Britain to Taste the Greatness of Northern Ireland food and drink

A five-year plan to promote Northern Ireland food and drink to the region's consumers as well as those in Britain and further afield has been launched by promotional and marketing body Food NI.

The new strategy 'Taste the Greatness' is based on a vision of "a thriving local market that is the seedbed for the food and drink stories of tomorrow".

Food NI, which represents over 400 food and drink companies across Northern Ireland, aims to showcase Northern Ireland's great food and drink stories on "a world-class platform to create standout and credibility within and far beyond our borders".

Food NI's mission statement is to "to tell these stories and create a name for ourselves nationally and internationally that underpins and supports all the excellence that is emerging from these shores".

The organisation, best known for organising the Food Pavilion at the annual Royal agricultural show (Balmoral Show) in Northern Ireland and its involvement last year with BBC Good Food, also spearheaded the region's hugely successful Year of Food and Drink in 2016.

It plans to promote local food at major events in Britain in its strategic focus on growing business in a marketplace that's extremely important to Northern Ireland's £5 billion food and drink industry - the region's biggest manufacturer.

Food NI is also supported by public sector bodies in the region including Tourism NI, Invest Northern Ireland and the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Enterprise.

Michele Shirlow, Food NI chief executive, commenting on the 'Taste the Greatness' strategy says: "A key element in our new strategy is to take the message about just how great our food and drink really is to Britain….and then beyond.

"Our work will be focused on helping to preserve family farming, on celebrating our world class ingredients and causing an explosion of authentic and innovative producers. As Taste the Greatness says 'it's putting greatness on plates and in glasses'.

"We aim "to continue to champion Northern Ireland produce and to increase international standout for Northern Ireland food and drink by 2020. And it's an objective we are confident can - and will - be achieved.

"I believe that Food NI is perfectly positioned in terms of knowledge and experience of the industry here and has the expertise especially in digital technology to "take Northern Ireland food and drink to the next level as a driver of marketing and communications activity, a networking resource hub and a source of expert food knowledge."

Among the 10 points in the strategic action plan are increased levels of innovation; increasing international awareness of the quality of Northern Ireland food and drink; more food and drink start-up companies; greater sales of local food and drink in Northern Ireland; and increasing the appeal of the industry to younger people.