Influential retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) has listed six yoghurt products from Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt in Bangor for its 22 stores across Northern Ireland.

The important listing is the outcome of discussions over several months between the successful food retailer and Clandeboye, the only substantial producer in Northern Ireland of a range of award-winning yoghurts.

Food NI member M&S has listed the following Clandeboye yoghurts, many of which have won Great Taste, Blas na hEireann and UK & Irish Quality Awards over the past five years: Natural, Authentically Strained Greek Style and Madagascan Vanilla Greek Style in 450g pots and premium flavoured Mandarin and Lime, Mango and Nectarine, and Raspberry and White Chocolate in 150g pots.

Bryan Boggs, Clandeboye Yoghurt general manager, commenting on the latest listing for the range of yoghurts, says: “We are thrilled to have won this important business from M&S for its popular food halls across Northern Ireland. The listing is a further recognition of the quality, variety and, above all, the outstanding taste of our yoghurts which has been endorsed in awards for excellence in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

“We look forward to working with M&S and are delighted that our products will now be available on their shelves locally. It’s a tremendous business opportunity for us,” he adds.

Established in 2008 by the late Lady Dufferin as a farm diversification project, Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt operates from a recently completed state-of-the-art dairy on the estate outside Bangor. Much of the milk for the yoghurt is sourced from the 670-acre farm’s award-winning pedigree dairy herd in addition to other farms in County Down.

The yoghurt business and farm are focused on preserving the local environment and sustainability. Power for estate, for instance, is provided by an anaerobic digester which turns silage, purpose grown crops and waste material into electricity.

   

Enterprising chef/businesswoman Emily Marschall is planning to bring her American influenced culinary expertise, especially in barbecues and grilling, to a café she’s just taken over in the Culturlann, Derry’s dynamic Irish language and cultural centre.

Emily, the owner of the city’s Lo&Slo, a small enterprise that’s won widespread acclaim, including UK Great Taste Awards, for its range of unique American BBQ sauces that owe much to her upbringing in Philadelphia, Pennyslvania’s largest city and home of iconic Philly cheesesteak sandwich.

“Our cafe is called Sos Caifé (Coffee Break) and will open its doors this month,” Emily says. “Our menu, which we are finalising at the moment, will be original and will feature the best seasonal and local ingredients especially from artisan companies in Derry and the wider North West. There’s certainly plenty of choice from artisans here which can be enjoyed by locals and visitors,” she adds.

The centre, Emily continues, “does a marvellous job, which we are keen to support, in teaching Irish and Ulster Scots as well as renting space to the North West Academy to teach English to workers from the likes of Poland and Spain”.

Emily, who has a successful track record in street food, has also just launched a unique BBQ school within the walled garden at Brook Hall Estate and Gardens outside the city.

“It’s a four-hour class cooking local ingredients over five different types of grills,” explains Emily, a graduate of the University of Missouri. She came to Derry as a volunteer in 2005 to mentor teenagers on what she intended to be a short stint, married and stayed, becoming one of the city’s most enterprising foodies.

 ”We aim to have a different theme each month and collaborate with a different food or drink producer to showcase what they do and how it complements the menu. This month is a beer pairing with Northbound Brewery! And in June we’re featuring a vegan BBQ.”

As a firm favourite at the Balmoral Show, the Award-Winning NI Food & Drink Pavilion will return to the province’s largest agri-food event this year with over 90 local food and drink companies.

Organised by food and drink membership organisation Food NI, the NI Food & Drink Pavilion offers visitors an endless variety of mouthwatering tastes and treats from local producers. With an array of original food and drink available including award winning, innovative and well-established brands, it’s not surprising that there is something to suit all tastes.

This year, Food NI is excited to welcome a wealth of local exhibitors including Howell House, Tayto, Punjana, Long Meadow Cider, Ballylisk of Armagh, White’s, Bro Coffee, The Krazi Baker, Melting Pot Fudge, Cloughbane Farm, Glastry Farm Ice Cream, Marshall Beekeeping, Papa’s Mineral Company, Morellis, Linwoods, Irish Black Butter, Fluffy Meringue, Kettyle Irish Foods, Lecale Harvest and Gold and Browne’s.

The NI Drinks Area will be returning due to popular demand in celebration of excellent local beer, cider, gin and whiskey producers including Long Meadow Cider, Basalt Distillery, Shortcross Gin, Wild Atlantic Distillery, Copeland Distillery and Black Arch Distillery.

Visitors will be delighted with the return of the Moy Park Theatre Kitchen, where they will find inspiration for quick and delicious chicken recipes, as well as new ways to spice up family mealtimes, throughout the four days of the Show. The Moy Park team will be joined by another two Theatre Kitchens, all with an action-packed programme for visitors featuring interactive sessions with local producers and makers, as well as tastings from both much loved, and new NI food and drink brands.  Returning again in 2024 is the TESCO Theatre Kitchen which will host the much loved and highly competitive Steak Competition on Thursday 16th May. The TESCO Theatre Kitchen will also host ‘Female Friday’, a day dedicated to celebrating female chefs, and food and drink producers from Northern Ireland. New to the Pavilion this year is the Talks & Tastings Stage. This stage will host over 20 producers over the 4 day event, giving visitors a real insight into the makers and stories behind much loved and award winning food and drink, and promoting food and drink experiences in Northern Ireland.

Local food influencer, ambassador for local produce and recent winner of Channel 4 ‘Come Dine With Me’ Julie Fitzpatrick will be on stage, and one of Northern Ireland’s top chefs Noel McMeel will be there all week, with a host of award winning local chefs, talented producers, foodie influencers and well known personalities.

Recognised as being an excellent platform for artisan food and drinks companies, there will be four regions represented by their councils in this year’s Pavilion to include Mid and East Antrim Food Network, Antrim and Newtownabbey, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, and Lisburn and Castlereagh City Councils. With dozens of exciting and talented food innovators confirmed, it’s a fantastic opportunity to meet the people behind the produce.

Also the perfect place for a quick bite, visitors are welcome to check out the Food to Go Area within the Pavilion for tasty, locally inspired breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Food NI Chief Executive Michele Shirlow, commented, “We are delighted to bring over 90 local companies together this May for a real showcase of excellent quality food and drink. The NI Food & Drink Pavilion at Balmoral Show is the highlight of the agri-food calendar in Northern Ireland and the Pavilion provides an excellent platform for local producers, makers and entrepreneurs to meet consumers, promote and sell their products to thousands of people and also to talk to potential buyers and do real business. We are very proud of the skill and expertise here in Northern Ireland and the food Pavilion is the best place to see local food and drink under one roof.’’ 

The Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank will return to the Eikon Exhibition Centre showgrounds from Wednesday 15^th May to Saturday 18^th May 2024.

Tickets are now available online at www.balmoralshow.co.uk. For further updates you can follow the Balmoral Show on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. 

A Moy-based health drink company which has just won Northern Ireland’s Best New Product of the Year from a Micro-Business has been certified organic and is investing in further innovation.

FoodNI member Moocha Kombucha, a family-owned and run business of entrepreneur Bronagh Quail, picked up the prestigious recognition at the recent Northern Ireland Food and Drink Awards, an event held to highlight local food every two years. Around 500 people attended the dinner and presentation. The company is a FoodNI member.

Other winners on the night included McColgan’s Quality Foods in Strabane; Wilson’s Country, Portadown, Milgro Crispy Onions, Limavady; Avondale Foods, Lurgan; and Big Pot, Cookstown. Many of the winners were also FoodNI members like Moocha Kombucha.

Moocha gained the important award for its mixed berry health kombucha  rom a panel of local food experts. Kombucha is a fermented, lightly effervescent tea drink. The company was the smallest to be recognised on the night.

This category had the highest number of entries from smaller businesses here. The award was among a number presented at a gala dinner for the food and drink industry here

Founder and managing director Bronagh Quail was justifiably thrilled to have received the award. “It represents a tremendous endorsement of our products and our overall business,” she says. “The award is a marvellous recognition of all our hard work in developing innovative drinks and building our brand in the local marketplace. We’ve invested heavily in the product, its branding and marketing, ploughing profits back into the company.

”Our kombucha, for instance, is now certified as fully organic, a certification that required extensive work over several years. Each can of kombucha is also gluten free, vegan and has fewer than 50 calories, making it ideal for people watching their diet. Each can also includes three billion live cultures.

“This week sees us launching two new flavours to our existing range  – Organic Apple and Blackberry and an Organic Cola, the outcome of extensive investment in new product development and our longstanding dedication to innovation,” adds Bronagh, originally a graphic designer by profession.

Kombucha is said to help digestion, remove potentially harmful toxins from the body, and boost energy. It has also been claimed to enhance the immune system, help lose weight, and ward off conditions such as high blood pressure. The drink, furthermore, is reported to be full of antioxidants and probiotics or live bacteria which contribute to gut health and improve the efficiency of the body.

Bronagh, now married with a young family, discovered the drink while living and working in Sydney, Australia for six years. “I had decided to go there for a few months with a girl friend who had gone to Australia for pilot training. Flying conditions there are much better there than in Northern Ireland. It was all a bit of an adventure for me. I trekked around the country and enjoyed every minute of the trip and especially the sharp focus there on a healthy lifestyle,” she continues.

She subsequently decided to stay for longer than planned, securing a job and somewhere to live in Sydney. “It was a very valuable experience, and where I first tasted kombucha, a very popular drink that’s available virtually everywhere and is regarded as being a healthy beverage. Australians have a sharp focus on healthy eating and drinking,” she adds.

Bronagh began to research healthy food and especially kombucha. ”I enjoyed the drink so much and was keen to find out how it was made. It has been consumed for thousands of years.

“The drink is made by adding specific strains of bacteria, yeast and sugar, known as scoby, to black or green tea, then allowing it to ferment for a week or two. Green tea is also regarded as one of the healthiest beverages. Kombucha is basically a type of cold tea that has been fermented, the outcome of controlled and beneficial microbial growth,” she explains.

Bronagh returned to Tyrone is 2015 with a vague notion about making her own kombucha, then relatively unknown here.  She subsequently decided to “go for it” and turn her love for kombucha into a start-up business. “I found there was a gap in the market here. I decided to see if I could create sufficient interest and awareness to support an artisan enterprise. The kombucha is now available in bottles and cans in delis, farm shops and groceries across the country.

She started up on the family farm and has turned it into a thriving small business acclaimed for its innovation, the quality of its beverages, the expertise of its marketing and branding and customer support.

Titanic Hotel Belfast is proud to announce its partnership with Cancer Fund for Children, a leading charity dedicated to supporting children and families affected by cancer. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in Titanic Hotel Belfast’s constant commitment to making a positive impact in the local community.

Cancer Fund for Children provides informal emotional, social and therapeutic support to children, young people and families impacted by cancer, at home, in hospital and at their therapeutic short break centre, Daisy Lodge. The charity’s mission is to help ensure no child has to face cancer alone.

Adrian McNally, General Manager of Titanic Hotel Belfast, said: “As a beacon of Belfast’s tourism and hospitality sector, we recognise the importance of giving back to the local community where we operate. We have chosen to partner with Cancer Fund for Children for 2024 and contribute to their vital work in supporting children and families affected by cancer. I believe that together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those navigating the most challenging of times.”

Lisa Hartle, Partnership and Philanthropy Executive at Cancer Fund for Children said: “We are so grateful to Titanic Hotel Belfast for choosing to support our charity throughout 2024. At Cancer Fund for Children, we understand the devastating impact a cancer diagnosis can have on the whole family and that beyond the essential medical care, there is a family life that needs to be rebuilt. With the help of the amazing team at Titanic Hotel Belfast, we hope to be there for even more families that need us.”

The partnership will involve Titanic Hotel Belfast engaging in a range of fundraising initiatives throughout the year, including charity events, donation drives, and special promotions. Guests and staff alike will have the opportunity to participate in activities designed to raise funds and awareness of Cancer Fund for Children’s programmes and services.

Titanic Hotel Belfast’s commitment to corporate social responsibility aligns perfectly with Cancer Fund for Children’s mission to ensure that no child or family faces cancer alone. By joining forces, both organisations are creating a powerful synergy that will benefit the local community now and for years to come.

Northern Ireland’s Leading Hotel, Titanic Hotel Belfast, is located in the heart of Titanic Quarter, offering guests a unique blend of history, heritage, and modern comfort. Housed within the historic Harland & Wolff headquarters and drawing inspiration from the city’s maritime legacy, Titanic Hotel Belfast provides an unforgettable experience for visitors from around the world. www.titanichotelbelfast.com.

John Drayne, driving force behind Draynes award-winning ice cream and sorbets in Lisburn, is understandably looking forward to seeing the bold new identity for the product appearing in shops across Northern Ireland ahead of the busy spring and summer months.

The farm-based producer, among Northern Ireland’s most successful over more than two decades, is benefiting from a major investment by the Co Antrim family in the thriving business.  The company is a FoodNI member.

“We’ve been planning to upgrade marketing and branding of our ice cream for some considerable time,” says John. “It was time for a sharper look. It’s given us a bold and colourful brand in what is a busy marketplace especially here in Northern Ireland,” he adds. “It’s a very strong and eye-catching brand that’s already producing great feedback from retailers and customers.”

The farm has just undergone its biggest investment in over 30 years, continues John. The family, in a bold move towards greater efficiency and sustainability, invested extensively in equipment which has doubled its pasteurisation rate, leading to a massive reduction in overall energy consumption. “Old, inefficient equipment is being phased out and replaced with much cleaner state-of-the-art machinery in this major milestone in our sustainability journey,” he explains.

The investment also included the installation of new solar arrays to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and the introduction of electric vehicles. “We’re accelerating on the ‘Road to Zero’.”

Last year saw the launch of ice cream deliveries to Dublin, “meeting the need for high quality dairy products in the Republic”.

A series of awards for ice cream and sorbets was also won last from the UK Great Taste and Blas na hÉireann, the Irish National Food Awards in Dingle, Co Kerry. These awards helped boost the image of the products and increased awareness in Northern Ireland and the Republic.

The business there was with a chain of luxurious hotels and several restaurants especially in the greater Dublin area for gourmet ice creams and sorbets.

Draynes has won business for a range of gourmet ice creams and sorbets including retail packs following a decision to explore opportunities identified within the hospitality sector in Dublin and other parts of the Republic.

Experienced dairy farmer John continues: “We were extremely excited to deliver our products to high-end hospitality customers in what was a new market for us. We look forward to establishing a strong presence in this important region for our luxury ice creams and sorbets made on our farm.

The exciting business followed its presence at the CATEX trade show in Dublin for the catering sector in Ireland. This gave the company excellent exposure to the Republic’s hospitality market. Draynes also had a strong presence of the recent IFEX hospitality show at Belfast’s Titanic Exhibition Centre.

John is confident the smart new identity will help the business grow sales further there in addition to expanding its already strong presence in the Northern Ireland market.

“We take pride in crafting a diverse selection of ice cream flavours and sorbets in a variety of packs,” he adds.

He brings a vast experience of the 300-acre farm with its 250-strong herd, including around 150 milkers, of Holstein Friesian cattle known for high quality milk output. He monitors the performance and health of the herd closely using a sophisticated computer system and has developed an experienced team.

John started developing the ice cream business as part of the farm’s successful milk processing and distribution business more than two decades ago. The farm has been producing, bottling and distributing milk and cream for almost 100 years in Lisburn, Belfast and other surrounding areas.

Draynes is recognised as being one of the most technologically advanced milk processing businesses on the island of Ireland from an extensive investment in robotic milking systems. A nutritionist regularly monitors their feed and adjusts it accordingly to ensure consistently high quality milk.  The farm began producing milk and cream in the 1930s. It was then run by brothers Seamus, Aidan and Dermot who used a horse and cart to deliver the milk around their home, near Lisburn.

Milk is supplied to other local food processors especially the multi award-winning Abernethy Butter which hand crafts butter for leading restaurateurs including Heston Blumenthal.

Excellent standards of animal husbandry and hygiene underpin the business and its commitment to ensure a stress-free environment for every animal.

“We maintain a comfortable and hygienic living environment for our herd,” John continues.” I believe happy cows make great–tasting ice cream,” he says. “The result is some of the richest, creamiest ice cream imaginable, freshly made every day, in our own modern creamery. We believe this is ice cream the way it’s supposed to be.

 “Doing everything on-farm means we can get ice cream to customers quicker and fresher, so it has a longer fridge life with less wastage,” he adds.