Two Food NI member companies have been successful in the highly coveted Food Manufacture Excellence Awards 2018.

The awards are regarded as the most important and highly influential in the UK’s food manufacturing industry.

The successful Northern Ireland food manufacturers were in the intensely contested Chilled, Fresh and Dairy category. They were:

Davison Canners of Portadown, a developer and manufacturer of speciality fruit, fruit compotes, jams and bakery fillings, won the category for smaller manufacturers; and

Mash Direct of Comber, a UK leader in potato and vegetable sides and convenience meals which was highly commended in the large company section.

Mash Direct is a previous overall winner in the awards for excellence in manufacturing.

The Food Manufacture Excellence Awards provide a platform to celebrate and recognise this hard work and the boundaries pushed forwards in the past 12 months.

The competition also showcases and celebrates the innovation that underpins the food and drink industry in the UK.

In addition, they focus on new product development and the application of high-tech manufacturing processes and high-quality raw materials.

The awards have been running for 18 years and have established a coveted mark of quality and excellence. Every year the awards welcome hundreds of industry professionals to the gala presentation dinner.