​​‘Innovation galore’ as Northern Ireland foods hit the target with free-from allergens and gluten products

Smaller food manufacturers here are adapting increasingly and successfully to the developing international market demand for foods that are free-from allergens and gluten.

As a result, our companies are winning recognition in major competitions for such innovative foods.

Eight foods from five local companies, for instance, were successful in a major UK competition recently for such free-from products. It was the biggest number of local foods to feature in the influential Free from Awards (FFFA) to date.

The products range from apple cider vinegar and high protein granola to meat-free sausages, seed based snacks and gluten-free cookies. They are a further demonstration of the successful innovation now driving smaller food producers here in particular.

Food manufacturers and retailers, both large and small, are becoming increasingly conscious of dietary concerns and requirements especially over potentially harmful allergens. Pressure is on, for instance to reduce salt and sugar.

Local manufacturers Beam from Omagh in Co Tyrone; Finnebrogue Artisan of Downpatrick, Co Down; Kestrel Foods, Craigavon; Co Armagh; and Natural Umber Cider Vinegar from Dungannon in Co Tyrone; Causeway Cookie Company in Portrush, Co Antrim were successful in being shortlisted and subsequently winning coveted awards for market-led innovation. Causeway specialises in delicious cookies that are free from wheat, gluten and preservatives.

Finnebrogue, a world leader in plant-based foods, was also listed recently in the prestigious Grocer Gold Awards for its waste elimination programmes.

Kestrel, furthermore, has been successful in Britain in the shape of a listing of its healthy snacks by the WH Smith organisation. Kestrel is a family business famed for its portfolio of snacks from dried fruits and nuts.

Beam, the most recently established company and the producer of crispy seed-based flavoured snack bars which are free from 14 main allergens, gained two silvers in the UK awards which attracted almost 60 entries from across the country.

And there were silvers too for Kestrel’s ActiSnack and Forest Feast products including the recently launched Nutmilk Chococorn original snacks featuring non-dairy chocolate.

Beam and Kestrel each had three products listed in separate categories, quite an achievement for both companies. Beam was only established in 2022 by successful entrepreneur Shauna Blair, the founder of the pioneering Heavenly Tasty Organics,

once a leader in healthy foods for babies and toddlers.

Beam had three snack bars that are free from the 14 leading allergens listed in separate categories. The unique bars are also gluten-free, high in fibre and compliant with the latest rules on saturated fat, salt and sugar. The bars are now on sale in Great Britain and in a network of stores run by top retailers Spinneys,

Grandiose Stores and Waitrose and Partners in the affluent United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Shauna says: “We are absolutely delighted to have won such national recognition so early in our business journey. The awards and overall shortlisting will be enormously beneficial as we seek to build sales here and further afield. The endorsement is

important for a small company like Beam which doesn’t have a significant marketing budget.”

There were bronze awards for Finnebrogue, Kestrel and for Natural Umber’s apple cider vinegar from the expert judging panels.

Cressida Langlands, chief executive of the awards, adds: “We were thrilled this year, not only to receive a record number of entries, but also to see innovation galore.”

Free-from foods are made without specific ingredients like gluten, dairy, or nuts. This then makes the product suitable for those who suffer allergies, intolerances, or other health requirements that require them to avoid certain food components such as gluten, shellfish, eggs, lupin, milk, peanuts, soybeans and mustard. The approach also covers sugar and salt.

First launched in 2008, the Free from Award awards are now highly anticipated in the free-from calendar, celebrating the very best in free-from food and drink. And whilst every company loves a medal, the FFFAs are so much more than this. They are recognised for supporting, promoting and actively encouraging both existing and new product development.

The awards celebrate the very best in free-from and the eye-catching yellow logo assures that a product has been rigorously taste tested and has clear, compliant labelling. Food and drinks that win the awards are benchmarks in the category, and small producers and supermarkets compete on a level playing field for one of the coveted awards.

Images

Beam: Shauna Blair, who founded Beam Snacks in Omagh last year to

produce snack bars free from 14 of the leading allergens, gained two awards in

Free-from Food Awards

Sam: Sam Swart of Causeway Cookie Company in Portrush – success with

cookies that are free from gluten, egg, dairy and preservatives