Local companies found participation at the recent Scotland Speciality Food in Glasgow a worthwhile exercise especially in terms of useful contacts made and business leads generated.

The companies took part on a stand organised by Food NI in association with Invest Northern Ireland at the event, Scotland’s biggest show for food and drink buyers.

 

Taking part on the Food NI/Invest NI stand were:

Heatherlea Bakery, Bangor – breads, biscuits and cakes;

Irish Black Butter, Portrush – savoury spread;

Noisy Nuts, Ballygowan – flavoured nuts to accompany craft beers; and

Peppup Sauces, Portaferry – authentic Italian ketchup and pasta sauces

A Food NI section included a wide range of foods from other local producers.

 

Noel Allen, founder/managing director of Ballygowan–based Noisy Nuts, a producer of flavoured peanuts to accompany craft beers, says the show was “very successful”.

“I had undertaken a lot of marketing in advance and this led to a number of potential customers coming specifically to talk to us,” he says. “We sampled a lot of produce and talked to a great many visitors who were interested in our unique nuts. As a result of this, we’ve made a lot of good business contacts which we are currently following hope. I’d expect to be supplying customers in Scotland soon,” he adds.

Alastair Bell, chief executive of Irish Black Butter, a unique Bramley apple-based savoury spread for a range of uses, says:

“It was my first time there and it was a bit of a learning experience. I found considerable interest in my product and many visitors were keen for me to contact them after the show. I am now following up leads from distributors, independent retailers and delis from all over Scotland. It will take a bit of time to convert the leads into solid business.”

 

 

The Northern Ireland presentation at show in Glasgow was the first in a series of events being organised by Food NI in Britain in association with Invest NI during 2019. The Northern Ireland companies, most launched in Scotland for the first time, were among 150 exhibitors from many parts of the UK.

The popular show gave trade buyers an impressive choice of good quality products, great networking opportunities and the chance to expand their business skills.

The show, in its 11^th year, was held at Glasgow’s exhibition centre. Companies exhibited all types ofspeciality food including gift food, bakery, cheese, cooked and cured meats, chutneys, preserves, oil and vinegars, herbs and spices, confectionery, tea and coffee, beers, spirits and cordials.

 

More than 1,000 trade buyers from department stores, farm shops, delis, food halls, restaurants and hotels visited the show which also featured a seminar programme and awards for the best products.

Abernethy Butter, the Northern Ireland producer of a gourmet range of handmade butters, has won a major distribution deal in Britain.

The company, based at Dromara in Co Down, is now supplying its four-strong range of luxury butters to Cotswold Fayre, the UK leader in the distribution of gourmet food and drink.

The deal, Abernethy’s first with a major distributor of gourmet products throughout Great Britain and Ireland, was agreed earlier in the year. Cotswold Fayre, the leading supplier of premium products to delis, independent food stores, farm shops, restaurants and hotels, is handling the four Abernethy butters – original, smoked, seaweed and the recently launched black garlic.

The company, a Food NI member, has won a string of UK Great Taste Awards for its products and counts among its clients are top chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and Marcus Wareing along with food specialists including Nigella Lawson.

Other clients include the prestigious Ritz Hotel in London and Ashford Castle in Co Mayo. Existing retailers in Britain also include Fortnum and Mason, Harrods and Selfridges.

Allison Abernethy, who founded the small company with husband Will, the butter maker in 2005, commenting on the latest deal, says: “We were thrilled when Cotswold Fayre approached us about distributing our products. They told us that the approach was the outcome of demand from their customers in Britain for our handmade butter.

“The agreement gives us access to their extensive network of customers focused on gourmet products. It’s a good fit for us and we look forward to working closely with them in our most important market outside Northern Ireland. The new business with Cotswold Fayre is very exciting and is a tremendous endorsement of the consistently high quality and outstanding taste of our handcrafted butter. It’s marvellous that their customers have been asking for our butter”  – Allison Abernethy.

The enterprising couple use only traditional techniques on their 66-acre farm in Co Down, which has been in Will’s family for generations. They source cream for the butter from cows grazing on the lush green pastures of the Lagan Valley in Co Antrim. All that is added to the natural butter is a pinch of salt. The butter is available in delis, farm shops and smaller retailers across Northern Ireland.

Belfast-based boutique blender Suki Tea has introduced a series of colourful caddies for loose leaf teas, says Sam Butler.

The company, a Food NI member based in west Belfast and a leading local exporter of teas and fruit infusions, has developed the colourful tin caddies as a plastic-free option for storing tea.

The stylish caddies are available in ‘Red Berry’, ‘Apple Loves Mint’ and ‘Belfast Brew’ labels reflect three popular tea varieties blended by the company and are also designed as a perfect gift. The airtight tins are ideal for storing loose tea.

“They are an elegant and practical caddies which will take pride of place on any kitchen worktop and keep tea fresh,” says Suki joint founder Oscar Woolley.

“They are plastic-free and reusable! Just fill it up again and again! Under the pretty label, these tea caddies are embossed with our iconic sketches, a truly special keepsake.

“At Suki, we are very passionate about having complete respect for the planet. Single use plastic is a huge issue, our tea caddy is completely plastic free and reusable. Live better with loose tea and less waste’” he adds.

The caddies join Suki’s developing portfolio of tea accessories that already includes a specially designed stump teapot and bamboo trays.

Mr Woolley, a native of Nottingham, founded Suki Tea in 2005 with business partner Anne Irwin and launched the tea blending operation at St George’s Market in Belfast.

 

The specialist tea business has blended an extensive range of quality teas and fruit infusions and has won a host of UK Great Taste Awards. The teas are on sale throughout the UK and exported to Japan, Africa and Europe.

 

As well as blending teas from Kenya, India, China and Japan, the company is developing a tea plantation, only the second of its kind in the British Isles.

Tea plants imported from Kenya, nurtured at Greenmount Agricultural in Antrim, are now growing near Portaferry on Strangford Lough.

 

 

Mash Direct’s Burns Night range is back on the shelves of supermarkets across the UK and we are challenging you to host your very own Burns Night Supper with the help of our Neeps & Tatties and Burns Bites.

At Mash Direct we feel somewhat nostalgic over the Burns Night traditions honouring the life of the famous poet Robert Burns. In true Scottish spirit, a dram of whiskey is a key element to the evening’s proceedings just as it was in the making of Mash Direct. It was a glass of whiskey between Martin Hamilton, Founder of Mash Direct and a friend that sparked the inspiration to start the award winning company back in 2004. Additionally, our Mashed Potato and Mashed Turnip, otherwise known in Scotland as ‘Neeps & Tatties’ were two of the original products produced by the County Down based farming enterprise. So it comes as no surprise that we enjoy celebrating Burns Night and the historic line up of events to commemorate the famous Scottish poet.

Mash Direct are here to help you co-host the momentous Burns Night Supper with our Mashed Potato and Mashed Turnip as well as Burns Bites which celebrates the flavours of the occasion, bringing together Neeps & Tatties with traditional Scottish Haggis. These are coated in a crispy, gluten free crumb – perfect for your auld acquaintances.

Lance Hamilton, Sales Director at Mash Direct said, ‘It is great to have our traditional Neeps and Tatties as well as the more unique Burns Bites giving the traditional Burns Night dishes a modern twist. We hope everyone has a great Burns Night.’

To celebrate Burns Night we have turned two iconic locations tartan…can you guess what they are?

Mash Direct Burns Bites are retailed at £2.00 and can be found in Eurospar, Spar and Vivo. Additionally, Mashed Potato and Mashed Turnip are widely available across all NI retailers.

Four Northern Ireland companies will be showing a wide range of innovative products at Scotland Speciality Food in Glasgow from 20-22 January.

 

The companies will be taking part on a stand organised by Food NI in association with Invest Northern Ireland at the event, Scotland’s biggest show for food and drink buyers.

 

Taking part on the Food NI/Invest NI stand are:

Heatherlea Bakery, Bangor – breads, biscuits and cakes;

Irish Black Butter, Portrush – savoury spread;

Noisy Nuts, Ballygowan – flavoured nuts to accompany craft beers; and

Peppup Sauces, Portaferry – authentic Italian ketchup and pasta sauces

 

The Northern Ireland presentation at show in Glasgow is the first in a series of events being organised by Food NI in Britain in association with Invest NI during 2019.

 

The Northern Ireland companies, most launching in Scotland for the first time, are among 150 exhibitors from many parts of the UK.

 

The popular show gives trade buyers an impressive choice of good quality products, great networking opportunities and the chance to expand their business skills.

 

The show, now in its 11^th year, is open to the general public as well as trade buyers and is held at Glasgow’s SEC. Companies exhibiting all types of speciality food including gift food, bakery, cheese, cooked and cured meats, chutneys, preserves, oil and vinegars, herbs and spices, confectionery, tea and coffee, beers, spirits and cordials.

There are also exhibitors who specialise in food presentation such as lighting, packaging, refrigeration etc.

More than 1,000 trade buyers from department stores, farm shops, delis, food halls, restaurants and hotels are scheduled to visit the show which also features a seminar programme and awards for the best products