Co Armagh’s Karri Kitchen has secured new listings in all Asda Northern Ireland
stores for its high protein, low-calorie Southeast Asian-inspired ready meals
The small Craigavon company, a Food NI member, has worked with Asda to
secure three new listings for its high protein, low-calorie Southeast Asian-inspired
ready meals, which will be available in all the retailer’s stores across the region.
“Now, to have our meals in Asda is a dream come true! I’m excited to introduce our
dishes to new customers and can’t wait to experiment with even more flavours in the
future,” says founder and managing director Shera McAloran.
The new range includes Karri Kitchen’s signature dishes, Mango Chicken Curry,
Mongolian Beef Noodles, and Black Pepper Beef.
Founded by Shera, who is originally from Indonesia and moved to Northern Ireland
from Sydney in 2017, Karri Kitchen began as a home business in 2019, with Shera
cooking healthy, flavourful meals inspired by her heritage.

Today, Karri Kitchen operates out of a purpose-built facility in Craigavon with a team
of 30, producing authentically flavoured and healthy ready meals crafted with fresh,
locally sourced ingredients to honour authentic Southeast Asian cooking techniques.

Award-winner producer of balsamic vinegars and flavour infusions Burren Balsamics
has launched into M&S stores in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The company which is based at Richhill in Co Armagh is providing the following
products is its firs business with M&S:
 Bushmills Cask Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
 Citrus Pearl Bursts
 Blackberry & Thyme Pearl Bursts
 Luxury White Condiment Collection
The director, commenting on the new business, said: “This is our first launch into the
multiple retail space and we’re so proud to reach this milestone.
“We are so pleased that our passion for quality, artisan craftsmanship, and our
commitment to using the finest Irish produce is being recognised across M&S stores.
We hope this new partnership helps even more people discover our unique flavours!’
The balsamic vinegars can be found in the following M&S stores::
Northern Ireland:
��Craigavon
��Lisburn
��Belfast
��Enniskillen
��Foyleside
��Newry The Quays
Ireland:
��Blackrock
��Dundrum
��Grafton Street
��Liffey Valley

Natural Umber’s Umber Plus apple cider vinegar is now available in a select number
of Marks & Spencer (M&S) Foodhalls across Northern Ireland and the Republic of
Ireland.
A Food NI member, Natural Umber, which is based in Dungannon, says the
important listing “is part of our ongoing efforts to introduce our high-quality,
innovative product to a broader audience, offering M&S customers the chance to
experience the unique benefits of Umber Plus”.
The company continues: “Umber Plus stands alone as the only apple cider vinegar
enriched with Vitamin D, making it truly one-of-a-kind on the market. No other brand
offers this unique combination.
“We are delighted to partner with Marks & Spencer for this exciting trial run. Umber
Plus is the perfect fit for M&S’s commitment to quality and innovation, and we are
confident that their customers will love our apple cider vinegar.

The product is available in M&S stores as follows:
Northern Ireland
Boucher Road, Belfast
Lisburn
Newtownbreda
Malone, Lisburn Road
Banbridge
Newry (The Quays)
Ballymena
Bangor
Abbey Centre, Belfast
Ireland
Omni Park, Dublin
Liffey Valley, Dublin
Dundrum
Blackrock
Cork
“We are overjoyed about this opportunity,” the company adds.

Family-owned Davison’s Canners, a Food NI member, which specialises in hot
desserts for retail and food services both chilled and frozen, is expanding with
support from HSBC UK. The company will use the funding to refurbish an existing
unit on site and to purchase a new automated process and packing line.
The new 50,000 sq ft facility, outside Portadown, will enable the company to begin
producing new ‘ready to eat’ desserts for retail customers in Ireland and Great
Britain, such as individual cheesecakes, premium trifles, glass potted and high-
protein desserts.
The upgraded facility will also include a fully integrated robotic system to automate
the packing process. This will enable the company to enhance the skills of its
existing 118 employees in automated procedures, while also paving the way for an
expansion in its workforce in the forthcoming years.
Alan Davison, managing director at Davison’s, said: “This is a very exciting time for
Davison’s as we significantly increase our capacity to manufacture puddings and
expand our offering. We’ve worked with HSBC UK for around 15 years now and it
continues to provide us with excellent support and advice.”
Rory Clarke, Relationship Director at HSBC UK, added: “The food industry is a core
focus for HSBC UK, and this is a great opportunity for Davison’s to expand its
product range and boost their revenue. Its brilliant to see a family-run business go
from strength to strength.”
The £6 million in funding from HSBC UK will partially fund the capital investment to
support the Ready to eat dessert project. Having been approached by a long-
standing customer within retail requesting a range of ready to eat and food to go
desserts, Davison’s has forecasted an 80 percent increase in revenue over the next
four years.

Several Food NI members have been successful at the Great British Food Awards.
The regional winner for Northern Ireland was Burren Balsamics which also won Gold
with their Burren Balsamics’ Whiskey Cask-Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and
Double Bronze for Blackberry and Thyme Infused Balsamic Pearls and Blood
Orange and Cardamom infused White Condiment.
There was another Gold prize for Craic Foods’ Black Garlic Miso
Silver awards were given to Marshall Beekeeping for their Northern Irish Honey,
Irish Black Butter and The Krazibaker Shortbread Biscuits
Ballylisk of Armagh’s The Triple Rose took Bronze in the Cheese category while
Crawford’s Rock Loaded Fries Seasoning was given a Bronze award. There was
another Bronze for Granny Shaw’s Crumbly Salted Caramel Fudge and a Bronze for
Jackson Roze’s Ginger Wine with Clove.
Congratulations to all.

A unique culinary vinegar from Burren Balsamics, a Food NI member, matured in
Bushmills Irish Whiskey casks has won a prestigious Great British Food Award that
celebrates the country’s finest home-grown ingredients.

Based at Richhill in Co Armagh, Burren Balsamics gained the award Northern
Ireland’s best product for its unique Balsamic Vinegar of Modena in collaboration
with Bushmills.
‘We’re thrilled to win this award with Bushmills,” says Burren founder and managing
director Susie Hamilton Stubber: “It was a huge privilege to work with the world’s
oldest Irish whiskey, and we are so proud of how this Balsamic infusion turned out.
We were keen to work with Bushmills because it’s such a marvellous whiskey and
iconic Northern Ireland product

“At Burren Balsamics, our ethos centres on handcrafted Irish flavour and innovation.
We love to champion Ireland’s unbeatable produce, as we carefully infuse small-
batch balsamic vinegar with local ingredients,” says Susie, who runs the pioneering
Armagh business with chef Bob McDonald.
Formed in 2014, Burren carefully crafts premium pantry products using the finest
local ingredients. “All our products are thoughtfully infused with premium flavour,
artisan expertise and local Irish Ingredients.
Other Food NI member winners included: CRAIC Foods, Craigavon gold for Black
Garlic Miso; Krazibaker, Dromore silver for Shortbread Biscuits; Marshall’s
Beekeeping, Loughgall for Honey; Ballylisk Cheese, Portadown bronze for Triple
Rose cheese; Granny Shaw’s bronze for Crumbly Fudge; Crawford’s Rock, Kilkeel
bronze for Garlic Sea Salt; and Jackson Roze, Tandragee bronze for Ginger Wine
with Clove.

The popular awards were launched in 2014 to celebrate the country’s finest artisanal
produce, as well as the hard-working people behind the scenes.
The high profile judging panel, each wielding a hefty influence in the realm of British
food and drink, included celebrity chefs Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux Jr and Shaun
Rankin.