16 February 2023 - Flipbook - Page 48
48
BUSINESS
FARMWEEK
OCTOBER 28 2021
More flexibility needed to help small
food firms scale up for fast growth
M
ERVYN Kennedy, the
managing director of
Kennedy Bacon in Omagh,
an award-winning producer
of dry-cured bacon and
ham, is one of our most skilled
and hardest working artisans.
He’s among the most popular and
successful traders at food markets
throughout Northern Ireland and
especially those at Coleraine,
Dungannon, Omagh and Comber.
A successful pig farmer, Mervyn
has largely used his own funds to
drive the small business, investing
substantially in his processing
operations on the family farm near
Omagh.
He’s also succeeded in developing
significant retail business with
Henderson Group’s many Eurospar
supermarkets as well as delis and
smaller groceries. Henderson also
Food for
thought
Michele Shirlow
Chief Executive of
Food NI
introduced his delicious bacon to
Sainsbury’s here.
Influenced by his professionalism
and gritty determination to ensure
success, I’ve tremendous admiration
and respect for Mervyn as a person
and for his outstanding business
achievements. I value his support
for all that we are attempting to
achieve for the food industry here. I
know too that a great many artisan
producers respect Mervyn and
His small artisan company was facing
price hikes “in every conceivable area of
our operations ranging from 30 per cent
through to 200 per cent in some cases”.
are grateful for his experience and
advice.
I was deeply concerned, therefore,
to read an impassioned email sent
by Mervyn to government and his
local council last week, because it
adds weight to the points I’ve been
making in this column over recent
months and which have influenced
our endeavours to support artisan
food and drink producers here
through our recently launched
‘Power of Good’ initiative. This aims
to support smaller processors
by increasing awareness among
local people about the variety,
outstanding tastes and premium
quality of our food and drink.
We are dedicated to supporting
the growth of this hugely important
industry … within our highly limited
resources. We’d wish to be able to
do more for artisans and smaller
firms which make such a significant
contribution to rural communities,
many of which depend on food and
drink processing for their wellbeing.
Mervyn’s email is a virtual ‘cry
from the heart’ that every artisan
producer here will appreciate. In
his plea, Mervyn says that financial
support for small food and drinks
producers has been “almost nonexistent”.
He continues that his initiatives to
continue to scale up the business
for faster growth had “suffered
many disappointments over the past
years and have been turned down
time and again for grants including
those towards machinery”. His small
artisan company was facing price
hikes “in every conceivable area of
our operations ranging from 30 per
cent through to 200 percent in some
cases”.
It was maintaining employment
and endeavouring not to add to
its retail prices for customers. “We
worked tirelessly throughout the
pandemic to ensure delivery to
shops and customers.
“Transport costs soared but we
had no choice but to keep our
service running,” he adds.
He is justified in writing that “small
companies like ourselves are keeping
the shelves filled with local premium
quality products at affordable prices in
full supply for consumers”.
Yet he had failed to attract
assistance from public bodies to
grow the business.
Food NI believes that there really
is a strong case for a much sharper
focus on assisting smaller companies
to enhance their capability and
overall competitiveness in today’s
intensely competitive markets …
and as soon as practicable. We need
to see an approach shaped to their
needs, because these companies are
vital to our economic development.
And many of these businesses have
won and continue to win acclaim
especially in Britain. Last week, for
instance, Morelli’s Ice Cream from
Coleraine was recognised in the
prestigious UK Great Taste Awards
with a Regional Fork for an original
product.
Dromore’s Krazi Baker Mark
Douglas, a colourful personality and
skilled artisan baker of traditional
Northern Irish breads such as
potato cakes and soda farls also won
recognition as Northern Ireland’s
Bread Hero in the highly influential
World Bread Awards in London,
one of the most important events in
bakery.
Our industry needs the
commitment, colour and creativity
of these companies. Every effort
should be made to ensure their
survival and growth.
Celebrity chef Suzie Lee cooks
signature dishes for SuperValu
N
ORTHERN Ireland celebrity chef
Suzie Lee has teamed up with a local
food producer to craft two signature
convenience dishes as part of an
ongoing brand partnership with leading
retailer SuperValu.
The new dishes - Sesame Soy Pulled Chicken
and Family Favourite Mac & Cheese, are the
latest addition to SuperValu’s SimpliDish fussfree dinner range, exclusively prepared by
family-run business, McAtamney’s of Antrim.
Complementing the existing portfolio of
over 50 quick and convenient main and side
options, Suzie’s dishes have been developed
using the freshest of local ingredients and offer
a simple dinner solution for families without
compromising on quality or taste.
The Lisburn chef, who became a TV sensation
when she was crowned the winner of BBC
cooking show, ‘Best Home Cook’ in 2020, is best
known for her feel-good, crowd-pleasing family
meals. In 2020, Suzie partnered with SuperValu
and shared several easy-to-follow food recipes
with the brand’s customers through its seasonal
retail magazine.
Commenting on the launch of her new
SimpliDish convenience meals, Suzie Lee said:
“I’m passionate about creating delicious, fussfree food for my family – but as a busy working
mum, I also know how challenging it can
sometimes be to cook from scratch after a long
day.
“Sharing a meal together is a chance for
everyone to stop and appreciate family time,
which is why I have loved working with the team
Top rural
business award
for Mash Direct
LEFT: Patricia McIlroy,
SuperValu Brand Manager,
Declan McAtamney, coowner of McAtamney’s and
Suzie Lee.
DROMORE’S
KRAZI BAKER
CROWNED
BREAD HERO
FROM PAGE 47
at SuperValu and McAtamney’s to create my
Sesame Soy Pulled Chicken and family favourite
Mac and Cheese. Both dishes are ready in
minutes, but are bursting with local ingredients
and flavour, so families know they can still enjoy
a tasty and nutritious meal, in a fraction of the
preparation time.”
SuperValu is part of the Musgrave retail and
wholesale group, which celebrated 25 years in
Northern Ireland this year.
Julie Cherry, trading director, Musgrave NI,
added: “Suzie Lee celebrates everything that
FROM PAGE 47
other organisations to lend
their support to the RBAs have
been Openreach, Prysm Group
via Farm Business Innovation,
HSBC, DEFRA, the CLA, Fisher
German, Avantigas, the FSB,
and the IFB as well as many
SuperValu champions – local people and food,
promoting a healthier lifestyle and encouraging
family time. Her enthusiasm for all of the above,
combined with the expertise of local producer
McAtamney’s, has helped us to collectively
create two delicious new meal solutions for the
SimpliDish range.”
The SimpliDish collection can be purchased in
select SuperValu stores located across Northern
Ireland.
n For more information, please visit: www.
supervalu.co.uk.
niche rural organisations and
charities.
The aim of the awards is to
celebrate the achievements
of rural businesses, from
engineering through to artisan
food producers and professional
services organisations.
The awards are decided by an
independent panel of judges
drawn from the rural business
sector, official agencies and
rural charitable organisations.
The aim is to grow RBA
to become the UK’s most
prestigious and respected
awards for rural businesses and
to develop a strong network and
community of rural business
owners.
which also includes teaching
at his ‘Krazi Soda School’, was
hit hard when the restrictions
of Covid halted markets, shows
and baking classes. Not to be
defeated, Mark established a
home delivery service, with
deliveries being made across
Down in a pink Fiat 500.
In normal times, the Tiptree
World Bread Awards celebrate
the bread; loaves from around
the country would be delivered
for assessment by a panel of
esteemed judges. Building on
the great success of last year, the
Awards once again celebrated
the UK’s Bread Heroes - the
people behind the loaves: from
farmers and millers, to bakers
and educators.
Hundreds of nominations were
sent in from across the UK.
“All the nominees in this
year’s Awards truly deserve
recognition for their generous,
considerate and often altruistic
initiatives to help others,” said
Stephen Hallam, Chairman of
the Judges.