Latest news

Northern Ireland based Buchanan’s Quality Foods is growing its business throughout the UK by developing a network of leading distributors, including the Sterling Group, a buying consortium for independent wholesalers UK-wide, and Nisa-Today’s Foodservice.

Innovative and progressive Northern Ireland speciality dried fruit and nut producer, Forest Feast is taking a step in a slightly new direction with the launch of AM Essential, an exciting new premium granola breakfast cereal incorporating the company’s famously good dried fruit and nuts.

Having revamped and re-launched four of its top selling products earlier this year, home-bakery specialist, Howell House Handmade, based in Co. Down, is enjoying healthy sales growth with Tesco Ireland, which listed the products throughout its store network in Ireland in the early summer.

Multi award-winning and innovative products from Northern Ireland will be showcased on Stand J120 at the forthcoming BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham. Featuring in the ‘Northern Ireland Naturally’ presentation hosted by Invest Northern Ireland will be a broad range of local products, including health foods, hand-crafted cakes and morning goods, cheeses, breakfast cereals, potatoes and coffee.

Double celebrations for Fivemiletown Creamery during British Cheese Week with increased sales and a new Sainsbury's contract

British Cheese Week (25 September ??“ 3rd October), has already brought some good news for Northern Ireland supplier Fivemiletown Creamery. Sales of Sainsbury's Oak Smoked Brie supplied by the company have increased by 75% since the start of 2010 while the local speciality cheese producer has also won a contract to supply its new Oakwood Smoked Grated Cheddar into 250 Sainsbury's UK stores.

Specialist coffee roaster Bailies Coffee has secured a contract to supply hand-roasted FairTrade coffee to Northern Ireland's leading ferry company Stena Line. The deal, valued at over ?450,000, includes supply of coffee, barista training and machine servicing, all of which are provided in-house by the Belfast-based company.

Gourmet Northern Ireland fudge producer, Blackthorn Foods has been on a real roll this past few months, securing substantial new business in the UK and USA through new direct listings and via newly appointed distributors, as well adding to its haul of Great Taste Awards.

Beef and lamb suppliers were assisted by Invest Northern Ireland to pitch for business from seven leading Spanish meat companies recently (21-24 September). Invest NI hosted a visit to Northern Ireland by 10 senior personnel from seven companies which supply leading supermarkets, butchers, hotels, restaurants and canteens across mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands.

Northern Ireland First Minister, the Rt. Hon. Peter D. Robinson MLA and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP, MLA, officially opened the new ?93million Coca-Cola HBC Northern Ireland manufacturing plant in Lisburn this week.

Northern Ireland's ?1.5 billion meat industry must work on strategies that will reduce costs and increase its ability to exploit opportunities that will grow in Europe and other global markets over the next decade.