Food NI member Dale Farm, the Northern Ireland cooperative, has secured a major three-year contract to supply cheese to Greggs, the UK’s largest bakery chain.

Dale Farm’s award-winning cheddar cheese, which is made in Northern Ireland, will be used in Greggs’ range of sandwiches, stocked in their 1,969 shops every day. It will also supply cheeses for the food-on-the-go retailer’s pizza range.

Dale Farm’s group commercial director Stephen Cameron said they are delighted to secure the new deal. “The contract is proof of the excellence of our product and a significant development for our cheese business,” he said.

“Having the trust of a major food-on-the-go retailer such as Greggs is also testament to the high quality of milk used to make our cheese, which comes into Dale Farm through our network of 1,300 hard-working dairy farmers across the UK.”

Alan Honeyman, head of procurement at Greggs added:“We are looking forward to working with Dale Farm, whose excellent reputation for product quality, provenance and sustainability make this a strategic choice for Greggs, as we remain committed to offering good, honest food that our customers can trust, at affordable prices.”

Dale Farm’s cheese business has been driving substantial growth for the company in recent years. The Greggs contract represents the latest of several major cheese supply partnerships secured by the dairy company in its core markets.

The announcement of the new contract comes less than two weeks after Dale Farm confirmed it is to move its Fivemiletown cheese production to its facility at Dromona, Cullybackey.

Dale Farm has taken the decision not to renew its lease on the Fivemiletown Creamery site, secured in 2014, with production in Co Tyrone due to end early next month.

The dairy cooperative is supporting the 18 staff currently employed at the Fivemiletown site by offering transfers to other Dale Farm production locations or, where this is not feasible, securing suitable redundancy packages.

A unique visitors centre has officially opened at Lough Neagh Eel Fishery in Toome.

The creation of the Lough Neagh Fisheries Visitor Centre at the largest eel fishery in Europe has been made possible by funding from Lough Neagh Partnership through their Landscape Partnership scheme, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project celebrates Lough Neagh Fish which have been awarded a range of accolades including PGI status for Lough Neagh Eel and PDO status for Lough Neagh Pollan.

The exhibition is a multifaceted showcase of the heritage of eel and scale fish fishing on Lough Neagh, the legendary status of the lough and the folklore surrounding it. It unfolds the mystique of the fish indigenous to Lough Neagh including eel, pollan and dollaghan (brown trout) and turns fishery folklore into fishery fact in a visually captivating, fun and informative manner with something for visitors of every age and generation.

Dr William Burke of Lough Neagh Partnership said: “This unique exhibition provides a fascinating opportunity for visitors to learn at first hand about the renowned Lough Neagh eel and scale fish which are native to the lough. Those interested in the history, tradition and folklore of the region can learn about adopted fishing practices which date back to Mesolithic times. We are proud that Lough Neagh Partnership has been instrumental in taking the vision for the Lough Neagh Fisheries Visitor Centre and making it a reality.

“Visitors can opt for guided tours of the exhibition which depict the different fishing methods with actual examples of fishing tackle on display. They can take a seat at the demonstration longline to get a feel for the fisherman’s preparation before heading out on the lough and they can immerse themselves in the words of Seamus Heaney contained in extracts from ‘The Lough Neagh Sequence’ describing fishing practices on the lough.”

Pat Close, chairman of the Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative Society (LNFCS), said: “The opening of the Lough Neagh Fisheries Visitor Centre is the perfect way to share its historic development with the general public.  In addition to celebrating the cultural heritage of the industry, the new centre offers visitors a tremendous insight into the fascinating life cycle of the species to be found in Lough Neagh including their unique origins (particularly the pollan species) and in the case of eels their spectacular migratory characteristics. 

“There has always been a great deal of interest in the workings of the fishing industry on Lough Neagh and development of this Visitors Centre within the centrally located and spacious site at Toome provides the perfect means to bring that story to a wider audience. We are extremely grateful for the support provided by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Lough Neagh Partnership and Mid Ulster District Council in helping to bring this project to fruition.”

Councillor Sean McPeake, chair of Mid Ulster District Council, said: “Lough Neagh enjoys a global reputation for the quality of its fish and is, of course, synonymous with eels which are exported to restaurants across the world.

“Now, with the development of this new visitor centre and exhibition, visitors can get a real taste of the history of the fishing industry on these waters, how it has evolved over millennia, and its significance for this part of the country and its people.

“Mid Ulster District Council is pleased to have contributed to the project. We see this centre playing an important part in the drive to grow tourism in the area, and it perfectly complements other attractions, including Seamus Heaney HomePlace, which itself pays tribute to the Lough via the work of one of our most celebrated writers.

“I am delighted to see the new facility open and look forward to its success”.

Mash Direct, a Food NI member company, collected two golds and a bronze at the annual FreeFrom Food Awards Ireland 2019 in Dublin. And there was also a silver for Peppup Sauces, another member, in the prestigious awards.

Mash Direct, based on a family farm at Comber in Co Down, gained golds for its beer battered onion rings in the Ready-to-Cook category and in the Kids Choice for potato croquette. The bronze was for the company’s crispy vegetable bakes. Mash Direct was formed by husband and wife team Martin and Tracy Hamilton in 2004. Sons Lance and Jack now play key roles in the ambitious and highly successful business.

Mash Direct now leads the market producing an innovative range of delicious quick- serve mashed potato, vegetable and cabbage products as well as convenience dishes. The company’s products are gluten and dairy free.

Peppup Sauces, an artisan business run by Luca Montorio and based in Portaferry, gained silver for its flame roasted red peppers and basil sauce. Mr Montorio founded the small business in 2013 to develop and market authentic Italian style ketchup and sauces which are all free from fat, gluten and dairy.

The FreeFrom Food Awards Ireland were launched in 2015 by a team of food lovers, who have an in-depth and specialist knowledge of the FreeFrom Food marketplace. Now entering the 4th year – the awards recognise, encourage and reward the achievements of free from food producers and the excellence of their products.

The FreeFrom Food Awards Ireland were founded by John Burke – a lifelong Coeliac and veteran judge of the FreeFrom Food Awards in the UK.

John is also a judge of the FreeFrom Eating Out Awards in the UK.

Other local companies, Rule of Crumb in Antrim also won gold for chicken katsu curry fillet and bronze for gluten free fish cakes and Magherafelt retailer JC Stewart silver for a gluten free soda bread loaf.

Fermanagh-based Boatyard Double Gin has won business in the US for its award-winning gins with New York-based MHW, a major international importer and distributor of alcoholic beverages.

The breakthrough deal will see Boatyard, formed by beverage industry professional Joe McGirr in 2016, launch its range of uniquely distilled gins at a major promotional event in Brooklyn early next month.  A native of Fermanagh, Mr McGirr formed the craft distillery on the back of a successful career in the drinks business.

A Food NI member company, Boatyard Double Gin, which features Sweet Gale, a unique botanical from Fermanagh, will go on sale initially in three states – New York, Massachusetts and Illinois. The US market for gin is reported to be worth over £2 billion annually…and growing.

Mr McGirr, commenting on the first US business, says: “I am thrilled to have won this distribution deal in what is among the biggest global markets for spirits including gin. I identified MHW after a lengthy search for a distributor there which would be an ideal fit for our small business.

“MHW has a wealth of experience in representing smaller producers in particular and a network of great contacts, especially in key business centres such as New York, Chicago and Boston, that will help us to grow significant business there,” he adds.

The US deal follows another major business breakthrough in North America last month when Boatyard gained approval from the highly influential Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) for sale of its gins throughout Ontario and especially in Toronto. The approval followed a rigorous selection process.

Mr McGirr explains: “Only a handful of brands get past the long and rigorous selection process to enter the Ontario market. This usually takes 12 months or more. Unique sized bottles, special French and English labels and intensive testing are required prior to approval.”

LCBO is an Ontario Government enterprise and one of the world’s largest buyers and retailers of beverage alcohol. It offers more than 26,000 products annually from more than 80 countries, to consumers and licensed establishments.

Mr McGirr continues: “LCBO sells to over 660 retail stores, over 210 agency stores and as wholesaler to almost 250 grocery stores, as well as on-trade licensed premises.”

“The developments in the US and Canada come at a really exciting time for us as this year we have received our new custom-built pot still which enables us to double production capacity,” he adds.

Boatyard Double Gin is based overlooking Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh, near Enniskillen, in a former boat house. The company now features a state-of-the- art distillery which is producing a range of award-winning gins as well as a recently launched vodka.

In addition, the small company is maturing the first malt whiskey to be distilled in Fermanagh since 1887.

Mr McGirr continues: “Only the best organic ingredients have been chosen for each of the products with the terroir of the land at the forefront of each spirit. For Boatyard Double Gin, organically produced wheat spirit is macerated for 18 hours with eight different botanicals including Sweet Gale from Fermanagh.”