It was a real pleasure at the weekend to enjoy a meal in a local restaurant for the first time in three months. I was lucky to be in Strangford village on Friday, a place where you are spoilt for choice of places to eat such as Artisan Cookhouse and The Lobster Pot with The Cuan reopening soon. We’ve missed being able to experience superb food in one of our Taste of Ulster restaurants – within social distancing regulations of course. It’s really heartening to see many of the hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes reopening again after what has been an immensely challenging period for everyone.

Comber market also re-opened on Thursday and it was encouraging to see the crowds of shoppers, socially distanced of course, smiling and chatting to local producers and picking up local produce to enjoy at home. Around 1,000 shoppers supported one of the best local food markets here and purchased food from around two dozen smaller producers which also faced challenges during the lockdown. Other markets are now functioning including Ards, Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Larne and Lisburn. The popular Causeway Market in Coleraine will be open again on Saturday.

Our many members are adapting extremely well to what has become known as the ‘new normal’. It isn’t easy.However, necessity is the mother of invention and there have been some highly impressive innovations undertaken by restaurants offering takeaway gourmet meals. The feedback on the quality and taste of these has been super, especially for dishes that people do not wish to cook at home.  I understand several restaurants plan to continue to offer a takeaway option as part of their new business model.

In Food NI, we’ve sought to support and encourage over the lockdown and will continue to do so in the months and years ahead.

As a measure of this commitment, Food NI was delighted to be approached by Mash Direct, a much valued Food NI member company which is recognised internationally as a pioneering and award-winning producer of ‘field-to-fork’ vegetable sides and convenience dishes. Mash Direct proposed a brilliant initiative that will help our local hospitality sector and specifically Taste of Ulster eateries. It’s an imaginative scheme that’s also shaped to promote food and drink produced here.

This is how it will work: Mash Direct is spearheading a‘Dine in to Dine Out’ campaign throughout the months of July and August, giving their consumers the chance to win one of 30 £100 vouchers which they can spend in an award-winning Taste of Ulster restaurant of their choice.  

It is an on-pack promotion across Mash Direct’s comprehensive range of fresh, nutritious, and convenient vegetable side dishes available in food retailers up and down the country, throughout multiple convenience stores and independents.  Lucky winners will be able to choose from a vast range of local restaurants throughout Northern Ireland which have the ‘Taste of Ulster’ award.  The winners can count on really memorable meals with great customer service.

Mash Direct, of course, supplies many of the restaurants as well as major retailers with fresh, nutritious, and convenient vegetable side dishes. The pioneering company’s products are home grown on the Co Down family farm.  The company has also adapted successfully to the growing consumer demand for free-from products.  Each product is low in saturated fat, gluten-free and free from artificial colours and flavours.  

It is the first time we have worked with a local producer to promote Taste of Ulster eateries, and I hope it isn’t the last. ‘Dine in to dine out’ celebrates the great community spirit that exists among our award winning, quality food and drink community in Northern Ireland.

Things are beginning to look up again for hospitality and local food producers. Let’s do our bit to ensure both sectors continue to prosper.

Customers can enter a promotional code found on packs to www.mashdirect.com/dineout for their chance to win a Taste of Ulster Restaurant voucher.

The lucky winners will be able to choose from a vast range of local restaurants throughout Northern Ireland which are ‘Taste of Ulster’ members.

Noisy Snacks in Northern Ireland, a UK leader in award winning original snacks, has been invited by Amazon VendorCentral to become a supplier. Amazon will now be selling the full range of Noisy Snacks.

Based near Belfast, Noisy Snacks recently developed an innovative range of delicious healthy flavours in nuts, broad bean, corn and chickpeas which are available in convenient 100 percent recyclable pouches.

 Noel Allen, founder and managing director of Noisy Snacks, says; “The invitation from Amazon is a very exciting development for us and could accelerate the growth of our business online.

“We decided to take part in an Amazon workshop about the online retailer organised by business development agency Invest Northern Ireland. This highly informative event gave us the knowledge and understanding of working with Amazon in a number of ways. I decided to be proactive and chase theopportunity to pitch online for business with Amazon and this subsequently led to the invitation from Amazon VendorCentral to us about becoming a supplier.

“I jumped at the opportunity to become a supplier. I am looking forward to working with Amazon to maximise thismarvellous business opportunity for such a relatively young snack company as Noisy Snacks is,” adds Noel.

The new range of Noisy Snacks are flexitarian, so whether you’re a gluten-free, kid-raising vegan or a protein-loving, gym-obsessed meathead we have a snack for you.

Mr Allen has developed Noisy Snacks on the back of 10 years’ experience in FMCG working in marketing for industry leaders such as Coca Cola, Red Bull and Boost Drinks.

He founded the business in 2018 with the launch of a range of peanut snacks with favour sachets. The flavoured peanuts were targeted successful at the developing craft beer sector.

Assistance from Invest NI for the company includes export support and ecommerce website grant.

Amazon Vendor Central is an invite-only platform for businesses that want to sell their products to Amazon itself rather than just being listed on the digital retailer’s website for direct sale to consumers.

The Northern Ireland company has been growing steadily since its launch and saw sales in Britain double during the pandemic lockdown.

Growing your own food is easy and fulfilling and help is at hand to get you started.

Environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is today launching a new project which has been funded by the National Lottery Community Fund as a response to Covid-19.

The Food For Thought project is a combination of ‘Grow your own’ and ‘Eat your own’ to help build resiliencewithin communities, families and individuals.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has been a pioneer of a cleaner, greener, more sustainable Northern Ireland for the last 20 years and enabling people to grow even a very small amount of food at home completely fits with that ethos.

The project will be delivered by Live Here Love Here in collaboration with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and Belfast Food Network (BFN). TCV will distribute 550 growing packs suitable for indoor and outdoor spaces, large and small. These packs will contain seeds of salad leaves, vegetables or herbs which are suitable to sow from end July onwards, bags of peat free compost, gardening gloves, pots and a fork and trowel set. There are also some apple trees for those with suitable space to plant them.

The project will also include access to on-line webinars and video content; project partners Belfast Food Network will be creating a series of videos and recipes showing simple ways to use fabulous fresh produce. There will also be hints and tips from chefs and food producers throughout the province.

Dr Ian Humphreys, CEO of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said “There are so many reasons to grow even a small amount of food. The benefits for mental and physical health are well documented, but particularly at this time when perhaps we all have feelings of loneliness and insecurity it can be a great connector to a wider community. If you combine that with the health benefits of eating something so fresh, with zero food miles it also has the power to surprise our taste buds; this in turn leads to food empathy, an appreciation of the effort that goes into producing real food.”

Helen Tomb, Operations Leader at The Conservation Volunteers said “The challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic have highlighted the need to connect people with nature and the food supply chain. The Food for Thought project provides a fantastic opportunity for individuals and families to grow together and look forward to enjoying a healthy harvest. The kits provide all the basics to help even the most novice of gardeners get started and online support will help us grow as a community.’

Kerry Melville, Project Co-ordinator of Belfast Food Network, part of Sustainable Food Cities network commented “We’re delighted to be a part of the Food for Thought project, we’ll be encouraging people to grow their own and make delicious meals for family and friends using fresh, local, seasonal produce“.

Jilly Dougan, project officer for Food For Thought said “There’s no better way to start interacting with the environment than getting up close and personal with growing food! We want applications from community groups, families and individuals of all ages from across Northern Ireland.  The vision is to create a whole community of growers and eaters who support each other in a truly sustainable way. We can’t wait to see thepictures and hear about everyone’s adventures along the way”.

To find out more about the Food For Thought projectand apply for a growing pack please visitwww.liveherelovehere.org/foodforthought or contact jilly.dougan@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org to get in touch.       

Applications are now open and will close on Monday 20th July at 12 noon.

New Food and Drink Brand for North West region unveiled in time for the reopening of Ireland’s hospitality sector.

In collaboration with the local food and drink network, Derry City and Strabane District Council have officially launched its new regional Food and Drink Brand, LegenDerry, with the help of a local poet and familiar faces from the region’s food, drink and hospitality sectors.

Coinciding with the reopening of Ireland’s hospitality sector, ‘A Taste of LegenDerry’, written by local poet Pamela Brown, was commissioned to celebrate the unique food and drink offering as well as the rich culture and heritage both visitors to the region and local people can expect to experience.

22 members of the local Food Network feature in the short motion picture by local videographer Gary McFeely, reciting the poem, which showcases some of the city’s most iconic landmarks including the Peace Bridge, GuildHall and the Walled City Brewery as a suitably cultural backdrop.

The LegenDerry Food and Drink Brand is the result of the region’s Food and Drink Strategy, which was launched in February 2019 by the Council as part of its wider plan to drive tourism and firmly place the region on the map as the number one food destination on the island of Ireland by 2025.

Part funded by the Seafood Innovation Programme – Smart Atlantic Seafood Cluster known as the ‘SAFER’ project, applications opened this year for local restaurateurs, hoteliers and food and drink producers to become an accredited member of the brand. The Council received an overwhelming response and in February over 45 providers received an official accreditation.

As a certified LegenDerry provider, businesses are showcased on a newly launched website and receive a suite of marketing material to signpost their venues or produce with the LegenDerry stamp of approval.

Commenting on the official launch, Councillor Brian Tierney, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, said:

“Nobody could have anticipated what 2020 would bring, but we are incredibly proud that we are finally able to launch the LegenDerry Brand and coincide the release of our locally-commissioned poem with the reopening of the hospitality industry.

“LegenDerry is a hub of  hardworking and committed food and drink providers who take pride in everything they do, and this is one of the reasons why the North West region is already on track to become the top food destination on the Island of Ireland.

“This summer, people are opting for staycations as opposed to international travel and LegenDerry offers the complete package; not only LegenDerry for food, it also offers a range of outdoor adventure pursuits like hiking the Sperrins to paddle boarding along the River Foyle, as well as less strenuous activities like soaking up the city’s history and culture. All this combined with our exceptional reputation for hospitality and quality produce, guarantees a memorable trip for visitors.”

Selina Horshi, vice-chair of the Food and Drink Network and director of Best Western Plus White Horse Hotel, added:

“It goes without saying that the last few months have been incredibly challenging for the hospitality industry and many of the businesses and brands within the Food and Drink network have had to reassess and adapt their offering in order to survive these difficult circumstances.

“With Friday 3rd July marking the reopening of our industry in Northern Ireland, hot on the heels of the South reopening, we felt this was a timely opportunity to officially showcase LegenDerry and the people behind it. As a network of business owners for coffee shops, restaurants and hotels, to food and drink producers, we are exceptionally proud of what we have to offer to both our local and loyal customers, as well as domestic and international tourists.

“We are really looking forward to welcoming visitors from across the island to our wonderful region, but, at a time where ‘supporting local’ has never been more important, we would encourage our local people to fully embrace the fantastic food and drink offering that they have right on their doorstep.”

In addition, a number of accredited food producers have come together to create the ‘LegenDerry Larder’, a delectable selection of award winning artisan products, including; Ukulele Chocolate, Silver Bean Coffee, Banagher Bold Cheese, Brewers Malt Biscuits, LegenDerry Ding Sauce, Lo & Slo BBQ Sauce and Grainola Goddess honey-nut Grainola. Priced at £40 (€44.34) and available to purchase online via www.walledcitybrewery.com, the larder is the ultimate treat for foodies who wish to have the mouth-watering tastes and flavours of LegenDerry delivered straight to their door.

For further information, visit http://legenderryfood.com/

Connect with LegenDerry on Facebook and Instagram @LegenDerryFood.

When Belfast couple Lydia Hodgins and Justin Thompson dreamt of starting their own food delivery business, they never imagined it would be in the middle of a worldwide pandemic.

The pair had been planning the launch of LocalBoxNI for months when the lockdown hit, creating a surge in demand for food delivery services.

“Here we were living together, working together and trying to start a business together in the midst of this huge crisis. It was such a scary time but we felt that people really wanted and needed good, healthy food and it was increasingly difficult to get out to buy it. So we made the leap and our first deliveries went out on April 25th,” Lydia said.

LocalBoxNI is a home delivery food service bringing the best locally made products to homes in Belfast. The idea started when the foodie pair found they were spending increasing amounts of time going from farm shop to market buying fresh, local products.

“Northern Ireland has such amazing food and we felt it was really important to support local businesses but we didn’t have the time to get around all these wonderful places to get the food we cared about. We wished there was a service that would just deliver it all to our door so we didn’t have to spend all day Saturday going out to buy it. So we decided to start the business bringing the food we love to other people,” she said.

Justin, a full-time software engineer at a tech start up, was able to build the website and the pair personally sourced suppliers across Northern Ireland. Customers can order products like homemade sourdough bread, Abernethy butter, Belfast Coffee Roasters coffee, Fermanagh free range eggs, charcuterie and chorizo from Limavady, bacon from Omagh, locally produced cheeses and Rathlin kelp pesto to name just some of the products.

“Our aim was to reduce the environmental impact of our purchases and to support the local economy. At the moment we take orders all week then deliver across Belfast on a Saturday as soon as the fresh bread arrives with us. Because we only order what we need from our suppliers, there’s no food waste,” Lydia explained.

All the delivery boxes are collected, cleaned and sanitised and reused adding to the company’s sustainable ethos. Their unique take on local food and sustainability helped them to become finalists in the Belfast Business Ideas Awards run by Belfast City Council.

The couple pack and personally deliver all the boxes themselves on a Saturday morning to homes in Belfast. “We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive reaction when we arrive with a delivery and we’re just so thankful that we can share our love of local food with others,” she said.

For more information go to localboxni.com.

Renowned for award-winning fudges, the team at Granny Shaw’s are opening a fantastic food store that simply brings together some of the best foodie finds around. Apart from trays of their amazing fudge, of course, they include Erne Larder’s Bacon Jam and Ketchup, Amber Catering and Cakes, Papas Mineral Cordials, Ruby’s Fine Foods, The Skinny Food Company and Long Meadow Apple Cider Vinegar.

There are also cheeses, sausages, bacon, oils, balsamic vinegars and curry sauces. They describe it as a one-stop shop for fine food excellence coupled with their ever-friendly customer service.

The Grand Opening is on Wednesday July 1st 2020, 9am-5.30pm. There will be spot prizes throughout the day.  Find them opposite Sports Direct and Primark in the Tower Centre, Ballymena