Mount Charles ‘Master Barista’ crowned at Coleraine campus

Coffee connoisseurs compete in ‘Battle of the Brands’ competition

Northern Ireland’s leading food service and business support solutions company, The Mount Charles Group, has crowned Pamela Stothard from Ballynahinch the 2015 ‘Master Barista’ in their annual ‘Battle of the Brands’ competition.

The contest, organised in conjunction with Johnson’s Coffee and held at the Ulster University’s Coleraine campus, saw six finalists from across the Mount Charles Group’s coffee shops and cafés battle it out in a challenge of coffee preparation, presentation and taste.

The finalists were each required to prepare four espressos, four cappuccinos and four of their own signature drinks for an expert judging panel in a 15-minute time slot.

Scoring their efforts were Trevor Stewart, Account Manager for Johnsons Coffee, Tim Smith, Training Manager for Johnsons Coffee, Christine Magee, Sales and Marketing Director for the Mount Charles Group and Lee Cutler, Manager of Forestside Shopping Centre, Belfast.

After much deliberation and discussion, the panel unanimously agreed that Pamela’s coffee and service was of the highest standard and consistency, and crowned her the overall winner, with her Café Laurent colleague Paulina Kwiatkowska awarded runner up.

Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director of the Mount Charles Group said: “It’s been fantastic to see such exceptional service and talent on show. Pamela is a worthy winner, but she had to fight off some stiff competition to take the title.

“The standard was so high and a lot of hard work went in behind the scenes to make the competition such a success, from the competitors practicing to the team who helped organised each of the regional heats, so we’d like to thank everyone who got involved.

“We strive to maintain the highest possible standards across all of our brands, from our suppliers to our employees, and it’s fantastic to be able to celebrate and reward that with the ‘Battle of the Brands’ competition.”

For more information on the Mount Charles Group please visit www.mountcharles.com

Mount Charles ÔMaster BaristaÕ crowned at Coleraine campus Northern IrelandÕs leading food service and business support solutions company, The Mount Charles Group, has crowned Pamela Stothard from Ballynahinch the 2015 ÔMaster BaristaÕ in their annual ÔBattle of the BrandsÕ competition. The contest, organised in conjunction with JohnsonÕs Coffee and held at the Ulster UniversityÕs Coleraine campus, saw six finalists from across the Mount Charles GroupÕs coffee shops and cafŽs battle it out in a challenge of coffee preparation, presentation and taste. Pictured is Pamela with Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director of the Mount Charles Group.
Mount Charles ÔMaster BaristaÕ crowned at Coleraine campus   Northern IrelandÕs leading food service and business support solutions company, The Mount Charles Group, has crowned Pamela Stothard from Ballynahinch the 2015 ÔMaster BaristaÕ in their annual ÔBattle of the BrandsÕ competition. The contest, organised in conjunction with JohnsonÕs Coffee and held at the Ulster UniversityÕs Coleraine campus, saw six finalists from across the Mount Charles GroupÕs coffee shops and cafŽs battle it out in a challenge of coffee preparation, presentation and taste.   Pictured is Pamela with Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director of the Mount Charles Group.
Mount Charles ÔMaster BaristaÕ crowned at Coleraine campus
Northern IrelandÕs leading food service and business support solutions company, The Mount Charles Group, has crowned Pamela Stothard from Ballynahinch the 2015 ÔMaster BaristaÕ in their annual ÔBattle of the BrandsÕ competition.
The contest, organised in conjunction with JohnsonÕs Coffee and held at the Ulster UniversityÕs Coleraine campus, saw six finalists from across the Mount Charles GroupÕs coffee shops and cafŽs battle it out in a challenge of coffee preparation, presentation and taste.
Pictured is Pamela with Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director of the Mount Charles Group.
Mount Charles ÔMaster BaristaÕ crowned at Coleraine campus  Northern IrelandÕs leading food service and business support solutions company, The Mount Charles Group, has crowned Pamela Stothard from Ballynahinch the 2015 ÔMaster BaristaÕ in their annual ÔBattle of the BrandsÕ competition.  The contest, organised in conjunction with JohnsonÕs Coffee and held at the Ulster UniversityÕs Coleraine campus, saw six finalists from across the Mount Charles GroupÕs coffee shops and cafŽs battle it out in a challenge of coffee preparation, presentation and taste. Pictured (centre) is Pamela with Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director of the Mount Charles Group and her fellow ÔMaster BaristaÕ finalists.
Mount Charles ÔMaster BaristaÕ crowned at Coleraine campus
Northern IrelandÕs leading food service and business support solutions company, The Mount Charles Group, has crowned Pamela Stothard from Ballynahinch the 2015 ÔMaster BaristaÕ in their annual ÔBattle of the BrandsÕ competition.
The contest, organised in conjunction with JohnsonÕs Coffee and held at the Ulster UniversityÕs Coleraine campus, saw six finalists from across the Mount Charles GroupÕs coffee shops and cafŽs battle it out in a challenge of coffee preparation, presentation and taste.
Pictured (centre) is Pamela with Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director of the Mount Charles Group and her fellow ÔMaster BaristaÕ finalists.
Mount Charles ÔMaster BaristaÕ crowned at Coleraine campus  Northern IrelandÕs leading food service and business support solutions company, The Mount Charles Group, has crowned Pamela Stothard from Ballynahinch the 2015 ÔMaster BaristaÕ in their annual ÔBattle of the BrandsÕ competition.  The contest, organised in conjunction with JohnsonÕs Coffee and held at the Ulster UniversityÕs Coleraine campus, saw six finalists from across the Mount Charles GroupÕs coffee shops and cafŽs battle it out in a challenge of coffee preparation, presentation and taste. Pictured is Pamela preparing her signature coffee for the competition judges.
Mount Charles ÔMaster BaristaÕ crowned at Coleraine campus
Northern IrelandÕs leading food service and business support solutions company, The Mount Charles Group, has crowned Pamela Stothard from Ballynahinch the 2015 ÔMaster BaristaÕ in their annual ÔBattle of the BrandsÕ competition.
The contest, organised in conjunction with JohnsonÕs Coffee and held at the Ulster UniversityÕs Coleraine campus, saw six finalists from across the Mount Charles GroupÕs coffee shops and cafŽs battle it out in a challenge of coffee preparation, presentation and taste.
Pictured is Pamela preparing her signature coffee for the competition judges.

Golden Oats- White’s adds to its success with two more gold stars at this year’s Great Taste Awards

Local Oat Miller and Cereal Brand White’s Oats is once again celebrating after being awarded two more Great Taste Awards. White’s has an impressive track record in Great Taste, having already won 41 Gold Stars for its porridge oats and oat based cereals- an incredible achievement for Northern Ireland’s only Oat Producer.

A new range of premium granolas launched this year received its first gold star for its hazelnut, almond & honey variety. Its iconic Oats brand which has been a household favourite among Northern Ireland families since 1841 also scooped up its 5th Great Taste Award, taking the total number of Great Taste Awards White’s holds to 43.

Commenting on the win, Danielle Mc Bride, Brand Manager of White’s says ‘‘we are thrilled to have won these prestigious awards which signal the huge amount of passion we have for our business. We are committed to ensuring our heritage products continue to deliver on exceptional quality and taste, whilst at the same time providing our customers with a range of innovative products that are of superior quality, flavour and texture’’.

A great taste award has been cited as a ‘symbol of guarantee that a product has been through a rigorous and independent judging process’. It’s about nothing else but ‘simply great taste’ and to win a gold award the food product is described by judges as ‘faultless’.

Hannans and Irish Rugby Team

Irish Rugby Team enjoy Meat Feast supplied by Hannans !

IRFU last night enjoyed some top class cooking by the Carton House team with a little help from Chef Richard Corrigan.

The beef for the feast, Cote de Boeuf, Sirloin Steaks on the Bone, Sugar Pit Beef Short Ribs, Cured Ox Tongue, Beef Cheek and Marrow Bone was exclusively supplied by Hannans.

Peter Hannan was there to give some pointers on the perfect cut of beef!

irish irish team irish 2

Better Choice, Better Business event: 24 September

The Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) are holding a conference to bring together representatives from the Northern Ireland food industry, environmental health community and public health professionals to find ways of improving the diet of consumers by providing information they need to make healthier choices.

The event focuses on the revised industry outcomes in the Government’s framework for preventing and addressing overweight and obesity in Northern Ireland – A Fitter Future for All 2012-2022.

FSA in NI will also be launching MenuCal. This is an exciting free online tool to help food businesses identify the 14 major allergens which must be declared by law and calculate the energy values (kilojoules and kilocalories) of the food they serve.

Numbers for this event are limited. To register your interest in attending, or for any queries please email louise.beggs@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

See more at: http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2015/14358/better-choice-better-business-event-24-september#sthash.A31LSn8W.dp
Better Choice, Better Business
Thursday 24th September 2015
9.30am, Stormont Hotel, Belfast

The Inns Market

When: Saturday 29 August
Time: 10am to 3pm
Where: Newtownbreda – just behind The Inns shops at the junction of Saintfield Road and School Road.

Inns Market is on the last Saturday of every month with an eclectic collection of fresh local produce, artisan and gourmet street food. There is something for everyone with many award winning foodie traders that come together to create a friendly and fun atmosphere.

With over 20 traders each month, Inns Market is the perfect spot to get the weekly shop done, support local food producers and have a great experience at the same time. At Inns Market, you can be guaranteed a great mix of essentials and weekend treats that include:

– Meat

– Vegetables

– Sourdough Bread

– Cheeses

– Kid Goat Meat

– Chocolate and Fudge

– Authentic Napoletana Stonebaked Pizza

– Hot Dogs

– Freshly Baked Griddle Breads and Sodas

– Speciality Coffee

– Gourmet Popcorn

– Chutneys and Relishes

– And much more!inns market

Ruby Blue Liquer in Shannon Airport

Shannon International Airport deal for Northern Ireland’s RubyBlue

Craft Hughes Distillery, the artisan business that has developed a range of fruit liqueurs using Irish grain spirit and recently launched RubyBlue, Ireland’s first potato vodka, has won its first business at Shannon International Airport Duty Free.
The small batch distillery, based at Lisburn in county Antrim, is supplying four natural fruit liqueurs to the duty free in Wild Cranberry, Wild Blueberry, Wild Blackcurrant and Chilli Pepper flavours.
The contract with Shannon airport, which links Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way tourism attraction with the US, follows the distillery’s other recent success – a deal to supply its RubyBlue Vodka to The Loop retail outlet at Dublin International Airport. The company has been supplying its range of fruit liqueurs to Dublin airport for many years.
Barbara Hughes, commercial director of the family-owned and managed distillery, says: “Gaining a foothold at Shannon is an immensely important development for us because it positions us at the heart of the Wild Atlantic Way, which is being marked extensively in the US by the Republic’s tourism agencies and is proving a hugely successful initiative.
“Our fruit liqueurs make ideal gifts for travellers wishing to take the natural flavours of Ireland and Irish spring water…with the ‘kick’ from Irish grain spirit…home with them.”
RubyBlue liqueurs are five times distilled then charcoal filtered to remove any impurities and blended with fresh fruit for zesty and original flavours. The handcrafted liqueurs are all bottle-conditioned naturally for up to eight weeks without any flavour enhancers or preservatives.
The distillery was established in 2010 by Stuart and Barbara Hughes and currently exports the liqueurs to Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Turkey and Australia. The liqueurs can be consumed ‘neat’ for a refreshing fruit drink or mixed with gin or vodka to create a deliciously different cocktail.