Supervalu Newry has been awarded overall winner of the NI Retail Supermarkets Sapphire Award at the recent National Q Mark Awards ceremony in Dublin. The Excellence Ireland Quality Association (EIQA) awards the National Q Mark to businesses who operate an exceptional standard in hygiene and food safety and is highly regarded throughout Ireland. Supervalu is supported by Musgrave Retail Partners (MRPNI). Other MRPNI stores shortlisted in the in the NI Retail Supermarkets Sapphire Award Category included Supervalu Dromore, Ballykelly, Portstewart and Dungiven. The Comber Supervalu store was shortlisted in the NI Retail Emerald Award Category with the Supervalu Newbuildings store scooping the NI Retail Emerald Award. Nigel Maxwell Supervalu and Centra Sales Director of MRPNI said : “The recent awards success has been fantastic both fopr our retailers and their staff. It is a great acknowledgement for the hard work they carry out, providing customers with the best service on a daily basis and as independently run stores this highlights their ability to lead the way in their industry. MRPNI supports over 250 independent Supervalu, Centra and Mace retail stores in Northern Ireland with a combined turn over in excess of £600m. MRPNI is part of the Musgrave Group, the leading partner to more than 3,500 entrepreneurial retailers and food service professional in the UK Ireland and Spain. Centra stores shortlisted in the NI Retail Convenience Sapphire Award category included Lisburn Ballynahinch Road, Derry Buncrana Road, Omagh Brookmount and Enniskillen with the Centra Ballygaley store winning overall award for that category. Meanwhile a second Newry Business has been awarded for their quality products. Need of Meats has been awarded the Bronze Prize for their BBQ Pulled Pork at the Blas na hEireann Irish Quality Food Awards. The win comes after the company entered their BBQ Pulled Pork into the Awards back in February this year. The Irish Food Awards represent the best in Irish produce and quality. This year’s awards were held at Dingle Food Festival on October 3. Need of Meats Ltd was established in 1993 in Newry and were Northern Ireland’s first manufacturer of Pepperoni and Salami. The company has developed to include 3 types of pepperoni : Kabanossy, Pepperoni, and Beef Pepperoni as well as two types of Salami, Pork Salami and Beef Salami. They believe in supporting the local economy and purchase all raw materials from local companies. Their pork comes from Pinkertons in Armagh and they use EU approved beef plants all based in Ireland, Kettyle Irish Foods, Ashbourne Meats and Ashbrook Meats. They also use Healthy Choice Poultry for all of their chicken produce. The company which successfully exports products into Europe are delighted to be among the 34 other Northern Ireland winners who between them won 11 Gold, 7 Silver and 16 Bronze awards. Need of Meats will be sampling their products at the Christmas Fayre in Warrenpoint on Sunday December 7.
Newry Democrat
21st October 2014
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