​ A television and social media campaign has been launched by food promotion body Food NI to help boost the sales of local produce

A television and social media campaign has been launched by food promotion body Food NI to help boost the sales of local produce in supermarkets, convenience stores, as well as restaurants, hotels and cafes.

Funded by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the latest Food NI campaign urges shoppers to support the local food and drink industry and thereby accelerate growth of what is now Northern Ireland’s single biggest manufacturer and an employer of upwards of 100,000 people across the region.

Food and drink also generates upwards of £5 billion for the local economy and especially in rural communities.

Growing sales ensures the continuing success of the industry and more employment opportunities across a range of activities including technology areas.

Food NI’s chief executive Michele Shirlow explains: “We passionately believe that Northern Ireland food and drink is among the best in the world. There are many ingredients that go into giving NI Food its alchemy: our mighty-smallness, interconnectedness, passionate producers, diverse landscape, and age-old traditions.

“Our food has the power to unite, delight and shine a light on our corner of the world. When we choose local, we are doing people, place and planet the Power of Good,” adds Michele, who heads up a small team of marketing experts working to promote the success of the industry,”

Led by an independent board of experienced food and drink producers and retailers and chaired by Henderson Group’s Neal Kelly, Food NI runs a programme of events for the industry.

Michele continues: “From farm to fork, our conscious farming methods and high welfare standards produces high quality food.

"From plot to plate, we prioritise health in the ways we grow and harvest our food. And from bowl to compost bin, we are striving to create a circular economy that puts sustainably at its heart. “