Northern Irish award winning butcher invests in exports


Hannan Meats, the award winning Northern Irish catering butchery business, is investing almost £300,000 in an expansion plan to support its growth in Britain and other parts of Europe.



The company, a specialist in premium meats for foodservice and high-end retailers in the UK, Republic of Ireland and other European markets including France, is investing to grow sales of its unique salt-aged beef and bacon.



The investment will create eight new jobs over the next two months and see employment rise to 30 at the company's processing plant in Moira, county Down.



This company has a very impressive track record in the development of innovative products and processes especially salt-ageing techniques to enhance the flavour and texture of its meats.



It has a series of awards from influential bodies such as the UK Guild of Fine Food and won the Supreme Champion title for its Italian style guanciale in the Great Taste Awards 2012. It also had five salt-aged beef products listed by the guild in the Top 50 Foods last year.



The development of what has become the world's biggest Himalayan Salt Chamber has enabled the company to set itself apart in highly competitive markets and to secure recognition for premium quality products that are now being demanded increasingly by leading chefs and upmarket retailers in the UK and other parts of Europe.



Peter Hannan, the managing director and founder of the business in 1991, says: "We are investing to enable us to benefit from the opportunities growing rapidly outside Northern Ireland for premium meats that combine taste, heritage, safety and provenance.



"It will enable us to raise the profile further of our key brands, Hannan Meats for salt-aged beef, which gained almost 30 gold stars in this year's UK Great Taste Awards and Moyallon for bacon including our guanciale product.



"Our success in major food competitions has led to a series of exciting business opportunities in key markets such as the UK, France, Portugal and Italy from celebrity chefs such as Marks Hix as well as premium retailers including Fortnum and Mason and Harrods.



"We want to see sales outside Northern Ireland contributing around 60 per cent of our business by the middle of this year.



"The investment will also benefit local farmers who supply us with exceptional raw material, Glenarm Shorthorn and Euro Angus cattle. Our success with discerning clients enables us to offer them an additional premium for quality," he adds.