Relish Winner Set for Fast Growth in Republic

Bella Jo, the award winning Northern Irish relish maker, has won business in the Republic of Ireland from Morton's in Ranelagh, one of the leading upmarket retailers.

The small artisan business, a two-star UK Great Taste Award winner in 2012/13 for its fig relish, is now supplying a range of relishes to Morton's and has its sights set on doing business in Scotland as its next market outside Northern Ireland.

The company, based in coastal town of Ballycastle in county Antrim, is also launching new products for the Christmas market, mango delight and chilli surprise.

Jo McGowan, a native of Sydney, Australia, set up Bella Jo in 2012 to develop relishes using family recipes and subsequently gained a Great Taste Award.

"Winning business from Morton's is an immensely significant development which gives me a solid base in one of the most affluent parts of Dublin," she says. "I aim to use it as a springboard for growth in the Republic."

Morton's was founded in Dublin in 1934 and specialises in fresh quality foods with outstanding taste particularly from Irish suppliers.

"I am also attending the Glasgow Country Living Show and the Christmas Craft Fair in Dublin this year. Bella Jo is starting to make an impact. We take pride in making every relish with the highest quality of ingredients and sourced locally as possible. I believe we now have a range that would suit and food or any palette," she adds.

In addition to the award winning fig relish, the new Christmas products, the Bella Jo range includes distinctively delicious relishes such as cranberry, raspberry and Bushmills relish, beetroot balsamic, chutneys including peach and a mint chilli.

All the relishes and chutneys are handmade by Jo at her small manufacturing operation, emphasising the artisan nature of the products.

Another important influence on the development of the range is Jo's experiences travelling in her native Australia, then in Europe and from her time working in marketing in London. She's also employed her marketing skills to sell the products to around 30 delis, small food retailers and farm shops throughout Northern Ireland.

Encouraged by the Great Taste Award, Jo has expanded into England, where she supplies the highly regarded Cotswold Cheese Company inMoreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire.