​Smaller food companies boosted by Moy Park support at Balmoral Show

The presentation, organised by the local food promotion body FoodNI, is the biggest showcase of local food and drink here this year and is widely seen by the industry as a vitally important revenue source for producers particularly artisan and smaller enterprises.

Supporting is Craigavon-based Moy Park, Northern Ireland’s biggest and most internationally successful food business which will be celebrating 80 years in business by hosting a unique demonstration kitchen in the sprawling pavilion.

Moy Park, the number one chicken brand in Ireland and among the best known local brands in international markets, will be a central attraction for visitors to the pavilion.

The leading poultry processor will have pride of place among more than 100 food and drink producers in the pavilion, long one of the most popular and successful attractions at the big agri-food show that opens on Wednesday.

FoodNI’s chief executive Michele Shirlow was understandably delighted when Moy Park ‘signed up’ to help mark its important anniversary by hosting one of three demonstration kitchens at the event – the first time there have been three such attractions for visitors keen to develop their culinary skills and experience new tastes from top chefs.

Michele continues: “Moy Park’s support for our culinary demonstrations is a major boost for the pavilion from our biggest food manufacturer. It’s great to have Moy Park on board as we endeavour to promote the local food and drink to a wider market

here. Our pavilion has always played a crucial role in supporting the growth of smaller companies which form the backbone of the local food scene.”

Formed in 1943, Moy Park provides a range of locally farmed fresh chicken, ready to eat chicken and classic breaded chicken ranging from whole birds, fillets, chicken kievs and goujons – as well as a range of BBQ products ready to cook and enjoy.

The company sells a wide range of products in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Spar, Eurospar, Centra, Supervalu, Dunnes, The Co-op, Nisa and independent stores throughout Northern Ireland. All products are made using locally sourced chicken from farms in Northern Ireland.

Moy Park started on a family farm in Co Tyrone. Now its home spans 700 farms across Northern Ireland and Great Britain, it has 12 production sites and employs 10,000 people. Moy Park is passionate about raising the finest quality chicken, preserving local heritage, and striving to be better.

Michele continues: “Our focus is on helping smaller companies to access business here and increasingly in key markets such as Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. This year we will also feature a number of our successful distilleries and breweries for the first time ever at the show, Ireland’s biggest agri-food event.

“Enticing aromas of baked breads, including the traditional Irish potato cakes and soda farls, fried bacon grilling on hot plates, sizzling burgers and sausage on Big Green Eggs and freshly brewed coffee and tea will be wafting again from the vast

pavilion.

“There’ll be more exotic tastes too from local producers of authentic Asian, Italian and South African flavours, because our food is more cosmopolitan than ever before,” she adds.

The pavilion, Michele explains, “is all about the quality, innovation and outstanding flavours of food being produced by dedicated and talented artisans in virtually every part of Northern Ireland. Balmoral is easily the best place to see – and sample – the

outstanding tastes of Northern Ireland. It’s simply the only place to enjoy the food and drink and talk directly to the people making the products”.

Whiskey, gin and beer producers debuting at the show include: Copeland, Hinch, Basalt, Symphonia, Titanic, Wild Atlantic distilleries.

Contributing to the rich aromas will be many of our leading chefs from hotels and restaurants in the demonstration kitchens. They’ll be showing audiences every day how to conjure up sensational dishes at home with the best of local ingredients.

Some chefs to name include Noel McMeel of the new Ebrington Hotel and Spa in Londonderry, Paula McIntyre and Nigel Mannion Head chef at the Wolff.

The kitchens have long been among the most popular features of the pavilion. This year the kitchens will include enthusiastic support from ‘the professionals’ over the week. Artisan doing demos include: Mark Wright from Ballylisk of Armagh cheese;

Emily McCorkell from Lo and Slo BBQ Sauces in Derry; and Cathy Stevenson from The Daily Apron Bakery in Lisburn.