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.

Article written by Food NI CEO Michele Shirlow for Farm Week 29/09/2016

Around 40 local companies will be hoping to come away from Dingle this weekend with a prestigious Blas na hEireann award for premium food and drink. The shortlist of Northern Ireland food and drink is the biggest ever, which indicates the growing popularity of the Irish National Food Awards and the vitality of local producers.

Our companies have a good track record in these awards, which are held annually. They are part of the hugely successful Dingle Food Festival, one of the biggest events of its type in Ireland, in the region which Tourism Ireland has rebranded as The Wild Atlantic Way in a drive to accelerate growth in tourism.

Blas na hEireann has become a magnet for Northern Ireland food and drink producers because the event attracts the attention of dozens of buyers from the main retailers in the South of Ireland. Companies which do well at Dingle usually find it easier to pitch for business there, which is vital as it is easily our most important export market.

Most of the concerns about the impact of Brexit, especially currency volatility and possibly new border arrangements, have been pushed to the back burner by our companies, as they seek to grow sales.

While the Euro-Sterling exchange rate is currently benefiting Northern Ireland food producers in euro -markets, who really knows what the future holds for food producers on the island of Ireland? We have to hope – and, of course, work as hard as possible to ensure – that there won’t be a return to the border restrictions of an era we all thought had been consigned to the pages of history.

The importance of business in the South to our companies was also apparent in the most recent Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards (IFQA) in Dublin, another event which saw Northern Ireland companies, most of them Food NI members, picking up a host of awards and commendations for the broadest range of products including bread, cakes and mince pies, potatoes, meal accompaniments, salads, children’s food and cider.

Indeed, Northern Ireland cider producers swept up all the awards in this important category. As a result, Northern Ireland consolidated its position as Ireland’s cider capital, a reputation which has resulted in many of our processors being listed by the island’s leading retailers.

IFQA really does work for our companies. This is because the island’s leading retailers are all actively involved in tabling products for consideration. It’s also true that products not listed by retailers frequently earn plaudits from the panel of expert judges. Several local companies have subsequently secured listings from retailers as a result of their endorsement by the judges.

This is why we encourage our companies, both large and small, to get involved in competitions such as IQFA, Blas na hEireann and UK Great Taste.
Success in Awards helps to raise their profile among retailers and also shoppers. And greater awareness often leads to solid business.

Popular Lisburn Road bar Cuckoo has reopened its doors to the public following the completion of a £450,000 refurbishment.

The establishment, which is owned by the Beannchor Group, recently underwent a major overhaul which has seen the introduction of two new bars within the premises, a new stage and a dance floor, increased seating as well as a new entertainment line-up and cocktail menu.

Following the renovations, it’s also been revealed that planning permission has been granted to extend the bar to include a brand new beer garden that will be opening towards the end of the year.

James O’Donnell, manager of Cuckoo, said the recent changes and planned extension are sure to impress both loyal and new customers.

“Cuckoo first opened its doors five years ago and since then it’s built up a loyal customer base. While the renovations will give the bar a wider appeal and attract new customers, we’ve made sure to keep some of the old favourites such as the ping pong tables which have proved very popular over the years.

“A lot of effort has gone into planning the new look and we’ve refreshed the entertainment line-up with an open mic session taking place every Wednesday and live music on Friday nights. There will be drinks promotions running six days a week and we’ve introduced a new jam jar cocktail menu for guests too.

“As part of the overall renovation project, work will be starting soon on our brand new beer garden. This garden will be a fantastic addition to our offering and we hope to open this to guests towards the end of 2016.”

Cuckoo is part of the Beannchor Group, Ireland’s largest hospitality group, which boasts a portfolio of over 50 pubs, hotels and restaurants across Northern Ireland.

For more information, visit facebook.com/cuckoobelfast or follow @CuckooBelfast1 on Twitter.

Enniskillen Castle played host to more than 90 guests as part of the first ever Fermanagh Restaurant Week. Lough Erne Executive Chef Noel McMeel celebrated the area’s food heritage, cooking up a culinary feast with the finest, seasonal local produce at the five-star event, which coincided with a series of events at Lough Erne Food Festival.

Noel, who was recently commended at the Irish Restaurant Awards, said the dramatic backdrop of one of the town’s most iconic buildings was a perfect venue for the event.

““Lough Erne Resort is delighted to have been involved in both Fermanagh Restaurant week and the Lough Erne Food Festival, both of which have played an important role in showcasing the incredible hospitality offering available in the region.”

“Enniskillen and Fermanagh are home to some of the best seasonal foods found on the island of Ireland, and I’m proud to champion the amazing natural larder we have here. To be part of Fermanagh Restaurant Week was a huge honour, and guests were treated to an outstanding array of locally sourced dishes from our fantastic regional suppliers who provide unrivalled produce.”

William Kirby, General Manager at Lough Erne Resort who was one of the guests at the Restaurant week event, said it was a great opportunity to celebrate the wealth of culinary expertise that Fermanagh has to offer.

“Noel has a fantastic reputation – both at the flagship 3 AA rosette Catalina Restaurant and across Northern Ireland – as a champion of our superb cuisine. Fermanagh has much to shout about when it comes to hospitality excellence, and this event was a celebration of everything the county is famous for.”