New dry cured lamb bacon from Hannan Meats

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Award winning taste specialists Hannan Meats in Northern Ireland has expanded its successful range of cured meats with the introduction of a dry cured lamb bacon.

The company, owned by Peter Hannan and based in Moira, county Armagh, is dry curing lamb striploins in its Himalayan salt chamber using a special rub developed by top chef Paul Clarke, the managing director of En Place Foods in Cookstown, county Tyrone.

En Place is another multi-award winning business part owned by Peter Hannan. The small company specialises in a portfolio of richly flavoured seasonings and other ingredients especially for chefs and has also won a host of UK Great Taste Awards.

The unique rub, developed by Mr Clarke with Hannan’s expert curing team, features rosemary, juniper and a touch of black pepper.

The new lamb bacon, now on sale to foodservice customers, is the latest in a range of cured meat products launched by Hannan Meats, now the most successful food producer in the UK and Ireland in the Great Taste Awards.

The company has twice won the supreme title in the prestigious awards and has more gold stars than any other food producer.

Mr Hannan, commenting on the new lamb bacon, says: “We’ve recently strengthened our curing team as part of our longstanding focus on expanding our existing range of cured meats.

“We’ve enjoyed great success already curing beef and pork and decided to see how lamb flavours could be enhanced using our expertise and our Himalayan salt chamber.

“We cure the lamb slowly to allow the unique rub from Paul Clarke to create fantastic flavours. Feedback from our tastings has been immensely encouraging.

“The new dry cured lamb bacon is a further example of our longstanding focus on developing uniquely tasty meats for our foodservice customers in the UK, Ireland and other parts of Europe,” he adds.

Award for Kettyle Irish Foods in World Steak Challenge

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Food NI member company Kettyle Irish Foods was recognised for the quality of its ribeye steak in the prestigious World Steak Challenge 2018.

Kettyle won a silver medal for its Aberdeen Angus grass-fed ribeye in the annual challenge.

Kettyle Irish Foods, established by Maurice Kettyle and based at Lisnaskea in county Fermanagh, is part of Linden Foods om Dungannon, county Tyrone, is a joint venture with ABP Ireland.

Kettyle specialises in gourmet meats including beef aged in salt moss. The company has won a series of awards including UK Great Taste Awards for its meat.

While the World Steak Challenge is designed to benchmark the quality of beef production against other international competitors and establish a quality mark that everyone can trust, only 10 percent of the total marks are awarded on the taste of the beef and just 40 percent in total on how it eats. Most marks go to how the meat looks.

Overall there were 45 gold, 37 silver and 54 bronze winners. Entries came from 22 countries, a record number since the competition began in 2015.

The organisers say success in the competition and the independent stamp of excellence that comes with it can be used as an integral part of a marketing campaign to build exports and drive sales in home markets.

It also provided an opportunity to engage with consumers to celebrate the joy and benefits of eating steak as part of a healthy balanced diet and highlight the quality and standards of steak production around the globe.

Bushmills Whiskey boost for charcuterie in Northern Ireland

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Bushmills Irish Whiskey is aiming to give Northern Ireland’s burgeoning charcuterie sector a helping hand to grow products and sales especially in international markets.

The distillery, based at Bushmills in county Antrim, is continuing its #BlackBushStories collaborative event series this summer, showcasing and celebrating the stories of Irish talent who have gone against the grain to follow their passion and become champions in their chosen field.

Northern Ireland has a developing sector that includes award winning craft producers such as Corndale Farm in Limavady, county Derry and Ispini in Aughnacloy, county Tyrone.

A collaboration with Cork native, Rob Krawczyk, will see the chef and charcuterie master host a meat curing masterclass at D.I.V.E Belfast on Tuesday 24th July in association with Bushmills Irish Whiskey Ambassador and acclaimed bartender, Paul Rocks.

Rob is currently one of Ireland’s top trending chefs having recently opened his very first venture, Restaurant Chestnut, in Ballydehob. The intimate, 18-seat dining destination features its own smokehouse and in-house charcuterie.

Having worked under a string of high profile chefs including Michelin star chef Richard Corrigan in London, Alice Waters of Chez Pannise in San Francisco, and Martijn Kajuiter of Michelin-starred Cliff House Hotel, the renowned chef is flying the flag for all-Irish charcuterie, backed by his father, Frank Krawczyk, who set up West Cork Salamis in the late 1990s.

The ‘Black Bush Cured’ interactive event will open with Paul delivering an educational tasting session on some of Bushmills’ best-loved whiskeys, sharing the history and heritage of the iconic Irish brand. Rob will then present a hands-on charcuterie masterclass where attendees will be taught how to cure and smoke meat. The evening will close with guests having the opportunity to sample Black Bush®, expertly paired with one of Rob’s own creations –Black Bush Spiced Beef – which brings out the rich character of the whiskey and, in turn, the whiskey enhances the subtle cure mix of spices in the beef.

Inspired by the supreme craftsmanship, passion and care that goes into the premium blend of Bushmills Black Bush, #BlackBushStories celebrates the stories and talents of independent, spirited and extraordinary Irish individuals who challenge traditional thinking in their fields and live outside the box. A series of immersive collaborator events are being held across the country’s leading venues this summer. Each event celebrates those who have pioneered their craft with phenomenal success and have had the determination to nurture their talent to be the best they can be.

To register for ‘Black Bush Cured’ and to hear more about Rob’s story, visit blackbushstories.com. To join in the conversation and keep up to date with the #BlackBushStories series, follow Bushmills Irish Whiskey on social media.

 

 

Double gold for Shortcross in Gin Masters 2018

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Food NI member Rademon Estate Craft Distillery won two golds for Its popular Shortcross Gin in the latest Gin Masters as part of the annual Spirits Business Awards 2018.

Rademon Estate Distillery in Crossgar, county Down won gold for its original Shortcross Gin and its Shortcross Gin Bartenders Series Edition 1.

The Gin Masters is the most prestigious UK competition for distilleries. The awards reflect the industry’s remarkable growth worldwide including in Northern Ireland, where there are now six gin distilleries.

Shortcross was the first craft gin distilled in Northern Ireland in over a century when it was launched in 2012 by husband and wife team David and Fiona Boyd Armstrong.

Shortcross includes unique botanicals such as clover harvested from the estate.

The sector’s evolution is also evident in the growth of The Gin Masters itself, with medal count quadrupling in 2018 compared to five years ago. I

Innovation has become the lifeblood of the category, but producers must ensure the quality of their liquid is high to retain consumer trust. The gins were also tasted by an independent panel of experts in London.

BUSHMILLS IRISH WHISKEY COLLABORATES WITH IRISH CHEF TO HOST CHARCUTERIE MASTERCLASS

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 ‘Black Bush Cured’ will see worlds of Irish Whiskey and charcuterie combine 

Bushmills, Northern Ireland, 5th July 2018: Bushmills® Irish Whiskey is continuing its #BlackBushStories collaborative event series this summer, showcasing and celebrating the stories of Irish talent who have gone against the grain to follow their passion and become champions in their chosen field.

A collaboration with Cork native, Rob Krawczyk, will see the chef and charcuterie master host a meat curing masterclass at D.I.V.E Belfast on Tuesday 24th July in association with Bushmills Irish Whiskey Ambassador and acclaimed bartender, Paul Rocks.

Rob is currently one of Ireland’s top trending chefs having recently opened his very first venture, Restaurant Chestnut, in Ballydehob. The intimate, 18-seat dining destination features its own smokehouse and in-house charcuterie.

Having worked under a string of high profile chefs including Michelin star chef Richard Corrigan in London, Alice Waters of Chez Pannise in San Francisco, and Martijn Kajuiter of Michelin-starred Cliff House Hotel, the renowned chef is flying the flag for all-Irish charcuterie, backed by his father, Frank Krawczyk, who set up West Cork Salamis in the late 1990s.

The ‘Black Bush Cured’ interactive event will open with Paul delivering an educational tasting session on some of Bushmills’ best-loved whiskeys, sharing the history and heritage of the iconic Irish brand. Rob will then present a hands-on charcuterie masterclass where attendees will be taught how to cure and smoke meat. The evening will close with guests having the opportunity to sample Black Bush®, expertly paired with one of Rob’s own creations –Black Bush Spiced Beef – which brings out the rich character of the whiskey and, in turn, the whiskey enhances the subtle cure mix of spices in the beef.

Inspired by the supreme craftsmanship, passion and care that goes into the premium blend of Bushmills Black Bush, #BlackBushStories celebrates the stories and talents of independent, spirited and extraordinary Irish individuals who challenge traditional thinking in their fields and live outside the box. A series of immersive collaborator events are being held across the country’s leading venues this summer. Each event celebrates those who have pioneered their craft with phenomenal success and have had the determination to nurture their talent to be the best they can be.

To register for ‘Black Bush Cured’ and to hear more about Rob’s story, visit blackbushstories.com. To join in the conversation and keep up to date with the #BlackBushStories series, follow Bushmills Irish Whiskey on social media.

 

Michael Deane listed in top 5 UK Restaurateurs

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Renowned Belfast Chef & Restaurateur, Michael Deane, has been shortlisted to the top 5 Restaurateurs in the UK for the prestigious Catey Awards which take place in The Grosvenor Hotel in London this week.

He will line up alongside some of the greats of the culinary world in these Islands including well known Chef & Restaurateur Richard Corrigan.

The organisers of The Catey Awards say the winners are the business leaders, innovators and household names in the industry and they stand out from the crowd, holding the crowning glory in any illustrious hospitality career. The awards are judged by expert panels of senior industry figures ensuring that The Cateys remain the most sought-after accolades in UK Hospitality.

Speaking before he left for London Michael Deane said ‘It is a huge honour for me, my team at Deanes and the city of Belfast that I will be in this illustrious line up in London. Our philosophy at Deanes has always been to set the standard for the best quality and the best value eating out experience in our city. To be in this list in the UK is exceptional recognition of what we strive to do seven days a week’.

Michael Deane has been at the helm of Deanes Restaurants in Belfast for 21 years and is recognised as having played a major role in revolutionising the eating out scene in the Province which is now burgeoning and significantly contributing to the growth of the tourism industry here. Today the Deanes empire has grown to seven different outlets across the city covering a wide spectrum of experiences from Michelin Star dining in Deanes Eipic to the ever popular Deanes Deli Vin Café with its cool and casual vibe.

Over the years both Michael Deane personally and Deanes Restaurants have been widely recognised with a host of awards including his seventeenth Michelin Star over the twenty one years of Deanes in Belfast. He himself has been named UK Chef of The Year and Deanes has been awarded Restaurant of The Year in Ireland on four occasions.