Mash Direct have joined forces with Veg Power and ITV in an exciting new campaign, Eat Them To Defeat Them which launched last week across ITV. This is a new radical initiative to inspire children to eat more vegetables and Mash Direct are the driving force behind communicating this campaign across Northern Ireland.

With the help and support of key influencers such as Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Veg Power and ITV kick started this campaign with a national TV ad which premiered during Coronation Street on Friday 25^th January. It will continue to be aired during some of the biggest TV shows in the UK including The Voice, Dancing on Ice and Britain’s Got Talent reaching millions of viewers.

Eat Them To Defeat Them’s strategy is unlike the usual worn out health messages around vegetable intake and is fun and engaging to inspire both children and parents to view and consume vegetables differently. With a total advertising spend from ITV of £2m, the campaign will run for 12 weeks with a different vegetable focus each week. With the use of scary vegetable characters, the campaign depicts the kids as heroes as they help their parents save the world from being overrun by angry vegetables.

The much anticipated TV ad will be supported with in-store support across all major UK supermarkets as well as supporting creative that will be sent to schools. Mash Direct will be sending out 50,000 school packs to Key Stage 2 children across Northern Ireland and Scotland over the next couple of weeks promoting the Veg Power Campaign. If you want your school to be involved please get in touch with Mash Direct and be a part of this exciting healthy eating initiative. With the support from local governments, retailers, other food producers, schools and parents, everyone can together help tackle the rise in obesity and teach children to be brave with their vegetable intake as well as enjoying the vibrancy and nutritional benefits vegetables have to offer.

 

 

To officially launch the Veg Power Campaign in Northern Ireland, Mash Direct hosted a Veg Power Giveaway event at Belfast City Hall on Saturday 2^nd February. Media, influencers and school children were invited to raise awareness of the campaign and were rewarded with a free pack of Mash Direct’s farm fresh Carrot & Parsnip from their Mash Bus as well as a picture with Maris the Mashcot to raise awareness of this campaign.

Chief Operating Officer at Mash Direct, Jack Hamilton said, “At the heart of Mash Direct our focus has always been on health and convenience. This campaign is the perfect way to engage with children and make them love the huge array of vegetables that we have to offer. We are thrilled to be driving this campaign across Northern Ireland and we hope that the whole initiative will have a tremendous impact on the long-term health here. I’d like to say a big thank you to those who visited the Mash Bus on Saturday to launch this ground-breaking campaign in Northern Ireland.”

 

Long Meadow Cider are staging the first ever illuminations and sound show in an orchard in County Armagh.

The bespoke light and sound show has been created by Walter Holt from Travelling Tree Luminations.

The naked beauty of the apple trees, whose fruit make award-winning ciders, fruit juices and vinegars, will be transformed by light variation and sound.

There will also be a farm tour including a visit to the cold storage facility where apples can be stored from harvest season in September through to June the following year. There will also be an opportunity to see the pressing and blending facilities and to learn the history of the oak barrels.

The McKeever family, who own Long Meadow will be offering samples of their craft ciders and apple juice. There will also be two information sessions on their Apple Cider Vinegar explaining the various health benefits, the process in making apple cider vinegar and the opportunity to see the live Mother Culture (the natural bacteria grown within the vinegar).

“The Orchard Treeluminations event is a fantastic opportunity to see the raw, naked beauty of the trees transformed and illuminated by light and sound without foliage or fruit” said Catherine McKeever.

“I think we all have a vision of apple orchards complete with apple blossom or an abundance of fruit, this illumination event highlights the orchards in a totally different perspective, a raw, natural, resting state before the cycle of growth begins.

“We are hoping to raise the profile of agri-food tourism in Armagh and we hope to make this an annual event”

The ticket price includes a cup of hot mulled cider. The food is provided by Ballymoran Meats and Crepes 2 Go.

There will be free tea/coffee and hot chocolate for children. Donations are in aid of Katie Rose’s Journey. Indoor games will also be available. Treeluminations can be experienced any time between 6pm and 10pm. Apple Cider Vinegar sessions will be at 6.30pm and 8pm and Long Meadow Farm tours will take place at 7pm and 8.30pm.

Tickets cost £5 per child, £12 per adult and £30 for a family of two adults and two children. The tours will take place between 13^th and 16^th February. To book, go to www.longmeadowcider.com

 

 

Award-winning gastro-pub group, Balloo Inns, today announced a new addition to its team at Balloo House, Killinchy, County Down.

 

Renowned chef Danni Barry has joined Balloo House as Executive Head Chef expanding its awarding-winning culinary team.  She began working in a professional kitchen at the age of 14, was named Chef of the Year in 2016 in the Irish Restaurant Awards and was previously awarded a Michelin star.

 

Danni’s passion for authentic flavours, fresh local fish and quality seasonal produce complements the values and ethos of the Balloo Inns Group. Adding to the award-winning pub dining offering, Danni’s menus will feature elegant seafood dishes and popular pub classics.

 

The Balloo House announcement comes as Balloo Inns continues to go from strength to strength after a strong trading year.  All the establishments in the group continue to enjoy enduring popularity and critical acclaim, with all three retaining their spot in the prestigious Michelin Guide 2019.

 

Also revealing plans for an extensive £150,000 refurbishment of the upstairs restaurant due to commence Spring 2019, Ronan Sweeney, Balloo Inns Managing Director and owner said, “We are very excited about our plans for Balloo House, and proud that our work since taking over at Balloo House in 2003 has put the small town of Killinchy firmly on the culinary map in the UK and Ireland. With this latest expansion of our team, our customers can expect the great quality locally-sourced food through an exciting new menu created by Danni Barry, whose evident love for country pub dining makes for a great addition to our excellent team at Balloo House.”

 

 

Balloo Inns Group employs approximately 120 staff across its three restaurants: The Parson’s Nose in Hillsborough, Balloo House in Killinchy and Poacher’s Pocket, Lisbane.

 

Ronan Sweeney attributes Balloo Inns’ continued success to the tremendous combined talent of his growing team and the great emphasis they place on delivering the best quality food and service to its local and increasing international customers, adding:

 

“In 2019, we will continue to make significant investment in our people, striving to create the best working environment for each of our employees; all play a significant role in the success of our restaurants. Our business cannot succeed without happy, motivated employees and their wellbeing is a big priority for us.”

 

For more information visit: www.ballooinns.com

 

 

Northern Ireland’s Henderson Foodservice, part of the Henderson Group, one of the largest employers in Northern Ireland, has added to its expanding portfolio with the acquisition of multi depot foodservice company, Foodco. 

Established in 1985, Foodco is an independently owned foodservice company, with distribution depots based in Lisburn, Co Antrim and Ashbourne, Co. Meath.  Operating a fleet of multi-temperature vehicles, Foodco specialise in the supply of bespoke products to the foodservice industry throughout the island of Ireland.

Cathal Geoghegan, managing director of Henderson Foodservice, said the acquisition is another exciting opportunity to complement the growth and development in the foodservice sector for both companies.

“The acquisition occurs at an exciting time for us as a business. Following a record-breaking turnover in 2018, we’re delighted to welcome the staff and management of Foodco into our company portfolio.  Foodco is a terrific company with a strong reputation and loyal customer base and we look forward to supporting the FoodCo team in solidifying their synergy with customers and suppliers.”

The acquisition is in line with Henderson Foodservice’s future strategy and expansion which includes a £25 million investment in new facilities, staff and business development. Ron Whitten, chief financial officer added, “Our purchase of Foodco follows the successful acquisition of BD Foods in July 2018 and will further strengthen the product portfolio at Henderson Foodservice. It also presents substantial opportunities for us to increase our collective customer base across the island of Ireland.”

 Foodco’s board, Alan Kelly, Gary McIlroy, Barry Monaghan and Robert Walsh, is excited by the future prospects of this acquisition.

“This is a great opportunity for the staff and ourselves to continue the expansion of the business by being part of one of the largest foodservice companies in Ireland, Henderson Foodservice.We would like to thank all our staff, customers and suppliers for all the support over the years.  We have developed our business through excellent customer service, product innovation and strong personal relationships.  Being a part of Henderson Group will copper fasten this and provide us with a strong platform to continue our growth throughout Ireland.”

Although acquired as part of Henderson Foodservice, Foodco will operate as a stand-alone business with the existing management and board and will retain its corporate name and identity.

 

 

Hillstown Brewery has won its first business in Britain with help from Mid and East Antrim Council and Food NI.

The brewery is now shipping its full range of craft beers and ales to Cotswold Fayre in Reading, a leading speciality food and drink wholesaler, supplying independent retailers, farm shops and delis across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The contract, the brewery’s first significant business in Britain, follows participation by the farm-based micro-brewery with the council and Food NI at the big Speciality and Fine Food Show at Olympia in London last December.

Nigel Logan, founder and managing director of the business, part of an extensive livestock farm just outside Randalstown, commenting on the agreement with Cotswold Fayre, says: “Taking part with the council and Food NI at Speciality Food enabled us to meet and showcase our range of beers to the wholesaler. We had tried contacting them directly by email before without success in the past in a bid to persuade them to sample our beers. Participation at Speciality Food opened the door for us.

“Speciality Food is the UK’s biggest show for artisan and smaller food companies, and we decided to avail of support from the council in conjunction with Food NI to attend the show in the hope that we would meet key buyers from wholesalers such as Cotswold Fayre. I greatly appreciate the encouragement and practical support we are receiving from the council to grow our brewing business. We had been looking for an opportunity to break into the British market. So, taking part at Speciality Food was an extremely worthwhile experience. It proved to be the way to meet buyers face-to-face and to invite them to sample our beers.”

“The buyer enjoyed the beers and was attracted by Hillstown’s unique and eye-catching branding,” Mr Logan continues. “Cotswold Fayre includes a large number of farm shops among its clients and reckoned that our beers like our award-winning Goat’s Butt wheat and hybrid beer, a two-star Great Taste winner, Horny Bull Stout and Squealing Pig IPA would appeal to farm shop customers in particular,” he says.

The company has won two gold stars for its Horny Bull Stout, Spitting Llama and Goat’s Butt. Horny Bull also gained runner up in the Campaign for Real Ale Best UK Stout.

Mr Logan will be supporting Cotswold Fayre at marketing events to launch Hillstown Brewery’s range of beers to customers in Britain.

Congratulating Hillstown Brewery on its success, Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Councillor Lindsay Millar says: “This is very good news for one of the council area’s most ambitious smaller enterprises, which is growing impressively from its base on a successful local farm. It has become an important role model of the sort of innovative farm diversification that the council is keen to encourage and support through our focus on business and especially in sales outside Northern Ireland.

“This focus on expanding opportunities for smaller companies, in particular, is designed to promote employment opportunities throughout the borough, a key priority of Amplify – the Integrated Economic Development Strategy for Mid and East Antrim 2018-2030, which also aims to focus on growth, as part of the wider aim to grow the local economy,” she adds.

Food NI’s chief executive Michele Shirlow adds:

“We are thrilled by Hillstown Brewery’s latest success following the company’s participation in the council’s initiative in conjunction with us at Speciality Food. Creating opportunities for our companies to meet buyers in Britain is an important aspect in the range of services we provide for the local food and drink industry. We are delighted to be working alongside Mid and East Antrim Council as it seeks to enhance the local economy through participation at important marketing events in Britain, our single most important market for our fabulous food and drink. We are pleased to have been appointed by the council to work on a programme of activities to strengthen the overall competitiveness of food processors and hospitality operators both here and in markets such as Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.”