Doherty's in Northern Ireland launches 'Big Dogs'

Doherty's, the Northern Irish specialist in Superior Irish Pork sausages, including gluten-free, burgers and meatballs for leading UK retailers including Asda, Tesco and Ocado, has launched Big Dogs for hotdogs.

The company, based at Londonderry, has developed the new sausages, available in 400g packs of four pork sausages at around £2. The sausages are made with 53 percent Irish pork and without any added colours.

Brian McQuaid, sales manager at Doherty's, commenting on Big Dogs, says: "The new sausages are a response to the growing demand we've seen particularly in Britain, a key market for us, from consumers seeking bigger sausages for use in hot dogs and for other meals.

"We have a strong reputation in Britain for premium Irish pork sausages and so it made sense to us to carry this standing forward in our Big Dogs," he adds.

The family-owned and managed company has a heritage in quality meat processing stretching back over 150 years and six generations and is widely acknowledged throughout Ireland as one of the leading processors of quality meats that also include bacon as well as black and white puddings.

James Doherty opened his butcher's shop in Derry in 1830. The business was continued by his son and grandson and by 1945 comprised a small retail chain owned by Thomas J Doherty.

In that year our current chairman, James Doherty joined his father in the business and began a process of expansion and development into processed beef and pork products.

The company has also won awards from free-from bodies for its range of gluten-free sausages.

The company's sausages in particular are already listed by Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco in Northern Ireland. Doherty's has BRC Grade A accreditation and operates from a modern HACCP approved processing plant in Derry city.