A GIN distilled in Northern Ireland by Dr Ulrich Dyer at The Woodlab Distillery has been awarded Silver in the 2019 International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC).

The premier experts judging in this prestigious competition, which has been judging wines and spirits and awarding medals to the world’s best products for over 50 years, have awarded Symphonia No 1 Dry Gin 93 points out of 100 and worthy of a silver medal.

Symphonia gin spirits are the brainchild of Dr Ulrich Dyer – a scientist who, after spending 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry, turned his skills to producing gin.

Symphonia No 1 Dry Gin is the first in a composition of three handcrafted Irish spirits and are distilled near Benburb in Co Tyrone. The range also includes Symphonia No 2 Apple Gin, a gin made from the PGI protected Armagh Bramley Apple which blends seamlessly with juniper to create a crisp, refreshing spirit. Symphonia No 3 Fruit Cup is a summer fruit drink inspired by the raspberries and strawberries grown in the distillery’s garden.

Speaking about the honour, which was announced today, Dr Ulrich Dyer said; “The International Wine & Spirit Competition is one of the most prestigious competitions which has been rewarding excellence for over 50 years. For Symphonia No 1 Dry Gin to be announced as the Silver winner is a great honour coming from the IWSC which sets the international benchmark for quality.

“Symphonia No 1 Dry Gin is a beautiful harmony of flavours including basil, rose and dandelion flowers – all grown in the grounds of The Woodlab Distillery.

“I have developed some innovative distillation processes, such as vacuum and microwave distillation, to extract flavours and fragrances from ingredients which would be impossible using traditional pot-still distillation. This gives a wider palette of flavours and this allows a greater complexity and subtlety in the taste of these gins. So this is a great coup for Symphonia Gin and I am absolutely delighted.”

The IWSC judging panels are made up of key international influencers and decision makers from the wine and spirit industry.

Key areas of the industry are represented in the judging panels including on-trade, off-trade, specialist drinks writers and critics.

The winners are showcased throughout the year at dozens of international trade shows, at hundreds of consumer tastings and will be presented to over 600 industry professionals at the annual Awards Banquet which is known in the wine and spirit world as the ‘Oscars of the Industry’.

Derry’s first every street food festival enjoyed a weekend of success with over 20,000 people enjoying the Walled City’s unique offering of food and drink.

The three-day festival located at Guildhall Street showcased an array of mouth-watering local and exotic street food with lots of added spice from Latin-American, Indian and Asian inspired culinary talent that are all based in the city.

The festival was planned to coincide with the Open Golf Championships at Portrush, showcasing the City as a leading food destination and providing a niche food option for the large numbers of golf enthusiasts staying and visiting the city.

Jennifer O’Donnell is Tourism Manager with Derry City and Strabane District Council and she is delighted with the success of the event.

She said:  “We are over the moon at the numbers of people that came along to enjoy the festival. It was a huge success for everyone involved and the traders have reported a very busy weekend. There was a real international feel about the city as a result of the 95% accommodation occupancy across the city as a result of the golf, with the majority of them having travelled from the United States, Australia, Canada and GB.”

Jennifer added that other key highlights of the festival that proved popular with the public was the pop up bars, double decker bus with festive seating and the live music entertainment.

“What was really unique about the LegenDerry Street Food Festival is that it attracted a new audience for us. It had a more hipster, quirky feel to it and really appealed to people coming out for the evening to enjoy a bite to eat, a cocktail and listen to some beats on the street. We have been working as part of the Food Network to develop the City as a food destination and part of this was reviewing and developing our food events. The LegenDerry Street Food Festival is a new concept aimed more at the evening time economy and feedback we have been receiving has been predominantly positive.

“As this was the first year we restricted the area and space to Guildhall Street so that we used so that we could create a very intimate and hip setting and atmosphere. We think this really worked in terms of retaining customers and allowing the public to engage intimately with the street food and drink producers.”

Mekong were one of the street food outlets who took part and who had a hugely successful weekend trading.

“The festival really brought the city to life over the weekend, there was a real feel-good feeling around the place and the atmosphere was electric. We traded really well over the weekend. Saturday was particularly busy for us with our curry and selection of flatbreads going down a real treat. Despite the rain on Sunday we had another busy day and were really impressed with the number of international visitors coming along to sample our produce.”

Concluding Jennifer O’Donnell says she is really hopeful that the Food Network in collaboration with council can continue to build on this event and that they collectively remain committed to achieving the status of number one food destination on the Island of Ireland by 2025.

Among the food and drink outlets who participated in the LegenDerry Street Food Festival were: Café Guild, Warehouse, Nonnas Wood Fired Pizza, Burrito Bar, Lo & Slo, 2 North Street Food, Silverbean, Doherty’s Meats, La Tia Juana’s, Mekong, Walled City Brewery, Northbound Brewery, Muff Gin, Dopey Dick/Guildhall Taphouse and Baronscourt Brewery.

Belfast-based Jawbox has been listed among the UK’s best pink gins by the influential BBC Good Food magazine.

The magazine’s experts taste-tested a series of gins with ingredients ranging from raspberry and rhubarb. The independent judging panel tested Jawbox’s Rhubarb and Ginger Gin and found it the “sweetest” in the review

The magazine continued: “While only 20% ABV, it has a huge nose with rhubarb leading in a big tangy rush and ginger following far more subtly after the boiled sweet-style richness.

“As you’d expect from a liqueur, it’s entirely suited to drinking neat, and again leads with the rhubarb giving a mouth-watering sharpness before the sweetness comes in on a rich, mouth-coating body.

“The ginger is quite restrained, adding warmth to a long finish. It works well with tonic, although a drier one is recommended to stop that sweetness becoming overwhelming. If drinking long, a small splash of soda gives the rhubarb and ginger space to shine.”

All products, according to BBC Good Food, were chosen independently by its editorial team.

It adds: “Time was, when you asked for a ‘pink gin’, it meant a dry gind with a splash of Angostura bitters. This was a bracing naval drink, redolent of one of Graham Greene or Patrick Hamilton’s doomed romances.

“Now, to many, it means a fruity, often sweet, aromatic gin that’s designed to be drunk with plenty of tonic – more Aperol spritz in nature than neat spirit. Purists may resent the usurpation of the name but, done well, this loose grouping is a fine addition to the gin family.”

Jawbox launched rhubarb and ginger-flavoured and a pineapple and ginger-flavoured liqueur, which it says is a first for the industry, in 2018. The liqueurs combine sweet and spicy flavours with the brand’s signature small batch gin.

Noisy Nuts, the Co Down-based specialist in flavoured peanuts to accompany craft beers, has won business with Applegreen, the top Irish forecourt retailer.

The enterprising business, owned and managed by Noel Allen, an experienced marketer, is now supplying a complete portfolio of snacks to Applegreen stores throughout Northern Ireland.

The company’s latest deal resulted from its participation at the recent RUAS show at Balmoral Park in the Food NI Food Pavilion. Mr Allen was introduced to an Applegreen buyer during the show.

Noisy Nuts has also participated in a series of marketing initiatives in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland organised by Food NI in conjunction with Invest NI.

Mr Allen sees the business with Applegreen as a further strengthening of the company’s presence in the local market and providing an opportunity to expand into the retailer’s large network of stores in the Republic.

“Applegreen is an immensely important player in the forecourt retail scene on the island of Ireland. Winning business in Northern Ireland gives us the opportunity to develop a successful relationship that could lead to other business. We’ll be supporting the listing with promotional activities with Applegreen in Northern Ireland,” he adds.

Noisy Nuts has developed a unique range of peanut snacks with flavourings in self- seasoning foil sachets in a handy cardboard tub. Each sachet features different flavours. Noise results when the seasoning is sprinkled over the peanuts and the tub shaken to ensure the distinctively rich flavouring coats all the nuts – hence Noisy Nuts.

The seasonings, he has developed, are designed to accentuate the characteristics of individual craft beers in particular.

The company, in addition, has seen business grow strongly in Britain from its participation in consumer and trade events particularly for craft beer enthusiasts.

The snacks have been developed to be paired with craft beers, the India Pale Ales, lagers and stouts. I then had to find a way to deliver the seasonings within an overall pack of peanuts.

He has developed a range of snack tubs of peanuts which are available with different self-seasoning sachets in flavours such as pickled onion, chilli and lime, chilli beef and Thai sweet chilli.

“Consumers can pour the whole seasoning sachet in and shake the tub giving a strong flavour or season as they wish to fit with their beer drinking taste. Either way makes a noise!” he continues.

Another feature of the new snack range is a recommendation with each flavour on the type of beer it suits best.

 Finnebrogue Artisan in Northern Ireland has secured a major new national supply contract with Asda to produce three new frozen sausage lines for the retailer’s Extra Special range.

 The new premium sausages, Pork, Cumberland and Red Onion, which are also gluten free, are exclusive to Asda and will be available in over 330 stores across the UK.  Finnebrogue Artisan is based in Downpatrick, Co Down.

 The deal builds upon Asda and Finnebrogue Artisan’s existing relationship, which has seen the family business supply Extra Special sausages to Asda since 2014 – as well as producing a range of Extra Special accompaniments including cocktail sausages, stuffing and the showstopping ‘Ultimate Pig in Blanket’ for Christmas 2018.

 John Cowen, Finnebroque Artisan’s account manager for Asda explains: “We’re thrilled to continue our relationship with Asda with our frozen sausage range. The new lines are sold in re-sealable freezer bags, which answers increasing consumer demand for convenient premium produce – and of course means less wastage – as you don’t need to defrost more than you need. It really is a milestone for the business, as it’s the first time we have produced our award-winning range of sausages in a convenient frozen format.

 “We pride ourselves on innovation and we’re confident our team of experts have developed three new varieties Asda customers will love, from traditional pork to Cumberland and caramelised red onion – something for everyone – and not just during BBQ season, but all year round.”

 Emma Swan, Asda’s Buying Manager for NI Local added: “At Asda we work alongside our suppliers to create innovative, affordable, delicious and high-quality products – and our work with Finnebrogue on the Extra Special frozen range is no exception. Working closely with the team at Finnebrogue we’re very proud to be the first retailer to offer a premium range of frozen sausages – and with our summer weather set to remain unpredictable, it’s come at the perfect time!”

 Asda’s new range of Extra Special frozen sausages are available in stores now.

Two Northern Ireland regions have been shortlisted by The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) for Foodie Destinations 2019, sponsored by FBD Insurance.

The two enterprising local regions are Mid and East Antrim Borough and Taste Causeway/Causeway Coast and Glens.

Foodie Destinations is an initiative run by the Restaurants Association of Ireland, that aims to find the ultimate foodie destination in Ireland. It celebrates Ireland’s unique and wonderful food offerings and encourages local food tourism initiatives across the country.

They are among nine destinations across the island of Ireland shortlisted by RAI for the 2019 awards. Others include Food Coast Donegal, Tralee and Galway.

Members of the public can vote for their favourite 2019 finalist at www.foodiedestinations.ie.  Voting opens on Wednesday, 24 July and closes on Thursday, 20 August.

The winner of Foodie Destinations 2019 will be announced at the end of August.

RAI Chief executive Adrian Cummins said the organisation was delighted with the broad range of entries received this year. “Ireland has a diverse food landscape and we can’t wait to see the unique contributions that the Foodie Destinations 2019 Finalists are making,” he added.