23 February 2023 - Flipbook - Page 54
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BUSINESS
FARMWEEK
FEBRUARY 07 2019
SERC calls for applicants for Innovation Voucher worth £5k
S
OUTH Eastern Regional College (SERC) is encouraging
small and medium sized businesses to apply for an Invest NI
Innovation Voucher to secure up
to £5k worth of support to help
their business innovate, develop
and grow.
The closing date for applicants is
3pm, Friday, February 8.
Karen McClure, SERC’s Business
Development
Manager,
said:
“Applying for an Innovation Voucher
is a simple online process and our
team at SERC can help the person or
organisation make the application.
“The Innovation Voucher allows
for innovation support up to £5,000
which is ideal for an organisation
who needs some assistance for an
issue they cannot solve without
help from a knowledge provider
such as SERC.
“This could be for scaling up,
reverse
engineering,
product
development or making a prototype.
“This allows the business to test
the market or engage in a new,
enhanced or more complex work.”
She added: “Anyone who is
interested should contact myself
at SERC on 028 9262 6789 or email
kmcclure@serc.ac.uk
n For further information visit
www.investni.com/innovation
BELOW: Paul
Getty, of the
Heatherlea
Bakery in Bangor,
showed a range
of homemade
products at
Glasgow.
ABOVE: Noel Allen of Noisy Nuts
of Ballygowan found considerable
interest in his unique nuts.
ABOVE: Christine Cousins of Food NI with
an authentic Italian sauce developed by
Peppup in Portaferry at Scotland Speciality
Show in Glasgow.
RIGHT: Alastair Bell of Portrush’s
Irish Black Butter is following a host
of business leads from the show.
Speciality show leads to new
opportunities for local firms
L
OCAL companies found participation
at the recent Scotland Speciality Food
in Glasgow a worthwhile exercise,
especially in terms of useful contacts
made and business leads generated.
The companies took part on a stand
organised by Food NI in association with
Invest Northern Ireland at the event,
Scotland’s biggest show for food and drink
buyers.
Taking part on the Food NI/Invest NI stand
were: Heatherlea Bakery, Bangor – breads,
biscuits and cakes; Irish Black Butter,
Portrush – savoury spread; Noisy Nuts,
Ballygowan – flavoured nuts to accompany
craft beers; and Peppup Sauces, Portaferry –
authentic Italian ketchup and pasta sauces
A Food NI section included a wide range of
foods from other local producers.
Noel Allen, founder/managing director of
Ballygowan–based Noisy Nuts, a producer of
flavoured peanuts to accompany craft beers,
says the show was “very successful”.
“I had undertaken a lot of marketing in
advance and this led to a number of potential
customers coming specifically to talk to us,”
he says.
“We sampled a lot of produce and talked to
a great many visitors who were interested in
our unique nuts.
“As a result of this we’ve made a lot of good
business contacts which we are currently
following up. I’d expect to be supplying
customers in Scotland soon,” he adds.
Alastair Bell, chief executive of Irish
Black Butter, a unique Bramley apple-based
savoury spread for a range of uses, says: “It
was my first time there and it was a bit of a
learning experience. I found considerable
interest in my product and many visitors
were keen for me to contact them after the
show. I am now following up leads from
distributors, independent retailers and delis
from all over Scotland. It will take a bit of
time to convert the leads into solid business,”
he adds.
The Northern Ireland presentation at the
show in Glasgow was the first in a series of
events being organised by Food NI in Britain
in association with Invest NI during 2019.
The Northern Ireland companies, most
launched in Scotland for the first time, were
among 150 exhibitors from many parts of the
UK.
The popular show gave trade buyers an
impressive choice of good quality products,
great networking opportunities and the
chance to expand their business skills.
The show, in its 11th year, was held at
Glasgow’s exhibition centre. Companies
exhibited all types of speciality
food including gift food, bakery, cheese,
cooked and cured meats, chutneys,
preserves, oil and vinegars, herbs and
spices, confectionery, tea and coffee, beers,
spirits and cordials.
More than 1,000 trade buyers from
department stores, farm shops, delis,
food halls, restaurants and hotels visited
the show, which also featured a seminar
programme and awards for the best
products.
Dale Farm to bring Wheyhey products across Ireland
D
AIRY cooperative Dale Farm
has partnered with Wheyhey,
creators of naturally sugar
free, high protein ice cream, as well
as other treats, to act as its exclusive
ice cream distributor in Ireland.
Dale Farm will use its extensive ice
cream distribution network across
convenience and supermarket stores
in Northern Ireland and the Republic
of Ireland, to bring Wheyhey to more
consumers in the marketplace.
Wheyhey was born in 2013 with the
vision to combine great taste with
real health benefits and now creates
a range of naturally sugar-free, high
in protein treats.
Its forward-thinking approach has
helped secure significant product
listings for Wheyhey within leading
UK and European grocers.
The company rapidly gained
several
prestigious
industry
accolades including Start-Up of the
Year at the High Potential Business
Awards 2016, being named a
‘Trailblazer brand’ by Food Vision
& Unilever Foundry and securing a
place on Silicon Valley-based Thrive
accelerator programme for emerging
food tech businesses. This strategic
partnership with Dale Farm will help
the company gain further market
share in Ireland.
Speaking about the partnership,
Nigel Cairns, Dale Farm Ice Cream
Commercial Director, said: “We’re
delighted to help bring Wheyhey
products to more consumers across
Ireland.
“Not only are Wheyhey ice creams
excellent quality and extremely
innovative, they answer a very real
need for consumers seeking low
sugar, high protein snack choices – a
trend that continues to grow year-
on-year.”
Damien
Kennedy,
co-founder
of Wheyhey, added: “Having a
distribution partner in Ireland with
an established retail network such
as Dale Farm will help bring our
products into more consumers’
hands and, we believe, will help
deliver valuable growth in the Irish
market.”
Wheyhey has attracted attention
from the likes of international
supermodel David Gandy, who
quickly came on board as an investor
and entrepreneur Richard Branson
who, in recognition of the brand’s
potential, invited the company to
become Virgin Media Pioneers.
RIGHT: Damien Kennedy, Wheyhey,
with Nigel Cairns, Dale Farm