It’s nearly that time of year again and unlike writing Christmas cards I’m hopefully on time with getting the word out about our ‘Christmas Pork Hampers’ (just the regular £50 pork box with a fancy festive name and maybe some cocktail sausages if I can persuade the butcher!) and a special new box called the ‘Pork Selection Box’ which is only £25 and includes 1kg of sausages, choice of 1 dry-cured gammon or leg roast (1 – 2kg), choice of 0.4kg dry-cured back bacon or loin chops and 0.4kg pork and apple burgers.

Just to remind you that I do need time to get the pig from the field to the freezer (via Ballymena and Newtownstewart) and approaching this time of year the butcher does get busy so it would be very helpful if you can place your orders as soon as possible (by next Monday 25th Nov if at all possible).  I will have a spare freezer full for later orders but I won’t be able to guarantee your order for Christmas/New Year if you place it after 25th Nov.

Also to remind you if you’re stuck for Christmas present ideas this year food is usually a good practical option that hopefully won’t appear on ebay on Boxing Day.  May I suggest a special, local, free range, virtually 100% organic Christmas Pork Hamper for example!

Kee’s Saddleback £50 pork box contains:

2kg sausages (by award winning sausage-making butcher) variety of pork and chilli, pork and leek and plain pork

0.5kg pork ribs (lovely in soup)

choice of 1 dry-cured gammon or leg roast (1 – 2kg)

choice of 0.8kg dry-cured back bacon or loin chops

0.8kg pork and apple burgers

choice of 1 shoulder roast or pork pieces/steaks

We are small scale Artisan producers of purebred British Saddleback pork in the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty just outside Douglas Bridge, Co. Tyrone.  Being outdoor and free to roam all year round and fed on our homegrown feed the pork has a very distinctive flavour which is always remarked upon.  Described in Flavour magazine as ‘gorgeous, rich, hearty and unlike any pork I have ever tried before’ this pork needs to be tasted to be believed!

Also passionate about growing organic vegetables and herbs on the farm there may be a treat included with the box depending on the season and the surplus at the time!

Freezer ready, packed in small quantities.

Boxes include full cooking suggestions for all of the products.

Box Delivery – free in Co.Tyrone. £5 rest of N.Ireland and Donegal. Belfast deliveries will also be free with 3 or more orders.

Orders by email or phone.  Email updates are sent every few months with special offers and information.

Also supply to speciality restaurants and for hog roasts if suitable size is available.

Local, high quality restaurants have described our pork as ‘a 1st class meat and excellent product’.

You may find us at some food festivals throughout the year selling some cooked produce as well!

If you have any questions please be in contact.

Kee’s Outdoor Saddlebacks

Farm: 028 816 61172

Mob: 077 9020 6875

Food NI’s newest producer member, Clogher Valley Meats has just triumphed at the prestigious European Sausage Championship in Alencon in France. Kieran Meehan and his team of craft butchers impressed the judges at the Commanderie des Fins Goustiers du Duché d’Alençon.

They came away with a Grand Prix d’Honneur Award for their Pork sausage and another for their Pork and Spring Onion Speciality Sausage. They’re the first European awards for Clogher Valley Meats, but they won’t be the last.

 

Simon Darcy has just started working with the team at Soul Food Cafe, Ormeau Road, Belfast. We saw his friands and curd tartlets this morning and we were sorely tempted!

Our beautiful Mourne Seafood Bar homemade hamper contains delicious blends of salts and spices that can be added to a wide range of meat, fish and sauces or simply added to oils for dipping.

Also included is the Award winning pressed rapeseed oil, Broighter Gold, which is used in Mourne Seafood Bar and Belfast Cookery School. It is a delicious and healthier alternative to olive oil when cooking, making salad dressings and dipping breads.

The hamper is presented in a natural kraft deli style tray with lid.
You can purchase Mourne Seafood Bar and Belfast Cookery School Vouchers if you wish include these within the hamper. Please feel free to contact us for more information.

Hampers can be purchased from the Belfast Cookery School website www.belfastcookeryschool.com and are available by collection only.

Tel: 02890234722 Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm
email: info@belfastcookeryschool.com

A few famous old Scots will re-visit Donaghadee this month for an extended weekend of Ulster-Scots events.

Famous Ayr poet, Rabbie Burns  –  played by the master impersonator Chris Tait – makes a rare appearance back in the town he allegedly visited at the invitation of an Ulster fan, reminiscing about his life and works as part of the Donaghadee Ulster-Scots Thanksgiving programme (Wednesday 20th to Sunday 24th November).

The arrival of two other Ayrshire Scots, Hugh Montgomery and James Hamilton, who landed at the port and began the settlement and transformation of the area in 1606, will also be re-enacted, complete with a lantern parade and fireworks display.

Organised by Ards Borough Council as part of its 1613 celebrations to mark the granting of the first Royal Charter to Ards 400 years ago, the programme will also feature an Ulster-Scots concert, other music events, Ulster-Scots cooking with renowned chef, Paul Rankin, demonstrating dishes from the hit TV show ‘Paul & Nick’s Big Food Trip’ as well as historical tours, music in Grace Neill’s and Pier 36, special themed dishes in all the local restaurants and an exhibition with family history research tips.

Mayor of Ards, Councillor Stephen McIlveen, is looking forward to the weekend:

“As someone descended from a Scottish clan, this programme is of particular interest to me, but will no doubt attract large crowds who identify with or simply want to get a taste of Ulster-Scots heritage and culture. Where better than Donaghadee, literally the entry point for our Scottish ancestors and a place so closely associated with that tradition, to celebrate the town’s links with Scotland?”.

The event is organised by Ards Borough Council and supported by the Ulster-Scots Agency.

For a full Donaghadee Ulster-Scots Thanksgiving programme, visit www.ards-council.gov.uk or contact Ards Tourist Information Centre on 028 9182 6846.

Linden Foods, one of the UK’s leading fresh meat manufacturers has been listed as one of the top scoring companies in this year’s NI Environmental Benchmarking Survey conducted by Business in the Community’s ARENA Network, achieving Platinum quintile status.

The Survey, which is supported by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Fleet Financial, annually assesses top businesses in Northern Ireland for environmental management, performance and assurance. Bombardier Aerospace came top of the Survey overall.

With almost 300 organisations from 15 different sectors invited to take part, including the top 200 companies and leading public sector organisations, 119 organisation participated this year and the average overall score increased from 71% in 2012 to 77%.

Environment Minister Mark H Durkan commended all participants for their leadership and achievement saying: “In today’s challenging economic climate, smart businesses are increasingly looking to improve their operational and resource efficiency and reap the associated benefits of cost savings and greener credentials. The ARENA Network Survey is undoubtedly a key influencer in supporting organisations to achieve a more sustainable way of doing business. The results are improving year-on-year, highlighting the importance of environmental responsibility for business and the growing need to benchmark their environmental performance.

“I applaud all the participants of this year’s Survey; they are ambassadors for good environmental stewardship who have, and will hopefully continue to, set the standard for responsible business practice.

“Taking responsibility for your environmental impact is not just the right thing to do, it is essential for building a strong and sustainable future. Working together, the public and private sector can make a real difference.”

Chair of ARENA Network, David Gavaghan, added: “Year-on-year, the Survey results give us tangible confidence that environmental measurement is firmly one of the top issues that corporates are managing.2013 has proven to be a fantastic year with the highest average score recorded since the Survey began in 1998, demonstrating a greater adoption of environmental practice and a better understanding of the Survey. It is very encouraging to see so many businesses seeking to care for our planet, both for this generation and the ones to follow.

“The journey of sustainability is not only the right thing to do, but there are significant benefits, both financial and strategic. It’s important that we engage other organisations to help understand, measure and reduce their impacts; as well as helping them see the advantages of taking part in the ARENA Survey as being a key driver for environmental management.”

Earlier this year Linden Foods launched GreenTrack, a dedicated sustainability programme which, for the first time, set out the company’s commitment to delivering on responsible and sustainable business practices.

This week (Nov 11th, 2013) in a move designed to underline its commitment to the initiative, Linden Foods has launched GreenTrack Week, a six day programme packed with activities that will see everyone across the business getting involved in various environmental projects.

Getting the week underway will be a number of employees, who wouldn’t typically be in a farm environment, who will visit a local farmer and award-winning supplier to Linden Foods where they will plant native hedgerows and assist with the farmer’s numerous sustainability projects.

Linden Foods’ Environmental Manager Mael Wilford and Supply Chain Manager Frank Foster will carry out a school visit to Dungannon Primary School to educate the P7 class about farming and the world around them. Employees will be able to take advantage of fresh fruit snacks donated by Quinfresh in support of GreenTrack, while throughout the week designated collection points will be set up across the Dungannon site where all staff can recycle old and unwanted clothes and textiles.

The top results (in order of scoring) were achieved by: Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast Harbour, Larne Borough Council, Phoenix Natural Gas, Seagate Technology (Ireland), John Graham (Dromore) Ltd, Linden Foods, BBC NI, Michelin Tyre plc, Moy Park, O’Hare & McGovern, Pritchitts, B/E Aerospace (UK) Ltd, Dunbia (NI), Farrans (Construction) Ltd, H&J Martin Ltd, NACCO Materials Handling Ltd, Newry & Mourne District Council, Queen’s University Belfast,  South Eastern Health & Social Care, Compass Group UK & Ireland and Northern Ireland Assembly.

To find out who else participated and how they scored, visit www.arenani.org.uk.

Andrew Willis from USEL was honoured with the George Dawson accolade for his contribution to making environmental issues top priority within his business.

Please e-mail patricia.mccambridge@bitcni.org.uk at the ARENA Network if you are interested in taking part next year.