Slemish Market Garden earns the Best title

The family business, based near the town’s popular ECOS Nature Park and run by husband and wife team Frank and Linda McCooke and son Matthew, gained the overall UK award along with the NI regional titles as Best Greengrocer in the national Slow Food Awards.

The awards from the global Slow Food organisation are designed to highlight and celebrate food that is “Good, Clean and Fair” and is based on a public vote from thousands of people across the UK over the summer months. Each UK region has its own winners, with the highest number of votes in each category also being the overall UK winner. Slemish Market Garden claimed both awards.

A jubilant Frank, a respected Ballymena businessman, describes the two awards as “phenomenal recognition” for the company’s longstanding focus on consistently delivering “premium quality and sustainable fruit and vegetables”.

“It’s really fantastic for us, a small garden centre and greengrocers in Ballymena, to have been voted the UK’s best by lovers of good, natural food,” he adds.

The family launched the business in 2001 “initially not knowing what to expect from consumers and the wider community”, Frank says. “The business idea to grow and sell fresh fruit and vegetables to the public came from Linda in 1979. Linda continues to be the driving force and now supports our son Matthew, a fully trained and qualified gardener from Greenmount College, in running the business. My role is to look after our on-site farm shop.

“Local people are tremendously supportive and were quick to realise our offering of fresh food that’s grown here and is good, clean, natural and nutritious. Shoppers from neighbouring areas have also been coming here steadily to see and buy what’s available.”

They have been growing fruit, vegetables with flowers and small trees on-site for sale to the public using traditional organic methods without any chemicals whatsoever and “working with nature rather than against it.”

“The demand from the public for our fresh fruit and vegetables is such now that we may drop the flowers and small trees in early 2022. It’s labour intensive but the focus produces healthy and great tasting fruit and vegetables. Everything we grow here is a real labour of love,” he adds. And it shows in the quality and outstanding taste of everything they produce.

The shop also stocks locally produced honey, jams and chutneys from other suppliers. In addition, the garden is the location of the hugely popular Slemish Supper Club involving top chefs cooking gourmet dishes from its produce for diners to enjoy.

The enterprise adapted successfully to the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and has continued to grow and is increasing its retail services for the benefit of other artisans, becoming a quality food hub for the local community and shoppers from further afield.

Frank originally ran the McCooke family coal business in the town while Linda developed the garden at their home.

“As a result, I used to be known as the man with the black face and green fingers,” Frank laughs. “The popularity of Linda’s fresh vegetables led us to take over a site at ECOS that the local council was developing for organic growers.”

And the entrepreneurial couple have never looked back.

Celebrity chef, writer and broadcaster Paula McIntyre, Slow Food’s NI director, says: “It’s a delight to see the public vote recognise the wonderful Slow Food producers here. It’s particularly encouraging to have Slemish Market Garden win the best greengrocer in the UK, the first local food business has won a national award in this important event. We’re so proud of this family and what they contribute to the Slow Food ethos.”

The market garden was the only national success in a series of awards for other local other NI producers. Artisan cheesemaker Mike Thomson, based in Newtownards, was named Person of the Year for NI. Mike is the only raw-milk cheesemaker here, and an enthusiastic advocate of the craft. He owns Mike’s Fancy Cheese and is the creator of Young Buck, our most successful blue veined cheese.

Pig farmer Alastair Crown of Corndale Free Range Charcuterie in Limavady collected two NI awards – Best Butcher and Champion Slow Food Product – veal charcuterie – a collaboration with Broughgammon Farm in Ballycastle.

Another Ballycastle company, Ursa Minor was named Best Baker. The Best Fishmonger in NI was Native Seafood in Portstewart and the Best Deli was Portstewart’s Warke’s Deli, while the voters nominated Stock Kitchen and Bar in Belfast the Best Restaurant. St George’s, also in Belfast - where Stock Kitchen restaurant is located – came out on top as the Best Market.

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