An independent store in Markethill, Co. Armagh recently played host to a vibrant celebration of Northern Ireland’s local food producers with its Local Supplier Showcase, drawing in shoppers and local schoolchildren alike.
Among those sampling and demonstrating their tasty fayre at the JD Hunter & Co. Supermarket were Gilfresh Produce from Armagh, Simply Fruit from Craigavon, Milgro Onions from Limavady, Dale Farm, PRM and Ireland’s largest fruit and vegetable distributor, Keelings.
From April 25th to 28th, shoppers had the opportunity to sample a wide array of locally sourced products and engage directly with the producers, learning about the journey of their food from field to fork, while enjoying exclusive promotions on the products in-store.
As part of the showcase, Chris McClure, store manager at JD Hunter & Co, Lynsey Evans, commercial manager of produce & horticulture at Henderson Group and Susie Moran from Keelings paid a visit to Markethill Primary School and St. Teresa’s Primary School to give a presentation on the health benefits of fruit and vegetables, how food is harvested and information on local suppliers.
Each pupil also received a supply of local produce to take home and extend the healthy eating message from the classroom to home.
“We have amazing suppliers in Northern Ireland, and it’s always been important to us to support local. The in-store showcase was a great opportunity for our shoppers to speak to the suppliers directly and hear more about where their produce is coming from,” McClure said.
“Being part of the community, it’s important to have an impact on our shoppers but also on the younger children in our local schools, encouraging them to think about healthy eating and where their food is coming from. The support from our suppliers has been amazing and I want to thank them for such an engaging and informative showcase.”
Providing food and drink in Markethill since 1920, the popular store was acquired by South Belfast retailer and family-run business Creightons in 2022 and employs 145 people from the local community. The Creighton Group has three other stores across South Belfast - EUROSPAR Finaghy, EUROSPAR Balmoral and SPAR Blacks Rd.
