Marks & Spencer will return to Balmoral Show for the 25th time, this year as a platinum sponsor, with a refreshed exhibition stand and another action-packed programme designed to showcase the retailer’s long-standing commitment to local farming, sustainability and great quality food production across Northern Ireland.
Marks & Spencer will sponsor several key beef livestock classes, including the prestigious Aberdeen Angus Championships. The retailer’s eye-catching stand – updated for 2025 with a brand-new look and feel – will once again host a wide range of interactive activities designed to educate, entertain and inspire visitors of all ages.
Young visitors will be encouraged to explore the stand and complete a series of fun, hands-on games themed around M&S’s trusted supply chain and Select Farm produce. Once children complete every stop on the stand and collect all the required stamps in their M&S Balmoral Passport, they’ll be rewarded with a special Colin the Caterpillar backpack, a new addition for 2025 following the hugely popular Percy Pig version last year.
One of the most anticipated features of the Marks & Spencer stand – the live chick enclosure – will also return, offering families the chance to meet newly hatched chicks and learn more about how M&S works with local producers to maintain the highest welfare standards for its free-range egg supply.
The M&S Demonstration Kitchen will also return with chef Adam Palmer taking centre stage to cook up a delicious range of regional and seasonal dishes using M&S’s best-loved ingredients. Each day, Adam will be joined by special guests from M&S’s family of local suppliers, who will share the stories behind their produce and hand out samples for visitors to enjoy.
The Farmers’ Lounge will once again play host to the annual M&S Select Farm Awards, which recognise outstanding achievements in agricultural excellence, innovation and sustainability.
Steve McLean, Head of Agriculture & Fisheries at M&S, commented: “It’s a real privilege for Marks & Spencer to return to Balmoral Show again as a platinum sponsor. It’s one of the highlights of our calendar and gives us an incredible platform to celebrate and engage with the local producers and farming families who play such a vital role in our supply chain.
“Northern Ireland is one of the most important sourcing regions for M&S across the UK and Ireland, and the relationships we’ve built here over decades are central to the quality, traceability and sustainability our customers expect from us.
“This year we’re looking forward to welcoming families to our newly refreshed stand, where we’ve kept all the activities people know and love, while giving the experience a fresh new feel. The introduction of the Colin the Caterpillar backpack is sure to be a hit with our younger visitors!
“Our partnerships with local Select Farmers are built on shared values of trust, innovation and continuous improvement – whether that’s through our Select Farm programme, our Farms of the Future sustainability initiative, or our ongoing work to maintain the highest standards of animal welfare.
“We look forward to another successful year at the Balmoral Show and to sharing our passion for local food and farming with thousands of visitors across the four days.”
M&S NORTHERN IRELAND
Sourcing locally is really important to M&S and Northern Ireland is one of our biggest supply regions with 11 direct suppliers around 1,941 farms producing quality product including milk, eggs, beef, and pork.
M&S first came to Northern Ireland 57 years ago, in 1967 – leading the way for investment by many other UK companies.
M&S has 23 stores in Northern Ireland – Abbeycentre, Ballymena, Banbridge (Outlet & Foodhall), Bangor, Belfast, Enniskillen, Foyleside, Lisburn, Newry, Newtownbreda, Omagh, Aldergrove, Armagh, Boucher Road, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Crescent Link, Malone, Upper Newtownards Road and Grand Central Station.
We employ 2300 full and part-time colleagues in Northern Ireland.
