Morelli’s Ice Cream Makes A Ripple With Morrisons In Britain

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Northern Ireland’s multi-award winning ice cream brand, Morelli’s, has secured a new deal to supply Morrisons, one of the biggest supermarket chains in Britain.

The new contract sees the brand expanding into Great Britain for the first time, with Morrisons stocking 90 of its stores across the North of England and Midlands with three of Morelli’s most popular flavours; Double Cream Vanilla, Honeycomb and Raspberry Ripple.

Launching in stores on Monday 7 th  October, all varieties will be available to purchase in the 950ml take-home range.

Entry into this new market follows Morelli’s expansion into the Republic of Ireland in 2017 and the brand’s Double Cream Vanilla flavour being named the best in the UK and Ireland at the 2019 Ice Cream Awards in February this year.

Speaking about the announcement, Arnaldo Morelli, who heads up the family business from its headquarters in Coleraine, said: “With such a big retail presence in Great Britain, launching our products to the mainland market with Morrisons is a big achievement for us. It offers the perfect platform to introduce a new customer base to some of our most popular flavours.”

Emily Bell, Ice Cream Buyer at Morrisons, added: “We are looking forward to extending our product range and offering Morelli’s award-winning ice cream to our customers. Morrisons is dedicated to offering a variety of high-quality produce and we think the addition of this well-loved Northern Irish brand is a great fit”.

To support the partnership with Morrisons, Morelli’s has invested in new equipment and an additional 70-pallet freezer to meet demand, housed in the expanded Coleraine production facility that was completed at the end of 2018.

The Morelli family has been making ice cream since 1911. It operates a number of family-owned retail outlets across Northern Ireland and several franchise units, alongside listings in some of the leading supermarkets and convenience stores in Northern Ireland.

River To Lough Festival – Family Fun To Celebrate Lough Neagh Pollan

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Family fun returns to the shores of Lough Neagh later this month as the River to Lough Festival celebrates Lough Neagh Pollan, the first product in Northern Ireland to be awarded Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.

On Saturday 28 September the hugely popular food festival will showcase the unique cultural heritage of Lough Neagh and Its Waterways with an event suited to an audience of all ages who can experience the ancient fishing tradition associated with the area.

With funding support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund the festival begins at 11.00am at the Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-op where tickets can be purchased providing access to all venues and activities. Visitors will meet the fishermen and learn how they prepare and fish for pollan, scientists will explain the process while showing off many fascinating creatures from the lough, including live species in aquariums.

A treasure trove of local delicacies will be available to sample and buy in the Food Pavilion and Ruairidh Morrison from North Coast Smokehouse will prepare and hot smoke pollanto whet the appetite. There will be food demos from celebrity chef Paula McIntyre and local chefs creating dishes with Lough Neagh Pollan, other fish from Lough Neagh and a range of local ingredients to inspire the inner foodie and The Elk Complex and O’Neill Arms Hotel will be serving pollanon their menu throughout the day.

At the Lock Keepers Cottage, visitors can enjoy food and craft demonstrations before trying their hand at canoeing from ToomeCanal jetty or taking a leisurely stroll along the Canal Walk and hopping on a RHIB for a short cruise up the Lower River Bann and onto Lough Neagh.

Cathy Chauhan, Product Development & Marketing Manager at Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative said: “The River to Lough Festival has gained a reputation as being one of Northern Ireland’s most unique food festivals. The popular, award winning event, will this year centre around the new Lough Neagh Fisheries Visitor Centre and the factory will house an array of activities associated with fishing on Lough Neagh, with particular emphasis on pollan. Visitors can follow the pollan life cycle trail, find out what they eat, where they breed and what makes them so special. And we are waiving the usual £13 admission fee to the Visitors Centre for visitors to The River to Lough Festival which we firmly believe willbe the ultimate Taste The Island food festival.”

Gerry Darby, Lough Neagh Partnership, said: “The River to Lough Festival has become a key annual event in the Lough Neagh calendar. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to make the lough and its cultural heritage accessible to everyone and this year it makes sense to honour the PDO status achieved for Lough Neagh Pollan. We are spreading the fun packed day over various locations on the shores of the lough so visitors can see at first hand the traditional fishing methods handed down through generations and still employed today for capturing pollan, sample the locally produced food which we are immensely proud of and which is world renowned, experience the newly opened Lough Neagh Fisheries Visitors Centre and enjoy the uniqueness of our destination on a cruise of Lough Neagh. Previously the event has welcomed thousands of visitors and we expect a similar success for this year’s River to Lough Festival.”

Pat Close, Chairman of the Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative Society (LNFCS), said: “We are excited to be showcasing Lough Neagh Pollan at this year’s River to Lough Festival following its PDO accreditation which is just reward for the fishermen of Lough Neagh who work diligently using sustainable, traditional fishing methods to maintain a viable future for the species and the industry.”

Gary Quate, Food and Drink Experience Development Officer at Tourism NI said: “As part of the Taste the Island celebrations, we are pleased to offer support to The River to Lough Festival through Tourism NI’s Taste the Island Events Scheme. The unique festival is a celebration of NI heritage, fishing and the celebrated lough Neagh Pollan. Visitors can explore the new fisherman’s cooperative visitor centre and taste smoked and battered Pollan with demonstrations from some of the finest local chefs. I would encourage visitors to Taste the Island at this unique foodie event and we wish all the organisers, producers and visitors an enjoyable and memorable experience”.

Admission to River to Lough Festival is priced at £2 for adults and under 16s go free. For more information on this unique event including the programme for the day, visit www.rivertolough.co.uk and follow the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rivertoloughfestival and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/river_to_lough.

River to Lough Festival on Saturday 28 September from 11.00am to 5.00pm is one of 10 events in Northern Ireland supported by Taste The Island and is funded by Tourism NI, Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme Dept of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Lough Neagh Partnership, Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership, EnkalonFoundation, Waterways Ireland, Mid Ulster District Council and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.

Gilfresh ‘Carves’ the Way as First Local Pumpkin Supplier to Asda

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For the first time, NI’s supermarket shoppers will be able to buy pumpkins which have been grown on home soil, thanks to a unique partnership between Asda and its main vegetable supplier, Gilfresh.

This year Asda commissioned the Loughgall-based family-run company to grow and supply over 50,000 pumpkins for its 16 NI stores. This will deliver almost half of the total number of pumpkins sold in Asda supermarket’s across NI in the run up to the busy Halloween period.

Due to the unique conditions required to cultivate pumpkins on a commercial scale, Asda had previously been unable to source them in Northern Ireland and depended purely on stocks from specialist farms across England.

As one of Asda’s main vegetable suppliers, and with over 50 years’ experience of crop cultivation, the innovative Gilfresh team rose to the challenge and developed a growing programme to deliver the perfect size and quality of pumpkin.

With the crop now almost ready for harvesting, Danielle Mitchell from Gilfresh said,

“This is a very important and exciting first for Asda and Gilfresh and it highlights both the level of trust in our partnership and the expertise within our business.

“The crop was planted in June and since then, customers have followed its development as they pass our fields on the main road between Portadown and Armagh. We’re delighted with the results and look forward to our first pumpkin harvest.”

Adding his support, Billy Clelland, Quality Manager for Asda NI said,

“Asda is passionate about supporting our NI-based food companies and we’re always looking for ways in which we can help drive innovation and reduce food miles. Gilfresh is one of our long-standing vegetable suppliers and we’re so pleased they’ve helped us achieve this important first which will ensure the Halloween celebrations here are more local than ever!”

Seafood Week Sails Into St George’s Market

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Weekend events programme kicks off Northern Irish activity in nationwide campaign to encourage people to eat more fish and shellfish

 Foodies, families and friends alike can prepare to have their taste buds tantalised when the Seafood Week celebrations return to St George’s Market, from Friday 4 October to Sunday 6 October 2019.

Seafood Week is an annual campaign run by Seafish, the public body which supports the £10bn UK seafood industry, as part of its work to encourage people to eat more seafood, more often. The Northern Irish Seafood Week celebration taking place in St George’s Market has been organised in partnership with Belfast City Council, Food NI and the market’s seafood sellers.

This is the second year that the market has celebrated Seafood Week and once again visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy seafood preparation and cookery demonstrations and taste some fantastic local seafood.

Activities running over the weekend will include:

  • Top local chefs – including Andy Rea of the Mourne Seafood Bar, Ian Hunter of the Belfast Cookery School, Grainne Donnelly of Stock Kitchen & Bar and Susan Gillespie of Chowder Up! Seafood – cooking a delicious variety of seafood dishes in the market’s  Demo Kitchen throughout the weekend.
  • Local students from South Eastern Regional College showcasing their seafood skills in the kitchen on the Friday 4 October with a “Buy it, Cook it, Eat it!” event, where visitors can buy fresh local seafood at the fishmongers’ stalls then get it cooked right in front of them at the demo kitchen.
  • Master fishmonger, Hal Dawson will be on hand on Sunday 6 October to provide classes in how to perfectly fillet a fish.
  • Local celebrity neurosurgeon Dr Mano Shanmuganathan of Treasure Island with Bear Grylls fame, will be cooking “off the hip” with Andy Rea and Hal Dawson on Sunday afternoon and highlighting the many health benefits of eating seafood.
  • There will even be an opportunity to enjoy listening to a sea shanty or two, with live music from well-known local musicians bringing a tuneful note to the celebrations.

Dr Annika Clements, Seafish Northern Ireland Manager, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be partnering with Belfast City Council, Food NI and the local seafood traders to celebrate Seafood Week at St George’s Market. With an exciting programme of events planned from 4-6 October, it’s a great opportunity to promote the fantastic variety of delicious fish and shellfish available and give local seafood lovers a chance to tempt their taste buds and try something new. I’d encourage everyone who’s in the area to stop by and join the festivities.”

Susan Gillespie of ChowderUp! Seafood said: “Chowder Up! Seafood are delighted to participate in this fantastic event where we will help to showcase the versatility of our local seafood and hope to inspire people to be more adventurous with their seafood choices”

Now in its fifth year, Seafood Week aims to encourage the consumption of seafood everywhere – whether it’s cooked and enjoyed at home, in a café or restaurant, or at the local fish and chip shop – and to promote the fantastic variety of species available in the UK and celebrate the health benefits of this delicious protein source.

This year’s campaign will run from 4-11 October with activity delivered from Seafish’s consumer brand Fish is the Dish. People can get involved and join the Seafood Week conversation online by tagging @fishisthedish using the hashtag #seafoodweek.

To find out more about Seafood Week visit: https://www.fishisthedish.co.uk/seafoodweek

For further information about the event at St George’s Market or Seafish’s work in Northern Ireland contact Dr Annika Clements, Seafish Regional Manager Northern Ireland, on annika.clements@seafish.co.uk.

New Italian Sauces From PEPPUP For Health Conscious

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Three new sauces aimed at health conscious shoppers have been launched in Northern Ireland by PEPPUP, which specialises in original Italian pasta sauces and ketchup.

Based at Newtownards in county Down, the company, founded and managed by Dr Luca Montorio, has created a new range of Bolognese and dipping sauce following the growing trends towards clean food with strong healthy attributes.

Dr Montorio, a nutritionist originally from Turin, has developed sauces which are 100 percent plant based. “The two Bolognese sauces, available in Basil and Chilli flavours, have been developed to provide delicious homemade flavours from premium fruit and vegetables, including some organic ingredients.

“Both the Bolognese and Dipping sauces, are fat-free, with no added sugar, no preservatives, no allergens and are IBS-friendly.

“The new products are also suitable for gluten-free and dairy-free and also for vegan and vegetarian consumers with just 48kCal/100g,” adds Dr Montorio.

The Bolognese sauces are available in a family size 480g jar. The dipping sauce is available in a smoky flavour in 330g. The new products will be widely available through independents, delis, farm shops, butchers and multiples including Spar.

PEPPUP was formed by Dr Montorio and wife Liz in 2014. The initial products were ketchup and pasta sauce, which are now on sale in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The original products, featuring roasted tomatoes and peppers, are based on original recipes developed by Luca and influenced by his upbringing in Turin, where his parents still live.

PEPPUP’s initial products are selling successfully in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland through distributors and major retailers including Booth’s supermarkets in Lancashire and TK Maxx.

Dr Montorio has developed the unique recipes for his portfolio of authentic Italian sauces which have won multiple UK Great Taste Awards and Free From Ireland awards.

The company has been assisted by business development agency Invest NI to develop new products and its marketing activities.

Northern Ireland Chocolatiers At Major Showcase In Madrid

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Chocolatiers Shane and Dorothy Neary of Neary Nogs, a Food NI member company, recently took part in a major international chocolate congress in Madrid. They were the only chococlatiers from Ireland invited by the organisers of ChocoMad 2019 – Salon Internacionale del Chocolate.

The Northern Ireland chocolatiers had an opportunity to talk about their business and sample their unique bean-to-bar chocolates at one of the world’s most important event in the international chocolate calendar.

Shane Neary says: “We were thrilled to be invited as the only representatives from the island of Ireland to speak at such an important event. It was a tremendous business opportunity in that it gave us an unprecedented opportunity to increase awareness of our products to a very knowledgeable audience of chocolatiers, chefs and retailers.

The husband and wife team has just opened Northern Ireland’s first artisan chocolate factory and visitor centre in the Mournes, near Rostrevor. Visitors are able to view the bean-to-bar production process and then sample the freshly produced chocolate. The company is Northern Ireland’s only bean to bar chocolate producer.

They’ve already hosted a series of tours including one involving Tourism NI. The new chocolate factory is being included alongside a visit to the Killowen Distillery nearby, a producer of gin, poitin and eventually whiskey.

“Taking part in ChocoMad was a marvellous experience and a great opportunity to meet key influencers in our industry. We made a lot of great contacts and many business opportunities,” he adds.

Neary Nogs is Northern Ireland’s only producer of stoneground chocolate made from high quality beans from single estates especially in the Dominican Republic and Sao Tome.

The Co Down chocolatiers were among international names such Guylian, Valor and Simón Coll at the two-day congress. They were able to taste their chocolates along with more than 50 chocolate brands from 20 countries. The event focused on the ‘bean to bar’ trend and also showcased artisan chocolates from Venezuela, Norway, Italy, Mexico, Ecuador and, of course, Spain.

The company sources cacao beans ethically from Sâo Tomé, Dominican Republic and Ecuador.  It hand sorts the beans, roast, crack and winnow, stone grind and temper the chocolate.

​Neary Nogs began making chocolate in 2011 using a unique recipe from Dorothy’s family in the US. Since 2011, the small artisan business has won major awards, sold chocolate to Belgium, as well as in the UK, other parts of Europe and to New Zealand, Australia and the US.