AWARD WINNING BEEF COMPANY AIMS TO GROW EXPORTS

Glen Tender, the award winning beef company from Gilford, is being assisted by Invest Northern Ireland to grow sales in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. The company, recent winner of the prestigious UK Great Taste Award for the Northern Ireland region, is receiving practical support from Invest NI for marketing activities outside Northern Ireland through the Growth Accelerator Programme. Glen Tender, which has business in Great Britain for its beef products, is the brainchild of three local farmers, Andy Bryan from Portavogie, Harry McGaffan, Gilford, and Ivan McMillan, Carnlough, who are committed to beef produced using traditional, ethical farming techniques. The company is providing premium cuts taken only from stock registered with the European Angus Cattle Company or Aberdeen Angus societies thus allowing strict control over the quality of the product as it enters the supply chain. All Glen Tender cattle are hung for 21 days prior to processing in order to maximise beef tenderness and flavour. All cattle are bought live and are brought onto either the lead promoters' farm in Gilford or neighbouring farms with a similar ethos for finishing. Any finishing farm has been trained up and signed up to an animal welfare policy. Announcing support for the company, Maynard Mawhinney, Invest NI's Food Director, said: ???This entrepreneurial business has identified a market opportunity for premium beef products and is now attracting significant interest from consumers outside Northern Ireland. ???Our support is focused on marketing and will help the company raise its profile, increase brand awareness, develop its website and enhance its design to achieve external and export sales. ???This will also be assisted through two key and high calibre management appointments to help to take the business forward. These appointments will bring specialist skills to the project, allow it to become formalised, trade on a full time basis and facilitate the pursuance of this marketing action plan.??? Mr McMillan, Glen Tender Managing Director, said: ???Winning three Great Taste Gold Awards has really given the business a tremendous boost. As a result, we are now dealing with enquiries for the beef from customers in England. Invest NI has been very supportive and is now helping us to develop our marketing capability. This assistance will help us to develop the opportunity as quickly as possible. ???Our aim now is to accelerate the growth in overall sales and to drive business outside Northern Ireland to around 50 per cent of earnings by 2011. We have developed a firm base through box sales and our farm shop in Gilford. There's now an opportunity to push forward into Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Glen Tender is investing £90,800 to grow sales. Invest NI is providing £36,320 through GAP.