Baladi Foods (Hummus by Hani)

Based at Carrickfergus in county Antrim, Baladi Foods, producer of traditional Palestinian hummus, is owned and managed by Hani Muhtadi who hand crafts the ‘Hummus by Hani’ branded original and roasted red pepper hummus.

As a direct result of a sharp growth in sales during Covid-19 lockdown and the launch of a contact-less delivery service, Hani has brought forward plans to expand production and is currently exploring a move to new premises.

Originally from Jerusalem, Mr Muhtadi is an experienced sales professional who has been based in Northern Ireland since 1998 and has been on the management teams of leading manufacturing businesses throughout the UK and Middle East.

He founded Baladi Foods in 2018 and launched the hummus products because he spotted a gap in the market from the growing interest in healthy plant-based and vegan free foods. He decided to make his own hummus because he couldn’t find a product here with the same quality, texture and especially the rich taste he enjoyed at home in Palestine. He watched his mother making it while he was growing up in Jerusalem and has continued to make it the same way in Carrickfergus.

The ‘Hummus by Hani’ range has a wide variety of uses - as an appetizer, as a dip with flatbreads or pitta bread, as tasty accompaniment for grilled chicken and fish and an essential element in a delicious and healthy Mediterranean mezze platter of vegetables and cheese or served with tortilla chips or crackers .

Hummus, a vegan product, is essentially a creamy but non-dairy spread made from ground chickpeas, sesame seeds, tahini paste with lemon, olive oil and garlic. Chickpeas are said to be nutrient dense, rich in protein, dietary fibre, folate and minerals especially iron, phosphorous, thiamine, vitamin B, magnesium and zinc.