A SIZZLING FOOD OFFER FROM NORTHERN IRELAND - NATURALLY
Over 9000 decision makers from the Irish food service sector will have a sizzling opportunity to sample a range of products from eight Northern Ireland companies on the Northern Ireland Naturally stand (J19) at CATEX.
Shane McArdle, Invest NI's Food Sector Marketing Adviser for the Irish market has organised the Northern Ireland Naturally stand at CATEX and will be on hand throughout the three days of the exhibition.
"The companies participating on the stand are highlighting the breadth and quality of the foodservice product and service offering from Northern Ireland, but our stand is just a small sample of what's available from Northern Ireland," says Shane. "With just a single call, we can offer you personal guidance on thousands of products from over 300 suppliers in Northern Ireland and can assist with introductions, factory visits, sampling requests, menu development and much more."
Five first time exhibitors at CATEX include McWhinney's Sausages, a fifth generation family business based in Bangor, County Down, which has been creating gourmet sausages since 1898. At Catex, McWhinney's will launch two new products including a new Vintage sausage range which boasts a whopping 80% content of only the finest cuts of pork meat, and a pre-cooked and frozen 70% pork meat sausage for the microwave.
Other companies making their debut appearance at CATEX 2011 include Antrim Hills Spring Water, Brow Packaging, Kitchenmaster and Deli-Lites.
Belfastcompany Brow Packaging manufactures flexible film products such as shrink film and bags as well as supplying a wide range of packaging, catering disposables, paper hygiene and cleaning products and, as a specialist food packaging manufacturer can offer genuine and practical expertise and advice to the catering and foodservice sectors.
Also based in Belfast, for the last 25 years, Kitchenmaster has been manufacturing speciality cleaning products for sale all over the world and is taking part in this year's CATEX to showcase its range of branded and own-branded options to the Irish catering and foodservice sectors.
Ballyclare-based Antrim Hills sources its water from a naturally occurring Artesian spring and offers an exceptional range for food service and catering customers, including the 'Drip and Drop' brand, which meets exacting school standard for catering and 'Anam', a super-premium glass packaged water for foodservice.
Awarded Sandwich Bar of The Year Northern Ireland 2010, Deli*Lites, based in Warrenpoint, County Down,now operates eight sandwich bars on both sides of the border and has also developed a growing wholesale business. Deli *Lites is a major supplier to supermarkets, garages, hospitals, factories and schools encompassing a wide geographical area both North and South of Ireland, Deli*Lites extensive product offering also includes creating "ready-to-order" gourmet sandwiches for retail chains under own brand label. In April 2010, Deli*Lites secured a deal with Sainsbury's to supply 10 lines in the chain's 12 Northern Ireland supermarkets and eight petrol forecourt convenience stores.
Regular exhibitors on the Northern Ireland Naturally stand - Dale Farm and Glastry Farm Ice Cream are no strangers to CATEX and to operating in an all-Ireland foodservice market. Glastry Farm Ice Cream features in the Bridgestone Ireland Food Guide and is a member of Good Food Ireland. Both these accolades speak volumes about the quality of the ice-cream available in seven delicious flavours to the foodservice sector. Indeed, leading restaurants choose to name Glastry Farm ice creams by brand on their menus. Need more convincing - dip a spoon into Glastry Farm's Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey ice cream - ice cream from the rich pastures of Co Down and whiskey from the multiple award-winning Cooley Distillery in Co Louth!
Leading dairy processor, Dale Farm supplies a wide range of dairy products into the retail and foodservice sectors in Ireland and the UK under its own brands - Dale Farm, Dromona, Spelga, Rowan Glen, Dale Farm Lakeland, Dale Farm Ice Cream and Loseley and the company, a highly regarded specialist with an international reputation, has much to offer the catering trade in Ireland.
Belfast-based Bailies Coffee Company will make its debut at Catex and will be on hand to offer not just an aromatic, delicious cup of hand-roasted coffee, but also an exceptional quality product range, machinery, equipment and expertise.