Fitter Future For All Thanks to Launch of Menucal

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  • The FSA in NI launch free online tool for the food industry to help businesses manage information about the food they serve.
  • The launch is part of a conference to update on the government strategy ‘A Fitter Future for All’, tackling overweight and obesity in NI.
  • With 1 in 6 meals being eaten out of the home, educating consumers on their Calorie intake is of paramount importance.

 

 Friday 25th September, Belfast: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in NI has just launched its free business tool, MenuCal, designed to help caterers manage allergen information and calculate Calories for the food they serve. By displaying this information the tool will serve to improve consumers’ diets by helping them make healthier choices whilst increasing the profitability of food businesses in NI.

MenuCal has been designed to help food businesses provide information to their customers about the 14 main allergen ingredients. Businesses are required by law to declare if any of these allergens are in the food they serve. The 14 allergens range from widely known ingredients such as peanuts and milk, to less widely recognised allergens including mustard and lupin seeds, which are often used in flour. This tool will mean businesses can be assured that the information they have to provide to customers is correct and means consumers can feel more confident to ask about allergenic ingredients when eating out.

In addition, MenuCal can calculate the energy values (kilojoules and kilocalories) of the food that businesses serve. Using this tool, businesses have the potential to increase their profitability by making smarter choices about the food they serve, tailoring their portion sizes to reduce the food’s energy value or changing the ingredients to give a healthier option.

Julie McKinstry-Harvey, Senior Dietary Health Advisor at the Food Standards Agency, commented on yesterday’s launch: “We have developed MenuCal to support NI food businesses to be compliant with current legislation on allergens, and also help them influence consumers on making smarter, healthier choices when it comes to eating out or buying food to take away.

 “An evaluation of our successful pilot scheme, CalorieWise, in 2012, told us that food businesses needed technical support to be able to analyse recipes quickly and accurately. Using these insights, we developed MenuCal. It’s a complete package, giving both businesses and consumers confidence in the accuracy of allergen information and the Calorie content of food.

“MenuCal is free for food businesses to use. It is a simple, user-friendly online tool which aims to help businesses provide accurate information about the food that they are serving. All you have to do is create your own private profile on the MenuCal tool, to add your recipes and store cupboard ingredients. This can be done using a computer, tablet or even a smartphone, so it is easy to update recipes or ingredients change.”

In addition to launching MenuCal, the ‘Better Choice, Better Business’ conference was jointly hosted by the FSA and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) to update the food industry on the revised outcomes in ‘A Fitter Future for All’, the Government’s strategy for preventing and addressing the issues of overweight and obesity in Northern Ireland. The event was the first event of its kind in Northern Ireland with over 150 representatives from the Northern Ireland food industry, environmental health community and public health professionals attending the Stormont Hotel event.

The FSA will roll out a programme of engagement over the coming months, with Environmental Health Officers to provide training and encourage local, small to medium sized businesses to use MenuCal.

For more information on MenuCal and to sign up for free visit menucalni.co.uk

Culloden, RubyBlue Vodka and Schweppes mix Unique Cocktail!

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RubyBlue vodka, the Northern Irish potato vodka, features in a unique cocktail created by mixologists and Chef at the five-star Culloden Hotel in Holywood, Co Down – a Home-made Lemon Balm Syrup and Schweppes Soda Water Serve.

Another unique feature of the cocktail, created by Michael Campbell, bars manager at the Culloden, is the use of lemon balm grown in the hotel’s own herb garden. The cocktail is served at the high-end hotel’s Crozier Lounge.

Stuart Hughes, who runs Hughes Craft Distillery in Lisburn with wife Barbara, says: “I was delighted to be working with the Culloden on the cocktail particularly because I began my career with the Hastings Hotels, the owners of the Culloden. I was 16 when I joined the staff at the group’s Stormont Hotel and eventually became Head Wine Waiter in the popular McMaster’s Restaurant there. It was there that I developed my interest in fine wines and spirits and this led me subsequently to start Hughes Craft Distillery with my wife to produce handcrafted liqueurs in 2010.

“We are confident that guests to Hastings Group hotels will be delighted with the Culloden’s ‘RubyBlue Premium Vodka Serve with Home-made Lemon Balm Syrup & Schweppes Soda Water, also involving a collaboration with Coca-Cola, which is also based in Lisburn.

rubyblue2

Adrian McNally, Culloden general manager, at Culloden, says: “It is a great pleasure to work with and support our local producers. We are behind the RubyBlue Brand and delighted to support Barbara and Stuart in rolling out the range to rest of the Hastings Group of Hotels. This refreshing RubyBlue Serve is sure to be a great success with our guests.”

Brian Donaldson, executive sous chef Culloden Estate and Spa, adds: “At the Culloden Estate, we have the luxury of our very own herb garden, and over the past year we have developed it to supply herbs and edible flowers for our culinary team to use in all areas of food service and cooking. It was on this journey that we discovered the diversity in our herbs to be used as syrups to blend with cocktails, the lemon balms caramel like citrus flavours struck me as an ideal match for a vodka based twist on a lemonade. Lucky for us just as we had perfected our syrup along came RubyBlue with Northern Ireland’s very own vodka and so our journey begins…”

The herb garden at the Culloden was developed with support from another local company, Jilly Dougan’s Edible Gardens in Craigavon.

Peter Hughes, customer marketing executive, Licensed Trade Coca-Cola HBC Ireland, say:

“Schweppes is a brand with heritage and has a lot to be proud of. Its First Royal warrant awarded in 1843 still remains today. It compliments perfectly the smooth RubyBlue Vodka and the Lemon Balm Syrup cocktail.”

For more Information contact:

Barbara Hughes Barbara@HughesCraftDistillery.com

Or Telephone 07780117743

www.RubyBlueLiqueur.com

www.Twitter.com/RubyBlueVodka

www.Facebook.com/RubyBlueVodka

Cheers to Armagh as City launches first Food & Cider Festival

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Armagh’s rise as one of the world’s top cider and quality food producers will be celebrated during a major five-day festival starting on October 7th

Thousands of locals and visitors alike will be raising their glasses in Armagh next month as the city celebrates its first Food and Cider Festival, which features a packed five-day schedule of activities including an artisan market, food tours, a pop-up cookery school, food and drink sampling and deliciously moreish menus.

Armagh is one of Europe’s biggest apple and cider producers and its famous Bramley apple variety has special EU protected geographical (PGI) status which puts it along other elite produce such as Parma ham, Parmesan cheese and champagne – and up to 50,000 tons of the quality fruit are produced annually by the Orchard County in this £50 million industry.

Supported by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, the city’s first official Food and Cider Festival will get under way on Wednesday 7th October and runs to Sunday 11th October, with most events taking place over the weekend.

The inaugural event, which is supported by local food and drink producers, restaurants, cafes, pubs, hotels and local shops, features all the best of the city’s top eateries including the award-winning Uluru, The Moody Boar, Groucho’s and 4 Vicars.

The mouth-watering festivities include a full weekend packed with scrumptious menus and mouth-watering events which include an artisan food and cider market, cider tasting, a cookery school with workshops for all ages and abilities, fun food and orchard tours, cider-tasting and a ‘scone fest’ – as well as Armagh’s first official Bake Off challenge.

Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough, Councillor Darryn Causby, said:

“Armagh is famous the world over for the quality of its apples, its farm produce and for delivering an unrivalled choice of casual and fine dining in a solid, growing base of popular restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels.

“Armagh’s first Food and Cider Festival will roundly deliver on that and we can’t wait to showcase the Orchard County’s finest produce and culinary expertise to the city and the world.”

“As a region which already enjoys special EU status which promotes and protects quality and authenticity, it’s time to remind ourselves and the world of what we do really well and properly celebrate the progress we’ve made to becoming a real destination of choice.”

Armagh’s Bramley orchards stretch from Armagh city to Portadown with the greatest concentration on the gentle slopes around Loughgall and the local industry directly employs around 1,500 people.

The Armagh Food and Cider Festival is also supported by the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development.

 

Comber Farmers’ Market

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The next Comber Farmers’ Market will take place on:

 Thursday 1 October 2015

St Mary’s Parish Church Car Park

The Square, Comber

 9.00.am – 1.30pm 

 Beautiful Flowerspetunias Sept 2015

I thought I would share this photograph with you of my  beautiful, trailing pink petunias which I planted in a tub at my back door.  I bought them from Ivan McCutcheon at the market in June and they are still blooming well in late September.  

 Weather

As luck would have it, the settled weather that we have been enjoying is set to continue until Thursday.   The weather forecast for Thursday is to be dry, a few sunny spells, light winds, with temperatures around 14C. Perfect weather for an outdoor market!

 McMillan Coffee Morning

The ladies on the church catering team are donating the proceeds of their morning teas to McMillan Cancer Support. SColumbiano come along to the market, have a cup of tea and a home baked scone or cake and support this worthy charity.

 New Trader

We welcome new trader Wee ChoCo from Moneyreagh who make hand crafted chocolate bars. Along with 65% Cocoa dark chocolate bars, other flavours include Lime and Chilli, Orange and Ginger, Honeycomb and Eton Mess. They also provide chocolate workshops and work experience for people with learning difficulties and autism in Northern Ireland in a real factory setting.

 Ulster Wildlife Trust 

The  Ulster Wildlife Trust will also be attending the market to give out information about their conservation work in helping to protect rare and threatened species like the red squirrel, barn owl, basking shark and Irish Hare.  They also provide and manage  safe well maintained habitats in 18 nature reserves across Northern Ireland.

 

Linden Foods Scoop Irish Quality Award for Lidl Burgers

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The Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards recently announced its winners at a glittering black tie Gala dinner held at the Mansion House, Dublin. Linden Foods picked up an award for the – Lidl Inisvale Selection Irish Hereford Cheddar and Onion Beef Burgers.

“We are delighted to have won an Irish Quality Food Award for this delicious Lidl Inisvale Selection product. This particular product has been getting rave reviews and has won several awards to date. We have a great relationship with Lidl, they support our creativity and give us an opportunity to produce these exciting new products. Our New Product Development (NPD) team are constantly innovating and they deserve a lot of credit for this recent success.” Said Jacqueline Fitzpatrick – Senior Account Manager, Linden Foods

 

Hilton Meat Products Win ALDI ‘Special Buy’ Contract

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hiltonmeatsPictured: (L-R) Mark McCormick – Technical Supervisor, Mark Beggs – General Manager & Richard Adams – Production Manager Hilton Meat Products

Hilton Meat Products, the offal based producer from Carrickfergus, which specialises in the processing of liver, hearts and kidneys, announce they have won a new contract to supply lamb liver into ALDI across the UK.

Now part of the Fane Valley Group of Companies, Hilton Meat Products which was established in 1985 and employs approx 40 people continues to be the United Kingdom’s only dedicated offal factory and already supplies most of the major UK multiples, such as Sainsbury’s, Asda, Co-op and many more.

The additional business which is supplied specifically for ALDI’s ‘Special Buy’ category  equates to approximately 15 tonnes (2600 cases per promotion).

Lyndsey Clarke, ALDI Special Buying Assistant, said: “The performance of the first two trials have been just brilliant! Sales exceeded all expectations with most of the product sold out within 4 days of supply. A further two promotions have been scheduled for November 2015 and Jan 2016. We are delighted to be able to work with Hilton Meat Products, they have a great reputation and are leaders in their category.”

Mark Beggs, General Manager of Hilton Meat Products, said: “I am delighted to be able to showcase our fantastic range of offal products to a wider retail audience.  Hilton Meat Products has been producing quality products for over 30 years and once again this highlights the expertise within the Northern Irish Food Industry. This new partnership with ALDI can only bring optimism for the future and we are hopeful can develop over time.”

Trevor Lockhart, Fane Valley Chief Executive commented: “This is welcoming news for all the management and staff at Hilton Meat Products. Mark and his team operate a very efficient and quality driven business. To win this new supply contract with a fast growing UK retailer is very positive. Recent reports that ALDI are keen to open more than 60 new stores in the UK to achieve an overall total of 590 UK stores reinforces their growth.”