Gold award for innovation for Mash Direct in the Emirates
Mash Direct, the Northern Ireland manufacturer of convenience meals, has won a major award for innovation at SIAL Middle East, the international food show held in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
The company, based on a family farm at Comber in county Down won the judges over with a product featuring heritage varieties of vegetables with tradition and provenance.
Mash Direct's Crispy Vegetable Bakes were awarded the highest accolade, the Gold Innovation Award out of 251 products.
The judges awarded Mash Direct for a 'quality and innovative recipe which exceeded very high expectations.'
This year the show was held over three days in Abu Dhabi and attracted over 333,000 attendees, exhibiting industry leaders from over 105 countries and showcasing emerging trends in the food market.
The Crispy Vegetable Bakes are noted for their distinct use of heritage vegetables that are grown for superior flavour and not their appearance and are also 100 per cent gluten free.
"We wanted to make a vegetable burger that didn't masquerade itself as a 'meat-free alternative', we wanted to celebrate the flavour and texture of the vegetables used in the bakes. My family have been growing these varieties of vegetables on our farm for six generations and we're overjoyed that they are gaining appreciation on an international level," says Martin Hamilton, managing director of the family-run farm in Northern Ireland. Earlier in the year, Mash Direct won the prestigious Food Manufacturer Excellence Award.
A recent survey highlighted eating habits haven't changed much since the 1950s, with over 75 per cent of British parents still serving traditional vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and peas on a daily basis, it's easy to see that the older varieties of vegetables are still a clear favourite when it comes to flavour.
Mash Direct is an independent, family owned farming and food production enterprise launched by Martin and Tracy Hamilton in 2004 at their farm in county Down, close to the shores of Strangford Lough.
The company 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.
With a total of 18 Great Taste Awards to date, the award-winning Mash Direct range can be found in the ready meal aisle and is available throughout all major supermarkets in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Products are also available in Ocado, Booths, Nisa and Wholefoods as well as other independent stores
Runners-up on the evening included Al Ain Diary for their Breakfast Milk and Icelandic food company, Complete Global International Apoly Trade, was recognised for their Vikingur food supplement.
The awards are based on stringent criteria and cover an array of food categories including health, taste, ethics, convenience and appearance, as well as the level of innovation involved in developing the product, including the manufacturing process and ingredients.
Pic Caption: Jacky Maranan and Karl Devlin from Invest Northern Ireland, (centre) received the award from Xavier Terlet, CEO of the global food industry consultants, Nicolas Trentesaux, SIAL Networking Director (left) and Joanne Cook, SIAL Managing Director (right).
For more information, please go to: www.sialme.com
