Experience the Orchard County’s finest food, drink in a four-day harvest spectacular from 7 September

Tuesday 15^th August 2023: Armagh’s Food & Cider Weekend is back this September with a tasty line-up of new events, fresh features and an unrivalled tasting menu designed to deliver a uniquely memorable experience worth sharing.

From artisan markets, delectable tasting specials, banquets and cidery tours to fiery cooking demos and foraging for food, the island of Ireland’s celebrated Orchard County promises an unrivalled gastronomic line-up for food and drink lovers that will embolden its culinary reputation.

In stunning, historical locations and amidst the county’s lush apple-laden orchards and parklands, Northern Ireland’s official Food Heartland has more than 40 standout events planned from September which celebrate the best food, history and culture of the Cathedral City and its surroundings at harvest time.

Backed by award-winning local chefs, producers and food experts, this year’s Armagh Food and Cider Weekend is once again guaranteed to be Northern Ireland’s biggest food and harvest celebration.

Deputy Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough, Cllr Sorchá McGeown, said:

“Outstanding food, quality ingredients and world class cider are always reasons to celebrate which is why we’re delighted to welcome back visitors from near and far to experience the fresh menu and new crop of activities at this year’s Armagh Food & Cider Weekend.

Packed with great places to eat, and vibrant markets, come along with family and friends to indulge in a culinary kick through our city and enjoy the region’s best produce in a one-of-a-kind destination you’ll want to come back to. Good food and drink are always on the table in our Food Heartland”.

Crannagael House – where Armagh’s apple story officially began – is a big feature in this year’s programme. Award-winning 4 Vicars team Gareth Reid and his wife Kasia will be serving up a sumptuous Celebration of Cider and Cheese event showcasing the best of local produce, as well as the chance to savour a delicious Sunday lunch prepared by The Cook and The Gardener in stunning Georgian surroundings.

Across the long weekend, well known harvest ambassadors the McKeever family at Long Meadow Cider Company will host a series of special events including a Wine V Cider evening and a hugely popular ‘Flash Fiction’ event for new and experienced writers.

In Markethill, at the edge of Gosford Park, lively food aficionado team ‘On the Hoof’, which specialises in outdoor woodfire cookery, will share its expertise with guests as part of a special Woodland Supper– and to learn new skills there are two Cooking with Fire events focusing on both meat and fish and concluding with a celebratory BBQ serving the scrumptious low and slow dishes lovingly prepared by you.

Fifth Quarter, Banbridge’s newest restaurant, will host a Beef Tasting Menu & Wine Tasting as well as a Wine, Cheese and Charcuterie evening, while The Vault in nearby Banbridge is offering visitors an exceptional ‘Tipsy Tea’ experience, bringing the authentic taste of Italy to County Armagh with its renowned artisan woodfired pizzas.

Multi-award-winning Blackwell House will be welcoming guests to its outstanding Pudding Club on Friday, celebrating a special line-up of delicious homemade fruity treats and drinks, followed by a decadent, luxury weekend of Afternoon Teas to ease your way through the Orchard weekend. 

Armagh Cider Company will also host its popular Cidery Tour, taking you on the journey from apple to bottle so that you can see for yourself how the magic happens!

There are also plenty of food and cider tours lined up over the weekend including a walking and coach tour, comprising great tastes and a chance to meet and chat to the local suppliers.

For more information and to book early to avoid disappointment, jump into https://visitarmagh.com/festivals/food-cider/food-and-cider-events/

Following a 3-star win in the world’s most coveted food and drink accreditation programme, Morelli’s Pistachio Swirl is now in the running for a Great Taste Golden Fork award

Ireland’s oldest ice cream producer, Morelli’s Ice Cream, has been named among the top food and drink producers in the world through the Great Taste 2023 accreditation scheme.

Morelli’s Pistachio Swirl ice cream scooped a Great Taste 3-star award earlier this month, and as one of the highest scoring products at the awards, Morelli’s Ice Cream is now in the running to win a Great Taste Golden Fork: the highest accolades in the food and drink world.

More than 14,000 products were put through the competition’s rigorous blind judging process; and Morelli’s Pistachio Swirl was dubbed an “utterly, utterly delicious product that totally delighted the judges” at the world’s most coveted food and drink awards.

More than 4,000 products were awarded a Great Taste 1-star – ‘food and drink that delivers fantastic flavour’, more than 1,500 were awarded a Great Taste 2-star – ‘above and beyond delicious’, and more than 200 were awarded a Great Taste 3-star – ‘extraordinarily tasty food and drink.’

Described as “a scrumptious ice cream with a totally delicious nutty flavour, enhanced by the richness of the nuts and the exquisitely smooth Sicilian pistachio cream”, Morelli’s Pistachio Swirl ice cream was a big hit with the Great Taste judges.

Made with the finest Sicilian pistachio nuts and traditional Sicilian pistachio cream (crema al pistachio), the flavour is intense and certainly one for pistachio lovers.

Daniela Morelli-Kerr, Sales and Marketing Director at Morelli’s Ice Cream said:

“For Pistachio Swirl to be recognised with a Great Taste 3-star award earlier this month already felt like a huge win, so to know we are also one of the highest scoring products means so much to us here at Morelli’s Ice Cream, as it makes all the hard work and determination worth it! It’s so exciting to now be nominated for a Golden Fork and we are looking forward to the awards in September.”

The winners will be revealed on Monday 11 September at the Great Taste Golden Forks awards ceremony held at Battersea Arts Centre, London.

What is Great Taste? 

Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else. All products in the line-up for judging are blind tasted: every product is removed from its packaging so it cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process. 

Organised by the Guild of Fine Food, this year’s Great Taste awards judging took place over 89 days in Dorset and London, with a panel of more than 500 judges putting the products to the test. The line-up saw food and drink products submitted from an extraordinary 109 different countries across the world.  

Food & Drink Wales is the headline sponsor of Great Taste 2023. Great Taste Golden Fork trophy sponsors include: Andrew Ingredients, Bord Bia, Food & Drink Wales, Invest NI, Italian Trade Agency, Maltby & Greek, Mevalco, Partridges, Scotland Food and Drink, ShireFoods, and Speciality and Fine Food Fair. Great Taste is supported by Henderson Group, Horgans, and Peter Green Chilled.  

For more information about Morelli’s Ice Cream visit www.morellisices.com.

The full list of this year’s winners and where to buy them can be found at www.greattasteawards.co.uk and a wide range of the award-winning products are available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retailers across the country. 

MUSGRAVE NI LAUNCHES FOOD DONATION SCHEME IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FARESHARE NI

Over 5,000 meals provided to local charities so far this year.

Musgrave NI has launched a partnership with FareShare Northern Ireland, the region’s biggest charity fighting hunger and tackling food waste, by introducing food donation points into selected SuperValu and Centra stores.

SuperValu and Centra customers have already been supporting a trial in selected stores, and have so far donated over 800kg of food, helping 40 charities provide the equivalent of 1,623 meals, while Musgrave donated a further 1,495 kg of food equating to an additional 3,475 meals. 

The partnership is now being extended to more stores across Northern Ireland.

Desi Derby, Director of Marketing for SuperValu and Centra at Musgrave NI said:

“We are acutely aware of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on people and families across Northern Ireland so to be able to work with FareShare and provide these collection points for food donation is something which we’re very proud of. We would like to thank our shoppers for their support and encourage customers to pick up an extra item when they’re shopping and donate it to this very worthwhile cause.” 

FareShare is the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and tackling food waste. FareShare works with the food industry to get good-to-eat food surplus food,  which might otherwise go to waste, and redistribute it to a nationwide network of frontline charities and community groups. These charities help tackle the root causes of poverty, and provide wraparound services including shelters for the homeless, lunch clubs for elderly people suffering with isolation, and support with issues including debt, employment and mental health.

In Northern Ireland, FareShare is operated by Homeless Connect (the working name of Council for the Homeless (Northern Ireland).  It is the largest charitable food redistribution project in NI fighting hunger and tackling food waste. In 2022, FareShare Northern Ireland distributed the equivalent of 1,616,295 meals.

Polly Hofmann, Head of Retail at FareShare added:

“We are enormously grateful to Musgrave Northern Ireland for their support with this partnership. After a successful trial in selected stores, we look forward to extending the project to many more locations in the coming months. Demand for food from FareShare has skyrocketed due to the cost-of-living crisis and generous donations by customers of SuperValu and Centra will ensure the charities we support in Northern Ireland can continue to provide essential services, using food to strengthen communities.”

FareShare food donation points are available in:

• SuperValu Comber
• SuperValu Downpatrick
• SuperValu Lisburn
• SuperValu Kings Road
• SuperValu Newcastle
• SuperValu Omagh
• SuperValu Portadown
• SuperValu Portstewart
• Centra Foxes Glen (Stewartstown Road)
• Centra Mallusk
• Centra Islandbawn (Antrim)
• Centra Ballymena
• Centra Brookmount (Omagh)

Dozens of Food NI members made up the vast majority of Great Taste Award winners 2023. Morelli’s Pistachio Swirl Ice Cream by Morelli Ice Cream was one of 9 3-star products won by Northern Ireland producers and Food NI members. Morelli’s also took 3 stars for their Clotted Cream Ice
Cream with Irish Black Butter. Maud’s Ice Cream got 3 stars for their Pistachio Ice Cream.

There were three stars for Hannan’s Koji and Buttermilk Pork Chops as well as Baronscourt Estate’s Wild Sika Venison Loin and French Rack. Ballyboley Dexter 28 day Dry-aged On the Bone Rump Steak also made the 3-star grade as did Whitewater Brewery/ Hinch Distillery’s Barrel Aged Stout.

Several members including Spadetown Brewery’s Po-Faced Pils got 2 stars as did Get Er Brewed Do You Wanna Funk Hop Forward IPA, Lacada’s Brewery’s Blue Pool, Basalt Distillery’s Giants Rock Basalt Gin, Thompson’s Our Favourite Everyday, Irish Breakfast, Scottish Blend and Punjana teas,
Portilla’s Sandona Coffee, Coney Island Coffee’s 200 hour Fermented Colombia, Forest Feast Whole Canadian Dried Cranberries, Granny Shaw’s Shut Yer Gob Irish Stout Toffee, Fairley’s Flavours Fiery
Reaper Hot Sauce, Burren Balsamics’ Armagh Bramley Apple Infused Balsamic Vinegar, Craic Foods Wasabi and Kombu Sea Salt, Hannan Meats’ Sugar Pit Bacon Rack, Sugar Pit Bacon Chop, Salt Aged Pancetta, Whole Belly Porchetta, Miso Sirloin and Steak and Ale Pie, Corndale Charcuterie Free
Range Fennel Salami, Linden Foods Kettyle Irish Foods Salt Moss Aged King Arthur Joint and Marrow Melt 200g Chubb , Carnbrooke Wagyu Ribeye Steak, Wagyu Cote de Boeuf and Wagyu Steak Burger,
Rooney’s Millbay Oysters, Ballyrashane Salted Butter, Ben’s Vanilla Delight Ice-Cream, Dukes Salt and Caramel Ice Cream and Draynes Farm Mango and Passionfruit Sorbet.

Food NI members who are 1-star winners include Get Er Brewed who won a total of 3 1-star awards for Pressure to Pick Italian Pilsner, Modern Love Pale Ale and Frankie and Eileen’s Gin.

Lakeland Dairies got 4 1 star awards for Ballyrashane Semi-Skimmed Milk and Whole Milk, Ballyrashane Buttermilk and Ballyrashane Double Cream.

MacIvor’s Cider who took two 1- star awards for Dry Irish and Medium Irish Ciders. Brewery winners include McCrackens’s (1 star) Premium Pilsner, Lacada Brewery’s East the Beast and Spadetown’s Ragin’ Red Ale. Moocha Kombucha’s Elderflower and Lemon and Lemon and Ginger got a star each, as did Punjana Ltd for Thompson’s Decaf, Suki Lemon and Ginger Tea and Portilla’s Comuna Café.

In Snacks, Burren Balsamics got a star each for Proper Digestive Biscuits, Burger Sauce, Black Garlic Balsamic Vinegar and Tarragon-infused White Condiment. Glens of Antrim Potatoes Shindig Crisps won a star each for four flavours- Irish Sea Salt and Vinegar, Mature Irish Cheddar and Sweet Onion, Sour Cream and Shamrock Ridged Crisps and Whiskey Smoked Bacon Ridged Crisps.

Kestrel Foods under their Forest Feast brand were successful with 1 stars for Slow Roasted Truffle and Pecorino Nut Mix and Preda Fair Trade Mango Slices and Nut Milk Choco Peanuts. L’Artisan Foods won a star for their Chicken and Broccoli Empanada as did Bertie’s Bakery for Wee Sodas and Sliced Wheaten and Madame Mac’s Coffee Macaron. 1 star for Springmount Farm Free Range Eggs!

Gold and Browne’s Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Brownie was awarded 1 star as did Granny Shaw’s “Shut Yer Gob” Treacle Fudge Toffee, En Place Foods Corndale Farm Nduja Ketchup and Isolt Chilli Paste, Blackfire Foods’ Bonfire Chipotle Sauce, Kennedy’s Dry-Cured Streaky Bacon, Corndale Charcuterie’s Wild Sika Venison Salami, Carnbrooke’s Wagyu Sirloin Steak, Linden Foods’ Kettyle Irish Foods Marrow Melt, Kettyle Irish Foods Salt Moss Aged Fillet, Kettyle Irish Foods Salt Moss Aged T- Bone, Ballyboley Pedigree Dexter 28 Day Dry Aged On the Bone Fillet Steak, Hannan Meats’ Koji Sirloin, Miso Pork Chop, Black Pudding with Bramley Apple, White Pudding, Chicken and Ham Pie and Gourmet Pork Sausage Roll Quails Fine Foods Pork Honey and Mustard Sausages, Baronscourt Estate Wild Sika Venison Burger, Lough Neagh Fisherman’s Co-Operative Lough Neagh Smoked Eel and Wild Lough Neagh Trout Fillet in a Garlic and Herb Marinade.

There were 1 star awards for Dundarave Estate’s Christmas Pudding, Abernethy Butter’s Truffle Butter, Glastry Farm’s Raspberry Ruffle Sorbet, Morelli’s Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream, Dulce de Leche with Macadamia Nut Ice Cream, Clotted Cream with Amarena Cherry Ice Cream, Duke’s
Premium Ice Cream Chocolate Brownie and Honeycomb Flavours, Jam at the Doorstep’s Sticky Toffee Pudding and Betty’s Dragon Fruit Dairy Ice Cream.

Mash Direct Beer Battered Chips and Beer Battered Onion Rings got a star each, Creightons of Balmoral did for Curried Parsnip Soup, Mourne Dew Distillery for their Premium Irish Vodka and Blackthorn Foods for their Butter Fudge. Crawford’s Rock got a star each for Pickled Seaweed, Apple
Cider Vinegar with Mother and Seaweed and Salt Chocolate. Deli Lites was awarded a star for their vegan Beets and Spirulina Crunch Pot as did TS Foods for their Fresh Breadcrumbs. All 3-star winning products were tasted and judged again to crown the Golden Fork trophy winners
and the 2023 Supreme Champion – the highest accolade of all.

All will be announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Ceremony on Monday 11 September 2023 at the Battersea Arts Centre, London.

Shoppers at Mexico City’s high-end El Palacio de Hierro department store are now able to experience the range of rich flavours of natural fruit-infused vinegars, relishes and jams developed by Burren Balsamics at Richhill in Co Armagh.

The new export business won by Burren Balsamics is the outcome of a ‘meet the buyer’ event in London last October during which Susie Hamilton Stubber, the Northern Ireland artisan company’s managing director, and Bob McDonald, development director, connected with buyers from El Palacio de Hierro, the upscale chain of department stores in Mexico. Following successful commercial conversations, Burren Balsamics, a UK Business and Trade export champion, has just fulfilled its first-ever order to the store in Mexico City. 

Burren Balsamics has now been invited to attend the opening of El Palacio de Hierro’s flagship store in Polanco, Mexico City on Thursday 3 rd  of August. The event will involve a press conference and dinner with attendance of El Palacio de Hierro directorates, His Majesty’s Ambassador to Mexico, media, influencers and Department for Business and Trade Mexico senior officers.  Founded in 1888, El Palacio is often described as the Harrods of Mexico. The stores provide an extensive range of luxury clothing, electrical goods and gourmet foods.

Susie Hamilton Stubber, founder and managing director of Burren Balsamics in 2014, a specialist in flavoured vinegars for chefs and home cooks, says: “We were thrilled to receive our first order from such a prestigious and influential as El Palacio del Hierro is and to be representing Northern Ireland in Mexico. We delighted to be working with the Department of Business in promoting British foods throughout Mexico. “It’s a marvellous opportunity for us to promote and sell our natural fruit infused vinegars, relishes and jams at Palacio and other outlets especially chefs in top hotels and restaurants across the country,” she adds.

Burren Balsamics, which has won a host of quality awards and exports worldwide, has a key role in helping the department to reach out to business, by sharing their exporting expertise with new and inexperienced exporters and promoting the benefits of exporting. 

The Department for Business and Trade’s Export Champion programme, allows successful exporters of all sizes to support their peers – other businesses – to develop their export potential. In November 2022, Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch announced eight UK business leaders as Export Champions including Armagh’s Burren Balsamics. Between them, they represent a variety of key sectors in the economy and offer voluntarily support for exporting. Burren Balsamics is now following up its initial success from the ‘meet the buyer’ event in Mexico by supporting the DBT Food and Drink team is leading the UK Happening events in collaboration with the Palacio de Hierro store. One of Mexico’s leading retailers, it has outlets in Mexico City and a large footprint across Mexico’s largest provincial cities and is very well established in its luxury food and gourmet products.

The ‘UK Happening’ month-long promotional event is to celebrate 200 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Mexico. It will promote UK food and drink brands including Burren Balsamics.to shoppers across Mexico. The kick-off event will take place on Thursday 3 rd August 2023 – the event will involve PR, Press, Media, social media, marketing, and attendees will include Head of Mission, Directors from Palacio de Hierro, movers and shakers from the gourmet and high end food and drinks industry. “Activations” will take place at Palacio were brands will offer tasting sessions for customers – Burren’s directors will be an integral part of these activities.

Katie Brown, Agriculture, Food and Drink Lead – Department for Business and Trade, Northern Ireland, adds: “The Department is delighted to see the exporting success that Burren Balsamics has had in recent months, specifically the company’s recent export win with Mexican department store chain, El Palacio de Hierro.

“The Department for Business and Trade’s free export support is available to businesses of all sizes, across the UK, including Northern Ireland. “In the coming months, we plan to host a number of events to support Northern Ireland food and drink producers enter the global marketplace, including a 2- day virtual meet the buyer event in September and an exploratory trade mission to Anuga Tradeshow in Germany, the biggest food show in Europe this year, in October. “Expressions of interest for both events are now open to all Northern Ireland food and drink producers, and we would encourage applications from small, artisan food producers who are ready to take their business to the global stage, adds Katie.