Ulster Grocer November 2018

GROCER ULSTER

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Over 45 years at the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry

PRM GROUP CELEBRATES 30 YEARS IN BUSINESS

NOVEMBER 2018

N O. 1 M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E LO C A L G R O C E R Y S E C TO R

GROCER ULSTER

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NOVEMBER 2018

N O. 1 M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E LO C A L G R O C E R Y S E C TO R

Over 45 years at the heart of the Northern Ireland food industry

BREXIT LABOUR THREAT HIGHLIGHTED

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wenty-one business groups have collectively sent a letter to the Prime Minister, Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland raising serious concerns about the current availability of labour in NI and Brexit migration policies.

Among organisations involved in the unprecedented move are the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association, Grain Trade Association, Meat Exporters Association, Retail NI, Pork and Bacon Forum, Bakery Council, Ulster Farmers’ Union and Manufacturing NI. A Brexit deal and regional flexibility around migrant labour policies is vital to secure the labour needed to keep Northern Ireland working, according to the group, which says failing to address the issue could lead to the demise of many key industries.

“Since the Brexit referendum, the number of European Economic Area workers in Northern Ireland has fallen by 26%, adding further pressure to an already tight labour market,” said

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Trevor Lockhart, chairman of CBI NI, speaking on behalf of the 21 signatory organisations.

“This is having a major impact on industry here, affecting in particular the food processing, hospitality, and construction sectors. We need access to non-EU workers to fill low-skilled positions as an immediate priority, as well as a strategy to address gaps in higherskills across various sectors.

“We have asked the Home Office to recognise the need for regional flexibility to resolve the challenges faced by the sector. Facing similar pressures, the Republic of Ireland has already introduced a sector-based scheme which grants visas to non-EU workers. Without a similar approach for Northern Ireland, local businesses will face an even greater competitive threat, particularly as many sectors such as agri-food now work increasingly on an all-island basis.

“This means that, if labour is not available in Northern Ireland, operations here could be scaled back, enabling

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further expansion in the Republic of Ireland where non-EU labour is available.

This would also threaten the thousands of indigenous supporting jobs which are co-dependent on migrant labour.

“We need the UK and the EU to reach a Brexit deal. That is crucial to Northern Ireland’s economic success and viability.

One of the undertakings identified in the December 2017 joint report by the UK and EU Brexit negotiators was to ensure that any deal reached would not disadvantage Northern Ireland’s economic interest. That was a commitment.

“However, there is now grave concern within the business community that in a no-deal situation, the UK government would not be bound by these special undertakings, and Northern Ireland would suffer as a result.

“We are engaging with our local politicians, urging them to recognise the significance of this threat to our economy and wider society, and calling on them to exert their influence on the government at this critical time.”

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FOOD FORCE IRELAND:

30 YEARS IN BUSINESS:

OFF-TRADE DRINKS:

TOP 10 BRANDS:

THE LOCAL NISA BUYING GROUP CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY AT ITS DIRECT TRADE SUPPLIER DAY

HARD WORK, DETERMINATION AND SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES HAS PAID OFF FOR CHILLED & FROZEN SPECIALIST PRM

AHEAD OF THE KEY CHRISTMAS TRADING PERIOD, OUR OFF-TRADE SPECIAL LOOKS AT DRINKS NPD

KANTAR WORLDPANEL HAS COMPILED A LIST OF THE TOP 10 GROCERY BRANDS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

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EDITORIAL COMMENT Volume 53, Number 10 November 2018 Editor: Alyson Magee E: a.magee@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4175 Contributors: Michele Shirlow, Jason Winstanley Sales Manager: Chris Keenan E: c.keenan@independentmagazinesni.co.uk Tel: 028 9026 4266 Art Editor: Helen Wright Production Manager: Irene Fitzsimmons Ulster Grocer c/o Independent News & Media Ltd, Belfast Telegraph House 33 Clarendon Road Clarendon Dock Belfast BT1 3BG www.ulstergrocer.com @ulstergrocer www.facebook.com/ulstergrocer Subscriptions: £27.50 per annum £37.50 per annum (outside UK) Designed & Produced by: Independent News & Media Ltd Tel: 028 9026 4000 Printed by: W&G Baird, Antrim Tel: 028 9446 3911 Latest ABC figures state that Ulster Grocer has an average net circulation of 5,846 per edition (1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018) Independent News & Media Ltd ©2017. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or stransmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of Independent News & Media Ltd.

MILESTONES CELEBRATED BY GROCERY BUSINESSES

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elcome to the November edition of Ulster Grocer.

Shall we focus first on the positives? Within this month’s pages, you’ll find an abundance of upbeat news stories and profiles.

Two major players in the Northern Ireland grocery trade are thriving as they celebrate significant anniversaries.

First up is Food Force Ireland (FFI), which has been a ‘force’ for 25 years, getting the best deals for its members. As part of our review of this year’s FFI Direct Trade Supply Day, we profile one of its many successful members, Newell Stores in Dungannon; a vibrant business reaping the benefits of FFI’s bulk buying deals while also enjoying the freedom to flex its independence as required.

Celebrating 30 years in the trade, meanwhile, is our cover star PRM Group, founded and led by Philip and Lynne Morrow. PRM is profiled over ps26-27, and it really makes for an interesting read, documenting PRM’s big break when it secured the distribution rights for Müller up to the present day with the business now delivering over 300,000 cases of goods to the retail, wholesale and foodservice sectors every week.

And, as Philip Morrow said while receiving a Special Recognition Award at FFI’s recent Supplier of the Year Awards, many in the grocery trade “have been through the ‘university of PRM’ as we call it, it’s been a bit of a training ground”.

Congratulations to both businesses on their milestones achieved, and long may their success continue.

Alongside our usual news pages, other content of note includes another great year at the Blas na hÉireann Irish food awards for Northern Ireland producers;

in particular, Rooney Fish, crowned Supreme Champion for its Millbay Oysters.

Our Off-Trade Drinks focus takes a look at new launches and trends in the category ahead of Christmas, including insight into Irish whiskey – the fastest growing premium spirits category globally – from Dillon Bass ambassador Joe Magowan.

And we are also excited to unveil new data from Kantar Worldpanel listing the Top 10 Brands in Northern Ireland.

The household brand names you would expect make the list, with a reassuring presence also of locally-produced brands.

Bread is the clear market leader, and our coverage includes an interview with Allied Bakeries Ireland in Belfast, manufacturer of the number one brand, Kingsmill. Also making the list, of course, is Coca-Cola, which is set to unleash its Holidays are Coming campaign and Christmas Truck Tour.

Like it or loath it, Christmas will soon be upon us and hopefully the festive cheer will not be marred too much by the dark cloud of Brexit.

As our news pages again attest to, Brexit is very much dominating… well, pretty much everything. Chief concerns this month include the labour issue and an agricultural policy vacuum in Northern Ireland as the Stormont impasse continues.

To end on a positive note, I’ll return to Philip Morrow’s words at the FFI event: “Brexit’s going to come and go, the world’s going to keep turning and like most businesses, whatever comes along, we’ll work our way through it.”

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NEWS

BELFAST CITY CENTRE FOOTFALL DROPS BY THIRD AFTER PRIMARK BLAZE

BY MARGARET CANNING

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ootfall in Belfast City Centre’s shops has crashed by almost a third after the devastating fire at Primark’s flagship store, according to the latest Springboard report.

A retail boss has urged the public to shop in the city coming up to Christmas after the report from information body showed a 30% drop in footfall in September.

The report gives the first official insight into the impact on the retail economy of the Bank Buildings blaze, which raged for three days in August.

A total of 14 shops have been shut since the fire as they remain within a safety cordon around the store.

But stores just outside the cordon in locations like Castle Street have reported a fall in trade of 90%.

And Springboard’s research found that even shopping areas far removed from the cordon were reporting a fall of around 10% or 15%.

Springboard and the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC) said footfall had “crashed” across Northern Ireland as the impact of the Primark fire on

August 28 affected the region-wide figures.

NIRC boss Aodhan Connolly has called for Chancellor Philip Hammond to help retailers in Belfast in his Budget.

The Springboard report said footfall was down 4.6% across Northern Ireland - worse than an average 1.7% decline over the last three months and the 12-month average of 1.9%. Retail park and high street footfall was down 6%, although the drop in shopping centre footfall slowed to 0.2% from 2.4% in August.

NI FOOD AND DAIRY FARMERS AGREE MERGER OF LACPATRICK AND LAKELAND CO-OPS DRINK INDUSTRY WELL PLACED FOR GROWTH

From left, Andrew McConkey of LacPatrick Dairies, and Michael Hanley and Alo Duffy of Lakeland Dairies.

From left, Caspar Berry, Deloitte partner Glenn Roberts and Clive Black.

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armers at two all-island dairy co-ops which draw milk from around 1,300 Northern Ireland farms have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a tie-in.

The decision by farmer members of LacPatrick Dairies and Lakeland Dairies to back the merger will create the secondlargest dairy processor on the island, with a milk pool of 1.8bn litres.

And the head of Lakeland said it would pay a “sustainable and competitive milk price in line with market conditions”.

The votes were cast by larger-thanexpected turnouts of farmers at a Special General Meeting for LacPatrick members held in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, while LacPatrick members also voted in favour at their meeting in Cavan.

The ballots were conducted by the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, which reported that 97.24% of Lakeland members voted in favour, while 95.99% of LacPatrick farmers gave the thumbsup.

The newly-merged entity will be known as Lakeland Dairies, with 3,200 suppliers

creating a milk pool second in size to Glanbia, which has 2.5bn litres.

There are around 600 Northern Ireland suppliers to Monaghan-based LacPatrick, and 750 which supply milk to Cavanbased Lakeland.

But it was announced that there would be “efficiencies” across the organisation to improve value and return for producers.

“By combining our co-operatives and operations, we will continue our strong progress in a very meaningful way,” said Alo Duffy, chairman of Lakeland Dairies.

The merger is the latest shake-up and change of name for LacPatrick suppliers.

Three years ago, Town of Monaghan Co-op took over Ballyrashane Creamery in Co Antrim, leading to a rebrand as LacPatrick.

Last year LacPatrick unveiled a £30m ‘Brexit-proofing’ technology centre for the production of milk powders in Strabane, Co Tyrone. Lakeland also owns the Pritchitts processing centre in Newtownards, Co Down.

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orthern Ireland’s food and drink industry is perfectly placed to tap into the growing consumer demand for quality, provenance and taste, a trend which is being driven by younger people who are more health conscious and less driven by cost and convenience.

That was one of the key messages delivered at Deloitte’s 7th Annual Food and Drink Dinner at Hillsborough Castle, which was attended by more than 70 representatives from leading local food and drink companies.

Speakers at the dinner included Michael Bell, chief executive of the NI Food and Drink Association, Clive Black from Shore Capital, who is also chair of the Institute for Global Food Safety at Queen’s University Belfast and Caspar Berry, former professional poker player and risk expert.

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NEWS

M&S NI RECOGNISED AS HEART HEROES

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fundraising initiative inspired by the tragic death of a colleague has resulted in M&S Northern Ireland’s recognition at the BHF National Heart Heroes Awards in London last month.

M&S Northern Ireland picked up the award for BHF Charity Partner under £100,000, having already been named joint Best CSR Initiative/ Charity Partnership for the same initiative at the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards back in April. It was launched after M&S Newtownbreda Foodhall Manager Matthew Thompson died aged 39 from an undiagnosed heart condition while jogging.

Defibrillators have now been installed in all 21 M&S Northern Ireland stores, with over 200 members of staff trained to use them.

Staff members have also completed staff training in life-saving CPR techniques using reusable training kits purchased from the British Heart Foundation.

Local staff encouraged schools in their community to sign up for a Call Push Rescue kit and, as a result, the M&S NI

From left, Killian Connolly, M&S Northern Ireland, X Factor star Kevin Davy White and Lynsey Beatty, M&S Northern Ireland.

MONTH’

BY MARGARET CANNING

A team raised £20,000 to fund 20 eligible secondary schools with the CPR kits.

“We are very proud of all our local colleagues who have worked tirelessly to ensure that our local stores have cardiac safety top of mind and at the same time keeping Matthew’s memory alive,” said Killian Connolly from M&S Northern Ireland. “We have learned how important it is to have the skills to save a life by knowing CPR and having the confidence to use that skill if the worst happens.”

A total of 14 Heart Hero awards were made on the night.

FOREST FEAST FESTIVE RANGE EXTENDS WITH TRADITIONAL BRAZIL NUTS D ried fruit and nut company Forest Feast has extended its exclusive festive range with the introduction of a classic brazil nut pack. The latest product offering adds to the firm’s seasonal Christmas selection, which proved extremely popular with consumers following its launch last year.

“Our new festive selection was introduced last year to cater for those who were keen to experiment with new products and flavours over the Christmas season and were looking for something that little bit more special,” said Deirdre Burns, trade marketing manager at Forest Feast. “This year we have added brazil nuts which are synonymous with Christmas and perfect for those who like to keep with tradition and want a highquality product as part of their festive hospitality.”

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NI AGRI-FOOD FIRM LOSING ‘70 EU WORKERS A n agri-food company with 1,500 staff is shedding 70 EU workers a month as uncertainty over its future continues.

John Allan, president of the CBI in the UK, spoke ahead of the organisation’s annual Northern Ireland lunch at Titanic Belfast.

He said members here were anxious about what a no-deal Brexit could bring, including their future access to migrant labour.

“We have one member in the agrifood industry which has 1,500 staff in Northern Ireland and they have told me they are losing 70 workers from the EU every month,” he said. “Immigration is an economic benefit and, in the UK, immigrants put in more than they take out.

“Politicians may not be quite as close to the realities of business life as our members. Business can see with their own eyes that the flow of people in from the EU is diminishing.”

He said the constitutional integrity of Northern Ireland was not being raised as a concern by business.

Politicians including the DUP and some members of the Conservative Party have said they fear that a Brexit deal or backstop scenario which gives Northern Ireland a different status than other parts of the UK will threaten the Union.

But Allan said: “In my view, those concerns are a red herring.”

He said the CBI was lobbying both the Government and Brussels on concluding a free trade agreement.

Allan, who is also chairman of grocery giant Tesco, said he’d also felt a “wave of anger” from local businesses over a tellingoff by MPs on the House of Commons’ Brexit committee earlier this week.

He said members told him they’d been angered by comments from Tories Peter Bone and Christopher Chope, who sit on the Exiting the EU Select Committee.

Chope told the businesspeople: “You’ve known we’ve been coming out of the EU since June 2016 and now you’re just waking up to the fact with five minutes to

NEWS - BREXIT WATCH Trevor Lockhart, head of agri-food firm Fane Valley and chairman of CBI NI.

STORMONT IMPASSE COULD LEAVE LOCAL FARMERS ‘ADRIFT’ AFTER BREXIT

BY RYAN MCALEER

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go that there might not be a deal. You’ve not done a pretty good job.”

The CBI’s annual lunch also heard from CBI NI Chairman Trevor Lockhart, head of agri-food firm Fane Valley.

In a Financial Times interview last month, Lockhart said Fane Valley may have to look at a change in its businesses in the event of a no-deal.

One measure could include shifting its cereals business to the Republic, which would be the only way to get oatmeal and animal feed into the EU at speed.

But a spokesman for Fane Valley said such contingency plans did not mean uprooting any local business.

“There is no suggestion that we would be relocating any facility currently based in Northern Ireland as these assets will be required to serve our UK business,” the spokesman said.

The firm owns White’s Oats, which are produced in Tandragee, Co Armagh.

he UK government must explain how policy for Northern Ireland’s farmers will be drawn up without an Executive ahead of Brexit, according to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.

In a report published last month, the Committee said that, after more than 600 days without a devolved administration, ‘urgent challenges and opportunities of Brexit run the risk of being overlooked’.

With agriculture a devolved matter, the MPs said the local farming community may be left ‘adrift’ without a dedicated, devolved policy framework.

“Brexit brings both opportunities and threats to farmers and growers in Northern Ireland,” said Dr Andrew Murrison, chairman of the Committee.

“My committee is calling on the UK government to provide clarity and confidence for the Northern Ireland agricultural sector by making plain how a post-Brexit agricultural policy for Northern Ireland will be devised if the political impasse continues into the New Year.

The MPs said they were concerned over limited engagement with farmers here, by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Westminster (DEFRA), when drafting post-Brexit policy.

The report concludes there had been

‘insufficient recognition of key differences between Northern Ireland’s agriculture sector and that of other parts of the United Kingdom’.

Days after DEFRA secretary Michael Gove suggested that the Barnett formula will no longer be applied to agricultural budgets, the report said a funding system designed for England ‘could have a serious impact’ for farmers here, where subsidy payments remain a crucial source of income.

The report said £899.5m worth of food and live animals crossed the border last year.

The Committee called on the Government to ‘introduce necessary exemptions to avoid significantly harming Northern Ireland’s agricultural sector’, which exports thousands of live animals to the Republic each week. It also heard evidence that farm produce could be left sitting at the border in a no-deal scenario.

The report’s recommendations were welcomed by the Ulster Farmers’ Union.

“It is critical that the UK government grasps the major differences between farming in Northern Ireland compared to the rest of the UK,” said Ivor Ferguson, president. “Farms are smaller here and more reliant on direct support. What is being proposed for England would decimate our industry, which is based around small, family-run farm businesses.”

ALMOST HALF OF NI BUSINESSES HAVE NOT SOUGHT BREXIT ADVICE

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lmost half of businesses in Northern Ireland have not sought Brexit advice because of uncertainty over a deal, according to the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce (NI Chamber).

Smaller firms with a small number of employees dominate the economy but are least likely to have sought help, according to a survey conducted by NI Chamber and BDO. Larger firms, however, are most likely to have asked for the help of accountants, lawyers, private business advisers or the Government.

The decline by a quarter in the number of European workers available since the Brexit vote has contributed to serious recruitment difficulties and a skills gap facing some Northern Ireland firms, the quarterly economic survey also found.

From left, Ann McGregor, chief executive, NI Chamber; Brian Murphy, managing partner, BDO; and Maureen O’Reilly, economist.

“These findings reinforce what we are hearing from businesses regularly – the uncertainty over Brexit and the inability to address regional issues as a result of no Executive (at Stormont), are starting to bite,” said Ann McGregor, chief executive of NI Chamber.

“We have a vibrant and innovative business community that wants to invest

and grow, but we are stuck in limbo while Brexit negotiations continue to dominate.

“There are some serious skills gaps opening up for firms and we urgently need to find a way to resolve this.

“Many firms are deeply invested in developing home-grown skills and talent within their company, however this alone is not enough to fill the skills gap, at all levels, that businesses face right now.”

Around one in three have sought help, breaking down as 40% of medium or large firms, 27% of small and 21% of micro-businesses.

Half of Chamber members said exchange rate pressures had become more of a concern, with another swing expected once the shape of the postBrexit future becomes clear.

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GROCERYAID

GUESTS DAZZLE AT GROCERYAID AUTUMN BALL HELD ON OCTOBER 5 AT THE CULLODEN HOTEL, THE EVENT RAISED AROUND £15,000 AND WAS ATTENDED BY 170 INDUSTRY GUESTS WITH ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDED BY SINGER AARON WILSON AND THE JAMES PEAKE EXPERIENCE

Mark and Arlene Hewitt (Kerry Foods) and Siobhan and Jim McAlea (Grocery Aid).

Dessie and Karen Boyce and Julie and Anglin Burden (Savage & Whitten).

Vivienne and Adrian Moore (Courtney & Nelson).

Denise and Ryan Armstrong (Henderson Wholesale).

Gareth Devlin (Coca Cola) and Andrew Gillespie (Mondelez).

Ricky Cartmill (SHS) and Anne Marie and Michael McCallion (Asda).

Denise and Michael McKinley, Jodie Murphy, Lee Rutherford and Genevieve Hanna (Coca Cola).

Adrian Mullan, Stephen McIlwaine and Marc Stevenson (Coca Cola).

Donna Chesters, Peter Mulgrew, Andrea Whyte and Ian Wylie (Coca Cola).

Lesa McCann, Roisin Henderson and Paula Hughes (Coca Cola).

Grocery Aid NI committee members Paddy Murney, Des McCullough, Jim McAlea and Mark Gowdy, with event organiser Kerry Prentice (centre).

Bethany O’Neill, Jayde Deegan, Caroline Kidd, Hannah O’Connor and Erin Walsh (Richmond Marketing).

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RETAIL NEWS - INDEPENDENTS

INDUSTRY CHARITY PUBLISHES FIRST IMPACT REPORT

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roceryAid has published its first Impact Report revealing employers have become the charity’s primary referrer; an important milestone as awareness in the grocery industry grows.

The charity spent £4.7m last year making life better for grocery people who found themselves in difficulty.

Applications rose by 22% and, of the 14,583 people helped, 62% were of working age, reflecting the impact tough trading times is having on colleagues.

During the year, the grocery charity provided 98% more telephone counselling sessions, their Relate relationship service saw a threefold increase and use of the Renovo return-towork support service was up by 75%.

“We know that any unforeseen event,

such as illness, relationship breakdowns or redundancy can easily knock people into emotional and financial hardship,” said Steve Barnes, chief executive of GroceryAid. “That is why I am so proud of the support we provide to colleagues who are working in and contributing

to the industry today. Our one-off crisis grants have increased by 86% this year and, as the industry goes through a once-in-a-generation restructure, we expect applications to continue to rise.”

Overall, GroceryAid’s Helpline, which provides practical advice and emotional support on a variety of problems including mental health issues, finance and debt worries, relationship breakdowns and carers support, saw a 26% increase in calls.

The charity continues to support retired colleagues and those unable to work. To help alleviate social isolation, it undertook 1,904 befriending calls and provided 198 respite breaks to colleagues with caring responsibilities.

Call the free, confidential Helpline on 08088 021 122 or visit www.groceryaid.org.uk for advice and support.

QUEEN’S ARCADE STORE RECOGNISED OPEN-FOR-BUSINESS MESSAGE VOICED AT CONSERVATIVE FOR LOTTERY FUNDRAISING CONFERENCE Nigel Railton, CEO of National Lottery operator Camelot and Natalie McKay, proprietor of McKays, in Queens Arcade, Belfast.

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Belfast retailer has been recognised by National Lottery operator Camelot for the £2m-plus raised for good causes by its customers since the National Lottery’s launch in 1994.

Nigel Railton, CEO of National Lottery operator Camelot, presented Belfast retailer Natalie McKay with a plaque to celebrate her store’s National Lottery players.

The proprietor of McKays, in Queen’s Arcade, Belfast, said she was delighted that she and her customers had been able to make such a difference to people and projects across the UK. Together with her staff, McKay has always worked hard to support the fundraising initiative, even hand-painting National Lottery imagery on their shop windows and creating bespoke PoS for Rollovers and event draws.

McKay is a family-run business and old-fashioned sweet shop. In addition, it is one of the few specialist tobacconists in Belfast City Centre and boasts the only walk-in humidor (climate-controlled cigar room) in Belfast.

Each week, National Lottery players raise around £30m for good causes. Over £38bn has been raised to date, with over 535,000 individual grants made or around 190 projects in every postcode area.

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orthern Ireland is open for business, despite its political situation, was the message from Retail NI during the recent Conservative Party conference.

Speaking at a DUP reception held during the conference, Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts also urged immediate action by the Government to address the aftermath of the Primark fire.

“Despite our political difficulties at Stormont, Northern Ireland is still very much open for business,” said Roberts.

“Retail NI wants Northern Ireland to be the best place in the UK to shop, socialise and to start or locate a business.

“Our joint New Deal report that we recently launched at Westminster with the Secretary of State sets out how we can achieve this ambition with a rebooted economic policy for Northern Ireland.

“We believe in redistributing the money originally earmarked for Corporation Tax, to be reinvested into skills, infrastructure and supporting struggling small businesses.

“Rates reform is absolutely critical to the future of the economy. Many small traders that we represent are struggling to pay their rate bills and we are calling for the largest ever rate relief of £100m to support our town and city centres and to ensure small business owners can reinvest more of their own money into growing their business and employing more staff.

“We welcome that the City Deal for Belfast has been submitted to Government as this has the potential to create over 20,000 new jobs.

“Retail NI wants to see our rural towns get a fair deal from Government and that is why we are calling for a Rural Town Infrastructure Investment Fund to ensure our towns and villages are not left behind.”

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RETAIL NEWS - SYMBOLS

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR HENDERSON GROUP CHAIRMAN

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ohn Agnew CBE, chairman of the Henderson Group, has been honoured with an Outstanding Achievement Award at the Retail Industry Awards in London.

It comes as the Group took home nine awards in total on the night, including Community Retailer of the Year for Henderson Retail, while SPAR was named Symbol Group of the Year across the UK. John joined the firm in 1957 and ran the company with his father William – son in law to founder, John Henderson - and was integral to the early days of SPAR’s operation in Northern Ireland after the Group was granted the franchise in 1960.

John has helped lead a dynamic and inclusive business, exploring opportunities for growth and development while retaining a family business with his sons Martin and Geoffrey now joint managing

Independent Chilled Retailer of the Year: Ronan O’Hare, Nigel O’Hare and Lee Quinn from O’Hare’s EUROSPAR, Mayobridge.

John Agnew CBE with the Outstanding Achievement Award for 2018.

directors.

“It has been a tremendous privilege to watch the family business grow over the years, and I am delighted to have been part of it,” said John. “We will continue to drive operations in Northern Ireland, creating local employment and business opportunities as new generations of our family come on board.”

The Retail Industry Awards 2018, held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel last week, also saw EUROSPAR Carrowdore win Forecourt Retailer of the Year, while McCullagh’s SPAR Classic Service Station in Omagh took home Independent Food to go Retailer of the Year, with Henderson Retail winning the Multiple category.

Mulkern’s EUROSPAR in Newry picked

up Independent Fresh Produce Retailer of the Year and O’Hare’s EUROSPAR in Mayobridge took home the Independent Chilled Retailer of the Year as Henderson Retail took the same award home in the Multiple category.

Patrick Doody, sales & marketing director at Henderson Group, said: “The Retail Industry Awards ceremony was a fantastic night for Henderson Retail and many of our SPAR and EUROSPAR retailers. The variety of awards brought home against a competitive UK-wide market is outstanding and we’re delighted and proud of our teams’ achievements.”

Independent Food to Go Retailer of the Year: Sarah Potter from McCullagh’s SPAR Classic Service Station, Omagh.

COSTCUTTER LAUNCHES NEW FESTIVE CAMPAIGN

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ostcutter Supermarkets Group is getting into the festive spirit with the launch of its largest ever Christmas campaign, Bringing Christmas Together.

Building on the success of its Bringing Summer Home campaign, the major promotion includes sponsorship by Mondelez and Burtons Biscuits. Running from October to January 2019, it will focus on bringing friends and families together through great food and drink over Christmas and New Year.

To drive footfall and generate excitement, a national press and TV campaign will be launched, along with consumer leaflets showcasing the range of products and offers available. It will be supported in-store by a full suite of creative high-level PoS, full gondola end

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kit, recipe cards and wipe clean shelf barkers for staff to recommend products.

The Costcutter website will also feature a full Christmas campaign page with recipes on sharing snacks and meals, leftover ideas and cocktails, as well as expert advice on food and drink pairings, and a fun seasonal game. And

Costcutter’s social media channels will give shoppers recipe inspiration and top tips on seasonal solutions.

Key product lines this Christmas will include party food such as Co-op brand gluten-free cocktail sausages wrapped in bacon, whiskey-flavour smoked salmon and free-from salted caramel profiteroles with chocolate sauce and a complementary selection of beers, wines and spirits.

Costcutter will also be offering an extensive range of craft beers and ciders, which are expected to be a big hit with customers over the festive period, as well as a strong range of gins and whiskies to tap into a boom which has seen gin sales increase by 33% and whiskey 11% in 2017.

We listened to what our customers want and designed a completely new shopping experience.

This is about surprising and delighting shoppers with a fresher, healthier, more innovative offer. It’s also about bringing independent retailers a dynamic, cost effective retail offer, that delivers above average returns.

A differentiating offer under the Munch & Co deli brand, with delicious signature menu items for breakfast, lunch & dinner.

To find out more contact our Sales & Development managers: Caroline Rowan 07890 636961 Barry Holland 07795965204

RETAIL NEWS - MULTIPLES

LIDL REMOVES UNRECYCLABLE BLACK PLASTIC PACKAGING

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idl has announced it is removing black plastic packaging from its entire fruit and vegetable range across all 195 Ireland and Northern Ireland stores before Christmas. The packaging, which cannot be recycled, will be scrapped from fresh fish products by February 2019, followed by fresh meat, poultry and cured meat ranges before August 2019.

Black plastic packaging is not recycled in Ireland or the UK, because recycling sorting systems cannot detect the carbon black pigment.

Lidl expects to remove over 65 tonnes of black plastic from waste streams annually, from fruit and vegetable packaging alone, and the discounter has also scrapped the sale of single-use plastic items including drinking straws, disposable plates, cups and cutlery, with

ASDA CUSTOMERS ‘RELISH’ NEW HERITAGE RANGE

plastic-stemmed cotton buds next on the list in the coming months. The singleuse plastic items are being replaced with biodegradable alternatives.

“These are significant steps,” said JP Scally, managing director, Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland. “Sustainability is core to our business, and we are proud to continue leading the retail sector in implementing ambitious measures which

will deliver real and lasting benefits for everyone.”

As part of its plastic reduction strategy, Lidl has already achieved ‘zero waste to landfill’, announced a ban on microbeads in all cosmetic and household ranges and set plastic reduction targets of using 20% less plastic packaging by 2022 and 100% recyclable own-brand packaging by 2025, while 25% of its fresh produce is now package-free.

This October, Lidl Ireland was awarded the coveted Outstanding Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility at the Chambers Ireland CSR Awards, while Lidl Northern Ireland won the Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility award at the 2018 Belfast Telegraph Business Awards.

NEW M&S STORE OPENS FOR BUSINESS IN CRAIGAVON

M From left, Joanne Beattie, Valeo Foods NI, and Michael McCallion, buying manager, Asda.

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much-loved family recipe, first developed by Myrtle Allen of Ballymaloe House, Co Cork in the 1940s is now stocked in Asda supermarkets across Northern Ireland.

Ballymaloe Original Relish and the Jalapeno Pepper Relish have been listed

by Asda NI, reflecting the growing demand for locally-made artisan products.

“Our Ballymaloe relish is the perfect addition to any meal, be it added to a burger or on the side of your cheeseboard,” said Maxine Hyde, Business Development Manager of Ballymaloe. “Now thanks to the support of Asda, it can be enjoyed by even more people across Northern Ireland.”

Michael McCallion, buying manager for Asda NI, said: “It’s great to see this iconic and inherently Irish ‘family’ brand now even more widely accessible. It reflects the evergrowing demand for locally-produced, top quality artisan foods which offer versatility, taste and quality, as part of the everyday shop.”

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arks & Spencer unveiled its new 7,000-square-foot store at Marlborough Retail Park in the heart of Craigavon last month, creating 56 job opportunities.

The Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Council joined local customers to celebrate the official opening of the new store with M&S Craigavon Store Manager, John Woods and his team. The ribbon was cut by Brid McKeown and Malachy Kofa, pupils at Ceara Special School Great British Bake Off 2016 finalist Andrew Smyth made a guest appearance at the opening of the new M&S Craigavon store, where he baked a traditional treacle wheaten for customers.

Pictured at the opening are John Woods, M&S Craigavon store manager, Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Julie Flaherty, along with Malachy Kofa and Brid McKeown, pupils at Ceara Special School in Craigavon, and staff members.

who were the lucky winners of a colouring competition organised by the store.

Great British Bake Off 2016 finalist Andrew Smyth was a special guest at the opening, where he hosted a series of baking demonstrations giving customers a true taste of what M&S Craigavon has to offer.

M&S LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE FISH SOURCING MAP

M

&S has launched an interactive map to show customers and stakeholders where every type of fish or seafood it sells is either caught or farmed.

Found at corporate.marksandspencer.com/seafoodmap, it is the first website of its kind by any major UK retailer and includes information on the capture or farming method and sustainability information for every fishery or farm.

A total of 47 different species (every type M&S sells, including fish or shellfish used as an ingredient in products like sandwiches, salads and prepared meals) are plotted on the map as well as 71 fisheries and 29 different sourcing countries.

RETAIL Q&A

MAXIMISING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HENDERSON GROUP RETAIL PARTNERS

LAURA MCLEAN, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, LARGE FORMAT, HENDERSON GROUP meal together from different components from our own brands, enjoy local and The Kitchen. They can also provide instore butcheries with meat from local, family farms as well as a price-match on hundreds of products with Tesco to ensure competitive value for money.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT HENDERSON GROUP My role of business development manager means I provide help and support to our independent EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA stores across Northern Ireland, to drive sales and maximise their profits. I visit the stores every month to ensure they’re up-to-date with Group news and to highlight any opportunities that they could maximise within the store. I also am a key contact for stores to ensure the development of projects from new fresh food initiatives to store conversions. A recent major project was the refurbishment of EUROSPAR Dromore, from a SPAR to a EUROSPAR with the original store being completely demolished and rebuilt. I worked alongside the retailer and our property and projects team to see the project through to completion.

MANY RETAILERS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT UK-WIDE AWARDS RECENTLY; TELL US ABOUT THAT… The EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA brands and Northern Ireland retailers have dominated in some of the most competitive UK-wide awards in recent weeks; the Forecourt Trader Awards, the Irish Forecourt Awards and the Retail Industry Awards. Mulkern’s EUROSPAR picked up Fresh Produce of the Year at the Retail Industry Awards for the second year in a row, as well as Food-to-Go Retailer at the Forecourt Trader Awards.

They were also successful at local retailer awards, picking up the Community Store of the Year award, voted for by the public and decided by the esteemed panel of judges. O’Hare’s EUROSPAR in Mayobridge won Best Chilled Retailer of the Year at the Retail Industry Awards.

EUROSPAR Creighton’s of Balmoral has had successful wins recently, mainly by making history as the first NI retailer to ever win Ireland’s Forecourt Trader of the Year. The supermarket also picked up its

category size award and Best Food-ToGo, as well as Forecourt Store of the Year and Neighbourhood Store of the Year.

WHAT IS THE SECRET TO THEIR SUCCESS? Each supermarket of this calibre has such a broad spectrum of services, they all have their own bespoke homemade top-quality products which they sell in-store to their local shoppers which gives them a unique point of difference.

Thanks to this, they have the most exciting and refreshing outlets in their regions, as well as strong links in their local communities through sponsorship and charitable initiatives. EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA’s charity partner is Cancer Fund for Children which we’re on the way to raising £1,000,000 for over the past seven years.

EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA retailers are able to offer their local shoppers fresh lines sourced from local suppliers, and plenty of options for tonight’s tea; from scratch cooking ingredients to putting a

HOW HAS THE EUROSPAR BRAND EVOLVED IN RECENT YEARS? There are now 63 EUROSPAR supermarkets and five VIVOXTRA supermarkets in Northern Ireland, and all within local communities, bringing the choice and price-point of a large multiple with all the attributes of a convenience store in terms of locality. The EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA brands both rebranded to Your Community Supermarket and Your Local Supermarket respectively, which has allowed for new goals and a new way of thinking to ensure shoppers are aware of what the brands are to them.

Our large format supermarkets have experienced a huge growth in their fresh, local food offering which gives another point of difference for our shoppers who we know are looking for provenance and value. This fresh strategy extends out to the whole Group and we’re proud that over 75% of our fresh produce is sourced from the island of Ireland.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM EUROSPAR IN 2019?

The EUROSPAR and VIVOXTRA brands will continue to grow as we open more outlets in the heart of communities, ensuring we’re in the right place to provide well-equipped modern supermarkets to meet the changing shopper needs and trends. A number of SPAR stores will also be converted to EUROSPAR supermarkets, while current supermarkets will receive investment to expand further, increasing retail space as well as car parking. This in turn, means a growth in employment for the brand throughout Northern Ireland.

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FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

OUR SUPERB SEAFOOD IN THE SPOTLIGHT

BY MICHELE SHIRLOW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FOOD NI

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he outstanding quality of our fish and shellfish was highlighted in a recent all-Ireland competition, and also by the launch of an innovative sales drive in the Middle

East.

Rooney Fish, our most successful exporter of seafood, was named supreme champion at the prestigious Blas na hEireann, the Irish National Food Awards in Dingle and Sea Source developed significant sales for fresh fish in the United Arab Emirates under the new Irish Seafood brand. Both companies are based in Kilkeel and, I am delighted to say, are Food NI members.

Rooney is achieving great success in exporting shellfish, including oysters, langoustines and crabs, to the Far East in particular. The family business gained the top Blas award for its superb Millbay Oysters from their farm in Carlingford Lough.

Their achievements may lead to greater interest here among consumers in the quality and health benefits of our fish.

Many of our leading chefs are also doing much to showcase the quality of local fish. And there are opportunities in both retail and foodservice for a greater engagement with our fish processors.

It was a great year for Northern Ireland food and drink at Blas, which is held as part of the hugely popular Dingle Peninsula Food Festival. I was delighted to be there and to salute the supreme quality of our food and drink and the producers demonstrating tremendous talent and dedication.

There’ s a good chance that many of them will see their products on sale throughout the Republic.

Overall, a record 20 of our products won gold. There were also silver and bronze for dozens of local producers. Our smaller food and drink producers continue to come up with highly original ideas for exceptionally tasty products. And they do extremely well in competitions such as Blas and UK Great Taste. Blas is the biggest blind tasting event in Ireland.

Blas organisers Artie Clifford, who launched the competition more than a decade ago, and Fallon Moore are both very keen to attract as many entries from Northern Ireland as possible.

I was hugely impressed by the highly efficient organisation of this important event in the Irish food and drink calendar.

We’d certainly be keen to extend our engagement with Blas in both the short and long terms as part of our longstanding commitment to promote our food and drink in markets outside Northern Ireland.

The Republic, of course, is the biggest export market for Northern Ireland food and drink and offers huge potential for further, faster growth. It is the first market outside the UK that most of our smaller companies look to for business. And many retailers there are interested in what our creative smaller companies have to offer.

Blas has long been recognised by retailers on the island of Ireland as a source of innovative products and most of the leading supermarkets, independent stores and delis were in Dingle this year to assess the business potential of the category winners and other entrants. Blas, therefore, is a great way to keep abreast of food trends and the emergence of innovation-focused companies offering original flavours. As well as the magnificent achievements of our producers at Blas, the outstanding quality of our food and our highly skilled and creative chefs were also highlighted in the latest Michelin Guide.

And it was a tremendous boost for many of the restaurants which are part of our member lists. I was thrilled to see so many of our members featuring in these prestigious awards which highlight culinary excellence throughout the British Isles. I congratulate all those who have won Michelin recognition.

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FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

CONSUMER INSIGHT AND MARKET UPDATE

BY JASON WINSTANLEY, SENIOR INSIGHT AND RESEARCH MANAGER, MOY PARK

INCOME NUDGING UP BUT WILL IT HERALD TRADING UP? eptember saw, to much fanfare, the opening of the first stores in Tesco’s new Jack’s estate. By all accounts, the couple of stores which opened in that first week were busy and saw brisk trade – although I couldn’t help wondering how many of the ‘shoppers’ thronging the aisles were people from within the industry, just there for a good nose round!

The opening of the Jack’s stores is a brave move by Tesco and seems to have generated roughly equal amounts of praise and scepticism. However, regardless of how the new chain eventually performs, one thing which can be said of this development is that the opening of a new fascia bucks the prevailing trend which has been seen within grocery over the last couple of decades, which has been one of continuing consolidation.

Exactly how much market consolidation has taken place is starkly revealed when looking back to the grocery landscape of 20 years ago. In 1998, the retailers that we now regard as the Big Four accounted for 59% of the market, whilst

S

the discounters – Aldi, Lidl and, in those days, Netto – had a market share of only 1.5%. Almost 40% of the market was accounted for by ‘others’, including many names now consigned to the ranks of grocery history – Safeway and Somerfield, for example.

The Big Four hit their high water mark a decade later, accounting for over threequarters of spend in grocers by the time the financial crisis hit in 2008. However, in the 10 years between then and now, they have seen their combined share eroded by almost nine percentage points, which have more or less just transferred straight across to Aldi and Lidl.

This rise, and partial fall, of the Big Four explains a lot of the M&A activity that we see in the market today. Recent consolidation moves within the wholesale and convenience markets, along with the proposed Sainsbury’s-Asda merger are all aimed at strengthening positions in markets and extending reach. Whereas 20 years ago, the market minnows (in share terms) were the discounters, today that role is filled by internet-only operators, including the behemoth that is Amazon. Two decades ago, the

established retailers underestimated the potential for discounter growth, and also (like everyone else) failed to predict the decade-long slump in consumer spending power which followed the crash. Nobody is making that mistake this time around; consolidation is a natural and prudent response to the way that the market is developing. Add into the mix the fact that consumer spending power over the next few years is wildly unpredictable due to… (well - you know what that’s due to!) and it becomes clear that, as well as strengthening their base, retailers would do well to extend their reach.

Set against this historical context, the opening of the first stores in the Jack’s estate can be seen, not so much as a new fascia, but as part of a strategy aimed at covering as many bases as possible in an uncertain and evolving market. As other retailers evolve their own, often bold, strategies to also future-proof themselves, it seems that the lessons of the past have been well and truly learned.

[Source: 1 – Kantar Worldpanel, Average share for 1998 v January 2009 v September 2018; share of total grocers, excludes M&S.]

MUSGRAVE MARKETPLACE CELEBRATES 25 YEARS IN THE NORTH WEST M

“There are big plans for the usgrave MarketPlace in From left, Richard Mayne, head of Wholesale, Musgrave site over the coming months Derry~Londonderry, is MarketPlace, and Emir Sheppard, general manager, Musgrave MarketPlace, Pennyburn Industrial Estate. which will solidify our place celebrating 25 years of doing in the North West business business in the North West. Forty community and further enhance people are employed at the site, the site and the service we which has operated from the are able to provide to our Pennyburn Industrial Estate since customers.”

1993 while increasing in size Two staff members, Josie over the years.

Foy and Donna Cooper, have “We’re extremely proud to been working at Musgrave be a consistent employer in the MarketPlace since the doors North West region and of the first opened in 1993. service we have provided to our Richard Mayne, head of thousands of customers over wholesale, MarketPlace, said: the years,” said Emir Sheppard, “The Musgrave business general manager, Musgrave celebrated 35 years in Northern Ireland this year following the MarketPlace. “We have continually challenged ourselves to opening of Musgrave MarketPlace Belfast in 1983. To mark always achieve more, whether that’s in our product offering another incredible wholesale milestone like this, the 25th and value or the customer service we provide to the people anniversary of Musgrave MarketPlace Derry~Londonderry, with whom we do business. is a very proud moment for everyone who works for “We firmly believe in bringing our staff with us on the the company. We hope to be a part of the North West journey and that’s why we provide NVQ and Essential community for many years to come and continue to support Skills training as well as Breakthrough training; we want to local businesses, food and drink producers and jobs.” empower our staff and show them that success starts with them.

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FOOD & DRINK NEWS

VOLVIC LAUNCHES ORGANIC TEA RANGE, VOLVIC INFUSIONS

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EXOTIC FLAVOURS INSPIRED BY ICONIC VOLCANOES AROUND THE WORLD

olvic, the UK’s number one bottled “MORE THAN EVER, water drinks brand*, has launched CONSUMERS ARE ON THE a new organic iced tea range, GO AND IT’S IMPORTANT TO Volvic Infusions.

Volvic Infusions pays tribute to Volvic’s OFFER CONVENIENT FORMATS volcanic heritage, with quality, organic THAT SUIT THEIR FAST-PACED ingredients that are inspired by volcanoes LIFESTYLES. CONSUMERS around the world. The recipes use Volvic ARE OFTEN TIME POOR, AND mineral water, organic tea infusions and TRENDS SHOWS US THEY natural fruit flavours. The premium range is also low in sugar, subtly sweetened using WANT REFRESHING DRINK organic cane sugar and a hint of organic OPTIONS THAT ARE HEALTH lemon juice, amounting to only 2.3 grams CONSCIOUS BUT DON’T of sugar for every 100ml.

COMPROMISE ON TASTE – Available in two flavours including: VOLVIC INFUSIONS’ EXCITING • Organic hibiscus infusion with lychee NEW RANGE RESPONDS TO and passion fruit flavours, inspired by Piton de la Fournaise Volcano in Reunion Island.

THIS NEEDSTATE.” • Organic white tea infusion with rhubarb Jacqueline Lane, brand manager, Danone Waters UK & Ireland and lingonberry flavours, inspired by Eyjafjallajökull Volcano in Iceland.

Jacqueline Lane, brand manager, Danone Infusions to the market and offer Waters UK & Ireland said: consumers a delicious and refreshing drink “We’re delighted to bring Volvic with significantly lower sugar than many

other soft drinks available.

Each flavour is inspired by the heritage of stunning volcanoes around the world.

The result is an organic, unique and natural tasting range. We’ve also created premium and distinctive packaging to bring to life the USPs of this product and ensure a strong standout on shelf.”

The bottles are available in a convenient 370ml format, with an elegant and softtouch design in matte print.

Jacqueline adds: “More than ever, consumers are on the go and it’s important to offer convenient formats that suit their fast-paced lifestyles. Consumers are often time poor, and trends shows us they want refreshing drink options that are health conscious but don’t compromise on taste – Volvic Infusions’ exciting new range responds to this needstate.”

To find out more, visit https://www.facebook.com/VolvicUK/

ADVERTORIAL

GLENBALLYEAMON PICKS UP GOLD AT BLAS

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las na hEireann gold award-winning Glenballyeamon Eggs is located in the heart of the green Glens of Antrim. It has been providing the local community with fresh, free-range eggs since 1997 when farmer Niall Delargy began the business with a dozen hens.

As an active member of DARD, the Poultry Business Development Group and the British Free Range Egg Producers Association, Niall is well aware that the egg industry is growing increasingly more challenging. “By benchmarking

the trends in other markets, we have found our difference in the ethos we have always held dear – we look after our hens well and, with increasing awareness of animal welfare, consumers are starting to sit up and take notice,” he says. “Working with the Woodland Trust over the last 18 months, we have been on a journey to future proof our SALSA-accrediated farm. We want our hens to feel good about going outside to a natural environment where they can forage, so have planted a wood of native trees where the hens can range and find shade.” The latest development is a 4,500 square foot office and packaging facility onsite. Funded through a personal investment by Niall, the facility opened in July 2018, increasing packing capacity from 2k to 20k eggs per/hour. “With our location, our woodland surroundings, our commitment to animal welfare, our RSPCA approval and being a British Lion aproved farm, we are different kind of egg producer,” he says. “We are doing free range the traditional way with low density flat deck housing. We believe we are creating a farm and a product to be proud of.” In order to communicate the

commitment to flat deck farming, Niall is in the process of developing a new brand which will be launched in the coming months. “Our emphasis is to encourage more people to buy free range for the sake of the bird, to help them understand our commitment to animal welfare is core to everything we do on the farm which ultimately produces the best quality egg,” says Niall. “We are delighted with the recognition at Blas and also at Great Taste; it proves the effort is paying off.”

It’s official.

The best tasting eggs in Ireland are laid here in Glenballyeamon.

Glenballyeamon Eggs Contact Niall Delargy www.glenballyeamoneggs.com

FOOD FORCE IRELAND

FOOD FORCE IRELAND CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY TRADING CONTROLLER DEBRA JOHNSTON REFLECTS ON ANOTHER STRONG YEAR FOR THE MEMBERS OF FFI

Debra Johnston, trading controller of Food Force Ireland.

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e were absolutely thrilled with the very impressive turnout of both suppliers and members at our annual Food Force Ireland Direct Trade Supplier Day, held on September 25 at the Culloden Estate & Spa. This was a particularly important year for us, with 2018 marking the 25th anniversary of Food Force Ireland.

In 1993, some of the original members of Nisa in Northern Ireland - including Supermac’s, Curley’s, Long’s, Smiths, Michael Brady, Eamon Gee, JD Hunter, Crawfords, McAnerney’s, JC Stewart and of course our esteemed Chairman Henry Emerson - decided the time was right to form a collective to represent their interests with local suppliers.

Nisa was doing a great job but at

that time was supplying most local wholesalers, the multiples (back then Stewarts, Crazy Prices and Wellworths) and of course the independent retailers.

The trigger for change, and the creation of Food Force Ireland, came with the Nisa membership of Musgrave and, believe it or not, the sale of Today’s bread.

The independent members felt they needed to distinguish their offering from the multiples and the wholesalers. Food Force Ireland was born and opened to all Nisa members in Northern Ireland large and small.

This was a very important fact because it gave the Nisa members a collective voice; a joined-up group that can perform within Nisa. The rest, as they say, is history.

We have over the years seen many members come and go but their overriding constant is the professionalism, determination and ability to be all things to their customers, wherever they’re based in the country. The varying sizes and types of stores in our group brings a great dynamic and energy, and I’m very proud to have been involved with the group since 2001.

We’ve worked together, albeit independently, to build our businesses and to create strong, great trading relationships with our suppliers. The recent Direct Trade Supply Day highlights the strength and the size of Food Force

Jackie Gildernew and Maureen Gildernew (Central Stores Newtownhamilton) and Chloe Burgess and Will Taylor (Glastry Ice Cream).

Ireland’s local business and commitment to its members.

This year’s event again saw over £1m of business transacted on the day, as retailers and suppliers made the most of the occasion to build and nurture face-toface relationships.

It also marked our fourth annual Supplier of the Year Awards, during which we marked our 25th anniversary with a new Special Recognition Award – presented to Philip Morrow of PRM Group, itself celebrating 30 years in business. Congratulations to all the winners, pictured over ps20-21.

The past year has been another strong one for Food Force Ireland, with the Coop’s purchase of Nisa only strengthening the offer, and prospects are good looking ahead.

Many thanks to both our members and suppliers for their ongoing support.

Philip Morrow, PRM Group, received a Special Recognition Award.

David Lewis and Tim Haynes (Johnson Bros) and Brian Muldoon (NISA Belaghy).

FOOD FORCE IRELAND

FOOD FORCE IRELAND HONOURS ITS LEADING SUPPLIERS SUPPLIERS OF THE YEAR WERE RECOGNISED ACROSS KEY CATEGORIES AT THE DIRECT TRADE SUPPLIER DAY, INCLUDING A NEW SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD

ACCOUNT MANAGER OF THE YEAR ACCOUNT ALAN CROSSEN, TAYTO

MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Debra Johnston, trading controller, and Henry Emerson, chairman of Food Force Ireland, with Alan Crossen, Tayto.

ALAN CROSSEN, TAYTO Debra Johnston, trading controller, and Henry Emerson, chairman of Food Force Ireland, with Alan Crossen, Tayto.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD

PHILIP MORROW, MD OF PRM GROUP Jonathan Crawford, FFI director, with Philip Morrow, PRM Group.

FOOD FORCE IRELAND

BREAD SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

ALLIED BAKERIES IRELAND

THE SHORTLIST:

HOVIS IRELAND ALLIED BAKERIES IRELAND IRWIN’S Alison Strong, FFI director, with Suzanne Courtney, Allied Bakeries Ireland.

SOFT DRINKS SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

BRITVIC NORTHERN IRELAND THE SHORTLIST: Ian Shaw, FFI director, with Derrick Murphy, Britvic.

COCA-COCA HELLENIC NORTHERN IRELAND BRITVIC NORTHERN IRELAND LUCOZADE RIBENA SUNTORY IRELAND

AMBIENT SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR TAYTO

THE SHORTLIST:

NORTHERN SNACK FOODS VALEO FOODS NORTHERN IRELAND TAYTO Aidan McAnerney, FFI director, with Alan Crossen, Tayto.

CHILLED SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR PRM GROUP

THE SHORTLIST: Dermot Donaghy, FFI director, with Philip Morrow, PRM Group.

DALE FARM PRM GROUP KERRY FOODS

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FOOD FORCE IRELAND

E

mploying a chef to expand its fresh offer and taking over management of its on-site Post Office and off licence have boosted business for Newell Stores in Dungannon over the past year.

As well as the Dungannon site, Newell Stores operates another site in Coalisland, with both extending to 25,000 square feet and the trading floors respectively totalling 14,000 and 17,000 square feet.

While the Coalisland shop is only five years old, Newell Stores in Dungannon celebrated 30 years in business this year.

Originally a corner store operating as a Costcutter, Newell Stores moved it to the main site it sits on today in 1999, transferring to the Nisa symbol group at the same time.

“The thing about Nisa is it always supported the independent idea, and that really worked well for us because a lot of our business is based on small local suppliers,” says Colin Conway, managing director of Newell Stores.

“The fresh element is really a large percentage of our business across butchery, deli, hot food, fruit & veg and things like that and with Nisa, we still have that wholesale and bulk-buy option but, at the same time, the freedom to act independently in the way we need to, in order to compete.

“So, that’s why it’s really favourable for us to stay with Nisa and Food Force Ireland and, when Nisa moved across to Co-op, that independence was still maintained and that’s why it’s still working for everybody.”

With the Co-op Group having completed its acquisition of Nisa in May, Colin welcomes the opportunity to introduce more Co-op own label produce into his stores. “It’s a smart looking, quality brand, and will complement our own fresh brand so we’re very happy to have it on board and hope it will roll out

by March of next year in its full entirety.”

Colin Conway, MD of Newell Stores.

NEWELL STORES, DUNGANNON

AS A FOOD FORCE IRELAND MEMBER, NEWELL STORES BENEFITS FROM ITS WHOLESALE PURCHASING WHILE RETAINING THE FREEDOM TO ACT INDEPENDENTLY, MANAGING DIRECTOR COLIN CONWAY TELLS ALYSON MAGEE 22

OFFERING SOMETHING DIFFERENT With the Dungannon site now including the main supermarket, full-service Post Office and gift store, off licence, Texaco service station and independently-run pharmacy, pizzeria and Chinese takeaway outlets, it employs around 210 staff members.

About 2,000 square feet has been added to the store since the 1999 move.

“We have extended our fresh food facilities, improving our kitchens and expanding our refrigeration,” says Colin.

“But, this year is really where the big changes have been made. We have taken over the Post Office, so it helps tie in with our product mix a bit better because we

FOOD FORCE IRELAND

control it ourselves.

“We’ve also bought the off licence back out of its lease, so we now manage it ourselves on a separate basis on the site. Our aim is to expand that off licence and create a bigger range unique to Northern Ireland across craft beers, spirit lines and a strong wine offering.”

And, in the main supermarket, “the extra square footage gives us the scope to cover the full convenience offer, but we’re also large enough and competitive enough that you can come in and do a full trolley shop,” says Colin. “In the latter part of the week, we would be fairly heavily driven by trolley shoppers and it’s good to see the full product mix is available and used.”

In August, Newell Stores hired a chef to boost the Dungannon store’s fresh offer across its burgeoning food-to-go and ready-to-cook categories. “We have our everyday favourites, and our seasonal items coming from farmers at particular times of the year, and he makes best use of that,” says Colin. “We would find our food to go and our fresh food side of the business would be our large growth areas, and I think that’s a unique point of difference for us.

“Others have tried to replicate it, but I think the independents, especially in Northern Ireland, are unique in doing it very well and that’s where a lot of the growth is. Grocery is becoming more and more competitive and price driven, whereas fresh produce is a chance to put your own stamp on it and offer something you can’t get elsewhere because it’s very hard to replicate the same quality.”

Average basket spend sits at around £12.50. “We have a high volume of customers passing through the shop on a regular basis who, because we do so much fresh, tend to buy it more frequently,” he says.

“It keeps that basket spend at a more convenience level, but that works well

for us because it means that our product turns and keeps fresher.”

Dungannon suppliers include SD Salads for coleslaw, pasta and potato salad, Busy Bee for bakery products and Quinfresh for fruit and veg, while Newell Stores also sources from other local businesses such as McCormack (Nature’s Harvest) in Moy for potatoes and Doherty & Gray in Ballymena for meats.

“We also have a local man that sells strawberries at the right time of the year, and another who makes toffee apples at Halloween,” says Colin. “We look for the best local businesses out there and keep our footprint quite small.”

MAINTAINING CONSISTENT QUALITY Business is mostly repeat customers from Dungannon Borough and across Mid Ulster from Cookstown to Ballygawley, although the shop also attracts passing trade.

Competition is strong, with Dungannon home to many of the major multiples, discounters and other symbol groups. “We have our fair end of competition, there’s no doubt about that,” says Colin. “But I suppose the

thing about Newell Stores is, with what we do, we do it uniquely, independently and consistently and that’s really what’s behind our success and is what we intend to continue doing in the future. Our aim is to just be more innovative and keep up with market trends.”

Marketing activity spans billboards, newspaper ads and social media. “We’re also creating a new website at the moment, and the idea is just to make

sure on one hand we’re a bit greener about what we do and how we do it and also, at the same time, that we move with trends and are able to get access to information in faster-paced, more up-todate way.

“For example, we use a brand guardian to keep our brand right as we develop it, and then we have our own in-house marketing to make sure the brand is carried through on a day-to-day basis.”

Plans are afoot to continue developing the Dungannon site with additional parking, a revamp of the Post Office and off licence.

And is Newell Stores likely to add to its portfolio? “A lot of our focus is on maintaining the brand and getting it to a stable point and we would only replicate it if we could ensure the consistently and quality is maintained and can be transferred to another area or some alternative format. Our focus is really on making sure the brand maintains its quality as it grows.”

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FOOD FORCE IRELAND

Patrick Morgan (Bushmills) and Anne-Marie Kelly and Connor Kelly (Belview Service Station Lurgan).

Simon Towntree, Shane Burns and Genevieve Hanna (Coca-Cola) and Frank Hagan and Barry Cunningham (Fiveways in Newry).

Alastair Corrigan, Brian Irwin and Ruth Sloan (Irwins Bakery).

Neil Hunter and Jason Smyth (Walkers) and Gary Olphert and Finlay Robinson (Robinsons of Ballymena).

Tony Girvin, left, and Sean Boyle, right (Newell Stores Coalisland) and Claire Meehan, Kate McKay and Linda Marks (Boyne Valley Group).

Brian O’Neill (NISA Portglenone) and Gary Gillespie (Kerry Foods).

My Life in the Grocery Trade

ELLEN QUINN, MARKETING MANAGER OF NATURAL UMBER WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? I am marketing manager for Natural Umber, a revolutionary new apple cider vinegar made near Dungannon in Tyrone.

BRIEFLY OUTLINE YOUR BACKGROUND After graduating in Scotland, I worked in Dublin for about a year for an Irish betting company and then moved to London and worked there for 10 years. In that time, I mostly worked for Racing UK, a horseracing TV channel and was head of digital projects when I left. I really enjoyed the digital aspects of the job and it was an exciting place and time to be working in digital, but I was never keen on horseracing.

My husband and I moved home from London almost three years ago and, when this job came up, I jumped at it.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? It can be very varied. In the beginning it was very exciting as we were setting up an entirely new brand. It was all about setting up a digital profile, building our reputation and generating reviews from our happy customers, which really helps to fuel our growth. I remember getting so excited when we made a single sale.

Now my role can vary from digital marketing, PR and events to liaising with customers, shops and wholesalers, fulfilment fulfi lment and dealing with Amazon.

I also like to update our social media platforms frequently, so I am always carrying a bottle of Natural Umber around with me in case there’s a ‘Kodak moment’ I can capture!

WHEN DID YOU TAKE UP THIS POST? November 2017.

WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? The best bit is getting the amazing reviews from customers. It really makes my day when a customer is so happy they’re compelled to write to us and tell us how great they think the product is.

And although I love organising and going to events like the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham and Speciality & Fine Food Fair in London, I miss my husband and kids, so that might be the worst bit.

BRIEFLY OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY I am always very eager to see how sales have gone in the past 24 hours, though I keep up to date regularly from my phone.

So, I’ll do a quick check and then tweak the digital advertising we have running if I see it impacting sales.

I like to speak to our shops and

wholesalers as often as I can, see how sales are going with them and if there’s anything we can do to assist.

The rest of the day can vary depending on what is happening that week. It can be anything from PR, event management, customer services and chatting to the shops and wholesalers.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? Without doubt it was Natural Umber winning three stars from the Guild of Fine Food and, ultimately, the Golden Fork for Northern Ireland, earlier this year. It was such a career high for me and so fantastic for the company.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL RETAIL INDUSTRY? Living away from home for almost 15 years, you don’t realise how much is actually going on back home. It has been wonderful to meet so many amazing local producers who create truly incredible food.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? My kids are two and four and are at a really funny (yet challenging) stage, so I love spending time with them and my husband at the weekends.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW Back in September, I zip-wired across the River Lagan from a 140ft platform, in aid of Parkinson’s UK.

ADVERTORIAL

PRM GROUP, SUPPLYING RETAILERS WITH MARKET LEADING BRANDS FOR OVER 30 YEARS PRM GROUP RECENTLY CELEBRATED 30 YEARS OF BUSINESS ACROSS IRELAND. OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES, THE COMPANY HAS GROWN STRONG AND LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ITS CUSTOMERS AND SUPPLIERS, ALLOWING THE BUSINESS TO BRING AN UNRIVALLED PORTFOLIO OF CHILLED AND FROZEN PRODUCTS TO SHOPPERS’ BASKETS Lisburn and construction began of a 30,000 square foot warehousing facility and 10,000 square foot office space. By October 1997, PRM Group had expanded its brand portfolio and was responsible for sales and distribution of 20 marketleading brands.

Speaking about the decision to expand the business, Lynne Morrow, director at PRM Group, says:

Philip & Lynne Morrow

F

ounded in 1988 by Philip and Lynne Morrow, PRM Group is one of the leading chilled and frozen food sales and distribution companies in Ireland.

With headquarters in Lissue Industrial Estate, Lisburn, the award-winning company employs 250 people.

PRM Group is much more than just a ‘distributor’. For 30 years, the company has been managing all the business functions required to take a product to market, from factory gates to the shoppers’ basket, for over 35 market leading brands, including Müller, Alpro, Onken and Unilever. PRM Group brings more than 300,000 cases of goods to the retail, wholesale and foodservice sectors each week, delivering a service which is tailored to the needs of their customers and suppliers.

Alongside supplying some of the food industry’s biggest household names, PRM Group also produces a number of brands including Fresh Food Kitchen, Galberts, Cottage Desserts and Cool Beans at its production facilities in Dromore, Co Down and Altnagelvin, Co Londonderry.

30 YEARS IN BUSINESS From humble farm beginnings, Philip Morrow has been the driving force 26

behind PRM Group’s success within the Irish food industry for the past 30 years.

Philip saw an opportunity in chilled food distribution and, with the help of his wife Lynne, formed the original company in October 1988. Premises were acquired on the Blaris Road, Lisburn and capital was raised to the level of investment required to create the business.

Following the successful launch of Müller in mainland UK, Philip saw the potential to bring this new brand of yoghurt to Ireland. A supply base was initially sought in Scotland and imports commenced to meet the needs of local retailers in Northern Ireland. Philip very quickly realised the potential growth and power of the Müller brand which developed into the household name it is today.

As a result of the rapid growth in the NI market, Müller approached PRM Group to discuss all island of Ireland distribution. Philip accepted this challenge and the opportunity to expand the business. By 1994, PRM was distributing approximately one million pots of Müller yoghurt per week.

To facilitate increasing demand and growth, PRM Group purchased the current six-acre site on Rathdown Road,

“Making the move to our purpose-built facility in 1996 was an important and ambitious decision. Whilst we knew we were taking a leap of faith, we were confident that we were futureproofing the business and creating a platform for the continued growth in Ireland and beyond. The fact that we have had to extend our capacity in the years following has underlined that the decision was the right one to make.”

Success continued throughout the years and, in 2006, the company entered the food production sector by purchasing the Galberts and Fresh Food Kitchen brands along with their respective facilities. A few years later, in 2009, PRM Group secured the tender for distribution of the Unilever Ice Cream portfolio in the North of Ireland, which includes HB Walls, Ben & Jerry’s and Carte D’Or. Summarising the company’s success, Philip Morrow, managing director, says: “It is an incredible achievement to be celebrating 30 years in business for PRM Group this year and one which I am extremely proud of. When you first start a business, you face a lot of uncertainty and I cannot thank our 250 employees enough for their hard work and dedication over this time. Additionally, without the support we received from local retailers, establishing our business would not have been possible and for their support we are very grateful.”

AWARD-WINNING SOLUTIONS TO DISTRIBUTION PRM Group excels in providing its suppliers and customers with a unique

ADVERTORIAL offering, tailored to their needs.

The business is structured across three main divisions: Commercial, Operations and Service, which provide a robust platform to deliver their vast range of services. From end-to-end management of sales and distribution, award-winning third party logistics and production, or sourcing of private label products, the company plays an integral role in the Irish food industry.

PRM Group’s Commercial function acts as the link between its suppliers and customers in Ireland. The 30-strong team of food industry experts create and execute joint business plans which embrace promotion planning, fund management, sales support, account management, field sales representation, marketing, consumer insight, sales analysis and supply chain management.

Highlighting what makes the company’s Commercial function unique, Aidan Fisher, director of Sales, explains: “At PRM Group, we adopt a categoryled approach to managing our brand portfolio. Our expertise across key grocery categories including dairy, chilled desserts, chilled juices, convenience, free from and health is evident through sustained growth and outperforming market averages. We attribute much of our success to our dedicated Field Sales Team who engage with retailers across the island of Ireland and we continue to invest in this area of our business.”

stockholding, blast-freezing, reworking and case picking to customer order.

Currently operating from a 55,000-square-foot, BRC-accredited, logistics facility and running a fleet of 30 vehicles, comprising both artic and rigid units, the company has built a strong platform which enables it to manage the scale and complexity of the business.

Explaining how the Operations function has grown and adapted, Colin Davis, operations manager, says: “On a weekly basis, we now manage approximately 300,000 cases of food products through the business. We put a major focus on efficiency and understand the role we have to play in the reduction of food miles and mitigating environmental impact. In addition to servicing our Irish customer base, we are now helping local producers to export their brands across mainland UK and wider Europe to ensure full loads on outbound routes.”

Colin Davis

Aidan Fisher

Underpinning the company’s Commercial function is its award-winning Operations team who are responsible for the effective management of the product supply chain to ensure freshness, delivery on time and order fulfilment.

In addition to servicing PRM Group’s primary sales and distribution business, the Operations division also manages a wide range of standalone third party logistics customers providing services such as haulage, chilled and frozen

RESILIENT TO CHANGE In their 30 years in business, PRM Group has been quick to adapt to changes within the food industry and specifically the Irish grocery retail sector.

With an increasing number of retailer mergers and acquisitions, and consumers facing a level of economic uncertainty against the backdrop of a Brexit decision, 2019 will no doubt provide further challenges to which the business is poised to respond.

The business will play a key role in maintaining continuity of supply to their customers and is currently in the process of working with its suppliers and haulage partners to manage the transition of doing business across potential new borders and trading jurisdictions.

In relation to the food trends which the company anticipates responding to, it expects to see a continued increase in customisation and component cooking.

This feeds into the focus consumers are

putting on health and well-being and sharing their food experiences online.

However, this must also be balanced against the demand for value and a determination to reduce outgoings in an uncertain economic climate.

Regardless of the changes that take place over the next 6-12 months, PRM Group strives to continue to promote and develop its services and portfolio of brands, to provide Irish retailers with the selection of products that consumers desire.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE In addition to the role that PRM Group plays within the industry, it recognises the contribution that the business can make to its local community.

The company’s CSR strategy is built upon three key areas: Charitable Causes, Education and Health.

Each year PRM Group works with a nominated charity partner to provide fundraising support for their charitable causes.

PRM Group’s charity partner for 2018 is Angel Wishes which supports children and their families through devastating cancer diagnosis. The company aims to exceed last year’s staff fundraising target by raising £10,000 for Angel Wishes.

In addition to charitable work, the PRM Group recognises that local businesses have a role to play in shaping the country’s future industry leaders.

The company has developed strong links with local schools, higher education institutions and Young Enterprise NI, offering work experience for secondary level education students and also placements for HE students who wish to gain an insight into the Irish food industry.

Finally, health and well-being is at the forefront of PRM Group’s CSR strategy and the company sponsors local sports teams and events. Additionally, employees are provided with health and well-being education, expert nutrition advice and tools they need to adopt a healthy worklife balance.

LOOKING FORWARD PRM Group’s history to date has been characterised by hard work, determination and seizing opportunities, of which there are several currently being evaluated in the form of enquiries from new and established brands. With the continued growth of the Irish chilled food sector, and increased consumer demand for fresh food offerings, the company is excited about what lies ahead in 2019 and beyond.

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FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

BELFAST MET DESIGN STUDENT RECEIVES A CAREER BOOST From left, Heather Peddle, winner of the competition, and Francine Matthews, consumer marketing manager at Boost Energy.

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design student from Lisburn now has her work featured on cans of Boost, after the local convenience sector energy drink leader* ran a competition to celebrate its 15th year in Northern Ireland.

Heather Peddle, an HND Graphic Design student at Belfast Metropolitan College, entered the competition to design a

celebratory 15th anniversary can and create a supporting launch campaign back in February this year.

Her winning design is featuring on more than one million limited edition cans of Boost Sugar Free Energy across Northern Ireland, which she believes is a great stepping stone on the road to a successful career in graphic design.

Peddle based her campaign on one of Northern Ireland’s most famous attractions, the Giant’s Causeway, incorporating its iconic hexagonal rock shapes on the can with the accompanying slogan 15 Years A Giant.

“This is a major milestone year for Boost in Northern Ireland as we celebrate 15 years in the local market so, to mark the occasion, we decided to create a competition exclusively for students who live in Northern Ireland, or were originally born here, to give them a fantastic opportunity to redesign one of our most popular cans and have their design manufactured and launched into the market as a limited edition product,” said Francine Matthews, consumer marketing manager at Boost Energy. * Source: IRI Marketplace Data Symbols and Independents 52 weeks unit sales to 12th August 2018

ENERGY DRINK TOURS LOCAL INDEPENDENT RETAILERS

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oost Energy drink has embarked on a province-wide road trip to celebrate 15 years in Northern Ireland with local retailers.

To recognise the huge role that Northern Ireland’s independent retailers have played in this success, Boost From left, Gareth Hardy, Hardy Sales and Marketing, and founder and Managing Simon Gray, Boost.

Director Simon Gray, and a team of staff, hit the road for two days over November 1-2 to pay a surprise visit to stores around the province.

The We Love Local road trip has taken its name from the company’s ethos to deal only with the independent retail sector and not with the large multinational supermarket chains – and every store that receives a visit will be given the chance to win free stock – and a short break on the Causeway Coast - if they can answer some salient questions about the brand in Northern Ireland.

“The success of Boost has been nothing short of amazing since we launched here in 2003 so it’s very important for us to celebrate our 15th birthday with the people that have helped us reach the remarkable position we’re in – with the three top selling SKUs in the province,” said Gray.

Co Antrim-based company Hardy Sales and Marketing has played an important role in the Boost success story, providing warehousing, distribution, van sales and key account management across all the major symbol, cash & carry and delivered wholesalers within the NI convenience and food service sector.

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BOOST HOSTS SUCCESSFUL DEMO DAY FOR INDEPENDENTS

From left, Sarah Durose, Jack Taylor, Chloe Graham and Ross Lewis from the Boost team host the 15 Years a Giant stand at Musgraves Belfast.

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oost held an exclusive demonstration day at Musgraves, Belfast recently for independent retailers across Northern Ireland to celebrate 15 years in the market.

As well as offering trading advice, product samples and special one-day-only prices, the team gave away a range of Boost branded goodies, including beanie hats and keyrings.

“We’ve been working alongside Boost for all of its 15 years in Northern Ireland and to see the brand continue to grow as well as occupy the top three soft drink sales positions* is marvellous,” said Gareth Hardy, managing director of Boost distributor Hardy Sales and Marketing.

“It’s been great to get all our local retail partners here to speak one to one with Boost and celebrate their success with consumers and independent retailers NIwide.” * Source: IRI Marketplace Data Symbols and Independents 52 weeks unit sales to 12th August 2018

FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

SECOND TIME’S A CHARM FOR DALE FARM AT COSTCUTTER SUPPLIER AWARDS

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he largest UK farmerowned dairy cooperative, Northern Ireland-headquartered Dale Farm, has become the first company to be named NI Supplier of the Year for two consecutive years at the Costcutter Supermarkets Group (CSG) annual Supplier of the Year Awards.

Over 150 CSG suppliers from across the UK attended the prestigious awards ceremony From left, Huw Edwards, trading director at CSG; Richard Andrews, Dale at York Racecourse, where Farm; and Darcy Willson-Rymer, CEO of CSG. Dale Farm was presented with the overall Northern Ireland award in recognition of its first-class dairy of trust placed in us by CSG as a dairy products and excellence in service. partner.

Sam Boyd, regional sales manager for “2018 was a particularly positive year Dale Farm, said: for our relationship with CSG. We worked “Achieving this accolade for the second in close partnership to adapt and increase year running represents significant our in-store dairy range and have further industry recognition for Dale Farm – a real plans in place to expand our product testament to the strength of our ongoing portfolio over the months ahead. customer partnership, the dedication of “Due to the exceptionally warm our area sales team and the high level summer weather this year, we were able

to increase distribution significantly to successfully support CSG stores and meet demand.

“This year we also became the lead supplier of milk to CSG stores, further strengthening our relationship – one which we hope continues long into the future as our businesses support one another’s growth.”

Huw Edwards, trading director at CSG, added: “It is important for us to recognise and celebrate the fantastic service we receive from our suppliers and we congratulate the team at Dale Farm for being named Northern Ireland Supplier of the Year for two years running. This exceptional achievement is proof of Dale Farm’s commitment to providing first-class products and service, ensuring our stores offer the consumer the very best in dairy, every day.”

FOOD & DRINKS NEWS

ROONEY FISH WINS SUPREME CHAMPION AT BLAS 2018

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ooney Fish has been Rosemary and John Rooney of Rooney Fish are pictured with their Millbay Oysters in Dingle crowned Supreme after winning Supreme Champion.

Champion for its Millbay Oysters at the Irish food awards Blas na hÉireann, held last month in Dingle, Co Kerry.

The Food NI member is a second-generation family business specialising in the catching, preparing and processing of the finest catch from the waters surrounding Ireland, established in 1975 in Kilkeel, Co Down.

In 2014, it opened an oyster farm in Carlingford Lough close to its Kilkeel base combining traditional methods with innovative, new ideas to produce Millbay Oysters.

“Although we’ve grown considerably since we began, we’re still a family business and to be recognised with this award from Blas na hÉireann, who themselves believe so strongly in community and family, is a huge honour,” said John Rooney.

Blas na hÉireann is the largest blind tasting held on the island of Ireland, with over 2,500 products entered in 2018.

A record 32 Food NI members took home awards, with Rooney Fish also winning the Shane McArdle Award for Best in Ulster.

Bronze, silver and gold winners from Antrim, across a range of different categories, included Glenballyeamon Eggs, Maud’s Ice Creams, Morelli’s Ice Cream, Dale Farm, McErlains Bakery, Yahi, Deli Muru, Tom and Ollie, Ke Nako Biltong, Lacada Brewery and The Irish Black Butter Company. Ke Nako Biltong won the overall Best in Farmers Market prize.

Winners from Armagh, across a range of different categories, were Hannan Meats, Ballylisk Dairies, Irwin’s Bakery, Holmes Bakery, Armagh Cider Company, Long Meadow Cider and Mac Ivors Cider Co, with Ballylisk Diaries winning Best in County and Best in Farmers Market.

Two winners from Derry included Corndale Farm and Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil, which also won Best in Farmers Market for Derry and Best in County.

The 13 winners from Down, across a range of different categories, were Springmount Farm Free Range Eggs, Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt, Glastry Farm Ice Cream, Rooney Fish, Cookie Jar, Mash Direct, Suki Tea, Harnett Oils, Noisy Snacks and Whitewater Brewing.

Cavanagh Free Range Eggs from Fermanagh also won an award.

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ADVERTORIAL

MASH DIRECT SHOWCASES ITS FESTIVE FLAVOURS

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ash Direct, the Co Downbased producer of vegetable side dishes has been busy in the kitchen crafting the perfect recipes ahead of the exciting launch of its new Christmas Bite range.

With a focus on traditional tastes with a dash of festive flare, its new Christmas products comprise of three different bites including Ham & Cheese, Shredded Duck and Stuffing, which are all gluten free and free from artificial colourings and flavourings. These are available to retailers from midNovember.

Lance Hamilton, sales director of Mash Direct, said: “It is important to maintain the wonderful Christmas traditions of spending time with family and friends as well as sparking our festive taste buds. These bites offer the convenience of little preparation and quick cooking times with added Christmas flavours and are set to be a hit for all festive occasions. We are very excited about this launch and can’t wait for customers across the island of Ireland to try them.”

The Hamilton family has six

generations of farming expertise and is passionate about growing the highest quality heritage varieties of vegetables for its gluten-free product portfolio.

The drive throughout the company has led to exceptional service levels and innovation which sets it apart in

the marketplace. Mash Direct recently won two Great Taste awards, where it picked up gold stars for its Red Cabbage & Beetroot and Mashed Potato as well as winning a gold award for its Potato Croquettes at the Blas na hÉireann, Irish Food Awards.

NEW

GOOD TIDINGS WE BRING…

ALL PRODUCTS

GLUTEN FREE

Available to stock from mid -November 2018

ADVERTORIAL

UK AND IRELAND’S LARGEST KÄRCHER SHOWROOM OPENS IN BELFAST

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ur story started many years ago in Portadown, Co Armagh when Geoff Baird (managing director) started a business called Craigmore.

From its beginning, Craigmore enjoyed success in supplying quality cleaning products and machinery to the transport industry before extending the product ranges to include tools and equipment

32

suitable for all industries. In more recent times Craigmore has grown dramatically through the use of the latest technology and its expansion into e-commerce.

One notable success of Craigmore is the recently opened Kärcher Center in Belfast, bringing to the city the largest Kärcher showroom in the UK and Ireland.

The opening brought with it a team of

Kärcher-trained staff involved in sales, logistics and servicing. Having for many years focused on the areas outside Belfast, it made perfect sense for Geoff to look for a Kärcher hub in Belfast and especially in the Boucher Road area with its high footfall and perfect location for all Ireland trade. Now open just six months and having created an initial eight new jobs, the decision has proved to be a pivotal step in the company’s growth plan. Kärcher Belfast is already picking up some great new business clients and have quickly established themselves as the go to place for businesses cleaning equipment and servicing requirements.

Upon meeting with Kärcher Belfast, Henderson’s decided that Kärcher had the industrial floor cleaning capabilities needed for their stores and their Mallusk-based warehouses. To facilitate this, Henderson Group informed its independent franchise owners of the benefits of using Kärcher products and specifically buying from Kärcher, Belfast.

One franchise owner who has taken full advantage of this is Lexie Beatty, proud owner of three stores in Co Fermanagh

ADVERTORIAL

and Co Tyrone, who has invested in a Kärcher machine in every store.

His home store in Ballinamallard has recently purchased the Kärcher BR 45/22 Scrubber Dryer. The Ballinamallard store manager had the following to say about his new Kärcher machine: “There has been a significant change in the quality of the floor cleaning since we have brought in the Kärcher BR 45/22 Scrubber Dryer, usually we would brush and mop the entire floor which was a time-consuming process that achieved less than desirable results.

Kärcher has designed a user-friendly product that surpassed all expectations when it first arrived; cleaning is now a task that takes little time allowing the time to be spent elsewhere.”

Stephen Anderson, Kärcher Center manager, also commented: “Businesses should choose Kärcher Center Belfast for their industrial cleaning needs as keeping business premises clean and presentable is a high priority for all professional business owners. Using the latest machinery from the largest manufacturer in the world gives your business the correct tools to carry out regular cleaning tasks in a fast and efficient manner leaving your staff more time to focus on best serving your

customers. Kärcher, Belfast is interested in allowing you the opportunity to try the best that Kärcher has to offer for your business and with 25 years’ experience, we know we can meet your needs and will partner with you in your search to select the right equipment for your environment. Kärcher, Belfast offer the entire package of advice, product selection, trial, operator training and scheduled servicing plans. Kärcher, Belfast work with leading financial leasing company, GRENKE. GRENKE is the market leader in sales and leasing and provide an efficient service with comprehensive leasing agreements that are accessible for businesses of all shapes and sizes.”

Kärcher Center Belfast, 1-2 Windsor Business Park, Boucher Place, Belfast, BT12 6HT. T: +44 28 90667 333 • E: info@karcher-center-craigmore.co.uk W: www.karcher-center-craigmore.co.uk

HENDERSON GROUP • Henderson Group owns the SPAR, EUROSPAR, VIVO, VIVOXTRA and VIVO Essentials franchises in Northern Ireland.

• Four companies make up the Group - Henderson Wholesale, Henderson Retail, Henderson Group Property and Henderson Foodservice.

• Henderson Wholesale has been distributing food and grocery-related products to the convenience retail sector for over 120 years and is the largest operator of its kind in the country.

• The company provides a marketing, advisory and distribution service to over 450 retailers.

If you have any further enquiries, please call Stephen Anderson - 028 90667333.

OFF TRADE DRINKS

ENTERTAINING AT HOME TREND CONTINUES JAMES WILSON, RESEARCH ANALYST AT MINTEL, LOOKS AT GROWING OFF-TRADE DRINKS SALES IN NORTHERN IRELAND, USING STATISTICS FEATURED IN ITS REPORTS, VODKA AND GIN IRELAND - FEBRUARY 2018 AND BEER & CIDER - IRELAND - JUNE 2018

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alue sales of drinks sold through supermarkets and off-licence premises will reach an estimated €477.3m in NI during 2018*. This represents a 3.4% increase in off-trade alcohol sales compared to 2017, indicating that the off-trade market for alcoholic drinks remains strong in NI. The beer category is the largest contributor to this growth in total alcoholic drink sales outside of licensed premises, accounting for over half (52%) of sales through off-trade channels.

The category is expected to grow by 5.3% between 2017 and 2018, with value sales reaching an estimated €248m in NI this year. Lager is the most popular among consumers in NI, with four in 10 (39%) consumers drinking this type of beer.

Off-trade cider (1.8%) and vodka and gin sales (2.8%) are also expected to

perform strongly during this same period.

Similarly, off-trade volume sales are also expected to grow across all categories during 2018.

The FIFA World Cup and unseasonably warm summer in NI helped to boost alcoholic drinks sales in the region – a quarter (26%) of NI consumers indicate that they enjoy drinking gin, for example, during the summer.

The strong performance of the offtrade and the continued high price of alcoholic drinks in NI’s pubs and bars has seen cash-conscious consumers spend more time drinking at home.

While cost is a motivator for consumers to drink more at home, it is not the only motivating factor. Improvements to inhome entertainment provide a compelling option for consumers to stay in, order more takeout food and accompany this with an alcoholic drink at home.

CARL ‘TUK’ TO THE STREETS FOR HARP’S NEW LOOK

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oxing hero Carl Frampton recently rolled into Belfast City Centre in Harp’s eye-catching ‘Wee Wheels’ Tuk Tuk to celebrate the launch of the lager’s ‘class’ new look. Fresh from his recent victory at Windsor Park, Frampton posed for selfies and chatted happily to fans before offering a taste of Harp to passers-by.

Harp’s new look was rolled out in pubs, clubs and off licences across NI in September, with the re-brand supported by new TV adverts, as well as out-of-home, PR, social and digital activations.

“I’ve been having a great time travelling around in Harp’s Wee Wheels - getting out onto the streets and visiting local pubs to thank everybody for their support,” said Frampton. “I’ve poured a few pints here and there so everybody knows that, while Harp has got a smart new look, it’s still got the same class taste.”

Jeanette Levis, brand manager of Harp, said: “We believe Harp’s contemporary and vibrant new look – which is inspired by the first ever Harp bottle - will really appeal to current fans of the brand and equally to new consumers too. It’s super that Carl’s on board to help us launch and we hope the people of NI love the new look as much as we do.”

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Indeed, a third (35%) of NI beer drinkers have consumed beer and cider at home with a meal while over half (55%) have consumed the drink while relaxing at home watching TV. The trend for consumers to entertain themselves at home will likely see off-trade volume sales increase at a strong rate moving forward, providing a further challenge for on-trade operators.” * This refers to the sum of beer, cider, vodka and gin.

DIAGEO SHOWCASES ROCKSHORE AT TESCO TASTE I

rish lager Rockshore was the star of the show on Diageo’s stand at this year’s Tesco Taste Festival 2018.

From the brewers at St James’s Gate, From left, John Wilson, Sara Rodgers, John Rockshore is a light Crawford and Ciara Carberry. Photo credit: Press Eye/Darren Kidd and refreshing tasting lager. Visitors to the event had the chance to sample Rockshore Irish lager for themselves in both draught and bottle formats.

With an ABV of 4% and 106 calories per bottle, Rockshore was launched in February 2018 in pubs, bars, restaurants, off licences, supermarkets and convenience stores throughout the country.

“People are increasingly looking for choice, particularly among beers and lagers offering a refreshing and light taste,” said John Crawford, Diageo NI channel manager.

“Brewed using only four quality ingredients, Rockshore is the best light tasting lager our brewers have ever created and we’re delighted to give people the opportunity to try it at Tesco Taste Festival 2018.”

OFF TRADE DRINKS

NEW WHITE WALKER WHISKEY CELEBRATES GAME OF THRONES M&S ADDS CHAMPAGNE LANSON BLACK LABEL TO ITS RANGE C

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n collaboration with HBO and Game of Thrones, Johnnie Walker White Walker by Johnnie Walker is a limited-edition Scotch whisky inspired by the most enigmatic and feared characters on the hit show.

Created by whisky specialist George Harper, alongside the small team of expert blenders at Johnnie Walker, the innovative whisky is best served directly from the freezer, echoing the chilling presence of the White Walkers.

The bottling brings you right to the Frozen North with an icy white and blue design along with the iconic Johnnie Walker Striding Man now fashioned in armour to fit in among the ranks of the Night King’s forces.

Utilising temperaturesensitive ink technology, fans will be reminded that Winter is Here from an unexpected graphic icy reveal on the bottle when frozen.

The Scotch has notes of caramelised sugar and vanilla, fresh red berries with a touch of orchard fruit and features single malts from Cardhu and

Clynelish – one of Scotland’s most Northern distilleries.

Blender George Harper used the Frozen North as his starting point for creating White Walker

by Johnnie Walker. “Whiskies from Clynelish have endured long, Scottish winters, not dissimilar to the long periods endured by the Night’s Watch who have ventured north of the wall - so it was the perfect place to start when creating this unique whisky,” he said.

Jeff Peters, vice president, Licensing & Retail at HBO, said: “We knew there was fan appetite for a Game of Thrones whisky and, once we saw the vision from Johnnie Walker for a way to collaborate, we knew the idea was perfect and the time was now.”

White Walker by Johnnie Walker will be available in Northern Ireland exclusively in Tesco, from November 2018 until supplies last.

hampagne Lanson Black Label is one of the most popular Brut NV Champagnes in the UK and, from October 3, it will be on the shelves of 550 Marks & Spencer branches for the first time.

“We know that our customers will welcome an opportunity to enjoy this exceptional Champagne just as they currently do with Lanson’s premium Extra Age,” said Emma Dawson MW, Marks & Spencer.

The multiaward-winning Champagne is a blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier from 100 Crus.

Made using the traditional method which gives a fresh, fruity and elegant style, it is said to be an ideal aperitif and the perfect start to any occasion.

Proud Royal Warrant holders and one of the oldest family-run Champagne houses, the wellrespected House of Lanson was established in 1760 and continues to produce an impressive and diverse portfolio of quality Champagnes year after year.

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OFF-TRADE DRINKS

SELLING THE IRISH WHISKEY STORY TO RETAILERS & CONSUMERS JOE MAGOWAN, IRISH WHISKEY AMBASSADOR AT DILLON BASS, TALKS TO ALYSON MAGEE HOW IS THE IRISH WHISKEY CATEGORY PERFORMING? Irish whiskey is still the fastest growing premium spirits category globally, and has been in consecutive growth since the early 1990s. In Northern Ireland, it’s growing strongly with Jameson in doubledigit growth and Powers also performing well. Two out of every three bottles of Irish whiskey consumed worldwide are Jameson but, on the back of that, is the potential for a lot of other strong brands to grow.

WHO IS DRINKING IRISH WHISKEY? A lot of our newer consumers are, not only younger, but we’re seeing more female drinkers. It’s great to see whiskey, which is such a fantastic drink, actually getting the interest it deserves.

ARE CONSUMERS TRADING UP? Jameson is great because it’s recruiting people to the concept of Irish whiskey, and it might be through a long drink or even a cocktail but then, as you delve deeper into the category, people tend to move towards premiums. I see this across the entire drinks industry; people are starting to drink less and drink better.

So, for us, premium whiskey is doing very well and we have a lot more interest in our single pot still whiskeys Redbreast and Green Spot.

Our newer range Method & Madness is also doing extremely well, and we’re excited that we have two new whiskeys in the range.

IS WHISKEY TOURISM GROWING? Absolutely. There are growing numbers of international visitors coming to Ireland to taste and experience Irish whiskey.

They want to see where it’s made, taste it and bring a bottle (or two) back home with them. Tourism growth is forecast to continue and we need to be ready for it.

HAS THE WHISKEY CLUB INITIATIVE PROVED A SUCCESS FOR DILLON BASS? It has proven to be a great success.

My job would involve not only training bartenders and retailers, but also offering something to consumers in the form of a whiskey tasting evening, competitions 36

or giveaways. Whiskey Club is great as a resource for us to promote events and talk about our products. We have about 30 outlets signed up to Whiskey Club, and are looking to recruit more. The bar scene is growing so quickly and, with some really excellent bars and shops opening up, our desire is to get them to a level where they can be listed on Whiskey Club.

HOW CAN RETAILERS BOOST THEIR IRISH WHISKEY SALES? It’s all well and good having all the Irish whiskeys on the shelf but you need to have staff who are passionate and knowledgeable about it and will talk to customers and sell it, so the big focus for us is really getting staff trained up on Irish whiskey. When consumers are purchasing a bottle, the taste is obviously the most important factor but it’s not the only one. People want the story behind the whiskey. They want to know what type of whiskey it is, who made it, what

kind of barrels it was matured in. Whiskey has heritage and people appreciate and understand that. It’s important for the people selling the whiskey to know some of the story and know how it tastes. Dillon Bass has been working hard to educate bartenders and retailers on whiskey to give them a bit more confidence in selling it.

HAS DILLON BASS ANY FURTHER PLANS FOR IRISH WHISKEY? For us, it’s really about continuing with our strategy of introducing more people to Irish whiskey, educating retailers and consumers and celebrating the history and success of the category. We also have some excellent new products in the pipeline which I am very excited about.

This is an incredible time for Irish whiskey and we need to do everything we can to make sure the success continues. At one point, it was the biggest spirit in the world and that’s the goal we should be working towards.

LOVE YOUR WHISKEY?

LOVE

WhiskeyClubNI

TOP 10 GROCERY BRANDS

BREAD BRANDS ARE FAVOURITE FOR NI SHOPPERS

CLASSIC BRANDS, INDULGENT PRODUCTS & SUPERMARKET OWN-LABEL ALSO PROVE POPULAR

TOP 10 BRANDS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

NORTHERN IRELAND BRAND FOOTPRINT THE RANKING Traditional lunchbox staples make up the top 10 most chosen brands in Northern Ireland. Three of the top five are bread brands, with Kingsmill coming out on top, being chosen 13.3 million times

by Northern Ireland shoppers. Hovis and Irwin’s are the other bread brands making up the top five. Cookstown and Denny complete the top five, coming in at third and fifth place respectively. Other staples such as Heinz and Kellogg’s are also included in the top 10. Snack foods appear amongst the most chosen brands with Walkers in fifth position, followed by McVities in sixth place. Coca-Cola makes it way into the Top 10, up one place from last year, highlighting that carbonated soft drinks still have a place in Northern Ireland shoppers’ baskets.

INDULGENCE Despite macro health trends in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the brands climbing the ranking are more indulgent, indicating that shoppers still want to treat themselves.

Despite macro health trends, brands climbing the ranking are more indulgent

Galaxy is the biggest gainer, jumping 15 places to 25th position. Following closely behind is Malteasers with a jump of 11 spots and Pepsi with an eight place increase.

FEWER SHOPPER MOMENTS Although the Northern Ireland grocery market is in growth year on year, shoppers are making fewer shopping trips. Irwin’s is the only brand in the top 10 most chosen brands to show growth in CRP, being chosen 155,000 more times this year than in 2017. The success of own-label ranges in Tesco and Asda have challenged overall CRP for brands in Northern Ireland. For example, Tesco shoppers chose own label lines 472,000 more times this year compared to last year.

1

KINGSMILL

2

HOVIS

3

COOKSTOWN

4

IRWIN’S

5

DENNY

6

WALKERS

7

MCVITIES

8

HEINZ

9

KELLOGG’S

10

COCA-COLA

ABOUT BRAND FOOTPRINT KANTAR WORLDPANEL BELIEVE THAT BRANDS GROW BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT BUY THEM, THEIR PENETRATION. Brand Footprint is our global study of which brands shoppers are choosing to buy, and why.

The metric used to measure this is called Consumer Reach Points (CRP) and it is calculated by looking at penetration and frequency in combination with the number of households in the country.

Find the full global report at www.kantarworldpanel.com/brand-footprint-ranking

For more information please contact Ross.Lincoln@kantarworldpanel.com 01 4808 941 38

Published October 2018

TOP 10 GROCERY BRANDS

KINGSMILL RISES TO THE CHALLENGE

BY ALYSON MAGEE

Peter Henry

“W

e are delighted to have claimed the top spot among local grocery brands and to be able to call ourselves Northern Ireland’s favourite brand*,” says Peter Henry, general manager, Allied Bakeries Ireland.

“There are many elements that have contributed to our success but for us the magic ingredients are the quality of the bread produced, the variety of products available and indeed the availability of these products right across the region.

This combined with the incredible hard work and dedication of the entire team is what makes us number one with shoppers.”

Allied Bakeries not only holds the top brand position in Kantar’s Worldpanel ranking for its Kingsmill range, but also lays claim to be the largest bakery in Northern Ireland overall with 28% market share by unit sales (Nielsen MAT to 14/07/18). The bakery cites the bespoke partnerships it has with individual retailers as being central to its success.

“Our relationships with retailers are crucial – we offer a total bakery solution and, as a result, we have plenty to offer our customers,” says Peter. “We have the widest product range from standard white bread to healthier wholemeal as well as seeded bread and morning goods.

While Kingsmill is our lead brand on bread, it is also supported by Allinson’s, Burgen and Sunblest.

“This means that we can meet any consumer or retailer need in the bakery category and we work closely with our retail partners to ensure we’re consistently meeting these needs. In fact, we make 1,000 store deliveries six days a week in Northern Ireland, with 60% of trade going to larger retailers and 40% to convenience stores.”

Another element of the brand’s success is the integrity of its supply chain.

Full control ensures transparency and

security in the chain, boosted by central, sustainable sourcing of products and BRC accreditation of its bakery.

“One of the most important things for us at Allied Bakeries is that our sister companies supply the vast majority of our raw materials right from the liquids that go into our products to the flour we produce in our own mills,” says Peter.

“There’s very little that’s bought outside the group.”

Well-established in Northern Ireland, Allied Bakeries’ local presence currently extends to a manufacturing site and headquarters in Belfast and depots in Dungannon and Coleraine, ensuring coverage across the region.

The company employees 325 people locally in manufacturing and distribution, with around 3.5 million units of products produced per week across pan and batch bread lines, two pancake hotplates and a soda/potato bread line.

The vast majority of this produce (80%) is destined for the local market first and foremost, with 10% apiece then going to the Republic of Ireland and GB. While some brands may be wary of Brexit on the horizon and its consequences for cross-border trade, Peter says, “Allied Bakeries is best positioned to deal with this because of our scale.”

Allied Bakeries has evolved its Kingsmill range to ensure it meets rising demand for products focused on health and wellbeing. “In January this year, we launched two new seeded lines, Multigrain and Super Seeds. We’ve been absolutely delighted with how well the products are doing and we’ve had fantastic feedback from both consumers and retailers,” says Peter. “We are always working on new product development to make sure that we’re responding to consumer and retailer needs.”

Kingsmill, which already lays claim to 79% of the ‘healthier white’ subcategory, has also just extended its presence further with the launch of 50/50 Vitamin Boost, fortified with vitamin and minerals.

Beyond Kingsmill, Sunblest Pancakes has been a standout performer over the last few years for the group. New Product Development in the pancake category ranges from a reduced sugar format – “appealing to both legislative and consumer needs” for healthier choices without sacrificing taste – to more indulgent lines.

“While people enjoy healthier options, we know they are looking for sweet treats as well, and we do produce some flavoured pancakes with blueberries. In January, we’re going to be launching two more flavoured pancakes under the Sunblest brand,” says Peter.

In other new releases for Allied Bakeries, this month sees the launch of two new seeded batch bread lines under

the group’s Allinson’s brand, which was also redesigned earlier this year bringing the brand’s proposition to life on shelf.

Peter says making sure new products are constantly in the pipeline is key to keeping all brands in the Allied Bakeries oven thriving.

“To launch any new product means significant investment and risk,” he says.

“But if you’re going to continue to lead and move forward as the favourite brand, it’s important to come out with new, fresh and exciting products. We’ve got to work hard to make it happen, it doesn’t just happen by itself.” *Kantar Worldpanel, October 2018

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ADVERTORIAL

COCA-COLA WILL IGNITE THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS WITH THE RETURN OF THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING TV AD AND ITS POPULAR CHRISTMAS TRUCK TOUR THE BRAND WILL ALSO DELIGHT SHOPPERS WITH SANTA CLAUS FRONT-OF-PACK IMAGERY AND ITS POPULAR 4-PACK PREMIUM GLASS RANGE

C

oca-Cola will launch the festive season for the nation once again with its much loved Holidays are coming TV ad broadcasting across screens from the end of November. The ad, which first aired in 1995, marks the start of the season for so many and will stir up the nostalgia and magic of the Christmas season.

The Holidays are Coming Christmas Truck has itself become an iconic symbol of Christmas and will also take to the road for its annual tour of the country this December. A visit to see the CocaCola Christmas Truck has become a firm favourite for families, and it will make its merry way around up to 10 stops across the island, two of which will be in Northern Ireland. More information on the dates and locations will be shared on www.Coca-Cola.ie later this month.

As premier sponsor of the popular Christmas FM radio station, Coca-Cola will also keep the magic alive across airwaves throughout the season. The brand will also be visible on highways and byways, as an entire fleet of Air Coaches are set to be branded with Coca-Cola’s 40

Christmas cheer, bringing some festive fun to those arriving home for the season.

Christmas will be brought to life in-store with Santa Claus imagery on select on-thego and take-home packs of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola zero sugar, and Diet Coke packs in grocery and convenience outlets.

Activated with more than 3,000 displays across the island, shoppers will also have the chance to receive a free Santa hat or pair of socks with every purchase of 2 x 500ml.

Coca-Cola will also respond to shopper needs for more premium experiences at home with its 4-pack glass, which is continuing to grow in importance within the range. The glass pack delivers a unique offering for those socialising or hosting friends and family at home, while helping to drive incremental revenue for retailers.

The 4-packs will be available in Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola zero sugar and Diet Coke and shoppers will be gifted with a free bottle opener or Coca-Cola Christmas glass with every purchase.

Paul Diver, national account manager (Convenience), Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, explains: “Christmas is

an immensely important time for shoppers and retailers alike, and we are so proud that Coca-Cola remains a cornerstone of the season, igniting a sense of joy and happiness in so many.

“Christmas 2018 will be an exciting time for the brand, as we celebrate the return of the iconic Holidays are Coming TV ad and another whirlwind Christmas Truck Tour visiting towns and cities across the island.

“We will be sure to bring this excitement in-store for our customers and shoppers, with Santa on pack, the return of the 4-pack glass range, opportunities to avail of free Coca-Cola Christmas merchandise, and thousands of impactful displays in outlets across the country.”

Coca-Cola original taste is the biggest soft drink brand at Christmas with sales of €26m during last year’s season. The whole Coca-Cola range contributed to 23% of the total ‘non-alcoholic ready-todrink’ category in 2017, with sales of over €48m and 9.3% growth compared to the previous year.1 Nielsen IOI Value Sales Q4 2017 vs PY

1

© 2018 The Coca-Cola Company. All rights reserved. COCA-COLA ZERO SUGAR, DIET COKE, COCA-COLA, the design of the Contour Bottle and TASTE THE FEELING are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.

AGRI-FOOD NEWS

INTEGRATED SUPPLY CHAIN DELIVERS EXTRA INCOME DOWN THE LINE “O

BY RODNEY MAGOWAN

ne quarter of the producers supplying Aberdeen Angus beef sold under the Tesco Finest label UKwide come from Northern Ireland. These producers belong to the farmer-owned co-op Aberdeen Angus Quality Beef (AAQB). More cattle are needed to satisfy anticipated increase in demand.” These were some of the opening remarks made

by Hannah Donegan, Tesco agricultural manager, beef and lamb, at a packed AAQB AGM held recently in CAFRE’s Loughry Campus Food Innovation Centre, Cookstown, Co Tyrone.

AAQB Chairman Hugh McCollum, who farms near Limavady, told the meeting that self-help is the best help, especially in times of uncertainty on the eve of Brexit.

He encouraged members to pay attention to detail and reported that over 97%

From left, Wayne Acheson, Foyle Food Group; Anne Morrison, AAQB; Hannah Donegan, Tesco UK; and; Hugh McCollum, AAQB chair.

of the cattle supplied met the required specifications to qualify for bonus payments.

“We have a true world-class gold medal-winning product in our naturally produced, quality assured Aberdeen

Angus beef,” said McCollum. “Let us build on this success and grow AAQB, which is a prime example of farmers helping themselves to a fairer share of premium prices for a premium product.”

Anne Morrison stood down as company secretary after 20 years, handing over the role to Charlotte Moore, but continuing as a director of AAQB. Eamon Kelly, AAQB business development manager, reported that throughput of Aberdeen Angus cattle has more than doubled in the past four years. AAQB offers a real return from a premium market, he said, and producers seeking a good future in Aberdeen Angus beef production should contact him on 07813 176 939.

DEVENISH SUPPORTS FARM AFRICA

From left, Richard Macdonald, chair, Farm Africa; Simon Caughey, Geoffrey Frawley and Gillian McAuley, Devenish; and Nicolas Mounard, chief executive, Farm Africa.

I

nternational agri technology firm Devenish has donated £79,893 to Farm Africa in support of the charity’s efforts to help farmers grow themselves out of poverty.

Devenish has supported Farm Africa through several fundraising initiatives over the past three years, including a gruelling hike across the Uganda-Kenya border by its Chief Commercial Officer Alan Gibson in early 2018.

This latest tranche of funds was raised through the Devenish Charity Ball in 2017, as part of the Dowth Point to Point horse racing event and Country Fair in Co Meath. Organised and sponsored by Devenish, the annual event is set to take place again at the end of October 2018, from which further funds will be raised for Farm Africa.

“Devenish’s global business is centred

around providing nutritional solutions that improve health through the food supply chain, from soil to society,” said Simon Caughey, marketing manager, Devenish. “Raising funds for Farm Africa will help farmers become more self-sustaining, enabling them to feed their families and build farm businesses.”

Headquartered in Northern Ireland, Devenish develops and supplies nutritional solutions and technical expertise to the agri-food and human health sectors. The company has offices in the UK, US, UAE, Uganda, Mexico, Turkey and Philippines.

FARMERS CANNOT BE GREEN WHEN THEY ARE IN THE RED

N

orthern Ireland’s future agriculture policy must support active farm businesses to be productive and sustainable, while delivering public goods, according to the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU).

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a policy that ensures we have a productive, profitable, and progressive farming industry,” said Ivor Ferguson, president of UFU. “Defra Secretary of State Michael Gove has been clear about his vision to support environmental measures, but farmers can’t be green when they are financially in the red.

42

“Food production must be at the heart of agricultural policy, both at a UK level and in Northern Ireland. If a farm business is not profitable, it’s not viable and will not be able to deliver the ‘public good’ the government is looking for.”

The comments were made after the UFU submitted its response to DAERA’s consultation on Northern Ireland’s future agriculture policy post-Brexit on behalf of its 11,500-plus farming families. It was formulated after lengthy discussions at meetings of the UFU’s 16 policy committees and ratified by the UFU’s Executive. The detailed response covers a

Ivor Ferguson, president of UFU.

range of issues and outlines key measures that government should enact to help the farming sector thrive in the coming, potentially turbulent, years.

MARKETING NEWS

DALE FARM ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP OF QUEENS SPORT

D

ale Farm Protein Milk has become a proud sponsor of the Elite Athlete Programme and leading Queen’s GAA teams, as well as the official dairy supplier to Queen’s Sport.

Along with the provision of funding, the sponsorship will see the company supply GAA Squads and athletes with Dale Farm Protein Milk, aiding athlete recovery following training and competition.

“To maintain a high-quality service provision for high performing students, Queen’s Sport has adopted a support system which is designed around each individual student, based on athletic and personal development,” said Liz McLaughlin, head of Queen’s Sport.

“We have launched a new strategy, which will focus on student wellbeing and performance. We also aim to work with local partners who compliment this

outlook and help us to sustain student sport at all levels.

Aligning ourselves to a major local company like Dale Farm, who is also providing our students with a healthy product, is important for an overall healthy campus ethos.”

Caroline Martin, head of corporate marketing at Dale Farm, said: “For many years Dale Farm has been powering top teams and athletes at both professional and grassroots levels, and we are delighted to announce Dale Farm Protein Milk as the official sponsor of Queen’s Elite Athlete Programme and Gaelic games.

“As the largest UK farmer-owned dairy co-operative, we have always placed a strong emphasis on supporting sport and have continued to invest in our proteinbased nutrition dairy products.”

MAXOL LUBRICANTS SPONSORS THE FARMER’S BASH M

axol Lubricants, the dedicated lubricants division of the Maxol Group, sponsored this year’s Farmer’s Bash, the UK and Ireland’s biggest ever indoor country music dance concert.

Held on October 12 at Belfast’s SSE Arena, the gig celebrated the very best of Irish country music with Derek Ryan, Lisa McHugh, Cliona Hagan, Johnny Brady, Rednex and very special guest Philomena Begley performing on a purpose-built sound, lighting and AV rig.

Maxol Lubricants, proud to be known as the ‘Farmers’ Choice’, markets a comprehensive range of premium quality oils, greases, anti-freezes and AdBlue to a wide cross section of industries throughout Ireland and in particular the agri sector. It is supplier of choice to the Kerry Agri, Dairygold Co-Op and Fane Valley cooperatives.

“Maxol Lubricants is proud to be an established supplier of premium quality lubricants to a wide cross section of industries throughout Ireland, and in particular the agri sector,” said Noel Hamilton, regional sales manager, Maxol Lubricants. “We are delighted to be headline sponsor of the Farmer’s Bash 2018 and are looking forward to the country party of a lifetime.”

GREAT ROAST DINNER CELEBRATED

The Great Roast Dinner celebration was launched last month, aiming to encourage more pupils to eat a healthy school dinner.

The celebration, led by the Soil Association’s Food for Life programme and Knorr Gravy, will put great school food in the spotlight through a series of Roast Dinner-themed events.

Schools will be encouraged to invite parents and other family members through the gates to share a delicious and healthy lunch with their children, so they can see just how great school food can be, inspiring them to select school dinners as the regular lunchtime choice for their kids.

Schools and caterers can register to join the free celebration at www. greatroastdinner.co.uk

LMC LAUNCHES SECOND YEAR OF CAMPAIGN

To encourage local consumers to purchase more Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured (NIFQA) beef and lamb, the Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC) launched the second year of its advertising campaign last month.

Showcasing a number of LMC’s delicious beef and lamb recipes and increasing awareness of NIFQA beef and lamb products, advertisements will feature on television, radio, outdoor digital screens, online and in the press until March 2019.

Consumer research carried out after the initial burst of the advertising campaign showed promising results; something which LMC is aiming to build on.

RETAILERS AT HEART OF NEW LOTTO CAMPAIGN

The National Lottery is incorporating one of its greatest assets into its new Amazing Starts Here marketing campaign – its retailers.

Newly-created TV advertisements to promote Lotto Rollovers feature four store owners around the country in their shops celebrating the announcement of the Rollover with everything from confetti cannons to laser shows.

Further National Lottery ads will air later this year, including a 60-second TV spot supporting a Good Causes beneficiary and a new ad for EuroMillions, which will break in October.

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EXPORT NEWS

PREP HOUSE TARGETS NEW EXPORT MARKETS

A

Co Down sauce company has invested £800,000 in a new factory that will help it fulfil its new contracts with large multi-national supermarkets, in an investment part supported by Danske Bank.

Prep House was established in 1999 by Paul and David Bell, and specialises in the development and production of sauces, mayonnaise, dressings and marinades. It employs 20 staff, including an additional four jobs as part of the project.

“We have decided to build our new 10,000-square-foot factory after winning new contracts with some of the biggest multi-national supermarkets,” said Paul Bell, managing director of Prep House.

“We had outgrown our old premises but, with the new factory, we have also taken the opportunity to upgrade our production capabilities with new filling, labelling and cooking equipment.

“We have also opened an Innovation Kitchen which can be used for cookery

From left, Ian Moore, business manager at Danske Bank, and Barry Fitzpatrick, operations manager at Prep House.

demonstrations and allows our customers to create their own sauces.

Innovation is at the heart of everything we do, and this co-creation opportunity means our customers are with us every step of the way.

“Our focus over the next 12 months is to further diversify our product range

and break into new markets with the help of Invest NI. The Republic of Ireland is an area we’re currently looking at and we’ll be recruiting more staff to help facilitate that growth. We’re also developing ways to remove preservatives from our sauces to make them even healthier.”

UFU REAFFIRMS ITS STANCE ON LIVE EXPORTS

U

lster Farmers’ Union says the live export of cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry is an integral part of Northern Ireland’s livestock sector and any additional controls or changes to regulations, post-Brexit, are unnecessary.

“Farmers take the welfare of animals seriously,” said David Brown, deputy president of UFU. “The existing European regulations for animal welfare and transport are more than sufficient and are supported by sound science. After the UK leaves the EU, we do not see any reason for increasing regulations.”

The comments were made following a meeting with the Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC), to discuss the UFU’s submission to the call for evidence on controlling live exports for slaughter and improving animal welfare during transport after the UK leaves the EU. With up to 50% of Northern Irish lambs exported to the Republic of Ireland and a large majority of Northern Irish sows being slaughtered in Great Britain, Brown emphasised that any additional control of live exports would have an impact upon farm incomes.

“We want to see a sustainable and

competitive future for our livestock sectors,” he said. “However, we are concerned that the FAWC’s remit appeared to solely focus on welfare, despite the fact that economic factors also have a major influence on export decisions.

“We cannot stress enough how crucial this access is to maintain the viability of livestock farms in Northern Ireland. Without this right of entry, we will not have a functional supply chain and any hope of improving the supply chain through a future UK agriculture policy will be made more difficult.”

NO-DEAL BREXIT COULD CREATE FIVE YEARS OF TURMOIL

U

K businesses should be prepared to make significant investment and fundamentally restructure their supply chains in order to survive a nodeal Brexit, warn supply chain experts SCALA. The UK supply chain and logistics consultancy predicts it could take five years for businesses, including those in the grocery and FMCG sectors, to re-engineer and optimise their supply chains, and major investment could be needed to guarantee success.

Uncertainty surrounding currency exchange rates, possible new trade

44

tariffs as well as the likelihood of major border delays, caused by additional customs processes and checks, could severely impact businesses that source products or components from the EU, and/or export to the EU. This is particularly pertinent for the food sector, as it may mean it will no longer be feasible to import short shelf life products and perishable goods from the EU. SCALA is urging businesses to re-evaluate their requirements by undertaking a full assessment of their

supply chain strategies, taking into account everything from sourcing, manufacturing, transportation, warehousing and inventory through to customer services.

“UK businesses have become increasingly reliant on sourcing from the EU, driven by the supply chain benefits of quick lead-times, manufacturing rationalisation and faster response times to changes in demand,” said John Perry, managing director of SCALA. “However, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, this is all set to drastically change.”

BUSINESS NEWS

RIVERRIDGE WINS EXCELLENCE IN COMPLIANCE AWARD FOR SECOND YEAR I ndependent waste management company RiverRidge has been praised at the annual Export & Freight Transport & Logistics Awards for its commitment to compliance for a second year in succession.

The company was presented with the Excellence in Compliance Award by Hugh Lowry, production manager of sponsor W&G Baird, during a glittering ceremony at the Belfast Waterfront Hall.

Around 700 guests from all sectors of the transport and logistics industry attended the Awards, which were compered by BBC NI sports presenter Joel Taggart.

Organised by the Hillsboroughbased publisher of Export & Freight magazine, 4SM (NI), the event, now in its 17th year, celebrates the hard work, determination, and ongoing investment making the industry what it is today.

“Compliance is viewed as a core business value, which RiverRidge is fully committed to,” said Stephen Thompson, group transport manager of RiverRidge. “Our devoted Compliance department constantly reviews our health and safety systems to ensure both our vehicles and drivers remain compliant at all times.”

TS FOODS SHORTLISTED IN COVETED UK AWARDS From left, David Steele, operations director, and Joanne Molloy, managing director, TS Foods.

T

S Foods, one of Northern Ireland’s leading chilled and frozen food producers, has been announced as a finalist at this year’s Food Manufacture Excellence Awards, which will take place in London in November.

The Castlewellan-based company has been shortlisted in the Chilled, Fresh and Dairy Manufacturing Company of the Year category, which this year has been split into the two sub categories of Large Company and Small Company.

“With such vigorous competition this year, we are thrilled to have made the shortlist in the Small Company section of our category,” said Joanne Molloy, managing director, TS Foods. “While the size of each company may differ, we’ve all made significant strides forward in terms of manufacturing practices over the last 12 months and the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards are the perfect place to celebrate these.”

David Steele, operations director, TS Foods, said: “Our entry focused mainly on the launch and roll out of our Ann’s Kitchen range over the last year, as well as key supply chain improvements we have implemented to ensure we are operating as responsibly as possible while still giving our customers the quality and service they are accustomed to. We are delighted that these efforts have been recognised.”

From left, compere Joel Taggart; Stephen Thompson group transport manager, RiverRidge; and Hugh Lowry, production manager, W&G Baird.

A6 UPGRADE TO GIVE TRADE A BOOST

L

ogistics industry organisation FTA has welcomed news upgrade work to the A6 between Derry and Dungiven is finally underway after months of discussion.

“It’s often said that, in business, time is money,” said Seamus Leheny, FTA policy manager, “and never more so when transporting time-sensitive goods to factories, shops, schools, hospitals and more.

“The logistics sector has long been pressing for the dualling of the A6, to provide improved and more reliable journey times and the new road will undoubtedly provide insurances to businesses over time sensitive deliveries on which they all rely.

“The current single carriageway road is frequently blocked or running slowly thanks to congestion, which can add huge uncertainties to the fulfilment of business contracts for manufacturers and retailers. And when you consider that the operating cost of a 44-tonne lorry and trailer is just over £1 per minute, reducing delays will help commercial operators manage their costs better, and avoid unnecessary bills for their customers.

“When complete, the 25.5km mile section of the A6 will include a bypass around Dungiven and will eventually link Derry and Belfast via a dual carriageway.

This section upgrade is expected to reduce journey times by almost 50%, and even more during peak hours.

“The vast majority of freight which moves along the A6 transits through Belfast and Larne ports, and is disseminated through the distribution centres across the greater Belfast area, so improved frequency and reliability of deliveries will benefit trade not only here but also in the North West, with its connectivity to the rest of the UK, as well as to the rest of Europe.”

According to the Department for Infrastructure, the upgrade to the A6 will cost £220m and work is expected to take up to four years to complete.

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APPOINTMENTS

People on the move...

IN ASSOCIATION WITH...

NICK HEWER ANNOUNCED AS NEW FAIRTRADE PATRON

Colin Hughes

N

SUBWAY APPOINTS NEW COUNTRY DIRECTOR C olin Hughes, originally from Lurgan, has been appointed Subway country director for Ireland and the UK. Having worked in the retail and food industry for over 25 years, with Wyevale Garden Centres, Marks & Spencer UK & Ireland, Pret A Manger and EAT, he started the new role in June.

Hughes has been brought onboard to drive business growth within Ireland and the UK. With several newly designed Fresh Forward locations already operating in the two countries and more in the pipeline, Hughes will lead the ongoing activation of the brand’s global

brand revitalisation and growth plans to increase the number of locally owned and operated Subway stores in Ireland and the UK to 3,000 by 2020.

“His valuable experience and knowledge in retail, food and franchising makes him well positioned to lead the business in the UK and Ireland going forward,” said Justin Goes, regional director for Subway.

With more than 2,500 Subway stores open across Ireland and the UK and over 44,800 stores in over 113 countries, Subway is the world’s largest sandwich franchise.

ick Hewer, Countdown host and former advisor to Alan Sugar on The Apprentice, has been announced as a new patron of the Fairtrade Foundation.

In a move aimed at helping boost public support for Fairtrade in the UK with a view to delivering greater benefits to producers in the developing world, Hewer took on the joint role from October. He joins other patrons including food writer, journalist and TV presenter Allegra McEvedy, the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu and British film, television, stage and radio actor, Adjoa Andoh, who have all lent their support to the organisation since 2010.

The Fairtrade Foundation will benefit from Hewer’s experience of public relations and business to help drive further public engagement with Fairtrade as it continues to champion trade justice for farmers and workers who provide us with some of our favourite products from bananas to coffee to cotton.

“Like many people my first experience of Fairtrade was as a consumer,” said Hewer. “Picking up my bananas and coffee with that iconic mark on. Buying a Fairtrade product gives you only half the story, it’s only when you meet the farmers, and talk to them about their experiences that you fully appreciate the importance of what Fairtrade does.

“I hope that I can help encourage people to continue to carry the ethos of Fairtrade forward in the future and play their part in making fairness in trade the norm rather than the exception.”

Unit 2, 1 Edgewater Road, Belfast Harbour, Belfast BT3 9JQ Tel: +44 28 9077 0999 Fax: +44 28 9078 1172

46

SHELFLIFE

To see your product featured in Shelf Life, contact Chris Keenan at c.keenan@independentmagazinesni.co.uk or Tel: 028 9026 4267

KP SNACKS PUSHES UNDER-100 CALORIE PRODUCTS K P Snacks has launched its Penn State pretzel snack in a new multipack format available in store from October 15. The launch comes as part of a burst of activity to promote KP Snacks’ under-100 calorie snack range, which includes a £500,000 campaign heroing the health credentials of Hula Hoops Puft and Skips from September 10.

KP Snacks’ latest insights report reveals that 39% of people who snack look for a healthy product (Mintel 2018), while 54% of shoppers agree that a smaller sized pack enables them to control their calorie intake (MAT IRI 18/06/17).

In response to the growing demand for healthier snacking options and smaller

packs, KP Snacks is launching new Penn State multipacks. Penn State is currently worth £7.7m and growing at +10.7% (Nielsen data to 11.08.18).

In addition to this launch, KP has invested in a media campaign to highlight its 71-calorie Skips and Hula Hoops Puft products, supporting retailers to drive growth within the healthy snacking occasion. The campaigns will appear across outdoor media and in a number

of targeted publications throughout September and October.

The campaign is expected to drive further growth for Hula Hoops Puft which, following a successful £1.5m media campaign at the beginning of the year, is currently worth £7.5m in RSV and growing at +20.8% YOY. Now worth £22m in RSV, Skips continues to achieve sustained growth, currently growing at +16.5% YOY. “We want to raise consumer awareness of the healthier snacking choices that are available to them but without compromising on flavour,” said Vijay Bhardwaj, head of marketing (family brands). “Our portfolio offers consumers choice, and meets the demand of every snacking occasion.”

KETTLE CHIPS LAUNCHES GLOBALLY-INSPIRED NEW RIDGE CUT RANGE

K

ETTLE Chips launched a new Ridge Cut range of sharing packs featuring three seasonings in September, with a handy pack Barbecue Beef Brisket following in October.

Inspired by flavours from across the globe, Chinese Spare Ribs, Barbecue Beef Brisket and Jalapeño Jack offer huge taste impact to complement the big bite of the ridge cut range, according to KETTLE. The new Ridge Cut chips are made by freshly slicing whole potatoes, rather than reforming potato to give the signature KETTLE crunch and carve out extra surface area for seasoning to cover for a big taste impact.

“Having the chance to create the brand-new Ridge Cut range for KETTLE was a fun one,” said Phil Hovey, innovation chef at KETTLE Chips. “Ridge chips are always associated with big flavours but I wanted to produce a ‘KETTLE does it better’ look at BBQ, bringing the real food ingredients and exciting cooking techniques into an area that has always been dominated by a fairly generic sweet, sharp Texas BBQ sauce.

“Whilst each country has a favourite barbecue dish, ultimately, each utilises the same basic process whether it’s low and slow smokers in the Deep South, fiery Braais in South Africa or the precision cooked Yakatori of Japan.”

It marks the second new launch from KETTLE Chips, following the summer launch of a new Discoveries range and April and May’s successful TV and online advertising campaign highlighting the real food credentials of KETTLE Chips.

Ballymaloe foods has been through an exciting journey since beginning in 1990. We are an Irish, family-run business. We cook using traditional methods and the best quality ingredients, resulting in delicious tasting products.

One of these delicious tasting products is our Ballymaloe Cranberry Sauce, made with whole cranberries, sugar, water and nothing else it is bursting with fruity flavour.

It is perfectly paired with traditional roast meats such as turkey, chicken and ham. For a heavenly twist on a classic sandwich, mix it through some mayo for a mouth-watering pink mayo!!

For delicious Christmas recipes visit www.ballymaloefoods.ie

47

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IN THE HOT SEAT TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF My name is Carol Banahan. I was born and raised in Dublin. I left Ireland after college and moved abroad to Canada, where I spent 29 years working in the financial industry. I decided to radically change my life over four years ago, and move back home to Ireland to pursue a passion in the food industry.

IN THE HOT SEAT CAROL BANAHAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CAROL’S STOCK MARKET

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY INVOLVE? My day starts very early at my purposebuilt production unit in Derry, where I produce a range of all-natural stocks and beef bone broth. Some of our products are cooked slowly overnight so we get in early to take the pots off and finish production. We make our stocks and bone broth fresh every week and ship them out all over Ireland and the UK mainland directly to retail customers and shops and delis.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? The highlight has to be getting great feedback from customers who love using my stocks. Nothing makes me happier than hearing how much my customers love the stocks and bone broth.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? I find making natural stocks and bone broth magical, and truly love making every single batch each day which is why I set up my own production unit, as opposed to outsourcing, so I could control the quality of the products. Seeing how the flavours develop over time to produce a really nourishing broth is so rewarding.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST DIFFICULT TASK? Trying to run all aspects of the business by myself at this early stage. Small business owners are the ultimate multi-taskers and problem solvers.

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? Not to quit when things get difficult particularly if you believe that you have a great product. Find a way to solve the problem and move forward.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GRIPE? Having to constantly chase people to get things done.

WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? I would love to have more expertise 50

when it comes to technology; specifically understanding the nuances of the power of social media.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE? Inishowen on a sunny day!

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS/ AMBITIONS? To build a great nationally-recognised brand and to become the Irish expert when it comes all things stock and bone broth.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD PRODUCT? A good Dexter beef steak with a delicious home-made gravy made from my beef stock of course.

WHOM DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? My father-in-law who can problem solve just about anything and is always willing to help me when I need it.

HOW DO YOU RELAX? I love physical activity, so a really long walk helps to relax me and clear my head.

e k d a b y l l a L oc o l ve d y l l a c o L

Get opening, toasting and tucking in to Northern Ireland’s Top Brand today.

Get hungry and inspired at kingsmillbakery.co.uk

*Kantar Worldpanel, October 2018

Kingsmill have been named Northern Ireland’s Top Brand 2018.* Locally baked and locally best-loved Kingsmill are a treasured part of Northern Ireland family meal and snack times – bringing a little bakery blissfulness to the everyday.