The Echlinville Distillery (Kircubbin, Co. Down) has announced a new distribution agreement with Hi-Spirits Ireland. The deal will see an increased presence for Echlinville’s premium whiskeys and gins across the Irish market.

Echlinville is home to award winning premium brands including Dunville’s Irish Whiskey,Weavers Gin and Echlinville Irish Pot Still Gin. The new partnership will provide a significant boost for the distillery’s presence in both the on and off-trade throughout Ireland.

Echlinville became the first field-to-glass distillery in Ireland, and the first new distillery in Northern Ireland for more than 125 years, when it began production in 2013. The independent, family-owned distillery has since been at the forefront of Ireland’s spirits revolution with its Dunville’s Irish Whiskey in particular having gained a global following.

Echlinville Distillery owner Shane Braniff said: “We are excited about this new partnership and the opportunities it will present for both Echlinville and Hi-Spirits Ireland. Our combined expertise, passion and commitment to quality will provide the momentum for the next phase of Echlinville’s growth.

“The agreement will see our Dunville’s Irish Whiskey range together with Weavers Gin and Echlinville Irish Pot Still Gin take their place among Hi-Spirits Ireland’s impressive portfolio. We look forward to working with the Hi-Spirits team to introduce our award-winning spirits to an increasing number of trade and retail partners and grow our presence in our home market.

“This distribution agreement comes at a particularly good time for us as we are about to launch the latest addition to our Dunville’s Irish Whiskey family. We are delighted that Hi-Spirits Ireland will be the sole Irish distributor of Dunville’s 1808 – a versatile modern blend that works well as a house pour, in a mixed drink or in a cocktail. It is very much a gateway product to the wider Dunville’s range and is perfectly placed in Hi-Spirits’ portfolio to introduce more customers to The Spirit of Belfast.”

George Roberts, Hi-Spirits Ireland Country Manager said: “We are delighted to announce this partnership with Echlinville Distillery brands, that have earned a strong reputation for innovation, versatility and quality with both the trade and consumers alike.  The attention to quality in both liquid and exceptional branding ensures Echlinville will make a strong addition to both our Irish Whiskey and Gin portfolio. With an outstanding marketing and engagement plan, we are excited for the future of these brands and all of the opportunities that lie ahead.”

For more information on Echlinville’s brands visit www.echlinville.com or for Dunville’s Irish Whiskey visit www.dunvilleswhiskey.com

Dublin-based Hi-Spirits Ireland is a subsidiary of USA-based Sazerac Company, distributing a portfolio including Paddy Whiskey, Southern Comfort, Buffalo Trace, Fireball, Antica Sambuca and a range of premium spirits and liqueurs. For more information visit www.hi-spirits.ie/ Trade inquiries to info@hi-spirits.ie

An artisan cooked ham has been launched by Kennedy Bacon, the award-winning producer of a successful range of dry-cured bacon, gammon and pork sausages.

The company, which is based on a family farm near Omagh in county Tyrone and has won a host of national food awards, has developed the cooked and sliced ham for its retail range. 

The cooked ham is the third innovative dry cured product from the company’s roasting operation. The other recent products are roasted bacon flakes and roasted bacon biteswhich are ideal for other food manufacturers including pizza and sandwich manufacturers as well as home cooks.

Mervyn Kennedy, an experienced pig farmer and food producer, says the cooked ham slices are “a logical extension of the company’s portfolio of dry roasted bacon and ham products”.  

He continues: “The artisan cooked ham and other products have been made possible by our extensive investment in new roasting technology. They’ve also been encouraged by the growth in interest in our artisan products from a number of food manufacturers in Northern Ireland and the Republic attracted by our reputation for quality and flavour-rich products over the past five years in particular.

“As a result of this important expansion, we are now able to offer retail and foodservice customers a comprehensive range of quality dry-cured products which are essentially handcrafted under my supervision from pork and bacon sourced from my own pigs,” he adds.

In addition to selling products at farmers’ markets especially in Northern Ireland, Kennedy Bacon supplies a range of bacon to major supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s, Eurospar and SuperValu stores across Northern Ireland in addition to delis, farm shops and independent grocers. It also supplies products to retailers in the Republic of Ireland.

The success of Kennedy Bacon products in the UK Great Taste Awards and at the Blas na hEireann Irish National Food Awards held at Dingle, county Kerry, has increased awareness in its products. At Blas, the Northern Ireland company gained recognition for its bacon lardons aimed at chefs and foodservice operations.

A third generation farmer, Mr Kennedy launched the bacon processing business in a farm diversification project. He concentrated on developing his own dry-curing technique to give his products a distinctive taste.

“What helps to set my bacon apart is my unique dry-curing technique.  It’s my own recipe from my experience of rearing my own pigs.  I also slice, prepare and package the bacon. This means the entire process is under my control, ensuring consistent quality and provenance.

“Everyone buying our products can count on total traceability, heritage and a commitment to high standards of animal welfare from a farm based enterprise,” he adds.

He decided to concentrate on dry-curing because he wanted to develop different products that didn’t involve pumping the bacon with water and preservatives. “All my bacon is cured in as near to the traditional way as possible, using the minimum amount of cure, which leaves the bacon less salty.  

I read Sir Keir Starmer’s call to the Government to buy more UK food in a speech to the National Farmers Union with considerable interest. During his speech, Sir Keir, leader of the Labour Party, said more of the government’s catering budget should go on British produce. The public sector spends about £2.4bnannually on food for schools, hospitals and the armed forces.

He also argued that money from his proposed CovidRecovery Bond scheme could go towards helping rural communities in particular. More business for smaller food producers could bring tangible benefits for rural communities.

I have frequently urged that priority be given to local food and drink producers by procurement bodies here. Smaller companies, in particular, could benefit substantially from inclusion in procurement for councils, public bodies such as hospitals, care homes and schools of all sizes. Such an investment in local food sourcing would be extremely important as we seek to rebuild our battered economy post the coronavirus pandemic.

I’d also like to see Agriculture minister Liz Truss prioritise local food sourcing as an integral part of her desire to see the UK “lead the world in food and drink” especially in terms of quality and safety. Our hygiene, safety and animal health standards really are “second to none”. Building a better future begins at home with our companies, farmers and people. They must come first in any recovery strategy.

I was, however, gravely concerned to hear of a trade memorandum signed by the Government with Brazil that is likely to open our markets to beef from this country, one of the world’s biggest producers of meat. What this will probably mean is that Brazilian beef will be able to challenge our companies who have long supplied the highest quality meat to Britain. Campaigners have been warning that the scene is being set for the importation of beef produced using growth-promoting hormones to our most important market. 

Farm Week regular columnist, the beef and sheep farmer Stevin McAuley, also set out the severity of the threat, pointing out that our beef industry would be jeopardised by any ‘flood’ of beef from Brazil into the UK.

I’ve not seen much publicity about the accord from the Government. Under EU membership, Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK employed the stricter precautionary principle that food would not be imported unless its country of origin could prove that it was safe. 

Brazil shares with the US, another key trade target for the Government, an enthusiasm for growth-promoting and production-boosting hormones on its livestock, and has an equally aggressive trade policy aimed at exporting to high value markets like the UK.  And it seems that Brazilian beef will undercut the competitiveness of our meat in terms of pricing.

This threat has to be set against Government pledges not to allow UK food standards to be diluted in any post-Brexit trade negotiations. It’s a bit like the pledges to ensure unfettered trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland! Brazil’s government has already announced that it expects the UK’s sanitary and phytosanitary regulars to gradually move away from EU parameters and to become “more aligned with international rules”.  

There is clearly a need to step up pressure to ensure we maintain the crucially important position of our beef producers in Great Britain, our biggest marketplace.

Leading Northern Ireland dairy co-operative Dale Farm, has unveiled a new look for its brand as part of a major growth strategy for the next three years.

Cited as the ‘start of a new era’ by its group chief executive Nick Whelan, the visual identity of the iconic Northern Ireland brand has been redesigned to reflect a more contemporary style and better communicate its farmer cooperative credentials. 

Dale Farm has completely redeveloped its consumer facing brand with the objectives to protect and grow brand share as well as communicate brand purpose more clearly with consumers.

The new designs bring farming to the forefront visually, as well as incorporating the brand mission ‘Sharing Goodness Everyday’, highlighting that consumers are supporting local farmers. 

Its corporate identity has also been redesigned to align with the new look, using the strapline ‘Your Dairy Cooperative’ to place focus on the role of the 1,300 farmers who own the cooperative and supply it with milk.

“We carried out extensive consumer research aligned with our ambitious business growth plans and our desire to compete at a high level in today’s marketplace,” Mr Whelan said. 

“The results showed that it was time to refresh our identity. The Dale Farm brand has been known and loved for generations yet has not been reinvigorated for half a century.

“Dale Farm is extremely proud to be owned by hardworking dairy farmers who supply us with milk to make our products. This is what makes it the successful company it is. Our new look celebrates the central role of farmers in our products and underlines that consumers are supporting the farming sector when they choose Dale Farm.

“We have created a look for our brand that matches the world-class quality of our products – as well as a corporate identity that will be used to create a more cohesive sense of ownership for our farmer members.

“This is a pivotal time for the Dale Farm business. Our brand portfolio of dairy products continues to perform consistently well, thanks to the excellence of our dairy farmers and the innovation of our people.

“We are seeking out and capitalising on new opportunities all the time – from new markets such as RoI for our ice cream range to exciting new product innovations, that reflect emerging consumer trends.

“Our three year plan will see us grow our share within existing and new markets and deepen our presence in a variety of dairy product categories.

“Redeveloping our identity is a bold and confident step that marks the start of a new era for Dale Farm – one which will see us reach more consumers, and in turn support the businesses of our dairy farmer owners,” Nick Whelan said.

Magherafelt-based Genesis Bakery, has created a new trade-marked biscuit and cake innovation, the Biscake, exclusively for Marks & Spencer stores.

Featuring a biscuit base with a fluffy cupcake top hand-piped by the Genesis team, the Biscake is available in three flavours, Choc Chip off the old block, Cherry Cake-well and Lemon Meringue-a-tang.

Genesis Bakery, which was created in 1968 and bought out of administration by Paul Allen in 2018, has been supplying M&S for over 10 years. 

“The support of local companies has been key to our success in Northern Ireland,” said Philip Conlon, head of region for M&S in Northern Ireland. “It has always been our policy to stock a range of fantastic local produce where possible and Genesis are the perfect example of how successful this arrangement can be. 

“Their expertise and knowledge of the market and their ability to work with us to provide our customers with the highest quality products cannot be beaten. Our 10-year partnership bears witness to both our supplier commitment and the quality of their product.

“This new and exclusive fusion to M&S, the Biscake, is a credit to the new product development team at Genesis Bakery who work hard to produce the most innovative and great tasting products using the best ingredients, many of which are sourced locally.

“The response to the Biscake has been phenomenal in our M&S stores here and we are delighted to share them with our wider customer base across mainland UK – the proof is certainly in the eating.” 

Paul Allen, executive chairman of Genesis Bakery, said: “We are delighted with the response to this exceptional product. We make more than 25 different lines for M&S, who constantly challenge us to come up with baked goods that are new and exciting for customers. 

“Their requirement for the highest possible standards are well known and it is a real accolade when cakes made in our bakery in Magherafelt are on shelves every day in hundreds of M&S stores all over the UK and indeed all over the world. We have invested heavily in new product development and seeing Biscakes being so well received gives us all a real sense of pride in the skill of our development and bakery teams.”

Northern Ireland producers supply milk, eggs, beef, lamb pork and bread to M&S stores in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and many GB stores.

Mash Direct has launched a novel Curry Chip product on the back of its successful and award-winning Beer Battered Chips.

 The delicious, chunky, beer battered chips are tossed in a mild curry seasoning and take around 30 minutes to cook in the oven.  

Like the rest of the rest of the company’s innovative vegetable accompaniments range they are 100 percent gluten-free and free from artificial colourings and flavourings.  

Mash Direct, which is based on a family farm at Comber in county Down, says the new curry chips are highly versatile and perfect as a ‘fakeaway’ alternative to a takeaway curry chip. “They can and can also be used as the perfect side-dish for any main meal,” the company adds.

 The Curry Chips contribute to its portfolio of innovative, fresh, field-to-fork vegetable accompaniments grown on the Mash Direct family farm.

Mash Direct is a UK leader in the production of vegetable accompaniments and side dishes.