Tourism NI today unveiled the shortlist of nominations for the 2016 Northern Ireland Tourism Awards in association with Tennent’s NI.

The sought-after awards, which recognise outstanding performers in the tourism industry, will this year be presented over twelve different categories.

Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony to be held on Thursday 26th May at St Columb’s Hall, Derry~Londonderry. A shortlist of 37 has been drawn up by a panel of judges. Two additional special awards will be announced on the night for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism and a Local Tourism Champion.

A record number of entries were received from across Northern Ireland.

Commenting on the shortlist John McGrillen, Chief Executive Tourism NI, said:

“There’s no doubt these awards are the biggest night of the tourism industry calendar and this year we have the added value of the unique and historic venue of St Columb’s Hall as our venue. Planning is well underway to make the evening a real celebration and a showcase of our tourism talent, particularly in the context of Year of Food and Drink”.

“The Northern Ireland Tourism Awards are about celebrating the very best practice within our industry. Winning an award is an independent and prestigious accolade for a business’s tourism offering, professionalism and hard work. It’s also a badge of quality that boosts PR and marketing efforts.
“Year in, year out, businesses of all types across the tourism industry strive to ensure that our visitors have a great experience, and so it is vital that the people, places and organisations that create these experiences are recognised and rewarded. Our annual awards ceremony is about celebrating the very best practice within our industry, and Tourism NI wants to encourage businesses of all sizes and shapes to succeed.”
Brian Beattie, Marketing Director for Tennent’s NI, added; “We are thrilled to continue our support for the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards which are recognised as a highlight of our tourism year, encouraging and rewarding excellence and highlighting the vital importance of tourism as a major and fast-growing contributor to the Northern Ireland economy. This year we are particularly looking forward to taking the grand gala awards ceremony to Derry-Londonderry this year and we look forward to a night which celebrates our region’s unique sociability.

“On behalf of all of everyone at Tennent’s NI may I extend sincere congratulations and best wishes to all who have made it to this year’s shortlist. We are very well aware of the passion and hard work which lie behind every entry and you all deserve your moment to shine.

“First-class products, service and events will all be honoured at the awards but, above all, we honour the first class people who are making tourism happen today.”
Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Jonathan Bell said: “The Northern Ireland Tourism Awards are about celebrating all that is great within our tourism industry. The Northern Ireland tourism product has never been in a stronger position and we are well on our way towards reaching our long term goal to make tourism here a £1 billion industry by 2020. We have much to be proud of both in our tourism offering and of our tourism providers.
It is the quality of our hotels, festivals and restaurants that attract visitors to Northern Ireland and these awards are about recognising the excellence within this industry and ensuring that hard-work and innovation are recognised. I would like to congratulate all of those who have been shortlisted in these prestigious awards and wish them every success on the night.”
Best event or festival experience will be opening for public vote until Thursday 12th May. To vote for your favourite, or to book your place at this year’s awards, please visit www.nitourismawards.com

People across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to eat cake, and fill a wellie to help raise vital funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Northern Ireland as part of the charity’s national annual fundraising event, ‘Mayday’.

Organised by RNLI Northern Ireland branch, a series of events will see the staff at local independent coffee house Ground Espresso Bars’ 17 stores, wearing wellies on Saturday 30th April 2016, and encouraging their customers to support the Mayday campaign by helping them ‘fill a wellie with pennies’.

The RNLI’s Mayday campaign which recently launched this week runs through to the May Day bank holiday on Monday 2nd May, and their signature wellie pins will also be available to purchase in Ground Espresso Bars throughout the campaign for just £1.

Nicola Kelly, Community Fundraising Manager in Northern Ireland said: ‘RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews’ around Northern Ireland are willing to drop everything to go and save lives at sea when their pagers beep.

The Mayday campaign is our own call for help, as we rely on the generosity of the public to help us continue our lifesaving service, which we operate day and night, 365 days a year.’

The Mayday fundraising events in Ground Espresso Bars will have a yellow welly theme, in a nod to the essential kit that the RNLI’s lifeboat crew members wear on their feet when they go out to sea to save lives.

Karen Gardiner, Director of Ground Espresso Bars said: ‘All 17 of our Ground Espresso Bars stores are delighted to be coming on board for the Mayday campaign. Our customers are always very supportive of Ground’s charity initiatives and we’re really urging them to plunge into their pockets and purses during the campaign to back the good work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Northern Ireland.’

The charity is encouraging people to show their support by using the hashtag #MaydayEveryday on social media, buying and wearing a Mayday yellow welly pin badge, hosting or supporting a fundraising event, or donating online.

Visit RNLI.org/Mayday to donate, to order a pin badge or to see what other ways you can support the RNLI’s Mayday campaign. Alternatively, text MAYDAY to 70300 to donate £3*.

Money raised through Mayday fundraising events will support the RNLI’s lifesaving work in Northern Ireland – it could be used to fund crew training, buy new crew kit, or contribute towards the running costs of a lifeboat station.

The RNLI operates 237 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland. Last year, RNLI lifeboat crews launched 8,228 times, rescuing 7,973 people and saving 348 lives.

PJ McCague has recently been appointed as General Manager of Kettyle Irish Foods, part of the Linden Food Group, which is based in Lisnaskea Co. Fermanagh.

PJ was previously employed as General Manager with McCarren Meats, a Pork & Bacon factory based in Cavan Town. Over the years PJ has worked in a variety of rolls within the Snack Foods industry with Largo Foods Ltd based at Gweedore in Donegal and Ashbourne, Meath.

Prior to joining Largo Foods Ltd., PJ owned and operated Clones Poultry Processors Ltd, in Monaghan, a dedicated Poultry Boning factory supplying poultry to food-service and catering outlets.

“PJ will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to Kettyle. He has a very strong track record in the industry and we hope to benefit significantly from his time spent in County Monaghan, Cavan, Donegal and Meath. Said: Maurice Kettyle – Managing Director

Speaking about his recent appointment PJ said: “I am delighted to have joined not just Kettyle, but the Linden Food Group with its strong reputation for quality, innovation, NPD and for generally being a progressive participant in the food industry on the island of Ireland. Kettyle themselves are a market leader both domestically and further afield and I believe are perfectly positioned to achieve our very ambitious sales targets for 2016 and beyond.
I am now very proud to be part of that Kettyle tradition and I look forward to the challenges and successes that this role may bring.”

Article written by Food NI CEO, Michele Shirlow for FarmWeek on 21st April 2016

One of our most important activities is encouraging and assisting artisan and smaller food companies to take part in major consumer events that provide an effective platform to increase sales. Being face to face with a customer is a great way to get feedback too!

Our Food Pavilion, at the hugely successful RUAS event at Balmoral Park, is probably the best-known example of this key marketing role for Food NI. As I mentioned in last week’s column, companies that have taken part in the Food Pavilion achieve significant sales and also make invaluable contacts with the buyers we invite along.
Another example of this pro-active support is the development of the Taste of Ulster shop at Belfast International Airport, now featuring almost 30 local producers. Aelia, the global business that runs the airport duty-free shop, has been tremendously supportive. Management responded quickly and very positively when approached to consider such an initiative- see more on our ‘Taste of Ulster TV’ You Tube channel.

In addition to artisan products in the shop in Departures, Aelia is showcasing spirits being distilled here including Dunville Irish Whiskey, The Quiet Man Irish Whiskey, Jawbox and Shortcross gins and Ruby Blue Vodka, It has several local craft beers and plans to introduce ciders very soon.

We are also working closely with the organisers of the BBC Good Food Show, one of the biggest consumer-focused exhibitions in the food and drink calendar in the UK, on the show at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast in October. This event promises to be a huge attraction and a great opportunity for smaller companies, in particular, to reach out to consumers from Northern Ireland, the Republic and even Great Britain. We are determined that the show will be an outstanding success.

To enable smaller producers to take part, we have agreed with the organisers to arrange a unique and very exciting Year of Food and Drink Village at the Show, which will take place in Northern Ireland for the first time between 14th and 16th October.

The event is set to attract over 12,000 to the newly developed Waterfront venue. Our village producers will allow businesses to showcase our quality food and drink producers and celebrate the Year of Food and Drink overall. Our initiative will increase awareness of the quality and breadth of local products and lead to sales.
We’d love to take the Northern Ireland Food Village to the other BBC Good Food Shows in Birmingham, London and Glasgow as well as the Speciality Fine Food Fair in London. Northern Ireland really should have a significant presence at these events at the heart of the biggest market for our food and drink.

This highly prestigious BBC Good Food, 78 per cent of visitors to which are in the ABC1 socioeconomic bracket, is a wonderful opportunity for our local producers – from the smallest to the largest – to promote their top quality products.

Based on figures from other hugely successful BBC Good Food Show events in cities across the UK last year, we expect an average spend from the mainly female visitor of over £100, which leaves plenty of opportunity for sales and, just as importantly, exposure.

To be eligible for a stand in Food NI’s Year of Food and Drink Village applicants must be a Northern Ireland food or drink company with products made here, using local ingredients where possible, and sourcing, using and promoting Northern Ireland produce. Companies should also be enhancing the reputation of Northern Ireland as a quality food and drink destination.

The show will be a major focal point of Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink celebrations and will bring the best of our food and drink to life, from demonstration theatres featuring talented local chefs, to this dedicated Food Village which will play host to regional producers. Tickets are a great idea for a gift for any foodie and I encourage you to book early. Further details of this and other events are available on our website at www.nigoodfood.com.

LEADING foodmarket convenience brand, SuperValu, has launched a new partnership with a top Northern Ireland chef as part of a major investment into its local offering.

The announcement of Noel McMeel as SuperValu’s new Ambassador Chef was made at a special event at Tedfords Kitchen in Belfast to celebrate Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink earlier this month.
Throughout 2016 McMeel, who is currently Executive Head Chef at the prestigious five star Lough Erne Resort in Enniskillen, will share his passion for local produce with SuperValu customers, promoting its extensive range of fresh, local and quality ingredients and encouraging consumers to shop local.

As part of the partnership, a series of ‘Meet the Makers’ in-store events, hosted by the new SuperValu new Ambassador Chef, kicked off on Saturday 16th April at McCool’s SuperValu, Ballymoney. Showcasing over 60 local producers including Broighter Gold, Chocolate Manor, Donnybrewer Butter, Ruby Blue Vodka and Mash Direct, Chef McMeel was on hand to offer culinary inspiration with cooking demonstrations throughout the day.

The Meet the Makers in-store series will roll out across all 35 local SuperValu stores in Northern Ireland this year as part of the retail brand’s ‘We Believe in Local’ campaign.

SuperValu is also rolling out a major upgrade of its 35 stores across Northern Ireland over the next 12 months, which will see a significant increase in its fresh offering in store and a wider range of quality produce to appeal to all customers.

SuperValu stores, which are owned by independent retailers, currently sell in excess of £105 million of local products annually. Some 60% of everything sold in SuperValu stores is produced or sourced in Northern Ireland and more than 75% of all fresh ranges are sourced locally. One hundred per cent of SuperValu’s beef, pork, lamb, milk, cream and eggs are sourced in Northern Ireland, which equates to £50m of locally produced fresh foods annually.
Michael McCormack, Managing Director of Musgrave NI, which operates the SuperValu brand announced the partnership:
“SuperValu has always been at the heart of the local community, supporting real food and real people. We are currently implementing a major upgrade programme which will be rolled out across all of our 35 stores to offer customers the best in fresh, quality local convenience food.

“As part of this investment, we are delighted to partner Noel as he is a passionate ambassador for local produce and wholeheartedly embodies our ethos at SuperValu of using simple, local ingredients to produce the best of fresh, quality food.”

Chef McMeel said: “I’m very excited to team up with SuperValu and its independent retailers as they represent the heart of the community in Northern Ireland, with their support of local produce, jobs and suppliers.
“SuperValu, like me, is all about keeping it real – real food for real people, so I am delighted to be able to bring my recipes, top tips and cooking twists to homes throughout Northern Ireland.”

SuperValu is part of Musgrave Northern Ireland (MNI), which comprises the retail and wholesale segments of Musgrave Group in Northern Ireland and supports 360 independent retailers through the SuperValu, Centra, Mace and Day-Today brands and 2,800 wholesale customers through the Marketplace brand across the province.

Beannchor – Ireland’s largest hospitality group and owners of Belfast’s award-winning Merchant Hotel – has announced plans for expansion of its restaurant and hotel portfolio.

New sites are currently being explored for the Group’s Little Wing Pizzeria chain, which currently includes six restaurants across Northern Ireland.

Commenting on the news, Little Wing Managing Director, Luke Wolsey said: “The Little Wing brand has gone rfrom strength to strength in recent years. Its success has proven that this is a good business model and we have ambitious plans for growth in the coming years.

“We are reviewing options for further expansion of Little Wing, with a number of sites being investigated across Northern Ireland. Looking to the future, we see the time arising whereby we will have reached a level of critical mass in Northern Ireland and will need to consider options in other markets for further growth. We are already tentatively looking at site locations in both the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain.”
In addition, Beannchor has announced exciting plans for phase two of its new Bullitt hotel concept. The Group has acquired Annsgate House on Ann Street;, the property adjoins Lagan House, which is currently being redeveloped to create the hotel.

Drawing on nearly 40 years of expertise in the industry to create a new and vibrant hospitality concept for the city, Bullitt – named after the Steve McQueen movie of the same name – will be an exciting new addition to the city’s social scene when Phase One opens later this year.
Bullitt will epitomise urban chic with stylish, contemporary surroundings, alongside affordable room rates. Located in a prime city centre location, wrapping Victoria Street, Ann Street and Church Lane, the hotel is a stone’s throw from Belfast’s shopping mecca, Victoria Square and the lively Cathedral Quarter. The hotel will be a social hub for city workers, locals and tourists alike, bringing a fresh approach to work, rest and play.

Phase one will feature 44 stylish mod-con clad bedrooms and a lively ground floor café, bar and restaurant will open later this year. Phase ttwo, which is expected to open in 2017 (subject to planning), will add in excess of 30 rooms to the exciting new development.

Commenting on the announcement, James Sinton, Finance Director, Beannchor said:
“Recent acquisitions have emanated from our trading confidence in the local market and our ability to create an exceptional new hotel concept for Belfast.

“Subject to planning, the addition of Annsgate House to our Bullitt hotel development will complement the existing footprint of Lagan House to deliver an 80 bed hotel in the heart of the City centre.”
The Beannchor Group owns pubs and hotels across Northern Ireland including The Merchant Hotel, The National Grande Café/sixty6, The Dirty Onion, Cuckoo and The Hillside, as well as six Little Wing Pizzerias, employing over 650 people.
In April 2016, The Merchant Hotel celebrates a ‘Decade of Decadence’ with a suite of luxurious offers to mark its 10th anniversary. For further information, visit www.themerchanthotel.com