2 March 2023 - Flipbook - Page 37
FARMWEEK
JANUARY 28 2021
BUSINESS
Interview: Alex creates unique single malt whiskey
that’s proving to be a winner in the US
P39
LOVE IS IN THE
AIR AT TYRONE
DISTILLERY
37
INDUSTRY INSIGHT: Sigh of relief
over Basic Payment Scheme P41
Innovative range of natural
foods launched by top chef
By SAM BUTLER
T
ABOVE: Fashion blogger Denise Curran
and her fiancé Michael Gallagher
receive their Symphonia Gin pack for
Symphonia Virtual Valentine’s Night.
I
T’S not quite the romantic occasion
we all might have been planning this
year, but one distillery has come up
with an innovative way to lift everyone’s
spirits this Valentine’s Day.
The Woodlab Distillery, based in Moy,
is inviting couples to join an online
virtual ‘tour and tasting’ event to
celebrate Valentine’s and to give couples
something to look forward to.
Maureen Dooher, events manager at the
Woodlab Distillery, home of Symphonia
spirits, says the team wanted to do
something unique and fun, giving
couples an opportunity to celebrate
Valentine’s from their home, so they
have created ‘Symphonia’s Virtual
Valentine’s Night’.
Maureen says: “Couples would normally
be looking forward to a romantic
meal and some drinks in a restaurant
maybe, but this year looks like it will
be different, so we have created a night
which can bring together lots of couples,
or groups of friends, for a virtual tasting
and tour event to mark the occasion.
“It’s a night when couples can get
dressed up if they wish to get into the
spirit and have a bit of light-hearted
fun sampling our gin range and paired
mixers followed by an entertaining quiz
to finish the evening. The distillery
opened for tours in October, however,
with ongoing restrictions, it has given us
the opportunity to explore virtual events
which we have went on to organise for
numerous private groups and corporate
companies in the run up to Christmas.
“Everyone loved learning about
Symphonia, tasting the gins, getting
together and having the craic as well
as enjoying a virtual tour hosted by our
creator, Dr Ulrich Dyer.
“So, on Saturday, February 13, we’re
inviting couples to join us online at 8pm
and have a great experience from the
comfort of their own homes.
“We’re asking couples to book and pay
online with us and we will send them
our special tasting box, which will
includes 200ml bottles of Symphonia
Dry Gin, Symphonia Apple Gin and our
Symphonia Fruit Cup along with fresh
garnishes and six Poachers Irish Mixers.
‘Symphonia’s Virtual Valentine’s Night’
costs £60 for a couple.
HREE novel natural food products
from sea vegetables and wild herbs
have been created by top chef Paul
Cunningham under Mourne Larder,
a new small enterprise he’s set up in
Northern Ireland.
Cunningham, chef and joint owner of
the award winning Brunel’s Restaurant
in Newcastle, County Down, has just
established the venture on the back of his
experience of foraging the local coastline
and the slopes of the Mourne Mountains for
natural ingredients for his meals over many
years. Brunel’s is a Taste of Ulster member.
The widely respected chef, owner of
Brunel’s for the past seven years, has won
acclaim for his creative dishes and has
featured on BBC’s Great British Menu series.
The rst natural products launched under
the new Mourne Larder brand are Dulse Salt;
Smoked Heather; and Sea Trufe Salt.
“The new products are designed to make
it easier for home cooks in particular to
incorporate into a wide range of meals,” he
says.
He’s already selling them to other chefs
and aiming to market them to delis and
specialist food stores around the country. In
the pipeline are infused vinegars, brines and
rubs for meats.
Cunningham harvests the natural products,
dries, processes and packages them by hand,
giving him complete control over the entire
process.
The talented chef has been using foraged
ingredients in his dishes from his earliest
days in the kitchen. He describes these as
“the backbone of his cooking” at the 70-seat
gourmet restaurant in the seaside town.
“Setting up my own small business with the
natural products I’ve used in my dishes for
years has been on my mind for quite a while,”
Paul explains.
“I am passionate about foraging for seaweed
and wild herbs,” he continues.
“I can usually be found exploring the
coastline and elds around Dundrum and
Newcastle for edible ingredients every
weekend to enable me to create different and
original avours.”
ABOVE: Paul Cunningham of Mourne Larder and Brunel’s Restaurant.
Seaweed, he says, offers health benets,
great taste and is abundant along the coast.
“Seaweed contains a wide range of vitamins
and minerals and is a versatile and nutritious
option,” he adds.
“I was reared to respect the land and
environment from my childhood days.”
He cherishes the memories, learning to
respect nature, where to look for seasonal
fruit and herbs and the best spots on
his doorstep for “wonderful shellsh, sea
vegetables and herbs”.
Cunningham describes his cooking style as
being “local ingredient-led with very strong
avours”.
“It’s all about avours with me; there’s no
point a dish looking great if it doesn’t taste
good. Taste is easily the most important
thing.
“This is one of the reasons why I opt for
food from the area. I know I can count on it
being both fresher, tastier and accessible.
“As a result, 80 per cent of the ingredients
in the vast majority of my dishes come from
within 30 miles of the restaurant.
“This approach also allows me to get to
know each producer and to work with them
on providing the ingredients I need in the
restaurant and whenever I require them,” he
explains.
Craft brewer Bullhouse expands production facilities
By SAM BUTLER
B
ABOVE: Willy Mayne, founder and owner
of Bullhouse Brewery, now based at a
new plant in Belfast.
ULLHOUSE Brewing has
developed a state-of-theart brewery in Belfast
that will enable it to triple
production of its unique range
of craft brews.
The brewery, founded by
Willy Mayne in March 2016,
has also installed a fully
automated canning line and
is aiming to set up a new craft
beer outlet in Belfast.
Another feature of the new
brewery is extensive space
for a taproom for marketing
its brews through using
occasional licenses.
The brewery used a
crowdfunding campaign for
the important development
for the small business.
Invest Northern Ireland has
also offered the company
£36,500 of support for the
development of the brewery
and creation of seven new
jobs.
Willy explains: “The new
brewery will include another
four brewing tanks from
China which will allow us to
treble our annual capacity
(to a maximum of 1,500
hectolitres or about 265,000
pints).
“We’ve needed this expansion
for many months because of
the growth in demand for our
beers in Northern Ireland and
in Great Britain.
“In addition, we will open a
craft beer bar in Belfast with
12 or more draught lines
serving a wide range of our
brews and other local beers,
as well as natural wine and
some local spirits.
“The plan will involve local
community development
groups as much as possible,”
he adds.
Welcoming the expansion,
John Hood, Invest NI’s
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