Record number of small food firms set for prestigious Scottish Retail Food and Drink Awards 2023

The local companies are shortlisted in the prestigious Scottish Retail Food and Drink Awards 2023, the most important event in the country’s retailing calendar. They are all included in the category of UK Produce selling in Scotland.

The impressive line-up for the coveted awards is a further demonstration of just how important Scotland is to the Northern Ireland food and drink industry in this era of the Protocol and the Windsor Agreement. It demonstrates the continuing importance of maintaining the closest possible access between the two markets.

Many smaller food companies from here take their first step into sales beyond Northern Ireland by developing business in the vibrant Scottish marketplace.

Scotland shares with Northern Ireland strong farming and food industries.

The Northern Ireland contenders are among 90 outstanding food and drink products which have made it onto the shortlist for the awards which help increase awareness of new and different foods across Scotland. Northern Ireland companies currently supply most of the leading retailers including Aldi Scotland, Tesco, Eurospar and the Co-Op.

Food retailing in Scotland is dominated by major operations which together spend around £3 billion a year in a turnover of £23 billion covering over 20,000 grocery stores across the country. Historic links make Scotland an immensely attractive marketplace for Northern Ireland food and drink.

The products shortlisted represent a broad selection of food and drink categories and were chosen by 50 experienced, expert judges after more than four weeks of intense judging.

To replicate the consumer experience as closely as possible, the majority of the judging was carried out at home with the judges having the products delivered to their doorsteps, allowing them to experience the products in exactly the same way as the consumer would.

The final phase of the judging process, including the Platinum judging, was carried out over two days of face-to-face sessions at The Corinthian in Glasgow where its executive chef prepared the products in line with on-pack instructions for the Platinum judging panel. The results will be announced at a gala dinner on May 25.

Local companies have also been quick to adapt to the specific requirements of the Scotland market. Thompson’s Family Teas in Belfast, for instance, created a special Scottish blend of its multi-award-winning Punjana, the market leader in Northern Ireland. And it is clearly working in Scotland.

Based in Belfast, Thompson’s, a fourth generation family business which has been selling in Scotland for many years, created an eye-catching Scottish Blend branding and special packaging to help grow sales in what has become the iconic Belfast tea blender’s most important market outside Northern Ireland.

Thompson’s, which has been blending a range of quality teas from the very finest gardens in Assam, Kenya and beyond at its modern processing plant in Belfast since 1896, is also the UK’s most successful tea business in the prestigious UK Great Taste Awards. It has accumulated an impressive 100 gold stars over the past decade.

Joint managing director Ross Thompson says: “We developed this distinctive blend to demonstrate the strength of our commitment to tea lovers in Scotland.”

He continues: “We care about every single pack of tea that we produce and select teas only from growers who share our passion for making something special.”

Limavady’s Corndale Farm Charcuterie has a remarkable three products shortlisted – Buffalo Bresaola; Original Chorizo and Fennel Salami, prompting owner Alastair Crown to describe the competition as “potentially the most important in the farm-based company’s history in Scotland. “It’s hugely exciting to have won this recognition in Scotland, easily our most important market outside Northern Ireland. It was at university in Scotland that I first developed a passion for chorizo and other cured meats,” he says. “I never thought I’d become a charcuterie producer when I was studying technology there,” he adds.

Other local companies, mostly smaller enterprises, shortlisted include Mash Direct of Comber which has two products listed from its successful portfolio of veggie asides such as the shortlisted Mashed Potato and Battered Onion Rings; Craic Foods, Craigavon for pasta sauce and Nduja Ketchup in collaboration with Limavady’s Corndale Farm Charcuterie; Banagher Bold Cheese and Londonderry , and IPA Drizzel from Dart Mountain in Dungiven.

There were two product listing for Glens of Antrim Crisps in Cushendall – Shindins Whiskey Smoked Bacon and Irish Sea Salt and Vinegar crisps. Milgro in Limavady was also shortlisted for its Flame Grilled Crispy Onion flavour bags.

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