NEWS

Mayor Jackson Minford is pictured with Ballymena businessmen (L-R) William Calderwood of Arbuckle and Calderwood; Richard McLaughlin of Wyse Byse; James McNeill of James McNeill Hardware; Eugene Diamond of Diamonds Newsagents; and Thomas McKillen of McKillens. Retailers whose combined service spans more than three centuries have been recognised at a special mayoral reception celebrating Ballymena’s rich trading history. Honouring decades of local service The event, held at Th

Students from Sead the Season at Cullybackey College celebrating being named ‘Company of the Year’ at the annual Young Enterprise NI Awards held in Belfast City Hall. Students from Cullybackey College have secured one of Northern Ireland’s top young enterprise honours after their student-run business was crowned ‘Company of the Year’ at a major awards ceremony in Belfast. The team behind Seed the Season impressed judges with a sustainability-focused business supplying seasona

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, councillor Jackson Minford cuts the ribbon at the newly developed Gibson Paving centre in Portglenone, with the Gibson family. A major £250,000 investment is set to reshape how homeowners across Northern Ireland plan their outdoor spaces, as Gibson Paving opens the doors to a newly redeveloped paving and outdoor living centre in Portglenone. The relaunch marks a significant moment for the long-established family business, blending more than four

Ballymoney Street, Ballymena More than 90 town centre businesses across Mid and East Antrim are set to benefit from a £75,500 grant scheme aimed at improving the appearance of their premises. The ‘Town Centre Revamp Refresh’ grant offers up to 80 per cent of eligible costs, capped at £1,000 per business, councillors were told at a recent meeting of the borough council’s Environment and Economy Committee. A total of 106 applications were submitted, with 13 deemed ineligible du

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Minford Jackson, announces the launch of the new ‘Craft to Commerce’ programme. A new council-backed initiative launching next month is set to give aspiring crafters across Mid and East Antrim a direct pathway from hobby to income, offering hands-on experience, market exposure, and business support in a push to unlock local creative potential. The ‘Craft to Commerce’ programme, beginning in June 2026, is designed to help hobby-craft en

Garrett McCartney from Belfast, proud owner of Bran & Birdy’s with Hayley O’Neill, Food Technologist at CAFRE. A new Northern Ireland pet food venture is moving closer to commercial launch after securing specialist support through an Invest NI-backed collaboration with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise, in a project aimed at reshaping how dry dog food is served and consumed. Bran & Birdy’s has worked alongside CAFRE’s Loughry Campus to develop a range of d

Zak Moore and Jack Strange, Sauna Masters at Galgorm, who were crowned Team Performance Champions at the 2026 UK Aufguss Championships, hosted at Galgorm’s Thermal Spa Village A standout double success for a Ballymena-based spa team has put Northern Ireland firmly on the international wellness map, after two Galgorm Sauna Masters claimed top honours at the 2026 UK Aufguss Championships on home soil. Zak Moore and Jack Strange were crowned Team Performance Champions following

TV and radio presenter Dermot O’Leary filming in Ballycastle for the second series of ‘Dermot’s Taste of Ireland’. A major new television series showcasing Northern Ireland’s coastline is set to reach millions of viewers this weekend, as broadcaster Dermot O’Leary returns with a second series of his hit travel and food programme exploring the island of Ireland. The new series of ‘Dermot’s Taste of Ireland’ will begin airing on ITV1 and streaming platform ITVX on Saturday, 2 M

Lee Foods Oriental Supermarket, Belfast A Belfast supermarket has been fined £100,000 after pleading guilty to health and safety offences linked to a fatal workplace accident involving one of its employees. Lee Foods Oriental Supermarket was sentenced at Belfast Magistrates Court on Friday 1 May 2026 following the death of warehouse operative Mr Wei Wang, who died days after sustaining injuries in a fall at the premises. Fatal workplace accident The incident occurred on 15 Au

The Gallaher Trust’s Board of Trustees are pictured with Ballymena 400 – Building on Partnership and Progress keynote speaker, Declan Lawn, co-writer of BBC drama, Blue Lights, alongside his BAFTA award. A major funding opportunity and a clear call for collaboration have been set out in Ballymena, as a high-profile event hosted by the Gallaher Trust brought together business leaders, community organisations and delivery partners to tackle some of the area’s most pressing eco

Official opening and ribbon cutting with Kate Sherry, Chief Commercial Officer, Belfast International Airport; Patrick Ntareme, General Manager, Flax & Soda, SSP UK & Ireland; Alistair Caldwell, Operations Manager, SSP UK & Ireland; and Richard Attwood, Director of Business Development, SSP UK & Ireland Passengers travelling through Belfast International Airport are being offered a new all-day dining experience with the opening of Flax & Soda, a major new restaurant at the he

Image of the proposed new M&S Foodhall Marks & Spencer has submitted a planning application for a new flagship Foodhall at Lakelands Retail Park in Enniskillen, signalling a significant retail move that would see the brand relocate to a larger, purpose-built site while retaining its existing workforce. The proposal, lodged with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council in partnership with Elm Grange Ltd, forms part of M&S’s wider store rotation programme and is aimed at modernisin

Photos: Bob McEvoy With weeks still to go before runners take to the streets, one of Ballymena’s most anticipated sporting events has already reached full capacity, signalling a surge of local enthusiasm and community backing. The Fairhill Five Mile Race, organised by Ballymena Runners and sponsored by Fairhill Shopping Centre, is officially sold out ahead of its return on Thursday 4th June, setting the stage for a packed and high-energy evening in the town centre. The sell-o

Proud winners - the Travelmax Ballymena team. A family-run Ballymena business has made history after being named the UK & Ireland’s top travel agency — the first time a Northern Ireland company has ever secured the industry’s highest honour. Travelmax, a female-led agency marking its 25th year in business, claimed the overall title at the prestigious TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies Awards, alongside two additional major accolades, in a landmark night for the local firm. The awards

The Causeway Coast Ford Fair will return to Portrush this summer with a powerful new focus, as organisers confirm Cancer Focus Northern Ireland as the official charity partner for the 2026 event, bringing a major fundraising and awareness drive to one of the region’s most anticipated motoring gatherings. The event is set to take place on Sunday 7th June at West Bay, Portrush, drawing Ford enthusiasts, car clubs, families and visitors from across Northern Ireland and beyond fo

A region-wide enforcement operation targeting the transport of hazardous materials on Northern Ireland’s roads is set to begin next month, with inspectors warning that failures in safety compliance could put lives, property and the environment at serious risk. The joint campaign, led by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) alongside other enforcement agencies, will run from Tuesday 5 May to Friday 22 May 2026 and will involve a coordinated programme of

Kurt Harmer, Dealer Principal of Ballymena Honda, and Honda Racing’s John McGuinness, presented five Honda Fireblades and three Honda CBR600RR machines to Mervyn Whyte, Race Director of the Briggs Equipment North West 200 at the recent re-opening of the revamped Ballymena Honda showroom, in Co. Antrim. (Pics by: Stephen Davison) Ballymena Honda and Feridax have reinforced the safety operation at this year’s Briggs Equipment North West 200 by supplying a fleet of high-performa

Centra Frosses Road – Exceptional Performance in Food Safety (L-R) Catherine and Oran McCloskey, owners of Centra Frosses Road with store manager Cathie Carton, Joanne Bertenshaw Musgrave NI Food Safety & Quality Retail Co-ordinator, and host Pete Snodden. Retailers in Cloughmills, Kells, Ballymoney, Toomebridge and Larne have been placed firmly at the centre of this year’s Musgrave Northern Ireland ‘Store of the Year’ Awards, as nine County Antrim stores were recognised for

Marks & Spencer has begun work on a significant transformation of its Aldergrove store, with plans to double the size of its Foodhall, introduce thousands of new product lines and create up to 25 new local jobs. The redevelopment, which is now underway, will see the existing store expand into the adjoining service station, delivering a larger, modernised retail space designed to meet changing customer demand and enhance convenience for shoppers in the area. Store expansion un

Aerial overview including proposed changes at Galgorm Castle, Ballymena Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has received a full planning application for the restoration of Galgorm Castle for hotel use, as part of a £14 million investment. The proposed development at the estate outside Ballymena includes the restoration of the stables and courtyard for hotel use, an extension to the outer courtyard building, and the change of use of existing business units to hotel accommodati