Anyone who spent time in the Food NI Food Pavilion at the recent Balmoral Show will surely have been impressed by the scale of innovation and the enthusiasm of our food and drink companies of all sizes and in every sector of what is now our biggest manufacturing industry. I’ve had an opportunity over the past few days to reflect on some of my experiences from the show.

I spent three days there with exhibitors and was struck by their ideas about innovative products and the markets they are keen to access especially in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Unfortunately there are some observers who still see food and drink as a something of a “sunset’ industry. It’s anything but. In fact I believe that it’s one of the most vibrant ‘sunrise’ industries here. While it may not appear to some to be ‘techy’ enough, there are companies, both large and small, heavily involved in new market focused technology.

Most companies now see adding value to the wonderful ingredients available here as the way ahead and are investing in technology to manage production and improve overall performance.

It’s an industry with a very bright future that’s increasingly being driven by people with smart ideas who are close to their markets and to both existing and potential customers. It’s an industry growing in confidence and self-esteem, characteristics being encouraged and justifiably celebrated by the Year of Food and Drink initiative. Furthermore it is deeply rooted here.

Most of the companies are also locally-owned and connected to the community especially the farming sector which provides essential and premium quality ingredients with heritage and provenance. It’s already a £5 billion industry that sells more that 60 per cent of its products beyond these shores and employs upwards of 100,000 people throughout an extensive and increasingly integrated supply chain focused on market requirements.
What the industry also faces is a tremendous market opportunity. How do I support this claim? It’s quite simple. As affluence rises, people everywhere will always seek out good quality food and drink.

The world’s population, for instance, is projected to grow by 1 billion in the next 15 years, at a time when cultivatable land will shrink. To meet this growth a 50 per cent rise in food production will be required. Interestingly, the growth is expected to be driven by a sharp rise in those likely to be described as middle class. Just under two billion people today are middle-class.

By 2020, there will be 3.2 billion, most of whom will live in urban areas. More than half of the world’s population currently lives in cities with better transport, storage and retail facilities. They are increasingly demanding high quality, nutritious and, above all, safe food and drink, a market requirement that Northern Ireland is well-positioned to meet.

I’ve also been impressed by the trend, apparent at Balmoral, towards greater collaboration between smaller companies and also with suppliers in the development of new products. A good example of this is the relationship that’s developed between Glastry Farm Ice Cream in Kircubbin and SD Bells in Belfast to create new ice cream. Brambleberry Jams in Lisburn has also been enlisted by Glastry to supply salted caramel for another ice cream flavour. Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt in Bangor has also worked with Around Noon Sandwiches in Newry to create a new snack pot product for customers in Britain and the Irish Republic. And Krazibaker Mark Douglas teamed up with Abernethy Butter to produce shortbread that earned him a UK Great Taste Award. Three craft breweries, Hillstown Farm, Pokertree and Farmageddon have also pooled their resources, knowledge and expertise to create a new beer for Britain.

Another of our great strengths is our support infrastructure that includes Invest NI and expert centres for scientific research and innovation at Loughry Campus in Cookstown and the Agri-Food and Bioscience Institute (AFBI).

It’s clear to me that the market opportunity for our food and drink industry is huge and we must do everything we can to help our companies to grasp it.

RNLI mascot Stormy Stan and Tony McAleavey, RNLI Lifeguard celebrate the success of the recent Mayday call for help which ran across Ground Espresso Bars stores to encourage everyone to fill a wellie with pennies. The coffee-fuelled fundraising campaign successfully raised £1,200 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Northern Ireland. These vital funds will contribute to funding crew training, crew kits, and the running costs of a lifeboat station. For more information on the RNLI visit www.RNLI.org.

Summer is finally upon us and to celebrate, Bite to Savour are releasing their seasonal summer box on the 1st of June, which is full of Northern Irish artisan food produce. Bite to Savour are an innovative and dynamic business who are passionate about supporting artisan food and helping small producers develop their brands and businesses.

The forward thinking founder, Jenna Stevenson, 29 and mum of a beautiful baby girl Annabell, began this venture in 2014 with the dream of changing the homogenised food market and helping these micro business blossom into something formidable. Artisan businesses may be small but collectively they are a vital part of the economy and give tourists a true taste of our wee country, with most of the premium ingredients being grown & sourced locally.

Bite to Savour create seasonal subscription boxes delivered straight to your door four times a year, for less than £29 each. Open your taste buds to over 50 local food companies by subscribing to Bite to Savour’s subscription boxes at www.bitetosavour.com and receive wonderful surprises every season.

You can also create your own custom gift box in the fabulous Studio Souk in Castle Lane, Belfast. Here you can carefully select your own products to suit any special occasion, in the knowledge that you are supporting local sustainable businesses while trying something new and exciting, that isn’t mass produced.

Chef/proprietor, Simon Dougan has put some of Northern Ireland’s finest artisan producers on the Royal radar following a visit by Prince Charles and his wife Camilla to Simon’s Yellow Door deli in Portadown, County Armagh, on Tuesday, 24th May.

A champion of Northern Ireland’s rich food heritage and an ambassador for local artisan producers, Simon hosted the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at his Portadown premises on the second of a three-day visit to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The couple were offered some of Yellow Door’s famous artisan bread, accompanied by the Prince’s favourite Earl Grey tea. As Northern Ireland’s premier outside caterer, Simon has often prepared meals for Prince Charles and other members of the Royal family during their visits to the Province, and so knew exactly how to prepare Charles’ tea – sweetened with a spoonful of honey (locally produced of course).

“I have spoken to the Prince on previous Royal visits, but I never thought that he would drop round for tea with me some day!” said Simon, who, along with his wife Jilly, organized an informal showcase at the Portadown deli featuring some world-class, locally produced food and drinks from County Armagh and across the Province for Charles and Camilla to sample.

“It’s well documented that Prince Charles is extremely interested in the provenance of food and, as a producer himself, with the Duchy Originals brand from his Highgrove House estate, he was keen to learn about our Northern Ireland producers,” said Simon.

These included Abernethy Butter, Lough Neagh Eels, Long Meadow Cider, Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil, Burren Balsamics, honey producers, Anne Zwecker and Robert Cassells, and Shortcross Gin. Also in attendance at the event were representatives from Food NI, Food Heartland Hospitality Forum, and the CEO of Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Council, Roger Wilson.

SOW GROW MUNCH
Edible gardener, Jilly Dougan offered Charles and Camilla an insight into her latest initiative ‘Sow Grow Munch’, a free growing and cooking guide specifically designed for schools to introduce children to fresh fruits and vegetables at a young age as a fundamental step towards developing healthy eating habits. Helped by children from Portadown Integrated Primary School, Jilly put on a display of edible herbs, leaves and pea shoots planted by the pupils.

The Royal couple also enjoyed some demonstrations in traditional food production, including dry cured Yellow Door bacon, using Armagh pork, and home churned Abernethy Butter. At the end of their visit, they were presented with a hamper to take away and enjoy a taste of Northern Ireland’s food heartland.

FOOD AMBASSADOR
As a passionate supporter of Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector and artisan producers, Simon is a founder member of the Food Heartland Hospitality Forum (so-called because of the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon region’s abundance of specialist artisan food and drink producers) which he helped set up with some like-minded chefs in the ABC council area to promote the use of local produce by food outlets and event organisers.
He is also a member of Food NI, Taste of Ulster and Euro-toques Ireland, and Slow Food NI (part of a global movement, supported by Prince Charles, that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment).

“It makes sense to buy locally, ensuring that the money we spend is kept within the local economy,” said Simon. “I believe that the return in terms of reducing food miles, improved traceability, flavour, authenticity and outstanding quality for customers is well worth it.

“The designation of 2016 as ‘Northern Ireland Year of Food & Drink’ has helped establish a new-found confidence in the food we produce,” he continued, “and here in County Armagh we are unique in being home to two of the three world renowned, PGI (protected geographical indication) products in Northern Ireland – Lough Neagh Eels and Armagh Bramley Apples. Eels from Lough Neagh are a highly sought-after delicacy in Europe, while Bramley apples are the most popular cooking apples in the UK!

“Food and drink is the country’s single biggest industry, and at Yellow Door, we have seen a proliferation of local produce being bought in our delis. Around 95% of the foods we sell are now made in Northern Ireland, and items such as jams, chutneys and oils have seen an explosion in sales as people have started to realise the quality of the food we have here.
“During the previous three years, bread sales accounted for 10-15% of our wholesale production – this year it’s up to 45%. In addition to our expanding sales in the supply to top quality restaurants, hotels and delis across the island of Ireland, we have opened up new markets supplying bread, patisserie and traditional tray bakes to Belfast International, Belfast City and Dublin airports.

“We can only produce great food with fantastic ingredients, and in Northern Ireland we are fortunate to have so much premium quality produce. Yellow Door aims to be at the heart of this food producing community with a strong farm-to-table focus, and an emphasis on exceptionally flavoursome, seasonal food.”

Simon had further cause for celebration when on the evening after the royal visit, Yellow Door (Portadown) won the ‘Best Coffee Shop Restaurant’ category at the Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council inaugural Food Heartland Awards 2016 in association with NFU Mutual.

Henderson Foodservice are delighted to launch our Flavour of the North competition. We are seeking to find the very best in local food innovation, products that can become synonymous with Northern Ireland.

We recognise that for Northern Ireland to become a destination for outstanding cuisine, we need to support our home grown farmers and producers, and connect them with our growing network of chefs.

We’re passionate about developing ‘local’ and Flavour of the North is a call out to those who want to develop their business through supplying foodservice, and gain access to our 4500 customers across the island of Ireland.

Flavour of the North Application Form

*Please note the deadline is  Friday 29th July

Enjoy the BIG Pop-Up Picnic between Titanic Belfast and SS Nomadic from Saturday 28th to Monday 30th May! Kick back and enjoy a mix of maritime activities including live music, dance style flash performances, meet the Titanic mascots, play games for kids (and the kids at heart!)…all whilst enjoying a delicious picnic!

Plus there are a host of other activities to take part in around Titanic Quarter – from walking and photography tours where you will descend 44ft into the bottom of Titanic’s Dock, to exploring our Titanic Experience galleries or enjoying period music on-board Titanic’s little sister, SS Nomadic.

Visitors will also get the chance to step back in time with 70 DeLorean cars traveling onto the Titanic Slipways for their grandstand finish in Belfast!

To help you plan your weekend of seafaring activity, maritime themed family fun, food and frolics check out the programme below:

•Kids can enjoy giant games
•Take a Titanic Taster experience from seafaring photography to walking tours learning all about Belfast’s Maritime heritage
•Local flashmobs performing Pirates of Penzance
•Titanic Quarter Scavanger Hunt
•Pop up stalls serving everything from gourmet burgers, homemade ice-cream, coffees and lots more so you can picnic in style
•Period music on-board SS Nomadic
•DeLorean Eurofest 2016 (Sat 28th from 3pm – 5pm)
•Maritime Dock Market (11am – 6pm daily)

Other listings
Enjoy a fabulous family day out as Kids Go Free to the Titanic Experience and SS Nomadic from 23rd May – 30th June 2016!*

The Titanic Experience extends over nine interpretive and interactive galleries that explore the sights, sounds, smells and stories of RMS Titanic, as well as the city and people which made her.
Children can earn a special certificate as they complete the Explorer Trail – allowing them to experience the shipyard, walk the decks, travel to the depths of the ocean and uncover the true legend of Titanic, in the city where it all began.

*One free child ticket with every full price adult ticket purchased. Children must be 10 years old and under. Not valid bank holiday weekends 28-30th May and 4-6th June. Available from 10am. Offer is subject to availability, with no cash alternative.

Early Riser
Are you an early riser? If so, visit Titanic Belfast and enjoy the nine interactive galleries at a special rate. Ticket offer price available on 9.00am / 9.15am / 9:30am/ 9.45am admissions only Monday – Friday, during May, adult £12.50 child £6. To book, visit www.titanticbelfast.com or phone +44 28 9076 6399.
*Valid until 31st March 2016. Offer subject to availability and valid for online booking only. Does not apply to combo tickets and cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount or promotion. To redeem ticket offer simply click above – tickets purchased online will incur a £1 online booking fee. Management reserve the right to remove this promotion at any time and without prior notice.

Afternoon Tea
Enjoy Sunday Afternoon Tea at Titanic Belfast in the opulent surroundings of the Titanic Suite featuring the stunning replica staircase with live jazz. Enjoy Titanic’s fabulous menu featuring a delicious selection of finger sandwiches, classic scones with Cornish clotted cream, mouth-watering cakes and exquisite éclairs and French Fancies! From £24 per person, to book, visit www.titanicbelfast.com or phone +44 28 9076 6399.