Linden Foods, the County Tyrone based red meat processor has scooped another prestigious NIFDA Award for their delicious and locally produced Marks & Spencer lamb product, plus two ‘Highly Commended’ to add to their collection of accolades.

Linden Foods won over the judges and were crowned winners of the Ulster Bank ‘Best Product’ for a large company with their Northern Irish M&S 4xlamb loins, topped with honey roasted parsnips and chestnut stuffing with port and lamb jus.

Speaking at the NIFDA Awards ceremony, Linden Foods – Head Development Chef, Ronan McLaughlin commented: “To win ‘Best Product’ for a large company in front of leading industry figures was truly special. We have a tremendous NPD team at Linden, and we work really hard to develop and produce the best quality, innovative product lines for our customers.”

“We are thrilled to have won ‘Best Product’ for our M&S x4lamb loins. The loins are delicious and succulent and produced from local lambs, so we must also recognise our excellent supply chain. We really enjoy our product development relationship with Marks and Spencer. We work together as a team to deliver taste and high quality in all our lines with a focus on locally sourced and locally produced meat products. So, this award is very much a joint effort all round.” Said: Elaine Willis – Linden Foods, Retail Director

Belfast International Airport enjoyed a stellar year of passengers in 2018 and the “Food Corridor” provided a unique welcome to each of those passengers highlighting Northern Ireland as a very deserving winner of the Best Food Destination at the International Travel and Tourism Awards in November, 2018.

BIA are proud to be supporters of this rapidly growing and innovative sector and this 50m installation showcases only Northern Ireland home-grown agri-food companies ranging from the smallest artisan companies through to larger companies across a multitude of products sure to appeal to passengers to seek out and try- whether this is a tourist or a NI resident.

Into the third year of this campaign, BIA seeks to further evolve and refresh the concept to continue to make this highly impactful and engaging to everyone using the airport.

Feedback from focus groups suggests that a slight change to the current arrangement of advertisers to reduce the number and to frame these individually would create a greater impact and immersive experience.

The attached graphic shows the proposed changes and within this concept a number of false trees will be positioned down the corridor and passengers will be further greeted with audio of “sounds of farming” as they pass down the corridor.

This refresh will allow this feature to continue as the premier advertising location for Northern Ireland Food to over six million people.

Spaces are limited so please get in touch early for pricing, sizing and to reserve your spot!

Food NI member Moy Park, Northern Ireland’s biggest food processor, has launched an ambitious new campaign to tackle the use of plastics and packaging across its business and the industry.

Based at Craigavon, Moy Park plans to reduce its overall usage of packaging by five percent year on year while also increasing the percentage of recyclable packaging by five percent.

The target is one of a set of goals announced by Moy Park as part of its ‘Remove, Reduce, Recycle and Research’ Strategy and is backed by a range of initiatives across the business.

The company will collaborate with academics and supply chain partners to develop sustainable packaging across its product portfolio and will also remove avoidable single–use plastic from its office and restaurants by 2020. The business will move to 100 percent widely recyclable rigid packaging by 2022, with all other packaging to be widely recyclable by 2025.

Speaking about the new strategy, Matt Harris, Moy Park head of packaging said: “We have purposely set ambitious, industry leading targets in order to deliver real results that can be felt by our customers and ultimately consumers. To achieve these targets, we’ll be reducing our reliance on plastics, focusing on innovative new packaging, R&D and delivering accurate, clear recycling messages. We are committed to developing our business sustainability and we are excited to launch this latest campaign as part of our wider environmental commitments.”

OPRL, the On–Pack Recycling Label scheme which aims to deliver a simple, consistent and UK–wide recycling message on retailer and brand packaging, has welcomed the announcement.  Jane Bevis, Chair, OPRL said; “Reducing materials use and shifting design to deliver more recyclable packaging are essential in reducing our sector’s environmental impact. We’re thrilled that Moy Park are taking a lead in this, and in engaging consumers in recycling.”

Photo caption: Pictured launching Moy Park’s new plastics strategy is Matt Harris, Moy Park Head of Packaging and Jane Bevis, Chair, OPRL.

Dale Farm, a Food NI member company,  is to supply its innovative semi skimmed milk to all Asda stores in Northern Ireland.

Milk Plus, which is fortified with vitamins and minerals, along with the company’s new Delightly Greek style yogurt and relaunched Spelga Low Fat Bio yogurt, are now available in all Asda stores here.

Milk Plus was developed following research by Dale Farm, which revealed adults and children in Northern Ireland could be lacking in Vitamin D.

Dale Farm has been working with Asda since the retailer began trading in Northern Ireland back in 2005 and supplies a wide selection of branded products across a range of dairy categories.

Dale Farm senior national account manager, Darren Hughes said they are delighted to extend the Asda range.

“Our well–earned position as a leader in the dairy industry can be credited not only to our great quality products, but our commitment to ongoing innovation and ability to capitalise on emerging consumer trends. This can be demonstrated most recently through our response to the increasing consumer demand for products with added nutritional benefits.

“The new clean and impactful packaging for Milk Plus, Delightly and our enhanced Spelga offering, detail the upfront benefits and motivators for purchase of the product. We are confident this will resonate with Asda’s consumers and drive uptake,” Mr Hughes said.

Emma Swan, Asda buying manager for Northern Ireland added: “The new products will join the extensive range of Dale Farm lines on offer in our stores across Northern Ireland. We’re very proud of our commitment to local suppliers and we know how much our customers value locally sourced produce – as well as being able to support farmers across Northern Ireland.”

Dale Farm Milk Plus (2 litre), Delightly Greek Style Yogurt and Spelga Low Fat Bio pots are available in Asda stores now.

Headquartered in Belfast, Dale Farm is the largest UK farmer–owned dairy cooperative.

North Coast Smokehouse in Ballycastle has joined the international Économusée of artisans at work. The company, a Food NI member, is the seventh artisan business here to become an integral part of the network which is supported by the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust (CCGHT).

North Coast Smokehouse specialises in handcrafted hot smoked goods produced in small batches using organic salmon. Each batch is individually and lovingly monitored by the founder and managing director Ruairidh Morrison and wife Melanie, also a founder director of the small business.

The company cures salmon as well as sea salt, black pepper and dried dulse.

The smoke for curing the award-winning salmon in particular is produced the old fashioned way, by simply burning small quantities of wood. Liquid-smokes, paints or dyes are not used.

 

The company’s inclusion within the network was announced by local celebrity chef Paula McIntyre.

The Économusée project provides a network for artisans to develop and combine culture, craft and tourism, creating an economic interacting platform from which these artists can encourage the promotion and development of traditional crafts, involving local communities and creating new job opportunities, in some instances allowing younger family members to share, develop and enhance the crafts and techniques of their ancestors.

By visiting the Économusée artisan workshops, tourists and locals gain an enhanced experience, learn about the history of the craft and the business, the enthusiasm of the artist along with the added opportunity of meeting the artisans face to face and discovering the beauty and authenticity of the products made and sold onsite.

Économusée project is funded by Interreg VB Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme 2014-2020.

The main objective is to develop services to support and foster local small businesses in order for them to not only survive, but to prosper.

Économusée food sector members include Broighter Gold in Limavady; Broughgammon Farm in Ballycastle; Ursa Minor Bakehouse, Ballycastle; and Hillstown Brewery, Ahoghill were selected in August 2015 to join the Network and were officially launched as an Économusée in 2017.

The six workshops are open all year round with artisans offering tailored individual and pre-booked group tours and are an ideal suitable wet weather attraction.

 

The Économusée concept (meaning ‘economic / working museum’) was developed in Québec, Canada. Its mission is to promote and keep alive traditional crafts and knowledge, whilst ensuring economic growth within rural communities.

 

Picture

Ruairidh Morrison and fellow founding director Melanie of North Coast Smokehouse in Ballycastle