NEWS

The local team outside KFC Ballymena before litter pick A team of local fast-food workers has swapped fryers for refuse bags—and come out on top—after KFC Ballymena was crowned litter-picking champion in a nationwide clean-up effort. During this year’s Great British Spring Clean, 11 team members from the KFC restaurant at Larne Road Link took to the streets of Ballymena, collecting an impressive 14 bags of rubbish in a determined bid to tidy their community. Local pride shine

L-R (Front Row:) Aobh, Maria, Lily (Back Row:) Kyle Greer Development Chef at Sysco Ireland, Jean Stanley Head of Sustainability at Sysco Ireland, Dr Ernest Purvis Head of Policy at Children in Northern Ireland A major expansion of a programme tackling holiday hunger and isolation will see support for children across Northern Ireland increase sevenfold, with thousands more set to benefit from free meals and activities. Sysco Ireland has announced a £50,000 investment to grow

Ross Lorimer of Lakeland Dairies presents a scholarship award to Ballymena student Megan Ross at the CAFRE Industry Support event. Students from Ballymena, Portglenone and Toomebridge have been recognised among the next generation of agri-food talent, securing bursaries and scholarships at a major industry-backed awards event in Cookstown. The presentation, hosted at CAFRE’s Loughry Campus, saw significant financial backing from leading agri-food businesses awarded to student

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir speaking to more than 200 international guests at a St Patrick’s Day networking event in Brussels Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector has a “huge advantage” thanks to its dual access to both European Union and Great Britain markets, DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has said during a high-profile visit to Brussels. Speaking to more than 200 international guests at a St Patrick’s Day networking event, the Minister positioned Northern Ireland as uniquely p

CGI of proposed new Home Bargains store in Antrim Residents are being invited to have their say on plans for a new Home Bargains store in Antrim, as a formal community consultation process gets underway ahead of a planning application. Developers behind the proposal have launched a Pre-Application Community Consultation (PACC) on plans to redevelop the former Townparks car showroom site on Ballymena Road, just southeast of the Springfarm Roundabout. The consultation allows me

Shoppers in Belfast will now find a splash of pink – and plenty of cake – waiting for them at CastleCourt after popular bakery brand Dougies Goodies officially opened a new pop-up store in the shopping centre today (13 March 2026). Located in the busy CastleCourt food court, the vibrant new space offers customers a chance to grab the bakery’s much-loved cakes, bakes and sweet treats while taking a break from browsing the shops. The pop-up is stocked with a range of Dougies Go

Northern Ireland farmers call for government support as Iran crisis threatens supply chains The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has warned that ongoing developments in Iran underline the fragility of global food security, with potential knock-on effects for Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector. UFU deputy president John McLenaghan said farmers are particularly concerned about escalating energy, fuel, and fertiliser costs. “Events unfolding in Iran underline just how vulnerable g

CGI image of the proposed new Lidl store at St Patrick’s Link Road / Broughshane Road, Ballymena Why would a global supermarket chain choose a specific piece of land in Ballymena for what could become one of its largest stores in Northern Ireland? Planning documents submitted for the proposed Lidl development at St Patrick’s Link Road provide a detailed answer — pointing to soaring local demand, strategic transport links and a wider £500 million expansion across Northern Irel

Percy Pig celebrates M&S Food Outlet launching at Applegreen Ballymena Shoppers in Ballymena can now pick up their favourite Marks & Spencer treats on the go after a new M&S Food outlet opened today at the town’s Applegreen site. The new store introduces the popular “shop within a shop” concept to Ballymena, bringing more than 400 M&S Food products to the location and marking the fourth partnership site between M&S and Applegreen in Northern Ireland. From fresh fruit and sala

Businesses across Northern Ireland are being urged to prepare for sweeping changes to the way food, animals and plants move between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the European Union, as negotiations continue on a new UK-EU trade agreement designed to cut red tape and speed up trade. The UK Government says the proposed Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement could make agrifood trade “easier, cheaper and quicker”, potentially transforming supply chains for farmers, r

The Harbourview Hotel in Carnlough, County Antrim Less than a year after reopening following a major redevelopment, Carnlough’s Harbourview Hotel has been named the best place to stay in Northern Ireland in the prestigious Best Places to Stay 2026 guide by The Times and The Sunday Times . The recognition places the seafront hotel firmly among the UK’s standout hospitality destinations, with judges praising what they described as Ireland’s first whisky hotel for its “live mus

Pictured (L-R) at the launch of Lidl Northern Ireland’s landmark fibre commitment are Elaine O’Connor, Head of Sustainability at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland, and Registered Dietician Orla Walsh. A major supermarket initiative aimed at tackling what experts describe as a growing “fibre crisis” has been announced by Lidl Northern Ireland, with the retailer pledging to significantly increase the amount of fibre in the food it sells over the next five years. The supermarket

A much-loved Ballymena bakery is preparing to close its doors after seven years, with the family behind the business sharing an emotional message of gratitude to the community that supported their dream. The Old Mill Bakery , located on Mill Street in Ballymena, will cease trading on Saturday 4 April 2026, bringing to an end a journey that began with a simple ambition: to create honest, handcrafted food for the local community. Owners Marta and Tomasz Gomula announced the de

CGI of Lidl’s proposed new store on St Patrick’s Link Road, Ballymena. A significant new retail investment is being proposed for one of Ballymena’s busiest gateway locations — with plans submitted for a large-format Lidl foodstore at the junction of St Patrick’s Link Road and Broughshane Road. The planning application is supported by a detailed Planning, Design and Access Statement setting out proposals for a purpose-built store with a gross internal floor area of 2,560 squar

EA's Food Development Manager, Scott Graham, who has used his skills as a professional chef to transform school meals across NI. From fine dining in South Africa to feeding 160,000 pupils a day across Northern Ireland, one chef is quietly reshaping what school dinners look — and taste — like. Scott Graham, Food Development Manager within EA Catering’s Service Improvement Team , is helping drive a significant shift in school food culture. International flavours, street food in

City of Derry Farm & Equestrian Centre. A brand-new immersive food and farm experience is inviting visitors into the heart of rural Derry as part of this year’s Love LegenDerry Food Month celebrations. ‘Milk, Meadows & Mountains’ is a 2.5-hour hosted journey blending artisan cheese, farm life and heritage storytelling, delivered through a collaboration between Dart Mountain Cheese and City of Derry Farm & Equestrian Centre. Designed to connect visitors with the region’s food

Buyers and suppliers (L-R) – The judges: Jonathan Mitchell (Our Brewery’s co-founder), Esther Paul, (Business Development Manager at Armagh Cider Company), Chelsea McCullagh (Marketing Manager at Heaney Brewery), Michael Crealey ( Lead Packaged Buying Manager at Tesco NI), Karen O’Neill (Sales Manager at Anzac Drinks/ Farmageddon Brewing Co), Bernard Sloan (Managing Director at Whitewater Brewery) and Peter McKeever (Production Manager at Longmeadow Cider). A Randalstown-base

The proposed site for the new Home Bargains store in Antrim, and inset, the newly built Home Bargains store in Ballymena which opened in 2025 Plans for a major new Home Bargains store in Antrim have moved forward after Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council approved a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) submitted by TJ Morris Ltd. The approval marks the first formal stage in the planning process and paves the way for public consultation on proposals to develop a new discoun

Country Manager, Coca-Cola Ireland, Amruta Vaidya, Chief Executive, Irish FA, Patrick Neslon, General Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, Simon Fitzpatrick and Chief Executive, NI Football League, Gerard Lawlor. Coca-Cola has announced a new partnership with Northern Ireland football, becoming the official soft drinks partner of both the Irish Football Association (Irish FA) and the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL). The agreement, announced by The Coca

Pictured celebrating Tayto’s 70th anniversary at Tayto Castle in Tandragee, Co Armagh, are (L-R) Stephen Hutchinson, Anne Hutchinson-Kane and Raymond Hutchinson Northern Ireland’s iconic crisp manufacturer Tayto has kicked off a year-long programme of celebrations to mark its 70th anniversary, unveiling new products, limited-edition packaging and special anniversary branding. Founded in 1956 by Thomas Hutchinson at Tayto Castle in Tandragee, Co Armagh, the family-owned busine