Archaeological evidence of eel fishing on Lough Neagh dates back thousands of years. The role of Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative Society Ltd., dates from the mid-1960s while evidence of commercial fishing can be traced back a few hundred years.

Prior to the establishment of Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative Society, the management and exploitation of Lough Neagh Eels was controlled by a consortium of off-shore interests. The then owners’ main interest was in harvesting silver eels and they were therefore not prepared to permit significant fishing in the lake for yellow eels since that would be reflected in the silver eel catch in due course.

In 1963 a group of forward-thinking fishermen under the guidance and leadership of the late Father Oliver Kennedy, decided that there had to be some means by which fishermen and their families would benefit in a more meaningful way from one of the greatest natural resources on these islands. So was born Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative Society, which is one of the longest surviving co-operatives in Ireland. In 1965 they acquired a 20% stake in the controlling group and just seven years later in 1972 gained outright control of the company and their own destiny.

In those early days many fishermen and members of their extended families were prepared to give up some of their meagre returns to help the Society establish new markets and conduct the business on their behalf. In return those people became the shareholders who would take the Society forward to the point we are at today some 50 years on.

From the very beginning, the Society’s objective has been to manage the eel industry on Lough Neagh in such a way as to provide a reasonable livelihood for the fishermen currently involved but also to build a sustainable and viable future for succeeding generations of fishermen.

In order to secure a future for the industry the Society has operated self-determined policies and measures aimed at the conservation of stocks for 50 years. Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative Society is the largest wild eel fishery in Europe.

Throughout Europe, there has been a decline in natural elver recruitment as far back as the mid- 1980s, the reasons for which are still unclear but are believed to be related to a number of factors, including climate change, hydro power installations, parasites and pollution. The basis of the Society’s future management strategy with regard to meeting the requirements of Council Regulation EC No 1100/2007 is incorporated in the Eel Management Plan for the Neagh/Bann River Basin District. The approval of this EMP is essentially an endorsement of the policies and procedures adopted by the Society over many decades. Restocking is clearly a key element of the approved Neagh/Bann EMP and is aimed at enhancing the recovery of stocks.

The award of PGI status to ‘Lough Neagh Eel’ is regarded by the local industry as a significant accolade recognising the heritage, tradition and authenticity of what are regarded as the best quality eels available in Europe. The Society has marketed its produce in continental Europe for 50 years and has developed a reputation for quality and reliability of supply. The main markets are in Holland, Germany and England.

The EU Management Plan identifies the eel industry on Lough Neagh as a responsibly managed fishery and as one which makes a significant contribution to conservation. PGI status identifies Lough Neagh Eel as an authentic, unique product with a rich heritage and tradition. The discerning customer can therefore identify with the brand on a number of fronts; – quality, sustainability and tradition.

 

Local Chefs love cooking with Eels. Paula McIntyre’s delicious Lough Neagh Fresh Eel with Soda Farl, buttered radish, roast & picked onion

 

Irwin’s Bakery is Northern Ireland’s largest independent plant bakery and is a family owned and run company based in Portadown, Co Armagh. We have been baking bread for over 100 years so bread making is something we’ve grown up with and are famous for like our Irwin’s Nutty Krust Plain Loaf, Irwin’s Softee and our Muffins and Rolls range.
Irwin’s continues to go from strength to strength not only in Northern Ireland but also with a strong presence across GB and Ireland. Employing almost 450 people locally Irwin’s have a growth strategy based on product quality, tradition and innovation and play a major role in the local agri-food sector and wider Northern Ireland economy.

Irwin’s products are based on traditional Irish recipes and baking methods, including original fermentation and slow-baking processes. Irwin’s Nutty Krust was launched in 1963 and is a firm Northern Ireland favourite. Since then, Nutty Krust has been loved by generations of families to the present day. Nutty Krust was given it’s name due to the crunchy top and bottom crust. The distinctive flavour of Irwin’s Nutty Krust comes from the 6 hour baking process. From mixing and fermenting the dough to the baking and resting of the bread, Irwin’s Nutty Krust is carefully baked to give the customer the best Batch Bread in Northern Ireland. So much so that Nutty Krust was voted by the Northern Ireland public, ‘Northern Ireland’s favourite product’!
Rankin Selection range of Irish Breads were developed in 2002 by Irwin’s Bakery and celebrity chef Paul Rankin. The range has quickly built up a loyal consumer base in the speciality breads market, becoming the top selling Irish bread in the GB.

In 2006, Irwin’s Bakery acquired traditional-style cake and tray-bake specialist, ‘Howell House’ to introduce a specialist home bakery category. Since then, Irwin’s have invested significantly in the division in order to enhance its artisan capabilities and identity, including a strategic rebrand in 2015. Supplying the multiple sector as well the convenience and independent trade, Howells has become a firm favourite within Northern Ireland with it’s number one selling product Jammy Joeys.

A Northern Ireland business, owned by a local family for over 100 years

In Ireland, it’s cold in Winter and raining in Summer, but no matter the weather we still love to indulge in our favourite dairy delight; ice cream. In fact, it’s the very rain that we often curse that allows Ireland to produce some of the creamiest ice cream available, no more so than at Glastry Farm. In the book of Irish place names, Glastry translates as ‘the townland of the green pastures’, and it is the milk produced on those clover-rich grasslands of the Ards Peninsula infused with the finest local ingredients that makes Glastry Farm Ice cream so special.
“The run-up to Christmas equals and surpasses the mid-summer season for sales“, says Will Taylor of Glastry Farm, who’s family have been farming on the land in Kircubbin, County Down since 1856. In 2007, they began producing a range of ice creams, and have scooped much more than ice cream since then, winning a number of awards for their dreamy, dairy desserts. Just as the best of the cream rises to the top of the milk, the milk from Taylor’s pedigree herd sits in the top 1% of quality in Northern Ireland. It’s superiority allows them to avoid using any heat treatment in the ice cream making process. “High quality raw materials are the fundamental of a high quality product. Our dairy herd are the engine of the ice cream plant“, says Will.

This production is a real family affair, with Will and his wife Cynthia at the helm of production, and son Gareth running the farm, the sixth generation of his family to do so. Unlike other farms which outsource the production of their dairy products, Glastry’s ice creams and sorbets are truly homemade; handmade every day in family’s converted milking parlour. This means Glastry can boast zero food miles from cow to tub and a minimal carbon footprint.

Collaborating with chefs and local producers Glastry are constantly churning ideas that turn into award winning products. Their 18-strong range of Glastry Farm Ice Creams includes Strawberry Stracciatella, Chocolate Heaven, White Chocolate & Blackberry and Rhubarb & Custard, shunning additives and colourings and championing the use of local ingredients and producers where possible. Will says, “We seek to identify fruits, plants and products from around the Island and turn them into ice cream flavours.”

Indeed, one of their most unique flavours is inspired by a County Antrim speciality; Yellowman Honeycomb, a honeycomb toffee product sold once a year at the Ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle.
Challenged by the National Trust to create an ice cream themed on the gardens of nearby Mountstewart House they came up with Raspberry & Lavender. “The lavender was the pot-pourri for the Lady Londonderry’s bedroom and the raspberries came from the walled garden for the mansion house”, explains Will. They now count Prince Charles among their fans after he sampled the unique flavour during a visit to Mountstewart in 2010. Their Ling Heather Honey Ice Cream, made with an exquisite organic honey produced from ling heather, a unique plant grown by the Sperrins in Co. Londonderry, is not only tinted a golden hue but won gold at the Great Taste awards 2015. Another floral favourite Lavender & Honey, features organic lavender and honey from world champion and local honey maker Dr. Norman Walsh.

For the more mature palate Glastry have teamed their milk and cream with some of Ireland’s favourite tipples. “We produce an Irish Stout ice cream based on Guinness Extra Stout, indeed, we have a limited edition Yanaroddy Ale ice cream from County Donegal for the Rathmullan House Hotel”, says Will. Most recently they partnered with the Teeling Whiskey Company to create a vanilla and toffee flavoured ice cream, cut through with the taste of Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey.

In 2010, Glastry Farm Ice Cream responded to consumer demand for more healthful products by introducing a range sorbets; Lemon, Raspberry, Champagne, Apple Snaps and the superb Pear Sorbet, made with local pears, all of which have gone on to win medals. Will explains their plans develop the range in 2016 with gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and low fat sorbets, though the taste “we have probably one of the highest inclusion rates of fresh fruit in a sorbet on the market at the moment”.

As well as selling in a choice selection of shops and supermarkets across the island of Ireland, all these products have graced the menus of the most prestigious venues and menus, including some of the top National Trust and Taste of Ulster restaurants and other hotels and restaurants across Ireland. The small batch production means they can also create bespoke flavours for weddings and events, often accommodating unusual requests. “One was to make gorse ice cream, which grows all over Ireland and down every laneway. It has a distinctive coconut smell, particularly after a spring shower of rain. We attempted to capture this taste and the bright yellow colour in an ice cream. We harvested buckets of gorse flowers. The result was mouth-watering but no-one would offer to pick gorse flowers ever again”, says Will.

Personal touches like this are just the cherry on top of Glastry Farm’s commitment and dedication to infusing quality, local ingredients into every tub. A dedication that starts with their herd, who are treated like an extension of the family. One cow in particular; she’s pink and graces and grazes every tub of Glastry Farm ice cream, “we fell in love with the pink cow the first time we seen her”, Will adds with a smile.

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.