Artisan producers urged to shine at grocer awards

The annual Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards, which will take place this year on May 19 at Culloden Estate and Spa, is seeking talented artisan food producers to celebrate their achievements through its Best Artisan Foods Campaign category.

The event, which is in its 29th year, has been rewarding high achievers in the grocery industry for captivating audiences with clever promotional strategies through advertising, visuals, events, sales points, unique initiatives and more.

This year the competition's judges are on the hunt for those food producers in all four corners of NI who have yet to shine on a regional stage.

The Best Artisan Foods Campaign category is open to food and drink producers who are operating on a modest scale; from the small batch bread maker to the chocolate connoisseur - those food brands who have quieter production lines but produce to shout about.

Speaking about the category, Ulster Grocer Magazine Manager Mark Beckett said: "We have a wealth of food and drink producers here who work tirelessly to create quality brands that are upping the ante in kitchens around NI, and even beyond. This event is an occasion for those brands to not only showcase just how hard they've been working but it also allows them to network with decision makers in this sector and it presents further promotional avenues. "

Jenna Stevenson, Founder and Managing Director of bitetosavour.com, the Northern Irish artisan food showcasing business set up in 2014, believes the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards unveils all that's great about the artisan sector here:

"Hidden away in Northern Ireland's towns, villages and cities are our artisan food and drink producers who, often un-noticed, work hard to pass on our food heritage to the next generation by innovating to the current tastes and trends. This is a great opportunity to shine the spotlight onto our artisan producers, which is why awards like this are so important."

There will be eight categories in total at the gala-style affair which will recognise the efforts put in by the grocery trade to promote their products and services.

Best Marketing Campaign, Best In-store Consumer Sales Promotion, Best New Product Launch/Relaunch, Best CSR Initiative Charity Partnership, Best Brand, Best Artisan Foods Campaign, Green Retailer of the Year and Best Food Export Marketing Award will be awarded at the black tie event which will support GroceryAid, the national charity for those who have worked or are currently active in the grocery industry here.

Entry forms and details are available from Ulster Grocer Magazine. Email m.beckett@independentmagazinesni.co.uk. Tickets for the event are available from jim.mcalea@kerry.ie

Pic Caption: Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards 2017 sponsor, Karen Carmichael of MXB Shopper Marketing Agency, showcases some of the many local artisan brands being produced throughout NI. The event, which takes place on May 19 at Culloden Estate and Spa, is seeking small-batch food and drink producers to enter its Best Artisan Foods Campaign in a bid to shine on a regional stage.