The Meat Merchant, the retail business within the multi-award winning Hannan Meats in Northern Ireland, is reaching out to lovers of premium meats by launching a new doorstep delivery service, a new direction for the operation.

The company, which is based at Moira in county Armagh, has introduced a range of hampers packed with its products including its renowned Himalayan aged beef and lamb and sugar-pit bacon which can be ordered from its recently launched e-commerce site for delivery throughout the UK and Ireland.

David Rosbotham, general manager of Hannan Meats, explaining the decision to launch the new retail expansion, says: “Our new Hannan Hampers are aimed at those who can’t get into our shop in Moira.

“While calling into the shop to select from our full range is still best method, if this isn’t possible for many people, especially those in Great Britain, to make it to us, we are now bringing the Meat Merchant to their doorsteps.

“The move was also influenced by the growing number of people throughout the UK keen to enjoy our meats which have won more Great Taste Awards for premium quality and outstanding flavours than any other food company in the UK.

“Over the years, we’ve also fielded calls and emails from people in Britain about the availability of our meats there. We are now set up to provide this potentially very important service through our new e-commerce site,” he adds.

The company, headed by respected meat industry leader Peter Hannan, is initially offering a limited quantity and selection of hampers comprising of some of its most popular award winning food. “It will be food that we know customers will enjoy. Everything is packed for convenience and is suitable for home freezing,” he adds.

The Meat Merchant, he continues, intends to expand choice of products and the hampers available “in the coming weeks and months ahead”.

The hampers will also be available in the Republic of Ireland through the partnership between Hannan Meats and James Whelan, one of the most successful butchery businesses there.

The Meat Merchant is among the most innovative meat operations on the island of Ireland. The company, a major supplier of a wide range of quality meats to hotels and restaurants throughout the UK and many parts of Europe for over 30 years, has expanded its operation over the past year especially in retail.

In addition to marketing its own meats and most recently quality sauces, the Meat Merchant lists an extensive range of artisan foods from other producers in Northern Ireland.

Woodlab Distillery, the maker of the multi-award winning Symphonia Gin range, is developing a new distillery complex in Moy, Co Tyrone.

The company, formed in 2016 by Dr Ulrich Dyer, who has over 30 years’ experience as a scientist in the global pharmaceutical industry, has moved to the new distillery after outgrowing a converted garage at his home in Benburb, Co Tyrone.

Around £120,000 is being invested by Dr Dyer in the development of the distillery, warehousing, a gin school and visitor centre. The investment has already created three new jobs which have been supported by Invest Northern Ireland.

Outlining this important investment for the small batch distillery, Dr Dyer said: “We decided to develop a new distillery because we had outgrown our existing premises in Benburb and needed the new space to enable us to increase distilling and storage capacity in response to the growing success of our three gins, especially in the Northern Ireland marketplace.

“The new distillery gives us greater scope to develop our science-led development of spirits using our unique process which is based on cold distillation and microwave extraction technology. These techniques help to ensure that the rich yet delicate flavours of the local botanicals we use in gin production are extracted efficiently and preserved in our spirits,” Dr Dyer adds.

This modern technology, he continues, has been proven to be the most efficient in terms of energy use. “It’s the most environmentally friendly process because only two percent of the energy required for traditional distilling is used in these processes.

“I believe that Woodlab is the only distillery in the world using these combined techniques. The technology is based on my scientific research in the international pharmaceutical industry on product development,” adds Dr Dyer.

Welcoming the investment, Ethna McNamee, Invest NI’s Western Regional Manager said:

Welcoming the investment, Ethna McNamee, Invest NI’s Western Regional Manager said: “We have been working in partnership with the team at Woodlab Distillery over the last number of years to support the growth of its business.

“This has included initial support through our innovation voucher programme to help refine the distilling process of its now infamous Symphonia Gin range, support to create three jobs and technical advice and marketing assistance through our Design Active Programme to help it develop its website. I’m delighted to see this support helping Woodlab open its distillery and begin to grow sales in international markets.”

Dr Dyer continues: “The support from Invest NI is invaluable and has enabled us to get the new distillery operating quickly and to develop sales especially in Great Britain by means of our website. We are working with Invest NI to grow the business in our target markets, building in particular on our success of our Symphonia Dry Gin being named Champion of Champions in the Irish Gin Awards 2019.”

The small batch distillery currently produces three handcrafted gins both featuring botanicals from the area. The gins are Symphonia No.1, a dry gin, and Symphonia No. 2, a gin featuring Armagh Bramley apples sourced from local orchards, and Symphonia No 3, a Summer Fruit Cup. They have just released a special limited edition Symphonia No.4 a local apple rum.

The gins which has also won UK Great Taste Awards and Silver at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC), are currently available in local off-licences as well as bars, restaurants and hotels.

 

The Echlinville Distillery (Co. Down, Northern Ireland) is expanding its award winning Dunville’s Irish Whiskey portfolio with the release of its latest PX Cask Strength Single Cask bottling.

Dunville’s PX Cask Strength 12 Year Old Single Malt Cask 1703 is the third PX Cask Strength expression from the Dunville’s Single Cask Series.

Finished in the finest Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, bottled at 58.2% abv and limited to just 334 bottles, it will be available exclusively from The Echlinville Distillery online shop from 8pm on Friday 20 November priced £112 –  https://shop.echlinville.com/collections/whiskey/products/dunvilles-px-12-year-old-cask-strength-single-cask-1703

Jarlath Watson from Dunville’s Irish Whiskey said: “This is the third Cask Strength expression of our award winning 12 Year Old PX whiskey and the newest addition to our Single Cask Series, which showcases the very best whiskeys from our warehouses.

“Each release from the Single Cask Series offers something different, with every cask bottled at its optimum strength to deliver the stunning palate and rich mouthfeel that Dunville’s customers expect and deserve.

“Bottled at an impressive 58.2% abv – our highest strength release to date – Cask 1703 boasts notes of stewed orchard fruits, deep caramelised and syrupy stone fruits, rich warming spices and that signature Dunville’s PX candied orange grace note. It really is Christmas in a glass. It’s the perfect whiskey for the festive season.

“Since the release of our Dunville’s PX 10 Year Old back in 2012 – the whiskey with which we revived the iconic Dunville’s brand – the PX sherry cask finish has become our best known expression and is something that we do very well. Dunville’s PX Cask Strength whiskeys are now a firm fixture in our Single Cask Series and have been very well received within the Irish whiskey family.

“As the Single Cask Series continues to evolve, we look forward to future Pedro Ximénez cask releases with some interesting twists and impressive age statements.”

Dunville’s PX 12 Year Old Single Cask Whiskey, Cask 1703 is priced £112 and will be available from The Echlinville Distillery at https://shop.echlinville.com/collections/whiskey/products/dunvilles-px-12-year-old-cask-strength-single-cask-1703 from 8pm on Friday 20 November.

For delivery outside Ireland and the UK please complete our Worldwide Shipping Enquiry form at https://shop.echlinville.com/pages/worldwide-shipping-enquiry

For more information visit www.dunvilleswhiskey.com

– Black Bush Stories campaign celebrates whiskey and hot sauce fusion with online experiences –

Bushmills® Irish Whiskey has collaborated with hot sauce specialists, Rebel Chilli, to host a series of online cocktail masterclasses this winter. The immersive events are part of the Black Bush Stories campaign which celebrates the parallels between Bushmills and an individual and their craft, while providing an opportunity for attendees to discover a new skill.

Since establishing Rebel Chilli in 2014, founder Paul Moore has come a long way from working in his mother’s kitchen. The company now supplies some of the largest retailers in Ireland and beyond, winning a number of prestigious awards.

As part of the collaboration, Paul has created a Black Bush Barrel Aged Hot Sauce. Inspired by the similarities between the maturation process used to create both Bushmills whiskey and Rebel Chilli’s hot sauce, he was curious to explore the rich flavours that would be unlocked as the hot sauce interacted with the Black Bush barrel wood.

Paul will join Bushmills Brand Ambassador, Lauren McMullan, to host a number of online events across November and December to celebrate the fusion of whiskey and hot sauce, and to unveil the limited edition product. Attendees at the ‘Black Bush & Hot Sauce’ events will enjoy a Bushmills whiskey tasting before uncovering the world of maturation as Paul explains his unique process for creating the special Black Bush Barrel Aged hot sauce. Guests will learn about the supreme craftsmanship that goes into spirit and sauce alike, before mixing the two together in an interactive cocktail masterclass.

“I love whiskey and I love hot sauce, so this was a really fun product to make and I can’t wait for everyone at the events to try it,” says Paul. “We have aged the sauce in Black Bush barrels for two months, rolling the barrel every two days, to ensure the best all round flavour – we wanted to really pull the flavour out of the wood and impart the rich, full and fruity flavours on the sauce.”

The ‘Black Bush & Hot Sauce’ events will take place across two weeks, commencing Thursday 26th November, with 13 event slots to choose from. Tickets cost £10 and include an event kit with all of the tools needed to take part. The full schedule, along with a link to purchase tickets is available at blackbushstories.com.

Thank you to everyone who has sent me messages of encouragement and support following last week’s column, it has meant a huge amount and I appreciate each and every one. Thankfully the R rate is decreasing in Northern Ireland, but we aren’t out of the woods yet. The infection rate in Northern Ireland is 1 in 105 people, but in Scotland it is one in 135 people. So, I urge you all to be careful, follow the advice and protect yourself and your loved ones, better times are ahead.

Thankfully our food and drink companies continue to provide encouraging news against the background of Covid-19 and local political controversy. I was truly delighted to see Denis Lynn of Finnebrogue Artisan win Entrepreneur of the Year in the Grocer Gold Awards last week. This is a UK wide award and Denis was up against stiff competition from the brightest and the best food entrepreneurs in the UK, but rose to the top of the pile. Congratulations to Denis and all the team at Finnebrogue.

Denis Lynn has really broken new ground with bringing and establishing Naked, nitrate free bacon, to the UK market, as well as positioning Finnebrogue as a leading supplier of vegetarian and vegan food. He is a true visionary who has changed what is available on our supermarket shelves and on our plates.

In addition, two other local food companies were shortlisted in the prestigious Grocer Gold Awards; Henderson Food Service in Wholesaler of the Year; and Mash Direct in Branded Supplier of the Year.  They also deserve our congratulations, just being shortlisted in such influential awards, which is monitored closely by all the main supermarkets in GB and abroad, is an impressive achievement that will help increase growth in this pivotal marketplace which generates sales worth almost £3 billion annually for our economy.

During the past month, both Finnebroque and Mash Direct were also successful in winning awards in the highly influential UK Quality Food Awards. They were joined by Dunbia, our biggest meat processor which is based in Dungannon. The Quality Food Awards are among the most prestigious awards for food and drink products in the UK, recognising and celebrating the best in retail food products on sale in UK grocery outlets. The awards are immensely important because they are linked to major supermarkets.

The Dunbia awards were for sirloin steak and burgers supplied to Lidl, the leading German discounter in the UK. Finnebrogue is also a major supplier to the likes of Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons, while Mash Direct counts virtually all the main supermarkets in its impressive customer portfolio.

Retailers in the GB and other markets are looking continuously for novel food and drink products from established suppliers which can deliver on time and at the right price. Companies which figure in high profile awards such as Quality Food and Grocer Gold attract attention which can help open doors to the decision makers.

They also follow the outstanding achievements of our food and drink industry, mostly smaller processors, in other key competitions such as UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann awards.  

Award successes can –and do – lead to opportunities to pitch products to key buyers in major supermarket chains, smaller grocery chains and delis. This is why Food NI urges and assists our companies in entering such awards. We also see these competitions as a great way for younger companies in particular to benchmark their products against existing and potential competitors.

I believe at times like these, when we seem to be surrounded by bad news, that it is even more important to acknowledge and celebrate the people continuing to drive our food and drink industry forward and demonstrate its tremendous potential especially in key markets such as Great Britain.

Copeland Distillery in Donaghadee, county Down is continuing to overcome local hospitality restrictions with the opening of The Distillery Café, a dog-friendly, neighbourhood coffee shop at the distillery.

The Distillery Café will enable the business to connect with both the local community and visitors to Donaghadee, as it has always intended to, since opening to the public in August 2019.

While it’s operating a takeaway service only for the moment, in-line with current restrictions, the venue does offer seating for 12-15 indoor and out. Guests and their dogs will have the opportunity to soak in views of the neighbouring coastlines and Copeland Islands, and watch the Distillery team hard at work mashing, distilling and cask-emptying.

An important attraction in the seaside town, Copeland transformed a derelict cinema into its now permanent home, signing a 125-year lease and investing more than £900,000 into the project.

The Copeland Distillery was expecting to welcome thousands of domestic and international visitors this past summer, in what would have been its first tourism season, but unfortunately had to close its doors to the public, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Distillery founder Gareth Irvine says: “Despite the challenges we’ve faced locally in recent months, we’ve continued to do our best to overcome and work with the restrictions and the café is yet another example of that.

“While it’s a positive step forward from a business perspective, we never intended that we’d have to sell takeaway coffee to keep our doors open to the public. We’ve always wanted to do a café of sorts but certainly one that offered cocktails and our classic serves.

“Becoming a hub in the Donaghadee community has always been important to us and any venture that allows us to connect with the locals and visitors, and in this instance their dogs too is a runner, so coffee it is. We have always collaborated with local suppliers – our infused gins uses fruit sourced from county Down – and we’ll be carrying that ethos into the café with local produce a clear theme on our drinks menu.

“While it’s just takeaway for now, I’m a huge dog lover and dogs are a huge part of Donaghadee life, so we’ll be making sure we continue to be an inviting and comfortable place for dog owners and walkers as we expand the offering.

The Distillery Café is now open from Wednesday to Sunday, 9:00am to 4:00pm and is serving some of the island’s best-loved produce from Suki Tea to 3FE Coffee. Dog food brand, Werewolf Food, will be the official supplier of dog treats.