GOLDEN ENTERPRISE AND INNOVATION OF FOOD COMPANIES PRAISED

The achievements of 26 local food and drink companies, mostly smaller enterprises, in winning almost 50 gold awards in one of Europe's biggest taste events have been praised by Maynard Mawhinney, Invest Northern Ireland's Food Director. Mr Mawhinney described the 48 gold awards won by companies from every county, across a broad range of sub-sectors as ???an important measure of the emergence of Northern Ireland as a source of quality and highly innovative food and drink products???. Said Mr Mawhinney: ???The awards show that we now have a developing cluster of smaller companies that are helping to create wealth and employment in many parts of Northern Ireland through an impressive commitment to new taste experiences for customers. It's an industry driven increasingly by innovation and entrepreneurship and eager to make an impact on exports, the three pillars of Invest NI's strategic approach. ???Our objective is to help the companies to realise their undoubted potential, particularly in markets outside Northern Ireland. This flow of new ideas with export potential is extremely encouraging and will help to ensure the continuing growth of our most important manufacturing industry. In 2007, for instance, food and drink sales overall rose by over five per cent to a record level of £2.7 billion. ???Export sales, primarily driven by the bigger companies, were worth £628.7 million in 2006, five per cent higher than in 2005. However, overall dependency on export markets remained constant in both years, with almost a quarter of sales destined for export markets. To help smaller companies move into exports, we have developed the biggest-ever marketing programme that ranges from ???meet the buyer' events to trade missions and inward visits from major purchasing operations in Europe and, most recently, India,??? he added.The local companies, mostly entrepreneurial businesses from across Northern Ireland, clinched 48 golds in the Great Taste Awards 2008, a competition organised annually by the UK's influential Guild of Fine Foods. Two Belfast companies ??" Suki Tea, based at the Spires Business Centre, West Belfast, and Co Couture, a North Belfast gourmet chocolatier formed in March 2008, gained the highest accolade for their products, three gold stars. Suki Tea gained the top award for its Organic Camomile loose-leaf tea and Co Couture for its Bushmills Whisky Truffle. Suki also struck gold stars for a further three products and Co Couture gained another gold star for its Biscuit and Cranberry Dark Chocolate Bar. The Great Taste Awards, often described as the Oscars of the food industry, is celebrating its 15th anniversary. A Great Taste Award is the authoritative, independent standard for the UK and Ireland. Entries have also been attracted from other parts of Europe. Awards are graded in three gold standards, starting at one gold star and rising to three. The Great Taste Awards judging standards, devised by the Guild of Fine Food, are the most rigorous in the UK. Every entry is blind tasted by teams of experts. By the time a product earns gold, it will have been assessed by at least three different teams.