Outstandingly tasty meats from Northern Ireland at Anuga
Award-winning grass-fed beef from Northern Ireland producers will be showcased during Anuga in Cologne, from 7-11 October, the world's largest and most important trade fair for food and beverages.
Ten food companies are representing Northern Ireland, recognised in national and international awards as among the most successful in terms of premium quality food and drink with outstanding taste and provenance. As well as meat, Northern Ireland companies will be showing dairy along with pork products, convenience meals and snacks.
Northern Ireland is now regarded globally as a source of great food and drink, the result of a carefully-farmed, quality environment and innovative food producers which consistently deliver excellence in products and customer service. Companies have extensive experience of doing business in both retail and foodservice gained over many years operating successfully in global markets.
Food and drink generates over £4 billion annually for the local economy and is its biggest manufacturing industry. Food and drink from Northern Ireland is now exported to over 70 countries, including the US, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, and continues to win prestigious international awards.
The recent UK Great Taste Awards, for example, saw Northern Ireland achieve a record number of top awards and with three food and drink products, including beef and lamb, listed in the Top 50 foods. Local companies have also won other major awards such as UK Food Manufacturing Excellence, the International Steak Challenge, Gulfood Innovation and UK Ouality Food and Drink Awards.
Three of the region's biggest and most successful meat processors will be taking part on an extensive stand organised by Invest NI (Hall 6.1 Stands C-049/D-048).
On the Invest NI stand are Dunbia, one of Europe's leading processors of beef and lamb, Hewitt Meats, a successful exporter of beef products, and Linden Foods, a major processor of beef, lamb and poultry.
All the processors are longstanding suppliers of many of the world's most significant retailers including Carrefour, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl. Visitors to the stand will have an opportunity to sample products and meet senior management from each producer.
Two Northern Ireland meat companies, in addition, are showing premium products on the UK's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board stand (Hall 06.1 stand CO40c) at Anuga. The companies are Karro Foods, the region's biggest pork processor, part of the UK-based Karro Food Group, and Foyle Food Group, a specialist in grass-fed beef for major retailers including Tesco UK.
One of Europe's leading meat processors, ABP, which has two substantial plants in Northern Ireland, will be displaying a wide range of products on its own extensive stand (Hall 06.1 stand A050 B061) at the huge show.
Dairy, the biggest food processing sector in food after beef and lamb, are being demonstrated by Greenfields Ireland, an international marketing business (Hall 10.1 Stand F019).
Other Northern Ireland companies showing a wide range of food products are Kestrel, a specialist in dried fruit and nut snacks (Hall 10.2 stand F052c); Mash Direct, a processor of potato and vegetable side dishes and convenience meals and Glens of Antrim (Hall 10.2 stand F052c), a longstanding potato packer which recently launched a range of premium potato crisp products.