Invest Northern Ireland and Food NI are collaborating to drive awareness of artisan food and drink products at key consumer shows in Great Britain and Republic of Ireland this autumn.
Pictured (L-R) is John Hood, Invest NI’s Director of Food and Drink, Chief Executive Michele Shirlow and Andrew Nethercott, Food NI Chairman
– ‘Black Bush and Leatherwork’ will bring together the worlds of Irish Whiskey and leather craft –
Bushmills® Irish Whiskey will continue the #BlackBushStories collaborative event series this month, showcasing and celebrating the stories of Irish talent who have gone against the grain to follow their passion and become champions in their chosen field.
August’s collaboration with Belfast leatherworker, Jason Karayiannis, will see the designer and maker host a hands-on workshop at Blaklist Belfast on Thursday 30th August in association with Bushmills Irish Whiskey Ambassador and acclaimed bartender, Paul Rocks.
The driving force behind his company, Father’s Father, Jason creates handmade leather goods that represent quality and utility in the very purest sense. One of the few artisan makers still employing the traditions of leather and craft to create unique products with a contemporary purpose, Jason’s collection includes beautiful yet functional items such as travel wallets, card holders and belts.
Inspired by the supreme craftsmanship, passion and care that goes into the premium blend of Bushmills® Black Bush®, #BlackBushStories celebrates those who challenge traditional thinking in their fields and live outside the box. A passion for traditional craft and a knack for creating rich products with modern functionality makes Jason – who is on a journey to modernise his family’s ancestral legacy in leather craft – one of Ireland’s most noteworthy emerging artists. The collaboration forms part of the immersive event series which tells the stories of independent, spirited and extraordinary talent across Ireland and aims to inspire others to follow their own passions – whatever they may be.
The ‘Black Bush and Leatherwork’ interactive event will open with Paul delivering an educational tasting session on some of Bushmills’ best-loved whiskeys, sharing the history and heritage of the iconic Irish brand. Attendees will then have the opportunity to hear about Jason’s story and partake in a leatherwork masterclass where each guest will make and take home their own initialled leather coaster and bookmark. Specially-created Black Bush drinks will also be served throughout the evening.
As part of the collaboration, Jason has created a limited edition ‘Bushmills x Father’s Father’ leather hip flask made from a single piece of full grain vegetable tanned leather. The essential companion for whiskey enthusiasts, ten of these limited edition hip flasks are available to win at blackbushstories.com.
To register for ‘Black Bush and Leatherwork’ and to hear more about Jason’s story, visit blackbushstories.com. To join in the conversation and keep up to date with the #BlackBushStories series, follow Bushmills Irish Whiskey on social media.
Award-winning gastro-pub group, Balloo Inns, is in the celebratory spirit this Chef Appreciation Week. Recognising the skills, talent and work ethic within the team, Balloo Inns will be highlighting the talent within the team by showcasing the chefs who have created some of the delicious dishes.
A specially curated menu of the chefs’ top picks will be running throughout the week from 12th – 18th August. Each chef has selected their own personal favourite dish to serve up to customers. The competition is on, as the chef whose dish gets ordered the most will take home the crowning title of ‘Chef of the Week’.
Chef Appreciation Week is one of a number of initiatives that Balloo Inns has developed to invest in its team throughout the year. Working with Inspire Workplace, Balloo Inns has also introduced an employee assistance programme. Inspire Workplace offers 24-hour support and follow up face-to-face counselling to all full-time Balloo Inns Group employees who may be struggling with stress, anxiety or any personal issues.
Ronan Sweeney, Balloo Inns Managing Director and owner, said, “We are always extremely grateful to our chefs across our restaurants for their continuous hard work throughout the year. Chef Appreciation Week has provided us with the extra opportunity to demonstrate how much we value and appreciate their work with us. We have been able to highlight not only their incredible work ethic, but their tremendous combined talent to our customers through our special menu of chef selections.
“Through our employee initiatives with Inspire Workplace, we are striving to create the best working environment for each of our employees. All our employees play a significant part in the success of our restaurants. Our business cannot succeed without happy, motivated employees and their wellbeing is a big priority for us.”
Balloo Inns Group employs around 120 staff across its three restaurants: The Parson’s Nose in Hillsborough, Balloo House in Killinchy and Poacher’s Pocket, Lisbane.
The award-winning restaurants receive critical acclaim with all three retaining their spot in the prestigious Michelin ‘Eating Out In Pubs’ Guide 2018.
For more information visit: www.ballooinns.com
Planting an idea for a healthier diet, left, Sharon Machala of Making Connections and Dearbhla Reynolds, The Cultured Club, both based in Bangor.
The influence of healthy eating on gut health and mood will be explored at a major conference in Belfast in September.
Depression currently affects up to half a million people in Ireland, causing severe trauma for sufferers and their loved ones. But what if happiness was made in your bowels instead of through your thoughts? This is the question to be addressed at the conference, Good Food and The Psychobiotic Revolution on 20 September, by leading experts.
Behind the important initiative are businesswomen Sharon Machala and Dearbhla Reynolds, both from Bangor and the key personalities in Cultured Connections, a unique collaboration focused on nutrition.
Both run small food-focused businesses and are collaborating to increase awareness of the importance of protecting and feeding good bacteria in the digestive system. Both also share a love of good and healthy food with outstanding flavours.
Sharon runs Making Connections, a consultancy specialising in brokering connections, especially between chefs and producers, within the local food industry, while Dearbhla is a food writer and author of The Cultured Club – Fabulously Funky Ferments, a widely acclaimed guide to the health and other benefits of fermented foods. She’s described as a “culinary radical’. Sharon also has a successful track record in the local food industry including a key role with Food NI, the pioneering promotion body.
They are convinced that choosing to eat the right mood boosting foods can help overcome depression and reduce a costly dependence on prescribed anti-depressants.
Sharon, who has vast experience in food processing and catering, explains: “It is clearer now than ever before that there are certain gut bacteria which can positively influence our mood and behaviour – in other words, we are what we eat.”
This conviction is backed up by academic research carried out by Ted Dinan, Professor of Psychiatry at University College Cork (UCC), one of the world’s main experts on the link between mental health and our gut health.
“In his laboratory, Prof Dinan found that the consumption of certain probiotic bacteria can actually alter the chemistry of the brain. These microbes that chase the blues are called ‘psychobiotics’, Sharon adds.
Prof Dinan, Principal Investigator in the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre at UCC will be a key contributor to their conference ‘Good Mood and Food -The Psychobiotic Revolution’ on 20 September.
Other experts taking part in the conference, the first of its type to be held in Northern Ireland, include Prof Siobhan O’Neill, Professor of Mental Health Sciences at Ulster University.
This event will include a special lunch comprised of mood boosting foods as well as a workshop on fermentation and probiotic drinks.
Why choose fermented foods? “Fermentation is actually one of the oldest techniques for preserving food. What the process does is to encourage essential and good bacteria to flourish in the gut,” explains Dearbhla. “It’s a good source of probiotics that aid digestion. So, adding a daily dose of fermented foods to your diet can have an extraordinary impact on health.
“Fermented foods have been shown to promote digestive ease for people suffering with inflammatory disorders, help manage sugar and carb cravings, decrease incidence of allergies and sensitivities, generally boost the immune system and contribute to an overall sense of well-being,” she continues.
Sharon adds: “What we eat determines our mood, specifically how foods rich in probiotics can affect mental health. Fermented foods can ease anxiety and counter depression.
“There’s growing recognition worldwide of the benefits of a diet that includes plenty of fresh vegetables and other plants,” she says. “Fermentation enables plants to be eaten throughout the year and also involves a process that kills off ‘bad’ bacteria.”
The process, Dearbhla explains, can involve submerging fresh vegetables in a salty brine during preparation to kill off dangerous, pathogenic bacteria. The good bacteria break down lactose and other sugars and starches in the food, making digestion easier. And once they reach the gut, they continue to help break down food and keep out potentially serious threats to health like E. coli and C. difficile.
Fermented vegetables, for instance, begin with lacto-fermentation, a method of food preservation that also enhances the nutrient content of the food. The action of the bacteria makes the minerals in cultured foods more readily available to the body. The bacteria also produce vitamins and enzymes that are beneficial for digestion.
Dearbhla adds that almost any root vegetable can be fermented, and fermenting farm-fresh produce is “a great way to provide good nutrition year-round! Ferment one vegetable alone or create mix of many different kinds, along with herbs and spices, for a great variety of cultured foods”.
Food NI member Holmes Bakery in Northern Ireland has won its first business in the US for its award winning biscuits.
The bakery, which is based at Portadown in Co. Armagh, is supplying a 12-strong range of premium quality biscuits, including traditional Irish flakemeal and fruit infused shortbread, to gourmet grocer Central Market in Texas.
Gillian Castles, brand administrator of the family-owned and managed bakery, says: “Winning our first business in the US has given everyone in the company a real buzz.
“We’ve been working on this export business for some time and will be aiming to build on the breakthrough with Central Market, an award winning supermarket chain with nine outlets across Texas.
“We are confident that the quality and outstanding taste of our biscuits will lead to further export business in the US and other market,” adds Gillian.
The business in Texas was secured through the company’s distributor in Britain. It follows a listing for six lines, including traditional Northern Irish traybakes, by Ocado, the leading UK online retailer.
Central Merchant, established in Texas in 1994 and now headquartered in Dallas, specialises in a comprehensive range of gourmet food and drink. It among the most successful grocers in Texas.
Holmes Bakery sells a wide range of handcrafted traybakes and biscuits throughout Northern Ireland the UK and further afield.
The bakery, earlier in August, added to its string of UK Great Taste Awards by gaining recognition for an Oaty Biscuit Made with Real Irish Butter.
Holmes Bakery was acquired by husband and wife team Harold and Daphne Irwin in 2009. The extensive range of premium products is manufactured from a purpose-built bakery.
