Food NI member Basalt Distillery has won the Guild of Fine Food’s prestigious Great
Taste Golden Fork Award for Northern Ireland with their Volcanic Rock Gin. The
Bushmills, Co. Antrim distillery is inspired by the raw geology of the UNESCO-listed
Giants Causeway. It was founded by chemical engineers, Martha Garbe and James
Richardson.
Every drop of spirit is distilled with ultra-pure water from a 600-foot deep borehole,
naturally filtered through the ancient basalt rock that forms the Giants Causeway.
Judges described it as “fascinating, distinctive and irresistible- pure alchemy.”
The announcement was made at a ceremony in Battersea Arts Centre, London on
Tuesday 9th September, 2025. The annual event celebrates the most outstanding
food and drink from around the world.
The nominees were already recipients of a 3-star Great Taste Award- something only
1.9 per cent of total entrants achieved.
Also in the running for the award were two beers from GetErBrewed from
Randalstown, Co. Antrim. They were Ramza Barrel Aged Keptinis Beer and
Untamed Barrel Aged Wild Ale VI. They push the boundaries of fermentation
experimenting with brewing and blending techniques in what they say is an “actual
passion project” for them.
Congratulations from all at Food NI.

A small, independent brewery in rural Northern Ireland has achieved global recognition, taking home two ‘World’s Best’ titles at the prestigious 2025 World Beer Awards.

In total, Our Brewery, a FoodNI member, secured an impressive 12 medals – including seven golds for Best in Ireland, one silver, and four bronze in the national category. Two of those gold-winning beers went on to be crowned the best in the world in their categories.

From thousands of entries worldwide, Low Land Oud Bruin and Seasur Mixed Ferm Saison first triumphed as Ireland’s best in their respective styles, before being judged World’s Best by an international panel of industry experts.

“This is beyond anything we imagined;” said Johnny Mitchell, co-founder of Our Brewery. “We set out to brew world-class beer as a genuine passion project. To have our work recognised on the world stage is both humbling and exhilarating. These awards belong to our whole team and the community who have supported us from day one.

“We operate in one of the most challenging licensing environments in Northern Ireland. Hopefully, this achievement not only highlights the quality of beer being brewed here but also sparks conversations about much-needed licensing reform, ” he added.

Our Brewery’s complete 2025 World Beer Awards medal tally:

GOLD – Ireland

• Hang Up Your Hang Ups Hazy IPA – Session
• Prime Time Of Your Life Belgian Triple – Belgian Style Triple
• Seasur Mixed Ferm Saison – Biére De Garde/Saison (World’s Best)
• Untamed Wild Ale – Lambic
• Low Land Oud Bruin – Oud Bruin (World’s Best)
• Humble Wild Ale – Sour & Wild Ale
• Terra Nocturne Imperial Stout – Imperial Stout

SILVER – Ireland

• This Is The One Gluten Free Pale Ale – Gluten-free

BRONZE – Ireland

• The Crunch Brown Ale – Mild:
• Making Sense Of It All American Pale Ale – American Style
• Razma Barrel Aged Keptinis – Experimental
• Do You Wanna Funk? NeIPA – Milkshake IPA/New England IPA

The World Beer Awards is one of the industry’s most respected competitions, celebrating the finest beers from around the globe through blind tastings by an expert panel.

Founded in 2021, Our Brewery emerged from Get ‘Er Brewed’s brewing equipment showroom, transforming into a working brewery dedicated to experimental and historically inspired fermentation. Using traditional techniques, carefully sourced ingredients, and the unique natural influences of its environment, the brewery produces beers that take time and patience to perfect – pushing the boundaries between beer and wine.

Balsamic vinegars, fiery sauce, seaweed seasoning, fudge, savoury sauces, boiled fruit cake, and kombucha from FoodNI members have been shortlisted for the finals of the Great British Food Awards 2025 this October.

The popular UK competition continues proved extremely successful for local food and drink companies over the years. Foods from artisan producers and FoodNI members like Blackfire Hot Sauces, Belfast; Burren Balsamics of Co Armagh; Cookie Jar, Newcastle, Co Down; Crawford’s Rock Seasonings, Kilkeel, Co Down; Irish Black Butter, Portrush; Erin Grove Preserves, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh; Granny’ Shaw’s Fudge, Ballymena; Krazibaker, Dromore, Co Down; and Moocha Kombucha, Pomeroy, Co Tyrone.

In the running for awards are: Krazibaker’s boiled fruit cake; wheaten bread and fruit bannock from Cookie Jar in Newcastle; Burren’s unique balsamic vinegars; Blackfire’s ghost pepper and black lime ketchup; salted caramel sauce with Irish Black Butter from Alastair Bell; Erin Grove’s sour cherry and cracked black pepper; Moocha Kombucha’s gut balance fermented drink; chicken dinner seasoning from Crawford’s Rock; and pistachio, white chocolate and raspberry from Granny Shaw’s Fudge Factory.

Appearing in the awards is Dromore’s Krazibaker, Mark Douglas, who is famed for making traditional favourites at outdoor food markets especially Newtownards and Carrickfergus. His freshly baked potato and treacle breads are hugely popular, as are his pancakes and boiled fruit cake. “My boiled fruit cake is a long-time favourite with shoppers. It’s great to earn this important recognition in the food awards in Britain.”

He’s won UK Great Taste Awards in the past for his unique potato apple bread and potato breads.

Glen Houston, who owns Granny Shaw’s Fudge in Ballymena with wife Rhonda, is shortlisted for his trendy pistachio, white chocolate and raspberry fudge.

“This is another important boost for one of our most recent flavours with trendy pistachio. I am hoping the recognition will increase awareness throughout Britain of our range of tasty fudges,” adds Glen, who also specialises in home-made chocolates.

Bronagh Quail, a pioneer of fermented drink Moocha Kombucha, continues: “This is another significant recognition of the quality and innovation of my kombucha in Britain. Sales have been going well here over the past few years as more people discover the benefits of healthy kombucha tea.

Also in the running for the supreme award is spicy food lover Tim McCarthy, the founder and owner of Belfast’s Blackfire Hot Sauces. “It’s marvellous to see our ghost chilli and black lime sauce featuring in another important UK awards. We are aiming to boost our international sales including to Great Britain,” he says.

Susie Hamilton Stubber of Burren Balsamics in Richill has two of her successful vinegars in the running this year – blackberry and thyme balsamic vinegar from Modena and date and cinnamon infused balsamic vinegar.

Previous Northern Ireland overall winners include Burren Balsamics, Richhill; and CRAIC Foods, Craigavon, both from Co Armagh.

Susie Hamilton Stubber of Burren Balsamics continues: “We benefited enormously in publicity terms from our success in the past. It’s an important competition which helps increase awareness of the quality, innovation and taste of food products in Britain, our most important external market.”

The Great British Food and Drink Awards, now one of the UK’s most important competitions for smaller producers in particular, were launched in 2014 to celebrate the country’s finest artisanal produce, as well as the hard-working people behind the scenes in the enterprises.

This year, the awards are said to be bigger and better than ever, with lots of new categories and amazing celebrity judges including top chefs Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux Jnr and Shaun Rankin.

The influential awards provide companies with the opportunity to have their food and drink products taste tested by some of the UK’s most acclaimed chefs, food critics and influencers. It’s an exacting process, nevertheless, that has often led to new business in Britain for winning companies from here and elsewhere in the UK.

The shortlisted products will now be sent to a panel of expert judges around the UK for them to pick their gold, silver and bronze winners. The winning product in each category will then be sent to the final expert judge to choose the overall Grand Champion.

Two Food NI member companies are among three local producers to have won seven medals in the prestigious International Cider Challenge (ICC) 2025, the global industry’s principal annual competition.

The successful FoodNI members are Long Meadow Cider from Loughgall and Tempted Cider, Armagh. Kilmegan Cider in Dundrum was also a medal winner.

ICC aims to reward and promote excellent ciders from around the globe, providing the perfect platform for producers to express their ciders to both trade and consumers. 

Backed by a rigorous blind tasting system and with an international panel of experts to taste, assess and award your ciders, it’s the competition that counts. Judges are drawn from across the global cider industry and include producers, flavour analysts, experienced cider journalists, independent retailers and buyers from supermarkets.

In total, ciders from 16 different countries were entered into this year’s awards. Nine gold medals were awarded across the taste and design and packaging awards. 

The big Northern Ireland winner was Tempted with two silver and two bronze medals for its Dry, Strawberry, Low Alcohol and Session ciders. The Dry and Strawberry ciders each won silver for founder and cider maker Davy Uprichard, who set up the business at the family home near Lisburn with wife Janet in 1982, and two bronze medals.

Long Meadow, another family business run by husband and wife team Pat and Catherine McKeever with son Peter and daughter Alanna, was awarded silver for its Rhubarb and Honey and bronze for its Wood-aged ciders.  The company is based on the extensive family orchards near Loughgall and has won a host of medals for its ciders, apple juices and apple cider vinegar. It has also won awards for its orchard tours.

Kilmegan, which was founded by cider maker Andrew Boyd in 2013, gained bronze for its Tannin-led Dry Cider. The small business was set up by Andrew and wife Karen on the family orchard in 2009 and was registered for cider production in 2013.

The awards were judged by a senior judging panel, led by cider writer and ICC chair Adam Wells.

Aldi Ireland has announced 30 finalists for Grow With Aldi 2025, following a call-out for Ireland’s most ambitious food and drink entrepreneurs.

Food NI members who have made it through to this stage include Drayne’s Farm’s Honeycomb and Cookies and Cream Ice Creams; Slims Healthy Kitchen Sticky Chicken and Chilli Beef Wedges meals; Melting Pot Fudge’s Traditional Fudge Bar, Vanilla Fudge Bar and Salted Caramel Fudge Bar; Poco Picante’s Squeezy Salsa Roja and Squeezy Salsa Chipotle; Two Stacks Double Irish Cream Liqueur, Golden Sister (Long Meadow Cider) Apple Cider Vinegar, and  Whoosh’s Thai Red Curry Rice Noodles and Thai Tom Yum Rice Noodles

The suppliers will see their products go on sale from 11^th September in 164 Aldi stores across Ireland, for a trial period of two weeks. Following the trial period, Aldi will award contracts to a select few winners.

Tyrone farm entrepreneur Meryyn Kennedy has created a new taste experience using the bacon that has won him a host of awards here and in Britain.

Meryyn, who rears pigs near Omagh and runs the successful Kennedy Bacon artisan business, has just launched an innovative ‘Smashed Bacon Grill’ that’s already in the running for a prestigious Blas na hEireann, Irish Food Award, the results of which will announced at the big food and drink festival at Dingle, Co Kerry in October.

The innovative product, influenced by the growing success of smashed burgers, is the latest innovation from Kennedy Bacon, a small business known for the taste and quality of its dry-cure rashers, ham and pork sausages.

“Our new bacon grills are based on a new recipe using our popular bacon and sausages. We’ve flattened them for greater convenience, especially for BBQs,” explains Mervyn, who has developed a successful business at Northern Ireland food markets including Causeway Coast in Coleraine, Omagh, Comber, Antrim and leading agricultural shows such as the Food NI pavilion at the RUAS at Balmoral Park.

“We were thrilled when the expert judges at Blas na hEireann shortlisted the grills for the final stages of this year’s important event in Dingle. We’ve won a number of awards there in the past, as well as UK Great Taste Awards for our popular dry-cure bacon,” adds Mervyn. “We’ve everything crossed for October.”

Mervyn started Kennedy Bacon in 2013 to produce high quality products from the family farm on the back of his extensive experience and skills in dry curing pork. All his bacon and pork products are carefully cured by hand. He has developed an extensive range of artisan products which are also now sold in delis and convenience stores in Northern Ireland and Donegal.

“We do not over-process our products. We add less salt and no phosphate or water, ensuring our product is the healthiest it can be. Our aim, as a company, is to produce premium and tasty products at competitive prices,” he says.