Tasty Foods, a leading producer of convenience foods, including pies and sauces, for major retailers in the UK and Republic of Ireland, has launched a range of healthy, low calorie ready meals under Clean & Tasty, a new and eye-catching brand.

The Clean & Tasty meals have been created from original recipes developed by the Belfast-based family business, according to commercial director Conor Daykin.

Mr Daykin continues: “The new range consists of five ready meals perfect for those seeking healthy and nutritious lunches or dinners. The key features of the new range in attractive and specially designed packaging are that all meals are low in fat and low in calories while being high in protein.

“All the meals are produced in our certified Grade* BRC factory in Belfast from the highest quality ingredients all sourced from our long established network of Northern Ireland suppliers. This means we have total control over all aspects of production from recipes from our own and highly experienced new product development kitchen team,” adds Mr Daykin.

The innovative range is: Chicken Tomato and Red Pepper Pasta; Turkey Chilli and Rice; Beef Fajita Pasta; Curried Chicken Fried Rice; and Chicken Curry and Rice.

“The new Clean and Tasty range, already on sale and doing good business at Musgrave stores, Tesco Northern Ireland and Spar Northern Ireland, is based on our experience of doing business with and supplying major supermarket chains over the past 30 years.

“Supermarket buyers and shoppers both recognise that Tasty Foods is totally committed to quality products which are outstandingly tasty and nutritious,” adds Mr Daykin. “Our aim with the launch of the new Clean and Tasty range is to expand sales to leading retailers in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland,” he adds.

Tasty Foods has received assistance from business development agency Invest NI towards to growth of the business especially the new product kitchen and the exciting new range.

Based on strong family values of consistent quality, taste and value, Tasty Foods also supplies other food products to major retailers such as Sainsbury’s, ASDA and Musgrave.

Long Meadow, Northern Ireland’s award winning cider processor, has won business from Ballymaloe Foods in the Republic for its apple cider vinegar.

Based on a successful apple farm near Portadown in Co Armagh, Long Meadow has supplied its cider vinegar for Ballymaloe Food’s popular balsamic vinaigrette products.

Established in 1990 by Yasmin Hyde, Ballymaloe Foods has developed into Ireland’s most successful and respected artisan producer of sauces, relishes, chutneys and other innovative foods. The business, which is based at Little Island, near Cork, has close links with the internationally renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Catherine McKeever, commercial director of family owned and managed Long Meadow, says: “We were thrilled when Ballymaloe approached us to supply our apple cider vinegar for use in one of its successful products. It’s a marvellous boost to be working with such a prestigious artisan manufacturer in the Republic, a target market in which we’ve been seeking to develop business.

“The contract for cider vinegar is particularly timely as it came following our decision to invest in a new processing plant which has increased production capacity of a product which is being regarded as providing health benefits,” she adds.

Pat and Catherine McKeever founded the cider business in 2013 with son Peter in a farm diversification project to develop a range of cider and juices from apples grown on the family farm at the heart of Northern Ireland’s famed ‘Orchard Country’.

The McKeever family has been growing apples for more than 50 years on the Armagh farm and had been encouraged to branch out by the feedback from cider enthusiasts across Northern Ireland and from a host of awards including UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann – Irish National Food Awards. The company also won the Innovation Award for the apple cider vinegar at the Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Councils business awards.

Long Meadow Cider, the multi-award-winning producer of ciders, apple juice and apple cider vinegar in Northern Ireland, has achieved SALSA – Safe and Local Accreditation as step towards greater sales in supermarkets and other major retailers. The company is a Food NI member.

The family-owned and managed business, located at the heart of Northern Ireland’s ‘Orchard Country in Loughgall, is implementing a major growth strategy to accelerate sales of its ciders, juices and apple cider vinegar in Northern Ireland, Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and further afield.

SALSA is a food-safety standard written by experienced food safety experts to reflect both the legal requirements of producers and the enhanced expectations of best practice & of professional food buyers.

SALSA certification is only granted to suppliers who are able to demonstrate to an auditor that they are able to produce safe and legal food and are committed to continually meeting the requirements of the SALSA standard.

Managing director Pat McKeever, who started the business with son Peter and other family members in 2013, commenting on the SALSA accreditation, says: “SALSA is a tremendous endorsement of the quality and safety of our business, processes and products.

“Indeed, we’ve scrutinised all aspects of our business and made a number of changes to increase efficiency and productivity. It’s also an important measure of the premium quality of our ciders and juices.

“SALSA accreditation positions us to meet the food safety and transparency requirements of multiple retailers that we’ve been talking to about listing our products,” he adds.

The company, based on family-owned orchards, has won a series of major awards for its products including UK Great Taste Awards and Blas na hEireann Irish National Food Awards.

“In addition, Long Meadow gained a major marketing award in a competition for Northern Ireland’s smaller food companies organised by the George Best Belfast City Airport.

Long Meadow has a heritage in apple growing stretching back three generations in county Armagh and has already won business from delis, independent retailers, restaurants and bars in Northern Ireland and in the Republic.

Long Meadow ciders and juices are processed exclusively using pure pressed apple juice. The company does not use concentrates, chemicals, or added water. Small batches are produced using a unique and slow fermentation process for greater flavour. The popular apple cider vinegar is also natural, it is unfiltered, unpasteurised, free from sugars and additives and contains “The Mother”.

Food Stories, the Belfast-based producer of popcorn and fruit crisps, has won business from Spain’s HiperDino supermarket chain. HiperDino is now selling the company’s Cloud Corn branded popcorn to shoppers at its supermarkets and hypermarkets on the Canary Islands and through its on-line shop.

HiperDino has listed two Cloud Corn popcorn varieties – Sweet and Salty and Sweet Chilli BBQ – from Food Stories, now a leading Northern Ireland exporter of snacks. The popcorn is gluten-free, high in fibre, suitable for vegans and made only from the finest natural ingredients.

Founded in 1996, HiperDino is part of Dinosol Supermercados, the biggest retailer on the holiday islands, which was established in 1978 as a family business by brothers Jose Abraham and Andres Dominguez. The group also operates a chain of smaller shops and is collaborating with BP on a series of forecourt stores.

Michael Heaslip, founder and managing director of Food Stories, commenting on the new business in the Canaries, says: “I was thrilled when the HiperDino buying team decided to list our popcorn following extensive taste testing.

“They loved the flavours, lightness and quality of our popcorn and will now be carrying in their hypermarkets in what is another important export success for the company”.

“It is a marketplace that is often forgotten and attracts around 10 million visitors, mostly from the UK, Ireland and other parts of Europe, annually in addition to a population of over two million. The islands are extremely popular as a year-round holiday destination for visitors from the UK and Ireland,” he adds.

Mr Heaslip says the business with HiperDino was brokered by their distribution partner in Spain but the role Invest Northern Ireland played was invaluable. “Invest NI’s guidance and practical support in pinpointing and lining up potential distribution contacts and knowledge of the market have helped us make this first step into the Spanish market. This support facilitated the discussions which led to what is our first
contract in the Canaries,” he continues.

Mr Heaslip established Food Stories, which currently employs four people in Belfast, in 2014. The popcorn range was launched by the company in March 2018 using original recipes created by Mr Heaslip, who was previously involved in artisan food distribution.

Cloud Corn was the first branded product under the Food Stories identity and is available in three varieties – Sweet and Salty, Sweet Chilli BBQ and Salted. The company has also developed a range of fruit and veggie crisps, a variety of which was listed for the prestigious innovation award at the recent SIAL food show in Paris.

Mr Heaslip formed Cloud Corn to develop opportunities he had developed in international markets from the significant growth in popcorn. As part of his focus on exports, Mr Heaslip decided that all the nutritional information on the packaging should be in six languages – English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Italian. The latest export deal follows the company’s success in supplying its snacks to Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden.

RubyBlue, Northern Ireland’s multi award winning producer of fruit infused liqueurs and potato vodka, has won the ‘Best Spiced Liqueur’ in the prestigious World Liqueur Awards 2019.

The highly influential award was for RubyBlue Chilli Pepper Liqueur (17%ABV), produced by Hughes Craft Distillery in Moira, county Armagh. Hughes has been distilling and exporting fruit liqueurs worldwide since 2010 and has won a series of awards for quality and outstanding flavours. The business is owned and run by husband and wife team Stuart and Barbara Hughes.

Commercial director of Hughes Craft Distillery, commenting on the award for Ruby Blue Chilli Pepper, says: “We are thrilled to have won this hugely significant award in such an important global competition. The award will heighten awareness particularly among mixologists seeking to create spicy and warming cocktails.

“The liqueur is made with fresh chilli peppers for a fiery infusion and seductive sweetness that’s ideal for adding a spicy touch to a range of cocktails and desserts. It’s also delicious in hot chocolate,” adds Mrs Hughes.

The World Liqueur Awards are the global awards selecting the very best in all the international recognised styles, award and promote the world’s best liqueurs to consumers and trade across the globe.

Chilli Pepper is part of a four-strong range of infused grain spirits distilled by the company. The others are Wild Blueberry, Blackcurrant and Cranberry. In addition to these spirits the company also produces RubyBlue Potato Vodka and RubyBlue Whiskey Cask Aged Vodka.

The distillery operates the successful The Stillhouse gastro pub in Moira and also Northern Ireland’s gin school. It has plans to open a unique liquid deli on the premises. The family business was recently commended by Tourism NI for its ‘Authentic Food and Drink Experience. The StillHouse has been named ‘Pub of the Year’ in Northern Ireland.

The original source of water for Matt D’Arcy Whiskey has been rediscovered in Newry city centre. The discovery was made after local historian and owner of Matthew D’Arcy & Company, Michael McKeown, found a map showing the site of a well on the property which had been in use as a distillery since the early 1780s. Historical documents show that a young Matthew D’Arcy commenced his business there in 1817.

That same location is now undergoing a significant regeneration project to the tune of £7.3 million after successful planning permission last year. The company is a member of Food NI.

After the employment of ancient diving techniques, a strong and plentiful flow of clear pure water has been tapped within feet of the original well.

The new Matthew D’Arcy & Company set up will boast a Whiskey Distillery, Bar, Restaurant and Visitor’s Centre in Newry city centre. It is expected to be a game changer for the hospitality sector in this part of the island of Ireland and will form an important component of the rapidly growing interest in whiskey tourism on both sides of the border.

Latest statistics show that consumption of Irish whiskey in the international marketplace is increasing year on year, with US sales alone showing a near 14 percent increase on the previous twelve months.

Andrew Cowan, chief executive of Matthew D’Arcy & Company said: “This is a wonderful discovery which connects the rich history of the Matt D’Arcy whiskey company to its future. To be able to cap this source of water so close to the same water used more than two centuries ago means that we will capture the flavour profile which made this whiskey so highly prized so long ago.”

“The provenance of the water sourced for whiskey distillation is of paramount importance and to say that the water we will use in the future production of our whiskey comes directly from our site really is something.”

“The entire 14,000 square foot regeneration project is moving forward at a strong pace and we hope to be opening the doors in mid-2020. Prior to that we will be bringing forward our whiskies that will focus on the super-premium market.”

Michael McKeown, owner and investor of D’Arcy’s Whiskey, said: “Through all the historical research we have carried out so far, we knew that there was a water source located on the property. I personally trekked the Derrybeg river from Monaghan Street to its source on the Camlough Mountain. It is obvious that it was not powerful enough to feed the scale of production that once was achieved in this distillery. Finding a well on an old map, we drafted in water diviners, expert hydrologists and drilling contractors to investigate. We then
concentrated on a defined area and soon drew up pure, fresh clean water from metres below the surface.”

“It was like a scene in a movie. There was the noise of the drill and then a few moments of silence before the water came gushing out of the ground. We will harness this fantastic resource and turn it into something remarkable to be tasted and savoured throughout the world.”