Latest news

Dobbies Garden Centres (Dobbies) is to sell virtually the entire range of Fivemiletown Creamery’s award winning speciality soft cheeses and cheddars in its existing 14 farm food halls throughout the United Kingdom.

Northern Ireland’s Crossgar Meats is stepping up production to meet the soaring demand for grass-fed and dry aged Dexter beef in the UK and Ireland particularly from high-end hotels and restaurants. To meet the demand, Crossgar Meats is expanding sourcing of Dexter animals in the UK and Ireland.

Titanic Irish Whiskey has been launched to mark the centenary of the completion of the world’s most famous ship in Belfast as part of a development which will see a new distillery built in the city.

The new whiskey has been developed by the Belfast Distillery Company and is the first new whiskey brand to emanate from the city of Belfast in nearly 100 years. The last distillery closed exactly 75 years ago which marked the end of the great era when Belfast was the most important whiskey-producing centre in the island of Ireland.

CoCouture, Northern Ireland’s gourmet chocolatier, has won two major awards from the recent prestigious Academy of Chocolate.

The artisan company, based in Belfast, gained a gold award in the Best Flavoured Dark Bar category for its Orange Blend 3 and bronze in the Hot Chocolate – Best Unflavoured category. It already supplies its luxurious truffles and bars to high-end retailers including the Liberty store in central London.

The market potential of a unique gorse flower ice cream flavour is being evaluated by Northern Ireland’s award winning Glastry Farm Ice Cream.

The gorse flower ice cream is part of a new range being developed and test marketed by the company which has won Great Taste Awards, featured in the Great British Menu Gala Banquet in 2010, and is listed in the Bridgestone Irish Food Guide.

Kettyle Irish Foods in Northern Ireland provided the main course for the historic State Banquet during the Queen’s official visit to the Republic of Ireland.

County Antrim farmer Alistair Bell is set to be the first pork supplier in Northern Ireland to achieve the coveted ‘Freedom Food’ Farm Assurance. In conjunction with Dungannon based processor Dunbia both organisations have been given the RSPCA Freedom Food stamp of approval to supply Sainsbury’s with Freedom Food pork.

Crosskeys Fine Foods in Northern Ireland is developing a range of convenience meals including pies and marinades for delis in the Republic of Ireland.

The company, based at Randalstown in County Antrim, is investing almost ?300,000 to develop the business with the creation of a range of added-value stir-fry and marinade products.

Northern Ireland’s Paradox Oil, producer of unique nutritional supplements for babies and adults, has won its first export business.

The company, based in Belfast, has won business from Singapore for its 100 per cent natural Omega oil product for babies and toddlers. Paradox Omega Oil is a natural source of Omega 3,6 and 9 specially formulated for babies and toddlers between six months and six years. It has won business from a pharmacy operation in Singapore.

Big Pot Company, the Northern Ireland producer of a range of fresh soups, including gluten-free and low-fat products, has won business from Makro, its first sales in Britain.

The new contract, the result of a partnership with Nicco Foods of Cheshire, has led to Big Pot supplying four soup lines to 30 Makro depots in Great Britain.