Novel hand baked Irish Black Butter oatcake launched in Northern Ireland
Two Food NI members have joined forces to create an original, hand baked and tasty Irish oatcake biscuit.
The award winning Heatherlea Bakery, which is based in Bangor, and Irish Black Butter from Portrush have developed the innovative Irish Black Butter Oatcakes.
The new biscuits also contain oats from another Northern Ireland artisan business, also a Food NI member, White’s Oats in Tandragee, Co Armagh.
The new oatcake is a collaboration between Paul Getty, managing director of Heatherlea Bakery, and Alastair Bell, the founder of Irish Black Butter, a unique savoury/sweet spread made from Bramley apples, treacle, spices with a hint of brandy.
Heatherlea Bakery is renowned for its traditional Irish breads, biscuits, traybakes and ‘pound’ cakes. The company, which has won several UK Great Taste Awards, is owned by Mr Getty and wife Patricia.
They have owned the bakery since 1990 and currently bake products for retailers, including their own successful bakery/deli/café, as well as wholesalers.
Irish Black Butter was launched in November 2017 by Mr Bell to offer “a new taste of Ireland” based on the country’s PGI accredited Bramley apples from county Armagh. In addition to selling the premium spread to delis and independent retailers throughout Ireland and through a distributor in Britain.
Commenting on the new oatcakes, Mr Bell says: “I was thrilled when Paul Getty agreed to use the black butter as an ingredient for a new oatcake product.
“Paul and his bakers have done marvellous job in creating a delicious hand baked Irish oatcake, a bakery product long synonymous with Ireland.
“I see opportunities to market the oatcake as a traditional Irish product both here and in global markets. It makes a great gift for tourists in particular,” he adds.
Irish Black Butter is already being used as an ingredient in ice cream, yoghurt and in charcuterie, all from Northern Irish artisan producers.
