The wait is almost over as Belfast’s coolest new hotel gets ready to open its doors this weekend.

As a series of first-look photographs show, Bullitt Belfast is a vibrant new concept that will provide a cool new space for people to work, play and stay in the heart of the city.

Featuring 43 stylish bedrooms, three bars (including Baltic, NI’s first ski-themed bar), a courtyard garden, 58-seater restaurant ‘Taylor and Clay’, an Espresso bar and a versatile private events space, Bullitt is set to make its mark on Belfast’s social scene when it opens on Saturday 15th October.

The latest venture from the Beannchor Group – the people behind the award-winning Merchant Hotel, Little Wing Pizzeria, National Grand Café and The Dirty Onion – this contemporary new £7million development is an exciting new social hub, located on doorstep of Belfast’s social and shopping districts.

Blurring the lines between work and play, this urban playground will be the perfect hangout spot, with a relaxed atmosphere and laid back sophisticated vibe.

Bullitt’s no-nonsense philosophy means they’ve ditched the over-the-top extras so that they can deliver a quality service with no hidden costs.

Here’s what you need to know:

TAYLOR & CLAY
Get fresh at Taylor & Clay – fresh and locally-sourced that is. Each item on the menu is carefully chosen and hand-picked from local farms and suppliers. At the heart of Taylor & Clay’s kitchen lies its bespoke Asador Grill. Prime cuts of meat and seafood are charred and smoked, creating a unique flavour that will get your taste buds all fired up.

For those looking for something a little greener, try Taylor & Clay’s garden club specials – hand-grown and
harvested by Bullitt’s chefs in partnership with David Love Cameron’s organic heritage garden at Helen’s Bay. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Taylor & Clay will hit the spot whether you’re after a sneaky snack or a full-on feast.

The striking open kitchen creates a lively atmosphere, which spills out into the open plan space, with bar seating, which is ideal for lone or business travellers.

BULLITT BAR AND COURTYARD BAR:
Entrance to Bullitt Belfast is via Church Lane, through the Courtyard and into the Bullitt Bar. With mouth-watering cocktails, craft beers and Bullitt’s very own brew, the super-sleek Bullitt Bar is where it’s all happening. Grab a drink and relax in Bullitt’s cosy courtyard right in the heart of Belfast city centre. Find the entrance on Church Lane – look out for the impressive cascading Jameson Black Barrel statue and you’ll know you’re in the right place.

BALTIC – NI’s First Ski-Themed Bar
It might be Baltic outside but it’s always toasty in here. Warm up with a coffee, chill out with a beer, nibble on some tasty bar snacks and flatbreads and enjoy the eclectic soundtrack of Belfast’s first ski-themed bar.

ESPRESSO BAR:
With the first and only Kees van der Westen coffee machine in Ireland, Bullitt’s Espresso Bar promises to satisfy all of your caffeine needs. And whether you fancy a fresh juice or a pastry, Bullitt has you covered.
And if you need to get down to business, Bullitt has everything you need to get the job done in style, including super-fast Wi-Fi and plenty of USB ports.

THE ROOMS
Accommodation comes in three options with double rooms ranging from compact to spacious. Bullitt’s stylish rooms are cleverly designed to maximise space. All rooms, no matter which size, offer the same great features, including comfy king-size beds, refreshing rain showers, super-fast Wi-Fi, smart TVs and a daily breakfast bag filled with OJ, a granola pot and a piece of fruit to kick-start your day.

THE GOOD ROOM
Make yourself at home in Bullitt’s versatile private events space. The Good Room can hold up to 35 people theatre style and is the perfect place for work or play. With nothing else like this on offer in Belfast, guests can hire the space for any type of event from private dinners and drinks receptions to launch parties, screenings, team meetings and even intimate weddings. This flexible, bright and innovative space features boardroom seating for up to 12 people and a range of break-out seating, as well as a fully stocked kitchen.

“Bullitt will offer so much more than just a bed for the night, it will also be a place where people can work, relax and socialise,” says Beannchor MD, Conall Wolsey.

“It will be a space for meetings, coffee and lunch during the day and a place to meet and mingle over cocktails and food at night, with an eclectic calendar of events for both locals and visitors to enjoy.”

Bullitt will kick off its eclectic events calendar on its opening night (Saturday 15th October) with a special ‘Bullitt Presents Ryan Vail Live’ event. The free live show, will showcase the local talents of Derry born electronic music composer Ryan Vail and guests in the Bullitt Bar from 8pm. Having supported the like of Jamie XX, Nils Frahm and Todd Terje to name a few, Ryan will be joined by some Bullitt’s favourite DJs: Cathal Cully (Girls Names), Mark Reid (Touch Sensitive Records) and Bullitt resident Jonny Carberry, spinning a worldwide mix of ambient, soul, electronic and disco.

Rooms are available to book now at www.bullitthotel.com, starting from £120.
Stay up to date with all of the Bullitt news on the Bullitt Facebook page, facebook.com/bullittbelfast or follow Bullitt Belfast on Twitter @BullittBelfast

Article by Scott Kennedy, Director Cleaver Fulton Rankin

With Harvest very much in the mind of the food industry at this time of year, it’s also a good time to think about your own business and whether the time might be right to sell. Selling can realise the value you have put into a business and reap the benefits that a sale can bring. Below are 10 top tips to consider if you are thinking about selling your business.
1. Non-Disclosure Agreement – Get any potential buyer to sign up to one. It prevents them from disclosing confidential business information to third parties, therefore protecting your business should the sale not proceed.

2. Heads of Terms – once a potential buyer has been found, it is worth putting together ‘heads of terms. These are the agreed principles both parties intend to be reflected in the written contract. Don’t sign these without a solicitor reviewing them first – if an agreed term is not set out in the heads of terms it can be difficult to include it afterwards.

3. Identify the value in your business – think about where the value in your business lies. Is it in your assets; your business contracts/goodwill; your people; your location or the uniqueness of your brand? Recognising this at the outset allows you to focus your own due diligence, ensuring everything is in order to realise the maximum possible value.

4. Consider the best way to sell – get advice from a tax advisor to ascertain the most tax efficient way of selling your business, eg, via an asset sale, or if you operate via a limited company, a share sale.

5. Consider what you want to sell – you may not want to sell all of your business assets, so decide if you want to retain ownership of any asset. For example, you may wish to retain the business premises for your own use, or lease to a potential buyer.

6. Control – be aware that key commercial trading contracts such as exclusive distribution and service contracts usually contain ‘change of control’ provisions which can enable the other party to terminate the contract automatically on a change of control of the business. If these contracts are significant to the business, how the counterparties are approached will need to be carefully considered.

7. Charges/Security – does a bank/lending institution hold any security over your assets? If so, you will need to speak to the specific lending institution before any sale of those assets and obtain appropriate releases.

8. Financial Accounts and Records – liaise with your accountant to ensure your financial accounts and records accurately reflect the current state of your business and are accurate and up to date.

9. Intellectual Property – does your business use intellectual property which is necessary for its function? If so, ensure that such IP is either owned by the business or that a valid licence is in place. Remember, there will be goodwill in your business name so consider how to manage that on a sale, especially where it is a family name. If a potential buyer is allowed to use the name, you will likely be restricted from using it in a business context going forward. However if the buyer is prevented from trading under that name, they may feel the business is not as valuable.

10. Advisors – finally, instruct advisors who have extensive knowledge of buying and selling businesses. If you involve your advisors from the outset, it can make for a much smoother process, and ultimately, a successful exit.

A Londonderry butter producer has won the top title at the Henderson Foodservice Flavour of the North final.

Donnybrewer Butter, based in Eglinton and run by husband and wife team Richard and Alison Leighton, was announced as the winner of the award at a special breakfast event held by the foodservice company at St George’s Market today.

Some of the most respected names in Northern Ireland’s food and drink industry who sat on the judging panel said they were highly impressed by the product which is churned in small batches with the freshest cream available. The sea-salted butter is formed into a distinctive hexagonal shape, to reflect the stones of the Giant’s Causeway, before being packaged in traditional style in wax paper.

On top of being awarded the Flavour of the North title, Donnybrewer Butter wins an exclusive and comprehensive prize package including a product listing with Henderson Foodservice, giving the company direct access to 4,500 customers across Ireland in the new year, features in monthly promotional brochures and marketing and commercial support.

Judging the competition, which was launched back in May and attracted around 40 high quality entrants were some of the most respected names in Northern Ireland’s Food and Drink industry including Chef Danny Millar, hotelier Howard Hastings, retailer Gail Boyd, restaurateur and chef Tony Neill, Chairman of the Mount Charles Group Trevor Annon and Damien Barrett, Managing Director of Henderson Foodservice.

Taking advantage of the judges’ experience, competitors were given first-hand advice and guidance from the panel’s wealth of knowledge of the food and drink industry.

Donnybrewer beat off competition from four other finalists across Northern Ireland including Corndale Farm in Limavady , Toomebridge-based Lough Neagh Eels, Pop Notch Popcorn, produced in Draperstown, and Cavanagh Eggs in Newtownbutler.

Each of the companies was selected by a highly respectable team of judges following a deliberation day held at Loughry College, Cookstown where 12 shortlisted companies exhibited their wares, eager to impress the panel and win a place in the grand final.

While taste was of paramount importance, judges were also looking for excellence in innovation, examining growth potential and critiquing the uniqueness of the product.

Damien Barrett, Managing Director at Henderson Foodservice, said: “Judges were blown away by the five products we shortlisted in the Flavour of the North competition so it was a very tough decision to choose a winner.

“But in the end we decided that Donnybrewer Butter was the most fitting winner in terms of taste, innovation, potential for growth and uniqueness of the product. We look forward to offering the company what we believe is an excellent new route to market with the opportunity to supply some top local restaurants, hotels and stores.

“We launched the Flavour of the North Competition to help us communicate our support for local produce. We believe strongly that Northern Ireland food and drink is among the best in the world and it deserves to be championed and we have greatly enjoyed every step of the journey of getting to know some of our local companies and their amazing products and shining a light on those.”

The initiative has also received significant backing from Food NI who welcomed the scheme as part of the much celebrated Year of Food and Drink 2016.

Sharon Machala of Food NI said: “ Northern Ireland’s food and drink industry is widely celebrated, but in order for us to continue to grow, we need to continue to support local food producers in bringing new and exciting products to the market.

“That’s why we have been so pleased to support Henderson Foodservice’s Flavour of the North competition. I want to congratulate Donnybrewer Butter on winning the overall award and wish the company every success for the future.”

Guests at the Henderson Foodservice Flavour of the North Breakfast event were able to taste all of the finalists’ produce in innovative dishes including chorizo hash, hot buttered popcorn bread,
smoked eel eggs benedict, smoked eel hash browns, pancakes with chorizo popcorn and maple syrup, and chorizo and fennel wheaten bread.

Donnybrewer Butter will showcased at Henderson Foodservice’s exhibition stand at the Ramada Hotel on October 18 and 19.

Article written by Sam Butler featured in the Belfast Newsletter 11/10/2016

Davy Uprichard took a decision in 2008 that was to change his life. He was working in a nursery business near his Lisburn home and was searching for a new career direction. The choice he faced was between using cash he and wife Janet had saved to set up a small cider business or buying a motorbike that would help him to travel to a better job.

While Janet opted for the motorbike, Davy decided to pin their money and future on making cider, an industry then its infancy here. It has turned out to be a very wise decision, because Davy, an affable and modest entrepreneur, is now recognised as among Ireland’s best cider makers.

“I really wanted to do something completely different from the nursery,” he remembers. I had some experience from helping my father make wine from fruits including local strawberries. I had worked with apples but knew it was a bit of a risk because the industry was then at a very early stage here and dominated by major brands from outside Northern Ireland. While Northern Ireland had a successful apple growing industry, particularly in Armagh, the home of the Bramley Apple, most of the apples were exported to commercial processors,” he continues.

The couple decided to take the plunge by setting up a small processing business in a large shed at his home in Lisburn. They named the business DJ’s Juices and Ciders and chose Tempted? as the cider brand. Davy began producing pure apple juice and sampling a wide range of ciders from Ireland, Britain and France. This enabled him to come up with flavours he liked, opting for pure pressed apple juice rather than the concentrates and additives favoured by some established processors in Britain and the Republic. He produced the first cider in November 2009.

“We set out to create an uncomplicated, delicious and healthy fruit drink, produced locally, that would be just like drinking apples,” he says.

He continues to press locally sourced apples by hand, leaving the pure juice to ferment for over six months. The cider is then lightly carbonated and pasteurised as it is bottled. In two days the juice is completed, ready to be labelled, boxed and delivered.

“It’s still a real artisan product over which we have total control. All the ingredients are fully traceable,” he adds.

This means that the cider has an apple juice content of over 98 per cent, unlike some commercially produced ciders where the legal requirement is a minimum of 35 per cent apple juice.”

Fast forward to this month and to the recent Blas na hEireann, the Irish National Food Awards, in Dingle, Co. Kerry, where a cider created by Davy gained a string of prestigious awards for quality and outstanding taste. The company’s recently launched Tempted? Elderflower cider shared a Bord Bia sponsored Best Artisan Product title.

“Blas na hEireann has been good to us over the past four years especially by creating awareness of our products in the Republic. We have a foothold there which we are keen to develop,” he adds. “What it has done very effectively is to showcase our Irish cider identity and taste to leading retailers.”

Success at Dingle followed a top-notch platinum award at the influential Irish Quality Food Awards in Dublin, an annual competition that’s watched closely by top buyers in major supermarkets across the island of Ireland. The small business has four gold medals from previous Blas awards and has collected UK Great Taste Awards.

This outstanding success also captured the attention of Drinksology in Belfast, a widely respected and hugely experienced specialist in the creative design, marketing and distribution business that’s headed by managing director Steve Pattison. Drinksology helped sharpen the company’s corporate identity, branding of its ciders. It has made an important contribution to sales of the five-strong range – Sweet, Dry, Medium Dry, Strawberry and Elderflower. These and now processed in a new plant on the orchard in Loughgall which supplies the apples.

The awards, in addition, has attracted substantial investment in the business from London–based Quintessential Brands, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading distributors of premium spirits, craft beers, and ciders.

“The investment is an important stage in the development of our business. It’s already led to a significant increase in orders for the ciders and will mean our products will be rolled out throughout Britain and further afield in the months ahead.

“It’s been quite a journey…and all without a motorbike,” he laughs. “And the business is now really picking up speed. The future is immensely exciting.”

Northern Ireland’s first ever Slow Food Festival organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) has been hailed as a huge success after upwards of 25,000 visitors flocked to the two-day culinary celebration in Guildhall Square at the weekend.

The sun also shone on the Festival, which celebrated “good, clean and fair food” from across the North West during October’s Harvest theme for Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016, and was supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) NI Regional Food Programme, assisted by Slow Food NI.

Jennifer O’Donnell, Rural Tourism Project Officer with DCSDC and main organiser, said they were absolutely delighted that visitor numbers had exceeded all expectations for the event which took place on Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon until 6pm and also attracted international attention from Slow Food followers around the world on social media.
“Upwards of 25,000 people attended our Slow Food Festival over the two days. We were totally blown away by the crowds who flocked to the event on both Saturday and Sunday and the response has been overwhelming across the board. A number of the producers sold out on the first day and some had even sold out both days’ produce, such was the demand from the public which speaks volumes for the quality and range of our local food provenance.”

The Slow Food Festival, which also showcased an impressive clear-roofed and sided marquee for the first time with unique views of the Guildhall, featured a Harvest-style market with award-winning produce ranging from charcuterie to fish, jams, chutneys and preserves, cheese, beef and pork as well as cookery demos, talks by local craft brewers and display by local beekeepers.

The Street Food Zone also attracted butchers, bakers and artisan makers while the Family Fun Zone featured the popular kids petting farm, arts and crafts and planting workshops by ‘Edible Gardener’ Jilly Dougan. Fringe events included ‘Made in Derry’ Food Tours, Far and Wild’s Wild Foodie Cycling Tours, Wild Strands eco-tourism at St Columba’s Heritage Centre and, Harvest and Foraging Open Day at Butterlope Social Farm at Plumbridge in the Glenelly Valley.

Paula McIntyre, Director of Slow Food NI, hailed the first ever Slow Food festival in NI as “a great success”. She continued: “It was wonderful to see children potting pea shoots at Jilly Dougan’s stand and getting an understanding of where food comes from. From a chef perspective it was a joy to cook with such great Slow produce in the demos – rare breed chorizo, Dexter beef, proper bacon, chutneys, jams, cheese and real salt.
“The Playtrail’s aquaponic stand was a stunning showcase for their project. It’s always encouraging to see people flock to the Donegal Prime stand selling sustainable fish and young and old alike trying the awesome Foyle Flatbed Oysters at the Loughs Agency stand. The highlight for me was an awareness of Slow Food in the crowds – our message of ‘good, clean and fair’ food really got through over the weekend.
“A personal highlight was seeing a group of people from Connecticut, who I met while giving a talk at the Dingle food festival last weekend, make the detour on their trip to take in the Slow Food Festival. And, sharing the stage with my friend and Chef Brian McDermott is always great craic!”

Chef Brian McDermott, who showcased a new Slow Food soup featuring Corndale Chorizo from Limavady, said he was also delighted with the response from the crowds during what he said had been an “energetic” festival for all involved. “There is a feel for the producers that they are not commercial giants; they are real people with real food and real stories. People were arriving inquisitive to learn and leaving educated about Slow Food”, he added.
Food Festival newcomer Alastair Crown of Corndale Charcuterie, said there had been an “overwhelming response” to their new free range chorizo. “We sold two days’ stock in one day! We had Spaniards, Italians and people from Co Down and Co Donegal. This was our first time doing a proper festival and it was very well organised.”
Cathy and Michael Quigley of C&M’s Pantry, who are also one of the regular traders at the Walled City Market and produce handmade jams, preserves and baked goods from their home in Derry, said the crowds were “just amazing” and that it had been the busiest event for them to date.

Jayne Paget of Erin Grove Preserves in Enniskillen, winners of ten Great Taste Awards who previously exhibited at the LegenDerry Food Festival and Clipper Race Kitchens, was also full of praise for the Slow Food event. “This has been brilliant. People are really receptive to trying new things and are all into farm-produced food. Our best sellers were Lemon Curd and our new Sour Cherry with Cracked Black Pepper”.
Patsy Farren of Donegal Prime Fish, also said the event had been “absolutely brilliant”, with mackerel, John Dory and salmon among their top sellers during the two-day event.

Mark Roberts from Pennyburn Playtrail said there had been a great response to their new FabFarm project, with visitors from as far away as Cork. Families had also enjoyed taking part in their wooden maze competition to win a free aquarium.

Paul VanGelder of Red Dog Artisan Foods in Kilkeel, Co. Down, who were showcasing their products in Derry for the first time, described it as a “top class event”. He added: “Normally we don’t do first time events but if all first time events were like this one we would do them every time we were called.”

Carol Banahan of Carol’s Stock Market based in Derry and Donegal and a new business client at the state-of-the-art Food Innovation Centre which recently opened at North West Regional College, also sold out of her handmade fresh stocks on the opening day of the Festival.
“The response was absolutely brilliant. A lot of people have a real appreciation for traditional Slow Food. I sold out on Saturday and had to stay up really late to make more stock. It has been really great to get my name out there.”

New venture by award winning chef Kelan McMichael of the Bull & Ram notches up three awards at the Yes Chef Awards in Dublin

The Bull & Ram Restaurant in Ballynahinch which opened it’s door four months ago last night gathered three awards at the Yes Chef Awards hosted in Dublin.

Head Chef Kelan McMichael and his team won the award for Best Newcomer and Best Casual Dining in Ulster and also notched up the award for Best Casual Dining for Ireland. Also this week, Jay Rayner, Observer Magazine Food Critic hailed the restaurant in an outstanding review ‘A class act without being flash about it’ and called it a ‘an utter joy’ with ‘tear-inducingly bloody lovely beef’ supplied by Hannan Meats.

Kelan McMichael said; “Delighted and proud to win all three awards tonight considering we’ve only been opened four months. Testament to my great team and to the amazing producers here in Northern Ireland whose plentiful produce inspires me and the team to prepare dishes which as Jay Rayner pointed out in his review this week are “thoughtful innovations” which lead to these wins. I am taking this opportunity to thank all our customers, family and friends who have supported us.”

Kelan’s passion for local, County Down ‘no frills’ food has inspired him to create an imaginative, modern yet informal menu that showcases the very best of local produce and ingredients all underpinned with incredible flavours. Award winning 40 day succulent rib-eye beef or 28 day sirloin beef aged in Himalayan salt from Hannan Meats and local Portavogie fresh fish will all grace an ever changing seasonal menu.

Kelan’s passion for foraging, sourcing and growing seasonal ingredients all lends itself to a succulent and mouthwatering menu. A medley of seasonal soft fruits, vegetables and herbs will all be grown in the walled garden unearthed behind the property. Kelan says: “I have been experimenting with my modern, bistro menu over the years and want to celebrate the true wealth of incredible seasonal, local produce that is on offer in abundance here in Co. Down Strangford Lobster, Kilkeel crab on toast, Hannan Meats dry-aged in a Himalayan salt chamber to a simple French Onion Soup all served with a glass of James Nicholson’s finest wines.”

Ironic and also iconic, the venue chosen to host Kelan’s first restaurant is a beautiful Grade 1 listed Edwardian butchers shop in Ballynahinch which has been lovingly restored with the help of architect Sean Furey, Gradon Architecture. As work was undertaken on this listed building, stunning original features were revealed from the exquisite tiles on the walls and floors to the actual Bull and Ram head.

Visit www.bullandram.com, 1 Dromore Street, Ballynahinch, 1 Dromore Street, BT24 8AG. Telephone: 02897 560 908 Email Bookings: info@bullandram.com