Novel biscuit with distinctive Northern Ireland identity

Iconic Biscuits, a recently established food producer, has developed a unique biscuit to represent Northern Ireland.

The small company, based at Lisburn in county Antrim, has created the hexagonal shaped biscuit reflecting the Giant's Causeway, the only UNESCO site in Ireland and Northern Ireland's leading tourist site.

The key ingredients of the innovative biscuit are butter from a local creamery, honey from one of the region's leading producers and Irish whiskey, also synonymous with Northern Ireland, once the world's largest producer of whiskey.

The novel Northern Ireland biscuit is the brainchild of experienced food marketer Michael Thompson who has a successful track record in marketing products including those aimed at the growing global market for gluten-free foods. He is commercial director of Gluten-Free Ireland.

Mr Thompson, commenting on the new honey and whiskey biscuit, says: "I saw a gap in the market, especially in the tourism and hospitality sectors, for a distinctive and richly flavoured Northern Ireland biscuit.

"All the complimentary biscuits used by hotels in particular here are either from England or Scotland.

"Scottish shortbreads, for example, are featured in rooms in hotels and guest houses. Even the shop in the Giant's Causeway in county Antrim sells shortbreads made with English clotted cream featuring an image of the Causeway.

"I've nothing whatsoever against these biscuits, their quality and taste are good. But it seemed to me that we've a great baking tradition in Northern Ireland and could be doing more to showcase this.

"While we produce some excellent Irish shortbread, I believed there should be a sharper focus on distinctive Northern Ireland branded biscuits that could be used within the tourism and hospitality industries for promotional purposes. I've developed the biscuit with this in mind.

"I want visitors to Northern Ireland to have an opportunity to savour genuine flavours of Northern Ireland such as grass-fed butter, Antrim honey and whiskey along with tea or coffee in their rooms and other facilities in their hotels, guest houses and B&B's.

"I think the hospitality sector here should be offering more locally branded food. We need to be showcasing our excellent produce at every opportunity and particularly on menus to tourists and other visitors. More distinctive Northern Ireland branded foods are essential to enable us to build on the success of the recent Year of Food and Drink," he adds.

Mr Thompson created the unique recipe for the Northern Ireland biscuit which is being produced by Yellow Door, an award winning bakery in Portadown, county Armagh.