Having covered the finer and speciality end of the food & drink sector for the best part of 15 years, I’ve developed a bit of a soft spot for Northern Ireland and its producers.
On my very first morning working on Fine Food Digest, I sampled the Great Taste 2011 Supreme Champion corned beef from McCartney’s of Moira (which had won the trophy the night before) and this nation has been blowing my mind ever since.
Over the years, there have been plenty more of these revelatory moments: moreish meats, delicious dairy products and cracking condiments. Some have been traditional items, others have been extremely innovative, and a few of them were both at once.
Independent retailers and hospitality businesses in Northern Ireland are fortunate enough to have this bounty on their doorsteps, and they put it to excellent use. You’ll know this if you’ve ever visited.
But there are still – despite the sterling efforts of our partners for this publication, Invest NI – so many more food & drink buyers out there, who are yet to discover just how good the produce and products of this region can be.
That’s why we make supplements like this one. Our readership across the UK deserves to experience the same thing that I – and those already in the know – have experienced.
Whether you’re after retail ready concepts, flavoursome ingredients or that little bit of food magic, Northern Ireland has it all.
I hope you enjoy this snapshot of what it has to offer.
WE ARE PROUD to support NI food & drink companies contributing to our thriving £8bn industry.
Working alongside producers to build export capability and manufacturing expertise, together we are delivering growth and raising the profile of our producers – from the micro and artisan businesses all the way through to our larger manufacturers.
As you’ll see from this publication, Northern Ireland is a rich source of the greatest variety of delicious, wholesome, innovative, and accredited food & drink. Our home-grown suppliers are ambitious, progressive and responsive – and many of them are keen to meet buyers and gain listings across GB.
We hope you enjoy reading about the producers featured here and that it piques your interest in discovering more about the NI food & drink scene. We also hope it prompts you to explore how you could do business with them in the future, whether that’s stocking items on your shelf or deploying them in your commercial kitchens.
Michael Lane, Editor
If you're a food & drink buyer not yet working with suppliers from Northern Ireland, Invest NI, the region's economic development agency, explains just how seamless it is. And, if you were already in the know, this is a reminder on why you should continue
VERY MUCH OPEN FOR BUSINESS
For food & drink buyers across Great Britain, Northern Ireland represents a compelling and dependable sourcing proposition. Under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland holds a unique position within the UK internal market, offering clarity, stability and simplicity for trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Goods continue to move seamlessly, supported by efficient logistics links, short delivery times and well-established distribution channels. For buyers, this means confidence that trade is flowing freely, that supply chains are resilient, and that sourcing from Northern Ireland is both straightforward and secure.
Dual market access: certainty, simplicity and confidence
Invest Northern Ireland’s Director of Food and Drink Grainne Moody notes, “Northern Ireland’s dual market access is one of its most powerful advantages for food & drink buyers. As an integral part of the UK market, Northern Ireland suppliers can serve Great Britain with continued friction-free trade, underpinned by the Windsor Framework’s clear and
stable trading arrangements. This provides reassurance on regulatory alignment, food safety and standards, while maintaining the simplicity that buyers expect when sourcing within the UK.”
For GB customers, this translates into dependable supply chains and operational ease. Northern Ireland producers are accustomed to meeting demanding technical, quality and
commercial requirements, and many already supply leading GB retailers, hospitality providers and distributors. These relationships have been built on trust, consistency and shared ambition, demonstrating that Northern Ireland suppliers are well equipped to support both bespoke artisan products and volumeready premium ranges.
Northern Ireland’s food & drink industry is outward-looking and internationally proven. The sector exports to more than 70 countries while continuing to serve Great Britain as its closest and most important customer.
This dual focus reinforces resilience and scale, ensuring that producers are commercially experienced, operationally agile and capable of servicing multiple markets without affecting quality or reliability.
From a strategic sourcing perspective, dual market access positions Northern Ireland as a smart choice for buyers prioritising long-term security. At a time when supply chain resilience and transparency are increasingly important, Northern Ireland offers the reassurance of a highly regulated environment combined with the flexibility to respond to evolving buyer demands. The message to GB buyers is clear: Northern Ireland is open for business, open to collaboration and open to growth.
Northern Ireland talent: people powering performance
At the heart of Northern Ireland’s food & drink success is its people. The sector stands as one of the region’s most compelling economic
investment initiatives are accelerating this progress, strengthening competitiveness and supporting long-term resilience.
Northern Ireland’s reputation for excellence is closely tied to its natural environment and responsible farming practices. Alex Taggart, GB Business Development Executive at Invest NI comments, “High-quality produce, strong traceability and consistently high food safety standards span every category –from world-class meat, poultry and seafood to baked goods, ambient foods, snacks and drinks, including spirits, beer and soft drinks. This breadth allows buyers to source across multiple categories from a single, trusted region, supported by people who understand both craft and scale.”
success stories, generating over £8bn in value and supporting more than 113,000 jobs. As Northern Ireland’s largest manufacturing industry, it has the capacity to feed 10 million people, consistently outperforming expectations for a region of its size.
This performance is driven by the depth and calibre of talent across the supply chain. From farmers and producers to scientists, technologists and apprentices, Northern Ireland’s workforce brings technical expertise, scientific insight and a shared commitment to excellence. A strong culture of craftsmanship underpins the sector, ensuring that quality, integrity and provenance remain central at every stage of production.
Innovation is a defining characteristic of Northern Ireland’s food & drink talent base. Producers continue to embrace digitalisation and automation to enhance efficiency, productivity and sustainability, while remaining rooted in the natural strengths of the region.
Industry-wide collaboration and ongoing
efficient opportunities to meet multiple producers, explore innovation and build direct relationships with decision-makers.
2026 will see Invest NI scale up its popular Food and Drink Supplier Showcase event at Belfast’s International Conference Centre.
Set to feature over 100 suppliers, the Showcase is pitched at buyers from Ireland, GB and international markets. London-based Michelle Charrington highlights the value of the event, saying: “Our annual Showcase is the highlight of our events calendar, bringing together buyers and suppliers in our home market for networking, one-to-one meetings and product sampling. We aim to create a relaxed, no-pressure environment for buyers and help everyone benefit from positive introductions which often lead to long-term business relationships.”
Working with Invest
Northern Ireland: a buyerfocused approach
Supporting this vibrant supplier base is Invest Northern Ireland’s Food & Drink Business Development Team, which works closely with buyers in Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and overseas markets. Acting as a central point of contact, the team helps buyers navigate the Northern Ireland food & drink landscape and identify producers that align closely with their commercial requirements.
A defining feature of Invest NI’s approach is its focus on understanding buyer need. Buyers can engage with the team to outline category requirements, volumes, routes to market and technical specifications. Using this information, Invest NI introduces suppliers with the appropriate manufacturing capability, logistics capacity and experience supplying comparable markets. This targeted approach ensures that introductions are commercially relevant and grounded in a clear understanding of buyer priorities.
Beyond one-to-one introductions, buyers can access Northern Ireland suppliers through a programme of Invest NI-led activity. This includes inward buyer visits to Northern Ireland, supplier showcases and Northern Ireland pavilions at key trade events in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. These platforms provide
Buyers interested in attending should contact the team at fdbde@investni.com
To further support sourcing decisions, Invest NI produces supplier guides and digital resources profiling Northern Ireland food & drink companies by category.
These tools help buyers shortlist suppliers, identify new opportunities and gain a clearer understanding of the breadth of the offer.
A compelling proposition for longterm partnerships
Northern Ireland’s food & drink industry brings together dual market access, exceptional talent and a buyer-centric support model. For GB buyers, this combination offers reassurance and opportunity in equal measure.
Trade is flowing freely, suppliers are commercially experienced and innovationdriven, and Invest NI provides a trusted gateway to a market that is open for business and equipped to deliver long-term commercial partnerships.
Northern Ireland has a wealth of both traditional and cuttingedge food & drink – from old school loaves and butter right through to plant-based items and protein bars. You’ll find a good selection of them over the next few pages.
Belfast’s Go Pig! offers a wide range of chef-prepared, portioncontrolled, high-protein ready meals. Each meal is designed to be guilt-free and as close to scratch-cooked food as possible. The lineup includes Tandoori Chicken with Bombay Potatoes, Pulled Beef and Prawn Linguini. The dishes are aimed at health-conscious consumers, and every pack features clear nutritional labelling to allow them to make informed choices, without compromising on flavour.
gopig.co.uk
Big Pot Co’s Bone Broth Vegetable Soup recently took top honours at the Northern Ireland Food & Drink Awards. Handmade in a Co Tyrone kitchen using Irish grass-fed beef bones, each batch is slow-cooked for 24 hours to unlock collagen. This combines with vegetables for deep flavour and natural goodness.
Available in 300g and 400g formats, the soup is supplied in cases of six units, and can be pitched to customers as both a quick lunch or a more satisfying meal.
The company also produces a wide range of soups, stews and curries in retail ready formats. bigpotco.com
Rankin Farm Potatoes produces mashed potato for both the catering and retail sectors, using specially selected potatoes grown on its own family farm on the Ards Peninsula. Its naturally gluten-free Buttery Mashed Potato is vacuum packed for extended shelf life and comes in 2kg catering packs and 1kg deli/butcher packs (trade £5.49 and £3 respectively). rankinfarmpotatoes.com
Armagh Cider Company produces a range of craft beverages using apples grown and harvested on a family farm. Everything is produced on site from blossom to bottle, ensuring zero food miles, proper provenance and quality.
As well as a range of its own craft ciders, such as Carsons Crisp and Maddens Mellow, the company also offers the alcohol-free Armagh Cider Zero. The ciders all carry the PGI mark for the Co Armagh Bramley Apple, an ingredient protected by law in the UK and EU.
In addition, there are several ranges of soft drinks and mixers, including Orchard Twist sparkling apples juices and the Troughtons Premium brand of tonics and lemonades.
All of these ranges are aimed at farm shops, delis, independent retailers and hospitality venues, while the Armagh Cider Company also offers a private label service for bespoke drinks.
armaghcider.com
troughtonspremium.com
Belfast-based Cult! produces plant-based Che*se using fermented cashew nuts. Every variety is handmade in small batches, delivering creamy textures and big flavours that appeal to vegans and dairy lovers alike.
Among its creations are Blackheart – made with activated charcoal for a smokey flavour – and Cashew Blue, a spirulina blue-veined wedge. Other lines include the chipotle-tinged Fuego, a hard alternative Gratta Vegano and the sweet-savoury Walnut & Fudge. thecheesycult.com
Irwin’s Bakery is a proud fourthgeneration, familyowned business. Renowned for its iconic Nutty Krust batch bread, Irwin’s uses a unique 24-hour fermentation and baking process to create this distinctive loaf.
Nutty Krust is available in 800g and 400g variants, both sliced and unsliced. Operating 364 days a year, Irwin’s supplies over 3,000 outlets across the UK, is BRC AA* graded and operates as a fully nut-free site. irwinsbakery.com
winning operation called Our Brewery
Home- and microbrewing supply specialist Get ‘er Brewed has its own award-
Its ethos is to make beer that customers want to drink again rather than buy just once out of curiosity. The range spans a variety of classic craft beer styles in 440ml cans – from NEIPAs and West Coast IPAs through to Stout and Pils – as well as a number of barrel-aged creations in 375ml and 750ml bottles. Both its Oud Bruin (Low Land) and Keptinis (Razma) beers received 3-star awards in Great Taste 2025.
The company also makes a gin under the Frankie and Eileen brand, a juniper-led spirit designed to make the classic G&T and cocktails.
Kettyle Foods specialises in premium, dry-aged meat products. Established in 2003, the company operates from sites including Lurgan and Lisnaskea, and focuses on supplying high-quality beef and other meats to foodservice and retail markets across the UK, Ireland, and beyond.
The business is best known for its grass-fed, dryaged beef, sourced mainly from local Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cattle.
It has also innovated in ageing processes, particularly with its proprietary “Salt Moss” ageing method, which enhances flavour and texture.
kettyleirishfoods.com (140g, RRP £4.35) are the latest line from Forest Feast. The Co Armagh producer layers sweet dates with creamy pistachio nut butter and crispy wafer before enrobing them in Belgian milk chocolate.
Said by its creator to be tapping into the ongoing Dubai Chocolate social media trend, these sweet treats have already won a Gold Award in the Farm Shop & Deli Product Awards 2026. forestfeast.com
A 3-star Great Taste award-winning dessert wine, Aghinlig Orchard Ice Cider is crafted from a single variety of apple grown on the family owned, Rose’s Farm in County Armagh. The juice is slowly fermented over a full year, followed by an additional twelve months of maturation in barrels to refine its character. This patient, two-year process results in a balanced, small-batch ice cider with a deep sweetness and bright acidity. It is an ideal pairing for blue cheese or a thoughtful final touch to a meal.
Contact James at james@applejames.com for trade enquiries.
County Fermanagh based Cavanagh Free Range Egg suppliers, John and Eileen Hall have been producing the finest free-range eggs for over twenty years, with their first flock of 5100 birds arriving at their farm in January 2002.
They launched the Cavanagh brand in March 2012, to satisfy consumer demand for a quality artisan free range egg, ethically produced. Their eggs have been winning awards every year since they first entered awards in 2014, including the UK’s Great Taste awards, The Great British Food Awards, The Delicious Produce Awards and Irish Food Awards, which is testament to the consistent quality of their eggs and their dedication to their birds and animal welfare. All Cavanagh eggs are British Lion accredited since 2016.
Buchanans’ retail product range spans dried fruits, nuts, seeds, glacé cherries, baking ingredients, cereals, pulses and rice – the full gamut of ambient kitchen essentials.
Along with staples such as sultanas, pine nuts and lentils, the company offers a baking range, including desiccated coconut, mixed peel, sugar strands and chocolate vermicelli. Buchanans supplies retailers across the grocery, convenience and farm shop sectors. wgbuchanan.com
Working in partnership with a local hotel chain, Wilson’s Country have launched a top quality fresh potato croquette, specifically designed for the foodservice sector.
The croquettes are delivered on trays of 12 individual 85g portions, ready to place into the oven. Made with Wilson’s award-winning, batch-cooked, mash, the croquettes are coated in a light gluten-free breadcrumb and come in cases of 36 (3 trays of 12). wilsonscountry.com
Oatco Superfuel is a brand on a mission to change how people think about everyday energy. Designed for real, busy lives, Oatco is redefining food to go with its Super Bite Energy Balls, functional snacks built around natural energy, fibre and great taste. In a market driven by protein claims, Oatco takes a different approach, delivering sustained energy that tastes like a treat. Now stocked in over 600 stores across the UK and Ireland. oatco.co.uk
Founded in 2005 by husbandand-wife team Allison and Will Abernethy, Abernethy Butter grew from a hobby into one of the region’s most successful food producers through its traditional hand-churned butter, made using fresh cream from local grass-fed cows.
As well as its salted and unsalted butter, it also produces a number of more modern flavoured varieties, including Dulse & Sea Salt, Truffle and Black Garlic.
In 2024, the business was acquired by local entrepreneur Peter Hannan, with plans to preserve its quality and legacy while continuing its growth. abernethybutter.com
Founded in Belfast in 2014, BlackFire Food is Northern Ireland’s original hot sauce company. Each small batch product is crafted using Armagh cider vinegar which is made from PGI protected Bramley apples.
With a range that spans from the mild and smoky Bonfire Chipotle sauce to the superhot Pain in the Hole sauce, the Blackfire roster has a condiment for every palate.
The range also includes Ghost pepper & Black Lime Ketchup, Jalapenero Chilli Jam, Habanero Hot Honey and the latest product, Honey Sriracha, which comes in cases of 10 x 350g (trade £5 per unit) blackfirefood.com
Basalt Distillery is an independent business located on Antrim’s north coast. Its spirits are crafted using naturally filtered water drawn from a 600-foot borehole drilled through basalt rock – the same volcanic formation that shapes the famous Giant's Causeway nearby.
Its flagship Basalt Volcanic Rock Gin is distilled with botanicals, including sea buckthorn and kombu royale seaweed, creating a distinctive flavour profile with both citrus and saline notes. The spirit won a Great Taste 3-star last year, as well as a coveted Golden Fork and awards in the Gin Masters and IWSC competitions.
Meanwhile, Basalt Volcanic Rock Vodka has been developed to carry a smooth flavour for use in premium mixed drinks and cocktails.
Both products come in three formats: 70cl bottles, 70cl eco refills and 5cl miniatures. Bottles comes in trade cases of 12 units, with an RRP of £40 per unit. basalt-distillery.com
More than just a supplier, Belfast-based Bailies
Coffee Roasters offers comprehensive support to independent coffee shops, hotels and restaurants. As well as engineering and equipment servicing, it also provides professional barista training.
In addition to signature blends and microlots, Bailies roasts a number of Single Origin coffees from countries including Brazil, Colombia and Ethiopia – all sourced responsibly by establishing long term relationships with farmers.
RRPs for these coffees start at £10.50 for 250g bags. bailiescoffee.com
PEPPUP offers a range of Mediterraneaninspired cooking sauces and condiments made all natural ingredients. The range includes a pasta sauce, pizza sauce, pasta bake sauce, red pesto, garlic dip, and several Bolognese varieties including Original, Smooth, Basil, Garlic and Chilli.
The newest addition to the roster is a Lemon Sauce (cases of 6 units, RRP £4-5). Made with roasted yellow peppers, authentic Greek yogurt and fresh lemon juice, it delivers a true Mediterranean taste. peppup.com
Co Fermanaghbased Cavanagh Free Range Eggs has been supplying top quality eggs for more than two decades. It launched its brand, as you see it now, in 2012 and has been picking up awards for its eggs ever since – with including accolades from Great Taste and the Irish Food Awards.
Its eggs have been British Lion accredited since 2016 and the company has recently increased its supply base and moved to off-site packing, while still retaining full oversight of its supply chain. cavanagheggs.co.uk
Founded by chef John Crowe, Carrick Foods is on a mission to deliver professional consistency while protecting the authenticity of traditional Irish baking. Its preservativefree award-winning baking mixes are all made with local flour, butter and buttermilk wherever possible, and its signature Stout Wheaten Loaf features Foyster Stout brewed in Derry by the Walled City Brewery — embedding real Northern Irish provenance into every loaf.
The range from this two-time Blas na hÉireann (Ireland’s top food awards) finalist, also includes Farmhouse Wheaten, Legenderry Scone Mix and Stout Wheaten – designed for retail shelves and professional kitchens alike.
The mixes come in 244g-275g packs (trade £2.50, RRP £3.50) with 6-month shelf lives. carrickfoods.com
brand, created by the team behind Green Fingers Family. Built on a simple idea – that healthy snacks should be both delicious and honest – these products are naturally nutritious and feature clean, simple ingredients.
The range includes crunchy, golden-baked granolas (cases of 8 x 350g, trade £2.95 each) in Apple Crisp, Peanut Butter and Cocoa Crunch varieties. There are also two energising bars (cases of 12 x 35g, trade 90p each) in Peanut Crisp and Cocoa Crisp flavours. yumbosnacks.co.uk
Established in 1915, Favourit is Ireland’s oldest manufacturer of herbs and spices. Its Perfect For Air Fryer range has been developed to meet growing demand for quick, flavour-packed convenience cooking. The range includes: Salt & Chilli, Chip, Fish, Steak, Chicken, Tandoori, Piri Piri and Fajita seasonings. Case size 6 units (30g-75g), RRP £1.79 per jar. favouritfood.com
Glens of Antrim Group is a thirdgeneration business founded by the McKillop family.
As well as Glens takes on the classic flavours, the producer’s core brand also features Gammon & Pineapple, Pickled Onion, Roast Beef & Mustard, Prawn Cocktail and Sriracha Sweet Chilli. All flavours are available in 100g bags and most come in either 50g or 65g bags too.
Glens also produces the Shindigs ridge-cut crisp brand. goacrisps.com
When we started 10 years ago, there weren’t many small producers in Northern Ireland. Now we’ve got new ones coming through all the time. So many of them are lovely people, they have great ideas and they articulate their stories so well, which is a retailer’s dream.
Jackson Roze’s signature nonalcoholic ginger wine is available in Regular Strength, Extra Strength, Reduced Sugar, Ginger with Clove, and Vegan varieties (all available in 750ml and 330ml, £6.39+VAT and £3.60+VAT respectively). The Armagh-based business also produces ginger shots in 60ml and 300ml formats (trade £1.50 and £5.95) in the following flavours: Ginger, Ginger & Rhubarb, Ginger & Elderberry, Ginger & Turmeric, and Ginger & Pineapple. jacksonroze.com
Mauds Ice Creams is a family-owned business in Carrickfergus that produces all of its lines with fresh milk and cream from the Ballyrashane Creamery on the north coast.
Its signature flavour, called Poor Bear's Delight, is something of a local delicacy thanks to its unique blend of vanilla ice cream and honeycomb produced in house.
Among Maud’s accolades over the years is a Great Taste Golden Fork in 2023 for its Pistachio ice cream. mauds.com
Laura Bradley, Indie Füde
PISTACHIO
Portadown-based Holmes Bakery has a wide repertoire of sweet treats includes butter shortbread, caramel fingers, billionaire bars and seasonal favourites such as mince pies and Christmas puddings.
Designed to deliver strong shelf appeal and repeat purchase, the range balances traditional baking with consistency and practical retail formats.
Typical RRP ranges from £2.50–£4.00 depending on format, with competitive trade pricing available. Products are available in individual packs, twin packs and sharing formats, with cases holding 6–12 units. holmesbakery.com
The Dundarave Estate on the north coast of Antrim has an award-winning range of jams, chutneys, apple juices, apple cider vinegar, shortbread and fudge which is all handmade on site. It has also collaborated with Bushmills Distillery to make a range using their rum cask whiskey which includes all-butter shortbread, whiskey fudge and Caribbean pineapple & rum cask whiskey chutney.
A new addition to its range this year is 250ml bottles of apple and apple & pear juice. dundaraveestate.com
Crawford’s Rock specialises in harvesting wild seaweed and creating seasonings from them. One of its newer products – Dillisk Sprinkle – has turned plenty of heads, winning the 2026 NIFDA Best New Product – Micro Company. This new line is made from dried milled dulse – a red seaweed traditional eaten for centuries in Ireland and sometimes described as “bacon of the sea”. It can be used to add umami to dishes or as a replacement for table salt. crawfordsrockseaweed.co.uk
Corndale Farm is a multiaward-winning artisan charcuterie producer, specialising in small-batch, traditionally cured meats crafted using high-welfare pork. Made in a SALSA-accredited premises in Limavady, the core range includes Air-Dried Coppa, Fennel Salami, Venison Salami, Chorizo, Nduja, and Beer Sticks.
All lines are are supplied in retail-ready packs (80g–110g, RRP £4.50–£6), as well as larger foodservice formats.
Available through Cress Co and Artisan Food Club, Corndale Farm has independent retail customers all over the UK and Ireland. corndalefarm.com
Belfast’s Melting Pot Fudge has developed a 50g Impulse Range, which should work well in both independent retail and foodservice settings. Available in three flavours – Traditional Butter, Salted Caramel and Madagascan Vanilla – these fudges are made in the same way as Melting Pot’s other lines: with Irish butter and gluten-free.
Trade cases contain 15 units, with an RRP of £1.75 each. meltingpotfudge.co.uk
Papas Mineral Company is bringing a distinctive taste of Belfast to the wider UK, along with its sister brands Longbridge Drinks and Irish Sisters.
Founded in 1999, Papas offers up a range of handcrafted cordials and sodas, including alcohol-free Ginger Wine, Elderflower Cordial and Traditional Lemonade.
Under the same family umbrella, Longbridge Drinks celebrates Belfast’s rich soft drink heritage while looking firmly to the future, with a range of mixers and a new line-up of sodas in 330ml glass bottles.
The Irish Sisters cordial brand features flavours such as Raspberry and Rose & Lavender Cordial.
papasmineralcompany.com
After over a decade of producing condiments and seasonings, Burren Balsamics has built up a good following among independent retailers – including Harrods and Avoca. Its Great Taste 3-star Blackberry & Thyme Infused Balsamic Vinegar is a shining example of its capabilities. The producer says it captures the “essence of late summer hedgerows and fragrant herb gardens” in every drop.
Like all of Burren’s lines, it’s handcrafted in small batches and can be used for a variety of culinary purposes, from drizzling on roasted vegetables to serving with goats’ cheese – as well as in salad dressings and sauces.
Supplied in cases of 9 x 250ml (trade £55). RRP £9 per bottle.
burrenbalsamics.com
Fibre UP is a new range of lightly sparkling, fruitbased soft drinks that deliver half the recommended daily amount of fibre (15g) per serving. The drinks contain a highly digestible, non-GMO soluble fibre from maize, no added sugars or sweeteners, and a fully natural ingredients. Raspberry Lemonade, Apple & Elderflower, and Mango & Passionfruit all come in cases of 12 x 250ml cans (trade £1.35 each, RRP £2.69) fibreupdrinks.com
Each scoop of Glastry Farm’s ice cream contains more than 70% pure dairy milk and the producer uses minimal air in its process, resulting in a richer, creamier texture.
Alongside the traditional ice cream range, it has developed a sorbet range to be a vegan alternative that is lower in sugar and fat but vibrant thanks to its high fruit content.
It offers 5-litre tubs for foodservice and counters, as well as 500ml retail tubs and 120ml single-serve tubs. glastryfarm.com
Since 1989, the Miller family has been growing onions on the banks of Lough Foyle, in the heart of Limavady’s Roe Valley. Their Milgro Crispy Onions (in Original, Flame Grilled Steak and Salted Chilli varieties) are an ideal accompaniment for a multitude of dishes, including burgers, chicken, salads, sandwiches, and soups.
In November 2022, the company launched a new brand ONiT! Crispy Onions which sees the multi-award-winning Crispy Onions presented in a new innovative resealable and fully recyclable pouch. milgro.co.uk
Billed as a “Guilt Free” flavoured milk drink, Millar Moo’s range is fat-free, gluten-free and has the same high level of protein as normal milk. All four of its flavours come in 500ml glass bottles: Strawberry, Chocolate, Banana, and Cookies & Cream. And now three varieties (excluding Banana) are available in its new 250ml cans aimed at the food-to-go market. millarmoo.com
Fenner’s Clean & Cured Air-Dried Steak is a premium high-protein snack made by Moorcroft Foods using just three simple ingredients: grass-fed beef, apple cider vinegar and sea salt. Developed for consumers looking for clean-label, minimally processed snacks, it comes in 25g packs contains 14g of protein with no added sugar, MSG, gluten or nitrates. It can be supplied in SRP cases, clip strips or bulk boxes to suit retailers’ needs.
moorcroftfoods.co.uk
T
E:
TRAINING RETAIL CHEESE
HERE ARE THE CHAMPIONS
Best New Product – Micro Company sponsored by Kinecx Energy Dilisk Sprinkles
Crawford’s Rock
Best New Product – Small Company sponsored by Kinecx Energy
Nourish Pot
Bone Broth
Vegetable Soup
Big Pot Co
Best New Product –Medium Company sponsored by Kinecx Energy
Pink Lady Apple Juice
Simply Fruit Sparkling
Best New Product –
Large Company
sponsored by Kinecx Energy
Aer Lingus Salt ‘n’ Chilli
Chicken Goujon Wrap
Deli Lites Ireland
Best New Product –Service Sector sponsored by NIFDA
Gluten Free Crunchy
Crumb Potato Croquettes
Wilson’s Country
Best New Product
Launch Outside
Northern Ireland sponsored by Invest NI
The Warty Goblin
Pumpkin Gilfresh Produce
Most Sustainable Supply Chain Award sponsored by DAERA Dale Farm
Sustainability Energy Leadership Award sponsored by Ortus Energy
Wilson’s Country
Now in their 18th year, the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Awards are widely regarded as a benchmark of excellence within the industry, rewarding both the smallest and the largest suppliers. Here are all the winners from the 2026 edition of the awards – said to be the most competitive so far.
Advanced Food & Drink Manufacturing Award sponsored by Birnie Consultancy McColgan’s
Rising Star Award sponsored by Vickerstock Samuel Turner, Finnebrogue
Outstanding Contribution Award sponsored by NIFDA Ross Reed, Founder and Chair of Interfrigo
Healthier Product Innovation Award sponsored by the FSA Sparkling Fruit Juices Fibre Up
Food Safety Innovation Award sponsored
W
Food & drink manufacturers across Northern Ireland, alongside 500 guests –including ministers and retailers – gathered at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on 27th February for the NIFDA ceremony on presented by BBC’s Mark Simpson.
by Safefood
G Buchanan & Sons
Bringing our world-class food and drink to the table
Fine food and speciality trade buyers are no stranger to the broad range and high quality of food and drink from Northern Ireland.
From exceptional everyday staples to specialist artisan treats, Northern Ireland producers have products to boost your sales and inspire your customers. Flexibility, innovation and strong customer relationships are at the heart of our industry. Northern Ireland’s long-established and largely family-owned companies are well positioned for continued growth. Committed to using quality, often locally produced ingredients, provenance and outstanding flavour are guaranteed.
