The Countdown to Christmas is on!

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The countdown to Christmas is now well underway in our house, with one enthusiastic daughter already designing the decorations. I’ve certainly started thinking ahead for the festive season, especially in terms of food to enjoy and to give as presents over the period. I was lucky enough to be able to see and taste many ideas for Christmas meals and gifts at the recent InvestNI Celebrating Northern Ireland Food and Drink Show in the Stormont Hotel in Belfast.

On display were premium local products ranging from award winning poultry, beef, ham, venison to organic peppered smoked salmon, potatoes, vegetables and side dishes and stuffings, yoghurts, cheese, shortbread, custard tarts and new twists on the traditional Christmas Pudding and Christmas Cake.

While you’ll not find grapes for wine produced here, there was a great range of fruit berry liqueurs, Irish cream liqueurs, local Irish whiskies, a wide range of ciders and beers as well as boutique gin and potato vodka. In fact there are so many drinks producers here that we recently published a local drinks guide, it’s a lovely accompaniment to a selection of local drinks given as a gift as it has tasting notes and suggested recipes from top local chefs. Anyone wanting a copy just ask us at FoodNI.

There was also an abundant choice of natural water and soft drinks including fruit juices, especially Bramley apples from Armagh, our ‘Orchard County’. Indeed, Northern Ireland has developed into a leading producer of award winning ciders in the UK and Ireland and has recently been recognised as a unique cider cluster by the top drinks writers who just visited here.

Our tea and coffee companies have also won a host of awards for superbly flavoured products. You soon may be able to purchase tea from a small plantation in Portaferry and even coffee grown near Lisburn!

Buying local at Christmas – and other seasons – has never been easier. Virtually everything you’ll need for meals and snacks at Christmas is now readily available from hundreds of local suppliers to major supermarkets, independents, delis, butchers and grocery stores.

This week also saw the opening of the first permanent local food and drink presence at the International Airport shop in departures. Inspired by the success of the pop up shop by Ulster Artisans, the airport has taken the brave step of stocking local foodstuffs on the shelves of the duty free shop. Now when you leave Northern Ireland you can take a little bit of home with you to enjoy abroad or to give as a gift.

The new local food and drinks area is in the departures lounge and festures everything from bread and butter to bacon and cheese, as well as a great selection of chutneys, sweets, teas and oils. You can certainly count on the products you’ll find on the shelves and chill cabinets being fresh and tasty. The food and drink is produced by people with tremendous passion who take care to ensure their products offer outstanding taste. Their products, many of which have won national awards for quality, are grown here, not flown here.

Choosing Northern Ireland produce to enjoy at Christmas, or to give as a gift, also means you’ll be backing the Northern Ireland economy especially our farmers, who have had an immensely challenging year, as well as the wider rural community.

You’ll also be backing Northern Ireland’s most successful manufacturing industry, which already contributes around £5 billion to the local economy.

Food and drink, in fact, is the only manufacturing industry to have grown strongly during the economic downturn. And it’s one which a healthy track record of coming up with innovative and delicious products that also offer outstanding value for money.

I urge you to choose local food and drink this Christmas, both to enjoy at home and to give as gifts. You’ll be spoilt for choice with all that our dedicated food and drink producers have to offer. And you’ll be investing in local economic growth by inspiring people.

Blue Book is a Red Letter Day for Browns!

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L’Derry’s “Browns” has become the first restaurant in Northern Ireland to be included in the prestigious “Ireland’s Blue Book” association of hotels and restaurants. Browns, already named by critics as the best in the northwest and one of the best in Ireland, joins a select handful of Northern Ireland hotels, including the Bushmills Inn, Newforge House and Ardtara Country House, in the elite guide. Ardtara Country House in Upperlands is also owned by Browns owners Marcus Roulston and Chef Patron Ian Orr, making this a double Blue Book feather in their caps. Sallyanne Clarke, President, Ireland’s Blue Book and proprietor of Dublin’s ‘Ecrivain Restaurant said “We are particularly delighted to have Browns, the first restaurant in Northern Ireland, join our collection.”

John McGrillen, CEO of Tourism NI, said “We are pleased to see Browns Restaurant as the first Northern Ireland restaurant invited to join the elite group of properties in Ireland’s Blue Book. This honour is particularly fitting as we approach the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016.  Congratulations to Ian Orr, Chef Patron and Marcus Roulston and their team.”

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Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland,offered “Congratulations to Browns Restaurant on being the first Northern Ireland restaurant to join the prestigious Blue Book collection. Ireland’s Blue Book has long been known for representing properties of unique and individual style which offer the best in hospitality, so the inclusion of Browns for the first time in 2016 is testament to its high standards and the superb experience it offers our overseas visitors. Ireland’s Blue Book undoubtedly helps to give the island of Ireland significant “stand-out” in the very competitive international marketplace. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Ireland’s Blue Book, to promote Browns Restaurant and all of the other wonderful properties in the collection, around the world in 2016.

Marcus Roulston and Ian Orr, Co Owners, Browns Restaurant said “Browns is delighted and humbled to be Northern Ireland’s only restaurant to have been invited to join the elite collection of hotels and restaurants in Ireland’s Blue Book. This is a gratifying complement to the “Best Restaurant in Co. L’Derry” award received every year from 2010 to 2015 from  Ireland’s Restaurants Association and with our sister restaurant, “Browns in Town”, to be the only two restaurants in the City to be recommended in the Michelin Guide 2016. In light of these awards, Browns is particularly proud of the restaurant’s accessibility to all with arguably the best value for money in the northwest. We thank our loyal customers over the years for their continued support and friendship.”

The addition of Browns bring to 49 the number of boutique hotels, restaurants and country houses in one of Europe’s premier collections — membership of which is notoriously difficult to achieve and highly-regarded as a result.

Northern Ireland: A wonderful Pesto day!

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Ireland enthusiastically welcomes the second trip of the Pesto Championship! Thanks to the collaboration with Food NI, our Northern Ireland day, this year, saw our participation in a BBC program dedicated to Genoa Pesto World Championship. Then the visit to the Culinary Art, the local cooking school, and then the Londonderry College. Tasting with Brian McDermott, the “No Salt” Chef and finally the competition in the splendid Hall of Guilds in the City of Derry in the presence of the Mayor.

The winner is Lyn Thompson student at the Culinary Art School, Maureen Duers second, and third Lorraine Lawson. In the jury Kevin Hickey of Tamnagh Food, Michele Shirloin and Magne Haugseng for Good Food NI, Gianni Arimondo and Sergio Ambrosetti for the Association Palatifini.

Launch of Year of Food and Drink 2016 in London!

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Our Year of Food and Drink 2016 was launched in some style last week by Tourism Ireland in London. This important introduction of what will be a very exciting and enjoyable year-long programme of colourful events to chefs, food writers, travel journalists and bloggers in Britain was hosted by Tourism Ireland. It featured award-winning chef Theo Randall, owner of Theo Randall at the InterContinental London Park Lane and former head chef at The River Café and was a tremendous boost for Year of Food and Drink.

Randall and local chefs Niall McKenna of James Street South, Derek Creagh of Harry’s Shack, Will Brown of The Old Schoolhouse Inn cooked up a superb meal using Northern Ireland produce.

They were very ably supported by KraziBaker Mark Douglas of Dromore, who has been reviving interest in griddle baking of traditional favourites such as potato farls, soda bread and potato apple at markets around Northern Ireland, and James Huey of Walled City Brewery in Derry, one of the 26 craft breweries now operating here and producing an impressive range of beers, ales and stouts.

Reaching out to engage key influencers in Britain, the Republic of Ireland and further afield will be a crucially important element of our commitment to Year of Food and Drink. Guests heard all about our world-class ingredients, talented chefs, wonderful restaurants and great cookery schools

We are already working, for example, on scheme to engage with leading chefs especially in London and to encourage exchanges with their counterparts here.

Our aim will be to introduce leading chefs there to the variety and quality of produce now available from Northern Ireland suppliers. I know that some of the most eminent chefs in Britain already use food from here.

They include Abernethy Butter fans Heston Blumenthal, Marcus Wareing and Andy McFadden. The BBC’s James Martin has also used our beef and Glastry Farms whiskey ice cream. And Mark Hix, among the most successful chef/restaurateurs in London is a long time customer for superb Himalayan salt-aged beef from Peter Hannan in Moira. Interestingly, Hix flew to Northern Ireland recently to cook a beef banquet for his Glenarm shorthorn suppliers.

A number of top chefs in Britain have already expressed a keen interest in working with us during Year of Food and Drink.

The benefits from such exposure in Britain, still our most important market for food and drink, will be substantial for local producers, hospitality providers and the wider community. I see no reason why it shouldn’t result in a significant increase in sales of our food and drink in Britain in both retail and catering sectors. It would be marvellous to see more Northern Ireland food and drink listed on the menus of more restaurants in Britain. While Hix, for example, already lists Glenarm Mighty Marbled Steak on his menus, we want to see more products featured.

Why? It means more high profile business for our producers and also encourages diners to think of Northern Ireland as a destination for holidays or short breaks. More product sales and increased tourism boosts our economy, especially the farming community, and increases employment opportunities. Food and drink is a key consideration when people consider a break.

We want them to experience our food and drink and to look for the products in their supermarkets, delis and restaurants when they return home.

We are inviting people across Great Britain to come here and enjoy 366 days of culinary celebration – where they will discover the best of local produce and have the chance to experience the spectacular scenery and wonderful coastline and friendly people that makes Northern Ireland and our food and drink so special.
 

Tracy Hamilton Scoops Top Accolade at Women in Business Awards

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Tracy Hamilton, (Director) Mash Direct the award winning vegetable accompaniments farming enterprise won the top accolade at the fifth annual Women in Business Awards held last Thursday at the Culloden Estate and Spa.

Nearly 400 businesswomen attended the glittering awards ceremony which saw Tracy pick up the Award for Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year in recognition of her business acumen, entrepreneurial vision and inspirational work ethic. Tracy was the only non-entry category and selected solely on judges’ discretion,

Tracy said; “Winning this award came as a hugely unexpected but very welcome surprise.

“I cannot emphasise enough the importance of an organisation such as Women in Business for inspiring and empowering women to strive for better. They host a diverse range of events throughout the year meaning that there’s always something for everyone no matter what type or level of business. I also find them incredibly useful as a marketing platform – certainly Mash Direct can attribute a percentage of our business growth in Northern Ireland directly to my membership of Women in Business.

“I am both delighted and honoured to accept this Award.”

Tracy and her husband Martin Hamilton a fifth generation farmer diversified their wholesale farming business in 2004 to add value to their vegetable produce for convenience. Along with Martin, Tracy’s enthusiasm has been pivotal to the company evolving from a cottage style business, to a simple yet innovative idea to create the true taste and texture of homemade cooking. Her drive and determination and has seen Mash Direct grow into a sophisticated world class farming enterprise with a turnover of £14 million employing over 180 staff.

With an unerring attention to detail, she has been in the field, sometime literally, as the company has scooped award after award in recent years and also feature on the winner’ list in the Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards, winning 16 accolades to date.

Tracy is also a Visiting Professor at Ulster University, a board member of Northern Ireland Food and Drink and sits on the board of Food NI. Amongst her many interests, Tracy is involved in the gardening world and manages the Historic Demesne on the shores of Strangford Lough where she lives with her husband Martin and two sons – Lance and Jack. She sits on the Committees of the Northern Ireland Heritage Gardens and the Irish Tree Society. She is also a very active volunteer on the Mencap Special Events Committee and has been organising high profile events for them since 1986.

Chief executive Roseann Kelly said; “The Women in Business Awards are a prestigious event in the local business and social calendar when we acknowledge and celebrate the determination, success and contributions of women from the business community across Northern Ireland.

“The Culloden was awash with inspirational women this evening from Madam Justice McBride to each of our very worthy finalists – such fantastic role models not just for females in business but for the business community as a whole.

“Indeed everyone in the room tonight should be proud of the role they play and contribution they make, no matter how big or small, to Northern Ireland’s economy. These awards are all about shining a light on their achievements and encouraging the next generation of female business women to be just as inspired and successful.”