New children’s convenience foods from Northern Irish Cloughbane Farm

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Food NI member Cloughbane Farm has launched its first range of convenience meals for the children’s market. The launch represents an investment of £200,000 by the farm-based company which has won a host of awards for its convenience foods including pies.

The company says the ‘Cloughbane Little Farm’ is a selection of healthy and convenient ready-meals, created for children aged 1 – 6 years. Made from quality, locally sourced ingredients, the new range is cooked on the family farm, just outside Dungannon in county Tyrone.

The products have already secured listings to the value of £750,000 with retailers including Aldi, Henderson Group and Musgrave Group, with several others to be announced soon.

Having been in development for three years, the launch of Cloughbane Little Farm is another significant development for the family business which now employs 50 people, having experienced 25 percent revenue growth since 2013.

Lorna Robinson, managing director of Cloughbane Farm, explains: “We have been producing award-winning cooked dishes and pies for almost 10 years. When our own family grew, and my grandchildren were born, I was reminded of how difficult it can be for busy families to find tasty, nutritious and quick meal options for children. And so, with the same passion for quality and taste that goes into all our products, we started to develop Cloughbane Little Farm.

“The meals have been rigorously tested throughout the development process and we are delighted with the result. Independent sensory analysis carried out compared Cloughbane Little Farm products to other children’s meals and the results show that panellists preferred the taste, appearance and texture of our range in every instance.

“As parents and grandparents ourselves, we understand how much care goes into selecting what young children eat, so these results are extremely important to us. We are proud to have created a range that helps busy families, without compromising on anything that matters.”

The Robinson family has been farming in the townland of Cloughbane in Pomeroy, county Tyrone for over 150 years. The fourth generation of the family founded Cloughbane Farm Shop in 2004. Since then, the company has gone on to secure multiple major listings for its prepared foods with retailers across the UK, including Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys.

Save the Date for Christmas Popup Shop!

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We are excited to announce that we are opening once again with a host of local producers and crafters!

Please save the dates 30th November 2018, and 1st December 2018.  Times and producers, will be listed in the coming weeks.

Paula McIntyre MBE, BBC Radio Ulster resident chef, Lecturer, and Cook Book Author will be here on the Saturday demonstrating another fabulous Xmas feast!

Childrens photography sitting, by Neal James will be on Friday and Saturday – times to be confirmed (booking essential).

So far, Corndale, Tamanagh Cheese, and Eoin McConnell photography have confirmed their stands to come back for another year.

Dont forget to tell your friends and family, we look forward to giving you a warm welcome to our event.

Balloo Inns Owners Crowned Hospitality Heroes at Prestigious Georgina Campbell Awards

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26th September 2018: Amongst the very best in Irish hospitality, the owners of the Balloo Inns Group in County Down were singled out for their remarkable contribution to the industry and awarded one of the most prestigious awards at the Georgina Campbell Awards 2019 in Dublin yesterday.

 

Ronan and Jennie Sweeney were presented with the ‘Hospitality Hero’ award for exceptional individuals in Irish Food and Hospitality, the final award of the highly-respected ceremony. The pair own and manage the award-winning Balloo House in Killinchy, The Poacher’s Pocket in Lisbane and The Parson’s Nose in Hillsborough.

 

The annual celebration is Ireland’s longest-running independent food and hospitality awards.  Presenting the ‘Hospitality Hero’ award, Georgina Campbell commented, “The contribution that Ronan and Jennie Sweeney have made to standards in hospitality, and especially in the casual dining sector, is remarkable.

 

“Their ambition, when they took over the famous 19th century coaching inn Balloo House in Killinchy in 2004, was to restore its reputation as one of the finest country dining pubs in Northern Ireland. They achieved this with spectacular success – and it was just the beginning… There is also The Poacher’s Pocket, with its terrific Poacher’s Pantry selling top quality meat, fish and game in season as well as bakery, deli products and premium drinks.

 

“And the charming Parson’s Nose in Hillsborough, which was recently given the Sweeney gold dust treatment, emerging as an even more impressive old-meets-new dining destination last year.

 

“The three Balloo Inns sum up all that is best about Northern Ireland food and hospitality for many regular visitors, and they have become the benchmark for quality pub dining.”

 

Commenting on the award, Ronan Sweeney said, “Jennie and I are very touched by this special award from Georgina Campbell, it is completely unexpected, and we are very grateful to receive this national recognition at the prestigious ceremony in Dublin. It is continually an enjoyable journey honing our offering to the highest possible standard and working with fantastic suppliers to serve the finest locally-sourced food across the all three of our dining pubs.

 

“We share this accolade with our talented and motivated 120 strong-team across the Balloo Inns Group and want to thank them for all their support, hard work and contribution.”

 

During the celebration, Georgina Campbell also commended the Hospitality Heroes for delivering programmes that benefit their team and the wider population.

 

Within the last year, the Balloo Inns Group have embarked on a series of initiatives focused on raising awareness and funds for Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke (NICHS). Additionally, the team across the three pubs benefit from an employee assistance scheme including counselling through Inspire Wellbeing.

 

Georgina Campbell finished her citation by remarking, “All this is very typical of this caring couple, it’s just what they do. Ronan and Jennie Sweeney, we salute you and commend the valued contribution of all of your team members.”

 

For more information on the award-winning Balloo Inns Group or to make a reservation visit www.ballooinns.com

 

New Food Destination Strategy for Ards and North Down will put Local Food and Drink on the Map     

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Ards and North Down Borough Council has launched a new Food Destination Development Plan. The plan, which will be delivered over the next three years, will position Ards and North Down as a premier food tourism destination on the island of Ireland with the aim of attracting more visitors to the area.

 

Building on the area’s already strong credentials in food and drink, the plan will bring to life the traditions, flavours and craftsmanship of its food and drink producers. Festivals and events, suppliers and food markets, restaurants and eateries will also form part of the plan.

 

Mayor of Ards and North Down, Cllr Richard Smart, said: “We have a plethora of indigenous events, producers, suppliersand food and drink hotspots – in fact our credentials are already well established. We are one of the few regions in Northern Ireland to have earned PGI status* (protected geographical indication) for our Comber Early potatoes. This is a strong foundation we can build upon.

Gastronomic experiences are an integral part of the tourism experience, yet it is not always possible to truly capture the authenticity of a local area. Our plan will allow visitors to discover products, places of production, producers, chefs and hosts as well as events that epitomize the Ards and North Down area and establish it as a premier food tourism destination on the island of Ireland.

 

By harnessing their potential and supporting the initiative fully with customer service and effective marketing, I have no doubt that food destination development will have a transformative effect on our local communities in terms of economic benefits, regeneration and sustainability.

 

The plan includes well-loved food and drink events such as Comber Earlies Food Festival and Portavogie Seafood Festival, established and emerging food producers and suppliers, as well as retail outlets and eateries such as delicatessens, farm shops, restaurants, chefs and more. Visitors will be brought on an authentic journey through the Borough’s food and drink offering.

 

Despite being relatively new, food destination development is now recognised throughout the UK, Republic of Ireland and Europe as an integral part of the wider visitor experience that shapes the unique heritage and culture of a place.

 

Bangor and Portaferry have already been identified as important gateway points to Ards and North Down with Comber, Donaghadee and Portavogie all pinpointed as important staging points on thevisitor journey. The plan builds on extensive work by the Council and its stakeholders to date and takes its lead from the Integrated Tourism, Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy for Ards and North Down.”

 

Copies of the strategy can be downloaded from the Council website www.ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk

SUCCESS FOR TASTE OF ULSTER MEMBERS AT GEORGINA CAMPBELL AWARDS

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The Walled City Brewery in Derry-Londonderry has won the Atmospheric Restaurant of the Year prize at the Georgina Campbell Irish Hospitality Awards in Dublin.

The award was given at a ceremony at the Bord Bia offices on Tuesday 25th September.

Launched at the Culturetech Craft Beer Festival in 2014, owner and master brewer James Huey’s venture is an ambitious one and the first craft brewery in the city centre for over 100 years.

“Handsomely located in the old military pay office on Ebrington Square, which dates back to 1890, this is a craft brewery and restaurant in the same building – which is another first for Northern Ireland” said Georgina Campbell on presenting the award.

“With its original beer- themed decor and terrific ‘local tapas’ food to match the beers (all thanks to talented family members), the atmospheric bar-restaurant is a destination in itself. For a complete taste of Northern Ireland, Walled City Brewery is a must-visit.”

Also celebrating were Ronan & Jennie Sweeney from Balloo Inns in Killinchy, Co Down. They won the Hospitality Hero award.

This was a special award, given in recognition of the contribution made by exceptional individuals in Irish food and hospitality.

“The contribution that Ronan and Jennie Sweeney have made to standards in hospitality, and especially in the casual dining sector, is remarkable” said Georgina Campbell.

“ Their ambition, when they took over the famous 19th century coaching inn Balloo House at Killinchy, Co Down, in 2004, was to restore its reputation as one of the finest country dining pubs in Northern Ireland. This they achieved with spectacular success – and it was just the beginning.

“Together with head chef Danny Millar, who is one of the region’s culinary leaders and a champion of local seasonal produce, the couple had hardly established Upstairs at Balloo as the area’s premier dining destination when another old pub, Lisbarnett House in Lisbane, came onto the market in dire need of TLC and the team struck again. It soon became The Poacher’s Pocket, with its terrific Poacher’s Pantry selling top quality meat, fish and game in season as well as bakery, deli products and premium drinks.

“Next came the charming Marquis of Downshire in Hillsborough, which was renamed The Parson’s Nose and was recently given the Sweeney gold dust treatment, emerging as an even more impressive old-meets-new dining destination last year.

“The three Balloo Inns sum up all that is best about Northern Ireland food and hospitality for many regular visitors, and they have become the benchmark for quality pub dining. The Sweeneys make it all seem so easy and the core team has remained in place as their employee base gradually rose to well over 100. But this was real life and there were challenges along the way, not least with health issues, which inspired them to take action in a number of ways not only to benefit themselves and their staff, but also the wider population. To this end they started to raise awareness of – and funds for – Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke (NICHS) and instigated other programmes, such as an employee assistance scheme that includes counselling and a Chef Appreciation Week which, like customer feedback, must make the demanding work and long hours in a commercial kitchen much more rewarding.

All this is very typical of this caring couple, it’s just what they do. Ronan and Jennie Sweeney we salute you and commend the valued contribution of all of your team members.”