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.

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