Armagh Bramley Apple Cider: Northern Ireland’s Champagne?

Armagh Cider Company is celebrating a supply deal with Tesco Northern Ireland, having landed a listing for three of its bottled ciders.

The small family business uses hand picked Armagh Bramley Apples grown in its own orchards, which are located between Portadown & Armagh and they are the only producer in Northern Ireland that goes ‘from blossom to bottle’.

Since the Armagh Bramley Apple recently received PGI status, similarities have been drawn with the grapes used to make Champagne.

The new Tesco product listing couldn’t be better timed, as it includes the festively spiced Mollys Mulled Cider, which is a perfect winter warmer.

Helen and Philip Troughton, owners of Armagh Cider Company, are delighted with the deal.  Helen said, “People may know us from food festivals and craft fairs, where we have been sampling and selling for years.   This listing with Tesco will provide us with unrivalled exposure, not only on shelf, but through their local marketing and events.  We have had a stand at the Tesco Taste NI food festival and people were constantly asking: where can we get the product?  We’re delighted to be able to tell all of them, we’re here – and just in time for the party season!”

Every year, Philip’s orchards of 80 acres, which have been nurtured by the family in Ballinteggart for over 100 years, produces up to 1000 tonnes of apples.  These are first pressed to produce apple juice in a traditional rack and cloth press, which, although labour-intensive by comparison with an automated press, produces a superior quality juice with more texture and flavour than mass-produced juices.

This juice is then made into cider and bottled on the farm.  The two bottled ciders being stocked in Tesco are Carsons Crisp and the slightly sweeter Maddens Mellow. Both are produced exclusively on the farm from the fresh pressed apples and contain no artificial colours, flavours or ingredients and are together winners of gold, silver and bronze medals in the International Cider Challenge.  Mollys Mulled Cider is named after Philip’s beloved Aunt Molly, who traditionally prepared this as a hot treat on Christmas Day, using a secret family spice blend.

Stephen Murphy, Tesco NI Buying Manager said, “We have been talking to Armagh Cider Company about supplying Tesco for some time so we’re delighted to see them coming on shelf.  As a buying team in Northern Ireland, we are always looking out for small local companies producing something fantastic, which we think our customers will love – and Armagh Cider Company is doing just that.   It’s important for artisan producers to maintain the integrity of their product and continue using the processes that make them so popular – you can really taste 100 years of nurture and expertise with these ciders.   Massive congratulations to the Troughtons.”

For more information on local Northern Ireland products at Tesco, follow on www.facebook.com/tastenorthernireland

A big congrats to the Heatherlea Bakery for winning ” NI Bakery of the Year 2013.” This award was presented by Colin Laverty at the Neighbourhood Retailer Awards. The Heatherlea Bakery is a rightful winner and thanks all staff, customers and Andrews Ingredients for helping them achieve this impressive title!

Lurgan-based family business officially opens new premises

Lurgan-based Annaghmore Mushrooms will unveil its state-of-the-art premises today as part of a £1 million investment in the business.

With demand for locally produced mushrooms spiralling, the independent family-owned business has recently increased staff numbers from six to 16 and plans to grow that number by a further ten.

The County Armagh facility, which was founded by mushroom grower Eamon Murray in 2006, markets and distributes top quality locally grown mushrooms throughout the UK and Ireland.

The mushroom crop range includes brown, button, closed cap, flat and Portobello varieties, grown by a team of specialised growers known collectively as Northway Mushrooms, which are proving popular with consumers who cannot get enough of what is now recognised as a ‘super-food’.

In response to this demand, the company has invested more than £700,000 into new technologies and quality processes to improve its cold chain supply – the most important element of which is a high tech pack-house which has an advanced cooling system to keep the product fully chilled within an hour of picking. The company investment was supported by grant assistance of £286,000 by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development through the EU Processing & Marketing Grant Scheme.  Annaghmore received additional support from Invest NI.

“This investment is crucial in maintaining the quality and freshness of the product for longer, resulting in an extended shelf life,” Eamon Murray said today.

The mushrooms are sorted, graded, packaged, labelled, chilled and prepared for dispatch from Annaghmore’s new pack-house.

Investment is ongoing according to the Annaghmore Mushroom’s Managing Director, who said: “We are constantly investing in modern, efficient equipment and packaging and are committed to ongoing improvement as we grow our business in response to the growing demand for our mushrooms.”

The home market is strongest for Annaghmore with 95% of its products being distributed in Britain and Northern Ireland with five per cent supplying retail outlets in the Republic of Ireland.

The business is continually striving for success, though, and has recently been accredited as a member of the British Retail Consortium, which means its standards qualify it for supplying to multiples.

Eamon Murray added: “Having our business audited every year by one of the most demanding organisations in the world, which is recognised as a leading authority on food safety and hygiene standards in the UK, ensures that every aspect of our business is run to the highest standards achievable.”

Annaghmore’s new premises which includes a pack-house and growing facilities were officially opened today by David Small, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and was attended by representatives from the local agri-food sector and delegates from the All-Ireland and UK Mushroom Conference and Trade Show who were visiting mushroom farms in Northern Ireland for the first time in their conference programme.

Speaking after the event David Small said:

“It has been a pleasure to officially open the new headquarters and growing and processing facilities today at Annaghmore Mushrooms. It is tremendous to see a local company going from strength to strength and supplying not only to the local market but also across the UK.

I am delighted that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been able to assist this growth through the EU Agriculture and Forestry Processing and Marketing Grant Scheme.”

Good morning,

For more information click http://www.shakeupyourwakeup.com/breakfastawards

It is a national award so we want Northern Ireland to be well represented, we’re fully behind our members so we can help by encouraging the general public and industry to get voting.

It’s free to enter, so there is no excuse.

A big congratulations to Colin McKee- farmers weekly food farmer of the year 2013!

When Colin McKee opened the doors to McKee’s Country Store and Restaurant in 2005, the town of Newtownards in Northern Ireland was a local food desert.

No one for miles was doing what he was doing, which meant there was no blueprint, no local success stories to glean ideas from and no guarantee that customers would come.

But customers did come. In fact, so many came that when Colin and his wife Linda first opened the farm shop and 60-seater restaurant, capacity was instantly too small to cope with demand.

“We couldn’t believe the success of the restaurant,” says Colin. “There were queues every day and people would have to leave because they realised they would never get in.”

Responding to the overwhelming demand, the McKees opened an expanded farm shop and restaurant in 2007 and the business has been growing year on year ever since.

“Home-grown beef and chickens, a busy production kitchen and thriving deli, combined with a strong vision and close attention to detail, make this business a winner.”

Sally Jackson

Chairman, Farm and Retail Markets Association

It took bags of leadership and vision, several calculated risks, some gutsy investments and an unerring confidence in his home-reared meat to build McKee’s into the £3m-turnover business it is today, but it’s easy to see why customers keep coming back.

In the restaurant, customers can eat fresh, home-cooked, locally-sourced food while they take in stunning views of the Craigantlet hills. In the shop, a vast butchery counter displays beef and free-range chickens reared on-site. And the deli counter was described by our independent judge as a “masterclass in added value”. A colourful display of local vegetables is supplied by farmers in nearby Comber – less than a 10-mile drive from McKee’s. Freezers and cold cabinets complete the local food offering, with butter, milk, cheese and ice cream from a range of Northern Ireland farms, dairies and creameries.

Professionalism runs throughout the business – from the in-store graphics that tell the story of the family farm’s 91-year history, to the organisation of staffing. By appointing general managers in each section, Colin has been able to hand over much of the day-to-day running of the business, giving him more time to focus on driving it forward.

This has helped McKee’s record an impressive growth rate of more than 7% in 2012. In the longer term Colin is aiming for a more sustainable annual growth rate of 3.5%, and there is a clear business plan in place to achieve that. The McKees have already got planning permission for an extension to the restaurant and an improved entrance to the building. They’re also hoping to grow the number of orders through their online shop and expand their relatively new catering operation.

One of the biggest testaments to the success of McKee’s is the opening of new farm shops in the area – all hoping to emulate its success. Newtownards is no longer a local food desert, which goes to prove that Colin is a true local food pioneer.

HADSKIS

Hadskis is open! A new dining experience has opened at the heart of the Cathedral Quarter situated in Commercial Court. We look forward to welcoming you, why not visit our website to view the menu, make an online reservation or even better pop in and sample some of delicious dishes. See you soon. The Team

hadskis.co.uk