Northern Irish meat showcased by top London chef
Top chef and restaurateur Mark Hix is showcasing meat from his Northern Irish supplier, Hannan Meats, at a unique feast for gourmands in his Oyster and Chop House restaurant in London next month.
Hix, owner of seven high-end restaurants, has created 'An Evening with Hix, Hannan and Hutton' at the restaurant, near London's Smithfield Market, with a characteristically different and deliciously meaty menu for the dinner on 1stOctober.
Featuring on the menu is the award winning 'Mighty Marbled' beef from Hannan Meats in Moira, County Antrim, the meat processor which gained an all time record of 26 gold stars in this year's UK Guild of Fine Food's Great Taste Awards. Hannan was also the recent recipient of the Hix Supplier Award for its superb range of meats and exceptional service.
Meat for the prestigious event is being aged for richer flavours in the Himalayan salt chamber at Hannan Meats, the only one of its type in Europe. The beef will be aged in the salt chamber for six weeks before being shipped to London for the event.
Diners will be briefed about cooking steak by Hix, how Hannan Meats selects its meat from grass-fed Glenarm Shorthorn, European Angus, and Hereford animals bred and raised in Northern Ireland by Peter Hannan, and the best wine for a fabulously beefy menu by John Hutton of Fields Morris Verdin, the respected London wine merchant.
Hannan Meats is a leading supplier of meat products to the acclaimed Hix chain in London including The Tramshed at Shoreditch, the most recent addition to one of London's most successful catering businesses.
Mighty Marbled sirloin, which was one of the 'star' meats selected by the Great Taste judges, is already the Signature dish at the Tramshed restaurant.
Mr Hannan, who founded the business in 1992 to supply premium quality meats to up-market restaurants, hotels and caterers, says: "This is a marvellous endorsement of the quality and innovation of our meat and our service from one of the UK's most respected and successful chefs.
"It's a tremendous privilege to be working with Mark, and Kevin Gratton, group executive chef, and their very talented team of chefs, on the creation of succulent meats for dishes that diners will find truly memorable.
"Our recently installed salt chamber of over 1,000 hand cut blocks from the foothills of the Himalayas is enabling us to offer the team of chefs supreme dry-aged meat with a stunning flavour. The Himalayan salt is exceptional in terms of purity and its flavour enhancing qualities.
"The salt wall creates the perfect environment over the ageing period, and concentrates the flavour of the meat. It purifies the air in the room, producing a clean and fresh atmosphere," he adds. "Working in the Chamber is like going for a walk on the beach".
Hannan Meats produces a broad range of beef, pork, bacon and lamb sourced from Northern Ireland suppliers.