Royal nod for deli’s backing for local food and drink producers
Hundreds of artisan food and drink producers across Ireland are benefiting from the enthusiastic support and expert advice from Jonny McDowell, founder of a successful deli business with shops in Belfast and Comber.
A qualified accountant, Jonny who runs Indie Fude with business partner Laura Bradley, gained an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours, in recognition of his outstanding commitment to artisan food and drink.
There was a similar honour too for entrepreneurial chef Niall McKenna of James Street South, Hadkis and Waterman House restaurants.
Many artisans here owe their first retail business to Jonny’s willingness to stock products from local suppliers.
Success with Indie Fude has given very many a springboard to major supermarkets here, in Britain, the Irish Republic and even further afield.
Jonny, who has a passion for Irish handcrafted cheese in particular, was previously recognised for his support for Irish products by the influential Blas na hEireann Irish National Food Awards in Co Kerry.
“Gaining an MBE is a tremendous honour for everyone at Indie Fude. We’ve great teams in both Belfast and Comber supporting me enthusiastically in promoting and selling the best of local produce.
"We enjoy working with artisan and smaller producers who supply genuinely world class food and drink,” Jonny says. We’ve been successful selling small batch produce from the beautiful and bountiful island of Ireland. There are so many wonderful products here that we’ve helped to promote,” he adds.
The quirky Indie Fude identity was chosen by Jonny to stress the independent and specialist nature of the business.
Jonny’s love of great cheese is reflected in both Belfast and Comber stores. The Belfast shop, which is located on Ormeau Road, features a special cheese room and extensive air conditioning for maturing hundreds of handcrafted products from across Ireland and from further afield. He’s also a regular choice as a judge by the prestigious Guild of Fine Food for the annual World Cheese Awards.