Accolade for Alastair from luxury magazine

Alastair, the founder and managing director of Irish Black Butter, started last year with strong sales of the novel product, a unique sweet/savoury spread made from Armagh Bramley apples, treacle, spices and other ingredients, in the UK and Ireland. First orders had also been landed from specialist food suppliers in the US.

“Everything was going extremely well in the first quarter of last year,” he says. “The pandemic, however, led to the closure of many specialist food shops for a period and slowed progress in sales. This uncertainty meant many of the smaller stores either reduced orders or held back for a number of months. Others were reluctant to take on new products.”

The coronavirus crisis also meant that marketing the products outside Northern Ireland became virtually impossible due to restrictions on all but essential travel.

Alastair was forced virtually to depend on contact by phone or email with existing and potential clients. “The crisis, furthermore, led to trade shows in Britain and the Republic of Ireland being cancelled or turned into difficult virtual events,” he continues. “Invest Northern Ireland and Food NI had organised Northern Ireland participation at shows in Britain and the Republic very professionally over a number of years. These had enabled me to sell my products, which also include a luxury peanut butter, to retailers and shoppers, especially in Britain in 2018/19. Business was developing steadily from delis and other specialist food stores there and in the Republic. Last year, however, proved to be a real slog and very disheartening after such an encouraging 2019.”

Alastair had also lined up US deals for the spread with a specialist food group, Milk Street, in Boston, a leading hamper business in New York and a hospitality operation in Boulder, Colorado.

“The restriction on travel made it impossible to line up trips to follow up the new business,” he adds.

He’s continued to drive sales of the two butters from his base in Portrush. The Black Butter in particular is sold in dozens of delis, smaller grocery stores and family butchers in Northern Ireland and the Republic. In addition, the product has been selling well in Britain from its listing by the Artisan Food Club, one of the biggest online shops there for artisan foods, as well as from Alastair’s own energetic ‘cold selling’.

The Christmas boost came in the shape of a listing by LUXLife, a luxury magazine aimed at global markets, as the Artisan Food Product in Northern Ireland

The recognition, Alastair says, came as “a complete but very pleasant surprise”. “it’s a marvellous accolade and a great profile for Irish Black Butter from such an influential publication at a most challenging time for all smaller food producers.

“LUXLife is a very interesting and quality conscious magazine that’s aimed at people who enjoy the finer things of life and especially ‘the best food products available’. It’s tremendously encouraging to be included within such a sharp focus and by a panel of expert judges in what was an exacting process,” he adds.

The competition was launched by the magazine to “commend those who go above and beyond for their customers and/or consumers to ensure that their appetites are catered for, especially in light of the recent Covid-19 outbreak which has seen many businesses in the food and drink industry face unprecedented challenges over the past few months”.

Awards are given “to commend businesses which prove themselves to be innovators in one of the world’s most competitive industries by bringing fresh, exciting ideas forward, and celebrate the outstanding achievements made by those looking to solidify their reputation as industry leaders”.

Judges were influenced by criteria such as: business performance, longevity, business growth (either sustained or rapid) and any significant innovations or feedback. The magazine spans “the highest net worth individuals from around the world” and major brands.

Alastair set up Irish Black Butter in 2017 to create a distinctive Northern Ireland savoury spread from the iconic Armagh Bramley apples with EU protected status and other carefully chosen ingredients. The spread, which Alastair describes as a “New Taste of Ireland” was a three-star Great Taste Award winner in 2019 and won the Chefs’ Larder category in the Blas na hEireann Irish National Food awards the year before. It featured in BBC2’s Dragons’ Den show in 2018.

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