Keen Nutrition, producer of Keen Nut Butter and recently voted runner up in the Northern Ireland Food & Drink Awards, has been Shortlisted in the ‘GROW’ category and will now enter the second stage of the competition in a bid to win the attention and money of Richard Branson and the Virgin Media team.

The competition named #VOOM PitchtoRich, is based on video pitches and public voting and is separated out into three categories:  New Ideas, Start-ups and Grow.  Each category has over £300,000 in marketing and mentoring support up for grabs – as well as the chance to have your face on the side of a Virgin Train.

Keen Nutrition entered the competition only after being invited by Branson’s team to showcase their food at the Belfast Pitch to Rich event.  After realising what the win could mean for Keen as well as artisan food in Northern Ireland, Aimee and the Keen Team decided to go for it.

Keen is one of only two companies in Northern Ireland to make it through into the Shorlist in this year’s #VOOM.  The Keen Team is now awaiting a visit or a call from Richard Branson’s team which will determine whether they make the semifinals.  The semifinal list will be announced on 19th May, 2015.

Keen’s pitch can be watched:

http://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/pitch-to-rich/grow/keen-nutrition-ltd/

Keen Nutrition is no stranger to taking on big challenges – their entire ethos is to create healthier versions of familiar foods in an effort to show the people of Northern Ireland that eating healthy doesn’t mean sacrificing great taste.  The first products developed are healthy alternatives to peanut butters and chocolate spreads – Keen Nut Butter.

They’re definitely hitting a note with consumers as Keen’s minimally processed nut butters have become a cult favourite throughout the UK with everyone from Rachel Allen to the Ulster Rugby team raving about them.  Over 260 independent retailers now stock the product, an incredible growth rate considering the team just started selling to retailers 18 months ago.

Details about the #VOOM Pitch to Rich:
http://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/pitch-to-rich/

Aimee Beimers – Founder, Keen Nutrition – 07747079289

aimeebeimers@googlemail.com   www.keennutbutter.com

If you are going to vote in the Westminster election on 7 May, why not drop into the market on your way to or from the polling station and give us your vote of confidence!

Cast not a clout til May is out certainly rings true for this month!  Here’s hoping the weather picks up for next week’s market onThursday 7 May, St Mary’s Parish Church car park, Comber, 9.00am – 1.00pm.  Please note that we are finishing the market half an hour earlier as I have called a meeting with market traders to get some feedback from them about the market.  If it is too wet, cold and windy, we will be moving some of the traders indoors to the church hall.

We have three new traders joining the market:

Ivan McCutcheon Landscape Gardening

Ivan McCutcheon from Comber grows seasonal bedding plants including hanging baskets, troughs and planters. His flower range includes fuchsias, petunias, geraniums, dahlias, bacopa, sweet pea and verbena. As the season progresses, he will also sell healthy strawberry, tomatoes, chillies, peas and bean plants in pots which are ready for planting on by the keen vegetable gardener.

 

The Good Granola Company

Debbie Riley, produces her homemade granola in Aberdeen, Scotland. Originally from Belfast, she travels to Comber regularly to visit her sister who lives in the town. Debbie felt that the Comber Farmers’ Market presented an ideal opportunity to sell her fabulous granola and use it as a launch pad to distribute her product in Northern Ireland. Made in small batches and sold in 400g resealable pouches, there are four fantastic flavours: Banana, Cashew and Coconut; Fig, Date and Vanilla Toasted Seeds; Chocolate and Mixed Nut; and Papaya, Pineapple and Coconut.

www.thegoodgranolacompany.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegoodgranolacompany

Twitter: www.twitter.com/goodgranolaco

 

Indie Fude

Husband and wife team Jonathan and Margaret McDowell have based their food business in Comber. They have scoured the length and breadth of Ireland to find the best tasting and most exciting Irish artisan food products  and they are bringing them to your doorstep right here in Comber!  Kale crunchies; beetroot, parsnip and carrot crisps; Dulce de Leche caramel and butterscotch sauces; teas; coffees; edible seaweed products; handmade chocolates; spice rubs and marinades; and raw chocolate ganache are just some of the irresistible and delectable food products that will be available on their stall.

www.indiefude.com

Facebook: /indiefude

Twitter: @indiefude

 

To view the full range of traders at the market, please visit www.combermarket.co.uk

Spread the word and hope to see you there!

RTÉ One’s ‘The Taste of Success’ is back and we are now looking for YOUR amazing food product ideas. So, if you fancy seeing YOUR product on supermarket shelves nationwide – we want you!
The search is on for the next winner of ‘The Taste of Success’. This person will walk away with a guaranteed contract with Lidl Ireland, which will see their product on shelves in 140 supermarkets nationwide.
This competition is open to everyone who has an original food product idea. So it might be your granny’s delicious bread recipe, a tasty new jam or sauce combination you’ve concocted or your special occasion desert. You might have dreamed up an innovative new health food product or it could even be your own home brew!
Padraig McCarthy, winner of the first season of ‘The Taste Of Success’ with a slow braised beef short rib in a pancetta and cider sauce says:.
“To anyone who is thinking of applying, you have to be passionate about your food, have confidence in your product and the courage of conviction and just do it, just enter. If you are not in you can’t win. It’s a massive opportunity and it’s defiantly changed my life for the better and I would encourage anyone to go and do it”.
Colm Crowley, Head of Production, RTÉ Cork says:

“RTÉ were delighted with the reaction that Irish viewers had to the first series of the Taste of Success with an average of over 340,000 people tuning in each week. This competition offers a fantastic opportunity for someone to make their career in food production a reality and potentially create new jobs.”

Aoife Clarke, Head of Communications from Lidl Ireland says,
“Lidl are delighted to be involved in Season Two of the “Taste of Success” with RTE”. Last year we uncovered a gem of a product with Padraig’s slow cooked beef ribs which became an immediate hit with the Irish public. Ireland has such a rich food culture and an amazing level of innovation so we are really excited to get on the road again and see what season two brings.”

For an application form please go to www.rte.ie/thetasteofsuccess
Closing date for applications is Thursday 7th MAY 2015 @ 5pm.
For on-line publications: Check out Padraig’s call to arms for series two – https://youtu.be/UU_BnNKvA-c

The Courtyard Cottages
2014 saw phase 1 of the Estate’s refurbishment: 5 of the 8 Courtyard Cottages were completed. These have been fully refurbished with new interiors and furnishings.

The beginning of 2015 saw phase 2 of the refurbishment: 3 more Cottages including our Walled Garden Cottage with 1 more to go.

All have fully functional and well equipped kitchens, flat screen TV’s, and there is free Wi Fi in every Cottage. All to be fully complete by the end of July 2015.
The Hamilton Wing of Belle Isle Castle
Our 17th Century Belle Isle Castle currently sleeps up to 16 people in 6 ensuite double bedrooms, and 2 further bedrooms each with dedicated bathrooms. All bedrooms are unique in their own right, so each guest can experience something exclusive, from four-poster beds and exposed oak beams, to individually hand painted tiles and original paintings.

There is a warm and elegant family Drawing Room with an open fire place, and comfortable accommodation for everyone staying in the Castle. A great place to relax, unwind and enjoy each other’s company, with board games and maybe a glass of wine. With the option of the Grand Hall or the Long Gallery to dine in, take your pick each night! Whether you chose to cater for yourself or opt for us to provide the in-house catering during your stay, the Castle has a fully equipped and functional kitchen with a large AGA to warm your fingers and toes after a long walk!

BELLE ISLE CASTLE RENOVATIONS
AVAILABLE FOR EXCLUSIVE HIRE FROM 1st SEPTEMBER 2015!

Belle Isle Castle is currently undergoing an extensive renovation project which will create an additional 5 high quality ensuite bedrooms and ground floor accommodation with spectacular views over Upper Lough Erne. Upon completion, Belle Isle Castle will be able to accommodate groups of up to a maximum of 26 people, with a further two options offering accommodation for groups of up to 10 or 16 people.
So far, 3 out of the 5 bedrooms in the Castle have been completed; we are absolutely delighted with how they have turned out! When completed, Belle Isle Castle will offer some of the best exclusive hire accommodation in Ireland. Take a peek and get an idea of what the rest will look like.
How you can use the Castle to suit you:
• Weddings
• Family Get-togethers
• House Parties
• Special Occasions – Anniversaries, Christenings, Big Birthdays.
• Corporate Retreat & Team Building
• Film Location

~ Shortcross celebrates San Francisco World Spirits Competition win & success of first year

with release of 365 limited edition gold waxed first anniversary bottles ~

 

There are sure to be high spirits this May, as Ireland’s international award-winning gin, Shortcross celebrate­s its first anniversary.

Shortcross Gin is the first spirit to be launched by Rademon Estate Distillery – the North’s first and only craft distillery. Founded in 2012 by husband and wife team Fiona and David Boyd-Armstrong, Rademon Estate Distillery is located at the couple’s historic family estate just outside Downpatrick, Co. Down. The first batch of their super premium craft Gin, Shortcross was released in May 2014 to great critical acclaim and the word is spreading fast.

 

In just a year since its launch at the Rademon Estate Distillery, Shortcross has quickly become the choice of discerning gin drinkers at home and abroad. From Belfast to Dublin, London to Edinburgh and Paris to San Francisco, Shortcross is causing a stir in the global craft gin market.

In April, the award-winning Co. Down gin added to its already impressive list of accolades, winning a Silver Medal at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2015.

Shortcross impressed the judges –amongst the world’s leading spirits experts – to beat off stiff competition from gin brands across the world to clinch the coveted silver medal, which was no mean feat, with record-breaking numbers of submissions received in the gin category for 2015.

To celebrate the brand’s recent success, and to mark its first year, Rademon Estate Distillery will launch a special limited edition anniversary batch on 4^th May. Each of the 365 bottles – one for each day of its first year – will be individually signed, labelled, numbered and sealed with a striking gold wax.

Rademon Estate Distillery is now exporting Shortcross Gin to four countries, including, France, GB and Holland, with plans to expand its export distribution network and bring Shortcross to more countries in the coming year.

Commenting on the success of Shortcross in its first year, Founder and Head Distiller, David Boyd-Armstrong said:  “Over the last year, we have worked hard to grow and establish Shortcross Gin. The small batch philosophy behind Shortcross is at the heart of everything we do. From handpicking, foraging and sourcing the botanicals, drawing our own fresh waters to managing the delicate distillation process in our custom copper still and bottling and labelling each bottle by hand, we are driven by a passion to create the finest gin in Ireland.”

 

A vibrant gin with an exceptionally long and smooth finish, Shortcross is classic in style with a unique twist. Fresh apples, elderberries, elderflower and Irish clover are foraged and handpicked within the estate grounds and distilled with other botanicals including juniper, coriander, orange peel, lemon peel and cassia to create an uplifting bouquet of wild berries and summer meadows.

 

Over the past year, bartenders and mixologists across Ireland and the UK have championed Shortcross, creating their own unique Shortcross serves. From the classic Shortcross G&T, served over ice with premium tonic and a spiral of orange peel to innovative new creations using grapefruit and fresh basil, there have been countless great Shortcross drinks served up and down the country and further afield.

 

This month, the distillery will invite bartenders to showcase their Shortcross Signature Serves in a special competition. Judges including Oliver Ward from Gin Foundry and Caroline Wilson, Northern Ireland’s Local Food Hero 2014 and founder of Belfast Food Tours, will be tasked with deciding the top three Shortcross Signature Serves.

 

Commenting on the competition, Fiona Boyd-Armstrong, Founder and Managing Director of Rademon Estate Distillery, said:

 

“We are so proud of and passionate about Shortcross Gin and we have been immensely touched by the overwhelmingly positive reception from people locally, nationally and internationally in our first year. It’s wonderful that so many people share our love for the product- it just seems to have struck a chord with people and we’re so proud to see our vision for Shortcross Gin come to life.

 

“Bartenders, hoteliers and restaurateurs have been a huge support to us and we are greatly looking forward to seeing the industry showcase their expertise in creating their own Shortcross Signature Serve. We’re also in the process of expanding our distribution and export networks to bring Shortcross Gin to more people, right across the world.”

Shortcross Gin is stocked by leading high-end hotels, restaurants and bars across Ireland including Carton House, Co. Kildare, Castle Leslie, Co. Monaghan, Mourne Seafood, Dublin, The Merchant Hotel, James Street South and Ox in Belfast, Balloo House, Co. Down, Newforge House, Co. Armagh and the Bushmills Inn, Co. Antrim.

Shortcross Gin has an RRP of €50 and is available to buy online across Ireland at jnwine.com and Celtic Whiskey Shop

For further information and to find a stockist near you, including where you can find one of the 365 limited edition anniversary bottles, visit www.Shortcrossgin.com

Share your Shortcross stories on twitter @ShortcrossGin and Facebook, facebook.com/Shortcrossgin