Irish Black Butter, the multi-award-winning sweet/savoury sauce from Portrush, has won acclaim from the prestigious Academy of Cheese in Great Britain.

The Academy of Cheese is a not-for-profit organisation that provides accredited education and professional certification for cheese industry professionals and enthusiasts across the UK and from further afield.

Listing Irish Back Butter, which was developed by Alastair Bell, a Portrush businessman in 2017, as an ideal combination with a range of cheeses, the Academy of Cheese, says: “The idea behind black butter (or “apple butter” in some rural traditions) stretches back hundreds of years.

“Historically, communities gathered in harvest season to simmer apples, sugar, and spices in large pots over open fires. The result was a thick, dark, sweet-savoury preserve that kept well through the winter and served as a staple in rural households.

Irish Black Butter is proving its versatility in both food retailing and catering.

placeholder image — Irish Black Butter is proving its versatility in both food retailing and catering.

“Alastair Bell recognised the potential to revive this heritage in a modern form. Using the famed Armagh Bramley apples (a product with EU Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status) he created Irish Black Butter, a glossy, almost molasses-like conserve enriched with warm spices, cider, treacle, and a touch of brandy.

“The result? A product uniquely Irish, yet universally appealing: rich, silky, and deeply flavourful,” adds the Academy.

Alastair said: “We are delighted by the support from such an important body as The Academy of Cheese. It’s further international attention about the potential of Irish Black Butter for use to enhance other foods such as the widest range of cheeses.

“In addition to being on the shelves of high-end retailers and deiis across the UK, Ireland and the US, the spread is used by leading chefs like James Martin.”