Musgrave announce multi-million investment into local food and drink

Posted on

LEADING retailer Musgrave has announced a £100M commitment into the local food and drink industry this year as well as a £10M investment into its store network across Northern Ireland.

This multi-million outlay is part of a province-wide campaign to demonstrate Musgrave’s commitment to the local community and industry across its SuperValu, Centra, Mace and MarketPlace brands.

In 2017 Musgrave will buy more than £100M worth of local food and drink, working in partnership with over 140 local suppliers, selling more than 3,000 local products across its stores and working with over 3,000 local farmers.

The company recently celebrated its 20th birthday in Northern Ireland and is a committed local employer of over 5,000 people across its business along with a dedicated partner of almost 130 retail families within the province.

This year saw a £2M investment into health initiatives in the Centra brand with the Live Every Day campaign and SuperValu’s Let’s Cook mission. Musgrave has also committed £250,000 into staff development in 2017.

Musgrave and its independent SuperValu and Centra retailers have invested significantly in Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives across the province, having raised a massive £2.5M for charity partner Action Cancer since 2005, believed to be the biggest single donation by a Northern Ireland company. Mace retailers and the MarketPlace brand have raised more than £60,000 for NI Chest Heart and Stroke, since beginning the charity partnership in 2016. 

Musgrave Managing Director, Michael McCormack said: “Musgrave recently celebrated 20 years of investment in Northern Ireland and this year alone, we’re committing £100M to the local food and drink industry and £10M to deliver the best in convenience retailing for consumers across our entire network of SuperValu, Centra and Mace stores.  

“We pride ourselves on bringing great value and fresh food to the heart of local communities. Supporting retailers, local suppliers and communities remains a top priority for our business,” he continued. 

“Our consumers know that when they shop with us, their money is invested back into their local community through wages, local sourcing, professional services and charitable contributions,” Michael added.

Food NI’s Chief Executive Michele Shirlow commented: “This significant commitment from Musgrave represents a huge vote of confidence in Northern Ireland’s innovative food and drink industry. We welcome this investment, which provides support and opportunity for the local producers who are growing our reputation as a great food region.”

Northern Ireland’s City Cheese Strikes Gold!

Posted on

Northern Ireland’s City Cheese Company gained a gold award at the recent Artisan Cheese Awards in Britain for a new raw milk goat’s cheese.

The artisan business, based at Ballywalter in county Down, launched the goat’s cheese, the latest in a series of cheeses developed by founder and owner Christo Swanepoel, a South African now resident in Northern Ireland, at the event in Melton Mowbray.

City Cheese was among 115 producers at the awards and cheese festival, the UK’s largest for the artisan cheese sector.

Christo Swanepoel, commenting on the award, says: “It’s immensely encouraging to win such important recognition within the artisan cheese category for what is a new development for us, our first goat’s cheese. Gold at the first attempt for a new cheese for us is pretty good.

“Making a goat’s cheese is something I had been contemplating following the success of our raw milk gouda-style cheeses. It’s also a raw milk cheese that we source from an Irish goat farm. It’s a very rustic cheese that’s both handmade and handpressed. The cheese has a very subtle flavour. I am looking forward to feedback from customers over the next few weeks.”

The new cheese is now Northern Ireland’s only artisan raw milk goat’s cheese and is available in 400g and 4kg wheels.

A gourmet chef from Pretoria in South Africa, Mr Swanepoel has been based in Northern Ireland for almost a decade. He’s launched three quite different cheeses under the overall identity of his artisan business, City Cheese, all raw cow’s milk products.

The decision to use raw milk was influenced by his conviction that it offers a much richer flavour. “To me, raw milk cheeses are more delicious and contain natural enzymes that infuse cheese with natural, deeper and exciting flavours.

At the Artisan Cheese Awards, a total of 24 prizes were handed out which recognised the best cheeses for texture, animal origin, raw milk, type and nationality. Over £10,000 was raised in sponsorship as prize money given directly to the winning cheesemakers.

A total of 46 golds were awarded by the judges with 55 silvers and 52 bronzes also being handed out. Of the 115 cheesemakers who entered, 16 were from Ireland followed by Scotland with 9 and Wales with 7. City Cheese was the only entrant from Northern Ireland.

There was a very good representation, 30 cheesemakers, and another 30 from small producers. 62 percent of the cheeses entered were made with vegetarian rennet. 40 percent were made with raw milk. Only 11 percent were organic. 72 percent of the entries were made from cow’s milk, 11 percent sheep’s milk and 17 percent from goat’s milk.

The 7th Artisan Cheese Fair followed the awards with 69 cheesemakers from the UK and Ireland selling their cheeses directly to several thousand visitors who attended the event.

Armagh Cider Company adds refreshing new juice to range

Posted on

Armagh Cider Company, Northern Ireland’s leading cider processor, has launched Orchard Twist, an innovative refreshing blend of fresh pressed apple juice, another fruit juice with sparkling spring water.

The Orchard Twist range of four flavours – sparkling apple, apple and blackcurrant, apple and rhubarb and apple with ginger –  all with sparkling spring water – is a crafted, non-alcoholic beverage designed to be enjoyed by any member of the family.

The new products are being created under the new Armagh Juice Company, a new identity developed by Armagh Cider. They are available in 250ml glass bottles at RRP £1.80

Helen Troughton, managing director of the award-winning Apple Cider Company, which is based on the family’s apple farm near Portadown in county Armagh, says: “Served chilled, Orchard Twist makes for a healthy refreshing drink. Totally natural, it has nothing added, no added sugars, preservatives, artificial colours or flavours. It is 1 of your 5-a-day, low in calories, gluten free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

“We launched Orchard Twist at the recent Balmoral Show, Ireland’s biggest agri-food event, and were hugely encouraged by the very positive response of everyone who sampled the new juices. We will now be marketing the juices energetically in Northern Ireland and them further afield.

“We are confident the range will prove to be a very successful development for the company,” Mrs Troughton adds.

Armagh Cider Company has been at the leading edge of cider processing since 2006 and has won a string of national and international awards for its extensive range of drinks, including A J Apple Juice, and cider vinegar.

The company has created many of the most successful Northern Irish ciders, such as Carsons Crisp, Maddens Mellow and Doyles, which are listed by most major supermarkets, most recently Marks & Spencer, in Northern Ireland and are also sold in the Republic of Ireland and Britain.

M&S LAUNCHES NEW RANGE OF LOCALLY PRODUCED PORK

Posted on

Marks and Spencer has introduced a new range of Irish pork as part of its ongoing commitment to providing customers with quality products from local farms, as the chain celebrates its 50th year of trading in Northern Ireland.

The new range, produced by local M&S supplier KARRO Cookstown, includes some of the most popular fresh pork lines including loin steaks, pork fillets, crackling leg joints, rib racks and belly strips.  In addition, a pork minute steak will be available as part of the M&S Eat Well range, due to the very lean cuts of meat. Alongside this are two peppered pork products – a pepper crusted pork loin steak and a belly joint dusted with mixed peppercorns.

Ryan Lemon, M&S Head of Region for Northern Ireland said: “Since M&S opened its first store in Northern Ireland 50 years ago, we have been committed to supporting local farmers and using local produce.  We have been working in partnership with KARRO and over the past nine months have been working alongside their New Product Development team developing flavour profiles and packaging formats to ensure that we are giving our local customers the best options when it comes to sourcing quality, Irish pork.

“In addition to this, we have also carried out work to ensure that our bacon range is made using only local pig meat.  Bacon is a core part of the family shop, and it was crucial for us that the meat is sourced from local farmers and produced in Northern Ireland.

“We are extremely pleased to be introducing these products to our customers, who we’re sure will love them as much as we do.”

M&S’ new bacon range will include traditional cut back bacon, along with thick cut and streaky bacon. The lean cut bacon medallions, which are becoming increasingly popular with customers will complete the range.

KARRO have been supplying gammon and bacon to M&S stores for over 15 years from their factory in Cookstown. All the pork is sourced from farms in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, with many of the farmers supplying to the Cookstown factory from generation to generation.

Trevor Mounstephen, KARRO’s M&S Account Manager said: “We are very pleased to be working with M&S to introduce this new, locally produced range to stores, as the retailer celebrates a milestone 50 years of trading in Northern Ireland.

“We have enjoyed a long relationship with M&S and admire their consistent dedication to local agriculture and sustainable farming. We look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

Wonderful show strengthens link between farming and food

Posted on

Article written by Food NI CEO Michele Shirlow, featured in Farm Week

That’s Balmoral over for another year. And what a wonderful show it proved to be. With Theresa May and the Earl of Wessex visiting the FoodNI Pavilion it was another memorable show. We were exceptionally busy with over 40 buyers scouting the producers for new talent and it was our biggest-ever presentation at Balmoral. I know that most of the companies in the pavilion, made good contacts and did business.

It seemed to me that the vast majority of the 100,000 people visiting the show, encouraged by the remarkable weather, made their way to our presentation to sample the thousands of food and drink products on show. They should have learned a great deal about the quality and variety of locally produced food and drink and better informed of just what’s readily available here when they do their weekly shopping.

They should also have seen local products splendidly showcased by the retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Lidl and the Henderson/Spar group, the latter pulling off quite a promotional coup by giving visitors bright red cowboy hats!

The show has become a tremendous platform to recognise the quality and innovation of local food and drink. It was a tremendous presentation of the products, the dedication and energy of all the participants. We really do have a very dynamic and progressive food and drink industry.

Our own FoodNI awards in the Pavilion saw Weir’s Organic Raw Milk from Tandragee win the coveted Best Overall Product at the Show Award. The Artisan Food Award was given to Neary Nogs Stoneground Chocolate from Flurrybridge and the Best Stand at the Show Award went to Broughgammon Farm in Ballycastle, a specialist in cabrito (goat’s meat) and rose veal.  Congratulations to all our winners.

There were commendations too to Krazi Baker of Dromore, Lough Neagh Eels, Toomebridge, Peppup Sauces, Portaferry, Heatherlea Bakery, Bangor and Clearer Water of county Antrim. Our judges were also impressed by the taste of Limavady-based Corndale Free Range Charcuterie’s venison salami – an innovative venture with Baronscourt Estate Venison in Omagh.

Charles Campion of Masterchef and experienced food writers and food stylists Xanthe Clay, Lucas Hollweg and Jeremy Lee with Weir’s Organic Raw Milk

Judging the winners were top food writers Charles Campion, Xanthe Clay, Lucas Hollweg and Jeremy Lee. We were delighted to host their visit to the show and to involve them in judging the presentations. All the judges were impressed by the presentations and enjoyed hearing the stories from producers, so much so that we couldn’t get them to leave on time and had to promise to bring them back to Northern Ireland.

The Henderson/Spar Group also used the show to recognise the products and quality of their local suppliers. There were awards for Genesis Bakery in Magherafelt as ‘Supplier of the Year’, Daily Bake as ‘Own Brand Supplier’, Moy Park, Craigavon for ‘Brand Innovation’, and Around Noon for ‘Best Direct to Store”.  Congratulations to all the winners and to Irwin’s who were highly commended in two of the categories.

Much, of course, has changed since Balmoral 2016, the most significant change being the UK decision to withdraw from the European Union. This year’s show, once again, emphasised the underlying strength of our most important manufacturing industry and the relationships which exist – and are growing – between farming and food.

This is why helping to sustain family farms here through growing sales of food and drink is a central theme in our Taste the Greatness strategic action plan for the next five years. Balmoral 2017 re-emphasised the need for the farming and food industry and the wider community to pull together to ensure its continuing success post-Brexit. I always believe Balmoral Show fortifies the spirit of the whole agri food community for another 12 months.

Northern Ireland’s Long Meadow Cider wins top marketing award

Posted on

Northern Ireland’s Long Meadow Cider has won marketing support and brand visibility worth £30,000 in a unique competition run by George Best Belfast City Airport to assist the growth of the food and drink industry.

Long Meadow Blossom Burst Cider also pipped nine other local products in a final tasting session at Belfast City Airport which included a panel of food and drink experts headed by Charles Campion, one of the UK’s most high-profile food critics.

The competition, launched in partnership with Food NI and local councils in January to find the best  local food and drink product, offered the prize of £20,000 of branding on site at Belfast City Airport and £10,000 of online support through the airport’s digital channels.

Joining Charles on the tasting panel for the final shortlisted 10 products were Joanne Deighan, commercial manager at Belfast City Airport, Michele Shirlow, chief executive of Food NI, and food and beverage expert Charlie Kerlin, director of Corporate Finance at Grant Thornton, the business consultancy.

The tasting session was the final stage of the competition, which also involved a detailed application process and a two-week social media competition.

Joanne Deighan, for the airport, said: “We are delighted that Long Meadow Blossom Burst Cider has been crowned Northern Ireland’s best local food and drink product and will receive the fantastic prize of £30,000 of marketing support at Belfast City Airport.

“Over 2.67 million passengers from across the world travel through the airport each year and to receive this amount of exposure will help significantly elevate the profile of Long Meadow Blossom Burst Cider to an international level.”

Long Meadow Cider is owned by husband and wife, Pat and Catherine McKeever, and is based on the family’s apple farm at Loughgall in county Armagh. Managing director Pat McKeever: “We are totally overwhelmed to win this fantastic prize. To just make the final shortlist was a massive achievement in itself, and to be named winner amongst such strong competition is a major honour.

“The marketing prize and the brand exposure we will receive through Belfast City Airport will have a phenomenal impact on our business. We are a family firm that is extremely passionate about what we do and this prize will help take our product to another level.”

Michele Shirlow said: “Huge congratulations to our winner, Long Meadow Blossom Burst Cider, and also to our nine incredible finalists, each of whom has done exceptionally well to reach this stage of the competition.

“I would also like to thank everyone on our judging panel, and I want to offer a special word of thanks to celebrated food critic Charles Campion for his invaluable input.”

Charles Campion, food critic for The Times, The Daily Telegraph and the London Evening Standard, said: “Long Meadow Blossom Burst Cider is a worthy winner of this fantastic competition. This initiative is further evidence that Northern Ireland is truly making its mark in the global food and drink market.”

The full list of 10 shortlisted products was: