Glenarm Shorthorn meat from Northern Ireland has been described as the ‘finest fresh beef in the country’ by Fortnum and Mason chief executive Ewan Ventners.

Mr Ventners referred to the Glenarm beef, which is supplied to Fortnum and Mason, the iconic department store in London’s Piccadilly by Hannan Meats in Moira, in an article in The Grocer, the UK retail industry’s top trade magazine.

The Glenarm beef is dry-aged in Hannan’s Himalayan salt chambers, the world’s biggest. Hannan, a Food NI member company, is a longstanding supplier of meat products to Fortnum and Mason.

Mr Ventners, commenting on the strong growth achieved by food at Fortnum and Mason, said the retailer sold meat worth around £1 million annually over its extensive butchery counter.

In the article “Fortnum’s balances local trade with global goals’ Mr Ventners, chief executive for the past seven years, says the business has focused on developing local shoppers as well as tourists.

The retailer had tripled in size, with a 12 per cent rise in sales in 2017/18 to £126 million and profits up 26 percent to £9.6 million. It had succeeded through a commitment quality, price, packaging, design and service”.

He referred to Glenarm beef from Northern Ireland as a fine example of this commitment and to its popularity with “domestic consumers who are coming back to buy it on a regular basis”.

Peter Hannan, managing director of Hannan Meats, says: “What makes the Glenarm Shorthorn beef so special is the harmony of expertise.

Our Glenarm Shorthorn farmers produce wonderful cattle and finish them to their optimum level. They arrive with us in peak condition and this allows us to mature them in a chosen fashion. The net result is beef that eats as good as it gets.”

The Co Antrim estate, according to farm manager Brian Wilson, is continually adapting to the challenges of modern farming and decided to convert to organic in 2008.

The Good Food Guide has announced its top eateries and award winners. Alongside the finest dining establishments in the country, the Guide, owned by Waitrose & Partners, celebrates quality eateries in local areas such as Wine & Brine in Moira and new discoveries including Six by Nico in Belfast. The top-scoring restaurant in Northern Ireland is Ox in Belfast.

Elizabeth Carter, Waitrose Good Food Guide Editor, says of the restaurant, “Stephen Toman’s place occupies snug but stylish premises overlooking the river Lagan, with Andy Scott’s Beacon of Hope sculpture just outside. A little creative redesign has exposed the kitchen to public view, but otherwise Ox is in a powerfully steady state, producing seasonally informed, imaginative tasting menus that concentrate on seducing the palate as well as the eye. Here, seasons aren’t defined as quarterly but weekly, emphasising the care that goes into sourcing.”

In total, Northern Ireland boasts 14 restaurants in the Guide, 8 of which are Food NI members. They are Ox, Belfast, Deanes Eipic, Belfast,  James St, Belfast, Wine & Brine, Moira, Il Pirata, Belfast, The Muddlers Club, Belfast,  Hadskis, Belfast and Harry’s Shack, Portstewart.

Other winners included Mourne Seafood Bar, Belfast Shu, Belfast, Yügo,Belfast, Six by Nico, Belfast , The Ginger Bistro, Belfast and The Bay Tree, Holywood, Co Down Northern Ireland has one new entry in this year’s Good Food Guide, which is Six by Nico.

Elizabeth Carter, Waitrose Good Food Guide Editor, says of the restaurant “From the Glasgow original of the same name, Nico Simeone’s enterprising formula of a six-course tasting menu that changes every six weeks has spawned two offshoots, in Edinburgh and here in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter. Small café tables on a parquet floor, with an open kitchen overseeing proceedings, form the setting for themes such as Childhood or The Chippie (the latter running from chips and cheese to – gulp – a deep-fried Mars bar).

The Good Food Guide is compiled by coupling reader feedback of eateries up and down the country with anonymous inspections by a team of experts.

The Good Food Guide is published by Waitrose & Partners on 12th September, available in Waitrose & Partners shops and online. RRP £17.99.

Genesis Crafty, a company which makes pancakes, scones, cakes and bread is investing £750,000 and creating 35 new jobs in Magherafelt. It comes after the business won new contracts for all year-round and Christmas products.

350 people already work at the plant which produces its own range of Genesis Crafty bakes and own-label cakes and breads for retailers including Marks and Spencer and Waitrose. A recruitment drive has now been launched. The positions include machine operators, supervisors, engineers and skilled bakers.

The company was sold as a private investment to Paul Allen, chief executive of Tayto Group, last August.

“This shows the significant progress that Genesis has made in the last number of months,” said Mr Allen.

“We have consolidated our operations, refined our distribution and sought to build upon the strong relationships that we have with premium retailers across the UK and Ireland.”

Foodies from across the borough and beyond will be delighted to learn that a new Taste of Greyabbey guided food tour will take place on Thursday 26 September!

Located around seven miles from Newtownards, this unique tour is based in the historic village which gained its name from Grey Abbey, a Cisterian abbey-monastery that dates from 1193.

The village boasts stunning views across Strangford Lough and has since become a food connoisseur’s paradise with a delectable selection of restaurants that offer first-class dining experiences.

‘Herbs, spices and botanicals’ provides the theme of the tour and it all starts on the Thursday evening at the physic garden in the grounds of Grey Abbey with an informative talk on the use of herbs for medicines and cooking.

There will be an opportunity to walk around the Abbey ruins before moving on to a four-course dinner that takes in four different restaurants – Lekker, Tuk Tuk Asian Bistro, Alchemy and ending at the historic Wildfowler Inn with their delicious autumn platter, local ales and evening entertainment.

It’s a truly mouth-watering prospect and as the dark nights start to close in, treating yourself to an exquisite guided food tour in the historic village of Greyabbey where you can enjoy stunning views, delicious food and a little bit of local history never seemed like a better idea!

Tickets cost £43 and booking is essential. Tickets are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/ardsandnorthdown.

For more information, including a full menu, go to visitardsandnorthdown.com.