Hat-trick for Hannan Meats in Great Taste Awards

Hannan Meats, the Northern Irish gourmet specialist, has achieved a hat-trick of Top 50 products in the prestigious UK Great Taste Awards, again courtesy of its unique salt-aging chamber.

The company, based at Moira in county Down, gained the third listing for its sirloin, which was dry-aged on the bone, had judges begging to know who made it.

They said the salt-aged sirloin had: "A good layer of fat and lovely colour, really appealing. Superb, full flavour that keeps going in the mouth. Succulent, moist and outstanding."

Hannan Meats, winner last year of the Supreme Champion title for its unique Italian-style guanciale pork cheek. Hannan was awarded 44 gold stars in this year's Great Taste Award, an annual competition organised by the UK Guild of Fine Food.

Hannan's gold stars included a record seven at the highest three star level.

Hannan, a specialist in gourmet meats for foodservice in Great Britain, the Republic and Northern Ireland, has

The other Top 50 listings secured by Hannan among the 29 food and drink products already named are: - Salt-aged Glenarm Shorthorn beef; and Salt-aged Euro Angus cote de boeuf.

In addition to the three products from Hannan Meats, two other Northern Ireland companies have had products listed in the Top 50. They are McCartney's Butchers, winner of the Supreme Champion title in 2011/12, also based in Moira and En Place Foods (UK), Cookstown, county Tyrone.

En Place is jointly owned by Peter Hannan, managing director of Hannan Meats.