Fortnum & Mason buyer picks En Place as emerging brand

En Place Foods in Northern Ireland has been named as an emerging brand to watch in a major survey of Best Brands by Fine Food Digest, the UK's top artisan food magazine.

Sam Rosen Nash, one of Fortnum and Mason's most experienced buyers, pinpointed two UK Great Taste Award winning products from En Place Foods, Sea Buckthorn Berry and Lime Jam and Sea Salted Caramel with Fennel Pollen, in the prestigious survey.

Commenting on the local foods, she says: "We really loved all the products introduced by En Place Foods this year. Their sea buckthorn berry and lime jam is such a surprise to the senses - tart yet sweet - and captures the freshness of the berry, which goes wonderfully on toast.

"Sea salted caramel and fennel pollen spread is also part of the range. The salted caramel is lifted by the aniseed flavour of the fennel - they complement each other perfectly in a combination which most will not be familiar with, but everyone should try."

Developed by En Place, based at Cookstown in county Tyrone, the two products each gained three gold stars in the recent Great Taste Awards, a competition organised annually by the influential UK Guild of Fine Food.

They were both then listed among the Top 50 Foods and sea buckthorn berry and lime jam was named by the team of high profile judges as the Best Ambient Product 2013.

En Place, headed by experienced chef Paul Clarke, has won around 50 Great Taste Awards in recent years and is now established as among the UK's most innovative producers of jams, sauces, reductions and culinary oils.

The survey also listed Arcadia Deli in Belfast as among the best cheese counters for its display of over 100 different cheeses including emerging local favourites Kearney Blue and Leggygowan Farm Blue Goats'.