Award winning tastes at Food & Hospitality Ireland
Food from The Yellow Door Deli in Portadown, County Armagh, recognised by a panel of expert judges in the finals of the UK Great Taste Awards as being highly innovative, leads the presentation of quality food and drink on theNorthern Ireland Naturally showcase (C1) at Food and Hospitality Ireland.
The Yellow Door products, the only Irish deli to win a coveted three gold stars in this year's prestigious Great Taste Awards, a competition organised by the UK Guild of Fine Food, are among almost 30 from Northern Ireland producers which also gained gold stars in the annual event.
Yellow Door Deli gained the first-ever Deli and Farm shop Signature Dish for a braised beef pie that used beef from another Great Taste award winning, Hanna Meats of Moira, Co Down, the company which won the Northern Ireland Product of the Year and was the overall Supreme Champion in 2012/13.
The Northern Ireland presentation also features a unique cod loin product from Ewing Seafood in Belfast, Northern Ireland's oldest fishmonger, which gained three stars and was named in the Top 50 Foods by Great Taste judges and featured on the menu of the gala dinner held in London to announce the top award winners.
The Northern Ireland Naturally stand showcases many of the 63 local companies, which gained almost 240 gold stars in the awards for outstanding taste, premium quality and originality. Northern Ireland's performance in the Great Taste Awards set an all-time record.
The region gained two main category winners in the event - Yellow Door in the Deli and Farm shop Signature Dish category and En Place Foods (UK), Cookstown for a unique jam and sauce. Northern Ireland had a total of nine products listed in the Top 50 and four made in through to the Top 15 finalists.
The presentation, organised by Invest Northern Ireland, the region's business development agency, includes award winning food and drink from major business such as Avondale Foods, Lurgan, Puinjana Tea, Belfast, Irwin's Bakery, Craigavon, Kestrel Foods, Craigavon, Mash Direct, Comber and Tayto, Tandrage.
They are featured with successful artisan enterprises including Blackthorn Foods, Belfast Mac Ivor's Cider, Craigavon, Our Daily Bread, also Belfast, Hillstown Farm Shop, Ballymena and Suki Teahouse, Belfast.
Together they show the scale, breadth and economic importance of the food and drink industry in Northern Ireland. Now the region's biggest manufacturing industry and major exporter, food and drink currently contributes almost €6 billion annually to the local economy and provides employment for around 90,000 people on farms, in processing, marketing and logistics.
Food and drink in Northern Ireland is also an industry with a string commitment to quality, innovation and provenance. Manufacturing companies work closely with primary producers and retailers on the development of new taste experiences for consumers. Most processors source ingredients from suppliers located close to the main factories and focus on provenance, the highest EU hygiene standards and animal welfare.
Many of the food and drink products on display have also been short listed by judges in the Irish Food Quality Awards, held as part of Food and Hospitality Ireland, and Blas na hEireann, National Iris Food Awards, the winners of which will be announced next month.
Award winning food and drink on the Northern Ireland Naturally showcase (C1) at Food and Hospitality Ireland 2013:
Ann's Pantry, Larne - home baked breads and other products
ART, Bangor - Home bakery products
Avondale Foods (Craigavon) Ltd, Lurgan - salads and soups
Bailies Coffee Company, Belfast - ground coffee and tea for foodservice
Blackthorn Foods, Belfast - gourmet fudge and fondues
Buchanan's Turkey's, Kilrea - fresh turkeys
Donegal Rapeseed Oil, Castlederg - cold pressed rapeseed oil
Ewing Seafoods, Belfast - traditionally smoked cod and salmon
Hillstown Farm Shop, Ballymena - beef and pork products
Irwin's Bakery, Craigavon - bread, scones, pancakes and cakes
Johnson's Coffee, Lisburn - ground coffee
Kestrel Foods Ltd, Craigavon - snacks, nuts and dried fruits
Mac Ivors Cider Company, Craigavon - handcrafted ciders
Mash Direct Ltd, Comber - potato and vegetable convenience meals
Our Daily Bread, Belfast - handmade wheaten bread
Punjana Ltd, Belfast - teas
Red Dog Artisan Foods, Kilkeel - relishes and sauces
Stewarts Butchers and Delicatessen, Enniskillen - meat, poultry and game
Suki Teahouse Ltd - teas and fruit infusions
Tayto, Tandragee - crisps and snacks
The Good Food and Wine Company Ltd, Coleraine - jams and smoked salmon
The Yellow Door Deli, Portadown - home baked breads and prepared meals
Ulster Maid Ice Cream, Ballymena - ice cream
Unimush Ireland Ltd, Armagh - fresh and prepared mushrooms
White's Oats, Tandragee - porridge oats and toasted oat snacks
Yummy Bakes NI, Newtownabbey - home bakery products including shortbread and oat flake biscuits.
Pic Caption: Award winning traditionally smoked cod loin from Ewing Seafoods, Belfast.