The Kitchen, enjoy local and The CHEF ranges have seen five of their products awarded stars this year, which brings the total up to 24 in the past seven years for the Group.

Amongst the one-star winners this year is The CHEF’s Chicken and Ham Bake which was created in collaboration with local delicacy, Irish Black Butter, launched just a few months ago. Judges said the bake was a “lovely combination of quality ingredients” and “a satisfying supper without the effort of making it yourself.”

Carl Johannesson, the chef behind The CHEF said, “We want shoppers to pick up a The CHEF meal, that they know without thinking will be full of flavour and pack a punch – this accolade shows we’ve nailed it.”

The Kitchen, made up of local products from suppliers such as DailyBake, Big Pot and Davison Puds, picked up the most stars, with winning dishes such as Bread and Butter Pudding, which received 2 stars.

The judges said: “The taste is simply divine with raisin flavour bombs in a sea of flavoursome buttery sensations. Indulgent, honest and truly delicious.”

Judges also awarded the Salted Apple Caramel Pudding with a 1 star accolade, adding: “Delivers full flavour with good balance… the taste is just right… and it is delicious”.

Of the Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup, which was also awarded 1 star, they said: “This golden soup has sweet aromas from the squash and sweet potato. It tastes fresh and has a lovely warming peppery finish.”

SPAR’s enjoy local range is made up of over 100 products, locally sourced from Coleraine to Lisnaskea.

These local suppliers have helped SPAR NI create an award-winning range and judges were impressed with the Peppered Rump Steaks, sourced from local farms by K&G McAtamney, which were awarded with 1 star, describing them as “lean, mouth-watering steaks.”

Neal Kelly, Fresh Foods Director at Henderson Group, commented: “It has never been more important to champion and partner with our local food suppliers and farmers, keeping food miles low and providing great value, quality products for our shoppers.

“The Great Taste Awards are a great recognition for Henderson Group, our chefs, the suppliers, our tasters and the hard work of everyone involved in bringing these ranges together from start to finish.”

Picture caption: The Kitchen, enjoy local and The CHEF ranges have seen five of their products awarded stars this year.

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The supermarket has been extended by over 40%, undergone substantial renovations and now stands at over 7,000 sq. ft., resulting in one of the biggest EUROSPAR supermarkets in Northern Ireland, packed with fresh, local products, exciting food-to-go offers and a wide range of services for visitors and locals.

Store Manager, Richard Parker, who has been with Henderson Retail for 16 years, explains that the supermarket was designed with the local shopper in mind, meaning it provides even more value for money and a huge range of fresh and local food and services on shoppers’ doorsteps.

“We are bringing a full supermarket experience into the heart of the town, which means a huge amount of value driving initiatives, including Tesco Price Match on over 1,000 lines. Plus, we have local services such as the Post Office and our in-store award-winning local butcher, Etherson’s and Barista Bar coffee and treats, all under one roof,” he said.

Shoppers will also be impressed with the huge range of pre-made and made to order hot meals and tasty snacks at the new Delish deli, meeting local demand and serving the large day-visit trade into the area, and those passing through.

The Delish Hot Bar offers traditional breakfast and lunch items such as a breakfast fry, tasty snacks and pastries, chicken curry and lasagne, alongside the Delish Fresh Bar, where shoppers can build their own sandwiches and salads or choose from the pick and mix Chicken Bar.  

Richard said: “Our value extends into our food-to-go offering, and as a store with a footfall that extends to passing trade as well as regular local shoppers, it is important we offer a range of Delish Value Deals that are also big on taste.”

This store is also expected to be popular with the thousands of visitors who are welcomed to Portrush through the warmer seasons, offering award-winning Italian frozen yogurt, sorbet and gelato, from ‘fwip’. The innovative self-serve ice cream station is big on flavour, served in under 10 seconds and is sure to be a hit with locals and holidaymakers alike.  
 
EUROSPAR Hillcrest is in the heart of Portrush’s surrounding neighbourhood and has already made a positive impact, creating at least 10 new job opportunities, raising over £200 for Benvardin Dogs Home, sponsoring Portrush Football Club and showing ongoing support to the RNLI. The store also has a defibrillator installed outside the store, one of 26 devices at SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO branded stores across the Causeway Coast and Glens area. 
 
EUROSPAR Hillcrest is open 6am – 12am, 7 days a week with a hugely improved shopping experience, including extra-wide aisles, designed with the consumer’s convenience in mind, which includes a free ATM, 6-pump filling station, significantly enhanced grocery and fresh food ranges, and a new 83-space car park.  

Mark McCammond, Retail Director at Henderson Group said: “Our stores across Portrush, Coleraine and Ballycastle have experienced significant upgrades to provide local shoppers with even more convenience, choice and value and to provide unique services and experiences to those who are visiting the area for something new. 

“EUROSPAR Hillcrest is a local supermarket in a close-knit neighbourhood, ensuring everyday essentials and a wide range of fresh foods and groceries are on shoppers’ doorsteps at value prices. With over 75% of our fresh foods sourced from our roster of local suppliers and producers, including our own brand SPAR Enjoy Local, The Greengrocer’s, The CHEF and The Kitchen ranges. It’s fantastic to see this store officially reopen for our neighbours and holidaymakers to experience.” 

Picture Caption: (L to R) Richard Parker Store Manager, Hazel Lyons Post Office Manager, Alister Mcelhinney Team Leader and Ricky McDonnell Assistant Store Manager, opening the new Portrush store.

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The Big Red Stetsons from SPAR were handed out in exchange for a donation towards both Marie Curie and Cancer Fund for Children, which resulted in an incredible £18,000 raised over the four days, to be shared between the organisations.

Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director at Henderson Group commented; “SPAR’s Big Red Stetsons have become iconic at Balmoral Park, and we’re delighted because it means all those generous visitors have helped us raise some amazing funds for our very deserving charity partners.

“Balmoral Show was a huge success for SPAR this year. We welcomed thousands of visitors to the SPAR Marquee to sample some delicious Enjoy Local and The CHEF products, all made in collaboration with local food suppliers and farmers in Northern Ireland.

“We explored the science behind food tasting with W5 with experiments and quizzes for all the family and also sponsored the Children’s Farm and Healthy Horticultural Village, giving visitors a real hands-on experience with farm animals and a chance to learn more about their role in sustaining fields and farms where our favourite local produce is grown.

“We loved being back at Balmoral Show at full throttle this year and look forward to doing it all again next year!”

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The Roast Chicken and Ham Bake goes on sale in SPAR and EUROSPAR stores across Northern Ireland this week, and has been carefully constructed by Henderson Kitchen’s head chef, Carl Johannesson and Alastair Bell who launched his unique product in 2017.

Carl says of the dish “I first tasted Irish Black Butter in 2017 and fell in love with its bold, sweet and rich flavour.

“There are two perfect ways to enjoy Irish Black Butter, in my opinion. Firstly, with a creamy Irish brie on a digestive biscuit and secondly, as a finishing glaze on a roast gammon. So with its ability to cut through and complement creamy goods, while also enriching the flavour of roast gammon, we have combined these elements in The CHEF’s Roast Chicken and Ham Bake, with a creamy white sauce.”

The collaboration marks Henderson’s continued passion for local ingredients, working with suppliers from across the island of Ireland to provide top quality products at value prices for their local shoppers.

To date, more than 70 recipes for The CHEF range have been developed and launched from the Henderson Kitchen bespoke built facilities in County Antrim.

Jonny Agnew, General Manager at Henderson Kitchen added; “Irish Black Butter’s rounded, savoury yet sweet profile lends itself to so many uses in the kitchen and I’m really excited by what our chefs have created for the range.

“Chef Carl’s use of it in our Roast Chicken and Ham Bake adds a warming sweet note that cuts through the indulgent white sauce. This dish is a perfect example of how we are innovating alongside our incredible local suppliers to include a diverse array of ingredients to make a truly unique range for our shoppers.”

Carl continued; “The results of this dish are, in my opinion, fantastic. As the rest of our team tasted it, it became clear it was a firm favourite which we’re delighted to have put into production.”

Irish Black Butter is a Great Taste Award winning preserve and conserve made with Armagh Bramley Apples, Armagh Cider and spices combined with a smooth black butter preserve, produced in Portrush.

Alastair Bell who created the product, recently joined the SPAR team at Balmoral Show where visitors were lucky to get a first taste of the new dish.

Alastair commented; “The feedback we received from those who visited our stand on the day was phenomenal. Local shoppers have a big appetite for something different, and when two local companies can collaborate and produce those products, something special always happens.

“Working with Henderson Group gives our product such a great presence on the shelves of SPAR and EUROSPAR stores across NI, and now they can taste how it can be incorporated into different meals, complementing those flavours thanks to this new The CHEF dish.

“I may be biased but of course Northern Ireland has some of the most innovative, creative and unique food producers in the world, and for a wholesaler like Hendersons to engage with us and not only give us a platform to showcase our goods, but to truly collaborate and champion us, is so important for the wider agri-food industry as a whole.”

Picture Caption: Alastair Bell from Irish Black Butter is pictured with Bronagh Henderson, Chef Carl Johannesson and Jonny Agnew from Henderson Kitchen to launch the new The CHEF Roast Chicken and Ham Bake with Irish Black Butter, which goes on sale at SPAR and EUROSPAR stores in NI this week.

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Trading as CostCutter until September 2021, the owners made the decision to develop their business with the Henderson Group and the SPAR NI brand, to bring an upgraded level of convenience, value and everyday essentials to the local community. The development has also created six new jobs for the local area.

The all-new SPAR Dublin Road site has received a full overhaul and fit-out, now standing at 1,000 sq. ft. of store space offering six bays of fresh, locally sourced products from Henderson’s own-brand The CHEF and Greengrocer’s ranges.

Craig said: “Moving towards a SPAR partnership with Henderson Group gives us the opportunities to develop our business as well as provide a one-stop-shop for our local community. Local stores are incredibly important to shoppers, especially after the past couple of years, and we made the decision to bring SPAR to the area as it made the most sense for meeting demand.

“We have a bigger range of products for tonight’s tea, a huge number of everyday essentials at value prices, plus food-to-go items including Costa Coffee and breakfast and lunch options from the dailyDeli, which cater to the passing trade we experience being on the main route from Belfast to Dublin. Our vision is to bring the best, freshest products to our customers and we believe trading with Hendersons and SPAR will provide all of that and more.”

The store also has 14 car parking spaces providing even more convenience for their shoppers, plus extended opening hours from 4:30am to 11pm, Monday to Friday, catering even further towards the commuter trade, with weekend trading from 6am – 11pm on Saturdays and 7am – 11pm on Sundays.

Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director at Henderson Group added: “We are delighted to welcome Alistair and Craig to the SPAR NI family. Independent retailing is providing important community services across every town in Northern Ireland, and ensuring local communities can have access to fresh, local products at value prices is what SPAR is all about.

“Alistair and Craig have built a successful business with Dublin Road Convenience, and their growth has been very impressive over the past five years. Alongside their son Johnny at the managerial helm of the store, this is a team that knows their customer base and knows their business and we wish them every continued success for the future with SPAR NI.”

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