Mourne Mountains Brewery, one of Northern Ireland’s most innovative young craft breweries, has announced the launch of its latest seasonal special, a whiskey and vanilla barrel-aged stout.

The release is limited edition, with just 750 bottles available and follows the resounding success of the brewery’s Chocolat Chaud and Coast to Coast specials earlier this year and 2015’s First Noel and Pumpkin Porter.

The concept for the whiskey and vanilla stout was created via a social media competition the brewery ran to coincide with brewing month during Northern Ireland’s Year of Food & Drink, where it asked amateur beer connoisseurs to suggest a new flavour.

Brewery founder Connaire McGreevy explained: “24 year old Andrew Hamilton from Derry came up with the winning flavour, and so the whiskey and vanilla stout was born.

“We invited him into the brewery back in June to create the beer under the tutelage of our experienced brewer Tom Ray, and since then it has been resting quietly in Irish whiskey casks just waiting for the right moment to be bottled.

“This beer is completely unlike anything we’ve brewed so far and we’re pretty excited to hear what people think of it. Tom and Andrew have combined specialty grains to give this export stout a jet black colour and full malty body.

“Oaky vanilla notes have developed over the last few months spent maturing in the wood, as well as a sumptuous warmth from the Irish whiskey that has passed from the oak into the beer,” he added.

The 8.2% ABV whiskey and vanilla barrel-aged stout will be available from selected off licences, bars and restaurants throughout Northern Ireland while stocks last, and will form part of the brewery’s Christmas gift pack.

“This stout is a real winter warmer and will be a great addition to the three other beers in our Christmas pack.
“With only 750 bottles brewed we’re expecting them to sell out fast so get your hands on one while you can.

“The interest in local craft beer continues to explode and we’re absolutely loving the opportunity we have to create new and innovative brews for people to try on their beer exploration journey. We have so many ideas for 2017 already, the challenge is to decide what to do first!” Connaire added.

Mourne Mountains Brewery produces three core beers that are available year-round: Mourne Mist, a pilsner, Mourne Gold, a pale ale and East Coast, an IPA.

Big Rock, a German style wheat beer and Red Trail, a red IPA, are brewed in smaller batches at intervals throughout the year.

In July 2016, Red Trail was awarded two stars at the Great Taste Awards, the only craft beer product in Northern Ireland to be given that accolade. In January 2016, East Coast won a silver medal at the international Dublin Craft Beer Cup, again the only NI craft beer brewer to win that award.

Follow Mourne Mountains Brewery on Facebook and Twitter for more news and details on where to buy.

Article written by Michele Shirlow featured in the Farm Week 10/11/2016

A key feature of the agri-food industry here its increasing commitment to innovation especially in terms of new product development. I’ve seen – and enjoyed – so many new products at Year of Food and Drink events, especially country markets, that have been held across Northern Ireland over the past year.

Our farms, as this newspaper has chronicled over the past decade in the reports from Ian Harvey, have long been a source of great innovation in sectors such as mechanical engineering, food and drink, retailing, hospitality, environmental schemes and tourism facilities. I believe that he has covered some 700 innovations in farms across the country.

The newspaper, in addition, has provided the only regular coverage of smaller food and drink enterprises here over many years. So many of the most adventurous and ambitious smaller food and drink firms began life as farm diversification projects in which farming families have invested time and other resources, taken risks, to create new businesses.

A number of our larger food companies, furthermore, are still firmly rooted in farming, the most notable being farmers’ co-operatives such as United/Dale Farm, Fane Valley, and LacPatrick/Ballyrashane. Fane Valley’s Linden Foods is at the forefront of new products for premium retailers such as Marks and Spencer. Mash Direct, now a UK leader in convenience foods, is based on the family farm and last week win the prestigious UK Manufacturing Excellence Award – a tremendous achievement. Cloughbane Farm Foods in Pomeroy has also collected a string of awards for quality and innovation.

Other major companies including Moy Park are still closely linked to farms across Northern Ireland and are pioneering exciting new products for retail multiples. These companies are also creating rewarding careers for young people in disciplines ranging from strategic marketing to IT and engineering.

It’s clear to me that the agri-food industry here has long punched above its weight and in so many areas. Agri-food is very definitely a sunrise industry, one with immense potential in both short and long terms, and not the sunset sector that some in positions of responsibility seem to think.

Innovation, of course, is recognised as being vital to enhancing economic growth, offering benefits for investing companies such improved productivity, greater efficiency and enhanced responsiveness to customer needs. Coming up with original products and processes can deliver faster turnaround times, increased value-added through improved products and greater customer exposure through enhanced marketing.

Opportunities presented by the ever-expanding global marketplace, the main theme of those who support the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, only exist if the industry is ready, willing and able to exploit them. This also demands enhanced marketing activities and greater support for smaller firms in particular. What will happen to EU-backed R&D and innovation programmes post-Brexit is uncertain. Clarification is needed as soon as practicable about the UK Treasury’s approach to such important funding for our most important manufacturing industry.

It is essential then that we continue to invest in imaginative thinking within companies, both large and small and across all sectors. Key innovation support bodies such as CAFRE, AFBI and university centres of excellence must have access to funding for novel thinking and new products being developed by companies here.

Our food and drink industry is capable of producing the quality products with taste and provenance and responding to the demands of an ever-changing marketplace, especially the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, both of which will remain crucially important post-Brexit.

– Northern Ireland dairy company demonstrates its commitment to healthier eating habits with new yogurt range

Dale Farm, Northern Ireland’s largest dairy company, has launched a new variety of yoghurts which are fat free, high in protein and have zero added sugar. The Pots of Goodness range was developed as result of growing consumer demand for products that are naturally low in sugar and calories, with added health benefits in addition to the nutritional value found in dairy.

The new Greek-style yoghurt, available as ‘Little Pots of Goodness’ (4 x 120g) and a ‘Big Pot of Goodness’ (450g), is made with real fruit and enriched with vitamin D. As part of its ‘goodness’ mission, Dale Farm has teamed up with local food and lifestyle blogger Tiffany Brien to support and promote its healthy eating products. Tiffany will use her blog for recipe creations and offer simple tips on how to boost a balanced diet with exercise.

Caroline Martin, Head of Marketing said of Dale Farm’s exciting new yogurt offering:

“At Dale Farm we create great tasting dairy products that are wholesome and nutritious. Our new yoghurt range is a great way to get a protein fix into your diet, and further demonstrates Dale Farm’s commitment to expand our lifestyle and nutrition range, following on from the success of Dale Farm Protein Milk last year.

“The yogurt range, available in two sizes, continues to support the company’s objective to grow through product innovation within the Dale Farm brand, with a focus on health benefits and natural offerings,” continued Caroline.

Dale Farm Pots of Goodness are now available in stores across Northern Ireland. The four flavoured multi-pack yoghurts come in Strawberry, Peach & Apricot, Raspberry & Blueberry and Black Cherry. There are three flavours in the large sharing pot including Strawberry, Peach & Apricot and Natural.

Following a week-long celebration of Lisburn & Castlereagh’s local eateries and producers, Treat Week has been declared a success by festival organisers and event participants alike.

Highlighted by 59 eateries, restaurants, cafes and gastropubs spanning from Moira to Dundonald cooking up a storm for Treat Week’s seven days of local food celebration, the event saw hundreds of diners flock to eating establishments across the Council area enjoying the best of what Lisburn & Castlereagh has to offer Northern Ireland’s thriving food culture.

Treat Week’s seven days of celebration culminated at Lisburn Square on Saturday 5th November, where guests enjoyed the Kitchen Sessions and Meet the Producers Fair. Other highlights of Treat Week included themed gourmet evenings, pop up suppers and brunches, in addition to special offers and signature dishes served up throughout the week.

Councillor Uel Mackin, Chairman of the Council’s Development Committee, speaking about the event, said: “I am delighted with the success of Treat Week which was attended by hundreds of residents and visitors to the area in the Year of Food and Drink. It was the ideal opportunity to showcase the excellent quality eating establishments in the Council area that range from cafes to gourmet restaurants. I hope that each local business will gain loyal customers following this showcase event.”

Chef demos, masterclasses and village food trails offered opportunities for exploration and discovery and highlighted the fantastic local ingredients and forward-thinking restaurants that push our culinary boundaries right on our doorstep. One of the legacies of Treat Week 2016 is the Moira Food Trail, which continues beyond the week and for which a new date of Saturday 26th November has been set.

Tourism NI has awarded Taste & Tour NI a five-star grading for the ‘Belfast Food Tour’, one of a range of tours offered by the company.

As part of the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink legacy, the Belfast Food Tour experience is the first food tour to be graded and has been awarded a five-star visitor attraction rating, signifying that the attraction is operating to an outstanding level.

The five-star accreditation was awarded under the Tourism NI quality grading scheme designed to provide visitors with quality information on Northern Ireland’s tourist attractions.
To achieve a star-rating, experiences are subject to an unannounced mystery assessment from a Tourism NI Quality Grading Advisor and are assessed in up to six categories.

Congratulating the staff on their achievement, John McGrillen, Chief Executive Tourism Northern Ireland said: “As the Year of Food and Drink enters its final two months, it’s great to see our industry taking the lead on exciting initiatives such as this, that will help build a legacy for culinary tourism.

“Food and drink experiences have become increasingly important to tourism as they offer destinations an opportunity to differentiate and celebrate indigenous foods. Within the four-hour walking Belfast Food Tour, visitors have over twenty opportunities to experience and sample our local produce, and are involved in talks and demonstrations from local artisans and producers, encouraging sales and repeat usage.”
A popular tour with international and national visitors the four-hour walking tour has attracted over 2,000 visitors this year.

Caroline Wilson, founder of Belfast Food Tour commented “We are all completely delighted to have received the five star ‘outstanding’ rating for ’Taste and Tour’. Whilst the tour has been in existence for almost three years, it was thanks to the Year of Food and Drink that I had the confidence to leave my 15-year legal career to work on the Belfast Food Tour full time. This confidence grew and with my new business partner, Phil Ervine, and we have launched Taste and Tour NI which incorporates the Belfast Food Tour and a number of other tours including our newly launched Whiskey Walk.

“As the first Tourism NI quality assessed five-star food tour in Northern Ireland, it really shows us that we are not only getting things right, but we are up there with the best attractions in Northern Ireland. We have worked really hard this year to ensure that we deliver our tours with the visitor journey at its heart and that work has been recognised by this ‘outstanding’ grading.

“Whilst we started with only a few locals, customers are now coming from all over the world as well as a lot of local businesses looking for a new experience, it’s wonderful to witness the interest in Northern Ireland produce continue to grow. “

For further information of Tourism NI’s quality grading scheme please visit www.tourismni.com
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It has been an unstoppable year so far for Comber’s family-run farm, Mash Direct. The company already has over 120 accolades to their name and last night were named Best Food Company in the UK ahead of some of the biggest companies in the UK and Ireland at the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards in London.

The awards recognise outstanding performance and innovation in manufacturing businesses throughout the UK and Mash Direct picked up not only the overall prize but also the award for Chilled and Fresh Produce Manufacturing Company of the Year. They beat huge competition for the awards including Coca-Cola, Moy Park, Weetabix and Kelloggs.

The judging panel, including some of the biggest names in the business, awarded Mash Direct for excellence in innovation as well as their family ethos and values that set the company apart. The company is now the biggest brand in the Chilled Side Dish category of the supermarket in the UK and Ireland and increased sales in GB by over 38% last year.

Director Jack Hamilton received the two awards at the glitzy Hilton Park Lane hotel last night in Mayfair, London. “Even to be named among big companies such as Coca Cola means a huge amount to the team but to take the big prize back to the farm in Comber is unbelievable.”

“Having only started out twelve years ago as a small farm diversification supplying to local stores in Killyleagh and Killinchy we are astonished to have won Company of the Year. It means so much more to win this top prize during the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink to highlight the ground-breaking innovation that makes the food from these parts so special”.