Ground Espresso Bars is delighted to reveal the winner of the recent Ground Espressions photography initiative. Northern Ireland’s largest independent coffee chain set out at the start of summer to capture the best Ground-related pictures and local Ballymena man, Connor McCullough has taken home the top prize for his entry.
Thanks to his candid picture, Connor has won a weekend in New York City, courtesy of Ground Espresso Bars. In addition to this, Connor will take home the ultimate coffee-lovers kit and will be featured in the chain’s forthcoming coffee table book along with the other shortlisted finalists.

Connor’s winning photo depicted how he spends his time in Ground Espresso Bars, a place he now calls the ‘coffee soundtrack’ of his life. A favourite hangout, Connor had his first date with his then girlfriend at Ground Espresso Bars Ballymena, the pair went on to be married and even popped into their local store for photos on their wedding day. Keeping their love for Ground Espresso Bars in the family, their baby daughter is now a regular of the store.
Connor McCullough, winner of the Ground Espressions competition said; “We are over the moon to have won this initiative. From first dates to first sips, Ground Espresso Bars is a huge part of my life and my family’s life. They are an exemplary business pioneering kindness, friendliness, and excellent speciality coffee in Northern Ireland’s local coffee scene. We’re extremely grateful for this opportunity to getaway to the USA!”

Connor’s picture will now take pride of place in the Ground Espresso Bars’ coffee table book in the good company of the other shortlisted photographs. The book will feature photos from the following finalists: Gemma Kerr, Hilary Hire, Pascal Diamond, Keavlynn Tully, Sarah Waugh, Edita Mikutenaite, Laura Elliott, Kathryn Jamison and Anne-Marie Wallace Dalzell.

The Ground Espresso Bars coffee table book is due to hit the company’s shelves and the online store just in time for Christmas. Net proceeds from sales of the book will go to the company’s next global philanthropic initiative which is due to begin in 2017 following the success of Ground Espresso Bars’ Honduras Project.

Ground Espresso Bars Director, Karen Gardiner said: “We were delighted to see that everyone from photography amateurs to serious snappers got involved in capturing their coffee moments in the Ground Espresso Bars community across Northern Ireland. We are looking forward to publishing these in our debut book this year to help raise funds for our next coffee charity program.”

The limited edition Ground Espresso Bars coffee table book is due for release in winter 2016 and will be available to purchase online and in-store. To keep-up-to-date with Ground Espresso Bars’ news follow them on Facebook (facebook.com/Groundespresso/) and Twitter (@groundespresso).

Belfast chef Stephen Jeffers today launched his new Forestside Cookery School located on the outskirts of Belfast city centre within the Forestside Shopping Mall. A team of passionate and highly skilled tutors across a range of cooking styles and disciplines will join Jeffers in his new cooking venture to share the skill of cooking with individuals of all levels.

The school is offering an extensive range of cookery classes focusing on a variety of themes such as world cuisines, occasion cooking and special dietary requirement cooking. With over 200 classes on offer including Gluten Free Cookery, Asian Street Food, Kids Cook Along Classes, Comfort Food Cooking, Knife Skills, as well as a variety of masterclass options – the school has something for all culinary interests and abilities.

Forestside Cookery School also has its own in-house cook shop featuring a wide range of cooking tools and utensils to meet all cooking needs, from recreational bakers to seasoned chefs. In addition, Jeffers’ new school will offer a bespoke event service catering for everything from family celebrations and special occasions to corporate events.
Musgrave MarketPlace NI, Northern Ireland’s leading wholesale supplier to retail, foodservice and SME businesses, is supporting Stephen with his new venture and will supply the cookery school with fresh meat and ingredients for many of its cookery classes. As a regular guest chef for Musgrave MarketPlace NI, Stephen will be providing live cooking demos at the Duncrue branch throughout the year, showcasing some of the tasty dishes that students can learn to cook from scratch at Forestside Cookery School.

Commenting on the launch of his new cookery school Stephen Jeffers said, “I have always been passionate about teaching the art of cooking to others and helping people to really appreciate and enjoy cooking – having worked as a chef and cookery school principal for many years, I am very proud to now take this milestone step in my career and open the doors to my very own cookery school. Myself and the Forestside Cookery School team hope that we can inspire more people across Belfast to take the time to cook and to embrace preparing dishes from scratch!”
Richard Mayne, Foodservice Sales Manager for Musgrave MarketPlace NI added, “We are delighted to support Stephen with the launch of the Forestside Cookery School. The school has a very bright future ahead with its experienced team of tutors, wide range of cookery classes and unique service offerings including its in-house cook shop. It is great to see a chef like Stephen share his wealth of culinary expertise and experience with others, helping them to develop their cooking skills in a relaxed and fun environment.”

For more information about Forestside Cookery School and its range of cookery classes please visit www.forestsidecookeryschool.com

A catering company in Belfast that works with people with learning difficulties or autism and whose profits go to helping support those with difficulties join the workforce has been commended at the Irish Guild of Food Writers’ Social Responsibility Awards.

Loaf Catering is a corporate catering business and social enterprise delivering fresh food to homes and businesses in the greater Belfast area. Using local suppliers whenever possible, Loaf Catering is also an accredited training site, providing training and work experience placements for catering trainees with learning difficulties or autism. All profits go to the NOW Group to help support people with barriers to learning and employment join the workforce. Loaf wants communities to be more connected with what they buy and eat and for every £1 invested in loaf, £8 is returned in social value. The judges were impressed with the strong, independent feedback they received about Loaf and felt it represented a model social enterprise that others could (and should) follow.

Aoife Carrigy, chairperson of the IFWG said, “These awards are very special as they recognise the broader significance of food within our communities and society: as a source of nourishment and enjoyment, and as a connector between people, but also as a birthright of citizens in terms of the need for equal access to good food produced in a sustainable manner.
“We have a shared responsibility to protect the future of our food. These Community Food Awards celebrate projects we believe have made positive impacts, with an emphasis on inclusivity and a commitment to people and passion before profit. The awards aim to highlight some of the excellent work being done on both large and small scales within our communities, and to say thank you to those who carry out this often thankless work.

For further information, please visit www.loafcatering.com

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.