Improve, the Food and Drink Sector Skills Council, has launched a new ‘Tasty Careers’ website and interactive careers map to further educate young people about the benefits of considering a career within the food and drink manufacturing sector.

As the largest industry in Northern Ireland, there are 15,000 potential job opportunities available for young people across the food supply chain, to be recruited by 2020.

The Tasty Careers website and interactive careers map will provide students with the ability to find out more about the wide variety of specific careers available within the industry in sectors such as finance, sales, marketing, supply chain and logistics and product development. Students can simply click on the specific job sector that interests them to find out more about the variety of available roles, what is expected from a job and qualifications needed to secure a career within their chosen sector.

The website also provides the opportunity for young people to read about the actual experiences of Tasty Careers ambassadors, who are currently working within their area of interest. Young people can learn firsthand about a job, its projected salary range and they can also explore current vacancies within the industry that have been posted onto the website.

Commenting on the launch, Geoff Lamb, NI Operations Manager, Improve, said: “We are excited to launch our new Tasty Careers website and interactive careers map to students across Northern Ireland. As the economy continues to grow, the food and drink sector offers a wealth of job opportunities for young people with over 100,000 people involved in growing, processing, manufacturing, distributing and retailing the food we eat.

“Our new online portal offers young people a vital tool to explore these opportunities within the food and drink manufacturing sector to help them to make informed decisions about their future career path.

“The website is a great addition to our existing school visits that we have been running in local schools for the last five years, where ‘Tasty Careers’ ambassadors provide young people with an insight into their day to day activities and give advice on the most beneficial path to their current role.”

The ‘Tasty Careers’ programme is supported by the Department of Employment and Learning.

For more information about Tasty Careers or to access the website and careers map, simply go to www.tastycareers.org.uk

   

White’s Oats has made significant investment in the repositioning and packaging re-design of its range of porridge oats and oat based cereals, which will see the brand develop further business in its core markets- Ireland and GB.
White’s, based in Tandragee, Co. Armagh appointed Pearlfisher, a global Design agency based in London to create a new contemporary brand identity that will help differentiate White’s products on the shelves of Grocery retail outlets. The brand repositioning will be supported by an integrated marketing campaign comprising TV, outdoor, print, online and in-store across Northern Ireland to showcase the new brand identity.
Danielle McBride, Brand Manager at White’s Oats, says: “By exploring our history and heritage we have developed a strong brand essence that will strengthen our market position in the Irish and GB markets, and offer substantial growth potential for our range of oat products’’.
Research continues to show that oats and particularly porridge is a natural, healthy and nutritious breakfast choice. Our new brand proposition and design identity places the oat at the very heart of the design, allowing it to become the focal point of communication with customers. It builds on our heritage and provenance and brings a strong mark of trust to the White’s brand.
Jenny Dean, Pearlfisher’s Senior Strategist, comments: “The new brand message, ‘White’s takes the time so you can make the most of yours’ recognises the active attitude of oat eaters and is brought to life through three distinctive portfolio pillars that bring meaning to White’s product range relative to both the master brand and consumer behaviour.’’ She continues… “The new brand positioning and portfolio architecture builds on White’s authenticity and quality credentials while leaving space to expand with on-going innovation.’’
A market leading brand within the Northern Ireland retail sector, White’s recently announced a £2 million investment in its processing capabilities, marketing and people. It has an award winning track record in producing great tasting porridge oats and oat cereals and this has been acknowledged by the numerous Great Taste Awards received from the Guild of Fine Food.

Local manufacturer Linden Foods has made it through to the final stage of ‘England’s Best Sirloin Steak’ competition with its ‘Chef’s Larder Premium Extra Mature Sirloin’ steak, which it supplies to a national chain of wholesalers based in England.

Run by EBLEX, ‘England’s Best Sirloin Steak’ is one of three competitions to make up the newly launched Quality Standard Mark Excellence Awards 2015. Along with ‘England’s Best Innovative Steak and ‘England’s Best Steak Pie’, the awards recognise steak products that deliver excellent eating qualities and the highest levels of customer satisfaction both in and out of the home.

Butchers, supermarkets and caterers sent in entries to be judged by meat industry experts in all three competitions, but only the highest scoring made it through to the final.

Linden Foods entered the ‘Multiple Retailer/Supplier’ category in England’s Best Sirloin Steak competition and its ‘Chef’s Larder Premium Extra Mature Sirloin’ was one of just six in the category to achieve a prestigious Gold Award.
From those, only the best three sirloin steaks were selected to go through to the final, which means that Linden Foods has a good chance of being crowned winner of the Multiple Retailer/Supplier category.

There were two other categories in the competition – ‘Independent Retailer’ and ‘Foodservice’ – and one of the category winners will go on to be named Overall Champion of England’s Best Sirloin Steak competition.
In the contest, entries were put through their paces with judges marking against set criteria, including aroma, colour, marbling, flavour and juiciness. In addition, scientific ‘shear force’ testing was used to measure tenderness.

Managing Director of Linden Foods, Gerry Maguire commented: “We are delighted to have won a Gold Award and to be voted into the final for our Chef’s Larder Premium Extra Mature Sirloin Steaks. To be among the top 3 best sirloin steaks in England chosen by very experienced judges is a real testament to the quality of our supply chain and a huge endorsement of our product. Hopefully we can go one further and win it.”
Competition organiser, foodservice project manager for EBLEX, Hugh Judd, said: “Sirloin is a prime cut which is one of the nation’s favourite steaks thanks to its fine texture and wonderful flavour. We know there are many excellent examples on sale across the country and we wanted to recognise the very best in the business. The competition so far has been extremely tough. Not only did we receive a great number of entries but the quality of sirloin steaks submitted was incredibly high. Without doubt there has been a fantastic display from businesses, such as Linden Foods. We wish them the very best of luck in the final.”

Pictured: (L-R) Gerry Maguire – Managing Director, David Bevan NPD Chef & Jacqueline Fitzpatrick – Sales Account Manager at Linden Foods

One of Northern Ireland’s emerging chefs has been appointed by the new owners to head up the kitchens at Ardtara Country House….with buffalo meat top of his menu.

Eddie Attwell, 28, twice a Roux scholarship finalist, and who once worked in the kitchens at L’Enclume, a Michelin two-star restaurant in the English Lake District, was recruited by Browns Restaurant Group which has taken over the award winning 19th century manor on the edge of the Sperrin Mountains.

Co-owner & Head Chef of The Browns Group, Ian Orr said: “He has been on my radar for some time, probably since his first scholarship in 2012. He is innovative, exciting and passionate and just the sort of chef we need to maintain the Browns level of food and service at Ardtara”.

Ardtara, just outside the village of Upperlands, formerly the home of the Clark family, the world famous linen makers, is one of Northern Ireland finest rural accommodation and dining establishments and the choice of Attwell as head chef will be central to its future development with his new menu an important feature.

Attwell, originally from Craigavon, spent almost eight years in England after he left catering college. It was during his time at L’Enclume where he learned to grow herbs and forage. Dan Cox, executive chef at Claridges in London was one of his mentors and with eight acres of adjoining land, Ardtara’s chef wasted no time finding wild vegetables, including three types of mushrooms.

And he has already come up with his first meat speciality – prime cuts of water buffalo from a herd reared on a farm two miles from Magherafelt. Milk from the animals will also be used to make butter and cheese.

He said: “This is an unbelievable opportunity for me to make a major statement as a chef. Ardtara is the first place which I can really call home. I’m the person in charge. The buck stops with me and I’m out to make a serious impression.”

“I will be drawing heavily on local produce. I think I’ll be the first chef anywhere in Ireland who will be serving water buffalo. That should make for
interesting times and the fact that I’ve spent a considerable amount of time in my career growing and foraging will be an enormous benefit. There is plenty of mushrooms in the grounds at Ardtara and I plan to have my own garden to grow the herbs.

“It’s all about natural cooking and creating the right flavours. I’ve even been down to the shores of Strangford Lough to find a few varieties of sea herbs.”

Attwell who moved to his new job after a year at the Schoolhouse Restaurant, near Comber, Co Down added: “This is a massive challenge for me, it really is. Ian is a brilliant chef in his own right. He has placed his faith in me and I’m determined not to let him down.”

Orr who worked as a chef with the late Robbie Millar at Shanks near Bangor, and also at the River Café in London where Jamie Oliver first started, launched his restaurant business six years ago with co-owner Marcus Roulston. There are two Browns restaurants in Londonderry/Derry and one in Letterkenny and the purchase of their new premises in the Mid Ulster countryside represents another big investment.

Managing director Roulston said: “The purchase of Ardtara is part of the group’s long term strategy. It’s an establishment with a long and distinguished history, representing all that is good in first class accommodation and fine dining and having Eddie in charge of the kitchen is massively important for us. He is such an exciting young chef.”

The buffalo meat is coming from a herd reared by Michael O’Brien, a former beef farmer who decided four years ago to switch from cattle and develop a new commercial enterprise.

“Friends and neighbours agreed to take part in tasting sessions and the response has been 99.9% positive,” he said. “They loved it, especially the burgers which are low on fat and full of protein.”

Food critic Joris Minne said Orr had been instrumental in raising the North West culinary reputation in the last three years and his choice of Attwell to take charge of the kitchen will be key, he claimed.

He added: His arrival at Ardtara has already prompted glowing reviews from some of Belfast’s and Dublin’s most respected food bloggers. Ardtara represents the core of Ulster traditions and culture and Attwell’s cooking relies on the best local produce available. This means game, fish, beef, pork and poultry to rival anything in Ireland.”

Over the past 20 years, Ardtara Country House has hosted ‘romantic couples’, ‘golfing heroes’, ‘Nobel prize winners’, ‘Olympic champions’, ‘Hollywood celebrities’, as well as thousands of loyal locals while garnering kudos from discerning reviewers such as:

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER (“One of the five best hotels in the country”),
The AA (“Most Romantic Hotel of the Year”),
CONDE NAST TRAVELER (“Offers superb fare and sublimely comfortable rooms each with a glowing fireplace”).

Ardtara has been a member of the prestigious ~Ireland’s Blue Book~ since 2004 (a collection of Irish Country House Hotels, Manor Houses, Castles and Restaurants);
www.ardtara.com

Nominations for the Irish Restaurant Awards 2015 are now open. Establishments do not have to be a member of the Restaurants Association of Ireland to enter. The nominations will be open until midnight on Sunday, 22nd February. These can be accessed on www.irishtimes.com/irishrestaurantawards. You have a chance to win three fabulous foodie breaks if you nominate before Sunday 22nd of February. One includes a two night stay for two sharing at the Maldron Hotel in Derry with dinner on one evening in the newly opened Pier 59 compliments of NITB. To find out some information on the judging process and how winners are selected at county, regional and national level please visit www.irishrestaurantawards.com

If your day starts with the sound of an alarm clock screeching in your ear, followed by a quick shower and a fast coffee then you are probably running on empty. Our adrenal glands sit right on top of our kidneys and are responsible for giving us our get-up-and-go and enthusiasm for life. The problem is that many of us are asking too much of our adrenals, so we feel wired and tired. Stressed, anxious, busy, rushed, but with no energy to get through the day without caffeine and sugar – sound familiar?

Nutritional Therapist and author Jane McClenaghan specialises in nutrition for adrenal stress support. Jane says ‘Often when people think about stress, they overlook how dietary factors could have a role to play in stress management. Make your diet a technique for balancing and managing stress, rather than a contributor to burn-out.’

Eating lots of sugary snacks and guzzling caffeinated drinks is a sure-fire way to kick off a rebound blood sugar and energy dip, triggering more adrenal hormone release. Our sugar intake has gone up from nearly zero for our ancestors to over 22 teaspoons a week. Caffeine consumption, which causes the release of adrenalin, has increased to an average of around 300mg a day. That’s about six cups of tea or three cups of coffee every day.

Jane believes that whilst diet is often a contributor to stress, it is also the one element we can control. Simple changes like not skipping breakfast, avoiding snacking when you feel tired, and avoiding sugary treats in lieu of proteins and slow-releasing carbs makes a big difference to our stress levels.

Here is what Jane suggests we eat on an average day to help support and nourish our adrenal glands:

Breakfast – start with a protein based breakfast to keep energy levels sustained. Try scrambled eggs with a grilled tomato, a few mushrooms and a generous helping of wilted spinach, or simply add a big handful of nuts and seeds to your daily porridge to help balance your adrenals.

Lunch – with more protein at breakfast, you won’t feel hungry until lunchtime. Ideally a great big super salad or a bowl of soup, served with a generous helping of protein will do the trick (try Quinoa Super Salad or my Thai Squash and Lentil soup from The Vital Nutrition Cookbook)

Dinner – make sure half your plate consists of vegetables and/or salad, a palm-size portion of protein and no more than one fistful of low GI carbs. One pot wonders are ideal, as they save time and energy, so I like curries, stews and tagines.

Snack – if you need a snack, then think protein! Don’t eat too much fruit and opt for veggies instead. Carrot sticks and houmous, oatcakes with sugar-free nut butter or natural yoghurt and berries would be ideal.

Vital Nutrition have teamed up with Patrick Holford to bring his Stress Cure tour to Belfast on Thursday 12^th March at the Agape Centre, Lisburn Road. Patrick will share his research into nutritional therapy for stress and explain how to build stress resilience to help you thrive, rather than merely survive, in the 21^st century.

 

The Stress Cure with Patrick Holford will be at the Agape Centre, Lisburn Road Belfast on Thursday 12 March 7pm. For more details on the Stress Cure (Piatkus, £13.99) and the nationwide seminars visit www.patrickholford.com/stresscure.

Vital Nutrition specialises in developing bespoke, tailor-made nutrition programmes to help you achieve 100% optimum health. For more details visit www.vital-nutrition.co.uk