'Kosher' deal for Ballymoney Foods

A Northern Ireland firm have secured a contract which is set to net them annual profits of up to £100,000 per year thanks to New York's Jewish community.

Frozen chip processor, Ballymoney Foods is supplying its fry and oven chips together with its potato speciality range to Snowcrest Ltd - a London-based wholesaler and distributor of kosher foods.

The order is being exported to New York where it will be distributed to supermarkets and airline catering companies for use during the Passover celebration.

Not only is Ballymoney Foods the only producer of frozen chips in Ireland, it is one of the few processing plants which complies with the dietary requirements of the Jewish faith. As no animal fat is used in the manufacturing process, the products are classified as 'kosher' and can be eaten by the Jewish community.

Rabbi Scharf, who is the religious supervisor for Snowcrest, visited Ballymoney Foods in March to ensure their production procedures met with the company's strict standards.

Ballymoney Foods, which markets locally under the Goldcrisp and Fulcrisp brands, has developed its share of the kosher foods market over the last three years. The company also supplies frozen chips to Leeds-based food wholesaler, Rakusen's, which sells under the Mr Rak's brand.

Commenting on their long standing links with the Jewish community, Ballymoney Foods commercial manager, John Weatherup, said: "We have been successfully supplying our range to the UK's Jewish community for the last three years, and this is an important export development for Ballymoney Foods. It is also an endorsement of the quality of our product range and our strict health and safety procedures."

(MB)