{"id":419850,"date":"2025-09-13T01:13:24","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T01:13:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/419850\/"},"modified":"2025-09-13T01:13:24","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T01:13:24","slug":"nine-county-antrim-artisan-products-join-lidl-northern-irelands-kickstart-range","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/419850\/","title":{"rendered":"Nine County Antrim artisan products join Lidl Northern Ireland\u2019s Kickstart range"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Participants<\/p>\n

Back Row (L-R)<\/strong>\u00a0Peter Barrett, Steeper Culture; Dr. Ryan Morrow, WeBottle; Gary McIldowney, Slim\u2019s Healthy Kitchen; Alison Seaney, Big Pot Co.; Paul Gibson, McKee\u2019s Foods<\/p>\n

Middle Row (L-R)<\/strong>\u00a0Karen Boyd, Pizzado; Shane McKinney, Amore Treats; Matthew Bingham, Tasty Foods Cusine; Nicky Jackson, Jackson Roze; David McCluggage, Portillas Cafe Ltd.<\/p>\n

Front Row (L-R)<\/strong>\u00a0Chris Bell, WeBottle; Michael Bell,\u00a0Executive Director, Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA); Kate O\u2019Driscoll, Supplier Development Manager at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland; Lauren Gilligan, McAtamney\u2019s Gourmet Kitchen<\/p>\n

The best of Northern Irish artisan food and drink has landed on shelves as Lidl Northern Ireland launches its eagerly anticipated Kickstart Supplier Development Programme 2025.<\/p>\n

From Thursday 11th September, Lidl customers across the region can enjoy more than 30 new products from 17 local producers, including nine innovative creations from County Antrim.<\/p>\n

Among the standout Antrim products are Al Gelato\u2019s Achill Island Sea Salt <\/strong>and Pistachio Handmade Gelato<\/strong>, McAtamney\u2019s Gourmet Kitchen BBQ Pulled Pork<\/strong>, Tasty Food\u2019s Curry and Gravy Cooking Sauces<\/strong>, and a range of Slim\u2019s Healthy Kitchen<\/strong> ready meals.<\/p>\n

Other Kickstart treats now available include Steeper Culture\u2019s Sparkling Tea and Kombucha, Jackson Roze\u2019s Elderberry, Ginger and Turmeric Shots, SleepSound\u2019s Pillow Spray and Serenity Balm, Dukes Ultra-Premium Ice Cream<\/strong>, and Bakers Wee Buns\u2019 Traditional Jam Bakes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Supporting local producers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now in its eighth year, Lidl\u2019s Kickstart programme provides small and medium-sized producers with a free six-month development scheme delivered by industry experts. <\/p>\n

Participants receive tailored training in areas such as quality control, supply chain management, branding, and distribution, ensuring their products are supermarket-ready.<\/p>\n

The scheme is supported by the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) and has seen Lidl invest more than \u00a34 million to date, giving Northern Irish food businesses the chance to scale up, access new markets, and even explore export opportunities.<\/p>\n

Suppliers also benefit from hands-on guidance from Lidl\u2019s commercial and marketing teams to help optimise packaging, streamline production, and grow brand awareness.<\/p>\n

\u201cA very exciting time\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kate O\u2019Driscoll, Lidl\u2019s Supplier Development Manager at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland<\/strong>, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a very exciting time for our Kickstart suppliers as they see their range of products land on Lidl shelves across our 43 stores in Northern Ireland. This is the culmination of six months of hard work, collaborating with our in-house experts and receiving practical guidance to help them prepare for this day. <\/p>\n

\u201cSince its launch, we\u2019ve invested more than \u00a34 million, supporting 45 local agri-food producers and showcasing over 52 innovative home-grown products to half a million weekly customers in Northern Ireland, many of which we are thrilled to say are now part of Lidl\u2019s regular everyday range.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith more than 30 new Northern Irish products we are so excited to see this year\u2019s suppliers take pride of place on Lidl shelves from Thursday 11th September and would encourage all customers to visit stores and support your local producers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kickstart Class of \u201925<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s cohort reflects the diversity of Northern Ireland\u2019s thriving food and drink sector. Highlights include:<\/p>\n

Lidl Northern Ireland\u2019s shelves will also feature select Irish-made products from the wider Kickstart programme, such as Mary-Ellen\u2019s Meadow Wild Soft Drink, The Wild Wok\u2019s handcrafted Asian dumplings, and The Smokin\u2019 Butcher\u2019s Smoked Black Pudding.<\/p>\n

A taste of home<\/strong><\/p>\n

With over 30 new local products available while stocks last, Lidl\u2019s Kickstart range continues to celebrate the best of Northern Irish innovation, providing shoppers with the opportunity to support home-grown businesses while enjoying unique artisan flavours.<\/p>\n

Lidl Kickstart Product and Producer Range \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Al Gelato <\/strong>(County Antrim)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Achill Island Sea Salt Handmade Gelato \u00a34.99<\/p>\n

Pistachio Handmade Gelato \u00a34.99<\/p>\n

\u2022 McAtamney’s Gourmet Kitchen <\/strong>(County Antrim)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

\u2022 Slim\u2019s Healthy Kitchen <\/strong>(County Antrim)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Soy & Ginger Chicken \u00a34.49<\/p>\n

\u2022 Tasty Foods <\/strong>(County Antrim)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Chinese Gravy Paste \u00a32.19<\/p>\n

Chinese Curry Paste \u00a32.19<\/p>\n

\u2022 Amore Treats <\/strong>(County Armagh)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

White Iced School Cakes \u00a30.99<\/p>\n

\u2022 Bakers Wee Buns <\/strong>(County Armagh)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Traditional jam bakes \u00a32.49<\/p>\n

\u2022 Barbavilla Dairy<\/strong> (County Westmeath)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

\u2022 Big Pot Co (<\/strong>County Tyrone)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

\u2022 Dukes Ultra-Premium Ice Cream <\/strong>(County Tyrone)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Choc Brownie Ultra-Premium Ice Cream \u00a32.49 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Raspberry Ripple Ultra-Premium Ice Cream \u00a32.49<\/p>\n

\u2022 Comuna Coffee<\/strong> (County Londonderry)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Single Origin Colombia Narino Ground Coffee \u00a33.99<\/p>\n

Single Origin Colombia Narino Whole Bean Coffee \u00a33.99<\/p>\n

\u2022 Jackson Roze<\/strong> (County Armagh)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Turmeric and Ginger Shots \u00a32.25<\/p>\n

\u2022 Mary-Ellen’s Meadow <\/strong>(County Cavan)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Wild Soft Drink Elderflower \u00a32.49<\/p>\n

Wild Soft Drink Willowherb \u00a32.49<\/p>\n

\u2022 McKee\u2019s Foods Ltd <\/strong>(County Londonderry)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

\u2022 New Found Joy<\/strong> (County Armagh)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

\u2022 Pizzado<\/strong> \u00a0(County Down<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

10″ High Protein Pizza Bases \u00a33.49<\/p>\n

\u2022 Sarah\u2019s Living <\/strong>(County Dublin)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Cacao, Walnut and Goji Berry Bliss Balls \u00a33.49<\/p>\n

Peanut Butter Bliss Balls \u00a33.49<\/p>\n

Matcha and Cacao Bliss Balls \u00a33.49<\/p>\n

Salted Caramel Bliss Balls \u00a33.49<\/p>\n

Hazelnut, Almond and Cacao Bliss Balls \u00a33.49<\/p>\n

\u2022 Second Street Bakeshop <\/strong>(County Cork)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Gourmet Toffee Popcorn \u00a32.99<\/p>\n

\u2022 Sleepsound<\/strong>\u00a0(County Down)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Pillow Spray lavender \u00a33.49<\/p>\n

Pillow Spray lavender & lemon balm \u00a33.49<\/p>\n

Serenity Balm lavender \u00a33.49<\/p>\n

\u2022 Steeper Culture<\/strong> (County Down)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Cherry & Lime Sparking Tea \u00a32.39<\/p>\n

Ginger & Lemon Kombucha \u00a32.39<\/p>\n

\u2022 Summer Garden Foods<\/strong> (County Tyrone)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Homemade garlic toasties \u00a31.99<\/p>\n

\u2022 Super Nature <\/strong>(County Dublin)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Almond Clusters \u00a31.99 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Hazelnut Butter Cups \u00a31.99<\/p>\n

Peanut Butter Cups \u00a31.99<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Doggie Pawtisserie<\/strong> (County Down)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Peanut and Banana Dog Treats \u00a32.99<\/p>\n

Sweet Potato Dog Treats \u00a32.99<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Smokin’ Butcher<\/strong> (County Meath<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Smoked Black Pudding \u00a32.49<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Wild Wok<\/strong> (County Dublin)<\/p>\n

\"ree\"<\/p>\n

Chicken & Mushroom Asian Dumplings \u00a33.99<\/p>\n

Pork Prawn Asian Dumplings \u00a33.99<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Back Row (L-R)\u00a0Peter Barrett, Steeper Culture; Dr. Ryan Morrow, WeBottle; Gary McIldowney, Slim\u2019s Healthy Kitchen; Alison Seaney, Big…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":419851,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5011],"tags":[9658,9660,9661,9656,9659,1144,9657,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-419850","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-northern-ireland","8":"tag-ballymena-news","9":"tag-causeway-coast-and-glens","10":"tag-county-antrim","11":"tag-love-ballymena","12":"tag-mid-and-east-antrim","13":"tag-northern-ireland","14":"tag-northern-ireland-news","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115194339259443183","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=419850"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419850\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/419851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=419850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=419850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=419850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}