Top Irish hotel lists Belfast Ginger Ale

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Food NI member company Longbridge Drinks has won its first significant sales in the Republic of Ireland for its unique Belfast Ginger Ale.

Longbridge Drinks, which produced Belfast Ginger Ale, has announced a deal to supply the mixer to the elegant Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort.

Longbridge, which is based in Bangor, county Down and has extensive experience in the development and processing of traditional minerals and cordials, has just delivered its first consignment to the luxurious hotel, restaurant, golf resort and spa in county Limerick.

The championship golf course was the venue for the Irish open in 2007 and 2008.

Wayne Adair, a director of Longbridge Drinks, commenting on the business, says: “We were delighted to have been approached by such a prestigious hotel to supply our unique Belfast Ginger Ale. It’s a marvellous boost for the product so soon after its launch. We are hoping that it will lead to further business in the Republic, a target market for us.”

Belfast Ginger Ale is based on a product originally created in the city in 1825. Longbridge, named after the bridge that spanned Belfast’s River Lagan in the 19th century, is a new trading style developed by Papas Minerals, a successful craft producer of small batch soft drinks including award winning cordials.

Belfast Ginger Ale is the result of research work over three years by Mr Adair, Longbridge founder and a director of Papas Minerals and has been influenced by original recipes from original producers using artesian spring water from Cromac Wells, near Belfast City Centre.

The main ingredients are carbonated water, sugar, lime juice from concentrate, extract of ginger, ginger flavour and natural caramel. The new Belfast Ginger Ale is initially available in 20cl bottles, a 30cl bottle is also being planned.

“The new ginger ale is an ideal mixer for gin and especially the craft gins now being distilled in Northern Ireland,” Mr Adair says. “It revives the heritage of ginger ale processing in Belfast. The first carbonated ginger ale was produced by Dr Thomas Cantrell, a chemist with Grattan and Co in Belfast.

Papas Minerals is an artisan producer of craft minerals and cordials such as non-alcoholic ginger wine, traditional clove cordial and elderflower cordial. Mr Adair established the small business in 1999 and has won UK Great Taste Awards and Blas na hEireann awards.

 

Food and drink sector strengthens business in Britain

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Great Britain is still the biggest market for Northern Ireland food and drink industry. Overall, the industry saw a £2.6 percent rise in total sales in 2017 to £4.5billion. The report reveals a strengthening food and drink processing sector last year.

Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has reported that the value of produce for Great Britain increased to £2.2billion in 2016, accounting for just over 50 percent of the £4.5billion total sales that year.

The ‘Size and Performance of the Northern Ireland Food and Drinks Processing Sector, Subsector Statistics’ study also found that the Republic of Ireland is the most important export destination for the region’s food and drink.

Food and drink sales to the Republic accounted for £646million in 2016, which amounted to 15 percent of total sales.  Employment increased four percent from 20,555 to 22,413 full-time workers. The figure is estimated to increase 4.8 percent for 2017 to 23,479 full-time employees.

The proportion of external sales (sales to all markets outside of Northern Ireland) increased from 74.2 per cent to 75.6 per cent of total sales between 2015 and 2016. The value of these sales increased from £3,277million to £3,30million in 2016.

Between 2015 and 2016, the level of export sales (sales to markets outside of the United Kingdom) as a proportion of total sales declined from 26.7 percent to 25.4 percent.

The value of these export sales fell from £1,178million in 2015 to £1,108 million in 2016. The value of export sales was higher than that of the domestic Northern Ireland market in both 2015 and 2016.

The Republic of Ireland, which continues to be the largest export market with sales of £645.8million in 2016. The market share of total sales increased from 14.1 per cent in 2015 to 14.8 per cent in 2016.

After the total value of sales in Northern Ireland dipped from £4.415billion in 2015 to £4.365billion in 2016, provisional figures for last year show that the sector had increased £113million in turnover, bringing it to just under £4.5billion.

Beef, lamb, milk and milk products represented the largest subsectors for gross turnover in both 2015 and 2016. Together they account for 48 percent and 49 percent respectively of the sector’s total gross turnover.

 

Dale Farm successes in International Cheese Festival

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Food NI member Dale Farm gained a series of awards for its cheddar cheese products at the prestigious International Cheese Awards at Nantwich.

The company, Northern Ireland’s biggest dairy co-operative, won gold, silver and bronze medals for its range of cheddars. Dale Farm, which produces cheese at one of Europe’s leading processing plants, near Cookstown, county Tyrone, gained gold for its mature white cheddar in particular.

Dale Farm’s operation in Great Britain also won awards, including golds for its cottage cheeses and yoghurt. The company has processing operations in England, Scotland and Wales.

It exports milk powder and cheese to international markets including China, Russia and South America.

The awards, held as an integral part of the annual Nantwich Agricultural Show, is among the leading competitions in the international dairy industry. A panel of 250 expert judges sampled around 5,000 cheeses from almost 30 countries.

Dale Farm has many of Northern Ireland’s best known and most successful dairy brands and produces milk, cream, ice cream, cheese, butter, spreads, yogurt and desserts.

Successful brands include Dale Farm, Dromona, Spelga, Mullins, Fivemiletown, Rowan Glen, Loseley.

Dale Farm is Northern Ireland’s largest dairy company and is owned by over 1,300 dairy farmers who supply the milk.

The group’s activities span the food chain – from providing farm inputs and services, to collecting and marketing its members milk supplies, manufacturing an extensive range of dairy consumer and food ingredient products, distributing these to both domestic and over 40 export markets worldwide.

The cooperative was formed in 1995. Since then, the group has developed its business interests through organic growth and a series of acquisitions. The group now has 10 manufacturing sites throughout the UK.

An extensive capital investment programme has been completed aimed at reducing costs and increasing capacity. This has resulted in processing facilities that are best in class.

 

Voting is now open for Foodie Destinations 2018

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Food NI are delighted to announce that three areas in Northern Ireland have been nominated as Top 10 Finalist in the 2018 Foodie Destinations.

Congratulations to Armagh Heartland of Food, Mid & East Antrim and Derry for being shortlisted.

 

ONLINE VOTING IS NOW OPEN for the Foodie Destinations 2018.

To vote for Armagh Heartland of Food please click on the link below:

http://www.foodiedestinations.ie/city/armagh/

 

To vote for Mid & East Antrim please click on the link below:

http://www.foodiedestinations.ie/city/mid-east-antrim-borough/

 

To vote for Derry please click on the link below:

http://www.foodiedestinations.ie/city/derry/

 

The Foodie Destinations 2018 winner will be a destination or town that actively promotes itself through joint promotional activities such as food festivals, gourmet trails or farmers’ markets as well as great dining experiences. The winning Irish destination will have established a local producer/supplier network which is utilised and promoted by local businesses. Plans for future growth and investment into the food and hospitality industry at a local level will also be taken into consideration by judges. Education, training, development and employment will be key components of the ultimate foodie destination.

For more information please visit:

www.foodiedestinations.ie.

 

FREE to enter! Celebrate speciality through the Farm Shop & Deli Awards 2019

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Are you a speciality food retailer?

As a subscriber to Speciality Food magazine we thought you may be interested to know the Farm Shop & Deli Awards, in partnership with The Grocer, are open for entry and will close on Friday 21st September. Free to enter, the Awards are highly respected in the industry and cover the following categories; butcher, baker, cheesemonger, delicatessen, farm shop, fishmonger, food hall, greengrocer, online business and village store/ Local shop.

The Awards organiser, William Reed, has been helping businesses succeed since the launch of The Grocer in 1862 and the drive to inform and serve their sectors flows through everything they do today. The Farm Shop & Deli Awards are no exception and, for the past six years, they have played an important role in celebrating, and supporting, the speciality food retail market by utilising their reputation and reach in the sector.

Not a retailer?
Perhaps you supply a great retailer worthy of winning, or know one locally to you? If so, please do encourage them to find out more and enter these awards.  Alternatively, if you are a supplier or are connected to the speciality food retail industry and would be interested in being involved in the awards as a sponsor, please do get in touch to discuss options with them.

 

“Just about everyone is hearing about them – loud and clear”

“I really do think everyone who took part should look back – with huge, HUGE satisfaction – over the last ten/twenty years at how we have all transformed food retail in this country. There have always been wonderful stories to tell, but now just about everyone is hearing about them – loud and clear, thanks to those such as the knowledgeable and dedicated judges on the team at the Farm Shop & Deli Awards.”

Callum and Debbie Edge, Edge & Son, 2018 Retailer of the Year
“I know these awards are highly respected within the industry.”

“At Keelham we have won over 50 awards and you always know how an awards scheme is recognised in the industry by the comments you receive from your suppliers when you win. We had so many suppliers congratulate us when we won Farm Shop & Deli Awards Retailer of the Year in 2017, which is how I know these awards are highly respected within the industry.”

Victoria Robertshaw, Keelham Farm Shop, 2017 Retailer of the Year

Click here to enter now for 2019

Global recognition for Food NI’s outstanding Year of Food and Drink

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The Food NI driven Year of Food and Drink in 2016 has been shortlisted for the Best Food Destination category in the prestigious International Travel and Tourism Awards.

The Year of Food and Drink campaign, the first to be held in Northern Ireland, is among just four regions shortlisted for the important award.

Michele Shirlow, Food NI chief executive, said: “It’s a tremendous achievement to be shortlisted in this global competition. Our year-long focus on food and drink has gained recognition for Northern Ireland as a destination for great food and drink, an important aspect of tourism.

“Our Year of Food and Drink was a hugely successful initiative which was supported by public and private sector bodies and united the wider community in showcasing the quality, innovation and variety of food and drink processors and the hospitality sector.”

More than 70 nominations were lodged for all 13 categories in the awards which celebrates the very best of travel and tourism on a global scale, recognising the outstanding successes of destinations, tourist boards, private sector companies and individuals.

The winners will be announced to an audience of more than 500 leading industry figures – including government ministers – during a prestigious awards ceremony at London’s Grade I-listed Tobacco Dock not far from WTM London’s ExCeL venue on November 6

A distinguished panel of independent judges assessed the first tranche of categories and the contenders. Paul Nelson, International Travel & Tourism Awards co-founder, said: “We have been delighted with both the volume and quality of the entries for the International Travel & Tourism Awards.

“Entries were submitted from countries right across the world – from destinations as diverse as Toronto, Zagreb, Jordan and Northern Ireland – and they demonstrate how tourism is playing a vital role in the economies of different cities and regions.

“Our judges have been greatly impressed by the exceptional quality of entries, and those who are on the shortlist know they have reached a very high standard – they will be among the best in the world.”

The International Travel & Tourism Awards, presented by WTM London, is unique event that recognises the success of national, regional and city tourist boards as well as outstanding private sector companies and individuals.

The awards feature 13 categories, with twelve judged by an independent panel of leading experts and senior figures in each sector. The final award for outstanding contribution to the industry nominated by WTM London Media Partners will be the ultimate finale to these show-stopping awards, which will take place at a glittering awards ceremony in London.