A Lisburn artisan supplier of chutney, jellies and relishes has won business in Kuwait, its first significant sales outside Northern Ireland.

Passion Preserved, formed and managed by Claire Kelly (pictured) in 2012, will supply its Indian Inspired Tomatoes relish to Dublin-based Global Irish food Traders (GIFT) for initial launch in Kuwait’s Saveco Hypermarket in early January.

GIFT then plans to distribute the Passion Preserved product throughout its network across Kuwait that includes major retailers such as Carrefour and LuLu.

“This is a tremendously exciting and immensely important breakthrough for me in a very dynamic export market,” said Kelly.

“It follows an initial approach by GIFT earlier in the year to see if I would be interested in doing business in the Arabian Gulf region. They didn’t have to ask me twice!  I jumped at the opportunity.”

GIFT’s Gillian Clancy added: “Our objective is to increase the volume and variety of quality Irish produce being sold to the retail and food service markets in the countries that make up the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC).

“We have extensive knowledge of freight forwarding, date stamping, Arabic labelling, complex documentation procedures and the correct handling of food for export into the GCC region.”

 

Interested in Starting an Artisan Food Producing Business?

The Journey To Market Programme is for you!

Following on from the success of the first Journey to Market Programme, we are now launching the second programme. The practical programme will help you develop the skills you need to set up and grow your own artisan food producing business. We will help you take your business, or idea, to the next level. We will help you to develop your product, and test trade to see if being your own boss is for you. The programme will provide you with:
One to one expert mentoring to help you develop your ideas & assist with the product development;
Workshops to develop your skills and expertise in innovation in product development, selling skills, customer service, visual merchandising and marketing;
– A Knowledge Clinic to meet with industry stakeholders such as funders & industry specialists;
– A Meet the Buyer event to provide you with the opportunity to sell to the local food service sector & distributors;
– Assistance to develop, or progress, your business plan;
– Best practice visits to learn first-hand how you to successfully set up & run your business; and
– The opportunity to test trade at a showcase event in Coleraine town centre.

The Journey to Market Programme is open to residents of the Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council area. It is aimed at those who are dedicated to fully participating in the programme and exploring the potential to open, or grow, their artisan food producing business.

The deadline for applications is 5.00pm on 17th December 2015. For more information, or an application form, please visit www.journeytomarket.com or contact Lara by emailing lara@laragoodallconsulting.com

Food critic, Charles Campion, describes local produce as ‘spectacular’ at the latest Food Heartland Forum meeting in Craigavon Civic Centre.

The ‘Food Heartland’ (so-called because of the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon region’s abundance of specialist artisan food and drink producers) is one of the key growth areas for Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.

The Food Heartland Forum, funded by council & DARD’s Regional Food Programme, provides a unique platform for council to work closely with agri-food businesses and various support bodies to drive the local agri-food sector forward. Working with Food NI, Tourism NI, and local event organisers, the Forum is preparing producers and the hospitality industry to champion local produce for NI Year of Food & Drink 2016, with the aim of enhancing the tourism experience and expanding local agri-food exports.

Speaking at the most recent meeting, food critic Charles Campion commented,

“The key to building on the NI Year of Food and Drink 2016 is to surprise people and continually exceed expectations. Attitudes to food are changing and improving, but the secret recipe for good food is to keep it simple – good food cannot be too simple.”

Praising the quality of NI produce, Campion continued,

“The produce here in Northern Ireland is spectacular. You have a huge range of breads unknown outside NI, as well as good butter, and fantastic meat.”

Food Heartland Forum meetings are held quarterly and attended by local producers and interested bodies such as SRC, Tourism NI and other support bodies.

To get involved with the Food Heartland Forum or for information on how council can support the agri-food sector, please contact Sarah-Jane Macdonald, Economic Development Officer, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council on 028 38 312 572 or email sarahjane.macdonald@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk.

 

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.

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.”

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.

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.