The new Northern Ireland All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) launched its programme of events for 2023 with ‘A Taste of Northern Ireland’ in the Jubilee Room of the Houses of Parliament.
The products were showcased to members of both Commons and Lords and other guests.
The event proved to be a resounding success and welcomed hundreds of people, including politicians of all affiliations who are currently wrestling with the Protocol’s impact on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and those with none.
It gave everyone an opportunity, welcomed by local companies taking part in the table top exhibition, to see what the Province has to offer.
The impressive display represented cross-party and cross-community support for the food and drink manufacturers across Northern Ireland, the region’s single most important manufacturer and a major exporter to over 60 global markets.
The event had MP representatives from all main parties at the event, including DUP, SDLP, Alliance Party, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrat and SNP as well as Crossbench and Independent peers sampling the food and drink.
It also featured the people behind the creation, development and making of a wide range of quality products.
It was organised with help from Food NI, Northern Ireland’s main food and drink promotion body.
Showing his award-winning Irish Black Butter, Alastair Bell said: “It was a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the wealth of quality produce from Northern Ireland to a very influential audience.
“I hope they will see the value of ensuring the industry has access to the support it needs to continue to grow.”
Alastair was also able to see his unique product on sale in the gift shop at Parliament.
Mark Wright, of Ballylisk of Armagh cheese, added: “We have a vibrant and increasingly successful food industry in Northern Ireland which deserves support, especially for its efforts to expand sales in Great Britain, still our most important export marketplace.”
Ian Paisley, Northern Ireland APPG chairman, said: “I would like to say a big thank you to all of the small independent businesses who flew over from Northern Ireland and supported our event, including Craic Foods, Craigavon, Burren Balsamics, Richill, The Chocolate Manor, Casterock, Crawfords Rock Seaweed Company, Newcastle, Irish Black Butter, Portrush, Blackfire Food, Belfast, Finnebrogue Artisan, Downpatrick, Food NI, Belfast, Hinch Distillery, Ballynahinch, and Ballylisk of Armagh, Portadown.
“In Northern Ireland we only have a population of two million but yet produce enough for 70 million people.
“We have some of the best food and drink producers in the United Kingdom and we want to continue sending those products to Great Britain as well as exporting them further afield,” he added.
Steve Baker, Minister of State for Northern Ireland, attended the event and in his speech said: “I just want to say thank you to everyone who has come to this event today, the vendors, the businesses which have sent over their products, the people who have come out to see this incredible display of Northern Ireland produced food and drink.
“Our goal is stability for businesses in Northern Ireland and let me assure you, we are all working towards that.”
Christine Cousins, Food NI, said: “It is important that we get to showcase our top class produce here in Great Britain and enhance the visibility of our already highly sought after food and drink products, made in Northern Ireland.
“We were delighted to exhibit a wide range of products, including Copeland Rum, Donaghadee, Long Meadow cider and apple juice, Portadown, Olive Tree Bakery wheaten bread, Bangor, Milgro crispy onions, Limavady, Whitewater Brewery IPA, Castlewellan, Kenako Biltong, Ballyclare, Granny Shaw’s Fudge, Ballymena, Abernethy Butter, Dromara, and Hinch Distillery Whiskey, Ballynahinch.”
Alliance Party MP for North Down Stephen Farry said: “It is a wonderful time and indeed place to showcase the wonderful food and drink we have in Northern Ireland.
“We are world leaders in many ways and areas, especially when it comes to innovation.
“We are incredibly proud of the small artisan companies which we have, some of whom were there yesterday afternoon with us.
“There are more and more of these wonderful businesses springing up almost every day across our six counties and that is something we can all be proud of.”
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Northern Ireland was formed in September 2022 with the purpose of promoting the Province in Westminster on a cross-party basis.
It is chaired by Ian Paisley with officers comprising MPs representing the Conservatives, Labour, Alliance and DUP.
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