Dairy cooperative Dale Farm has announced one of the largest ever investments in Northern Ireland’s agri-food industry. Expanded operation in Co. Tyrone is to boost production by 20,000 tonnes per year

 Food NI member Dale Farm is investing £70 million in its cheddar processing facility at Dunmanbridge, Co. Tyrone.

The expansion will mark one of the largest ever single investments by a Northern Ireland agri-food company. The plans will see Dale Farm integrate state-of-the-art technologies and equipment at the site, boosting production and making significant sustainability gains as the cooperative builds on its expertise as a leading European cheddar manufacturer.

The investment comes on the back of successive years of impressive growth for the cooperative, and in response to continued customer growth across the UK, Europe and beyond, with the site already exporting cheddar to 40 countries worldwide.

Nick Whelan, Group Chief Executive at Dale Farm, said the investment will support growth and capability for the cooperative, and position Dale Farm as a leading cheddar player in Europe.

“Dale Farm has built a strong reputation as a leader in cheddar production, and thanks to our reputation for quality, sustainability and consistency, we are seeing strong customer growth in the category,” Nick said. “Key to our success is the dedication and ingenuity demonstrated on a daily basis by our team right across the business. We are already exporting to 40 countries, and with this investment we want to build on that momentum and future proof our operation at Dunmanbridge for decades to come.”

Work on the expanded operation at Dunmanbridge is well underway and is on track to go live in February 2025. As well as improving and replacing existing site-wide services and utilities, the expansion will include a new high speed automated cheese slicing line, an increased warehouse footprint and investment in new patented products and processes.

The investment will increase the site’s cheese capacity by 20,000 tonnes per year, while also expanding its WPC (whey protein concentrate) capacity. It will incorporate the integration of advanced energy efficient technologies which together with new production processes will reduce the site’s carbon footprint by an estimated 4,500 tonnes per year when compared against milk powder production.

Nick Whelan added: “We want to continue to lead the sector in Northern Ireland and beyond and cement our region as a global leader in quality, sustainability, and innovation. We have been granted a patent for cheddar produced at the site and are onboarding new technologies and digital transformation. We’re also investing in sustainability and as a result of this expansion our carbon footprint will see a significant reduction, marking another important milestone on our journey towards net zero.”

The Dunmanbridge site currently directly supports over 1,100 families in the local area, with 345 employed at the facility and a further 760 farms, out of Dale Farm’s 1280 milk producers, supplying milk to it.

Nick Whelan said: “The sustainability and profitability of our farmers and their businesses are at the heart of every decision we make as a cooperative. Thanks to the success of our strategy and growth, we are in a position where we can make an investment of this scale while continuing to pay a competitive milk price.

“This investment will be transformative not just for Dale Farm, but for the Northern Ireland rural economy. We have big plans for the future and are looking forward to the next step of this journey.”

Academy restaurant, located on the edge of Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, is enhancing Northern Ireland’s food, drink and culture by helping students forge a future in sustaining the hospitality, tourism and events industry. It does so not only in Northern Ireland but further afield, said panellists during a recent discussion about the educational hub and restaurant, hosted by Pamela Ballantine.

Lisa Kennedy, Business Manager at Academy was joined by head chef Wendy McGuire, former graduate Niall Beatty, who is now duty manager at the 5-star Adare Manor, and current culinary arts student and World Culinary Skills Champion 2023, Sophie Smith, to discuss the values and ethos behind the Academy, which launched three years ago.

Lisa explained that the Academy is a restaurant unlike any other. It features an immersive learning experience that has been created for students completing their (Bachelor honours) International Hospitality Management or Culinary Art Management degrees at Ulster University.

“At Academy, we strive to ensure that both students and staff feel that they are part of a welcoming, engaging and challenging community of learning that extends beyond the lecture theatre. We have developed a safe space for experiential learning. This allows students to be creative in their culinary talents and enables them to interact with leading internationally known chefs and masters of industry.  Our students led by Michael Gillies and Simon Russell build positive working relationships with industry captains and Academy colleagues.

Lisa continued; “We have embraced the idea that Academy Restaurant can achieve multiple positive outcomes: supporting distinctive forms of student learning, hosting events which progress a common agenda, and contributing to the cultural life of Belfast and Northern Ireland as the centre for food, drink and culture by operating as a commercial restaurant.”

Academy’s Head Chef, Wendy McGuire added; “In the kitchen, we are firmly focused on provenance and sustainability, which go hand in hand. We believe in teaching our students about the environment around us, from the fields and farms where we source our produce, meats and poultry, to practicing regeneration in all forms that sustains our industry for the future.

“Academy is the only restaurant on the island of Ireland and the UK to be awarded Green Key Certification, which means we have been acknowledged for our efforts to develop an environmentally and socially responsible establishment.  This all contributes to a more sustainable future for the industry. We are not only instilling a sense of professional pride within our team but also a strong sense of civic contribution. We wish to ensure the Academy plays a meaningful role in the continued development of Northern Ireland as a leading food and drink destination.”

Local suppliers including NearyNógs, Bushmills Irish Whiskey, Ewing’s Seafoods, Picked Organic, Mike’s Fancy Cheese, Jubilee Farm, Burren Balsamics, Ballylisk Dairies, Wilsons Country, Goats Bridge Trout, Ausome Growsome and O’Doherty’s Bacon all feature on Academy menus.

Professor Pantelidis, Head of the Department of Hospitality Tourism and Events Management (HTEM) explained that the department has a strong track record in sustainability and regeneration. Students often come back to work at the Academy as paid members of staff, whilst completing their degree. The Academy is a physical environment but the passion and collaboration of the HTEM department team facilitates a complete learning cycle transforming students from beginners to seasoned professionals.

“Our Academy colleagues in collaboration with our academics bring their passion to education and provide invaluable and hands-on experiences that help nurture and develop students in a realistic learning environment. All our academics have industry experience which allows them to work so well with our Academy colleagues. Hundreds of students who have graduated from our programmes have gone on to make incredible moves in their careers both in the local hospitality industry and internationally, which is a core objective of the Academy.”

Lisa added; “Academy is the center for food, drink and culture in Northern Ireland. It is as important for us to provide a world-class learning environment for students as it is for us to create a first-class dining experience for our guests.

“Our students go on to be the future hospitality leaders of our outstanding culinary, tourism and events scene both here and further afield, and we’re delighted to be the first stop on that journey for them, while simultaneously contributing to our local industry as a leading and sustainable food, drink and hospitality destination.”

Lough Erne Resort will host a unique wine and dinner pairing event with premium wine producers Ridge Vineyards from Napa Valley, California, on 9 June 2024.  

Guests will be treated to a five-course tasting menu with Irish flavours especially created to complement five exquisite wines from the world-famous region in the Resort’s award-winning Catalina Restaurant. 

International Sales Director Katie Bleakley from Ridge Vineyards will talk through the vineyard’s pre-industrial approach to winemaking and will introduce each wine paired with the menu designed exclusively by Lough Erne Resort’s Executive Head Chef Stephen Holland and his culinary team.  

The special one-off event costs £150 per person and includes a glass of sparkling wine on arrival.  

Passionate ambassadors for NI produce, Stephen and team have created five courses with seasonal, locally sourced and traceable ingredients.  

The evening begins with a Ballylisk cheese pastry bun, followed by a Kilkeel crab and caviar salad, served with the Ridge Chardonnay 2021. The main course features a Mill Dam flax-fed beef with salt-baked celeriac and truffle mushroom and will be paired with the Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2020.  

A young buck blue cheese with dark chocolate ganache will be served with the Ridge Monte Bello 2010, one of the finest acclaimed wines in the world. To finish a decadent chocolate delice served with maple and walnut ice cream will be accompanied by the renowned Ridge Lytton Estate Petite Sirah 2019. 

The fresh flavours will be the perfect match for Ridge Vineyards’ critically acclaimed single-vineyard wines. Founded in 1962, when it produced its first Monte Bello, the winery is proud of its rare and exceptional vineyards where climate, soil and variety are ideally matched.  

Ridge Vineyards follows sustainable techniques used in the finest 19th-century California wineries and Bordeaux chateaux to produce superlative organic wines. 

Lough Erne Resort also offers accommodation packages for foodies and wine lovers. After a night in one of Lough Erne Resort’s luxury guestrooms, recently refurbished to create a modern and sophisticated ambiance, guests will wake up to a hearty lakeside breakfast. 

To make a reservation, visit www.lougherneresort.com or call on 028 6632 3230.   

Yoghurt lovers in Northern Ireland will soon be able to enjoy three new products from Clandeboye Estate in Bangor, the only significant producer of the dairy favourite here.

A Food NI member, the company, based on a dairy farm outside the city, has created two indulgent Greek style yoghurts in top hat format tubs that feature dessert style flavours.

The exciting new flavours, revealed by Clandeboye’s commercial manager Patrick Black, are: Apple and Cinnamon Crumble and Raspberry and White Chocolate.

“The crumble features a fruity apple and cinnamon compote with Greek style yoghurt accompanied by a tasty crumble topping,” Patrick says. “The raspberry and white chocolate is a tangy raspberry Greek style yoghurt accompanied by a topping of delicious white chocolate pieces and dried raspberries,” he adds.

The new desserts are already proving a major success with leading retailers like Asda Northern Ireland, Spar, Supervalu and Tesco Northern Ireland.

Clandeboye, which has been in business since its formation as a farm diversification by the late Lady Dufferin in 2008, is supporting the launch with a social media competition offering the lucky winner a relaxing spa break for two people at the Old Crawfordsburn Inn.

The third innovative taste is a Honey Greek Style Yoghurt that’s authentically strained from fresh, whole milk from County Down, blended with real honey and a hint of sugar.

“The thick and creamy Greek Style yoghurt is a perfect accompaniment to granola and fresh fruit,” continues Patrick

In line with the company’s tradition of incorporating Lady Dufferin’s artwork into the pot design, the new Honey Greek Style features Lady Dufferin’s painting of the bee-hive which sits in the walled Bee-Hive garden on the Estate.

To support the launch Clandeboye is running a unique painting workshop with local artist Dawn Crowthers.

The new yoghurt will be available across Spar, Supervalu and Tesco Northern Ireland stores. The workshop is being held on Sun 26^th May from 11:30am – 2:30pm, tickets are available from the company.

Burren Balsamics, the developer and marketer of a unique range of natural fruit infused vinegars, relishes and jams, celebrated its 10 anniversary at a major food show in Great Britain last weekend

Based in Richhill, the small enterprise, started by London trained chef Susie Hamilton Stubber, was one of the few local companies at the big Farm Shop and Deli Show in Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre.  Susie met existing and potential customers there with Bob McDonald, Burren’s highly experienced and respected product development chef and director.

The only other Northern Ireland food company with an individual stand among over 1,000 exhibitors from around the world was Craigavon’s award-winning Forest Feast, a producer of luxury snacks from dried fruits and nuts.

The show attracts 25,000 buyers  from farmshops and delis keen to see and sample the latest produce and is among the most important food and drink shows in Europe. It’s an amalgam of shows that also include the National Convenience, Forecourt and Restaurant showcases.

Multi-award-winning Burren Balsamics, a Food NI member, started in a home kitchen and is now exporting vinegars successfully to global markets such as the US, parts of Europe and the Middle East from a modern processing unit.

 The company’s most recent export market is Mexico’s most influential department store. It is also one of the few local companies to be doing significant business with Harrods, the world’s most prestigious department stores and food halls. Other customers include onion jam for Aer Lingus on international flights.

The enterprising food business was born in 2014 when close friends Susie and Susan Robinson, both with a background in catering in London and Northern Ireland, decided to make balsamic vinegars and sell them to raise funds for Marie Curie cancer care charity.

The popularity of their initial range of balsamic vinegars at the Christmas charity fair in December 2013 encouraged them to set up Burren Balsamics, named after a townland close to where they both lived. Susan stepped away from the business for personal reasons.

Bob McDonald subsequently joined the company to provide his vast expertise and experience in new product and process innovation.

“It’s been quite a journey, a real rollercoaster of experiences,” says Susie. “Burren Balsamics is built on exploring business opportunities here, in Britain, the Republic of Ireland and increasingly further afield. Farm Shop and Deli in Birmingham is the most recent in a long line of marketing activities over the past decade. There really is no other way to grow a business than by getting out into the markets and selling hard.

“The shows in Birmingham bring together hundreds of speciality suppliers to celebrate the best of UK regional produce. As such it’s an unrivalled opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their products to buyers and key decision-makers across the industry. We’d certainly like to see smaller and artisan producers from Northern Ireland at the shows.

“Taking part in the shows also assists new product ideas for customers. We are a very market-led and customer-focused business. We now have an extensive pfrogramme of marketing activies in our most important markets especially in Great Brutain. You’’ll also find us at key food markets across Northern Ireland. It’a  market which is immensely important to our business,” continues Susie.

It’s an excellent example and great role of a kitchen table entrepreneurs bringing innovation to Northern Ireland’s dynamic artisan food and drink sector.

Burren Balsamics was formally established in February 2014 following the fund raising fair and from the successful testing of the products within a focus group of family and friends.

“We are now producing a range of fruit infused balsamic vinegars, relishes and jams which use as many locally grown ingredients with zesty flavours as possible.  These include Armagh (PGI) bramley apples and quality fruits from local farmers such as blackcurrants strawberries and blueberries,” says Susie..

“We found a gap in the market which  we can fill with our flavoured balsamics. These versatile bottles of flavour pack a punch and add endless possibilities to enhance salad dishes, stews and casseroles, marinades and soups.  They are also delicious to just dip bread into,” she adds.

“We’ve created a range of balsamic vinegars infused with blackberries, bramley apples, blueberries, strawberries and mint and raspberries. We believe the fruit vinegars are unique and are ideal for addng delicious flavours for adding to a host of dishes such as poultry, steak, game and salads. They are perfect for barbecues now that we are entering the season. They also enhance desserts,” she adds.

Burren Balsamics has also developed an impressive track record for innovation and new product development, the most recent being a vinegar matured in Bushmills whiskey casks.

This dedication to innovation has been extended process and products through an investment in waste elimination and recycling which has won Burren Balsamics widespread acclaim.

FoodNI member Whitewater Brewery in Castlewellan, Co Down has launched a unique Taproom and Pizzeria, Beer Dough.

The new venture specialises in sourdough pizza and specialises in local ingredients. All the pizzas are made fresh in the brewery.

Owner Bernard Sloan, the master brewer and pizza creator, explains: “We are really almost passionate about our pizza as we are about our beer. We have created five supreme, sourdough pizzas that are handmade and to be enjoyed with our beers.

“We have our own sourdough culture that’s proven for 48 hours before stone baking to create supreme flavour and a delicious crust.”

The pizzas are available every Saturday from 5pm for sit-in or takeaway. The tap room enables the beers to be bought or enjoyed on-site.

Whitewater is a multi-award-winning craft brewery that specialises in a range of stouts and ales in bottles, cans and kegs, all of which are produced on-site in Castlewellan.

The brewery is now Northern Ireland’s most successful producer of beers. It recently began distribution of Tempted award-winning ciders and launched its own session cider in collaboration with the Portadown-based cidery.