Food NI members score in World Steak Challenge 2019
Two Food NI member companies gained a series of awards in this year’s prestigious World Steak Challenge 2019 in Dublin.They were among four from Northern Ireland to collect a total of eight awards in what is regarded is the world’s most important competition for beef products. The successful Food NI companies were:
Hannan Meats of Moira, owned by Food NI board member Peter Hannan, gained four golds for its grass-fed Glenarm Shorthorn ribeye and sirloin products. The company has enjoyed similar success in the past – two golds in 2016 and a similar number the following year.
Kettyle Irish Meats in Lisnaskea, part of Dungannon-based Linden Foods, won gold for its grass-fed fillet steak. The company, headed by Maurice Kettyle, also gained silver for grass-fed sirloin.
The other Northern Ireland winners in the prestigious international competition were Foyle Food Group in Londonderry which gained gold for its grass-fed ribeye and silver for its fillet, and Hilton Foods in Carrickfergus, a silver winner for grass-fed sirloin. Foyle also won bronze for its sirloin.
The awards were based on the verdicts of a team of international experts in the challenge organised by Global Meat News publication.
Congratulating the local winners, Michele Shirlow, chief executive of Food NI, says: “The awards are tremendously important in highlighting the supreme quality of our meat on a global stage. I congratulate our members and the other successful local companies.
“These achievements are another example of why Northern Ireland has developed into the World’s Best Food Destination. It’s because of the outstanding quality, taste and provenance of our meat in particular and the professionalism of all our producers.”
Aidan Fortune, editor of Global Meat News adds: “This year’s World Steak Challenge was the most fiercely contested yet.”
Overall, 75 accolades were received from producers in Irelandespecially ABP Group which has processing operations in Lurgan and Newry.
Entries were received from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, the US and Uruguay.
