Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s chairman of development committee, Alderman William Leathem and members of the Business Solutions Team visited Lisburn-based Howell House, the cakes and biscuits division of Irwin’s Bakery in Craigavon, following wins at two industry awards in Britain for product quality and customer service delivery.

The first award was for ‘Ambient Supplier of the Year’ from AF Blakemore, the UK’s largest Spar wholesaler, and the second was a ‘Local Shop Quality Food Award’ for Spar own-label Luxury Lemon Drizzle Cake.

Mr Leathem said: “Congratulations to Howell House on their recent achievements.  The brand has become a firm favourite in households and it is great to see the business and employees rewarded for the high standards they have instilled in the business, both in terms of product quality and customer service.

“Awards like this motivate the staff and the business to continue to work hard and strive for more.  Howell House is a great example of our thriving local food and drink sector and I have no doubt that there will be further success to come.”

Gary Mason, Irwin’s Bakery, explained: “We worked closed with the team at Blakemore to develop our range of Spar own label cakes, and in February 2018 secured a deal to supply a Lemon Drizzle, Belgian Chocolate and Victoria Sponge to over 900 stores in Britain.

“We are extremely proud of the working relationship we have cultivated with AF Blakemore – supplying quality produce and maintaining a high level of service delivery and support throughout the successful estate wide launch of the new cake products. The Ambient Supplier of the Year and Local Shop Quality Food awards really are testament of this.

“We want to recognise our staff in Howell House and say a big thank you for all of their hard work and dedication in delivering such a high-quality product in large volumes to Spar in Britain. The Local Shop Quality Food awards are renowned for recognising excellent in new product development – the whole team should be very proud of their achievements.”

Howell House was acquired by Irwin’s Bakery in 2006 in order to introduce a specialist hand-made cakes and biscuits manufacturing division to the overall Irwin’s business.

 

 

 

Alice McIlhagger from Brambleberry Jams in Lisburn will be exhibiting at the UK’s Original Sustainable Department Store in Shoreditch, London alongside 45 other British businesses.

 

Brambleberry jams will be showcasing Sea Salted Caramel Sauce and other homemade jams and Christmas relishes inspired by Alice’s home cooking.

 

The store, organised by social enterprise and ethical business collective Blue Patch, is lighting up a Shoreditch high street for just one week, enabling visitors to buy directly from the finest British brands, join creative workshops, be pampered, solve burning environmental issues and get social.

 

Mrs McIlhagger, commenting on the initiative, said: “I am thrilled to be involved in this immensely important initiative to promote sustainability. It’s a tremendous showcase for the company and our portfolio of homemade products.”

 

The store will feature 45 brands and runs from 11th to the 16th of December at the Espacio Gallery, nestled in the heart of London’s East End and a stone’s throw from Brick Lane. In true department store style there will be something for everyone. Ethical shopping made simple – and just in time for Christmas!

 

Blue Patch founder and chief executive Jane Langley said: “Our members are some of the best designers and producers in the country. However, because they won’t compromise quality and utilise every second of the day making, artisans and local manufacturers have little resources available to get to customers. Listening to the issues led us to develop our concept department store so that our ethical collective of 350+ members can showcase their products, reach their customers and get to know each other too.”

 

“With social enterprises and co-ops creating alternative business models that put people and planet first, the retail market is getting a well needed boost.

Shoppers will also be invited to join free workshops run by members throughout the week.

 

“Encountering enthusiastic experts with ‘can do’ fixes for the climate crisis in a store sparkling with beautiful products plus the chance to meet the makers, sets the scene for a new kind of high street store, one that’s social, entrepreneurial and sustainable too. It’s the power of positive shopping, Blue Patch style!

 

Blue Patch is a curated ethical marketplace for sustainable, local and heritage products from the British Isles and beyond, including furniture, clothing, gifts, beauty and services such as ethical banks, electric car hire and sustainable printers. Launched in 2014 by Jane Langley, Blue Patch provides a collaborative business network for SMEs and sole traders. A triple bottom line social enterprise, 100% of Blue Patch’s income supports members and every penny of the (eventual) surplus will fund renewable energy, conservation and community programmes.

 

Brambleberry Jams homemade hand cooked products will be available all week.

 

 

“The Winter Estate Punch”

Ingredients

300ml Shortcross Gin

200ml Warm Apple Juice

150ml Warm Lemon Juice

60ml Crème de Mure

Cinnamon, dehydrated fruits and star anise

Method

Gently warm apple and lemon juice in saucepan.

Add Shortcross Gin and Crème de Mure to a punch bowl.

Add in warmed ingredients.

Garnish with cinnamon, star anise and dehydrated fruits.

Serve warm in a tempered glass.

Fantastic night celebrating just some of Northern Irelands finest producers. The event that took place at Clandeboye Estate was a great opportunity to recognise and congratulate all of the hard work and dedication of the producers.

 

Thank you to everyone who came and helped make the night a success. Also, a special thanks to Yellow Door for the fabulous food.

 

Kindly sponsored by

Clandeboye Estate & Lady Dufferin,

Henderson Food Machinery Company

&

Invest NI

 

A Derry couple whose appetite for culinary success breathed new life into an empty city centre property with the opening of one of the city’s signature restaurants, say they have been overwhelmed by the response from local and visiting foodies.

Melanie and Ciaran Breslin, owners of Primrose, transformed a 6,000sq.ft. vacant building at Strand Road into a new continental-style restaurant last year housing their impressive scratch bakery all under one roof.

Almost a year on from the business expansion, adding Tapas and cocktails to the popular Primrose evening menu has further boosted the night time economy in Northern Ireland’s ‘Destination Delicious’.

Tapas-style dishes ‘made for sharing with friends’ feature alongside established foodie favourites in the casual dining restaurant at Strand Road where staff include two mixologists who also create the stylish Primrose cocktail trees.

Looking forward to celebrating the first anniversary of Primrose on the Strand this month, Melanie and Ciaran said: “We put our heart and soul into here and the support we receive from our customers makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

The dedicated couple work round the clock between the Strand Road premises and Primrose Café on the Quay overlooking the city’s riverfront. Melanie and her team  give the ‘Great British Bake-Off’ a run for their money with cakes from the hit TV show also featuring on the counters each week.

While Primrose may have a strong continental flavour inspired by business-focused trips abroad, the main ethos for the owners is still about promoting local produce across its breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.

You can see how far Derry’s taste buds have travelled with Tapas classics such as Patatas Bravas featuring alongside Smoked Cod Croquette, Crab and Courgette Arancini (small balls of rice stuffed with a savoury filling); Bresaola (aged, air-dried salted beef); Chorizo Stew; and thinly sliced Rib Eye Steak with Chimichurri (a sauce comprised of finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, red pepper flakes and red wine vinegar originating from Argentina and Uruguay).

The emphasis on local artisan produce is evident with Scarpello sour dough breads from just across the border in Killea complementing the stunning range of traditional breads and patisserie baked daily in-house which is also featured on the menus in the popular Primrose Free Flow Afternoon Teas.

Local inspiration features strongly amongst the succulent dishes on offer with Donegal prawns, Greencastle haddock, Grants pork belly and the signature Primrose burger using prime beef from the Breslin family butchers, all taking pride of place on the extensive evening menu.

Former hairdresser Melanie, who comes from a family of talented female bakers, first started selling her handcrafted cupcakes in Ciaran’s family butcher shops. They opened their first Primrose at Carlisle Road in 2012, a traditional-style tearoom with four members of staff which made way for the expansion at Strand Road in 2017.

Just nine weeks after opening their new premises, Primrose on the Strand was one of only two Derry eateries listed among Ireland’s 100 Best Restaurants in the Sunday Times by renowned food writers, John and Sally McKenna of McKenna’s Guides. They described Ciaran and Melanie Breslin as “major players in the fast-developing Derry food scene over the past five years”, adding that both of the city’s Primrose outlets have become “bywords for beautiful cooking”.

Primrose has since picked up a number of awards including “Best Newcomer” in Co. Derry at the Ulster regional final of the Irish Restaurant Awards 2018.

Ciaran and Melanie added: “Primrose has always been our passion since its first beginnings six years ago. We’ve put in long hours to get where we are today and our focus continues to be on making Primrose a destination for food lovers from throughout Ireland and all those visiting the city from other parts of the world.”

For more information follow @primrosederry and @primroseonthequay