Children’s cancer charity, Cancer Fund for Children is offering businesses and organisations throughout Northern Ireland the opportunity to experience the ‘Magic of Daisy Lodge’ whilst making a difference to the lives of children and young people impacted by cancer.

Daisy Lodge is Cancer Fund for Children’s unique therapeutic facility nestled at the foothills of the Mourne Mountains in Newcastle Co. Down.  Since opening Daisy Lodge in 2014 the charity has welcomed over 2,140 families affected by cancer for a free short break, allowing them to relax and recuperate and spend precious time together as a family unit. Now the charity is offering organisations the opportunity to use this amazing space for conferences, meetings and team building days to help raise vital funds.

To accommodate businesses they have a range of hospitality packages and facilities on offer.  This includes three private meeting rooms and a dining area that can accommodate small parties up to groups of up to 80 guests, free on-site parking, accommodation on request and the services of their award winning hospitality and catering team

Joan Burden, Cancer Fund for Children’s Hospitality Manager explains,

“When families aren’t staying with us we want to be able to offer companies the chance to use this tranquil and nurturing space. Daisy Lodge has been described by many families as a ‘haven’ and it really is the perfect space for businesses to take time out and gain inspiration. Better still by hiring our facilities you will be helping us provide hundreds of children diagnosed with cancer or living with a parent with cancer with practical and emotional support when they need it most.”

Not only will organisations using the facilities available at Daisy Lodge find breath-taking views of the Mourne Mountains they will also enjoy quality catering from Cancer Fund for Children’s hospitality team who have been awarded the Taste of Ulster for five consecutive years.

To find out more about Cancer Fund for Children’s corporate hospitality packages and how your organisation can meet their corporate social responsibility needs please contact Joan Burden T:028 9080 5599 or email Joan@cancerfundforchildren.com.

Read their CFFC Corporate Hospitality Brochure or visit the Cancer Fund for Children website for more details.

Contact Cancer Fund for Children’s Communications Manager, Rachel Burgoyne on 028 9080 5599 or email rachel@cancerfundforchildren.com for further enquiries.

 

Buchanans, the Northern Ireland specialist in baking and cooking ingredients for both retail and foodservice, has developed a separate nut processing and packing plant as a central feature of a strategic focus on growing business in Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Based at Carrickfergus in County Antrim, ‘Buchanans’, the corporate identity of family-owned WG Buchanan and Son Ltd, has recently completed the construction and fitting out of a new 15,000 sq. ft. production and warehousing complex for its developing nut business. Invest NI has assisted the investment.

The new stand-alone complex is located adjacent to the company’s existing production unit and represents an investment of over £1 million and will lead to around 15 new employment opportunities.

Buchanans, which has been supplying the broadest range of baking and cooking ingredients since 1871, already employs 30 people in its extensive processing and packaging operations for retail and foodservice clients across the UK and Republic of Ireland. Its successful portfolio includes cereal, pulses, seeds, dried fruits, rice and culinary nuts as well as cake decorations.

The company is renowned in Northern Ireland for its market leading ‘Soup Mix’, a wholesome blend of barley, lentils and split peas, the base ingredient for many healthy home cooked soups and broths.
Philip Johnston, director of Operations at Buchanans, says the investment was made to enable it to seize new business opportunities identified in Great Britain, a market currently contributing around 60 percent of its existing sales.

“We’ve pinpointed exciting opportunities especially in the public sector for our range of ingredients in what is a very significant investment for the business,” he says. “Conscious of the growing concern over nut allergies, especially peanuts, we decided to completely separate the processing of nuts from the other aspects of our business.

“Our packaging has had to include customer advice that our products were packed in a factory that also handles nuts. This had a restrictive effect on some of our clients’ ability to increase their sales with us, especially those supplying schools and hospitals, where allergen control is paramount.

Although our nut products were already packed using dedicated machinery and strict allergen controls within our existing site, to minimise any potential cross contamination, we took the decision to invest in a new completely separate processing plant and warehousing in order to provide even greater assurance to both customer and the end user.

“The plant features state-of-the-art processing and packing facilities. We’ve also carried forward the high hygiene standards and robust allergen control which have long been a feature of our existing operations into the new plant. It’s completely self-contained,” he adds.

The company is aiming to grow sales in Britain, particularly to foodservice organisations, by around 15 percent over the next two years through this important strategic investment. The expansion will also provide additional capacity to grow business in the Irish Republic, currently the company’s biggest market outside the UK.

“While our main focus is on growing business with existing and potential clients we’ve pinpointed in Britain, we are also pursuing opportunities in the Republic. We’ve currently got a solid base there for faster growth,” adds Mr Johnston.
Originally established in Belfast, Buchanans moved to a new production and warehousing facility in Carrickfergus in 2007 which enabled the expansion in sales to retailers, wholesalers and foodservice providers throughout the UK, Ireland and further afield.

– Exclusive whiskey and cheese pairing masterclasses will roll out this winter –

Bushmills® Irish Whiskey is collaborating with renowned cheese affineur and founder of The Cheese Tasting Company, Ned Palmer, to host a series of whiskey and cheese pairing masterclasses across Ireland in November and December. The exclusive events will bring the 2019 #BlackBushStories campaign to a close, following a busy calendar of immersive consumer experiences throughout the country.

‘Black Bush & Cheese’ will take place in Belfast at The Pug Lounge in Pug Uglys on Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th November. The events are a first in Northern Ireland for the London-based cheese expert and will see Ned showcasing his favourite Irish cheeses as he joins Bushmills Brand Ambassador, Lauren McMullan, to introduce guests to the arts of both whiskey and cheese tasting.

The masterclass will explore the similarities between the crafts of Irish whiskey distillation and cheese making, uncovering the significance of the maturation process in each and how this reflects in their respective flavour profiles. Alongside this, guests will explore a selection of complementary pairings of Bushmills’ best loved whiskeys with artisan Irish cheeses and will have a go at creating their own pairings.

Inspired by the supreme craftsmanship, passion and care that goes into creating Bushmills Irish Whiskey, #BlackBushStories celebrates those who challenge traditional thinking in their fields and live outside the box. For Ned, a chance cheese tasting over twenty years ago led to a passion project that has developed into a career that he truly loves, building up an unrivalled rapport with dairies and artisan cheesemakers across the country to become a true master in the world of cheese craft.

The collaboration forms part of the immersive event series which tells the stories of independent, spirited and extraordinary talent and aims to inspire others to follow their own passions, whatever they may be.

To register for ‘Black Bush & Cheese’ and to hear more about Ned’s story, visit blackbushstories.com. To join in the conversation and keep up to date with the #BlackBushStories series, follow Bushmills Irish Whiskey on social media @BushmillsIRL.

Just weeks after announcing expansion plans and a major recruitment campaign, Genesis bakery in Magherafelt has unveiled new products, new recipes and a whole new look. Formerly known as Genesis Crafty, the company has dropped the ‘crafty’ and changed its strapline to Genesis – Baking it better since ’68.

Belfast design agency, Thought Collective, was commissioned to manage the rebrand, which follows the announcement that Genesis is investing over £750,000 in the business and recruiting an additional 35 staff.

The new identity is also being supported with an improved, expanded product offering, as Paul Allen, executive chairman, Genesis explains:

“We have been listening to customer feedback and have introduced a fresh, bold contemporary new look for the Genesis brand range. Our customers love our products’ traditional credentials and with new eye-catching packaging, they will be able to see exactly what they are getting.

“Our extensive customer research also led us to develop new recipes, with an increased shelf life and even better taste. The range, which includes delicious wheaten bread, pancakes, scones, soda bread, hot cross buns, coconut and iced fingers, brioche rolls and baps, has been rolling into stores over the last few weeks. A revamped cake range is also planned for the new year which will see new lines sitting alongside the company’s established favourites.”

JP Lyttle, commercial director, Genesis, explains how the rebrand fits within the company’s wider business strategy:

“We are committed to maintaining our high-quality standards and developing innovative product ranges. It is this strive for excellence that has assisted us in winning a range of significant new contracts over the last 12 months. We have successfully reasserted Genesis’ position as an established industry leader and this refreshed identity, supported by an extensive sampling campaign, new creative point of sale, digital, consumer and trade PR, will undoubtedly further build market share.”

Mr Lyttle continues: “Genesis is also driving innovation in terms of our packaging. The company is currently trialling recyclable film across the range with a view to having 100% recyclable packaging by early 2020.”

Sam Bell, creative director with Thought Collective, the Belfast design agency which managed the rebrand, adds: “Genesis is well established for creating quality products; a clear leader in the sector. Thought Collective’s job was to turn that position into a tangible brand. ‘Baking it better since ’68’ was conceived to encapsulate the company’s heritage as well as its vision for the future – it’s the rally cry for a team of innovative master bakers. Strategic copywriting, along with succinct naming and powerful typography have delivered strong foundations for the brand as we move towards phase two.”

Genesis products are sold in more than 700 stores across Northern Ireland. The brand has an impressive 50-year heritage and the use of premium ingredients ensures customers get a fantastic product each time they buy a Genesis branded product. The bakery also produces a range of bread and cakes for many of the UK’s largest and most prestigious retailers including Marks & Spencer and Waitrose.

The company currently employs more than 350 staff in its Magherafelt premises with further recruitment scheduled in the next 12 months to keep pace with the level of ongoing expansion that the business is experiencing.