Benoit brings original and tasty flavours from Brittany to Newcastle

Newcastle-based chef Benoit le Houerou took his initial range of handcrafted chutneys to his home in Brittany and found family and friends loved the deliciously different flavours of the products not readily available in this picturesque and rugged region of France.

The reactions there mirrored those he’s currently receiving in many parts of Northern Ireland for the handmade products he’s busy selling to smaller retailers, delis and farm shops.

“Chutneys aren’t produced in Brittany, which has a very strong food heritage, and so my family and friends found my savoury products quite different and very tasty,” explains Benoit. “It was great to get such positive feedback about the new chutneys in this foodie part of France. Maybe there’ll be export business in the not too distant future.”

Brittany is best known for its sweet and savoury crepes and its sparkling cider, sharing the latter with Northern Ireland.

“In addition, Brittany is famed for its seafood especially mussels and oysters which it also shares with this part of the world,” he says.

A trained chef, Benoit worked in hospitality in Jersey for seven years, becoming assistant manager of the prestigious Palm D’Or Hotel in the town, an establishment which has won acclaim for its food and service. It was there he met Marie Claire, his future wife and a native of Newcastle. They subsequently moved to the Co Down seaside town to set up home and raise their daughter.

“I had gone to Jersey to pursue a career in the hospitality sector. It’s a major tourism area relatively close to the small village in Brittany where I grew up. St Helier was a great place to gain experience in hospitality, and I certainly enjoyed my time there and learned a lot about the industry,” he adds.

They moved to south Down with daughter Saoirse, now aged seven, in 2016. The switch gave Benoit the opportunity to explore new career directions including a small

start-up in food production.

“I’ve always loved experimenting with different flavour blends from my training as a chef in Brittany and on Jersey,” he continues.

Benoit is passionate about deliciously flavoured food and enjoys cooking. He saw a business opportunity here from the growth in handmade meal accompaniments especially relishes and chutneys which are extremely popular.

“What I set out to do was to create chutneys with different and tasty flavour blends,” he explains. “I created several samples to taste on friends and they were very supportive. Several suggested I should start making them commercially. And so this is what I decided to do,” he adds. His ‘day job’ is at the luxurious Montalto Estate, near Ballynahinch.

He heard about Invest NI’s Innovation Voucher scheme which helps start-ups and smaller companies link up with a college and university in developing a new product or process.

He tabled his plan to create novel chutneys to Invest NI and gained support in the shape of a £5,000 grant to seek advice and practical support from the expert staff at the Food Innovation Centre on the Loughry Campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise at Cookstown, Co Tyrone. He’s also joined Food NI. the successful local food and drink promotion body.

Grá Bia, the branding Benoit chose for the small business earlier in the year, reflects his passion for great food and cooking with a ‘Celtic’ twist. “‘Grá means ‘love’, ‘Bia’ means ‘food’. Producing delicious chutneys is all about sharing love and passion for fine foods!

“I love making chutneys, combining fresh fruits, vegetables and a blend of spices to create wonderful flavours. Chutneys are so versatile and can be served with just about anything, from curries, charcuterie and cheese boards to BBQs,” he adds.

Benoit’s chutneys come in five different flavours to enjoy: Beetroot and Mint; Mango and Green Chilli; Pineapple, Cranberry and Black Pepper; Rhubarb, Date and Ginger; and Tomato and Black Onion Seed.

He’s very keen “to work closely with local businesses and suppliers from Northern Ireland”. He continues: “Most of the fruits and vegetables come from our local shop, Hales Fruit Sales in Newcastle, while the Apple Cider Vinegar, used in all our recipes, comes direct from Long Meadow Farm in County Armagh.” The logo and

branding have been created by Vizz Creative, also in Newcastle.

The chutneys are already on sale at a number of outlets across Northern Ireland and from the small company’s recently launched website. He handcrafts them at his home kitchen in the picturesque village of Bryansford, which has achieved full accreditation for food preparation.

Benoit’s medium-term ambition is to export his chutneys to other European markets such as the Republic of Ireland where he hopes the distinctive branding will help him to succeed there. “It’s also a dream of mine to sell the chutneys in my homeland of Brittany and other parts of France where’s there’s a passion for delicious and novel food,” he adds.

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