Food NI member Golden Popcorn in Northern Ireland has strengthened its product portfolio with the introduction of an original flavour for retailers and cinemas throughout the island of Ireland.

Based in Antrim, Golden Popcorn, a specialist in popcorn for cinemas, has launched a Sweet Cinnamon in 80g in line with growing market trend towards the flavour as an a healthy ingredient.

“The introduction of the cinnamon flavour is the outcome of our ongoing market research into new and different flavours over the past few months. We have other exciting products in the pipeline to accelerate the growth of our business,” explains

Golden Popcorn managing director Sean McClinton. “While we are the leading manufacturer of cinema style sweet and salted popcorn in Northern Ireland we are also experiencing substantial growth in the retail sector especially in major supermarkets,” he adds.

He continues: “Our growing success is based on our longstanding commitment to using only the best quality ingredients with high standards of food safety and hygiene, recognised with industry awards over the last few years.”

The new product, Mr McClinton adds, is based on a recipe developed by the company’s in-house NPD team and follows extensive taste tests.

The new flavour is already on the shelves of Tesco stores and will be on sale soon in other retailers in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as well as cinemas.

The new flavour joins Sweet, Sweet and Salty, and Salted in 95g, 100g and the Sweet popcorn in 120g bags.

Ireland’s leading producer of cinema-style popcorn, Golden Popcorn was originally established in 1996 to supply popcorn in bulk to cinemas and other leisure outlets.

The company was then acquired by a local food entrepreneur in 2014 and a new brand identity and packaging were subsequently introduced in a major rebranding and review of the business, its product range and markets.

Golden Popcorn then moved to a purpose-built factory and office space in Antrim in February 2017, due to growth in sales.

This was followed by a major and ongoing marketing drive in Northern Ireland and the Republic targeting supermarkets in particular. The company is also exploring business opportunities developing in Britain. It has achieved BRC AA status.

Golden Popcorn has been assisted by business development agency Invest NI to increase production and grow sales.

Our world-class chefs and innovative artisan producers are coming together this autumn for one of the most exciting food events in the world – Taste the Island.

Tourism Ireland has created a new online film to give prospective visitors everywhere a flavour of the exceptional level of our food and drink. Delicious and creative dishes, rich traditions and incredible flavours – Tourism Ireland’s message around the world is that there has never been a more exciting time to come and discover Ireland’s food scene.

Taste the Island involves more than 500 food and drink-related experiences lined up over 59 days – so, Tourism Ireland is inviting international visitors to take a seat at the table and get their fill of some of those amazing food and drink experiences!

To read more, click here.

To view the Taste the Island Campaign follow the links:

TV 1: https://app.frame.io/presentations/5ee2c481-1905-4fb5-b0aa-466466d0e52b

TV2: https://app.frame.io/presentations/0e170fc8-66f7-4dba-93e9-abd0accaf3b6

Millbay Oysters, Northern Ireland’s multi-award-winning oysters, is enjoying rapid growth in exports especially in China. As a result of this strong growth in key markets such as China and France, the company is planning a significant expansion of its existing oyster farm on the north side of Carlingford Lough.

Based near Kilkeel, Millbay Oysters, headed by Andrew Rooney, who’s also managing director of Rooney Fish Ltd, Northern Ireland’s leading fish and seafood processor, has seen sales in China grow rapidly to 25 percent of its overall oyster business.

Millbay oysters, awarded the coveted three stars in this year’s 2019 Great Taste Awards and was overall supreme champion last year in Blas na hEireann, the Irish National Food Awards, are now being enjoyed in high-end restaurants, hotels, private parties and embassies including the British Consulate General in Hong Kong.

“Our Millbay oysters are now being enjoyed by diners in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the three centres where we now have distributors,” Mr Rooney says.

“While I’ve been travelling to trade shows in China for many years and have developed business for Rooney Fish seafood and shellfish, the first sales of my Millbay oysters were agreed only just before Christmas of 2018. The business for oysters has grown substantially and now accounts for 25 percent of total oyster sales,” he adds.

Mr Rooney attributes the success of the Millbay oysters to the high meat content.

“Our farming techniques are focusing on maximising meat content,” Mr Rooney continues. “Our meat yield is generally 22 percent. Existing and potential customers are increasingly recognising this quality. As result, demand for the oysters especially in China is extremely strong,” he adds.

Currently in the running for a Great Taste Award Prestigious Golden Fork, Millbay oysters has been lauded by judges in previous awards. The unique oysters have been described by food experts as “large succulent oysters. “A great oyster” with a” joyous sweetness, like diving into the Pacific Ocean”, “exquisite”, and “absolutely breath taking”.

Such glowing endorsements, Mr Rooney says, have “substantially increased awareness of the quality and outstanding taste” of the Millbay oysters in global markets”.

“There’s a now a massive and exciting business opportunity for the Millbay oysters developing in China which could lead to even faster growth in other centres there,” Mr Rooney says. “It’s an exacting marketplace in which people expect and demand the consistent quality, appealing appearance and superb taste we are able to provide. We now have the orders for a substantial growth of the business there,” he
adds.

To enable it to meet the growth in demand, Millbay is seeking and needs planning approval for a substantial expansion of its existing18.4 hectare farm on the picturesque Carlingford Lough which offers an ideal environment especially in its clean waters for oyster farming.

Northern Ireland’s Whitewater Brewery has won first business in Sweden for its award winning Kreme de la Kremlin Imperial Russian Stout in 330ml cans.

Based at Castlewellan in county Down, Whitewater, an independent craft brewer, is supplying its Imperial Stout (ABV10.5%), a winner of the coveted three stars in this year’s UK Great Taste Awards, to Systembolaget, the Swedish government-owned chain of liquor stores.

The Stockholm-based state body is the only one allowed to sell alcoholic beverages in Sweden and has almost 450 retail outlets across the country.

Managing director Bernard Sloan, who founded Whitewater Brewery in 1996, says: “We identified Sweden as a potential market for us as part of our strategic focus on pinpointing opportunities to grow sales outside Northern Ireland.

“We already have developing business in other European markets as well as in Japan and Singapore.

“Earlier in the year, we submitted samples, including our unique Imperial Stout, to Systembolaget for its rigorous procedures that include exacting taste panels. The stout passed with flying colours and was subsequently selected for launch in the run up to the Christmas season under the Celtic Christmas Stout label.

“We are thrilled by this new business in an immensely important and quality regulated global marketplace.

“Our Imperial stout is a strong and richly flavoured dark stout that’s been carefully brewed and then aged for 12 weeks in whiskey casks in the brewery. It packs quite a punch.

“While we now operate from a purpose-built brewery, among the most modern in Northern Ireland, we remain faithful to traditional craft brewing techniques that ensure premium quality and consistently outstanding taste,” adds Mr Sloan.

In addition to being listed among the top companies in this year’s Great Taste Awards, Whitewater Brewery, a family business, has won endorsement for its beers at major industry competitions in Budapest and Frankfurt, where the Imperial Stout was named the UK’s ‘Best Beer’.

“Our continuing success in Britain, Ireland and other international markets is the outcome of our commitment to use only the very best ingredients in the production of all our beers,” Mr Sloan continues.

“Winning three stars in this year’s Great Taste Awards was a massive boost which we hope will increase awareness especially in Britain, a market we can keen to expand existing business,” he adds.

Business development body Invest NI has assisted the development of the company’s plant and international marketing campaign.

As well as its own canning line, Whitewater supplies its range of beers and stout in bottles and casks.

Food NI member Erne Larder Preserves in Enniskillen has won a listing from German discounter Lidl Ireland.

Based in Enniskillen, Erne Larder is owned and managed by experienced chef Declan O’Donoghue and specialises in sauces such as the popular Irish Bacon Sauce, as well as jams and chutneys.

Lidl Ireland has listed Erne Larder’s limited edition Irish Whiskey marmalade as part of its Lidl Kickstart scheme to assist smaller food producers. It’s the second listing by Lidl of an Erne Larder product following last year’s choice of its Irish Bacon Jam.

The marmalade, according to Mr O’Donoghue, will be on the shelves in 200 stores from 2 nd September. He continues: “It’s an incredible achievement for our business to be punching above weight once again. We are thrilled by the opportunity and value the opportunity immensely to strengthen our relationship with Lidl.”

The marmalade is based on an original recipe developed by Mr O’Donoghue, a chef with experience over 20 years working in major roles in hotels across Ireland.

“I’ve always been keen on making my own food products and decided to start with a range of unusual jams and chutneys for events in 2017,” he explains. “I then developed a network of customers in delis and independent retailers,” he says.

The popularity of his products at markets in Fermanagh and Tyrone encouraged him to set up his own small business and to create a distinctive range of jams and condiments including Irish bacon ketchup and pesto.

“I love coming up with innovative food with different blends of flavours,” he adds. A key element in his business approach is a focus on locally-sourced ingredients. “There are so many excellent products available across Northern Ireland that can be used to create innovative and tasty products,” he adds.