Ulster University Students get the inside scoop on local ice-cream firm

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Ulster University Business School students studying the BSc Hons Consumer Studies* (recently renamed BSc Hons Consumer Management and Food Innovation degree) had the opportunity to assist local award-winning ice-cream producer Morelli in choosing the six new flavours to be launched onto the market in 2015.

Students spent the morning working with Mr Arnaldo Morelli, learning about product innovation, retailing and the challenges involved in growing a family business. The students conducted sensory taste testing on fourteen products at the new Food and Consumer Testing Suite (FACTS) on the Coleraine Campus.

After several commercial considerations were taken into account and benefiting from the students’ feedback, the six new flavours were selected. Those chosen to form part of ‘Morelli’s 2015 Scoop’ range were – Lemon Curd, Coffee, Toffee & Chocolate Crisp, Vanilla with Salted Caramel Ripple, White Chocolate & Raspberry Supreme and a Luxury Caramelised Hazelnut.

Dr Lynsey Hollywood, said “This was a great opportunity for our students to collaborate with a local company and learn more about retailing, sensory testing and the challenges which impact when launching a new product onto the market”.

Arnaldo Morelli stated, “It was fantastic to receive the assistance of Dr Hollywood and her students in helping to choose our new flavours for 2015. This is something that is usually done in-house but the results and feedback have certainly got us thinking and we’ll hopefully be using sensory analysis to test even more new flavours in 2016”.

The Morelli family own ice cream parlours and have been trading on Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast since 1911.  Their award winning ice cream is available via franchised stores and retail scoop concessions right across Ireland.  This year, 2015, is set to be a record year for the company with their annual output expected to top 500,000 litres of finished ice cream for the first time.

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Mr Arnaldo Morelli with Dr Lynsey Hollywood and students from the BSc Hons Consumer Studies degree.

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Mr Arnaldo Morelli with students (left to right) Bethany Cummins, former pupil of Newtownabbey Independent Christian School; Laura Markwell, former pupil of Hunterhouse College; Amy Thompson, former pupil of Ballymena Academy and Hannah McGookin, former pupil of Ballyclare Secondary School.

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Arnaldo Morelli with Hannah Kane, former pupil of Coleraine High School and Rachel McKeown former pupil of Dunclug College.

 

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* The BSc Hons Consumer Studies degree has been renamed as BSc Hons Consumer Management and Food Innovation to better convey the content of this degree. Understanding the role of the consumer from a business perspective and the importance of meeting consumer demands within today’s marketplace is the central focus within this exciting and challenging programme of study. The content is designed to develop students’ knowledge on the pivotal role the consumer plays in the design, development, management, marketing and retailing of products and services. Further detail can be found at: http://www.ulster.ac.uk/courses/course-finder/201516/Consumer-Management-and-Food-Innovation-4031

Our Industry experts have Flour Power!

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Now in its third year, Tiptree World Bread Awards is seeking professional and home bakers for the 2015 competition.

Our industry judges certainly know a thing or two about judging the best loaves. On hand to taste test your bread are; George Fuller and Mike Holling of the Craft Bakers Association, Alan Clarke, Chief Executive, Scottish Bakers, Andrew Whitley, founder of The Village Bakery and Co-founder of the Real Bread Campaign and of course our Chairman, Stephen Hallam, Master Baker, and Managing Director of Dickinson & Morris.

Bread is a world food and baking it is a huge undertaking – 12 million loaves are sold every day in the UK. Along with home-baking, the phenomenon of the artisan bakery has really taken off in the last decade

Your starring roll could also be scrutinised by Charles Geary, National Chairman of the Alliance for Bakery Students and Trainees, 6 Times Champion Baker of England and also known as Mr Bread, Colin Lomax, Former Technical Manager and Baker and Hugh Weeks, Technical Consultant to the Baking Industry.

Peter Cook was our winner in 2014; his Ciabatta beat off competition from hundreds of loaves sent in from around the United Kingdom to take the title.

The awards close to entries on 31 August 2015 and the judging will take place in September. The winners will be announced in October at a harvest supper-style ceremony at St John’s Hyde Park, London.

The Balmoral Show 2015

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The Balmoral Show will open its doors for the 147th year of Food, Farming Family and Fun in partnership with UlsterBank.
People from near and far are set to congregate on the new 65 acre Balmoral Park for Ireland’s largest agri-food show, running from Wednesday the 13th to Friday the 15th of May.
Food is an extraordinarily important piece of the Balmoral Show event, and for the discerning foodie it is a not to be missed showcase of the best of the best of local produce and talents.
Looking forward to the event, Michele Shirlow, Chief Executive, Food NI said “The Food NI Pavilion is a unique food experience where people can enjoy demonstrations from our Taste of Ulster chefs, sampling and buying local produce from top quality local food and drink companies. The Pavilion provides an unrivalled Northern Ireland food and drink experience.”

The Pavilion boasts two kitchens, the Tesco Cookery Theatre that will be running a stake competition, and the Taste of Ulster TV signature kitchen, both providing some of Northern Ireland’s top chefs the opportunity to showcase their talents, using the best local ingredients from over 60 exhibiting producers. Chefs such as Niall Mc Kenna of James Street South, Chris McGowan of Great British Menu 2015(2014 Regional Winner), as well as local food celebrity and BBC broadcaster Chef Paula McIntyre hosting our design an eel recipe competition as well as bringing her expertise and witty enthusiasm to engage audiences and is a popular commentator on all things regarding Northern Ireland food.
The event will be a launch pad for our YouTube channel Taste of Ulster TV and subscribing will give you the chance to win an amazing prize: A Gourmet Getaway to Fermanagh with an overnight stay in a luxurious Lakeview room at Lough Erne Resort and an evening meal in their Catalina Restaurant

You can find all our recipes for the Balmoral show kitchens here!

The Pavilion also has a wide variety of exhibitors showing off their produce from Glastry Farm Ice Cream to Broughgammon Steak! Every year the tent grows due to the popular demand from visitors and it is a chance to see and sample the very best of Local produce including artisan and organic products.

Check out who’s going to be there so you know what we have to offer!
The Wild Hog, Moy Park, Tayto, Dale Farm, Mulllins, Avondale, Indie Fude, Harnett’s Oils, Armagh Cider, Dart Mountain Cheese Company, Made with Love xo, Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil, SD Bells, Irwin’s, Milgro Onions, Long Meadow Cider, Mash Direct, The Big Lunch, Hovis Ltd, Thompson Family Teas, Annaghmore Mushrooms, Kennedy Bacon, Broughgammon Farm, Foodie Folk, Glastry Farm, Your Food Stories, Whites Oats, Neary Nogs, Krazi Baker, Eleanor Craigs Fudge, Linwoods, Thyme and Co , The Heatherlea Cavanagh, Free Range Eggs, Glenballyeamon Eggs, Genesis Crafty, Biosearch, Burren Balsamics, Flavour of Tyrone, Little Treats NI, Hollah Preserving, Soil Association, Wilsons Country, Sauce Works, Karro Cookstown, Food Standards Agency, Just Live a Little, Simply Fruit, Glens of Antrim, P McCanns and Sons, Sea Source, c/o Anifpo, Comber Early Growers Co-Operative, Erin Grove Preserves, Jolly Pies, Homemade by Manns, Miss McKeown’s Tea, Craigavon Heartland, Kearney Blue Cheese, Braemar Ice Cream, Talks and Tastings Area.

Keen Nutritions Pitch to Rich!

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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

Vote Comber Farmers’ Market on 7 May 2015!

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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!

Mac Ivors Irish cider declared Cider Champion at International drinks awards

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Mac Ivors Irish cider declared Cider Champion at International drinks awards

Armagh-based Mac Ivors cider is set to be the drink of the summer as it collects a gold medal and the acclaimed Champion Cider award at the industry’s ‘Oscars’- at a gala ceremony in the Guildhall, London.

The family-owned and run company became the first Irish cider producer to win a gold medal in this prestigious event for its Traditional Dry Cider (5.6% ABV).

Established in 1888, The International Brewing and Cider Awards are internationally regarded as amongst the most important and influential industry events.

Greg Mac Neice, Director and Cider Maker at Mac Ivors, based at Ardress, Portadown, commenting on the award, says:

“Winning a gold, then Cider Champion in this global competition is such an honour. This is the standard we aim for at Mac Ivors .The judging panel of international cider experts have recognised that Mac Ivors cider is an exceptional product of premium quality and outstanding flavour”.

“We work hard to make our cider taste this good. Most of all, we want people to enjoy drinking Mac Ivors cider. We want people to love it as much as we do!”

“This endorsement will be immensely important to Mac Ivors Cider as we seek to expand our business in Europe and the US, a target market for the company. It also signals that Northern Ireland is fast becoming a significant producer of the finest quality cider and we are proud to be part of that.”

Chair of judges Bill Taylor said, “Close to 1,000 beers and ciders were judged at Burton-upon-Trent earlier this year, so to be chosen as one of just 10 Championship winners is a tremendous accolade and the brewers and cider maker who are lifting trophies today should be very proud of their achievement.”

Mac Ivors Cider was launched in 2012 by longstanding Northern Irish apple processor, MacNeice Fruit. The range includes two bottled ciders – Mac Ivors Medium (4.5%) and Mac Ivors Traditional Dry (5.6%). Both are produced in 500ml bottles. The Medium Cider is also produced on draught.

The Traditional Dry Cider is a rich cider with real depth made from traditional apple varieties and has a full body and long dry finish.

The Medium cider is made from predominantly sweet red apples and is fresh and fruity with a clean, crisp finish.

The ciders are made from 100 per cent cold-pressed apple juice and do not contain any concentrates, artificial flavourings or colours. Up to 12 different varieties of apples are used and slowly fermented for a natural fruit flavour.

Mac Ivors sells its ciders in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Finland and Germany.