Wilson’s Country secures unique double at 2026 NIFDA Awards

Wilson’s Country achieved a unique feat at this year’s Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) awards by winning two of the 2026 categories.

The Co. Armagh-based potato processer secured both the Best New Product within the Service Sector Award and the Sustainable Energy Leadership accolade.

According to Wilson’s Country managing director, Lewis Cunningham, the two achievements are strongly linked.

He explained: “The New Product Award reflects our development of a bespoke, dome-shaped potato croquette.

“They are made with a rich potato mash, cream, milk and butter: finished with a fine dusting of breadcrumbs.

“I would like to thank the staff at the Hastings’s Hotel Group for their input in the development of the new croquettes that resulted in them being served over the Christmas period.

“This is all about adding value to Irish potatoes.”

Meanwhile, every development that takes place at Wilson’s Country is agreed with a very clear commitment to the development of a circular economy within the businesses.

At the very heart of the project is the company’s commitment to on-site, anaerobic digester (AD) as a ‘green electricity’ source.

“A 250kW AD plant delivers 60% of our total electricity requirement on a year-round basis,” Cunningham said.

“The AD is fuelled, in part, by peelings, starch and other organic energy sources produced courtesy of our potato processing operations.

“These materials are mixed with grass silage sourced from local farms.

“The digestate produced by the AD operation is used as a valuable fertiliser source on surrounding farms, thereby completing the food production circle.”

The recent installation of 143 solar panels on the roofs of the Wilson’s Country potato stores has added further to the green electricity generation capacity across the company’s processing site.

“The AD operation and solar panels combined provide 70% of our total electricity requirements, with the remaining 30% coming from a network supplier providing a renewable tariff,” the managing director confirmed.

Significantly, this commitment to green energy utilisation has been extended to include the transport and distribution requirements of the potato processing business.

Wilson’s Country works closely with McCulla Ireland to ensure its consumer products are delivered to customers in lorries fuelled exclusively by biomethane.

The Lisburn-based haulier has invested in its own AD operation, which is fuelled by food waste that is sourced from across Northern Ireland.

“Winning the two 2026 NIFDA Awards represents a tremendous boost for Wilson’s Country,” Cunningham said.

“It fully recognises the tremendous commitment made by all our staff in developing the business.

“And we want to build on this for the future.”

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