Artisan triple for Northern Ireland McCartney's Butchers

McCartney's Butchers of Northern Ireland gained three gold awards in the recent All Ireland Butchers' Awards. The gold award products were steak and kidney pie, handmade corned beef, and traditional pork sausages.

McCartney's, owned and managed by George McCartney and brother Gordon, was named Supreme Champion in the UK Great Taste Awards in 2011/12.

Gordon McCartney, commenting on the All Ireland awards, says: "These traditional products are a new take on old fashioned favourites and are in demand from all age groups and in the current economic climate they suit all income brackets."

The All-Ireland Artisan Butchers Awards is a joint venture between the Elite Butchers of Northern Ireland and the Craft Butchers of Ireland. Organiser, Michael O'Kane, says: "We wished to showcase the pride and passion that artisan butchers have for their trade and their customer needs and to raise public awareness and knowledge of the artisan butcher."

The Elite Butchers Association and the Craft Butchers of Ireland are self-help groups whose members share their expertise in order to enable them to offer traditional meats, exotic dishes and economy dishes, which originate from quality assured farms and which are fully traceable. All of the products are produced in state-of-the-art premises under the strictest hygiene conditions.

Kieran McAtamney, chairman of the Elite Butchers, says: "We have workshops in each member's shop and exchange ideas and products. We have also arranged education and information trips to Holland, Chicago and Switzerland. At our monthly meetings we have speakers who assist us in many aspects of our business such as shop decor, stress management, customer care, staff training and innovative ideas."

Hugh Maguire, from Ashbourne in County Meath, president of the Craft Butchers of Ireland, adds: " We have to offer the consumer a unique service and a unique product in order to survive in today's economic climate. Product evaluations like this contribute to that aim, but we must also be ahead in shop décor, good hygiene practices and advice to the consumer. For example, in my own shop we send staff on cookery courses so that they can deal expertly with consumer enquiries."

The event was held in the Bank Restaurant, Newry, Northern Ireland, and products were evaluated in both the raw and cooked states for eye appeal, creativity, taste and flavour. They were judged by Jenny Bristow, the Northern Ireland celebrity chef, and chef, Martin Kiernan, who is managing director of Kiernan Food Ingredients Ltd in the Republic.

Jenny Bristow says: " When judging we saw both innovation and a new twist on traditional products. We have sampled handmade corned beef, piri piri steak kebabs; chuckling duckling; beef and black pudding meat loaf; chicken, apricot and pistachio terrine and a host of innovative and traditional products where the taste, eye appeal and level of innovation have to be experienced to be believed. These butchers are offering the consumer both an eating experience and meal solutions."