Latest news

Northern Ireland based contract bottler, Norbev, has won a contract from Elbar Services, the Derby-based food distributor, to supply a range of drinks to the UK operations of Makro, the leading cash'n'carry chain, in a deal worth around £1.5 million.

The biggest-ever presentation of food and drink from Northern Ireland will be featured at the forthcoming BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham, from 26-30 November.

Invest Northern Ireland has organised the presentation, which will provide trade buyers with exposure to a showcase of Northern Ireland produce. It is part of Invest NI's strategic focus on helping local food companies, especially small to medium sized enterprises, to win business and increased brand recognition in target markets.

Golden Cow, a Kerry Foods dairy business in Northern Ireland, has supplied emmental cheese slices to McDonald's for the recent ???The M' burger promotion in the UK and Ireland.

The company, based at Portadown in County Armagh, supplied the emmental cheese as part of a longstanding relationship with McDonald's restaurants across the British Isles.

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster congratulated DeidreMcCanny, founder of Co Couture, a luxury chocolate company, in Belfast who was the overall winner in the Best Speciality category, sponsored by Invest NI, inthe Great Taste Awards.

A local lager brewed by artisan brewery, Whitewater Brewing Company in Kilkeel, has been ranked as one of the world's top 50 beers in the prestigious International Beer Challenge 2008, the largest packaged beer competition in the world.

Northern Ireland based Mash Direct has been named as the top small company in the most prestigious awards for food businesses in the United Kingdom. The company, a market leader in the development and manufacture of potato and vegetable products was voted ???Small Company of the Year' at the annual Food Manufacture Excellence Awards at a gala presentation in London.

Top European food retailer Carrefour has listed Irish farmhouse styled pork sausages from Doherty and Gray in Ballymena for sale in supermarkets across Spain. The listing, Doherty and Gray's first with Carrefour, follows the company's participation in a joint Invest Northern Ireland/Livestock and Meat Commission ???meet the buyer' initiative.

The initiative included a visit to Madrid and a return trip to Northern Ireland by senior buyers from Spanish retailers and foodservices organisations. Carrefour took part in the visit to Northern Ireland and is now including Doherty and Gray's range of Rankin Selection Irish pork sausages in its chill cabinets and deli counters. Spain's second biggest grocery chain, Carrefour has over 3,000 stores and a 17 per cent share of one of Europe's most significant and discerning food markets.

Food and drink products from 18 local companies are being marketed by Invest Northern Ireland at a new snack and convenience foods showcase in London this weekend.

The products will feature on an Invest NI, Northern Ireland Naturally presentation at the OOH, (Out of Home) Live show, at the Earls Court exhibition centre from 9-10 November.

Three milk processors will be searching for new market opportunities on an Invest Northern Ireland trade mission to Dubai, Oman and Qatar.

Top European food retailer Carrefour has listed Irish farmhouse styled pork sausages from Northern Ireland based Doherty and Gray for sale in supermarkets across Spain. The listing, Doherty and Gray's first with Carrefour, follows the company's participation in an Invest Northern Ireland ???meet the buyer' initiative that included a visit to Madrid and a return trip to Northern Ireland by senior buyers from Spanish retailers and foodservices organisations.