British experts hail quality and taste of our food

This year was Northern Ireland’s most successful in the influential competition for UK food and drink producers.

Expert judges in the prestigious competition, held annually by one of the UK’s most successful food journals, chose a Japanese influenced condiment from Craic Foods in Craigavon as the overall best they had tasted from Northern Ireland.

There were also highly significant awards too for Mill Bay Oysters from Kilkeel, Co Down as the UK’s Best Fish and Seafood product; and Burren Balsamics, Richill, Co Armagh as the tastiest in the Vinegars, Oils and Dressings category for its Irish Heritage Apple Infused White Balsamic Vinegar.

Craic Foods won the verdict from the judges because “innovation is the name of the game” at the small company, which they said “continues to wow with its truly unique range sauces, condiments and pickles”.

Paul Clarke, chef/ managing director of Craic Foods, said: “We are thrilled about this important endorsement over the quality and taste our goods. This will help to raise awareness in a key market for us over the months ahead.”

It was the second successful year in a row for Craic and follows the Armagh company’s listing as Supreme Champion in 2021.

The importance of maintaining a strong presence in Britain was also emphasised by Suzy Hamilton Stubber of Burren Balsamics, a company which has been active at shows throughout Britain over the past decade.

She explained: “Awards such as Great British Food and Great Taste show that our companies have products which will sell in Britain with the right marketing and promotion. We’ve invested heavily in Britain and have won important business with the likes of Harrods. It’s an expensive exercise, of course, but one that’s essential if the business is to grow profitably.”

In addition, products from Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt in Bangor; Dundarave Estate in Bushmills, Co Antrim; Craic Foods, Craigavon; and Burren Balsamics, Richill were all highly commended by the panel of expert judges.

Pheasants Hill Farm, a family business in Downpatrick was also named Northern Ireland’s Best Deli and Farm Shop. The judges described it as “a stunning rural shop” which farms “the largest herd of Tamworth pigs in Ireland, as well as free-range chickens, geese and grass-fed Dexter and Irish Moiled cows”.

The Great British Food Awards for local companies follow the outstanding achievements of Linden Food from Dungannon for the World’s Best Grass Fed Ribeye Steak in the World Steak Challenge in Dublin in early October and of Dromore’s Krazi Baker for baking the World’s Best Potato Bread and Olive Tree Bakery in Bangor for producing the World’s Best Irish Wheaten loaf in last week’s World Bread Awards in London.

The awards, overall, showcase the impressive reputation for quality and taste now held by local food produce in Great Britain, our most important single markets. They also indicate the opportunities there to market Northern Ireland producers to a much greater extent.

The Great British Food Awards were launched in 2014 to celebrate the country’s finest artisanal produce, as well as the hard-working people behind the scenes. This year, the awards were bigger and better than ever, with lots of new categories and respected celebrity judges such as international chefs such as Raymond Blanc, Michel Roux Jnr and Shaun Rankin. Other high profile judges included Adrian Boswell, senior buyer at Selfridges, and restaurateur Mitch Tonks.

More than 1,000 products were judged this year across 89 categories, the winners in each judged finally by a team of experienced buyers from the iconic Harvey Nichols food store in London.

Judging the Vinegars category, Tonks, owner of several restaurants in Britain, chose Burren Balsamics, saying “I love sweet vinegars like this. It’s not over sweet but fragrant and delicious in dressings for salad and raw fish”.

Marc Hardiman, head chef at the high-end restaurant in the London Hilton, judged Fish and Seafood, opting for Mill Bay Oysters from Carlingford Lough because they had “a lovely creamy texture with a clean, briny taste”.

He added: “Plump, tender meat and cultivated to a good size, they travelled well and were presented beautifully. These oysters worked well with traditional accompaniments or cucumber, but are versatile enough to pair with more complex ingredients.”