Award-winning local enterprise Mash Direct, who produce healthy and stress-free vegetable side dishes on their farm in Comber, have won the Food and Drink accolade at the annual Made in Northern Ireland Awards ceremony.
These awards recognise and honours companies that have demonstrated success in innovation, product development and growth in either domestic or overseas markets. The event was hosted by Insider Media and have become an integral part of the Northern Ireland Dealmakers Awards.

Philip Cunliffe, Insider’s Regional Business Editor said: ‘Manufacturing is arguably the most important sector in Northern Ireland and its contribution to the economy is undeniable, 2015 was a particularly strong year for NI manufacturing. Mash Direct is a fast growing, innovative company that has excelled over the last 12 months and represent everything that is good in the sector and I salute them for their contribution to the manufacturing and food industry’.
Martin Hamilton, Founder and Managing Director, Mash Direct, comments: ‘We are delighted to win this marvellous award, highlighting the quality of our business and commitment to excellence in the manufacturing of our extensive range of natural and wholesome products.’
‘The recognition for excellence will be of a tremendous benefit as we continue to develop our sales in Great Britain and other neighbouring markets’.
As the UK brand leader of the vegetable accompaniments sector within the food manufacturing industry, Mash Direct aims to bring a family face to a product that people can rely on and trust in. They clearly lead in their sector, producing an innovative range of quality, convenient vegetable and potato dishes ranging from traditional accompaniments to complete ready-meals.

From the initial dream of making traditional Ulster ‘champ’ for convenience in 2004, the Hamilton family have grown Mash Direct into a £15million turnover company, employing 180 members of staff and supplying a range of over 40 high quality, chilled vegetable dishes to retail, food service and the food manufacturing sector.
Mash Direct have set a benchmark for aspiring manufacturers wishing to achieve world class standards in Food excellence, and by winning this Food and Drink award, proved they reach this level of excellence in a very fast moving and competitive environment.

The business has benefitted from a raft of new retail wins in 2015 with Nisa, Waitrose Scotland and the Co-operative – securing agreements currently valued at approximately £1.6m and set to grow further. Prominently, they have recently launched nationwide in Tesco, stocking over 100 stores in England and Wales with five lines, adding to Northern Ireland and Scotland to give the brand nationwide reach.

This follows Mash Direct’s UK expansion into Asda and Ocado in 2014. Their increased listings in the last twelve months have come as the result of a rapidly moving sequence of events starting with consumer trends from around the world and finishing at the Hamilton family dinner table. Mash Direct understand the ever-changing nature of food and consumption and meet the demands. They champion including healthy eating, traceability, provenance and free-from in the ready meal category.

These are some of the freshest eggs in the land. Glenballyeamon Eggs is set amongst the green fields and rolling hills of the famous Glens of Antrim. Our hens are happy and we pride our ourselves on the quality of our product and the care we give to our customers, and our hens of course!

At Ballyeamon Eggs our free range hens produce healthy eggs which in turn can help to keep people healthy as well. This place is packed full of heritage and history. The glen stretches down from the slopes of Trostan mountain in between the slopes of Tievebulliagh and Lurigethan Mountain and outfows into Red Bay along the Causeway costal route. The little village of Cushendall is situated at the mouth of the glen.
At the top of the glen you will find the old derelict railway station of Retreat which was the last stop on the Ballymena to Parkmore railway line. It was used predominantly for taking away lime and ore from the local mines in the townland of Altmore, where Glenballyeamon eggs is located, a proposal was made to link the line to the Glenariffe narrow railway but it failed to materialize.

Glenballyemon has a couple of good locations for those who enjoy waterfalls, especially after a few days rain when then river swells and cascades down over a series of waterfalls in close succession. On the northern side below Barard mountain there is another cut in the landscape where a smaller series of waterfalls cascade down and under the road bridge, many other quite spectacular waterfalls can be found in neighbouring Glenariffe.

The glen is unique in that you are able to travel up the Lurigethan mountain side of the glen and back down the far side into Glenariff, this is one of the Causeway Coastal Route scenic loops. Clearly visible in the landscape on the glen side area the remains of small fields of parallel raised beds, an old farming method of potato cultivation which dates back to the 18th century.

Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring Vitamin D. One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids. We now carry out deliveries province wide! We currently sell 95% of our eggs to local businesses including restaurants, shops, cafes, bakeries and hotels.

“The Ballyeamon Hens have got it all!
Time to sleep and time to way
Lush green grass to run and play
And that panoramic view of Cushendall
Yes! Recently I read it on an egg box
It’s there, in print for everyone to see
If I could be a Hen in Ballyeamon
The credit crunch just wouldn’t worry me!”

A poem by Miss Kathleen McGarvey

Article by Michele Shirlow for Farm Week- 10/03/2016

Hundreds of quality and authentic products from our food and drink companies, from artisan through to primary producers, will be showcased next week in one of the most important locations in the United Kingdom.

FoodNI are taking a taste of Northern Ireland to Westminster Palace. On show in the House of Commons will be products from 14 Northern Ireland companies – everything from Veda bread from Ann’s Pantry, tray bakes from The Heatherlea, venison from Baronscourt Estate through to the story of Comber Earlies from Richard Orr. Also on display will be Bushmill’s whiskey, Mash Direct, Thompsons tea, Johnsons coffee, Harnetts rapeseed oils, Lough Neagh eels, Dart Mountain cheese, Brambleberry jams, 38 Expresso and innovative pressed juices from Skinny Malinkys.

We’ll be introducing top politicians, officials and other guests to many of our fantastic flavours of Northern Ireland as we mark our first Year of Food and Drink. They will also experience flavours from Northern Ireland prepared by Paula McIntyre, a leading Northern Ireland chef and a great champion of artisan food and drink.

It’s a terrific opportunity to highlight the breadth and quality of the output from our processors and farmers in the ‘corridors of power’ at Westminster and is a further example of Food NI’s focus on intensely practical support for companies to expand sales in Great Britain, still our most important market outside Northern Ireland.

Great Britain is a market that’s easy to access and to service. It’s sound business sense to invest time and other resources on exploiting the huge opportunities there today.

As I’ve written in previous columns, Great Britain imports food and drink worth upwards of £40 billion annually, which provides tremendous scope for both large and small companies in all sectors of the Northern Ireland industry to grow sales there.

This is why we’ve been focusing resources on measures such as contacts with journalists, writers and, most recently, many of the most influential chefs, especially in the London area, to raise the profile of our food and drink in Britain. Our on going contacts with chefs in Britain are designed to encourage them to use more of our products on their menus.

We are extremely grateful for the encouraging support from local MP’s David Simpson and Margaret Ritchie, Members of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and our hosts for what has become an immensely important event in our calendar and especially for our member companies supporting this initiative.

It’s another excellent example of the tremendous support from our local politicians for our campaign to help to accelerate the growth of Northern Ireland’s biggest industry and for initiatives within the framework of Year of Food and Drink. Local politicians, MPs, MLA and councillors have supported all the campaign’s activities to date. Their support has been immensely encouraging as we endeavour to increase awareness – and sales- of local food and drink in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

It has long been clear that they all appreciate that better business will increase employment opportunities across Northern Ireland and especially in rural communities which have been adversely affected by the difficulties being experienced by many sectors of our farming industry.

There could scarcely be a better time to showcase our food and drink in Britain than on the eve of St Patrick’s Day, a key occasion within Year of Food and Drink’s theme for March – Heritage and Traditions – underpinning our provenance, a crucially important feature of our food and drink.

And it’s a feature that commands the attention and respect of buyers, food writers and tourists. We can be proud of our tremendous heritage of quality, wholesome and safe food and drink production and processing across all sectors.

Visitors to the Food NI presentation in the House of Commons will be able to learn more about our food heritage and to talk to many of the producers, both large and small, who are carrying it forward so enthusiastically through their dedication to maintain the highest production standards in the development of innovative food and drink.

A celebration of local food heritage will form part of this year’s St Patrick’s Day festivals in Enniskillen and Omagh.

Endorsing Tourism NI’s Year of Food and Drink 2016, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has organised a programme of food related activity to whet the appetite of those attending St Patrick’s Day celebrations in either town on March 17.

In Enniskillen, a Food Fayre will take place in The Bridge Centre, Enniskillen, from 11.00 am to 4.00 pm with pedestrian access via East Bridge Street.

Local food fayre will be available to taste and purchase on the day from local food producers including Baked in Belfast, Cavanagh Free Range Eggs, Cherry Tree Home Bakery, Erin Grove Preserves, Long Lane Pantry, Lough Erne Cakes and Tickety-Moo ice cream.

In Omagh, a Food and Craft Market will take place at the Strule Arts Centre from 12 noon to 5.00 pm. Local artisan food and craft produce will be on offer from local suppliers including Baked in Belfast, Orchard Acre Farm, Corran Crafts, Kennedy Bacon, Krafts and Kards, Myrtle Dennis with Felt Crafts, Oona Candles, Poker Tree Brewery, Sperrin Sparkles, and The Quilling Beee.

The Silverbrich Hotel’s resident chef, Declan O’Donaghue, will also be cooking up a storm at the Strule Arts Centre with cookery demonstrations taking place throughout the afternoon. There will also be music and entertainment provided by Comhaltas groups from Dromore and Trillick, as well as singing in Irish and set and séan-nós dancing.

The food related theme will continue at the OASIS Plaza where there will be a selection of food vendors including Taco Loco an the Strule Café, under the cover of a marquee cooking food to order using fresh local produce from 12 noon. There will also be a programme of family entertainment and music, song and dance from Omagh Community Youth Choir, traditional folk band “Blackthorn” and dancing from Blue Thistle Highland Dancers and Irish Dancers.

Admission to St Patrick’s Day activities in the Bridge Centre, Enniskillen and the Strule Arts Centre and the OASIS Plaza in Omagh, is free of charge.

A limited number of spaces for food producers at the Food Fayres in Enniskillen and Omagh are still available. For further information please contact Fermanagh and Omagh District Council on 0300 303 1777, extension 20408.

The celebration of local food is just one part of a packed programme of St Patrick’s Day activities taking place in Enniskillen and Omagh on March 17.

For further information on St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Enniskillen visit the Project St Patrick website at www.projectstpatrick.com

For further information on St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Omagh visit the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council website at www.fermanaghomagh.com or telephone the Council Events Officer on 0300 303 1777.

Stock Burger Co, the new restaurant and craft beer initiative being developed by the global Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), has been developed to offer a dynamic eating experience in line with the market trend towards gourmet burgers and craft beer.

The first Stock Burger Co restaurant and bar opened adjacent to the Holiday Inn in Brighton, a major IHG brand, in December. Central to the new restaurant’s burgers is premium Glenarm Shorthorn beef from county Antrim that’s been aged by Hannan Meats in its huge Himalayan salt chamber in Moira.

Hannan Meats in this hugely significant contract created an innovative portfolio of burgers and is also supplying beef short ribs and rump steak aged in the company’s Himalayan salt chamber, the largest of its type in the United Kingdom and Ireland, to Stock Burger Co. IHG plans to develop a network of Stock Burger restaurants at its Holiday Inn chain throughout the United Kingdom. It has a presence in Belfast.

The first Stock Burger Co restaurant and bar is part of a £3.5 million development of the Holiday Inn on Brighton’s historic seafront.

Simon Burdess, IHG’s vice president, food and beverage, Europe, says: “The launch of Stock Burger Co continues the story of IHG’s renewed vigour in the food and beverage area.

“Pete Hannan is making a burger for us exclusively from that product and it is truly amazing. There are nine classic burgers, including the Craft Beer burger, in which we use the Stock Burger IPA in the sauce. “There is a ‘build your own’ section for guests to add their own toppings and ingredients to their patty, while there is also a ‘no burger, no problem’ section.

Peter Hannan adds: “We were delighted to have been invited by the Stock Burger Co to develop a unique and outstandingly tasty burger for what is an immensely exciting IHG project that focuses on artisan food and drink producers.

“It’s a very timely development that harnesses the tremendous potential of the fast growing artisan sector in the UK and will offer many of these smaller and quality conscious enterprises a tremendous opportunity to grow sales. IHG is recognising the premium quality and innovation that underpins the artisan food sector,” he adds.
Simon Burdess, IHG’s vice president, food and beverage, Europe, says: “The launch of Stock Burger Co continues the story of IHG’s renewed vigour in the food and beverage area.

“Pete Hannan is making a burger for us exclusively from that product and it is truly amazing. There are nine classic burgers, including the Craft Beer burger, in which we use the Stock Burger IPA in the sauce.
“There is a ‘build your own’ section for guests to add their own toppings and ingredients to their patty, while there is also a ‘no burger, no problem’ section.

“That is where we have other things on the menu, tending to be dishes that people in hotels reach out for, like a fish sandwich, steaks, ribs, hotdogs, salads and wraps,” explains Burdess.
In another high street food trend, each of the burgers will be paired to a craft beer, adding another angle to the menu.

“Ultimately, we want to celebrate this wonderful marriage between great burgers and great beer. Each of the core burgers has a beer pairing to go with it,” he adds.

“For instance, we have a burger called The Lone Star that has bacon and jalapenos and a very American feel to it. This burger is paired with a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. We want people to experiment and try them together.
“We are confident that this innovative restaurant and bar offering will serve as a major opportunity to drive guest satisfaction and to improve financial returns for our owners.”
Stock Burger Go takes inspiration from the growing gourmet burger and craft beer market. The restaurant is open to hotel guests and the wider public.

Diners can select from a variety of specialty burgers, including Pulled Beef Brisket. Stock Burger Co also offers its guests the chance to create their very own burger.

Taking beef, chicken or vegetarian as their starting point, they can opt for a choice of sizes and a huge assortment of different cheeses, sauces and trimmings. All burgers are served on a brioche bun, or naked with an iceberg wrap.

Also available is an array of other mouth-watering options, from ribs and a Big Dog through to freshly crafted salads and a beer battered fish sandwich.

Burdess was also behind another major food initiative with another IHG chain, the boutique Hotel Indigo, which benefited another Northern Ireland food business. He launched a search last year for the best Flavours of the Neighbourhood, a UK-wide competition for artisan food enterprises, a competition won by Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil, a farm-based business in Limavady owned by Leona Kane.

On Saturday 19 March Market Square, Antrim will be buzzing with a traditional Food and Craft market atmosphere between 10am and 4pm. The free family event is being organised by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and everyone is welcome.

Come along for family entertainment including a mobile fun farm, face painting, balloon modelling, walkabout characters, cupcake making and arts and crafts. The Armagh Rhymers will be entertaining the crowds with their unique blend of poetry, music, drama, song and dance. They are easily recognised by their willow masks and are a real treat to experience first-hand.

In keeping with the March theme of Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink 2016, Heritage and Tradition, you will be able to experience traditional paper making, paper quilling, traditional bread and butter making, harvest knot making and quilt making. Local businesses in the town will be selling their wares so come along and support them. Lough Neagh Eels will have a stand for you to sample some fried and smoked eels cooked fresh for your delight!

Speaking at the launch of the event Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Thomas Hogg commented; “This is going to be a great family day out with many traditional activities on offer including the entertainers in period costume and a Hobby Horses Carousel.”

In addition, Battle of Antrim walking tours are taking place from 10am at the Barbican Gate. Tickets for the tours cost £5 per adult and children under 12 years of age are free of charge. For more information about the event please contact Karen Uprichard on 028 9446 3113 ext 31344 or visit www.antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk