National Trust award for Northern Irish apples and cider

Apples and cider from a Northern Ireland family business captured the attention of judges in the annual National Trust Fine Food Awards. The two businesses, MacNeice Fruit and Mac Ivor's Cider, are run by Greg MacNeice, a member of a family which has been growing apples, including EU PGI listed Bramleys, for over 150 years.

National Trust judges gave the Northern Ireland award in the annual competition to the cider business for its Medium Cider and Traditional Cider and recognised the apple business, both are based near the Ardress National Trust property at county Armagh, the UK region's historic orchard county.

It is the second successive year that the regional award has gone to Mac Ivor's Cider.

Greg Mac Neice, the cider master, who launched the cider business from the family's apple growing operation, says: "We use tried and tested production methods using our own apples. This enables us to get as close as possible to the taste of a freshly picked apple.

"No preservatives or additives are used, just freshly pressed apples and yeast. Then we let nature take its course. Not using insecticides is very beneficial to our native bumblebee population, which, in turn, is good news for our orchard. We're just giving nature and helping hand."

In total 25 producers were recognised for 45 outstanding food, drink and countryside products from land the Trust looks after, with winning products ranging from honey to turkey, rapeseed oil to potatoes and cider to charcoal.

Entries were scrutinised by food and drink experts and have to excel in the taste test. They also have to pass a checklist of environmental standards to guarantee the quality and origin of ingredients alongside high standards of production.

As well as shining a spotlight on the fantastic food and drink produced at places the trust looks after and by its 1,500 tenant farmers, the Fine Farm Produce Awards are also distinct for their vigorousness with taste alone not enough to secure success.

"As Europe's largest conservation charity it is really key for us that our producers reflect our whole reason for existing,' said Rob Macklin, head of Food and Farming and chair of the panel of judges. "Customers can rely on the fact that every product not only tastes great, but is produced in a way that cares for the land."