Food NI member Hinch Distillery in Ballynahinch, Co Down hosted the annual Irish
Whiskey Awards 2024. The distillery and other Food NI members also won a host of
awards in the competition, the most prestigious in Ireland this year.
In addition to major awards for Hinch, there was significant recognition from the
influential judging panel for Food NI members Two Stacks from Newry and Rademon
Estate Distillery of Crossgar.
The awards reflect the growing strength of whiskey distilling in Northern Ireland,
where there are now around 12 distilleries. Over the past 15 years distilling has
grown from just one, Old Bushmills in Co Antrim.

The awards for Food NI members are as follows:

Cream Liqueur Gold: Two Stacks Double Irish Cream, Newry, Co Down

Single Malt 11 Years and Under (Over €60) Winner:

Gold: Two Stacks x Bankers Bar 7 Year Old Single Malt PX Sherry Finish from
Newry

Blend Non-Age Statement (Over €50) Winner: Shortcross Distiller’s Duo from
Rademon Estate Distillery in Crossgar

Blended Whiskey Age Statement Gold: Hinch 15 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask
Finish Batch 1 from Ballynahinch

Peated Whiskey Gold: Winner Shortcross 5 Year Old Peated from Rademon
Estate in Crossgar

Gold: The Chancer Irish Whiskey Bonding Company from Rademon Estate in
Crossgar

Judging of this year’s awards took place earlier this July and August where
organisers, Celtic Whiskey of Celtic Whiskey Shop Dawson Street, hosted several
blind tastings in Dublin’s Doyle’s Corner, and have been coordinating other tastings
throughout Ireland with members of the Irish Whiskey Society — Dublin and Dingle,
Cork Whiskey Society, Waterford Whiskey Society, Kilkenny Whiskey Guild, Ennis
Whiskey Club, 1875 Whiskey Club, Carlow Whiskey Society, Belfast Whiskey Club,
Louth Whiskey Society, Skerries Whiskey Society and the Aviator’s Whiskey Society.
The Irish craft spirits and liqueurs were blind tasted by a panel of mixologists and
bartenders in September, hosted by Bar 1661 in Dublin.

Food NI member Irish Black Butter has won the only gold for Northern Ireland in the
annual UK Quality Food and Drink Awards at a gala presentation in London.
In addition to the success of Alastair Bell’s Irish Black Butter from Portrush, there
were other medals for White’s Oats of Tandragee for its porridge oats and Kilkeel’s
Crawford’s Rock, an innovator in seaweed salts and other products.
White’s gained silver and bronze for its oats and Crawford’s Rock a bronze.
All three are longstanding Food NI member companies.
The Quality Food gold is the latest in a strong of awards for Irish Black Butter which
also gained first business with Marks and Spencer. The coveted awards are the
most important in the UK for the grocery sector.
Irish Black Butter was formed by businessman Alastair Bell at Portrush in 2017 as ‘a
great new taste of Ireland’ from Armagh Bramley apples, cider, a touch of brandy,
treacle, sugar and spices for spreading, cooking, baking or mixing.
“I am absolutely thrilled to have won this hugely important recognition from the
grocery sector in the UK,” says Alastair. It’s a real bonus coming so soon after our
listing by M&S and should help increase awareness of our product in the grocery
sector in Britain.
“Winning a Quality Food Award is an outstanding achievement. It means that my
product has been judged to be the very best by renowned industry experts – and that
really is something to shout about,” he adds.
Now in its 45th year, the Quality Food Awards are the longest-running, most
prestigious food awards in the UK; they cast a spotlight on products that offer fine
ingredients, great taste and aroma, beautiful packaging and amazing value for
money.
The awards are not just about new products – the judges are looking to reward
excellence in food and soft drinks, regardless of when a product was launched. If it
tastes great and looks great, a well-established product is as eligible to win an award
as one that was launched in the past 12 months.

Marks and Spencer (M&S) food halls last week began selling Irish Black Butter
sweet/savoury spread from Portrush, Co Antrim on the strategically important run-
down to the traditional festive magic.
The deal represents a major sales breakthrough with a top UK and Irish grocer for
the Food NI member company.
Irish Black Butter was formed by businessman Alastair Bell in 2017 as ‘a great new
taste of Ireland’ from Armagh Bramley apples, cider, a touch of brandy, treacle, sugar
and spices for spreading, cooking, baking or mixing.
The company, the smallest to be listed by M&S in Northern Ireland to date, has
already won a host of major awards including Great Taste, Irish Quality Food, Great
British Food, and an Irish National Food Award.
“I am absolutely thrilled to have been chosen by such a prestigious food hall, my first
multiple supermarket business,” says Alastair. “It’s a tremendous bonus, a real boost
for us as we gear up for the Christmas period. Irish Black Butter is perfect as a glaze
for meats especially ham and also as an accompaniment with cheese and crackers,”
adds Alastair.

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.