Five of Northern Ireland’s homegrown artisan food producers are set to receive a business boost from Lidl after being selected by the retailer as three of 26 artisan producers from Lidl’s 2020 Kick Start Supplier Development Programmeto have their locally crafted products stocked in 208 Lidl stores across the island of Ireland for a limited-edition promotion, from Thursday 28^th January.

Following an initial in-store sales promotion last summer, which saw their products snapped up by Lidl shoppers, Orchard Smokehouse, Natural Umber, The Little Meat Company, The Feckin’ Drinks Co and Oh So Lean have secured a second promotional listing with Northern Ireland’s fastest growing supermarket retailer.

With over 50 years’ experience in producing apple products, the Mackle family established Natural Umber in 2018 to produce award-winning organic apple cider vinegar uniquely made with mother – specific proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria that give the product its cloudy appearance – for a naturally sweet tasting product.

Based in Dungannon, the company, whose product is cultivated from apples grown in the family’s own orchard, has gone from strength to strength in the two years since launch with the help of Lidl’s Kick Start initiative.

“The Lidl Kick Start Programme surpassed our expectations in every way. It opened doors for us to reach a vast new customer audience of over two million in a way that we previously couldn’t, helping us to achieve our key business aim of broadening our customer support base.

We received an outstanding amount of positive feedback from Lidl customers who had spotted our product in store and given it a try. It’s great to see the widespread support for locally-produced products across the island of Ireland and we’re excited to be offering even more customers the opportunity to try our apple cider vinegar from 28^th January,” said Sarah Matson from Natural Umber.

With an eye on expanding their customer base, Natural Umber has been focused on opportunities to get their products into the hands of customers and the partnership with Northern Ireland’s fastest growing supermarket retailer has provided a significant boost to the business.

“Due to the pandemic it’s been really difficult this year to reach new customers through our usual trade shows, but thanks to the opportunities afforded to us by the Kick Start Programme we were able to broaden our customer base much faster than we ever could have imagined.

As a small, family-run business, this was an unprecedented opportunity to experience production on a large scale and all the learnings that come with working with a major retailer like Lidl Northern Ireland. We’ve been inspired to aim even higher with Natural Umber and we’re excited for what lies ahead,”continued Sarah.

Now in its fourth year, the Lidl Kick Start Supplier Development Programme is designed to help small and medium sized local food and drink producers grow their brand, build their supply network and reach new customer audiences with the potential of becoming a permanently listed Lidl supplier.

Along with Natural Umber’s award-winning apple cider vinegar, the promotion will see succulent smoked meats, hearty meat pies, healthy ready meals and premium Irish gin, all crafted in Northern Ireland, hit shelves on Thursday 28^thJanuary for a one-week limited edition promotion.

Previous Kick Start success stories include Noisy Snacks based in Newtownards, Copeland Spirits distilled in Donaghadee and Refuge Hot Chocolate brewed in Belfast as well as many more.

The once world-famous Whiskey brand, D’Arcy’s Old Irish Whiskey, has enjoyed a spectacular return after a century with launch retail sales topping £100,000 in the Christmas trading period.

Matt D’Arcy and Co was first established in 1817 in Newry, gaining a global reputation, before closing in 1918.   The brand has now been revived by local businessman and historian Michael Mckeown.

Michael commented “Our launch was planned for earlier in 2020, but with COVID-19 delays, we didn’t get to the local market until mid-November.  We are delighted with the response from off licences and their customers.  We are now stocked in over 70 outlets across Northern Ireland and hope to announce further stores in the coming weeks.”

“Our initial range includes some limited-edition bottles to celebrate our return.  The Matt D’Arcy 17-year-old single malt, which was voted best Irish whiskey at two major international competitions in the USA last year, has already become a real collector’s item.  If you are lucky enough, you may still pick one up from the few retailers who still have them. In addition, we brought out an Old Newry whiskeybottle with the tagline ‘since 1144 and before’ to commemorate the fact that Newry is the world’s oldest whiskey manufactory.”

This proof of this claim is laid out in the recently published “Matt D’Arcy and Old Newry Whiskies”, a history book which highlights documentary evidence showing that whiskey production in Newry can be traced back to before the foundation of the Cistercian Monastery founded by Royal Charter in 1144 AD.

The company’s longer-term plan is to re-establish a working distillery on the original Matt D’Arcy site on MonaghanStreet in the heart of the city.  The project will also include a visitor’s centre, Victorian bar and restaurant.  Construction tenders are expected to be issued as Covid recedes but in the meantime D’Arcy’s intend to launch further products on the home market whilst exploring export opportunities.

For more information about where to buy the whiskey, please visit mattdarcys.com.

Nine food businesses in Northern Ireland have won important recognition in the Slow Food Awards.

Created seven years ago, the awards are thoroughly democratic – with no prior shortlisting, the winners are simply chosen by whoever gets the most votes. 

These awards are so powerful in highlighting good, clean and fair food businesses, that like last year, thousands voted over the summer. Each nation has its own winners, with the highest number of votes in each category also being the overall UK winner.

In addition to the public vote, each nation director chose their Person of the Year, their stories are below, with one of those of winners being crowned Slow Food in the UK Person of Year as well. The Slow Food Northern Ireland director is celebrity chef Paula McIntyre.

Slow Food Northern Ireland Winners 2020

Best Butcher:  Hannan Meats, Craigavon
Best Baker:  Ursa Minor, Ballycastle
Best Greengrocer: Slemish Market Garden, Ballymena
Best Fishmonger: Ewings, Belfast
Best Deli or Grocer: Indie Fude, Comber
Best Cheesemonger: Indie Fude, Comber
Best Market: St George’s Market, Belfast
Best Restaurant/Food Eatery: Native Seafood and Scran, Coleraine
Champion Slow Food Product: Mike’s Fancy Cheese Young Buck

Person of the Year:  Jilly Dougan, who works to promote growing and sustainability throughout Northern Ireland, championing seasonality and food with a sense of place – something never more important than in the current pandemic. 

The winners each get a certificate and the right to call themselves establishment/product of the year for each nation.

It’s April 2020 for the Rare Breed farmers and as the Coronavirus pandemic continues, we see how our farmers are coping with all the Health and Safety and travel restrictions in place, as we meet up with them again this Tuesday for Episode Four of ‘RARE BREED – A Farming Year’ on UTV.  

We see how our farmers protect new life in the spring, be that in plant or animal form. A familiar face from series seven pops up with the Preston family, and despite Covid-19, the farming cycle continues with cows being put out to pasture after a long winter indoors.

In April, the McGowan team is busy with fieldwork at their Co.Down vegetable farm. They are doing essential work to protect baby vegetables from weeds, birds and rabbits. They have invested heavily in miles of fabric which is draped over the crops to stop critters getting in.An added bonus is that it reduces the need for harmful insecticides. It’s physical work carrying and dragging the material and when the wind gets up, it can be quite a challenge. But as Adrian says, ‘if everyone knows what they’re doing it make is so much easier.”

Adrian explains the challenges associated with vegetable farming being so labour intensive and seasonal workers not being able to fly in from Eastern Europe.  He is, however, very happy with the local labour which is ‘working well’, commenting that “youthful energy is a wonderful thing!”

Near Randalstown in Antrim, James Alexander has new helpers joining the lambing team in the form of daughters Mya and Alesha. With 750 ewes, it’s all hands on deck, and James is delighted with how they are doing.  The girls are a dab hand at delivering the lambs, and administering the iodine spray and antibiotics for the new-borns, although they think it’s a bit ‘warm and disgusting!’ With safety constantly at the front of James’s mind, he points out that the cows are too big and dangerous for the girls to be involved with yet.    

James talks about the quality of the lamb he produces compared to foreign imports on shelves and laments, “I wish our own folk would buy our own produce.”  With near perfect weather the whole family then help with bringing the lambs out to the fields with their mothers.

Northern Ireland’s marts perform a vital role in the cycle of the agricultural sector, helping bring animals to buyers, and then on into the food chain. Near Gortin, Tyrone, like all other auctioneers, Richard Beattie (who appeared in Series seven with wife Selina) was under pressure to figure out a safe way forward. He comments, “There’s an eeriness in the town.”  The marts turned to online sales and changing how they worked on the ground. Richard has invested heavily in cameras and computers to ensure it all works.  Kenny and ZaraPreston bring some stock to the Mart and talk about how the family is coping with all the rules and restrictions, especially younger daughter Leah.

Near Tempo in Fermanagh, April is one of Andrew Little’s favourite months. His dairy cows, like many other herds, spend the colder, wetter months living indoors. Traditionally, April is when the fields are dry enough for the cattle to move outside. Andrew and his family really enjoy watching the animals return to the fields to enjoy the grass and the sun on their backs.Andrew lights up when this is all happening laughing to himself, “there’s so much to learn, maybe I’m cow mad?  You’ve good company too, cows don’t talk back!”  Once they’re out, he’s hoping they’ll be fit to stay out till October.

Andrew’s wife Margaret and mother Catherine have built a new poly tunnel to grow vegetables. Margaret has never grown vegetables before, but with the new poly tunnel they’ve ‘made a proper wee go of it’.  The two families are self- isolating as a unit and shopping is done for the two households together. Farming still has to go on, despite Covid-19 and Margaret hasn’t seen her own family in weeks, not wanting to risk taking anyillness down to them, nor bring anything back. She says, “It’s just about being sensible.”  She can’t wait to try her home grown veg once it’s ready to eat. 

UTV’s Mark McFadden narrates the series. Sponsored by Moy Park, Rare Breed – A Farming Year continues on Tuesday 2^nd February at 7.30pm on UTV.

The CHEF range created by Henderson Wholesale’s Executive Chef Carl Johannesson, in collaboration with local suppliers, has added three new dishes to its Under 500 calorie range to ring in 2021.

The new meals include Mango Chicken, Rice and Spinach, Spicy Beef and Black Bean with Noodles and Spinach, and Thai Inspired Green Curry, Rice and Spinach, all coming in at under 500 calories, specially developed by Chef Carl and his team of 17, after four new roles were created to keep up with demand.

The range is now available at over 90 SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOXTRA stores and supermarkets across Northern Ireland.

Neal Kelly, Fresh Foods Director at Henderson Group commented; “Our local own-brand fresh ranges are going from strength to strength. The Chef Range will be a £2m retail brand in NI during 2021 and we will continue to invest this year in both the facility and the Brand to allow our customers to enjoy more quality options for tonight’s tea.

“The Under 500 calorie range launched in June 2020, and Carl and his team of cooks in our specially built kitchen in Randalstown are continuing to create dishes which celebrate flavours from around the world, using the best meat, poultry and produce from our local suppliers. The nutritious range is portion controlled to ensure the correct amount of protein and carbohydrates to make a well-rounded meal.”

Local suppliers such as K&G McAtamney, Bradmount Foods, Daily Bake and Elmore Fish continue to work with the team to create the range, and Neal says the investments will bring even more range expansions throughout the year.

“We will continue to invest in our people and kitchen to really grow our own-brand offering for shoppers here in Northern Ireland, supporting our local farmers, growers and suppliers along the way.”

The CHEF is available in selected SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOXTRA stores and supermarkets across Northern Ireland now. For more information, behind the scenes and supplier videos, visiteurosparni.co.uk/thechef.

All seven Taste of UIster members who were awarded Michelin stars or Bib Gourmands have have retained their status in the new Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2021.

The three One Michelin Star restaurants, all in Belfast, are Eipic (Howard Street), Ox (Oxford Street) and The Muddlers Club (Cathedral Quarter).

Four restaurants have also retained their Bib Gourmand status from last year. They are BallooHouse in Killinchy, Newtownards; Noble (Holywood); Wine & Brine (Moira) and Belfast’s Deanes at Queen’s. A Bib Gourmand is awarded for good value fine-dining. It goes to restaurants which provide a set menu for €35 (or £32) and under.

Despite most restaurants being closed, or at least heavily restricted, for the majority of the last 12 months, the Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland continued with its annual awards to top restaurants and chefs in an online ceremony on Monday night, hosted by Davina McCall.

The annual event sees the best restaurants in the UK and Ireland recognised for their innovation and excellence.

It had been pushed back from its usual October date to account for the lengthy closures most businesses have faced.

Due to the ongoing pandemic and lockdown, the accolades were handed out in a live-streamed format rather than at its usual lavish event in London.

The first award of the evening was a Michelin Revelation Award for Best Service. It was given to the Holywood restaurant Noble, run by chef Pearson Morris and manager Saul McConnell who previously worked under the direction of Belfast top chef Michael Deane.