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Cooking up success: In picture is Dorothy Bittles (left) and Cathy Johnston, Directors of Blackthorn Foods in Belfast, with Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director and Jenny Lowry,also a Director of Blackthorn Foods, a small company specialising in gourmet fudge which won a Great Taste Award last year. The company has since signed a major deal to supply Whole Foods in London, a top retailer of organic and natural foods.

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has pledged to ensure the food and drink sector remains at the heart of Northern Ireland's economic growth strategy.

Crossgar Foodservice has won a ?1 million contract to supply poultry, pork and bacon products to the Health Service Executive in Dublin over the next three years, with support from Invest Northern Ireland.

A special business seminar to help local companies pinpoint new opportunities from the forthcoming London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics was held in Belfast today.

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said quality food and skilled chefs are helping drive Northern Ireland's economic recovery in exports and tourism.

Eleven Northern Ireland companies will be showing a wide range of innovative products at Food and Drink Expo in Birmingham from 21-24 March 2010.

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has announced that local food processor Finnebrogue is investing £2.5million to expand exports.

The Minister made the announcement during a visit to the Downpatrick firm, which is based at Finnebrogue Estate. It has already created 35 new jobs since June as part of the investment project and it currently employs 65 people.

Kestrel Foods, the Craigavon based specialist in healthy snack foods, has won business worth around £250,000 in Dubai from its participation on an Invest Northern Ireland stand at the Gulfood Hotel and Equipment Exhibition in Dubai.

Gourmet chocolatier CoCouture is investing almost £160,000 with assistance from Invest Northern Ireland to meet the growing demand for its premium chocolates from customers in Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and the US.

Food companies here are beating the recession by growing sales outside Northern Ireland, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has said.

The Minister was speaking at the annual UFU Farmhouse Business Breakfast, which she described as "a celebration of an industry that is at the very core of Northern Ireland's economy and one that never fails to deliver on quality and eating experience."