Tag: Tesco

Hillstown Brewery says ‘cheers’ to Tesco

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Northern Irish Craft Beer Company Secures £90k Listing with Tesco NI

The Antrim based drinks company, Hillstown Brewery, has secured a listing with Tesco Northern Ireland that will see the leading retailer stock an extended range of its handcrafted beer in stores across the province, with sales of more than £90K forecasted for the first year.

Based in Randalstown, Hillstown Brewery is a small-scale microbrewery that produces handcrafted, unique beer direct from the farm.  On the back of the new listing with Tesco NI, Hillstown Brewery has invested in a larger brewing system to keep up with the demand of its expanded consumer base.

Starting with an unusual introduction to the world of craft brewing, the food and drinks company started with the intention to brew beer to feed cattle in order to produce Wagyu beef; however the demand for its beer resulted in Hillstown Brewery making the finest craft beer for humans too.

The new listing with Tesco NI means that the retailer will now stock the full range of Hillstown Beers. The brand’s uniquely named Massey Red Ale, The Drunken Donkey Lager, and The Squealing Pig IPA will join The Spitting Llama Belgian Ale, The Goats Butt Wheat Beer and The Horny Bull Stout on Tesco shelves across Northern Ireland.

Jonathan McWhinney ‎Packaged Food Buying Manager, Tesco Northern Ireland, said “The Northern Irish craft beer culture continues to grow and, in support of that, Tesco now stocks over 30 local beers, ales and stout on its shelves in Northern Ireland. We find that our customers are increasingly willing to buy premium beers, especially if they are from local Northern Irish brands. We are delighted to stock these additional lines from Hillstown Brewery and expand our relationship with them, as they give our shoppers more flavours to choose from – while furthering our commitment to supporting local food and drink.”

The iconic Northern Irish beers from Hillstown Brewery are available from selected Tesco stores across Northern Ireland.

Tesco spends almost £590 million on Northern Irish products each year. It has over 1,200 local product lines on its shelves produced over by 90 suppliers and 6,000 farmers.  For more information on local Northern Irish food and recipes, visit www.tasteni.com, Tesco Northern Ireland’s new online magazine that celebrates local food and drink.

Mash Direct Gain New Deal Direct To The UK

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Mash Direct have landed a new deal with one of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains, Tesco.

An independent, family owned farming and food production enterprise launched by Martin and Tracy Hamilton in 2004 at their family farm, Mash Direct is the market leader in quality, convenient ‘field to fork’ vegetable and potato dishes ranging from traditional accompaniments of mashed potato and champ to complete ready-meals.
The company were named Company of the Year at the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards 2016 and won the SIAL Gold Innovation Award in the Middle East for their Crispy Vegetable Bakes, a first international award for the company.

The new deal will see five of Mash Direct’s products go into 73 Tesco stores across England starting on the 14th June 2017. 

Mash Direct are celebrating the opportunity of being showcased on the end of aisle in Tesco stores by launching their products with a special, introductory price of £1 per pack.

Already available in over 160 Tesco outlets across Scotland and Northern Ireland and an additional 130 stores in the Republic of Ireland, Mash Direct are setting the trend for convenient and healthy vegetable side-dishes.

Sales Director, Lance Hamilton said: “This is such a great opportunity for us to showcase the heritage varieties of vegetables on our family farm, grown specifically for their superior flavour. We already have a strong working relationship with Tesco and we are looking forward to building our reputation in these new stores.”

The five products launching into the Tesco stores from the 14th June are: Chilli Baby Bakes, Green Cabbage, Crispy Vegetable Bakes, Potato Croquettes and Potato Cakes, RRP £1 per pack.

Country Kitchen Celebrates 25th Birthday with Rebrand and New Products

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One of Northern Ireland’s best-loved brands is celebrating its milestone 25th anniversary by launching not one, but two innovative new products and a brand-new look, as part of a brand refresh.

County Kitchen, the own-brand of Lurgan-based Avondale Foods, has announced that Mexican-inspired Chipotle Coleslaw, featuring a hint of smoky spices, as well as Tomato, Pepper & Feta Cheese Salad will now be available in Tesco stores across Northern Ireland from today (16th May).

These new, ready-to-eat products will feature Country Kitchen’s new-look packaging.  New listings will also be introduced, such as a single-serve twin-pack of Coleslaw and Potato Salad, as part of the rebrand.

Dawn Cann, Marketing Manager at Avondale Foods said: “Since inception, Country Kitchen has been one of Northern Ireland’s best-loved food brands, consistently delivering a market-leading range of salads and traditional hearty soups for our loyal customers.

“In this, our 25th year, it was important to mark the occasion with something significant, hence our decision to rebrand our packaging. The new design is contemporary, exciting and eye-catching – the perfect complement to our delicious products including the new Chipotle Coleslaw and Tomato, Red Pepper & Feta Cheese Salad.

Caoimhe Mannion, Marketing Manager for Tesco Northern Ireland said: “The new prepared salad range from Country Kitchen responds perfectly to the growing trend for convenience products that deliver a premium luxury experience. Tesco NI has a longstanding and successful relationship with Country Kitchen, it has proven it can consistently deliver an excellent product so we are really excited to have its new prepared salad range in its newly rebranded packaging in Tesco stores across Northern Ireland – we expect it to be very popular with our customers.”

Dawn Cann continued: “This is a very exciting time for the team at Country Kitchen – our new branding and products really reflect our enthusiasm and professionalism in ensuring we bring only the very best products and service to our customers.

“We remain committed to new product innovation and quality and are very excited to be launching these new products which we’ve taken the time to perfect and ensure they meet today’s consumer needs and tastes.

“The Country Kitchen range is now presented in one single tier, meaning our customers only get the best coleslaw.   Our products are easy to spot on the aisle of your favourite supermarket, to take home and enjoy this summer. Whether a seasoned Country Kitchen consumer or looking to try something new, we’re confident our customers will love them!”