Sweet taste of chocolates with an unusual name
WHEN Mary Corrigan received a birthday present from her three sisters eight years ago, little did she know how it would change her life dramatically, writes Tom Gillespie.
The gift, to attend a chocolate-making workshop in Dublin, was the springboard to her setting up her own food production company.
Today, Mary produces a range of luxury, high-class chocolates that use the best of local produce.
Her company has the unusual name of Noo Chocolates and is located at The Quay in Ballina.
Mary explained the origin of the name to me: “I called the business Noo Chocolates as Noo has been my family nickname my entire life.
“My family used to live in South Africa and returned to Ireland shortly before I was born. ‘Noo’ is a term used over there (South Africa) for small children - it actually means creepy crawly, I think.”
Mary, continued: "I don’t have any business background, though I have always had a huge interest in food and food production. I did plenty of day dreaming about setting up a food company, but it always seemed an unattainable and far off dream.
“I did a degree in microbiology in Queen’s University, Belfast, and then worked in research and in the medical devices industry before moving to Ballina and joining the beverage production industry.
“I stayed in that job for seven years, and then in the summer of 2017, an opportunity came up to take a redundancy. I decided I’d never have a better chance or starting a food company, and jumped at the chance of taking the redundancy.
“I first got involved in making chocolates around eight years ago. My three sisters bought me a birthday gift to attend a chocolate-making workshop in Dublin.
“I went there with my husband and spent a few hours learning some basic chocolate recipes and techniques. We were really delighted with what we produced that day, and carried on practising at home for years.
“When I was trying to decide exactly what type of food company to set up, I very quickly settled on chocolates.
“There had always been a great reaction from family and friends on tasting them, and I thought there was a gap in the market for a really high quality chocolate product in the Ballina and north Mayo region.
“I was also really keen to make a product that could use the really fantastic locally made products, such as Achill Island Sea Salt, Connacht Distillery products, Cuinneog butter and Bean West coffee.”
Since starting the company, Mary said there has been a great reaction and support both locally and further afield for her range of chocolates.
She added: “I try to create interesting and unique flavours, and my customers really enjoy the fact that I’m using locally made products too.
“My biggest sellers would be the Achill Island Sea Salted Caramels and the Wild Atlantic Coast Collection, which features a local Mayo ingredient in every chocolate.
“My focus to date has been to try to place the products in shops around Mayo, and I’ve since expanded into Sligo. Galway is next, and then nationwide hopefully.
“With Christmas coming up I’m expecting to be very busy, between supplying shops, hampers, hotels and corporate gifts.
“In my chocolate range you can savour a unique, sweet taste of the Wild Atlantic Coast with ingredients sourced locally and hand made to perfection, and beautifully presented in their signature brown packaging.
“I’ve had a fantastic first 10 months in business, and can’t wait for the future. I’ve loads of ideas for new flavours and new collections of chocolates, and I can only see the business continuing to grow.”
Mary has two particular flavours to whet your appetite: a burst of raspberry sweetness introduces a clean refreshing yogurt flavour, balanced by the buttery white chocolate shell, and Achill Island Sea Salted Caramels, smooth Moorish caramel with super salt, becoming a favourite of many.
She was also the winner of the emerging new business category in the Network Mayo business awards recently.
And just last week Mary won silver at Blas na hÉireann, the Irish foods awards, for her unique Achill Island Sea Salted Caramels
Now in their 11th year, the awards are the biggest competition for quality Irish produce on the island of Ireland. Over 2,500 products were entered into the 2018 competition to win gold, silver and bronze awards in over 100 food and drink categories as well as key awards such as supreme champion and best artisan producer.
Noo Chocolates can be found in Rua Cafe and Delicatessen in Castlebar, Foxford Woollen Mills, Solas, Louisburgh, the Connacht Whiskey Company visitor centre, Ballina, Dave's Deli, Ballina, Ballina Manor Hotel and Heffernan's Fine Foods in Ballina, the Secret Garden Cafe in Crossmolina, and Westport Design and the Gallery Wine Bar in Westport.
For further details, contact Mary direct on (087) 4161848 or visit www.noo.ie.