Tag: Armagh

Touch of Gold for Burren Balsamics!

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Burren Balsamics, Northern Ireland’s award-winning producer of natural fruit infused vinegars, has launched an innovative product for Christmas.

The company, which is based at Richhill in county Armagh, has added a new gold addition to its successful range of Italian influenced white balsamics.

The new balsamic features 24 carat gold leaf in a classic 200ml bottle and is available in a special gift box with unique LED back lighting at RRP £20.

Chef Susie Hamilton Stubber, founder and managing director of Burren Balsamics, says the new balsamic is an ideal Christmas gift. “I wanted to do something really different for the festive season, a delicious product with a bit of sparkle. It’s a great way to bring colour to festive dishes.”

The new product was launched at the recent Spirit of Christmas Show at Olympia in London. “We did extremely well at the show. Feedback was excellent, and we gained good business from existing customers and signed up an encouraging number of new sales,” Mrs Hamilton Stubber adds.

Burren Balsamics has achieved success in major awards including UK Great Taste and won gold in the Blas na hEireann, Irish Food Awards in 2016. The company is now engaged in a major marketing drive to grow business outside Northern Ireland.

Burren Balsamics was formally established in February 2014 by Mr Hamilton Stubber from her extensive experience in catering in Britain and Northern Ireland.

The initial range of vinegars were infused with locally sourced fruit for zesty flavours such as Armagh Bramley apples and quality fruits from local farmers including blackcurrants strawberries and blueberries. The vinegars are on sale across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The white vinegar range was introduced last year and features Original, Blood Orange and Cardamom, Wild Garlic and Tarragon

Mac Ivors Cider Celebrates Winning National Trust Fine Farm Food Award

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Food NI member MacIvor’s Cider  has won a National Trust Fine Farm Food Awards presented at BBC Countryfile Live at Blenheim Palace.

Mac Ivors Cider Co produces its Traditional Dry Cider, Medium Cider and Plum and Ginger Cider at its orchards opposite Ardress House in County Armagh.

The awards, which are now in their 12th year, celebrate the very best produce from the Trust’s 1,500 tenant farmers and estates. Producers participating look after more than 500,000 acres of grazed pasture, orchards and arable farmland across the UK.

Greg MacNeice, a fifth generation apple grower, said his family planted their first apple orchard at Ardress in 1855, and, since then, have been nurturing and developing over 100 acres of orchards.

Speaking about winning the prestigious Fine Farm Food Award for the second time, Greg said: “We have been growing apples here at Ardress since 1855 but we have only been producing cider from here since 2011. As my father said we are caretakers of the land and we’re here to leave it in a better state than we found it and then pass it on to the next generation.

“We try and do that in everything that we do. For example we bring hives of bumblebees into the orchards and allow them to nest here.

“I set out to make a cider which was as close to a freshly pressed apple as it could possibly be. That was the scent and the smell of my childhood in the orchards. I wanted people to get that in a bottle if that was possible.

“The National Trust Fine Farm Food Awards allow people to get to know the tenant farmers and celebrate everything which the countryside offers and prove that sustainable food isn’t just better for nature but that it tastes better too.

“Everyone here is delighted to be recognised by the National Trust for the work we do and we are proud that our Traditional Dry Cider and Medium Cider have been awarded.

“Mac Ivors Cider is now on sale in many of the beautiful National Trust cafes in both Northern Ireland and Britain.”

Rob Macklin, Head of Food and Farming for the National Trust, said: “The standard of produce this year has been higher than ever before. It has been a pleasure for the judges to see producers, associated with National Trust land and coast, rising to the challenge of producing fine farm food. We were amazed at the standards of the nominations which show the highest standards of farming can deliver excellent produce and work hand in hand with nature. These awards recognise the very best producers from National Trust estates.”

Mac Ivors Cider Co’s ciders, and all products nominated, were not only assessed for taste but also against a range of environmental standards to guarantee the quality and origin of products alongside high levels of production.

CO ARMAGH CIDER LANDS AT BELFAST CITY AIRPORT

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Armagh-based Long Meadow Cider has been awarded an exclusive craft cider contract in the Bushmills Bar at George Best Belfast City Airport.

Long Meadow Cider’s contract with HMSHost International, the leading provider of food and beverage outlets in over 100 airports worldwide, was secured following the company’s Blossom Burst Cider beating over 70 local suppliers to be named Northern Ireland’s ‘Best’ local food and drink product in a competition launched by Belfast City Airport in partnership with Food NI earlier this year.

The Bushmills Bar and the recently rebranded St. George’s Market restaurant in the airport, both managed by HMSHost, will both stock the award-winning Blossom Burst flavour.

Peter McKeever, one of the Founders and Managing Directors at Long Meadow Cider, said:
“Having our Blossom Burst Cider named Northern Ireland’s ‘Best’ local food and drink product and receiving £30k of marketing support at Belfast City Airport has been a real turning point in our business, it has been the icing on the cake in what has been an incredible four years.

“As a small, family owned business, we never imagined getting to the finals, let alone winning! We are so grateful for the relationship we now have with the airport which has opened doors and has now led to our exclusive cider contract with HMSHost in Belfast.

“The first order was placed in mid-Summer with a second, larger, order placed the following week, and we believe this contract has the potential to be our biggest.

“Belfast City Airport welcomes approximately 2.7million passengers through its doors each year from domestic and international locations providing us with a considerable platform to showcase our product.

“Alongside the news that both Bushmills Bar and St. George’s Market will be stocking our cider, we launched our new Rhubarb and Honey flavour in July and it has surpassed all sales expectations.

“This new flavour is not only to celebrate our fourth year in business but also in response to demand for flavoured ciders.”

The company already exports to France, Mexico, Italy and the Republic of Ireland, and regularly receives international interest.

The McKeever family has been growing apples at Long Meadow Farm for three generations and all products are made from 100% natural Bramley apples, grown and harvested on the farm.

Alex Woodhouse, Hospitality Manager at HMSHost, said:
“Bottled cider is consistently one of the most popular selling bottled, alcoholic products in the Bushmills Bar and St. Georges Market at Belfast City Airport.

“Over the last number of years, we have focused on trying to create strong links with leading, local suppliers. Where we can work with local providers, we will.

“Long Meadow Cider has had a really successful few years and the feedback from our customers so far has been fantastic, so we’re delighted to work with Long Meadow as our exclusive craft cider partner in Belfast City Airport.”

Joanne Deighan, Commercial Manager at Belfast City Airport, said:
“At Belfast City Airport, we are passionate about championing and supporting local brands.

“Last year we facilitated a relationship between World Duty Free and Shortcross Gin which has resulted in the product being stocked in a number of its outlets in airports across the UK, including Belfast City Airport.

“Our search for Northern Ireland’s ‘Best’ local food and drink product in partnership with Food NI earlier this year allowed us to provide the winner, Long Meadow Cider, with £30k of on-site advertising and marketing support to promote its brand to our 2.7million passengers each year.

“With passengers travelling from across the UK, or further afield through our summer Aer Lingus routes or KLM’s daily service to Amsterdam, it is vital that our retail and product offering is of a high standard. To be able to provide local produce to these customers is fantastic and we’re thrilled to introduce Long Meadow Cider to our customers in the Bushmills Bar and St. George’s Market.”

Michele Shirlow, CEO of Food NI, said:
“The Belfast City Airport and Food NI competition was a fantastic platform for local food and drink producers from Northern Ireland, and the prize for Long Meadow Cider, which sees the brand promoted on a huge lightbox at the entrance to the airport, is a huge boost for the company.

“For this to have now extended to a contract with one of the leading providers of food and beverage outlets in airports worldwide is a real triumph, not only for Long Meadow Cider, but for innovation in local food and drink.

“I am over the moon to see companies such as Belfast City Airport and HMSHost working alongside suppliers and Food NI to ensure home-grown brands are championed and have a strong presence in front of local, domestic and international passengers.”

Good Food Guide Announces Best Northern Ireland Restaurants In 2018

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The Good Food Guide has announced its top restaurants and award winners today.  Alongside the finest dining establishments in Northern Ireland, the guide, owned by Waitrose, celebrates quality eateries in local areas and new discoveries, with 16 entries and one new entry from Northern Ireland featuring in the guide.

The Good Food Guide is compiled by combining reader feedback on restaurants up and down the country with anonymous inspections by a team of industry experts.

Best restaurants in Northern Ireland

Restaurants that have made it into the UK’s Top 50 Restaurants have been unveiled, with two restaurants tied as the highest scoring in Northern Ireland. Eipic and OX, both in Belfast, Co Antrim received a cooking score of six and take the title of best restaurants in Northern Ireland.

Elizabeth Carter, Waitrose Good Food Guide Editor, comments on Eipic, “The level of attention to detail in every mouthful is amazing, showing buckets of talent. Combinations are more intuitive than outrageous, but everything is a sheer joy. Danni Barry is a formidably talented practitioner of the contemporary gastronomic style.”

Of OX, she notes that “On the Lagan riverside with the graceful steel torsion of the Beacon of Hope sculpture right outside, OX is at the vanguard of Northern Irish gastronomy…and the whole place buzzes with enthusiastic staff and excited diners.”

Restaurants in Northern Ireland that appear in The Good Food Guide 2018

Other restaurants in Northern Ireland also featuring in The Good Food Guide this year alongside Eipic and OX are:

  • Hadskis in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • Il Pirata in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • James Street South in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • Mourne Seafood Bar in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • Shu in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • The Ginger Bistro in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • The Muddlers Club in Belfast, Co Antrim
  • The Old Schoolhouse Inn in Comber, Co Down
  • The Bay Tree in Holywood, Co Down
  • Vanilla in Newcastle, Co Down
  • Wine & Brine in Moira, Co Armagh
  • Balloo House in Killinchy, Co Down
  • Harry’s Shack in Portstewart, Londonderry
  • The Bull & Ram in Ballynahinch, Co Down

New Entries

A new entry to this year’s Good Food Guide is The Bull & Ram in Ballynahinch, Co Down. It was once a butcher’s shop, but now dishes up modern Irish bistro food.

For more information on some of the award-winning restaurants mentioned above visit Food NI – Restaurants and search by County.