Northern Irish turkey processor to invest in Himalayan salt chamber

Buchanan Foods, the Northern Irish processor of meat, poultry, lamb and ham, is developing its own Himalayan salt chamber following the popularity of turkey aged using the unique salt.

The small company, based on a family farm at Upperlands in county Derry, introduced the Himalayan salt aged turkey during the recent Christmas season and was inundated with orders for the product.

The company, which has won UK Great Taste Awards for its free-range turkey meat, is also expanding its bacon curing activities and has developed a unique bacon cured in fennel, juniper berries and black pepper.

Jonathan Buchanan, founder and managing director of Buchanan Foods, says: "Our focus is on differentiating ourselves in a very competitive marketplace by investing in ageing and curing techniques that will expand our portfolio of products that offer different flavours.

"We used Himalayan salt to age our turkey meats over the Christmas season and saw our business expand significantly. Consumers enjoyed the different flavour that the salt brought from the meat. As a result, we already have a substantial number of orders for Christmas 2017.

"This response has encouraged us to invest in our own Himalayan salt chamber on the farm. We expect to be producing meat from the chamber within months," he adds.

Buchanan's was established in 1990 by Mr Buchanan, a first generation farmer. The company has developed a portfolio of innovative products from its own turkey flock as well as lamb, beef and pork sourced from other local farms.

Other recent innovations include lamb burgers and mutton steak. It has also created a range of original sausages from beef, pork, lamb and dry-aged bacon.

All the products are processed in a modern plant on the farm ensuring provenance and complete traceability.