Star treatment for Abernethy handcrafted butter

Abernethy Butter, Northern Ireland's hand churned butter business, has been named as a Food Star in a UK Government food promotion initiative.

The small artisan business, Ireland's original producer of hand churned and rolled butter, has been named as a UK Food Star by Food minister Elizabeth Truss.

The minister said Food Stars will champion and celebrate the excellence of UK food and drink businesses. She described food and drink production as "one of the UK economy's great successes".

Abernethy Butter had been selected "from hundreds of award-winners in recognition of your innovative breakthrough business that is forging an exciting future in food and drink".

As a Food Star, Abernethy Butter will be part of a select group of businesses which will be offered a package of events, learning and collaboration in the year ahead.

Food Stars from all over the UK will be showcasing products at a major event in London on 26th February, an event which will "shine a spotlight on Britain's world-leading food and drink businesses".

The minister said it will be "a day of inspiration, celebration, recognition and support."

Abernethy Butter is run by husband and wife team Will and Allison Abernethy.

The company's natural and smoked butter is hand churned at Dromara, County Down and is now on sale in over 60 delis and farm shops across Northern Ireland. In addition, the butter is used by top chefs including Heston Blumenthal and Marcus Wareing.

The artisan business, formed in 2005, is now seeking to build on its growing popularity in Northern Ireland by developing business outside the province.

Allison Abernethy, says: "We are honoured and delighted to have achieved this important recognition and to be part of such an inspirational initiative. It is a very significant boost for our business."

The enterprising couple use only traditional techniques on their 66 acre Beechtree Farm, which has been in Will's family for generations. They source cream for the butter from a local farm that grazes cows on the lush green pastures of the Lagan Valley in County Antrim. All that is added to the natural butter is a pinch of salt.

What the couple have done is to carry forward successfully a tradition of hand churning butter on local farms; The Company has also gained Great Taste Awards for its butter and fudge.