It sent its ciders to Helsinki-based Malty Oy, a distributor of speciality beers and ciders, following an approach after winning a silver medal in the International Brewing Awards 2013.
The business in Germany is with a contact in Hamburg that developed from a recent presentation to the Association of Irish Pubs in Germany.
“The contracts in Finland and Germany are immensely encouraging and are another stage in the development of our ciders in markets outside Northern Ireland,” said cider maker Greg MacNeice. “Both are footholds in significant markets. Malty Oy in particular has excellent contacts that should result in further business in Finland.
“The recognition from the International Brewing Awards is proving to be tremendously important to our business. It is an endorsement, the first gained by a Northern Irish producer, that has become an important marketing tool for us. As well as the business in Finland and Germany, we are now following up other business approaches. We are working on approaches, for instance, that could see our cider on sale in the US.”
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