Two for Hannan Meats in Top 50 Foods…so far
Hannan Meats, the Northern Irish catering butchery business, is among the first companies to be listed by the UK Guild of Fine Food in this year's Top 50 Foods.
The company now has two Top 50s to its credit.
Hannan, based at Moira in county Down, was listed first by the expert-judging panel for its salt-aged fillet steak in the Top 50 Foods, part of the prestigious Great Taste Awards 2014.
The judges described the steak as "very special fillet steak that is dry-aged on the bone."
"Hats off to another exemplary piece of meat from Peter Hannan and his salt-aging chamber", they said.
The judges said the fillet steak, which is aged in the world's biggest Himalayan Salt Chamber at the company's Northern Ireland plant, "carried a wonderfully balanced flavour and delivered a great after taste".
The second product from Hannan Meats to be listed is Himalayan Salt Aged Rib of Beef. The judges described it as "pure beef genius", saying the beef, aged in a salt chamber for a minimum of 28 days "melts in the mouth". They applauded the "flavoursome fat and tender texture of the meat".
The fillet steak and rib of beef are among seven bacon and beef products that gained Hannan Meats three-star ranking in this year's Great Taste Awards.
The company, which has an artisan focus combined with the capability to deliver, has been in business for 21 years and now includes many of the top restaurants, particularly the network of upmarket eateries run by celebrity chef Mark Hix, in the British Isles, France and Portugal among its customers as well as leading retailers such as Fortnum and Mason in London.
Hannan Meats was named Supreme Champion in the Great Taste Awards 2012 and has now gained 128 gold stars in the past four years - more than any other individual company in the event's history.
Hannan's beef was also chosen to represent the UK meat industry in the recent GREAT British promotional event organised by UKTI in Istanbul.
All the company's beef is sourced from its own network of farm suppliers including the highly regarded Glenarm Organic Irish Shorthorn herd in county Antrim and Irish Hereford farmers. They are chosen because of their commitment to the highest animal welfare standards.
The company invested in first Himalayan Salt Chamber four years ago as part of a strategy to develop beef, bacon and lamb with original flavours and firm texture. The company now has two chambers using salt blocks from the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range in Pakistan. The blocks date back millions of years.