Saluting Our Outstanding Taste Stars
Great news from Northern Ireland’s tremendous producers for Year of Food and Drink! Our companies, a great many of them Food NI members, blazed a splendid trail of success in this year’s UK Great Taste Awards, the annual ‘Oscars’ of the food and drink industry run by the influential Guild of Fine Food. Over 200 products from the broadest range of business won acclaim from a panel of expert judges. I am delighted to say that every county produced a winning product.
The most successful business was Hannan Meats, the gourmet beef and bacon enterprise in Moira that was founded and continues to be driven by FoodNI board member Peter Hannan. His dedication to innovative food with outstanding taste resulted in a record-breaking 59 gold stars for 36 products. I believe that this is an all-time UK record. In 2014, Hannan set the record for gold stars, including the coveted three-stars. He’s now broken this record in 2016 – after taking a break last year. Congratulations to all at Hannan Meats. This enterprising business must be in the running to recover the Supreme Champion title, first achieved in 2012.
There are other contenders for the top award….and also for listing among the Top 50 Foods. They include other FoodNI members such as Suki Tea, Thompson Family Teas, Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt, Abernethy Butter in Dromara, Kearney Blue cheese from the Castlereagh Hills and Dale Farm’s crème fraiche. They are among 12 local companies to achieve three gold stars for excellence in taste.
And there was further outstanding success stories in the two-star category for our members. They include Mourne Mountains Brewery in Warrenpoint, Armagh Cider Company, Long Meadow Cider in Loughgall and Rademon Estate’s Shortcross Gin from Crossgar. Recent start-up Seriously Juicy from Newtownbutler featured along with Punjana’s Loose Tea, Thompson’s Black Tea Orange Cookies, Suki Tea’s Indian Spiced Chai and Whole Peppermint teas, Thompson’s Everyday Teabags, their Signature Blend Teabags, Turkish Apple, Hot Summer Red and Hedgerow Heaven blends.
What’s really significant is that virtually every food category here achieved success. Take bakery, for instance. There were awards for Graham’s Bakery, Dromore, Genesis Crafty in Magherafelt, Heatherlea in Bangor and Deli LItes in Warrenpoint. And there were awards too for Holmes Bakery in Portadown, Ann’s Pantry in Larne, Yellow Door in Portadown, Irwin’s Bakery, also based in Portadown, The Cookie Jar in Newcastle, Linwoods in Armagh, Moditions in Ballymena, Dromore’s Krazibaker and Amber Catering in Antrim. 
Chocolatier La Coquine’s in Comber was rewarded for blending Young Buck Cheese from Newtownards with Port and Passion Fruit. Blackthorn Foods in Belfast was another success for their dark chocolate and orange fudge.
Broighter Gold in Limavady struck gold with its rapeseed with 23ct Gold Flakes won There was recognition for En Place Foods in Cookstown and two Ballycastle businesses, North Coast Smokehouse and Broughgammon’s Smoked Goat Bacon. Other beef and bacon producers such Quail’s Fine Foods in Banbridge, Kennedy Bacon in Omagh and Carnbrooke Meats in Dromara.
The range of successful products was immense. Cavanagh’s Free Range Eggs in Newtownbutler gained recognition, L’Artisan Foods in Portadown impressed the judges with its Brazilian/Portuguese influenced quiches and tarts. Yellow Door, the Portadown business headed by innovative husband and wife team Simon and Jilly Dougan, produced a different Sticky Toffee Pudding and Glastry Farm in Kircubbin came up with an award winning with its zesty lemon sorbet and Teeling Irish Whiskey Ice Cream.
There were awards too for Lacada’s Brewery Co-operative in Portrush, Whitewater Brewery in Kilkeel, Hillstown Craft Brewery in Randalstown, Northbound Brewery in Derry, MacIvor’s Cider in Portadown, Kilmegan Cider in Dundrum, Squeeze Wheatgrass Juice in Warrenpoint, SD Bell’s Belfast Teabags and Colombian Medelllin coffee beans.
Tamnagh Foods in Dungiven produced an award winning breakfast granola and struck gold for its Dart Mountain cheese. Relish, sauce and chutney makers Passion Preserved of Lisburn, Moira’s Hollah Preserving, Deli Muru, Belfast, Brambleberry Jam in Lisburn and PEPPUP Sauces in Newtownards also tickled the taste buds of the judges.
Other impressive winners include Glenballyeamon Eggs in Ballymena, Finnebrogue in Downpatrick. Buchanan’s Free Range Turkeys in Kilrea, Cloughbane Farm in Pomeroy, Baronscourt Estate in Omagh, Mash Direct in Comber and Fivemiletown Cheese in Tyrone.
Congratulations to all our winners. Their successes are helping to strengthen Northern Ireland’s position as a global centre of exceptional food and drink, and reinforcing the accomplishments of our industry during our first ever Year of Food and Drink.
