Morelli Ice Cream in Northern Ireland is gearing up to expand sales of his multi-award winning ice cream and sorbets in Britain.

The ice cream maker, which already supplies Morrisons, one of the leading supermarkets in Scotland and the North of England, has just expanded its production capacity and installed a new super-freezer warehouse at its HQ in Coleraine with space for 100,000 litres of ice cream.The investment was financed through Barclays. 

Arnaldo Morelli, managing director of Morelli Ice Cream, says: “When my family started out in the ice cream business over 100 years ago, it was a summer treat at the seaside.  Ice cream is no longer a seasonal product and we have spent the last 25 years building up our wholesale business. 

“We have built strong sales of take-home tubs all year round in independent food shops, convenience stores and supermarkets across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.  Great Britain supermarket listings are our next major focus for growth and this new super-freezer will allow us to ensure our production can keep step with demand.

“Our double cream vanilla is still a firm favourite, closely followed by honeycomb, but the one everyone wants to try this summer is our cinnamon ice cream swirled with a famous brand of biscuit – it’s the flavour of the moment.  We bring many of our authentic Italian ingredients in from Italy so with this one, we just keep upping the order each time and it’s flying!”

David Morrow, associate director, Business Banking with Barclays, continues: “We are very excited for the Morelli Ice Cream family business. Having been named as National Supreme Champions in the UK Ice Cream Alliance Awards in 2019, they are set for further growth and success.  As one of Northern Ireland’s favourite home-grown local brands, they have an opportunity to develop existing sales with Morrisons and to further build their national supermarket listings.  With this increase in production and capacity, there’s nothing holding them back and they deserve every success.”

Morelli Ice Cream has refinanced all of its banking with Barclays and funded its expansion and new freezer investment through a competitive working capital arrangement. 

Morelli Ice Cream employs 23 staff through its wholesale business and has 14 family owned and franchised stores in Northern Ireland and a further 400 active customers throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Belfast specialist snack food producer Food Stories has won its first business with top supermarket chain Asda.

Food Stories, owned and managed by local businessman Michael Heaslip, is supplying its Cloud Corn branded popcorn to the supermarket for 16 stores across Northern Ireland. The supermarket has chosen the company’s sweet chilli BBQ flavoured popcorn for its snack shelves.

The contract, according to Mr Heaslip, is the outcome of approaches to the supermarket about its range of Cloud Corn popcorn and Pinkfinch veggie and fruit crisps over a number of months.

“We’re thrilled to be supplying Asda, among our most important and successful supermarkets here, over the summer months. We hope that this immensely encouraging contract for us, especially as we recover business from the pandemic which impacted adversely on our business in foodservice and with airlines, will be extended.

“We are supporting the Asda listing in an extensive social media advertising campaign. Unfortunately, we are unable to sample in-store due to the coronavirus regulations,” he adds.

Food Stories, has two further flavours in addition to the sweet chilli BBQ chosen by Asda. These are salty and sweet and salty. Before the lockdown, the small company had business in international markets including the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Spain and Canada. It also supplied major airlines in Europe and French Polynesia.

“We are now working strenuously to recover this significant business. We know, however, that it will take time to rebuild the sales abroad. So, the new business at home is very welcome,” he adds.

The popcorn is gluten-free, high in fibre, suitable for vegans and made only from natural ingredients.

Mr Heaslip formed Food Stories in 2014 to specialise in artisan foods on the back of extensive experience in marketing such snacks.

He formed Cloud Corn to develop opportunities here and in exports from the growing demand for healthy artisan snacks. As part of his focus on exports, Mr Heaslip decided that all the nutritional information on the packaging should be in six languages – English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Italian.

Northern Ireland’s Dale Farm’s mature Dromona cheese was named the Best Cheddar at the inaugural Virtual Cheese Awards. Over 300 cheeses were whittled down the week before to the final 30 (across seven categories) which for the first time ever were judged live online.

Dale Farm is Northern Ireland’s biggest dairy farming co-operative and biggest producer of a wide range of cheddar cheeses under the longstanding Dromonabrand. It also has an extensive portfolio of other dairy products.

The Virtual Cheese Awards was founded by Sarah de Wit and Nigel Pooley during the Covid-19 pandemic and aimed to demystify and celebrate British cheese and its producers in a time of great need.  

Sarah de Wit, co-founder of the Virtual Cheese Awards and a cheese and dairy consultant, sys: “The quality of British cheeses entered into the awards was amazing and the judges had a tough time narrowing it down to just one cheese.

“We really are leading the world with our exceptional cheesemakers and we’re super proud to shine a light on them. All we ask is that consumers go out and buy these cheeses and support our British cheese industry,” she adds.

Holly Shackleton, editor of Speciality Food magazine, which supported the awards, continues: “I am delighted to be part of this brilliant initiative to support and elevate British cheese during a challenging time for the industry. This exciting new virtual format enabled a great day of judging, celebration and discovery, and really shone the spotlight on our top-performing cheesemakers who thoroughly deserve higher recognition.

“We are committed on Speciality Food to supporting the British cheese industry. I now look forward to delivering some valuable promotion to the winner across our print and digital platforms. Congratulations to the winners, the organisers, and indeed everyone who participated to make this a success.”

The final seven categories were judged through the day by a panel of expert cheese judges all hosted by food and drink broadcaster, Nigel Barden.

The Virtual Cheese Awards is a not-for-profit event created to support and celebrate British cheesemakers in a time of great need. All profits will be given to the Specialist Cheesemakers Association and RABI (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution) so they can continue to support British farmers and dairy producers.

The Boatyard Distillery in Northern Ireland has become the first Irish gin to launch in Waitrose & Partner stores across the UK and online.  

Waitrose will be selling the unique double distilled gin produced at the distillery, which is located near Enniskillen on the shores of Lough Erne in county Fermanagh.

Launched in 2016 by Joe McGirr, The Boatyard Distillery is a family-run, independent distillery housed in a disused boatyard.  It is the first working distillery in the Fermanagh in over 130 years.

Focused on creating farm-to-bottle spirits using locally-sourced botanicals that celebrate the region’s ruralsetting, Boatyard Distillery’s collection includes three core premium expressions: Boatyard Double Gin, Boatyard Old Tom Gin and Boatyard Vodka – alongside seasonal limited editions. The distillery, a Food NI member, is also planning an Irish malt whiskey.

Joe McGirr, founder and managing director of Boatyard Distillery, says: “We’re delighted to bring our Boatyard Double gin to Waitrose and make it more accessible around the UK for people to taste and try.  We agoniseover the detail that goes in to making our gin and it’s fantastic to see it being enjoyed far and wide.”

Waitrose has been influential in taking the craft gin revolution mainstream and prides itself on the quality of the brands it works with.  

The Boatyard Distillery signed an exclusive partnership agreement in January 2020 with Speciality Brands to focus on growing the UK wide market.  

Shoppers get a taste of home this summer with local products stocked in 202 Lidl stores across the island of Ireland for a limited time only

Lidl Northern Ireland is serving up a real taste of home this summer by adding a brand new range of home-grown products from artisan food and drink producers across Northern Ireland.

Showcasing the best of Northern Irish produce, the selected products will be available across all 202 Lidl stores on the island of Ireland as part of the retailer’s ‘Kick Start’ local supplier development programme.

The new products, which include succulent smoked meats, award-winning apple cider vinegar, hearty meat pies, healthy ready meals and premium Irish gin will hit shelves on Thursday 30^th July and will be available for a limited time.

Now in its third year, the Lidl Kick Start Programme is designed to help small and medium size local food and drink producers grow their brand, build their supply network and reach new customer audiences with the potential to open up new export opportunities. 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.

Kick Start 2020 supplier, Sarah Matson from Natural Umber based in Dungannon, commented:

“Natural Umber launched in 2018 but despite being a young company we have years of experience in mastering the art of crafting our award-winning quality apple cider vinegar. In a short space of time we have made a real impact and we’re thrilled to now have the backing of Northern Ireland’s fastest growing retailer to boost our business.

As a small, artisan producer, we were aware of the Lidl Kick Start programme and the benefits and experience that it can bring to a business like ours. Kick Start is an unrivalled platform to help us reach new audiences and take the next step from supplying small, independent stores to producing our apple cider vinegar for supermarket distribution.

We’re excited for our product to hit the shelves and we hope that customers get behind the programme and pick up some of the locally produced Kick Start artisan goods along with their weekly shop to get a taste of home and try something new.”

As well as the limited edition in-store promotion, Kick Start also provides the ambitious companies with free business development seminars delivered by a panel of Lidl and wider industry experts, covering key disciplines such as quality control, packaging, communications and brand building.

The selected range of artisan products featured within this year’s Kick Start programme includes two brand new suppliers; Natural Umber with their Apple Cider Vinegar produced in County Tyrone and Orchard Smoke House Smoked Turkey and Chicken Fillets from County Armagh. Making a welcome return to the shelves are a range of delicious new lines from much-loved suppliers including Feckin’ Irish Gin, The Little Meat Company Taster Pie Box and Oh So Lean Creamy Chicken and Saffron Rice Ready Meal – all produced in County Down.

The Lidl Kick Start Supplier Development Programme is just one of many ways in which the retailer supports local suppliers. Last year, as part of its 20th anniversary in Northern Ireland, it commissioned an independent report into the economic impact of its operations which indicated that it spends at least £290 million annually with suppliers across the region while also supporting 3,500 jobs.

Earlier this year, Lidl Northern Ireland announced a new supply deal worth £24m with Fermanagh based bakery, Crust & Crumb, for an expanded pizza line. Since the beginning of its relationship with Crust & Crumb in 2013, Lidl Northern Ireland’s supply deal has helped to create 160 new full-time roles, in addition to improving access to sales in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and EU markets.

Last month, local horticulturalist, Greenisland Flowers, secured a renewed deal to supply the retailer with 4 million fresh stems. By the end of 2021, Lidl will have invested an estimated £7.2 million with Greenisland Flowers, supporting the creation of 14 full time jobs.

In 2018, Lidl Northern Ireland struck a deal with Northern Ireland’s Dale Farm, the UK’s largest farmer-owned dairy co-operative, to supply cheddar cheese to Lidl stores across the UK, Europe and the United States.  That deal represented the single biggest contract awarded by Lidl to a Northern Ireland agri-food company, which saw Dale Farm’s locally made block cheddars, as well as grated and sliced varieties, stocked in some 8,000 stores across 22 countries.

For more information on the Kick Start Supplier Development Programme, visitlidlni.co.uk/kickstart.

Award-winning fudge makers Glen and Rhonda Houston of Granny Shaw’s Fudge in Co Antrim are hoping for sweet success for a novel food venture shaped during the lockdown.

The couple, from Ahoghill in Co Antrim, has just established Granny Shaw’s Trading Post in Ballymena for their handmade, hand-cut kettle-churned fudge and also added dozens of local foods handcrafted by other artisan producers to the shop. It’s an innovative business venture influenced by the outstanding success of Trader Joe’s Market in the US, a dynamic, customer focused and marketing-led group of neighbourhood grocery stores in California and other states.

Trader Joe’s is headquartered in Monrovia, California and a leader in “fresh format” grocery stores. By November 2019, Trader Joe’s had over 503 stores nationwide in 42 states and Washington DC.

The enterprising local couple previously owned Northern Ireland’s only fudge factory and visitor centre, Granny Shaw’s, on the historic Glenarm Estate in the Co Antrim village. “While we loved the setting in the estate and were well treated by the team there we became concerned about the impact of the coronavirus on footfall from tourism and especially the many events organised there including the hugely successful Dalriada Festival,” Glen, originally from Lisburn, explains. Granny Shaw’s os a Food NI member company.

“Tourism has effectively dried up for this year and mostof the events have been postponed. We just had to move to a location which offered greater numbers ofshoppers and thereby enable us to sustain and grow our business. I’d always been keen on running my own food business. Granny Shaw’s Trading Post is a dream come true for both of us,” he says.

They quickly found premises in Ballymena’s Tower Centre. “This gave us an opportunity to review our business model, strengthen our appeal to shoppers and thereby ensure our long-term future,” he says.

Encouraged and assisted by brother Cliff, who has vast experience in food retailing, the couple opted to carry the Granny Shaw’s identity into the creation of the new trading post that’s run by Rhonda.

While fudge continues to feature strongly at the shop, Glen and Rhonda grasped the opportunity to introduce many of local artisan producers to Ballymena town centre. It’s initiative that has attracted support for local producers who also see the potential of an attractive location at the heart of one of Co Antrim’s most popular shopping hubs.

The new store brings together some of the best food products around. Apart from trays of fudge, of course, the shop includes Erne Larder’s Bacon Jam and Ketchup, Amber Catering and Cakes, Papas Mineral Cordials, Ruby’s Fine Foods, Kennedy Bacon, and Long Meadow Apple Cider Vinegar.

There are also cheeses, sausages, oils, balsamicvinegars and curry sauces. Glen describes it as a one-stop shop for fine food excellence coupled with a friendly customer service.

To be ready for the re-opening of shopping centres last week, they kitted out and stocked the shop in just three weeks, a measure of strength of their commitment to their new business venture.

“We are immensely excited by the trading post because we believe it’s something very different in Ballymena,” continues Glen, a talented flautist who also runs a music management business. Sons Ross (20) and Jake (17) have both studied the instrument at the prestigious James Galway Flute Academy and are continuing their academic studies.

Selling fudge has brought the couple into contact with dozens of other artisan traders. They quickly saw the business potential from Northern Ireland’s vibrant artisan food sector which has also won international acclaim.

The company’s unique identity and fudge recipe comes from Rhonda’s grandmother. “We all loved her fudge and were also influenced to start Granny Shaw’s by the remarkable growth in artisan foods here over the past decade. It began as a bit of a hobby but soon moved up a notch due to the very encouraging feedback we received from our participation at food markets such as the hugely successful Causeway Speciality in Coleraine,” he says.

He continues: “Our fudge is handmade using the freshest ingredients and creamy Irish butters in a range of flavours. The fudge doesn’t need to be refrigerated and keeps at its best for up to six weeks. In addition to growing sales here, the company also receives orders regularly from international customers. The fudge has also been recognised for its taste and quality in the influential UK Great Taste Awards.

Rhonda’s management skills and dedication led to a shortlisting in the Ulster Tatler magazine’s Business Woman of the Year Awards last year.