Qualifications for Irish Gourmet Entry

It can be difficult finding products in Northern Ireland and even to an extent in the Irish Republic, which are suitable for entry to the Irish Gourmet site. There is no problem securing fresh tasty products, but packaging is a different matter altogether.

Due to the island mentality, many food producers tended to have looked towards their domestic customers and skimped on the question of packaging.

The producers themselves will testify to this themselves, that they would rather spend their budget on the product itself rather than an improved quality of packaging. However, things are changing; ever decreasing transportation and distribution costs are enabling producers to innovate and introduce higher quality packaging yet maintain the quality of the food produced.

Irish Gourmet can play an important part in the development of the Northern Irish Fine Food and Artisan Industry by revealing customer preferences and tastes. With an absolutely huge array of products, the Irish Gourmet can identify customer taste preferences and then make suggestions to their counterparts in the Basketsgalore Gift Basket and Hamper Division of the company. For instance the prevalence of Irish Porter Cake within the Basketsgalore range of hampers is a reflection of its popularity on an individual basis in Irish Gourmet.

Indeed what's more is that this Christmas Irish Gourmet is working with a leading baker from Newry in Co. Down, Northern Ireland to produce a Mourne Mountain Valley Artisan Porter Cake. The baker in question won a Gold Medal in the UK Great Taste Awards for this cake in 2006 and a Silver Medal recently in 2006.

When Basketsgalore first started at the turn of the century, it was difficult to procure Gourmet food products, now only the finest can qualify and sometimes its a question of getting on the road and travelling to find them. We'll bring you our experiences as we travel.

Regards

The Irish Gourmet