ALDI Ireland has agreed a major new deal with Bangor-based Clandeboye Estate Yogurts worth more than £8.6 million. Clandeboye is a Food NI member.

The deal was announced as part of ALDI’s announcement of four new contracts with suppliers from across Ireland, worth more than €26 million. Clandeboye has been working with ALDI for more than 10 years. This new two-year deal worth £8.6m will see the Bangor-based supplier continue to supply ALDI Ireland with granola and Greek style craft yoghurts, as well as supplying ALDI UK stores for the first time. The international expansion should allow the supplier to grow its sales volumes by more than 450% and expand its 20-strong workforce.

 Clandeboye Estate has a unique history. The late Lady Dufferin, part of the Guinness family who owned the estate, started the yogurt business in 2007 to add value to the milk from the pedigree cows which graze on the estate. Initially, the products were sold from their own little honesty shop and St George’s Market in Belfast. Products are made using an Authentic Greek Style method, which is unique in Ireland.

 Announcing the new contract with Clandeboye, Colin Breslin, Managing Director of Buying and Services, ALDI Ireland, said: “At ALDI, we are committed to supporting our Irish producers, meaning our customers can enjoy the very best products the island of Ireland has to offer, and our suppliers can reach new markets with their produce.

“We have worked with Clandeboye Estate Yogurts Dairies for almost ten years already, and this new deal we are announcing today is testament to the partnership we have built. The scale of this investment, worth more than £8.6 million, shows how much we value our relationship with Clandeboye. We’re delighted to be able to help them expand their offering across our UK stores, as well as across our stores in the Republic of Ireland, and are delighted this should enable them to grow their workforce.”

 Bryan Boggs, General Manager, Clandeboye Estate Yogurts, added: Clandeboye’s partnership with ALDI over the years has been absolutely central to our growth, including the recent opening of a new state of the art creamery on our farm here in Co. Down. We are grateful for the loyalty ALDI show to local suppliers and hope our authentically strained products continue to add to their offering across Ireland and the UK. Key to us is maintaining really high quality as production grows and working with organisations like ALDI that understand this is so important.”

NORTHERN IRELAND’S FAVOURITE ICE CREAMS OF 2023 REVEALED

• Double Cream Vanilla is named as Northern Ireland’s most loved ice cream flavour of 2023
• Toffee-popcorn is this year’s fastest growing flavour, while the candyfloss-flavoured Unicorn has entered the top 10 for the first time
• Sunday is our favourite day to buy an ice cream
• Pensioners prefer pokes, while Gen Z and millennials opt for tubs and big portions

As a not-so-sunny summer draws to a close, Morelli’s Ice Cream, Ireland’s oldest ice cream producer, has revealed 2023’s most popular ice cream buying trends of sweet treat fanatics across Northern Ireland.

2023 sales data from Morelli’s Ice Cream shows:

• Double Cream Vanilla is Northern Ireland’s favourite flavour, followed by Honeycomb
• Newer flavours have entered the bestseller charts this year, led by the candyfloss-flavoured Unicorn
• Ice cream preferences have a generational divide as Gen Z and millennials opt for large tubs, while pensioners prefer pokes
• More ice cream is sold in Portrush and Portstewart than anywhere else in Northern Ireland
• The most popular day for an ice cream is Sunday
• Double Cream Vanilla is the most popular flavour everywhere apart from Derry/Londonderry and Armagh, where they prefer Honeycomb

A nation of traditionalists

Double Cream Vanilla remains the nation’s sweetheart as it continues to hold the title of Northern Ireland’s top ice cream flavour. The old favourite is followed closely by Honeycomb, with both flavours accounting for 50% of Morelli’s total sales across Northern Ireland.

The weird and wonderful

Morelli’s candyfloss-flavoured ice cream, Unicorn, has edged Bubblegum out of the top ten best-selling flavours of the year. Unicorn’s sweetness, mixed with its vibrant colours, has resulted in the flavour becoming a firm favourite this summer.

Summer’ 23 was a season of new flavours, which proved popular with Northern Ireland’s ice cream connoisseurs. Morelli’s launched several new flavours, including Butterscotch and Cheeky Monkey (Chocolate Ice Cream with a Banana Ripple). One of its newest flavours, Toffee Popcorn, piqued the interests of many ice cream fans, with sales increasing by 12% of the later part of the summer.

Location, location, location

In four counties, Double Cream Vanilla tops the bestseller charts. This differs in Armagh and Derry-Londonderry, where Honeycomb is the bestseller. Derry-Londonderry’s tastes differ from the rest of the country when it comes to the top three flavours; it’s the only place where chocolate isn’t in the top three bestselling flavours. The maiden city prefers Raspberry Ripple.

There is one thing everyone in Northern Ireland does agree on, and that’s that Sundays are for scoops. A high percentage of Morelli’s sales take place on a Sunday, more than any other day of the week.

When it comes to where the most ice cream in Northern Ireland is purchased, there’s one clear winner. The North Coast has every other part of the country licked, as 30% of Morelli’s sales take place in Portrush and Portstewart.

How do you take yours?

The famous tub and cone debate can be put to bed for another year, as Morelli’s reveals that tubs account for 60% of its ice cream sales in 2023, ahead of cones at 40%. A generational divide is also emerging, with the majority of cone sales coming from pensioners, whilst people aged between 18-45 preferred tubs and larger servings.

Commenting on this year’s ice cream trends, Daniela Morelli-Kerr from Morelli’s Ice Cream said:

“While traditional flavours like Vanilla and Honeycomb remain popular, we’re seeing a real shift towards more modern flavours like Unicorn and Toffee-Popcorn. We believe this is being driven by social media trends and a desire for ice cream that not only tastes good but looks good too.

“There are many highlights of working in ice cream production, but a highlight for the Morelli’s team is the opportunity to create these weird and wonderful new flavours. While it’s these flavours that grab the headlines in the ice cream world, our sales data shows that we still have a soft spot for traditional flavours that are being enjoyed in tubs and cones across the country, mostly on a Sunday!”

The sales figures have been released by Morelli’s Ice Cream following a successful year for the company, expanding into Sainsbury’s, winning two 3-star Great Taste Awards and a gold Irish Quality Food and Drink award for its Dunnes Stores range. The brand also collaborated with Hartley’s Jelly at the start of summer 23’ with a hamper competition.

Speaking on the company’s recent successes, which include winning contracts, awards and accolades from the food industry in Northern Ireland, Ireland and the UK, Daniela added: “2023 has been a great year for Morelli’s Ice Cream. From securing a deal with Sainsbury’s stores across Northern Ireland, to winning two 3-star Great Taste Awards – it’s safe to say we are thrilled with our progress this year and we’re grateful to our customers for their continued support.”

Food NI member Noisy Snacks, from Dungannon, is making considerable noise after bagging a supply deal worth up to £500,000 with Tesco. The Tyrone company, founded in 2018, will supply its full range of pulse-based healthy snacks to 688 Tesco Stores across the United Kingdom and 100 in the Irish Republic.

Neil Hubbard, commercial director of the firm, described the new deal as ‘game changing’ for the growing business: “Thanks to Tesco we will be effectively doubling our sales. This will really provide us with a solid platform to grow right across the UK and Ireland.”

“I can’t speak highly enough of the Tesco team who have made this possible. They have worked seamlessly and tirelessly across their GB and Ireland teams to make this happen. From our conversations with them they were really keen to support Northern Ireland indigenous suppliers with the potential to supply Tesco’s huge customer base. They have, of course, a long-standing track record in this regard, but we’ve found them a delight to deal with.”

Noisy Snacks’ award-winning range includes broad beans, chickpeas and peanuts, all of which are vegan, gluten free and high in protein and fibre. The range comes in 25g, 100g and 150g bags.

Michael Crealey, buying manager from Tesco, said there was a huge demand for healthier snacks that could be consumed at home or on the go: “Within Tesco we have been supporting Northern Ireland suppliers for more than two and half decades now and it has been amazing to see so many household brands making it onto the shelves of Tesco right across Britain, NI and the Republic as testament to the levels of innovation and quality that are evident within the Northern Ireland food and drink sector.”

Noisy Snacks are currently available in Tesco stores in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Symphonia Spirits in Moy, a Food NI member, has hit the right notes with Tesco Northern Ireland, announcing a significant listing for its Irish Apple Gin, which is now available across the majority of Tesco stores in Northern Ireland and via Tesco online. 

A sustainable distillery developed by organic chemist, Dr Ulrich Dyer, Symphonia Spirits makes its products using a unique cold distillation process that uses only two percent of the energy required for traditional distilling*, making it the most sustainable distillation process across the industry.

Combining the purity of science with flavours from nature, two-star Great Taste award-winning Symphonia Irish Apple Gin uses the Armagh Bramley Apple, an ingredient unique to Northern Ireland. It sits alongside Symphonia’s Irish Dry Gin – named as Champion of Champions at the Irish Gin Awards – and Symphonia Raspberry Gin Liqueur and Symphonia Irish Apple Rum. 

Tesco is the first major retailer to list Symphonia Spirits’ gin and complements a strong network of independent off-sales and hospitality customers that stock the gin across Northern Ireland. 

Dr Ulrich Dyer adds: “We are delighted to have secured this listing with Tesco which will give shoppers across Northern Ireland a convenient way to purchase Symphonia Irish Apple Gin from their local Tesco store. “We are particularly excited by this listing as it comes on the cusp of an important phase of growth for the business, which will be supported by an ambitious marketing campaign and the development of new flavours. Our goal is for Symphonia Spirits to bottle the rich flavours of Northern Ireland, and to make this available across the world for people to enjoy. This is the first step in a new chapter for the business”.

Symphonia Spirits creates the best-tasting spirits possible by capturing the flavours and fragrances of botanicals in the most eco-efficient way. Its unique distillation process uses three techniques – cold distillation, hydro-distillation, and molecular analysis – which extract botanicals with maximum efficiency, preserving their taste and quality. 

Committed to sourcing Northern Irish products, Michael Crealey, Tesco buying manager for NI, says: “Tesco is a major supporter of Northern Ireland producers and we now list thousands of products from over 100 local suppliers. I’ve been watching Symphonia’s growth over the past few years and am delighted that due to the company’s upscaling of production, we can now offer its award-winning, and distinctive Irish apple gin to our customers, giving our shoppers even greater choice and quality with our alcohol aisles.”

 
After working at the cutting-edge of drug discovery for 30 years, Dr Ulrich Dyer founded Symphonia Spirits five years ago, determined to find a more sustainable method of distilling alcohol.  He combined his love of food and drink with his understanding of molecular science to create Symphonia Irish gin – ironically a spirit originally invented by chemists.

Over the past five years, the company has added to its product range, and in addition to gin and rum, Symphonia Spirits has plans to introduce innovative new products in 2024.

Food NI member Irish Black Butter has been shortlisted in the prestigious Quality Food Awards which recognise the finest food products, available to purchase in the UK.

Irish Black Butter, a sweet/savoury spread from Portrush, Co Antrim, is shortlisted in the relishes category. The artisan company, owned by Alastair Bell, has won a host of UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann awards for the spread which features Armagh bramley apples and spices. The sauce is now on sale in Britain, Ireland and the US.

Food NI’s chief executive Michele Shirlow said: “This is another important achievement for Irish Black Butter and is a tremendous endorsement of the product and the professionalism of this artisan business.”

Now in its 44th year, the Quality Food Awards are the longest-running, most prestigious food awards in the UK; they cast a spotlight on products that offer fine ingredients, great taste and aroma, beautiful packaging and amazing value for money.

The Quality Food Awards are not just about new products – judges are looking to reward excellence in food and soft drinks, regardless of when a product was launched. If it tastes great and looks great, a well-established product is as eligible to win an award as one that was launched in the past 12 months.

Winning a Quality Food Award is an outstanding achievement. It means that a product has been judged to be the very best by renowned industry experts – and that really is something to shout about.

Other local companies shortlisted are meat processor Dunbia in Dungannon, WD Meats in Coleraine and Seasons of the Glens in Ballycastle for its Devil’s Churn Campfire Caramel Sauce.

Chef Rob Curley & Slemish Market Supper Club had their 4 Hands dining experience with Les Gens Heureux Bistro Tours, Loire Valley France. It was a wonderful  evening of gastronomic food , service, fun  & fine Loire Valley wine with Head Chef Gilles Hemart  his kitchen team &  owner Lucie Plisson + her front of house team.

The day of the 4 hands Dinner there was a 6.30 am  start for Chef Gilles & Rob to Tours market to choose all the ingredients for the menu, back to the restaurant to prep for the evening.

Many thanks to everyone who dined with us  and to owner Lucie ,Chef Gilles , the restaurant team and the people of Tours who welcomed me like family. It is an amazing city of hospitality , culture & home to the Ireland Rugby team for their Rugby World Cup France 2023 .( a little secret the Irish coaches and Management dined in the bistro).

Allez Les Verts! Allez Les Bleus!

The 4 hands Menu:

The Irish Coconut Cocktail 

Poiteen / Gorse Cordial / Potato 

Wee bites: Amuse Bouche

“ The Hangover Sandwich”

Black pudding / Potato Bread / Egg Yolk Jam / Apple Ketchup / Bushmills Whiskey Pipette 

Pig Potato Souffle/ Ham Cream 

Tapioca Cracker

Irish & French Oysters

Guinness & Oyster /  Crisp Oatmeal crumbed Oyster/ Pickled Rathlin Island Sea Lettuce / Guinness Gel / Oyster Sea Foam

Oyster/ Gin Jelly / Salmon Caviar / Tagette Flowers / Citrus Foam 

Shamrock Spirulina Mousse / Fine Herbs / Green Corsican Jus

 Loire Pike Perch / Tour Honey / Porridge of Baby Vegetables / Brown Beer Jus 

Mille Feuile of Cabbage and Apple 

Tenderloin of Pork / Potato Cube / Malt Sauce 

Ruck & Maul

White Chocolate Cremeaux Rugby Ball /  Poached Pear / Oat Crumble / Pear & Apple Shamrock 

Petite Fours