It’s October for the Rare Breed farmers and they are testing for and treating various ailments, as well as making the most of winter vegetables, in the next episode of the hit series on UTV on Tuesday 30^th March at 7.30pm.

Near Ballygawley in Tyrone, Des Kelly is keeping a close eye on the condition of his cattle. 2020 has been a challenging year in more ways than one – the weather means an increased risk of pneumonia in the herd. Des points out potential symptoms that some cows display if they are not well. He and farmhand Rodrigo work hard to bring all the cattle into the sheds, and install a new feeder. He comments that the grass isn’t great at this time of year.

Outside Larne, Jonny Hanson and his team have no time to admire the lovely scenery at their farm overlooking Larne lough. They’re busy finishing the year’s vegetable harvest. Jonny is grateful for an army of volunteers who have been putting together weekly veg boxes for customers, a venture he’s hoping to expand on for 2021. His colleague Fern loves winter vegetables, and talks of their ‘hearty charm’, while Jonny talks of his ‘delight’ at eating through the seasons.  Nothing goes to waste with vegetables past their primegoing to the pigs.

Near Tempo in Fermanagh it’s a stressful day for dairy farmers Margaret and Andrew Little. Their herd has its dreaded TB test, which take place every six months.There’s a lot of preparation goes into getting the cows ready to be tested, as well as much work and record keeping on the day itself. Andrew points out that ‘you lose the whole day’, with the other farm work having to be done as well but laments, “What do you do?”  He’s hopeful that TB will be soon be a thing of the past.

In Saintfield in Down, it’s a very early start for Emily McGowan – it’s the weekly town market, and this is just the second week that the farm shop has taken a stall.  Everything gets prepared on a Friday night for the market, with lots of toffee apples and pumpkins making up a colourful display. Emily also points out that they’ve grown potatoes for the first time in 10 years and they are selling well. She’s glad that local people are appreciatinglocal produce and local businesses in general since lockdown.   As well as the market activity, they also open the shop early on a Saturday morning to cope with demand.

As the month draws to a close, Clare Shearer and partner Davy Kinkead have taken young mare, Ellie May to Lisburn for some specialist spa therapy. The mare has hurt her leg and Clare hopes the treatment will speed recovery. Claire is delighted that she’s coped with the water treadmill and the cold water spa, which after a week’s treatment seems to have worked well, with the swelling in her leg much reduced.  Clare is looking forward to getting her home to continue her treatment on a once a week basis.

UTV’s Mark McFadden narrates the series. Sponsored by Moy Park, Rare Breed – A Farming Year continues on Tuesday 30^th March at 7.30pm on UTV.

At the time of writing this column, 40 percentof people in the UK have received a vaccine, and across Northern Ireland 746,254 people have had one dose, while 78,496 have received two. It’s really encouraging news. 

What caught my attention at the weekend, between excellent rugby matches, were the number of adverts on television that referred to when people can get back together again. 

Encouraging signs for the local business community, especially the hospitality sector. What people need more than anything from the Northern Ireland Executive at his stage is hope. 

In an ideal world, some clarity about when restaurants will be able to get opening again, would be a great boost. Businesses, especially food sector operations, need time to plan ahead. 

While I appreciate the Executive’s reluctance to commit to firm exit from lockdown dates that they may have to change if infection rates rise, there’s a strong case, I believe, for some indicative dates that there is some hope on the horizon. The fear is that there may not be any significant movement on hospitality before autumn…and perhaps not even until winter. 

I share the anxiety and concern expressed last week by Michael Deane of Deane’s restaurants and Bill Wolsey of the Merchant Group that many thousands of jobs will be lost and that restaurants and cafes may not reopen at all before the end of this year because of the debts being piled up over the past year. 

They’ve all invested heavily to create the safest possible environments for staff and customers….and at a time when there is little or no money coming in to help sustain the business. 

They fear that their counterparts in Britain may be back in business long before the Executive lifts the severe restrictions here. The industry must be treated with respect and provided with the data they are demanding from the Executive. I can fully understand why many feel the Executive doesn’t understand the challenges the hospitality businesses face. 

The most severe damage has clearly been inflicted on an industry which has made a most significant contribution to the local economy over very many years. Many fear that the industry may never fully recover but I believe that it will, it may be in a different format, but I have faith in our chefs and restaurateurs. 

As I’ve written before in this column, I am impressed by the determination being shown by the industry to survive the crisis. Our restaurants and cafes have come up with novel schemes to keep people here engaged and to generate some cash for the business…and the bank. They are a true inspiration. 

They’ve endeavoured to retain staff and to offer them hope and some income to help cover mortgages etc. Many have developed gourmet meals for delivery or collection. And some intend to keep these services going after the lockdown is lifted. I commend their tremendous enterprise and gritty determination. Our economy will need such courage and creativity when things eventually get back to normal and especially when tourism returns. 

It was Prince Charles who paid a warm tribute to hospitality last week, praising the industry’s resilience and enterprise that people take for granted. He said the industry was “essential to the enjoyment of life”. It was one of the country’s greatest success stories. How true. Hospitality, he added, is at the “heart of our communities”. 

He added that hospitality made an “immense contribution” to the economy, employing 3.2 million people directly and contributing over £39 billion in gross taxes. 

He continued: “The last 12 months may well have battered us all, but this time will pass, and when it does, we know exactly to whom we should turn to help us celebrate! The point is that we need you all – so I can only send my warmest possible greetings to each and every one of you.” 

Warm words, well said and greatly appreciated for an industry that we must never take for granted. 

Now in its 14th year, Blas na hEireann, The Irish Food Awards is the biggest competition for quality Irish produce on the island of Ireland. In 2020, they faced the most unusual year to date and they are proud to say their judging and awards went ahead, you can find details on how the judging went ahead here.  “At the time it seemed like the most unique of circumstances, now we know we have a system in place which has been tried and tested to work within the guidelines.  “As always we continue to maintain our commitment to celebrating the very best in Irish food and drink. We feel that now, more than ever it is essential to shine a spotlight and give that all important clap on the back to the talented producers dotted around the island. Key dates for 2021: 17th March – Open for Entry 7th April – Last date to avail of earlybird rate 28th May – Final date for entry July & August – Judging October – Awards are announcedEntry Fees: Earlybird entries are at €65 per entry (ex VAT), the full rate which applies to entries after 7th April is €80 (ex VAT). View the 2021 – Category list & delivery dates for judging  and Enter Online

One of the winning suppliers of Grow with Aldi 2020, Hellbent, is now extending their product range with Aldi Ireland to include a brand new flavour, Chakalaka, which is on sale now in all 145 Aldi stores nationwide.  The new product will provide customers with two Hellbent Boerewors Sausage (Original/Chakalaka) €3.99/360g to choose from.

 After their successful involvement with the Grow with Aldi programme in 2020, Hellbent secured a core listing in Aldi with their Hellbent Boerewors Original Sausage. The sausagesare made with 100% Irish Beef combined with all-natural South African Spices to create a distinctive, succulent, coiled sausage that has become very popular with Aldi shoppers. In Ireland, the Great Taste and Blas Na hÉireann award winning original flavour is joined by the new Chakalaka flavour in-store now and is exclusively available in Aldi stores across Ireland. 

Hellbent was established by South African rugby players, Louis Ludik and Schalk Van Der Merwe. When asked about the opportunity created by the Grow with Aldi programme,Louis Ludik commented: “It’s impacted our business greatly, it has put us in the position to extend our range and offer products that we know South Africans miss and people in Ireland and the UK would love. We’ve also been able to invest in food preservation technology to extend shelf life without adding shelf life extenders. It’s a massive privilege to share our culture through food and honestly means the world to us.”

In more good news for the brand, Hellbent will introduce their Boerewors Original Sausage to Scottish consumers this month, as their award winning product goes on sale in Aldi Bathgate, West Lothian on 18th March as a Specialbuy.

John Curtin, Group Buying Director at Aldi Ireland commented: “Over the years we have built up strong, fruitful relationships with our Irish suppliers, and in many cases, such as this new product launch and Scottish announcement today with Hellb“ent, we have been able to open new markets to Irish suppliers so that their exceptional quality can be found on dinner tables internationally.”

John Hood, Director of Food and Drink from Invest NI commented: “Over the last three years, we have built a strong relationship with the Hellbent team. Our business development advice has guided the company on retail packaging to prepare its products for supermarket shelves and has ensured the company has the right knowledge to capitalise on new opportunities. Following this support, in 2019, we introduced Hellbent to Aldi at our Food and Drink Supplier Showcase, which has led to this deal. It’s great to see this work pay off and we look forward to continuing to work closely with Hellbent as it grows its business further.”  

Hellbent Boerewors Sausages €3.99/360g are available in Original and Chakalaka flavours in 145 Aldi stores across Ireland.  

Dunville’s Irish Whiskey (Belfast, Northern Ireland) is expanding its core range with the release of Dunville’s 1808 Blended Irish Whiskey – a great tasting, versatile whiskey that will work well as a house pour, in a mixed drink or on a cocktail list.

Dunville’s 1808 is a modern blend of malt, grain and pot still whiskeys aged in the finest American oak casks and bottled at 40% ABV. With a RRP of £33 / €38 it comes in at a lower price point than the rest of the Dunville’s portfolio and is being positioned as a gateway to the wider Dunville’s range, which has until now focussed on the super and ultra-premium end of the market.

The latest release from The Spirit of Belfast boasts notes of vanilla, apples, pears, candied lemon peel and sweet spices. Described as ‘confident, uncompromising and full of character, like the city of its birth’, Dunville’s 1808 is a celebration of the brand’s hometown. The name 1808 pays homage to the year Dunville’s was founded, before going on to become one of the world’s most famous whiskey brands.

Dunville’s 1808 is available to the trade across Ireland from Hi-Spirits Ireland following a distribution deal with The Echlinville Distillery, which revived the iconic Dunville’s brand in 2012. It is also available in the USA via Total Wine & More, America’s largest chains of independent off-sales with more than 214 stores across 27 states.

Jarlath Watson from The Echlinville Distillery and Dunville’s Irish Whiskey said: “We revived Dunville’s Whiskey with a commitment to reintroduce this iconic Belfast brand to a new generation of whiskey drinkers. We have a strong reputation for producing excellent super and ultra-premium whiskeys which have helped establish Dunville’s as a go-to brand among whiskey connoisseurs.

“Dunville’s 1808 will give us a strong presence in the premium category. Everything, from the liquid to the label and the serve suggestions to the price tag, has been formulated with a broad customer base in mind. It is aimed at those who want to experience the great flavour and quality of Dunville’s Irish Whiskey in a more accessible offering.

“It is a great option for everyone, from the ‘whiskey connoisseur’ who can enjoy it as an everyday sipper, to the ‘whiskey curious’ who want to try Irish Whiskey but aren’t quite sure where to start. We very much see 1808 as a gateway to the Dunville’s range. A whiskey that will take its place proudly on any back bar and introduce the brand to a much wider audience.

“Dunville’s 1808 tastes great the traditional way – neat or in the company of a pint. But it’s equally good in a classic cocktail or served long with ginger ale and a wedge of lime. Ginger ale was invented in Belfast, so it is a perfect pairing for a whiskey that is, at its heart, Belfast and proud.

“We are delighted that Hi-Spirits Ireland have added Dunville’s Irish Whiskey to their portfolio alongside other products from The Echlinville Distillery. Together with the imminent launch of 1808 via Total Wine & More in the USA, 2021 has got off to a great start for The Spirit of Belfast and we look forward to continued growth across domestic and international markets.”

Speaking about Dunville’s Irish Whiskey’s proud Belfast heritage, Jarlath continued: “1808 is a celebration of Belfast and Dunville’s legacy in this great city. Founded in 1808 and produced at The Royal Irish Distilleries on the Grosvenor Road, Dunville’s put Belfast on the world whiskey map. The Dunville family made a huge contribution to the city by way of employment, housing, educational scholarships. They even founded a football team and provided the land and money to build the city’s first public park.

“Unfortunately, the distillery closed in 1936 and Dunville’s was feared gone for good, until the brand was revived by The Echlinville Distillery in 2012. Since then, we have been on a journey towards restoring Dunville’s to its rightful place among the premier whiskeys of the world. A journey that continues with the launch of Dunville’s 1808.”

Dunville’s 1808 is available to trade across Ireland from Hi-Spirits Ireland. For more information visit https://dunvilleswhiskey.com/dunvilles-1808/

“Pesto-boxes”, containing basil, all ingredients you need to make Pesto and the gadgets of the Championship, are on their way to the players of the 8th Digital Edition of the Pesto World Championship.

Getting fresh PDO basil to all participants at the right time – neither too late for the event, nor too early to the detriment of freshness – has been and still is the main challenge of the organizers of this years 8th edition of the Championship.

Competitors were divided into two categories, those who are participating remotely for reasons mainly of time zone, and those who will participate live on Zoom on  Saturday, March 20 starting at 10:00 am.

To the first, about thirty, the precious boxes have already been sent at the beginning of the week, with the result that the first self-produced videos are returning to the secretariat of the Championship for judging.

The other “pesto boxes”, about sixty of them, will be completed by early next week and will arrive at their destination on Thursday or Friday. Anxiety about receiving them is growing as well as the hope that no hitches will occur, the milestone of March 20, 2021 is within reach!

All participants were sent an instructional video featuring Emiliano Pescarolo, the current reigning Pesto World Championship Champion. Check it out: https://fb.watch/49G4LaB9tk/