Food NI members win big at Blas na hÉireann 2018  

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A record 32 Food NI members have taken home awards from the Blas na hÉireann Irish food awards from Dingle in County Kerry.

The Supreme Champion was Rooney Fish from Newry whose Millbay Oysters wowed the judges. They also won the Shane McArdle Award for Best in Ulster.

The bronze, silver and gold winners from Antrim, across a range of different categories are Glenballyeamon Eggs, Maud’s Ice Creams, Morelli’s Ice Cream, Dale Farm, McErlains Bakery, Yahi, Deli Muru, Tom and Ollie, Ke Nako Biltong, Lacada Brewery and The Irish Black Butter Company. Ke Nako Biltong won the overall Best in Farmers Market prize.

The winners from Armagh, across a range of different categories are Hannan Meats, Ballylisk Dairies, Irwin’s Bakery, Holmes Bakery, Armagh Cider Company, Long Meadow Cider, Mac Ivors Cider Co with Ballylisk Diaries winning Best in County and Best in Farmers Market.

The 2 winners from Derry are Corndale Farm and Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil who also won Best in Farmers Market for Derry and Best in County.

The 13 winners from Down, across a range of different categories are Springmount Farm Free Range Eggs, Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt, Glastry Farm Ice Cream, , Rooney Fish, Cookie Jar, Mash Direct, Suki Tea, Harnett Oils, Noisy Snacks and Whitewater Brewing.

Cavanagh Free Range Eggs from Fermanagh also won an award.

The Blas na hÉireann awards are the biggest blind tasting of produce in the country, and the criteria on which the product is judged as well as the judging system itself, which was developed by Blas na hÉireann with the Food Science Dept of UCC, is now recognised as an international industry standard.

During the first round of judging which took place over the course of four weeks in June and July, over 2,500 entries were judged in UCC & The Baking Academy, bringing the total number of finalists in each category down to just five. Those 5 winners in each of 140 categories were submitted to the judging day in Dingle, where all 350 producer finalists had their food products tasted, compared, savoured and judged at the final of Blas na Éireann 2018 on Thursday 4th October, with over 4,000+ samples tasted over the judging day by over 100 judges.

Judges come from all backgrounds, including chefs, academics, trade, buyers and home cooks. The few days around the judging process in Dingle are also an opportunity for the producers and the general public to mingle, taste and enjoy some of the most exciting and interesting Irish food products, meet and hear the fascinating stories of some of the country’s most intriguing new, best loved and long-established producers and entrepreneurs, and celebrate the winners and participants in this year’s Blas na hÉireann awards.

Speaking after the announcement Artie Clifford, Chairperson and founder of Blas na hÉireann said, “All food on this island is local, but the passion for food, good food and local food has never been greater. The community that has come together through Blas an hEireann over the last 11 years – their hard work, obsessiveness and the quality of the product that comes from that focus and commitment – is seen more clearly every year in the standard of our entries.”

Food NI Member Rooney Fish wins Supreme Champion at Blas 2018

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Blas na hÉireann, the Irish food awards, announced this year’s winners, with Rooney Fish crowned Supreme Champion for their Millbay Oysters at the 2018 finals which have just concluded in Dingle.

Food NI member Rooney Fish are a family run business established in 1975 in Kilkeel, Co. Down. Now in its second generation, they specialise in catching, preparing and processing the finest catch from the waters surrounding Ireland. In 2014 they opened an oyster farm in Carlingford Lough close to their Kilkeel base where they combine traditional methods with innovative, new ideas to produce their award-winning oysters Millbay Oysters.

The Blas na hÉireann awards are the biggest blind tasting of produce in the country, and the criteria on which the product is judged as well as the judging system itself, which was developed by Blas na hÉireann with the Food Science Dept of UCC, is now recognised as an international industry standard.

John Rooney says, “We are absolutely delighted to win Supreme Champion at Blas na hÉireann 2018 for our Millbay Oysters. In 2014 we fulfilled a long-term ambition and opened an oyster farm in Carlingford Lough close to our Kilkeel base where we combine our passion for the industry with traditional methods and new techniques to produce our oysters. Although we’ve grown considerably since we began we’re still a family business and to be recognised with this award from Blas na hÉireann, who themselves believe so strongly in community and family, is a huge honour”

6-10-2018: John and Rosemary Rooney from Rooney Fish in Newry pictured with their Millbay Oysters in Dingle, County Kerry on Saturday night after they won the Supreme Champion award at the 11th Blas na hÉireann / Irish Food Awards. The awards are the largest blind tasting on the island, with over 2,500 products entered in 2018. more info: www.Irishfoodawards.comPhoto Don MacMonagleFurther info: breffni@hostandcompany.ie

Speaking after the announcement Artie Clifford, Chairperson and founder of Blas na hÉireann said, “All food on this island is local, but the passion for food, good food and local food has never been greater. The community that has come together through Blas an hEireann over the last 11 years – their hard work, obsessiveness and the quality of the product that comes from that focus and commitment – is seen more clearly every year in the standard of our entries.”

Seafood Week Sails Into St George’s Market

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Foodies, families and friends alike can prepare to have their taste buds tantalised when Seafood Week comes to St George’s Market on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th October 2018.

This celebration of Seafood Week is organised by Seafish in partnership with Belfast City Council, FoodNI and the seafood sellers of St George’s Market. The event is a Northern Irish celebration of Seafood Week – an annual campaign aimed at promoting the consumption of seafood.

Seafood Week at St George’s will see top chefs including Andy Rea of the Mourne Seafood Bar, Ian Hunter of the Belfast Cookery School and Susan Gillespie of Chowder Up Seafood cook a delicious variety of seafood dishes in the Market’s demo kitchen.

Master fishmonger, Hal Dawson will be on hand to provide classes in how to perfectly fillet a fish and local students from South Eastern Regional College and Belfast Met will be showcasing their seafood skills in the kitchen. The event will be compered by local celebrity foodie and seafood fan, Kim Lenaghan of BBC Radio Ulster.

Visitors to the Market will have the opportunity to enjoy the seafood preparation and cookery demonstrations, taste some fantastic local seafood and perhaps even enjoy listening to a sea shanty or two played by well-known local musicians who will be there helping to celebrate Seafood Week at St George’s.

Dr Lynn Gilmore, Seafish Northern Ireland Manager, said:

“We are delighted to work with Belfast City Council and Food NI to celebrate local seafood at our Seafood Week at St George’s event. This is one of a number of exciting activities taking place across the UK during Seafood Week and we’d encourage everyone to get involved. The aim of Seafood Week is to get more people, to eat more seafood, more often and is being promoted by Fish is the Dish, our Seafish consumer campaign.”

Seafood Week is now in its fourth year and the campaign is aimed at encouraging the consumption of seafood everywhere – whether it is at home, in a café or restaurant, or at the local fish and chip shop and to celebrate our amazing fishing communities around the UK.

Lots more information can be found on the website http://seafoodweek.co.uk/, and you can get involved in the Seafood Week conversation using the hashtag #seafoodweek.

Flavours of Italy from Northern Ireland’s Krazi Baker

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Food NI member Krazi Baker, Northern Ireland’s award winning baker of traditional Northern Irish griddle breads, has added the flavours of Italy to his range or original breads.

The artisan bakery business, owned by Mark Douglas and based in Dromore, county Down, is developing focaccia breads.

He’s just launched successfully his first traditional focaccia featuring roasted peppers and onions with rosemary and a light sprinkle of rock salt.

“I’ve baked the focaccia bread in response to requests from people here especially those visiting my stalls at markets around Northern Ireland. I’ve always baked them at home and decided to make them available to existing and potential customers keen on focaccia.

“My business is based on responding quickly to customers for different baked goods,” he says.

“I launched the focaccia bread at a recent market in Northern Ireland and they proved to be extremely popular. I was sold-out very quickly and have now decided to add focaccia to my range of breads,” he adds.

The focaccia breads follow the introduction of his own sourdough bread for shoppers more than a year ago.

Krazi Baker is known throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for premium griddle breads such as traditional Northern Irish favourites potato bread, soda and treacle farls and potato apple baked fresh on-site at markets. He has also developed award winning shortbread and oat flake biscuits, including a low sugar variety.

An experienced baker, Mr Douglas has also developed original products with other local ingredients such as cheese, chorizo and guanciale.

Novel hand baked Irish Black Butter oatcake launched in Northern Ireland

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Two Food NI members have joined forces to create an original, hand baked and tasty Irish oatcake biscuit.

The award winning Heatherlea Bakery, which is based in Bangor, and Irish Black Butter from Portrush have developed the innovative Irish Black Butter Oatcakes.

The new biscuits also contain oats from another Northern Ireland artisan business, also a Food NI member, White’s Oats in Tandragee, Co Armagh.

The new oatcake is a collaboration between Paul Getty, managing director of Heatherlea Bakery, and Alastair Bell, the founder of Irish Black Butter, a unique savoury/sweet spread made from Bramley apples, treacle, spices with a hint of brandy.

Heatherlea Bakery is renowned for its traditional Irish breads, biscuits, traybakes and ‘pound’ cakes. The company, which has won several UK Great Taste Awards, is owned by Mr Getty and wife Patricia.

They have owned the bakery since 1990 and currently bake products for retailers, including their own successful bakery/deli/café, as well as wholesalers.

Irish Black Butter was launched in November 2017 by Mr Bell to offer “a new taste of Ireland” based on the country’s PGI accredited Bramley apples from county Armagh. In addition to selling the premium spread to delis and independent retailers throughout Ireland and through a distributor in Britain.

Commenting on the new oatcakes, Mr Bell says: “I was thrilled when Paul Getty agreed to use the black butter as an ingredient for a new oatcake product.

“Paul and his bakers have done marvellous job in creating a delicious hand baked Irish oatcake, a bakery product long synonymous with Ireland.

“I see opportunities to market the oatcake as a traditional Irish product both here and in global markets. It makes a great gift for tourists in particular,” he adds.

Irish Black Butter is already being used as an ingredient in ice cream, yoghurt and in charcuterie, all from Northern Irish artisan producers.

The heat is on to find Ulster’s top young chefs!!

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Mount Charles, Ireland’s leading support service organisation has partnered with SuperValu to launch the third, annual Big School Cook Off Competition.

Run in association with the Irish News and supported by Business in the Community, The Mount Charles Big School Cook Off in partnership with SuperValu, is open to all post primary school pupils across Northern Ireland and Donegal, aged between 11 and 14.

The competition, champions pupils with a passion for cooking and gives them an insight into the hospitality industry. It also encourages young people to consider a career in foodservice and opens the door for future training and skill development.

Caitriona Lennox, Mount Charles Business Development and Retention Manager said: “We are delighted that SuperValu has come onboard this year and we look forward to working together to give students the opportunity to showcase their culinary skills, inspiring them to think about healthy eating and the origin of their food.”

Entering the competition couldn’t be easier. Teams of two are asked to submit a main course recipe idea that feeds two, focusing on locally sourced ingredients that can be bought on a budget of £5 or euro equivalent.

The recipes are then shortlisted and the successful finalists take part in a regional heat at the end of January 2019, where each cooking duo will prepare the recipe they submitted to the competition. SuperValu will provide all finalists with a voucher to the value of £5 (or euro equivalent).

The winning team from each regional heat will progress to cook their recipe for an esteemed panel of judges at the grand finale of the competition next March, in Belfast Met’s Titanic Quarter Campus.

There are some great prizes on offer as well as the kudos of winning the biggest and most prestigious cooking competition in the schools’ calendar.

Brendan Gallen, Head of Marketing at Musgrave said: “SuperValu is proud to support Mount Charles with this fantastic initiative.  At SuperValu it’s all about, ‘Real Food, Real People’ and making it easier to prepare great food so to be able to work with hundreds of our top young foodies from all over Northern Ireland and Donegal is incredibly exciting.  We would like to wish everyone planning to take part in this year’s competition the best of luck and we look forward to meeting you at the regional heats.”

Caitriona continued: “We were thrilled with the number of entries last year and are calling on schools that haven’t taken part yet, to grab their aprons and join the fun.

“Feedback from participating schools has been amazing. Teachers have told us that the competition noticeably boosted their pupils’ self-esteem and gave them so much more confidence in their cooking ability.

“The overall standard of the competition was very high but the winning team from Ballymena Academy, created a dish that was of restaurant standard and I can’t wait to see what all the teams produce this year.”

Irish News Marketing Manager John Brolly said: “It is an excellent initiative that all schools should embrace to get young people to take an interest in food.

“We are looking for pupils to slice, dice and cook their way through a number of challenges so that they can walk away as winner of the Big School Cook Off.”

The deadline to submit your recipe idea is 9th of November 2018, so enter now if you think your school team has what it takes to be the 2019 Big School Cook Off Champions.

To enter or for more information visit www.irishnews.com/bigschoolcookoff