Visitors get a taste of NI’s finest food and drink

CROWDS of visitors thronged the NI Food Pavilion to sample the finest wares from the region’s food and drink producers.

Ireland’s biggest agricultural show is the ideal place for companies to showcase their best new products and the cream of the crop was on display yesterday.

Ballylisk of Armagh was riding high after its new triple cream cheese was named Best New Product in the food pavilion, and owner Dean Wright says it is in talks with some high-end retailers in London which are considering stocking the product.

The family-run business of fifth generation farmers get their ingredient directly from source, using milk from their own Holstein Friesian herd.

“We take the product right through from farm to cheese. I think we are the first farm in Northern Ireland to do that and it means we have a product on the market with full traceability,” Dean said.

“It’s a triple cream cheese, which is a semi-soft cheese targeted at the high-end market, with three times the amount of cream from normal white mould-ripened cheese would have.

“We have our own milk pools, cows, cheese plant and it has done very well. There has been huge interest from well-known

Marcus Galbraith with his overall show champion goat presented by Sarah McCoy, Ulster Bank Business Executive

chefs, establishments and outlets across the UK. It’s getting to places where I never expected it to get,” he said.

Papa’s Minerals Company was also turning heads with its new Belfast ginger ale from the Longbridge Drinks Co, which has its own story.

“Belfast invented ginger ale, so we’re bringing it back with our brand new Belfast ginger ale,” said owner Wayne Adair.

“We’ve even named it after the Long Bridge. The original Queen’s Bridge was called Long Bridge before it was knocked down and replaced with the present Queen’s Bridge.

“So, because ginger ale was born in Belfast, we decided to name it after one of the original Belfast landmarks.”

Not only was Quails Fine Foods from Banbridge showcasing its latest products, but it was

celebrating a win in the show ring.

Joe Quail explained: “We’ve been farmers and butchers for 120 years. We show Limousin cattle and we won first prize with our cow this year.

“This year we have a new pork and chorizo sausage and it’s going well — people say it has a good kick to it. We dry-age the full carcass in our Himalayan salt chill for 28 days.

“We’re also launching the fact that we’re opening a new store in the Eurospar at Wallace Village in Lisburn. We’ve won 27 Great Taste awards.”

Long Meadow Farm from Armagh was also showcasing its popular new rhubarb and honey flavoured cider.

“It’s going really well — it’s one of the top sellers. It’s now launched in Sainsburys from the beginning of May,” said Catherine McKeever.

“We’re a family-run business of third-generation apple growers and we have diversified into cider.

Breakfast isn’t forgotten, with Lurgan-based Avondale Foods launching two varieties of bircher muesli and two varieties of ready-to-microwave porridge.

Dawn Cann says blueberry and strawberry muesli proved popular with visitors this week.

“You don’t have to cook them — you just stir and eat,” she says.

Meanwhile, Broughgammon Farm is launching a new farm shop at its Ballycastle farm, where it will be putting on artisan classes to teach foraging, wild game butchery, cheese-making, fermenting, smoking and curing.

Morelli’s Ice Cream is also in the process of expansion, taking over the premises next door to expand its factory.

Manager Ben Robinson says it is currently testing new creams in conjunction with the university in Coleraine and is about to launch a new Ferrero Rocher-themed Ambassador cone.