– 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.

The unique An Chead Dún cask release from Hinch Distilleryin Northern Ireland contains their first ever distillation of Irish Single Malt spirit, using traditional Irish distilling methods combined with Hinch’s bespoke distilling techniques.

Through maturation in the finest American Bourbon Oak Casks, this spirit will develop into an Irish whiskey over a number of years and will be sought after by some of the world’s most ardent whiskey collectors and connoisseurs.

An Chead Dún, which translates from Gaelic as ‘The First Down’, is the first single malt spirit and ultimately whiskey, released by Hinch Distillery. It represents the marriage of traditional Irish distilling skills with ageing in American Oak casks from the Maker’s Mark Distillery in Kentucky USA, whose origins date back from 250 years ago when the Samuel’s family emigrated from the north of Ireland and started distilling. It seemed totally appropriate, with this shared ancestry, to use Maker’s Mark casks in the Hinch cask programme.

The team at Hinch believes that the An Chead Dún release will perfectly represent the brand’s core values and align perfectly with the distillery motto: “Distilled by the bold. Character is everything.”

Only 161 casks will be made available in recognition of the origins of the 161-year-old Killaney Estate on which the distillery sits.  Each cask can be secured for a price tag that reflects the very limited number of casks being filled and the exclusivity of becoming a member of a club with a maximum of 161 members.

Each cask owner will receive a rare, limited-edition gift presentation box containing a bottle of Hinch 18-Year Old Single Malt and Château de la Ligne Grande Reserve wine, in addition to a small ‘memento bottle’ of the original spirit before it enters the cask. The An Chead Dún package is also inclusive of all bottling costs and labels which will allow an element of personal messaging.

Distilling has just commenced at Hinch Distillery, a £15 million project by local businessman, Dr Terry Cross, who says: “What makes each whiskey unique is its individual interaction with the oak cask. Traditionally, Irish whiskeys are often matured in oak casks that previously held other wines or spirits, in order to add new layers of flavour to the maturing spirit. Those casks may be reused many times but An Chead Dún whiskey will only be placed in ‘First Fill’ casks. This means the wood will ultimately have a much greater influence on the final Irish whiskey in terms of both flavour and colour.

“An Chead Dún Cask presents a unique opportunity for enthusiasts to be a part of the very start of Hinch’s whiskey journey, one that is shaped by the past but building for the future, here in the heart of County Down.”

Denis Lynn, chairman of Northern Ireland’s Finnebrogue Artisan, has been named Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 in the influential Grocer Gold Awards.

Mr Lynn is the driving force in market leading innovations such as Finnebrogue’s revolutionary nitrite-free bacon, ham and pork sausages and the development of plant based foods.

For 16 years, The Grocer Gold Awards have been a symbol of quality and excellence in the FMCG sector. There are 20 categories, focusing on key business areas such as innovation and customer satisfaction. The awards provide a platform for recognition for all – whether a large multiple supplier or independent operator.

Two other Food NI companies – Mash Direct from Comber and food wholesaler Henderson Group in Newtownabbey – were shortlisted in the prestigious awards.

Finnebrogue Artisan, which is based in a state-of-the-art production complex near Downpatrick in county Down, is part of Lynn’s Country Foods which was formed by Mr Lynn in 1985. The company also recently announced plans to develop a £25 million factory for plant-based foods.

The business, which employs around 500 people, has become a UK leader in sausages especially pork for supermarkets especially Marks and Spencer. It is also a leader in flexitarian foods.

Finnebrogue Artisan, under his leadership, is a customer-focused business that’s geared to respond quickly and effectively to the requirements of retailers and the wider marketplace. It also works closely with leading retailers on the creation of innovative foods for customers in the UK and Ireland.

The innovation-led business has won a series of major national awards for its products.

Finnebrogue Artisan in Northern Ireland has won a UK Quality Award for its quality bacon.

The company, which is based at Downpatrick in county Down, won the prestigious award in the annual competition, the most important event in the UK food and drink industry, in the Bacon category for its unique Naked Smoked Streaky Bacon.

The Quality Food Awards recognise and celebrate the best in retail food products available across the UK.

Each category in the annual awards has been specifically tailored to represent the key drivers in today’s ever-changingfood and drink marketplace.

Finnebrogue Artisan is part of Lynn’s Country Foods, a business founded by food entrepreneur Denis Lynn in 1985, also the chairman of Finnebrogue Artisan, now among Northern Ireland’s leading food processors and supplier to major retailers such as Marks and Spencer and Waitrose.

The innovation-led business developed the revolutionary Naked Bacon, the world’s first bacon free from nitrites and other chemicals. It subsequently added nitrite free ham to the range. The company was also the first to market ‘flexitarian’ brand of deliciously different foods, Funky Flexitarian, in the UK.

The company is investing in a major £25 million state-of-the-art processing complex that also features the latest robotic technology. As a result, Finnebrogue is now among the most technology advanced food processors in Europe.