NI's Food And Drink Industry Congratulated

Northern Ireland's food and drink industry has been celebrated at an event organised by Invest Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

The event celebrated the achievements of companies in the Great Taste Awards, the Irish National Food Awards and the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards.

Arlene Foster, Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister, spoke at the event and revealed that within the sector this year, investment projects were worth around £180m and promoted more than 800 new jobs.

Ms Foster said: "The investment projects announced by food and drink companies, together with the record haul of awards, demonstrate the vibrancy of the industry here and the commitment of those businesses to developing products which combine outstanding taste with innovation and quality.

"The performance of our companies in this year's awards has been outstanding. 101 Great Taste Award winners; eight local products featuring in the Top 50 UK Foods; 34 awards in the Irish National Food Awards (Blas na hEireann); and four category awards in Irish Quality Food Awards is surely a feat worth applauding.

"Many people know Northern Ireland for its soda farls, seafood, craft beers and cider. In many ways the event here showcases the cooperation between Invest Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the work being done to help accelerate the growth of this industry as a means to harness the potential of food as a tourism driver.

"Food and drink is now a major strand in our business and tourism growth strategies which focuses on strengthening our economy and helping to build Northern Ireland into a confident and successful private sector region.

"The role of the agri-food industry cannot be understated; it is currently contributing £4.5billion a year to the local economy and growing steadily."

(JP/CD)