Northern Irish Hannan Meats wins second Top 50 Taste listing

Northern Ireland's Hannan Meats has won a second listing in the prestigious Top 50 Foods in the UK Great Taste Awards. The company gained the latest listing for its salt-aged cote de boeuf which spends at least 28 days in the unique Himalayan salt chamber at the plant in Moira, Co Antrim.

Listing the beef, the judges branded it as "exceptional". They added that it was "juicy and full of complex flavours and was firm texture with a good mouth feel. A beautiful piece of meat".

Hannan Meats, winner of last year's Supreme Champion title for its Italian-style pork jowl guanciale, was the first company listed last week for its salt-aged Glenarm Shorthorn beef. The company has seven beef products listed in the three gold stars category in the Great Taste Awards, widely regarded as the 'Oscar's' of the food industry in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Hannan Meats, a catering butchery business, headed 70 Northern Ireland companies which gained an all time record 340 gold stars in this year's awards. The company also broke all records in this year's event by winning an impressive 44 gold awards including seven products gaining three stars.

As well as its salt-aged beef, Hannan gained awards for its bacon and poultry products. In addition, it supplied the beef for a dish developed by Yellow Door Deli, another Northern Ireland company, which also gained three gold stars.

Hannan Meats, formed by Peter Hannan in 1992, supplies its meat products to leading high-end restaurants including Mark Hix in London and Clodagh McKenna in Dublin and is developing business in France, Italy and Portugal. As well as top restaurants, the company supplies salt-aged beef to Fortnum and Mason in London.

The company now operates the world's biggest Himalayan salt chamber at its Northern Irish factory. Beef, pork and poultry are all sourced from Northern Irish farms. It operates two extensive farm supply chains for its Glenarm shorthorn and European Angus sourced meats.

Two other Northern Irish companies have been listed, so far, in the Top 50 Foods - En Place, Cookstown, county Tyrone for its sea buckthorn and lime jam and McCartney's Butchers, also in Moira, for its mushroom, leek and smoked garlic tart.