4 new Irish-made food brands to try

Here are the products we’re throwing into our shopping basket each week for a savoury treat

If your trolley is looking a bit grim and lacking a little something, these moreish buys will liven up your weekly shop. Change up your breakfast routine with an Irish brand of kefir, and transform your sandwich with a dash of mustard with a kick. And when the weekend arrives, treat yourself to an exotic curry with authentic flavours, or if you’re just having some chips at home, you can try an Irish ketchup that is quite wholesome.

The Lodge Barna Mustards

Galway businesswoman Brigid Brophy created a range of eight uniquely flavoured mustards while in retirement, as she always likes to have a new project on the go. Made in her home outside Barna woods, the mustards are in available in the following varieties: Galway Hooker Pale Ale Mustard; Prosecco & Tarragon; Dingle Gin, Juniper & Lime; Buckie; Raspberry; Horseradish; Clove Spiced and Old Engine Oil. Brigid sources her ingredients locally, and her partneship with Galway Hooker led to her winning gold at least year’s Blás na hÉireann awards. The Lodge Barna Mustards are on sale in stockists in Galway, Mayo, Clare, Sligo, Dublin and Kerry. They can also be found on the menus of many Galway restaurants. 

Uflourish Kefir 

Uflourish fermented yogurt drinks are available in strawberry or mango and turmeric flavour. This delicious drink contains 12 strains of gut-friendly bacteria, provide protein and are packed with vitamins and minerals. The protein in kefir, casein is digested slowly and helps to promote muscle growth. B12 is a natural energy booster, and can be tricky for vegetarians and vegans to find in their diets. The brand, based in Cork, is available in SuperValu stores, and Uflourish secured a gold award at this year’s Blas na hÉireann awards.  

Mama Nagi’s

Mindi Keane grew up in a house filled with spicy aromas and traditional home cooking, and decided to create a range of authentic Indian chilli pastes for the Irish market. Available in three versatile pastes, the flavours available are Bengali Sweet Chilli Paste, Keralan Coconut Chilli Paste and Punjabi Chilli Paste. Mindi has recently expanded the range to include cook-in sauces, in Sri-Lankan Sweet Mango, Kashmiri Fruity Tomato, Goan Hot Tomato and Keralan Exotic Coconut. Retailing for approx €4, you can find Mama Nagi’s pastes in Super Valu. 

Mama bear foods

Launched in November 2018, Mama Bare Foods’s tomato ketchup will soon become a firm favourite in your family’s kitchen. With all the sweet taste of ketchup, with just 9.5g sugar per 100g, it’s a healthier version of everyone’s favourite condiment. Made using Irish bramley apple cider and gut-supporting chicory root, this is a more wholesome take on ketchup.  Founded by mother-of-three Loretta Kennedy, the young brand is already available to buy in Super Valu stores, artisan shops and health food shops around the country. It costs €3.49 and comes in a 100% recyclable glass bottle. New products are coming to the range soon so keep your eyes peeled!