It is National Kale Day, and with kale now recognised as one of the leading food trends in the food and fitness sector, the popularity of kale has surged in Northern Ireland.

One of the Province’s leading suppliers of fresh fruit and vegetables, the North Down Group, has seen growth of 25% in sales of kale year-on-year, and the company now has three local farmers who are supplying over 6,000 kilos of kale per year.

Peter Robinson, Procurement Manager for the Foodservice Division at the North Down Group explains: “Five years ago there was virtually no demand from our customers for kale but over the past two years, kale has become a key ingredient on many of our customers’ menus.

“We’ve been working with our local growers to increase their acreage, dedicated to kale, and we’re now supplying locally-grown kale to over 100 customers Province-wide.”

A new kale grower to the North Down Group is Comber-based Windwhistle Farm, where four acres of kale are about to be harvested. Owned by the Dunlop family and farmed by son in law James Booth, Windwhistle Farm is growing three types of kale – Green, Red and Cavo Nero otherwise referred to as Black Kale.

Kale is just one of the many vegetables that the North Down Group sources locally. With between 30 and 40 local farmers, supplying a wide range of fruit and vegetables, the North Down Group is supplying Northern Ireland’s top restaurants and cafes with fresh produce for over 25 years. Customers include Ox, the Muddler’s Club, James Street South, Slim’s Kitchen, the Waterfront Hall and Mount Charles Catering.

Other fruits and vegetables growing in popularity include purple cauliflower, Romanesco, heritage carrots and pomegranates, and ahead of the busy winter season, the North Down Group is anticipating an increase in demand for seasonal specials such as pumpkins, cranberries and Brussels sprouts.

Earlier in the year, the North Down Group was named as Foodservice Supplier of the Year at a major food awards in London, organised by the UK fresh produce trade association – FPC. The company is one of NI’s most recognised suppliers for fresh produce and fine foods and employs 112 people.

Hastings serves up winter warmers this October for the NI Year of Food and Drink 2016

Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink continues into October, and Hastings Hotels is supporting the initiative with a series of mouth-watering recipes across all six of its hotels.

October is Harvest Month, a celebration of the fruits of the land and the talented farmers across Northern Ireland.
To mark Harvest Month, Hastings Hotels will be serving up a special Slow Cooked Irish Beef and Spiced Pumpkin Hotpot throughout October.

Hazel Magill, Executive Head Chef at Slieve Donard Resort and Spa, said:-
“Northern Ireland has a rich agricultural heritage, and we at Hastings have always supported this with our use of the finest quality local ingredients, something that is particularly appropriate with this month’s Harvest theme,” commented Hazel.

She continued: “Our slow cooked beef and spiced pumpkin hotpot is the ultimate comfort food, made with the finest local beef, seasonal pumpkin with a hint of spice, and accompanied by buttery cabbage and a horseradish mash.
“The whole meal is available served with Thompson’s Hastings Blend Tea or Bewley’s Estate Blend Coffee for just £10, and as the days get colder and shorter it is certain to warm you up.”
For those who wish to treat themselves, Hastings Hotels are also celebrating seasonal local fruit with a special desert for the themed month, a delicious apple and blackberry crumble.
“Anyone wishing to upgrade their meal to include our mouth-watering apple and blackberry crumble can do so for an additional £5.
“It’s made with local fruit, served in a pastry tartlet shell with a rich vanilla custard, and anyone with a sweet tooth will find this autumnal dish hard to resist,” Hazel concluded.

The tasty beef hotpot meal and tempting crumble will be available throughout all the restaurants in the Hastings Group during October, Harvest month, in celebration of Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink 2016.

Five food companies are set to compete in the Henderson Foodservice Flavour of the North final in Belfast on 11 October.

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

Judging the competition 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.

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

The five shortlisted companies are:
• Corndale Farm – Limavady Chorizo
• Lough Neagh Eels
• Pop Notch Popcorn
• Donnybrewer Butter
• Cavanagh Eggs
Wishing the companies well, Damien Barrett, Managing Director at Henderson Foodservice, said: “Each of these five products captured the attention of our judges who were blown away by the incredible taste and standards of all the entries to the Flavour of the North competition. To pick just five to go forward to the final was an enormously difficult task and each of those shortlisted should feel incredibly proud of their success.”

“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 in restaurants, hotels and stores throughout the country.”

On top of being awarded the ‘Flavour of the North’ title, the overall winner will walk away with a comprehensive prize package comprising significant media exposure, a product listing with Henderson Foodservice, giving them direct access to 4,500 customers across Ireland, features in monthly promotional brochures, marketing and commercial support plus the opportunity to have the product featured on the menus of members of the judging panel where appropriate.

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. Michele Shirlow, Head of Food NI said:
“ Northern Ireland has one of the most celebrated food and drink industries in these parts, but in order to 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 and I want to congratulate each of the five shortlisted companies and wish them luck ahead of the grand final next month.”

The overall Flavour of the North winner will be announced at a special ceremony taking place at St. George’s Market on October 11.

You can keep up to date with all of the action from the 2016 awards using #flavourofthenorth on twitter.

Article by Sam Butler in News Letter on 4 October on Ispini Charcuterie, Aughnacloy

A book on pork from his wife led Tyrone pig farmer Jonny Cuddy to become Northern Ireland’s first producer of spicy salami sausages. He’s now creating fabulous flavours from France, Spain, Italy and Poland on a 120-acre family farm near Aughnacloy.

European delicacies such as Saucisson Sec, red hot Chorizo Picante, Finnochina, Coppa, Bresaola, Nduja, Lomo and Kielbasa sausages are now being produced by the enterprising farmer, the driving force in Ispini Charcuterie, a small food business he established in August. He’s also using other local ingredients including spent grain from Pokertree craft brewery in nearby Carrickmore in curing meat from his pigs.

“I was looking around for ways to increase the return from our pigs,”he says.” Turning any sort of reasonable profit in farming has become very challenging. I was keen to find something other than bacon. There are just too many people here already producing great bacon and gammon and I didn’t see much room for growth. What I needed were niche products that would be capable of commanding a premium,” he adds.

“The idea to make salami sausages came from a book given to me by Sarah, my wife, who’s a nurse in Belfast,” he continues. “I liked the look of the salamis and was also influenced by the fact that that no-one else is producing the spicy sausages here. While I really didn’t know much about salami production I was determined to find as much as possible. I started buying the sausages to taste and see the ingredients used to make them.”

Jonny has been farming with father Raymond and brother Robert since leaving university and now looks after 300 sows on the family farm. He is the latest example of the enterprise and smart thinking in local farming industry. Ispini Charcuterie, the name he has chosen for the enterprise and the products, is taken from the Irish for sausage.

“There was a time in Ireland when many family farms cured their own meat to preserve it using ancient, mostly family, recipes. Sadly, this isn’t common today. While many people will have experienced varieties of cured meats on holidays in Europe, these have tended not to feature on local dinner tables. But times are changing, and I hope that my work will help to revive this near extinct tradition. Local restaurants are also helping to raise the level of awareness here of the delicious flavours the different sausages offer.”

He’s also found an enthusiastic supporter in the shape of Sean Owens, one of Northern Ireland’s most respected chefs and the managing director of Aughnacloy-based Montgomery Food Consulting. Together they began sampling and developing recipes for salami and chorizo sausages in Montgomery’s state-of-the-art kitchen facilities in the Tyrone border town.

“It’s been quite a sharp learning curve,” Jonny continues. “Sean, of course, has a wealth of knowledge in cooking with salami and chorizo meats and knew a great deal about how they are produced on the continent. I was fortunate enough to gain an innovation voucher from Invest NI which enabled me to tap into the expertise at Loughry College in Cookstown especially in key areas such as nutritional information and shelf-life.

But making salami and other products also requires great butchery skills. Jonny and Sean turned to the School of Artisan Foods at Welbeck in Nottinghamshire to extend their charcuterie knowledge and skills. “Working with Chris Moorby, the charcuterie expert and master butcher at the school, was a marvellous experience. We learned a massive amount about fermenting sausages, how best to create new recipes, and other important issues such as food safety and hygiene,” he says.

The trip to Nottingham also enabled Jonny to see the growing popularity of charcuterie in Britain and the revival there of ancient curing techniques for a wide range of delicious meats. It’s a revival being driven by influential organisations such as the UK Guild of Fine Food, the company behind the hugely successful Great Taste Awards.

Jonny has invested in essential equipment such as fermentation cabinet for the new products being developed in Aughnacloy and has set his sights on sales to high-end restaurants and delis here, in the Republic and Britain. The cabinet allows him to ferment sausages in a tightly controlled and hygienic environment. In addition to the various cured sausages, the innovative farmer is developing an original charcuterie board with the products for delis and chefs to sample.
“Northern Ireland has everything we need, especially an abundance of great meat, to create a successful charcuterie business,” he says. “Our meat is produced using the highest animal welfare standards to ensure outstanding flavours and premium quality. Ispini Charcuterie is now also developing the curing and preserving skills that can be combined with our superb meat to produce wonderfully tasty and deliciously different products.”

Twenty major awards including almost 17 golds were won by Northern Ireland companies in the region’s best ever performance in the annual Blas na hEireann Irish National Food Awards 2016.

Two local cider companies – Tempted? from Lisburn and Craigavon’s Mac Ivors – shared the Best Artisan Award sponsored by Bord Bia, the Republic of Ireland’s food body. It was the first time that this award was shared in the competition, now in its ninth year, and the only it has come to Northern Ireland.

The two companies also shared the Best New Product Award – Tempted? for its recently launched Elderflower Cider and Mac Ivors for Plum and Ginger cider. Northern Ireland’s reputation as Ireland’s most successful region for cider was further demonstrated by a gold award for Armagh Cider Company’s Doyle’s Summer Fruit. And Loughgall’s Long Meadow gained silver for its Blossom Burst cider.

Tempted and Mac Ivors also shared the Best in Ulster Award.

Michele Shirlow, Food NI chief executive, congratulated the Northern Ireland companies on their success, saying: “This is another marvellous endorsement of the premium quality and originality of our food and drink. It’s a tremendous boost for our already successful Year of Food and Drink.

“It’s great to see so many of our companies, particularly smaller enterprises, winning major awards along with gold, silver and bronze medals in what is now the island of Ireland’s biggest and most respected awards, which will open the door to greater business success with retailers.

The influential awards were announced in a gala ceremony held in Dingle as an integral part of the annual food festival in the historic county Kerry town.

Almost 3,000 products were entered by food and drink companies from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for blind tasting by a panel of expert judges including chefs, food writers, retailers, business people and academics. Over 40 awards were won by Northern Ireland food and drink companies.

The full list of gold awards were:
Armagh Cider Company, Craigavon for Doyle’s Summer Fruit Cider;
Burren Balsamics, Richill, county Armagh for Bramley Apple Infused Balsamic Vinegar;
Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt, Bangor, Greek Style Yoghurt;
Corn Dolly Bakery, Newry, county Down for Large Floury Baps and Rich Fruit Cake
Donnybrewer Butter, Eglinton, county Derry for Garlic and Chive Butter;
Erin Grove Preserves, Enniskillen, county Fermanagh for Sour Cherry and Cracked Black Pepper Fruit for Cheese;
Glastry Farm Ice Cream, Kircubbin, county Down for Apple Schnaps Sorbet;
Gourmet Marshmallows, Coleraine, county Derry for Lemon Meringue Marshmallow;
McErlain’s Bakery, Magherafelt, county Derry for SuperValu and Centra Sean Brown’s Soda
Orchard Organics Portadown, county Armagh for Organic Raspberry Jam;
Papas Minerals, Bangor, county Down for Traditional Clover Cordia
Pop Notch, Dungiven, county Derry for Spar Select Sweet chill, Caramel and Lime Popcorn and Spar Select Butter Popcorn;
Quinn’s Gelato, Cookstown, county Tyrone for Hazelnut Gelato
Western Brand Poultry, Lisnaskea, county Fermanagh for Garlic and Herb Spatchcock Chicken; and
White’s Oats, Tandragee, county Armagh for Aldi Kavanagh’s Porridge Oats in Golden Syrup

Cavanagh Free-Range Eggs from Newtownbutler, county Fermanagh was also named as The Chef’s Larder Choice.

In addition, Northern Ireland companies collected 13 silver and a similar number of bronze awards.

Sam Butler talked to Shay Mullan and Hugh Cushnan of Tom & Ollie, an enterprising business in Broughshane, Co. Antrim that’s creating new flavours and highly original products to Northern Ireland.

Dedicated foodies Shay Mullan and Hugh Cushnan are creating the delicious flavours of the Mediterranean in Broughshane for shoppers across Northern Ireland. And the enterprising duo has plans to bring their tasty products to the Republic of Ireland as soon as practicable.

Together they run Tom & Ollie at Raceview Mill business centre in the picturesque Co. Antrim village that’s just a few miles from Ballymena. As well as the production unit in Broughshane, they have opened a deli there featuring their products and those from other local artisans.

And they are reinvesting in expanding the business by means of an on-line delivery service and the introduction of gourmet food hampers. The planned on-line delivery service will have over 300 products available for next day delivery in Ireland. There will be an unrivalled selection of the best of Irish and European foods, from olives and cheese to honey and hummus.

They have a regular stand for their Mediterranean-style products at St George’s Market in Belfast and have become a popular feature at country markets throughout Northern Ireland and an initial foray into the Republic by taking part in the big food festival in Donegal.

The historic woollen mill, where the business is now based, also has a monthly market which has attracted other artisan food producers.

They chose the Tom & Ollie corporate identity and product branding to reflect their focus on tomatoes and olives, two mainstays of the Mediterranean diet that’s reckoned to be a healthier way to eat…and live.

“We both have backgrounds in food production and retailing especially in the local deli scene,” Shay says. “We worked together in another local business and decided to take the plunge and start up our own company,” he adds. That was in 2014. And they haven’t looked back.

They decided to pool their knowledge and experience in the new business and began building up an impressive portfolio of foods and products they were creating themselves from Mediterranean ingredients.

The next step was to set up the small processing and new product development unit in the Raceview Mill, a revamped business centre that came into existence as a bleaching green in 1806, then a flax spinning business in 1832 and a woollen mill in 1893 until the decline of the textile industry led to its closure. It has since been rejuvenated to include shops, cafes, an artisan bakery and a market/exhibition hall.

The ever-expanding Tom & Ollie range includes delicious and original pastes, pesto, tapenades, oils a vinegar, and hummus. They now have 10 varieties of hummus including a hot Chilli Basil and Garlic variety. They are assisted in new product development and marketing by Tracy O’Boyle.

“Hugh continues: “We have both travelled widely and been drawn by the flavours from places like Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the Middle East including the Lebanon. We enjoyed the traditional Mezze dishes, which are selections of individual dishes and often served as appetizers.

“What we specialise in is the use of Mediterranean or Middle East ingredients to create our own distinctive products,” he adds. “Creating new products is what we enjoy most. We use the very best ingredients to develop deliciously different and flavourful products.”

The importance of innovation to the future of the business is recognised by both. “We are operating in a dynamic industry that’s driven by consumer tastes and preferences. We know that to continue to compete successfully we’ve got to be coming up with new taste experiences,” Shay says. “Investing in innovation, especially new product development, is the key to our continuing success and future growth in both short and long terms,” he adds.

They have extensive European contacts for products such as roasted tomatoes and roasted peppers, olives, pesto, tapenades, and hummus, with over 65 lines made in Broughshane. They have some 500 varieties of cheese.

How do they explain the success of the business? “So many local people have been on European holidays and city breaks and have enjoyed the food in places like Spain, Italy, Cyprus and Greece,” Shay says. “As a result, tastes here have changed and will continue to do so.

“They come back home and want to continue to enjoy the dishes they’ve experienced abroad. People are certainly travelling more in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We’ve also noticed that younger members of a family are influencing the choice of foods.

“What we do is to create our own distinctive flavours with ingredients from these countries.”

In addition to imported ingredients such as a wide variety of olives and tomatoes, they retail other locally sourced foods especially cheese such as Fivemiletown, Paul McClean’s Kearney Blue cheese and Mike Thomson’s Young Buck, another richly flavoured blue.

They also run a successful catering business for parties, weddings, and other events. “We can offer a quite different menu of savory dishes. We’ve even created a unique multi-tiered cheesecake instead of the traditional cake for a local wedding,” Hugh says.

The artisan business employs five people and has ambitious growth plans that include the development of a Tom & Ollie branded range of products for sale by other delis and independent traders.