Nine County Antrim artisan products join Lidl Northern Ireland’s Kickstart range

Back Row (L-R) Peter Barrett, Steeper Culture; Dr. Ryan Morrow, WeBottle; Gary McIldowney, Slim’s Healthy Kitchen; Alison Seaney, Big Pot Co.; Paul Gibson, McKee’s Foods

Middle Row (L-R) Karen Boyd, Pizzado; Shane McKinney, Amore Treats; Matthew Bingham, Tasty Foods Cusine; Nicky Jackson, Jackson Roze; David McCluggage, Portillas Cafe Ltd.

Front Row (L-R) Chris Bell, WeBottle; Michael Bell, Executive Director, Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA); Kate O’Driscoll, Supplier Development Manager at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland; Lauren Gilligan, McAtamney’s Gourmet Kitchen

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.

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.

Among the standout Antrim products are Al Gelato’s Achill Island Sea Salt and Pistachio Handmade Gelato, McAtamney’s Gourmet Kitchen BBQ Pulled Pork, Tasty Food’s Curry and Gravy Cooking Sauces, and a range of Slim’s Healthy Kitchen ready meals.

Other Kickstart treats now available include Steeper Culture’s Sparkling Tea and Kombucha, Jackson Roze’s Elderberry, Ginger and Turmeric Shots, SleepSound’s Pillow Spray and Serenity Balm, Dukes Ultra-Premium Ice Cream, and Bakers Wee Buns’ Traditional Jam Bakes.

Supporting local producers

Now in its eighth year, Lidl’s Kickstart programme provides small and medium-sized producers with a free six-month development scheme delivered by industry experts.

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

The scheme is supported by the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) and has seen Lidl invest more than £4 million to date, giving Northern Irish food businesses the chance to scale up, access new markets, and even explore export opportunities.

Suppliers also benefit from hands-on guidance from Lidl’s commercial and marketing teams to help optimise packaging, streamline production, and grow brand awareness.

“A very exciting time”

Kate O’Driscoll, Lidl’s Supplier Development Manager at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said:

“It 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.

“Since its launch, we’ve invested more than £4 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’s regular everyday range.

“With more than 30 new Northern Irish products we are so excited to see this year’s 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.”

Kickstart Class of ’25

This year’s cohort reflects the diversity of Northern Ireland’s thriving food and drink sector. Highlights include:

• Steeper Culture – craft kombucha and sparkling teas made with real brewed ingredients.

• Comuna Coffee – Colombian-inspired blends that are 100% traceable and ethically sourced.

• Dukes Ultra-Premium Ice Cream – a family business and the first in Ireland to achieve “ultra-premium” status thanks to its high cream content.

• New Found Joy – gluten-free mini bites catering for coeliacs and those with gluten intolerance.

Lidl Northern Ireland’s shelves will also feature select Irish-made products from the wider Kickstart programme, such as Mary-Ellen’s Meadow Wild Soft Drink, The Wild Wok’s handcrafted Asian dumplings, and The Smokin’ Butcher’s Smoked Black Pudding.

A taste of home

With over 30 new local products available while stocks last, Lidl’s 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.

Lidl Kickstart Product and Producer Range  

• Al Gelato (County Antrim)

Achill Island Sea Salt Handmade Gelato £4.99

Pistachio Handmade Gelato £4.99

• McAtamney's Gourmet Kitchen (County Antrim)

BBQ Pulled Pork £3.99

• Slim’s Healthy Kitchen (County Antrim)

Sticky Chicken £4.49

Korean Chicken £4.49

Soy & Ginger Chicken £4.49

Jerk Chicken £4.49

• Tasty Foods (County Antrim)

Chinese Gravy Paste £2.19

Chinese Curry Paste £2.19

• Amore Treats (County Armagh)

White Iced School Cakes £0.99

• Bakers Wee Buns (County Armagh)

Traditional jam bakes £2.49

• Barbavilla Dairy (County Westmeath)

Smoked Provola £2.99

• Big Pot Co (County Tyrone)

Beef Stew £3.49

• Dukes Ultra-Premium Ice Cream (County Tyrone)

Choc Brownie Ultra-Premium Ice Cream £2.49  

Raspberry Ripple Ultra-Premium Ice Cream £2.49

• Comuna Coffee (County Londonderry)

Single Origin Colombia Narino Ground Coffee £3.99

Single Origin Colombia Narino Whole Bean Coffee £3.99

• Jackson Roze (County Armagh)

Elderberry Shots £2.25

Ginger Shots £2.25

Turmeric and Ginger Shots £2.25

• Mary-Ellen's Meadow (County Cavan)

Wild Soft Drink Elderflower £2.49

Wild Soft Drink Willowherb £2.49

• McKee’s Foods Ltd (County Londonderry)

Scotch Eggs £2.99

• New Found Joy (County Armagh)

Mini Bites £2.99

• Pizzado  (County Down

10" High Protein Pizza Bases £3.49

• Sarah’s Living (County Dublin)

Cacao, Walnut and Goji Berry Bliss Balls £3.49

Peanut Butter Bliss Balls £3.49

Matcha and Cacao Bliss Balls £3.49

Salted Caramel Bliss Balls £3.49

Hazelnut, Almond and Cacao Bliss Balls £3.49

• Second Street Bakeshop (County Cork)

Gourmet Toffee Popcorn £2.99

• Sleepsound (County Down)

Pillow Spray lavender £3.49

Pillow Spray lavender & lemon balm £3.49

Serenity Balm lavender £3.49

• Steeper Culture (County Down)

Cherry & Lime Sparking Tea £2.39

Ginger & Lemon Kombucha £2.39

• Summer Garden Foods (County Tyrone)

Homemade garlic toasties £1.99

• Super Nature (County Dublin)

Almond Clusters £1.99  

Hazelnut Butter Cups £1.99

Peanut Butter Cups £1.99

• The Doggie Pawtisserie (County Down)

Peanut and Banana Dog Treats £2.99

Carrot Dog Treats £2.99

Sweet Potato Dog Treats £2.99

• The Smokin' Butcher (County Meath

Smoked Black Pudding £2.49

• The Wild Wok (County Dublin)

Chicken & Mushroom Asian Dumplings £3.99

Pork Prawn Asian Dumplings £3.99