Foods from two Northern Ireland producers named among Britain’s top brands by an influential artisan magazine
Artisan products from Craigavon-based Forest Feast and Armagh’s Burren Balsamics have been recognised in Fine Food Digest’s Best Brands list, highlighting Northern Ireland’s growing influence in the UK’s premium food market
Foods from two Northern Ireland producers have been named among Britain’s top brands 2025-26 by an influential artisan magazine.
Fine Food Digest, a publication from the Guild of Fine Foods, the organisation which runs the annual Great Taste Awards, the UK’s leading annual food and drink quality competition, named artisan products from Forest Feast, a brand from Kestrel Foods in Craigavon, and a balsamic vinegar from Burren Balsamics in Richhill among the UK’s top brands.
Forest Feast was named joint third in the Chocolate and Confectionery category for delicious chocolate covered nuts and dried fruits like sour cherries and almonds for “managing to straddle independent and big retailers with its strong, modern branding and a reasonable price point”.
Bronagh Clarke, Kestrel’s marketing director, described the recognition as “another hugely important endorsement in our most important marketplace and one in which we have enjoyed considerable success in last year. It positions us for further growth in the current year.”
Burren Balsamics, another Armagh business, was named in Oils and Vinegars for its Blackberry and Thyme infused Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, which judges described as “a three-star, rich glossy, dark vinegar with blackberries and the producer’s own garden thyme”.
The judges “praised the ruby red liquid for its fresh thyme balanced out with the vinegar’s sweet acidity, marrying without overpowering the fruit”. They said it would be “so versatile not just for gravy but to drizzle over salads, as a dip for bread”.
Suzy Hamilton Stubber, founder of Burren Balsamics, a business she now runs with chef Bob McDonald, said: “We are delighted by the comments in the survey about one of our products. These important remarks will help as we seek to build our market share in Britain.”
Companies featuring in the Best Brands survey were nominated by buyers in delis, farm shops and food halls across the UK. They were asked by Fine Food Digest to name their top selling brands in the survey carried out in the last quarter of 2025.