M&S Offers A Feast Of Festive Food From Northern Ireland

Several Northern Ireland food companies are already celebrating a very happy Christmas, as their business with Marks & Spencer continues to grow, with a number of innovative new products as well as established favourites featuring in this year's M&S festive food selection.

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without turkey and all the trimmings and M&S continues to serve up over one million fresh festive turkeys each year thanks to a long established partnership with O'Kane Poultry. From solely supplying M&S's Belfast store in 1977, the Ballymena-based company now supplies over 90 per cent of M&S Christmas whole turkeys throughout the UK and Ireland. Over the years, free range and organic turkeys have been added to the range, offering more choice to customers with differing tastes and needs.



Commenting, Colin Taylor, O'Kane Poultry Ltd's Turkey Production Manager, said: "We have been working alongside Marks & Spencer for over 30 years supplying over 16 million chickens and one million turkeys to stores across the UK and Ireland. Our extremely high standards of production and animal welfare, combined with innovation, have proved critical in M&S achieving pre-eminence in the Christmas turkey business."



Downpatrick-based Finnebrogue has come up with a selection of delicious new Christmas products, including the first ever 'melting middle' stuffing balls. This novel new product features two flavour combinations - Outdoor Bred Pork, Sage and Onion with Apple Sauce Centres and Outdoor Bred Pork, Orange and Rosemary with Port and Cranberry Sauce Centres. Two other exciting new Christmas products by Finnebrogue, Pork, Cranberry & Orange Stuffing Balls and a new range of Pork and Apple Cocktails with a Pomegranate Molasses Glaze, feature in this year's M&S Christmas TV advert.



Also on the Finnebrogue menu this Christmas are two succulent venison joints - Venison Rump with Mulled Winter Fruits Sauce (available in store), and Venison with Woodland Mushroom Duxelle and Smoked Streaky Bacon (available from the M&S Christmas and New Year food to order brochure).

"The past year has been a remarkable one for the Finnebrogue team," said Denis Lyn, Managing Director or Finnebrogue. "We have recently celebrated winning a number of prestigious awards, including 'Overall Supplier of the Year' at the M&S Fresh Food Supplier Conference, plus two awards as part of British Sausage Week. Commended for our work with Marks & Spencer and for improved quality and innovation, we're delighted to be launching our new festive lines and look forward to hearing how they are received by M&S customers."



A significant supplier of beef to M&S stores across the UK and Ireland, Linden Foods in Dungannon has produced 14 lines specifically for Christmas including Mini Roast Beef and Yorkshire Puddings, Lamb Pitta Kebabs and Mini Hamburgers from M&S's extensive party food selection, as well as a selection of beef and lamb speciality and customer order products.

Other Northern Ireland food produce on the M&S Christmas menu includes Unsmoked Gammon, Bacon and Cocktail Sausage Wraps and Bacon and Cheese Wraps from Vion Cookstown, potatoes supplied by Wilson's Country in Portadown, as well as Brussell sprouts with bacon and carrots from Lurgan-based Avondale Foods.



Commenting, Stewart Nisbet, Head of Foods for M&S in Ireland said: "Our suppliers and producers work hard to implement a world-class approach to new product development and originality, helping us to maintain our reputation for good quality and pioneering products."

Pic Caption:Pictured showcasing some of the Northern Ireland Christmas produce available in M&S stores nationwide are Elaine Willis, NPD Manager for Linden Foods in Dungannon and Emma Curistan, NPD Manager for Finnebrogue in Downpatrick.