Northern Irish Moyallon bacon is 'revolutionary'

Moyallon dry-cure bacon from Northern Ireland's award winning Hannan Meats has won gold in the Great Bacon Revolution Awards. The company also collected a bronze medal for the smoked variety of the Moyallon dry-cure bacon.

The latest awards for Hannan Meats were announced ahead of Bacon Connoisseurs' Week, which is taking place between18-24 March, by BPEX.

These new awards follow earlier recognition of the company's new 'Roman Bacon' as Most Innovative Product and Best Cured Product in the BPEX Foodservice Awards for Best Pork Products.

Bacon Connoisseurs' Week, now in its seventh year, was established to communicate to consumers that 'not all bacon is the same'. The week also aims to highlight to consumers our rich heritage of bacon curing and how many different varieties of premium bacon are available.

The Bacon Revolution Awards, held as part of a weeklong programme of marketing activities, are designed to put premium cures in the spotlight as part of a national campaign to boost sales of pork and bacon products.

Moyallon bacon was successful in the high profile competition which was open to all retailers, butchers, chefs and manufacturers of quality assured bacon, including Red Tractor, in Britain.

There were four categories in Great Bacon Revolution Awards: Classic Dry Cure, Traditional Wet Cure, Smoked Cure and new for 2013, the 'Revolutionary Rasher Award'.

Peter Hannan, managing director of Hannan Meats, said: "Winning four major awards from such an important trade body as BPEX is a marvellous endorsement of the outstanding taste and quality of our portfolio of bacon products.

"Our focus has always been on creating deliciously different taste experiences for customers in both foodservice and retail. They are based on our rich heritage in dry curing techniques, pioneered by our company, using only the best quality and completely traceable raw materials."

BPEX butchery and product development manager Keith Fisher said: "Bacon Connoisseurs' Week is a unique platform to educate consumers about different cures and drive wider understanding of the quality assured supply chains that help deliver great bacon to their plates. And what better way to do so than by showcasing and rewarding the very best varieties available today?"

Moyallon Guanciale, another cured product developed by Hannan Meats, was named Supreme Champion in the UK Great Taste Awards 2013. The company also gained a record number of gold stars for its bacon and beef products.