Erne Larder grows sales outside Northern Ireland
Erne Larder Preserves in Enniskillen has won a series of orders from customers outside Northern Ireland for its handcrafted ketchup, jam and chutneys.
The company, owned and managed by chef Declan O’Donoghue, is now supplying its Irish Black Bacon Ketchup, Irish Bacon Jam and chutneys to London, Dublin, Sligo and Galway.
The orders have been placed through Erne Larder’s e-commerce site. Those in the Republic are also the result of a successful listing by Lidl of its ketchup and jam, both made using iconic Old Fermanagh Irish Black Bacon, an award winning product developed by Enniskillen butcher and deli owner Pat O’Doherty.
“The orders especially in Britain are immensely important,” says Mr O’Donoghue. “The business from the Republic is also very encouraging because it’s such an accessible market from Enniskillen. I want to expand a network of retail outlets there for my products. We are seeing orders increasingly through our website,” he adds.
Mr O’Donoghue, a native of Enniskillen, began training to be chef at the age of 16 and spent the next 16 years honing his skills in hotels and restaurants in Ireland in various roles, including head chef, before deciding to “step away from mainstream cookery”. That was in 2016.
As well as the bacon jam and ketchup, he has also created other jams and sauces including a lemon curd based on a recipe from his grandmother, pesto and a fiery jalapeño sauce.
