Gourmet confectioner joins Coronation celebrations

Blackthorn Foods, the Belfast-based manufacturer of gourmet fudges and fondues, has been chosen by Partridges of Sloane Square, Grocer to HM the Queen and London’s leading specialist food and drink retailer, to be part of its presentation at this month’s Coronation Festival in Buckingham Palace gardens.

Partridges, holder of a Royal Warrant to supply gourmet foods to the Queen, chose Blackthorn Foods for a special presentation of food and drink from around the UK at the Palace. The products for the Buckingham Palace celebrations were also included in the retailer’s Chelsea Flower collection and were launched at the recent Chelsea Flower Show.

Blackthorn’s success was announced by Dorothy Bittles, a director of the company she formed with sisters Cathy Johnston and Jenny Lowry in 2004 and John Shepherd, managing director of Partridges. The Coronation Festival is taking place at Buckingham Palace from 11-14 July.

Mrs Bittles says: “Being chosen by Partridges for this very prestigious event is a marvellous boost for the company and is a huge endorsement of the innovation and quality underpinning our award winning fudges and fondues.

“We were approached by Partridges at the Great Taste event in Belfast, organised by Invest Northern Ireland, and invited to work with their specialists in developing new and quite different flavours for the Chelsea Flower Show that would also be featured during the unique Coronation Festival.

“We were asked to develop three new floral flavours in line with a decision by Partridges to focus on the unique history of the gardens in the district of London where the retailer is now based.

“To meet this commission, we developed three new fudges – Hint of Rose, Geranium and Vanilla, and Honey Flower, three quite different flavours for us. They impressed Partridges and proved popular at the Chelsea Flower Show and with shoppers at Sloane Square. Working with Partridges has been a tremendous experience.”

Mr Shepherd says: “Our presentation at the Coronation Festival carries forward our longstanding reputation for selling delicious foods that we source from British artisan producers like Blackthorn Foods. We’ve received tremendous encouragement from business agencies throughout the UK in identifying artisan foods for the event.

“We are delighted to be part of this historic event and to have the opportunity to showcase the originality and quality of many of our artisan suppliers. Other artisan products developed for us include elderflower flavour chocolates, honey biscuits, tea with marigold blossoms, rose petal jelly, all carefully made by hand or blended to our own recipes.

“Partridges will be among more 200 companies which hold Royal Warrants of Appointment, the biggest-ever event of its kind to promote the very best of UK plc.”