Bakery secures new listings with Asda 

Magherafelt based bakery, Genesis, has secured two new product listings, with the arrival of its Iced and Coconut Fingers to Asda stores across Northern Ireland.

The deal builds upon Asda and Genesis’ existing relationship, which has seen the bakery supply products to the retailer since 2010.

JP Lyttle, Commercial Director for Genesis explains,

“The Iced Fingers 4pk and Coconut Fingers 4pk, whilst still the much-loved traditional products they have always been – have been updated following market research, which showed a moister bread with a softer texture was what most consumers wanted.”

The redeveloped Genesis iced finger has an improved recipe which creates a softer baked finger, compared against the current UK market offering.

JP continued, “We are delighted to continue our relationship with Asda with the arrival of these two new products.

“Our lines are still produced by hand, which sets them apart from many similar products on bakery shelves – and our iced and coconut fingers are no different, with each one dipped and finished by one of our skilled bakers.

“We redeveloped these products last year and these new listings with Asda give us the perfect opportunity to showcase our innovation to shoppers across Northern Ireland.”

Emma Swan, Asda’s Buying Manager for NI Local added,

“At Asda we pride ourselves on bringing our customers the best quality products at great prices – and our work with Genesis is no different.

“We are delighted to add to our Genesis range with the two new product lines of much-loved Coconut Fingers and Iced Fingers – as well as supporting a local supplier that has been in business since 1968. We hope our customers enjoy these new and improved traditional Northern Irish treats!

Ewing’s Seafoods in Belfast, the leading Northern Ireland fish and seafood retailer, has gained the highest global standard for quality food, processing and safety for consumers.

The family business, which has been processing and selling seafood to other retailers as well as leading hotels and restaurants and directly to shoppers, on the Shankill Road for over a century has just been awarded for the sixth consecutive year  the British Retail Consortium (BRC) hugely important double A star rating, its highest certificate for a food business.

“We are thrilled to have again gained this very significant certification, the highest ever for a fish business in Northern Ireland supplying directly to food service,” says commercial director Crawford Ewing. “BRC prescribes quality, safety and operational criteria to ensure that manufacturers fulfil their legal obligations and provide protection for the end consumer. It was awarded to us following the most rigorous inspection by an experienced panel of experts.

“It means all our customers in both retail and food service can now count on Ewing’s for supreme quality fish and seafood processed to the highest globally rated hygiene and safety standards.

“We are the first fish and seafood business in our sector to achieve this certification. It will be enormously beneficial as we continue to grow our business,” adds Mr Ewing.

Ewing’s now supplies major retailers such as Sainsbury’s and top chefs in over 300 restaurants with a range of fresh and processed seafood especially its multi-award winning smoked salmon for which it has won a series of UK Great Taste Awards. A smoked cod loin also gained three gold stars for outstanding taste and quality in the Great Taste Awards.

The company recently completed a new smokery at its Belfast plant for curing fresh and organic fish especially its salmon and cod. It has been smoking fish since its establishment in 1911.

The delicate process involves a unique cure created by the company. Fish is smoked slowly over oak and beech wood and the processing takes around a week. The overall investment also included a purpose-designed high care packaging facility and an extensive additional freezer.

It sources fish and other seafood from local trawlers in Kilkeel, Co Down, Northern Ireland’s main seafood hub, as well as from Portavogie and organic salmon from Glenarm.

BRC was founded in 1996 by retailers who wanted to harmonise food safety standards across the supply chain. It has developed a family of standards referred to as BRC certification.

It’s a jam packed episode this week for Rare Breed fans, with five of our families keeping us up-to-date with their busy lives.   It’s August in the next episode of UTV’s Rare Breed – A Farming Year and we travel the length and breadth of Northern Ireland getting an insight into what’s keeping our folks busy at this time of year.

We’re off first to the McGovern’s farm near Clogher in Tyrone. Orlagh is celebrating a great set of ‘A’-Level results as well as her 19th birthday!  The family then head out to the Jason McGovern Memorial Tractor Run.  This is the fifth year of the event which all the family supports as well as the local community. Over 200 tractors turn up for this year’s event. Three of the girls are driving tractors on the day – pointing out it’s not much different to driving a car, you just need to be more aware of the surroundings.

Next, we head to Cloughmills Co Antrim, whereWallace Gregg’s new milking parlour is proving a big hit with him and his herd alike. The parlour was over tenyears in the planning with anxious times waiting for planning permission as well as a sizeable investment. He can now milk 24 cows in ten minutes when it took half an hour in the old parlour.  His young son James is proving a dab had with the new technology.

Farm vet Diane Beattie is doing a surgical shift at Ballyclare Animal Hospital, and taking a break from farm work.  She gets gowned up to neuter a boxer dog and while she operates she talks about how neutering dogs can help calm them down, and also prevent certain cancers.

In Lisnaskea in Fermanagh, Stephen Maguire is battling bad weather and reassessing the future of his beef herd.  He’s separating six month old male and female calves, and discusses the pros and cons ofdiversifying into dairy, poultry or pork.  He weighs and vaccinates the calves to cut the risk of pneumonia, until the heavy rain stops the work for a while.

Finally, it’s back to outside Newtownards to Valentine and Chris Hodges. The bees have to come out of the frames before they extract the very first honey of the year.  The Hodges have invested in a new spinning machine to make the process easier but results in Chris throwing himself across it to keep it on the ground!  The bees too have suffered as a result of the heavy August rain and has hampered honey production.

UTV’s Mark McFadden narrates the series, sponsored by Moy Park.   Rare Breed – A Farming Year continues on Thursday 27th February at 8.30pm on UTV.

In February 2020 ITV and Veg Power will launch another, even bigger, Eat Them to Defeat Them campaign focused once again at primary school age kids.

● ITV, Channel 4 and Sky Media have committed to advertising and editorial support
● Our creatively acclaimed Eat Them to Defeat Them ad will again engage the kids. This year it will be supported by six 10 second ads challenging them to eat that week’s featured veg
● Supermarkets across the UK will be supporting the campaign at point of purchase
● The new programme for schools will reach 500,000 children in 2,000 schools

Each week will feature a rally cry around one of Britain’s family favourite vegetables – helping to build veg loving habits the kids will develop and pass on to the next generation.

Each week features:
• A specific 10 second TV ad calling the kids to defeat that veg
• Many of Britain’s favourite chefs inspiring on social media with recipes
• Supermarkets supporting with placement and promotions
• Schools and caterers across the UK using play, learning and taste
• Kids at home ticking that veg off their reward charts as they take them down
• Each veg will have a catchphrase we’ll be encouraging the kids to adopt

Why not support the campaign with recipes, store placement, promotions, social posts and fun around the featured veg.

For more information contact Dan Parker, dan.parker@vegpower.org.uk

Have you got the next big food or drink idea?

Gordon Ramsay is on the hunt for the UK’s most exciting and innovative new food and drink businesses.

In a brand-new series for BBC One, Gordon will put a group of superstar entrepreneurs through a series of challenges inspired by his own career… and whoever impresses him most will win a life-changing opportunity.

You may have worked in the food and drink industry for years, or you may just be starting out with a great new concept. Whatever your level of experience, Studio Ramsay wants to hear from you.

Application link – bit.ly/2uhJx3s