Long Meadow Cider, a leading Northern Ireland producer of award winning ciders, cider vinegar and apple juice, has launched a new Spiced Apple Juice in time for Christmas.

The new product, according to the family owned company, is made from its successful apple juice infused with seasonal spices, orange, lemon, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

Long Meadow’s Catherine McKeever, who founded the small business with husband Pat and son Peter, described the new product as “delicious either hot or cold”. “It’s a very warming drink, in particular, for the cold winter months ahead and is also ideal for the Christmas season due the traditional spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg,” she says.

The new juice is being rolled out to the company’s network of retailers which includes major supermarkets such as Sainsbury.

Long Meadow, was founded by the McKeevers in 2012 on the back of a family heritage of growing applies over more than 50 years.

The progressive business grows and harvests apples from a total of 120 acres, 30 of which are on the home farm. It has an outstanding track record in developing original ciders including the first vintage matured here in whiskey casks

In addition to a hugely successful business producing and exporting award-winning ciders, apple juices and apple cider vinegar – currently in-trend with health conscious shoppers – the company has created an imaginative programme of Apple Blossom Tours, food events, workshops and even art classes in the orchards. The orchards have become a food destination for tourists and other visitors.

The company’s products, especially its Blossom Burst, have, in addition, awon a string of UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards.

While  the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland has flourished over recent decades, the Covid lockdown and resulting social distancing restrictions have forced many restaurateurs and hospitality owners to rethink the future.

Many hundreds of restaurants and eateries across the north are already improvising to adapt to the new reality.

They have been innovative in creating solutions to ensure the public can still enjoy gastronomic experiences despite the ongoing restrictions.

And today the Irish News is asking the public to nominate their Food Champions in a special readers’ poll being held in partnership with Food NI and Henderson Foodservice, BD Foods & Foodco.

We are inviting you to tell us how your favourite food outlets have gone out of their way during these unprecedented times to ensure you have still been able to avail of a culinary experience.

Normally in this vital period in the run-up to Christmas, pubs, restaurants and coffee shops, which are the lifeblood of our cities, towns and villages, would be buzzing with customers enjoying local hospitality at its finest.

Find out why ‘foodies’ from all over the world love Northern Ireland

Our fantastic food and drink products have played a central role in elevating Northern Ireland to become a ‘bucket-list’ destination for international food enthusiasts.

In 2018/19, Northern Ireland was named the World’s Best Food Destination and it is easy to see why. Our chefs and producers have been busy bringing our vibrant food story to life, both on our plates and in our glasses. From Michelin rated restaurants to some of the most exciting artisanal food and drink products, great quality is always on the menu.

At a time when it is more important than ever to support local businesses, Discover Northern Ireland has compiled a list of food and drink products to tempt your taste buds. If you are planning a meal using local produce, then use #MyGiantAdventure to share pictures of your dishes and show your support for the local artisans.

County Down

County Armagh

County Antrim

County Londonderry

County Fermanagh

County Tyrone

For further inspiration on Northern Ireland’s fantastic ‘foodie’ offerings, visit www.discovernorthernireland.com. Follow Discover Northern Ireland on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Henderson Group, owners of the SPAR and EUROSPAR brands in Northern Ireland has produced its second consumer magazine providing a feast of inspiration to weather the winter months ahead.

Winter InSPARation, in which the Group has invested over £100,000, is available free of charge in all SPAR and EUROSPAR stores across Northern Ireland now, with a print run of nearly 400,000 on recycled paper.

The magazine serves up a recipe book of winter warmers inspired by seasonal and local produce, created by the brands’ Executive Chef Carl Johannesson. Edited by Claire Craig, the local journalist speaks to sports stars MMA Champion Leah McCourt and former Ulster and Ireland captain, Rory Best, alongside household names including Cate Conway and Aimee Fuller on how they have navigated one of their most challenging years yet.

Bronagh Henderson, Marketing Manager at Henderson Group says the magazine further connects the brands to their shoppers and seeks to provide some comfort in a time of upheaval; “Our Winter InSPARation magazine is a 100-page read which oozes comfort; from chats with our local celebrities and farmers, to over 30 pages of winter warmer recipes that covers breakfast, lunch and dinner along with money off coupons.

“We are also welcoming our readers into our Christmas Kitchen, which is a 21 page pull out covering everything from party food, in the hope that we can have safe festive gatherings this year, to the main event – the Christmas Dinner – and absolutely everything in between.”

The magazine also looks to reader wellbeing, with features dedicated to self help reads, motivational exercise apps and a column from wellbeing author and influencer, Annette Kelly of Little Penny Thoughts.

Bronagh continues; “This year has been a huge challenge for us all, and we are very proud to produce this magazine which not only highlights a range of recipes, crafts and hobbies for us all to try our hand at, but which looks out for our wellbeing too. It was important for us to consider the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic when creating the magazine, and we hope this free magazine provides some much-needed distraction and inspiration as we move into the winter months.”

Retailers are fully equipped to raise the profile of the magazine instore, with POS and shelf cards for those products featured in the magazine, alongside a full merchandising guide to help group all ingredients together and further upweight their winter sales.

Bronagh finished; “We have also created how-to videos and social assets for the recipes featured in the magazine to even further engage our shoppers online, who may still be shielding or isolating. We’re ensuring this is content that everyone has access to.”

Winter InSPARation is available in all SPAR and EUROSPARs now.

Food NI members Mash Direct and Burren Balsamics have taken home big prizes at the Great British Food Awards. Burren Balsamics’ Irish Peat Smoked White Condiment has won Best New Product.

John Gills from Booths Grocers, who sponsored the Awards,said of the Peat Smoked product

“A wonderfully unique tasting condiment, quite unlike anything I have tasted before. White Italian pale balsamic with rich smoky flavours of peat. Not as acidic the average balsamic, this wonderful product could easily compliment many a dish without overpowering. Also wonderful to dip a chunk of sourdough into.”

Created by Susie Hamilton Stubber and Bob McDonald, Burren Balsamics make a range of infused white and black balsamic vinegars and condiments as well as preserves, jamsand seasonings in Richhill. Co. Armagh.

“We are delighted with this award for the Peat Smoked White Condiment. Our thanks must go to the judges and also to Jonathan Buchanan who does the smoking for us” said Susie Hamilton Stubber.

Mash Direct, based in Comber, Co. Down was voted the Best Producer in Northern Ireland and also won the Gluten Free secion for their Beer Battered Chips. They make a wide range of vegetable-based convenience products.

“We are delighted to win the Great British Food Award” said Jack Hamilton from Mash Direct.

“For one of the judges to say that our Beer Battered Chips are the best oven chips they have ever eaten is incredible.  In a year of fakeaways, it is humbling to hear that the food experts have named our Chips as the nation’s favourite”.

O’Malley’s Farm Shop in Newry was Highly Commended as were Ewing Seafoods from Belfast.

Judges for the Awards included The Hairy Bikers, Michel Roux JR, chef Jack Stein, Monica Galleti and Booths Supermarket.

Joe Mahon continues his travels around Lough Foyle and its hinterlands on Monday night, (9th November) as he heads to Magilligan to find out about perfect carrots and rapeseed that both grow in abundance, thanks to the amazing soil and dedication and entrepreneurship of the growers involved.

‘LOUGH FOYLE’ is a television travelogue series featuring the history, natural environment and cultural heritage of the Foyle catchment area, with particular emphasis on Ulster-Scots elements of the hinterland.

Joe spent several months, both pre and post lockdown, exploring the unique watery environment of Lough Foyle, and this series is taking the viewer on a fabulous journey on one of the greatest river systems in the island of Ireland.

In Monday night’s episode, the eighth in the ten-parter, Joe Mahon makes a return after 25 years to Cooke family farm at Magilligan. When Joe first set out to make programmes travelling the Ulster countryside he met Willie Cooke, who explained to him why this part of the world was famous for growing such wonderful crops of carrots. Joe recently got word that Willie, now in his eighties, had finally decided to retire from the carrot trade so he set out on a nostalgic visit to catch up with some old friends, and hear some carrot stories. Despite his advancing years, Willie still refuses to pass on to Joe the secrets of the trade! After growing and harvesting over 180,000 tonnes of them over the years, he’s obviously doing something right!

In the second part of the programme, Joe meets Richard and Leona Kane who will be getting into carrots for the first time with the help of one of Willie’s sons. They grow rapeseed in the townland of Broighter over on the other side of the River Roe. As he tells us, the visit was worth it if only to stand in a radiant field of gold with a backdrop of Binevenagh Mountain. But there’s much more to it than that, as Leona describes the process of pressing the oil they produce from the tiny black seeds, and Richard outlines both the good and the bad that accompany farming in the truly unique and curious soil of the eastern shore of Lough Foyle.

LOUGH FOYLE is produced by Westway Film Productions for UTV, supported by Northern Ireland Screen’s Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund.  The series is sponsored by House Proud Furniture.    You can watch this episode on Monday 9th November at 8pm on UTV and on catch up on www.itv.com/utvprogrammes