here in whiskey casks.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has arranged for chocolate gifts handmade by The Chocolate Manor in Castlerock, Co Derry to be sent to 13 hospitals across Northern Ireland (NI) and also to the Ambulance Service headquarters in Belfast. 

UFU president Victor Chestnutt explains: “The UFU board, staff and members have organised for a number of chocolate gifts to be delivered to our NHS workers from local chocolate makers The Chocolate Manor, as a small token of thanks for their heroic efforts especially over the past year. 

“Our healthcare workers have always been extremely selfless and kind to the farming community displaying tireless hard work and dedication during times of need. They continue to outdo themselves and went above and beyond for everyone in NI as we faced the biggest health care crisis of our generation. It has been a very difficult time and thanks to their commitment to providing the best possible healthcare to patients and support for their families, we are confident that brighter days lie ahead.  

“We are immensely grateful for everything our NHS workers have done for us and continue to do. We will never be able to thank them enough, but we hope they enjoy this small token of appreciation in the form of chocolate gifts that will be delivered in the coming weeks, and that they will provide an uplift during the working day.”  

Both UFU and Chocolate Manor are Food NI members.

The UFU also commended The Chocolate Manor, which is owned by artisan chocolatier Geri Martin, for itsexcellent service. 

“The creation of the personalised chocolate gifts which were made by hand by The Chocolate Manor and the organisation of delivery, wouldn’t have been possible without their superb service. 

“To show their support for the NHS they granted the UFU a very kind discount on the order of chocolate gifts. We highly recommend The Chocolate Manor, they are testimony to the high-quality local producers we have on own doorstep,” added Mr Chestnutt.