“íon Distillery, Food NI member, has launched Northern Ireland’s first locally distilled Cuban-style Rum. The rum is included with new vodka and gin, all distilled ‘from scratch’ in Tyrone.”

íon Distillery…

íon Distillery is a new project, which officially launched on the 18th November. With a belief in simplicity, quality and innovation. íon Distillery produces a range of intriguing spirits influenced by nature and history.

Each bottle is hand-made in small batches and stone filtered.

Home of Ireland’s first 100% locally made craft rums well as a range of unique gins and vodkas.

íon Distilling produces all its spirits from scratch in their own distillery in County Tyrone.

 

Their Spirits…

 

All their spirits are made using water from their own artisan well, which is filtered through ancient volcanic rock that lies beneath their distillery.

Their rums are made with the finest Central American Molasses, using a purpose built Caribbean “Doubler-style” copper column still which is unique in Ireland/UK. They use authentic rum yeasts and age their spirit in bourbon barrels for a totally authentic, yet unique product.

Their vodkas are made in house in a dedicated hand made still from the finest wheat, rye and barley blends. It is distilled up to 10 times to create an exceptionally clean and unique spirit. Perfect to sip or as a great base for cocktails.

Finally their gins, using their own base spirit comes alive with the infusion of the finest botanicals sourced from around the world. Produced in a dedicated gin still, with subtle peppery notes and a dry citrus finish. The gin embodies their ethos perfectly – íon Distillery : Purity of Spirit

 

Their New Products…

 

The new spirits are the brainchild of Darren Nugent. Nugent owns and runs the successful Pokertree Craft Brewery in Tyrone. Pokertree Craft Brewery started in 2013. He launched the spirit distillery to help grow the overall business.

“We certainly have a good range of ales and stout which are popular especially in Northern Ireland and ROI. However, I saw an opportunity to grow the business faster by investing in distilling spirits.

I decided the development of the business would benefit substantially by distilling Northern Ireland’s very first Cuban style rum. While I’ve introduced spirits I will still continue to brew and develop the Pokertree beer range.

Market research indicated a growing demand for premium and different spirits produced here offering new taste profiles. All our spirits are distilled on-site here. They are all made from scratch,” he adds.

 

He’s invested in three copper pot stills and associated condensing columns in a new plant in the Tyrone village.

“I opted to invest in three separate stills for the rum, gin and vodka because I wanted to focus on the purity of each spirit. I did not want to try to produce all of them on one. This is also why we’ve chosen the ‘Purity of Spirit’ streamline. The three stills represent a very significant investment for a small business. I believe íon Distillery is unique in Ireland in having separate stills for each spirit we produce,” he explains.

 

The Rum Still…

The still for the rum has a capacity of 3,000 litres. The Rum is handcrafted in small batches using fresh water from the distillery’s own artesian well and are then filtered over volcanic rocks found in the depths around the distillery.

He readily admits that creating the three spirits has been “a steep learning curve”. “Rum is a complicated spirit that I’ve been researching for several years. There are very specific rules and techniques involved in its production. We distil the rum from the finest molasses from Central America using a purpose-built ‘Doubler’ copper column still, unique in the British Isles.

“Our focus on authenticity is carried forward in our use of rum yeasts. Our first rum is a spirit aged in bourbon barrels and featuring Caribbean spices to produce a spiced rum that’s whiskey casked and has very distinctive flavours and taste.

The Gin Still…

Smaller in size, compared to the Rum still – the Gin still has the capacity of 500 litres.

The gin is made from our own base spirit with the infusion of the finest botanicals sourced from around the world,” Darren says.

The Vodka Still…

Similar to the Gin still – the Vodka still has the same capacity of 500 litres.

The vodka is also distilled in-house in a dedicated hand-made still from the finest wheat, rye and barley blends. It is distilled up to 10 times to create an exceptionally clean and unique spirit – perfect to sip or as a great base for cocktails.

 

For more information about son Distillery – click here : http://www.iondistillery.com 

 

Food NI Member – Finnebrogue artisan release a range of Christmas products for UK superstore Asda.

Finnebrogue Artisan

Finnebrogue is a name synonymous with good food. It started as a producer of superb venison but has since branched out into other meat products and vegetarian/vegan alternatives.

A family run business with 470 employees, Finnebrogue began operations in 1985 and has been supplying Asda with its Extra Special sausages since 2014.

They look at what is wrong with food and try to make it better.  Their innovative thinking has led to multiple awards and nationwide acclaim.

Their most recent success story is their Naked Bacon. It has become the biggest breakfast revolution for a generation!!  It is the first mass produced rasher to be made without nitrites. Nitrates have been shown to be carcinogenic when used in processed meats. Dennis Lynn – founder of Finnebrogue Artisan – recently received an innovation award!

For more details about their recent award click here : https://www.nigoodfood.com/innovation-award-finnebrogue-artisan/

 

The Asda Products 

Finnebrogue Artisan have introduced a range of products  in Asda stores throughout the UK – just in time for Christmas!!

The main attraction is an ‘Extra Special Ultimate Pig in Blanket’!

The range is also made up of – Red Onion Stuffing & Bacon Wraps. Pork, Plum & Sloe Gin Cocktail Sausages. Veggie Caramelised Red Onion & Rosemary Stuffing Slab and a Pork, Cranberry & Orange Stuffing Slab.

The addition of the new Christmas line will see Finnebrogue Artisan stocked in 584 Asda stores in the UK.

Moray Gray, Finnebrogue Artisan’s new product development manager for Asda, said:

“We have continued to build our relationship with Asda, thanks to our innovative approach, dedication to new product development and consistent quality. The supply of the Extra Special Christmas lines is testament to this and we’re extremely proud that our produce, including the Ultimate Pig in Blanket, will be available to shoppers across the UK.”

“Ours is the UK’s first pig in blanket table centrepiece. They are traditionally extremely popular at Christmas and bought in their thousands, so we’re confident a larger variant will appeal to those customers who usually have them on their festive shopping lists.”

Michael McCallion from Asda :

“At Asda, we’re always keen to support Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector and help local food companies grow their business through Asda’s national channels. It is fantastic to see Finnebrogue Artisan’s products on sale throughout the UK, especially at this time of year, when food – and in particular local produce – is in high demand for the Christmas table.”

 

Mackle Pet Foods in Moy, Co Tyrone has launched a new premium dog food range into more than 300 UK Tesco stores.

Mackle Pet Foods’ Chef’s Selection range follows the success of its Naturo brand, which is already available in 900 Tesco stores in the UK and Ireland.

The company says that the product is made from “100 percent fully traceable natural ingredients and contains superfoods known for their health boosting properties”.

Sales manager at Mackle Petfoods, Colin Ferguson adds that the range was developed in response to customer feedback. Ferguson says;

“The company is focused on market trends encouraging the new product development team to take innovative concepts like the use of cider vinegar to see how they can be incorporated into products to deliver health advantages to pets. We are constantly listening to our customers. Our grain-free products for example were developed in response to customers’ feedback about dogs with digestive issues and skin allergies.”

The company invested over £3 million in Moy which enabled it to more than double Naturo production. It currently exports to 14 countries.