Tyrone butchers acclaimed the “Best in Ireland’ by food experts
A family butchers in county Tyrone has gained the prestigious ‘Best in Ireland’ award from the influential McKenna Guides.
Lowe Bros Master Butchers in Stewartstown, a third generation shop which first opened in 1955, won the 2022 award after being recognised by influential Irish food writers John and Sally McKenna.
Kevin Lowe, whose father and uncle started the business, took over the shop in 1979. “We are absolutely delighted to be recognised with this prestigious award,” he says. “We have worked so hard on the shop and our products to make it the best it can be.
"This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and to the support of our wide ranging customer base, whom we would like to take this opportunity to thank,” he adds.
The guide describes Kevin Lowe as “a driven and dedicated man, devoted to his craft and his trio of shops throughout County Tyrone, driven to keep improving, to keep getting better, to stay ahead of the pack”.
“The result of his passionate stewardship of the family firm’s history and tradition is a series of outstanding shops, places where you can buy everything from onglet to a lemon drizzle cake, a stuffed pork fillet to a chicken kiev, a Cornish pasty to a steak pie.
“The Lowe shops are truly exceptional, bright and shining retail spaces behind which are a massive series of preparation areas which the public don’t see, but which keep the shelves of this mighty empire stocked. People travel great distances to shop in Kevin’s stores, and that comes as no surprise: the shops are delightful, and the service is beyond good: helpful; polite; informed; gracious.
“Most importantly, they have everything you might need. Take a trip to Lowe’s and you can fill the fridge and the freezer and eat like a king, whether you want something quick and tasty, or want that special tomahawk steak for that Big Green Egg weekend barbecue. Kevin Lowe and his team are driven and dedicated, and all of us are the lucky beneficiaries of their devotion. And every week, they are getting better and better,” it adds.
Kevin added that the judges for the award came all the way from West Cork to visit the shop, with Lowe Bros being judged on its building and the quality of produce.
He said: “We take a lot of pride in what we do here and it’s great to see our efforts being recognised.
"We are dedicated to building upon our success and in 2020, we made a substantial investment into the expansion of our premises in Stewartstown.
"This expansion includes a state of the art kitchen, bakery and innovation room together with additional butchery preparation areas.
“There is another major investment on the way as we are planning to double the size of our premises here, with a focus on high end ready meals.”
Kevin Lowe, centre, with members of his team at the shop in Stewartstown