Northern Irish food pioneers honoured

Three leading figures in Northern Ireland's vibrant food sector were recognised in the Queen's New Year Honours for their respective contributions to what is now the region's biggest manufacturing industry and an exporter of products to over 60 nations.

Tony O'Neill, Group Deputy Chief Executive of Dunbia in Dungannon, county Tyrone, Northern Ireland's biggest beef processor and a UK industry leader, and chairman of the Agri-Food Strategy Board received an OBE in the honours. Mr O'Neill, whose past roles have been at the likes of Nestle, Premier Foods, WD Irwin & Sons and Moy Park, is joint-chair of the Future Skills Action Group and a past chair of the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association.

In addition, he is a board member of Food NI, the body which helped to deliver last year's hugely successful Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink.

John McCann, the founder and managing director of Willowbrook Foods in Killinchy, county Down, a Northern Ireland processor of farm fresh vegetables, who received an MBE.

McCann established Willowbrook Foods in 1968 on land on the shores of Strangford Lough which his family had farmed for more than 200 years. He pioneered a new strategy by using own-grown farm vegetables in the packing for supermarkets. Today his company has sales of £22 million and employs more than 90 people.

Simon Dougan is one of Northern Ireland's leading chefs and is also the founder and managing director of Yellow Door Deli, which is headquartered in Portadown received an MBE. The company has an extensive and successful catering business and produced a range of own brand products which have won a series of UK Great Taste Awards. He is a leading advocate of quality local food and drink.