INVEST NI IN UNIQUE FOOD EVENT WITH JENNY BRISTOW

Invest Northern Ireland and Jenny Bristow, one of Northern Ireland's leading good food ambassador's, recently teamed up in a unique promotion of local food and drink to customers of Donnybrook Fair, Dublin's gourmet retailer. The top chef ran cooking demonstrations using Northern Ireland produce at the store on Saturday 17th October in an event organised by Invest NI in conjunction with Donnybrook Fair. As well as gourmet food stores in Dublin and Greystones, Donnybrook Fair operates a cookery school and a highly regarded restaurant. For the cooking demonstrations, Jenny used Northern Ireland products currently stocked by the top retailer and others from local suppliers to show customers how to eat healthily during the recession. Shane Mc Ardle, Invest NI's Food Sector Marketing Advisor for ROI, said: ???We've developed a close working relationship with Donnybrook's management team over the past few years and have organised a series of buying opportunities for them with our food and drink companies. ???A considerable number of our companies have been successful and are now listed by the upmarket retailer in its stores and prestigious restaurant. ???The cookery session is another outcome of this developing relationship. We were able to interest Donnybrook in hosting a session with Jenny Bristow on cooking in a recession. The event was another opportunity for us to highlight the quality and variety of food from Northern Ireland suppliers??? Maynard Mawhinney, Invest NI's Food Director, said ???The Republic is an important marketplace for our food and drink companies and we are focusing significant resources there including the appointment of a marketing adviser who has been building strong relationships with retailers, such as Donnybrook Fair, and foodservice organisations. ???The marketing adviser has already organising a series of very l successful ???meet the buyer' events for local companies. Recently, for instance, around 50 Northern Ireland companies had an opportunity to pitch for business from two of the Republic's biggest food businesses over a two day period,??? he added. Nine Northern Ireland companies currently supply products to Donnybrook Fair. They are: Baxter Murray Creative Chocolates, Belfast ??" gourmet chocolate trufflesBlackthorn Fudge, Belfast ??" fudgeClandeboye Estate, Bangor ??" yoghurtGlastry Farm Ice Cream, Newtownards ??" farmhouse ice creamNeills Flour, Belfast ??" bread mixesSuki Tea, Belfast ??" loose-leaf teas and infusionsTake the Biscuit, Ballymena ??" biscuits and cookiesDale Farm, Belfast ??" dairy productsVestry Oils ??" Rapeseed Oil