Come along to SUKI TEA HQ for an open day on 1st August to meet the TEAm.
They have upgraded their warehouse and would love to show it to the public!
The more the merrier. Pop in any time during the day.
The day will include:
-Tea tastings
-Introducing ‘Tea School’
-Refreshments provided (Iced tea will definately be on the menu)
Please contact Gill for more information on gill@suki-tea.com
There will be two beautiful farm walks taking place on horticultural holdings in Co. Down.
Both walks are free to attend and open to everyone.
1.Monday 04 August 2014 16:30pm – 19:30pm Grower: John McCormick Address: Helen’s Bay Organic Gardens, Coastguard Avenue, Bangor, County Down, BT19 1JY
Some background to Helen’s Bay Organic Gardens
John McCormick established Helen’s Bay Organic Gardens in 1991 (www.helensbayorganicgardens.com). It is situated on 20 acres of fields adjacent to Belfast Lough in Helen’s Bay, Co. Down and is licensed to EU organic standards. It combines growing vegetables on a field scale and 10,000 sq ft of polytunnels exclusively for their box scheme, market stall and farm shop. The soil is a heavy clay with a clay shale subsoil demanding careful management on three sites a few minutes apart. Rotations including green manure fertility periods are well established. The home site also hosts a community garden, a well-established demonstration allotment, fruit growing.
2.Wednesday 3 September 2014 16:30pm – 19:30pm Grower: Roy and Sheila Lyttle Address: 90 Portaferry Rd, Newtownards, County Down, BT23 8SN
The business started in the early 1980s by Roy and Sheila Lyttle, initially growing on 7 acres at the home farm. At this stage a wide range of conventionally grown crops was grown for several customers. The business expanded rapidly and in 1997 a decision was taken to invest in a new packhouse facility to specialise in preparing and packing Spring onions and Leeks, which were well suited to our light soils and favourable climatic conditions on The Ards Peninsula, for delivery to the multinationals which had arrived in N. Ireland. In 2000, 15 acres of ground was entered in to organic conversion and in 2003 the business started to supply organic leeks and a range of brassicas directly to Tesco and to several other independent retailers and box schemes. Other lines have been introduced, carrots, parsnips, swedes and potatoes and today the business grows 125 acres of conventional vegetables and 25 acres of assorted organic produce.
Please visit www.soilassociation.org/farmersgrowers/events/farmwalks for more information
On the 1st July 2014 Michael and I (Jane) of Harnett’s Oils headed over to London for just over 24 hours. Harnett’s Oils along with 12 other artisan food and drink companies and Paula McIntyre as members of Food NI where in London has we had been invited to showcase our businesses to the members of parliament on the 2 July.
Before our showcase the next day we where all invited for a reception on the balcony at the House of Commons. What a view? When we arrived at the House of commons we came in a taxi with Thyme and Co and PoshNosh and after going through security we realised that the rest of the group had not come in the same way as us and security did not know where we should be going so after wandering Westminster Hall and nearly ending up in a ‘rock the house’ concert we were relieved to find Michelle of FoodNI/Taste of Ulster although the concert did sound tempting!
It was a great privilege to be invited especially with the MP David Simpson serving the constituency that I run our business from. The businesses were introduced to a few NI MPs before they had to go on and vote on a finance bill. We finished our drinks and were shown the entrance to the room that we would be in the following day before heading to dinner at the Claxton Grill.
To get to dinner we passed Westminster Cathedral and New Scotland Yard. I didn’t realise how everything was so close together especially when taxiing back to the hotel we past Horses Guard and Buckingham Palace. For dinner over 20 of us took up our seats for an outstanding three course meal prepared by Adam Handling a final three contestant of Masterchef in recent years. Our starter was salmon prepared in a water bath with fennel pollen, dill and apple; the main was lamb with clams finishing with temperatures and textures of chocolate and passionfruit. A real treat for us all.
An early night was had as excitement began to build for the next day and if we were going to be lucky enough to meet the Prime Minister. Alas unfortunately we were not lucky enough to meet any of the present cabinet that day.
On the 2nd July we were set up with our sample boxes and our range of flavoured oils and pure oils for people to try at 10am in the Jubilee room awaiting MPs. The showcase ran till 4pm and with ministers questions happening at 12pm we had a packed room soon after. The NI food showcase was well attended by a range of MPs from our local MPs of DUP, SDLP to a few MPs from Scotland, Wales and England. We also meet a few Lords and Ladies from the House of Lords some from home such as Baron Kilclooney, Viscount Brookeborough, Baron Rogan and Baron Browne of Belmont as well as Lord Tebbit. We also met lawyers that work within the House of Commons, the chief whip, messengers (they wear golden chains worth £40,000.being part of the Crown Jewels round their necks) that hold the doors and interns working for a range of MPs. Some of the most interesting conversations was with past secretary of states from over the years and of course there was Theresa Villiers who spoke a few words of the great products on display and the agriculture and food industry. The day was a great showcase for NI food and it was great to be given such an opportunity to show our range of foods and that we can stand on a world stage with our products.
The day was a great showcase with great positivity for all our products. Paula was in the kitchen producing some great entrees using our Pure Rapeseed Oil, Clandeboye Yoghurt, Glenarm Salmon and lamb to name a few of the local products. It did give some of the mainland UK MPs something to think about and mentioned a few times to me ideas to bring back to their constituencies again showing what great products and businesses that we produce. This was highlighted by a number of people commenting not only on how they enjoyed our oils especially the Chilli and Garlic but that the NI Food Showcase had been one of the best showcases of the year.
It was a great experience and a real honour to be invited to such a prestigous event and thoroughly enjoyed our trip to London.
Northern Ireland’s leading local bakery has secured a deal to supply its Rankin Selection range of traditional Irish breads, including soda farls, potato farls, stone-ground wheaten, to LuLu Group in Abu Dhabi, one of the biggest retailers in the Gulf states.
The contract, worth an initial six-figure amount, was announced by Brendan Lappin, Irwin’s Bakery Business Development Manager, and welcomed by Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director, during a visit to the company at Carn Business Park in Portadown.
Dr Kell said: “This very important contract for Irwin’s Bakery is an excellent example of an ambitious local company seizing the business opportunity provided by our strategic focus on identifying markets of potential for Northern Ireland food companies and then bringing relevant international food buyers to meet local food producers and to see and sample the quality, innovation, heritage and, of course, safety underpinning our products.
“LuLu set Irwin’s quite a test in terms of delivery of the products, which this very professional and progressive company has achieved. It’s great to know that the traditional breads which we tend to take for granted here are now being enjoyed in the Gulf, set apart by their outstanding flavours and serving versatility.”
Mr Lappin said: “This is a very significant contract for Irwin’s with one of the biggest and most successful retailers in the Gulf, which gives us a solid platform for further growth in a very dynamic marketplace. It’s a market that we’ve been targeting for some time and is the result of ongoing discussion over the past 18 months, which followed meetings with LuLu in Northern Ireland arranged by Invest NI.
“The Rankin Selection range will be on sale in an initial eight LuLu supermarkets within 24 hours of leaving the bakery in Portadown – a significant logistics operation involving a distributor in Liverpool. The supermarket asked us if we could provide the bread as fresh as possible and we’ve been able to meet the challenge.
“As well as the Rankin Selection breads, we are providing Jammy Joey and Snowy Joey cakes from our Howell’s Handmade subsidiary. Initially all the bread and cakes will be available in eight stores but these outlets are strategically placed close to LuLu Group headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Our aim is to build the business steadily and to widen the customer base beyond the ex-pat community.
“Invest NI’s assistance to expand our international sales to Abu Dhabi has been tremendously important. Hosting visits to Northern Ireland from key procurement managers from supermarkets, such as LuLu, is proving to be a very successful initiative for companies such as Irwin’s, which are keen to grow sales outside Northern Ireland,” he added.
FoodNI member, Moy Park will create 628 new jobs in Northern Ireland across Ballymena, Craigavon and Dungannon. The job positions plan to be created over the course of the next four years in various parts of the business. As part of a £170million expansion, the jobs will relate to food processing, management and financial services. This should add a total of £10.5million of wages into the economy of Northern Ireland, creating salaries at an average of £17,000.
The development will improve the contribution that Moy Park, part of the Marfrig Group, creates towards the Northern Ireland economy. It is hoped that there will be a considerable increase in sales figures, creating further opportunities for growth.
The Farm Shop & Deli Awards, in partnership with Olives Et Al are to recognise excellence within the speciality retail market. If you are an independent retailer selling regional fresh/farm produce or with a delicatessen counter… these awards are for you!
The Farm Shop & Deli Awards, have been launched to recognise the very best standards in speciality retail and to celebrate the highest levels of service, product knowledge, initiative, innovation and community involvement.
Category Awards Include:
•Farm Shop of the Year
•Deli of the Year
•Butcher of the Year
•Baker of the Year
•Greengrocer of the Year
•Cheesemonger of the Year
•Fishmonger of the Year
•Market of the Year
•Online business of the Year
•Food hall of the Year
•Garden Centre of the Year
•Local shop of the Year
•Retail Group of the Year
To enter, simply apply by category which is determined by the primary focus of your business.
There are 13 categories to enter under:
•Farm Shop
•Delicatessen
•Baker
•Butcher
•Cheesemonger
•Garden Centre
•Greengrocer
•Fishmonger
•Food Hall
•Online Business
•Local Shop
•Market
•Retail Group
All entries must be submitted online at www.farmshopanddeliawards.co.uk, or via an entry form sent by prepaid post or courier in each case to arrive no later than 5.00 p.m. on Saturday 28th September.
For more information, please visit http://www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk/about?campaignkw=About