The £25 million support package for beef and dairy farmers secured by Agriculture minister Edwin Poots is a timely boost for the two largest sectors of our vitally important farming industry. The Minister has vowed to do all he can to support the agriculture industry during these very difficult times. It is very encouraging to hear that DAERA now has responsibility for food security.

It is important that we continue to ensure that farming and food are in a healthy shape for the months and years ahead. There is no doubt that food and drink are forefront of people’s minds in a way we could never have imagined a year ago.

As Northern Ireland is such a large producer of beef and dairy produce, the volatile prices on the world market impact them hard and the sectors may yet face other discouraging problems arising from the new Brexit protocol. As events last week showed, Brexit is right back on the agenda. Furthermore, the new Agriculture Bill presents new and worrying threats to the industry.

While the UK Government has pledged – and continues to insist forthrightly – that there will not be any new hurdles to face for agri-food, we will just have to wait to see how the so-called Irish Sea ‘border’ pans out in practice. We can’t take anything for granted. Our Executive must continue to maintain influence on the Government to ensure that our vital agri-food industry is not be adversely impacted by whatever happens next year.

It’s crucial that access to the GB market, our single most important, remains totally unfettered and that there is movement from here to Britain without any further bureaucratic requirements.  Britain will continue to need our quality and traceable food and we must not be placed at a disadvantage against food products imported from third countries, as appears to be a threat in the Agriculture Bill.

Farming and food are more important to the local economy than in many other parts of Britain and it must be nurtured to adapt and grow in both short and long terms. Another unexpected outcome of the pandemic is that people are more focused on health and the benefits derived from a plant-based diet.

Having read the protocol, I am confident that companies here will evolve to best effect. We are a region of innovators. I’ve been thoroughly impressed during the coronavirus crisis by the response of many of our valued farm-based food and drink processors across Northern Ireland.

Recent examples which we’ve been happy to support and promote include the new ‘Ulster Fry in a Box’ from Castlescreen Farm near Downpatrick. Damian Tumelty andJackie Gibson, who run the 100-acre livestock farm created a range of meat boxes for collection or home delivery and have also included other artisan products such as Long Meadow cider.

Glastry Farm in Kircubbin is now delivering its award-winning luxury ice cream and sorbet to doorsteps in Co Down and parts of Belfast. Streamvale Open Farm at Dundonald is collaborating with Mash Direct, Comber; Corries in Newtownards and with a local bakery and fishmonger to deliver a wide range of artisan products. Mash Direct is also operating its own delivery service. Dean Wright at Ballylisk Dairies in Tandragee is delivering milk and other artisan foods to doorsteps in Armagh. Dale Farm, in addition, is also delivering milk from its farmers. Mervyn Kennedy is delivering bacon all over Northern Ireland from his farm near Omagh.

This all adds up to a resilient and highly innovative food and drink community positioned for continuing growth beyond the virus.

Award-winning artisan producer Annie’s Delights in Northern Ireland has gained a major award for innovation during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The small bakery, which is based at Portglenone in county Antrim and has gained Blas na hEireann Irish Food awards for its handcrafted products, gained a gold level award from Innovate NI for ‘thinking outside the box’ to keep the business trading during the pandemic.

The company, founded and run by experienced businesswoman Ann Marie Collins in 2014, specialises in handmade jams, chutneys and baked goods mostly from locally grown and sourced ingredients. She grows some of her own ingredients such as beetroot and rhubarb. Annie’s Delights is a Food NI member company.

Ann Marie won two silvers at Blas na hEireann for her pear, apple and apricot chutney and her lemon curd.

The Innovate NI award recognises her response to the serious setback to her business by the closure of local farmers’ and food markets due to the virus outbreak in mid-March. “Around 90 percent of my sales revolved around trading at markets,” continues Ann Marie. “I was devastated because I didn’t then sell to stores. I had introduced new labelling in a drive to develop sales to these outlets when the virus reached Northern Ireland and my cashflow virtually dried up.

“I quickly decided to launch a delivery service to existing and potential customers from markets. I then decided to invest in my website (www.anniesdelights.com) for online sales. It’s now generating sales and is proving itself as an important and timely investment.

“So, although it may be small, a sole trader, in the way of innovation compared to bigger companies it has turned my business around and is now generating cashflow to keep my business going. I can see online sales becoming an important part of my business when the virus eventually disappears,” adds Ann Marie, who creates all the products herself.

Ann Marie was encouraged to enter Innovate NI competition by the Foodovation team at the North West Regional College in Derry. Foodovation helps smaller food companies like Annie Delight’s in a range of areas including new product development.

Innovate NI is an innovation and management consulting company headquartered in Derry. It supportssmall business development, entrepreneurship, as well as digital and social innovation projects.

It specialises in business mentoring and advice support, project management, business planning, event and conference development/management.

Innovate NI said it had “recognised this small business because Ann Marie has adapted, changed and innovated by developing an orders and home delivery service, as well as launching a new website with an e-commerce platform – well done to all involved.”

Sea Sugar, Northern Ireland’s award-winning creator of handcrafted confectionery, has invested in attractive new packaging that showcases the quality of the handmade sweets for a post-lockdown sales drive.

Based at Larne in county Antrim, the small manufacturer of high-end pulled, boiled confectionery has developed the colourful and recyclable packaging to increase business especially with delis and premium stores when the lockdown is lifted.

Linda McGibbon, who founded the business in 2012, says all the packs are different and use colours to reflect the variety of the range of confectionery in her portfolio. Previously they were all the same design. “They incorporate fresh new imagery of fruit to reflect the flavours and emphasise that all the sweets are natural colours and flavours and use high quality ingredients,” Linda says.

“The card used isn’t film coated and so the packs are recyclable with cardboard or paper waste which will tie in well when I switch to using biodegradable inner bags soon!

“The packs have been designed to allow them to stand up neatly and look great when arranged on a shelf or a counter.

“I switched to the attractive new packaging because I wanted to show that the product is more than just ‘a wee bag of sweets’ and to demonstrate that they’re award-winning, high-end products which could easily sit next to similar premium products in a deli or store.

“I wanted contemporary packaging to reflect the high quality of the contents. I believe that this has been achieved and will position us for the growth I hope for when the lockdown is over and all the shops and food markets are open again,” she adds.

She had been interested in running her own small business and spotted a market opportunity for pulled, boiled sweets. “I opted for pulled sweets because this process allows air to be incorporated and creates a lighter product with a much crunchier texture.” The use of only natural, high quality flavour extracts gives a much richer and true flavour to the sweets.”

“My pulled sweets are a natural product made from sugar, water, glucose, natural colours and natural flavourings,” adds Linda. “I’ve opted for less common flavour combinations because I wanted to create a gourmet product. I want consumers to take time to enjoy the strong flavours of the sweets. All are lovingly handmade. They’ve just been launched and are selling very well online,” she adds.

The pulled sweets are available in 100g packs. The sweets are also free from gluten, dairy, additives and fat. All the sweets are made in very small 4 – 6kg batches, thus ensuring consistent high quality.

Buy cases and 100 per cent goes to the charity

Covid-19 has understandably had a huge impact on everyone’s lives and the NHS is totally deserving of all of our admiration and support, but many charities are finding themselves in real financial trouble because of the restrictions.

Tiny Life is a premature baby charity provides practical and emotional support to the parents of premature babies,  every day in Northern Ireland 6 babies arrive too soon, some arriving as early as 24 weeks, weighing as little as 1lb!  

TinyLife, had organised a fundraising Gin Afternoon Tea at Parliament Buildings on the Saturday of the Mother’s Day weekend  –  Saturday 21st March 2020.  The gin was to be paired with Longbridge mixers. That obviously had to be cancelled, but in an effort to try and raise some funds, Wayne Adair from Longbridge Drinks has offered 70 cases of Belfast Tonic and Belfast Raspberry and Rose to be sold with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to TinyLife.

“I read about how they were struggling for funds in the Sunday Life newspaper and I thought, why not try and sell the mixer cases to people? They get the mixers and they know that they have helped a really deserving local charity” said Wayne Adair.

He has supported the charity for several years now.

People who would like to buy simply log onto www.buytickets.at/tinylife, submit their payment details and print an e-ticket. The tickets can then be then be taken to Indie Fude, Castle Street in Comber, McKenna’s Today’s Express, 477a Falls Road in West Belfast, or from TinyLife offices, 11 – 13 Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast to collect the cases.

Each case contains 24 bottles and costs £15 usually retailing around £30.

Valerie Cromie, Head of Fundraising says ‘In these unusual times we are trying all sorts of ways to raise funds for the charity. As you can imagine our events have all had to be cancelled for the rest of the year. Wayne’s generosity means that TinyLife will be benefit and those purchasing will be receiving a quality product at a vastly reduced price, they will also know they are supporting tiny babies across Northern Ireland.  We greatly appreciate the help of Indie Fude & McKenna’s in assisting with collection points.’

In Northern Ireland more than 1800 babies are born too soon.  On average there are 2 stillbirths every week. 

 

Suki Tea Makers is taking on the UK’s favourite fizzy drinks brands with the launch of two new sparkling iced teas.

The Belfast company has launched Suki’s Sparkling Tea Infusions, available in ‘Black Tea and Peach’ and ‘White Tea, Apple and Elderflower’ flavours. The delicate varieties are created using hand-picked tea leaves, botanicals and natural fruit juices.

The new infusions are made using real brewed leaf teas with no essences, no extracts and no artificial flavourings. It’s an elevated approach that lifts SUKI’s iced teas above heavily sugared, generic tasting alternatives.

Canned in hand-drawn packaging with illustrations by Belfast-based artist Thomas Bannon, Ssuki’s’s Sparkling Tea Infusions boast a premium feel to match the premier taste.

Oscar Woolley, founder and managing director of Suki Tea, says: “We’re stepping outside our comfort zone once again to seek new adventures in the world of tea with the launch of Sparkling Tea Infusions. We wanted to create a product aimed at the UK fizzy drinks industry that didn’t lose any of Suki’s’s integrity and hard-earned reputation for authenticity and a genuinely crafted, curated experience.

“At less than 60 calories per can, Suki’s Sparkling Tea Infusions are the ideal healthy alternative to get your fizzy fix, silence your sweet tooth and quench your thirst. The iced teas are perfect for afternoon teas, picnics, festivals or simply hanging out at home on long, sunny days. There’s also the option to get creative with cocktails and add a cheeky bit of zing. The peach tea is perfect as a dark rum mixer, while the elderflower goes rather well with tequila.”

With over 15 years’ experience at the traditional end of the tea market, Suki has the vision, the curiosity and the confidence to explore new tea experiences. Suki Sparkling Tea Infusions is the perfect example of that pioneering spirit and the 250ml cans are available to order today from suki-tea.com. Prices start from £8.00 for a pack of four.  The infusions are alcohol free and have no added sugar.

Based in Belfast, Suki Tea Makers ethically source and blend loose leaf teas, herbal infusions and fruit blends from all over the world. The company’s commitment to quality is reflected in responsible sourcing, great taste and delivering the very best customer experiences.