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Fifty Northern Ireland food companies have tabled 250 new products in a bid to strike gold in the prestigious Great Taste Awards, the UK's leading event for smaller food businesses. The entries for 2008 represent a record level of interest in Northern Ireland in the awards. In 2004, when the competition was launched, just five companies entered 24 new products in the awards.

Gourmet patisserie baker Old Tarts, which is based in Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, has secured its first retail sales with help from Invest Northern Ireland.

The small artisan bakery is supplying its handcrafted tartlets and desserts to all five upmarket supermarkets in Dublin run by Fresh, The Good Food Market. Discerning Dublin shoppers are now able to enjoy the bakery's unique and popular pecan pies, pear and almond, key lime pie, apricot frangipane tart and a host of other savoury treats.

Two small food companies have been helped by Invest NI to win their first retail sales outside Northern Ireland.
Newtownabbey's Golden Popcorn and Knotts Bakery in Newtownards gained their first external sales by taking part in ???Meet the Buyer' events organised by Invest NI. Golden Popcorn was introduced to David Sands Ltd, Scotland's top independent supermarket chain, and Knotts to Donnybrook Fair, Dublin's gourmet food retailer.

Northern Ireland based Bite Group, a specialist in fresh sandwiches, wraps and deli fillings for convenience stores and hot counters, is aiming to grow its business throughout the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland from a £2 million state-of-the-art factory that is BRC Grade A accredited.

Kerry Foods is stepping up production of Mattessons Fridge Raiders Chicken Bites at its Northern Ireland plan to meet UK market demand. The £3 million expansion will also see new flavours, including beef, added to the successful range of bite-sized snacks.

A new range of ready-to-cook vegetable dishes has been developed by Northern Ireland based Willowbrook Foods, the farm-based grower and supplier of prepared salad, potato and vegetable products. The vegetable dishes are marinaded and dressed for convenience meals.

Dublin's gourmet food retailer Donnybrook Fair is now stocking a range of cakes provided by Knotts, one of Northern Ireland's most successful craft bakeries.

Northern Ireland based Tenderlean has secured a major contract to supply the complete range of own label chilled pizzas to Dunnes, the Irish supermarket chain, for its food stores.

Oatcakes from Castledawson company Ditty's Home Bakery will be featured in the big St Patrick's Day promotion at John Lewis in London. Our picture shows, left, Robert Ditty, managing director of Ditty's, and Alan Hingston, Invest NI's Trade director at the Castledawson bakery.

Waitrose has listed Puro brand smoothies developed by Barefruit Products, a Northern Ireland company which uses a unique production process that retains a higher percentage of vitamins and minerals in the drinks. Waitrose is to sell the smoothies at 35 UK stores, the majority in London and Home Counties.