Enterprising Ballyclare couple gain global award as ‘Best in Northern Ireland’ for premium burgers and biltong

KeNako’s tasty ‘Trouble at the BBQ’ biltong, dry-cured beef, was the most successful from Northern Ireland at the international awards in London.

The judges described the KeNako’s beefy biltong as “a good looking farm house salami that’s moist with a mild flavour of venison and good texture all the way through”.

The global success of one of our smallest beef processors came as ABP Linden Foods in Dungannon, among the biggest, clinched ‘Britain’s Best Burger’ in the UK Meat Industry Management Awards in Birmingham for wagyu beef burgers produced for Marks and Spencer (M&S) Food.

Linden, part of ABP Ireland, an internationally successful meat business, used beef from a number of Northern Ireland farms in the award-winning burgers. The award, therefore, is also a significant boost for beef farms here.

The recognition in both awards was a substantial develop for Northern Ireland’s £1 billion meat processing industry, one of the region’s biggest exporters. Two other major processors, Dunbia in Dungannon and Downpatrick’s Finnebrogue, were also shortlisted in the awards.

“ABP Linden Foods in collaboration with M&S set out to push the boundary of beef available in retail shelves. The aim was to develop something new and different that other retailers weren’t doing at the time. The result is our wagyu beef, an exquisitely marbled lean cut with the characteristic fine white layers of fat that run through to intensify flavour,” explains Diane Christie, ABP Linden’s head of Innovation.

KeNako was part of the first-ever World Charcuterie Awards (WCA) which featured over 400 products entered from 17 countries and judged by more than 40 experts

This was the first time all the countries have pitted their products against each other – the traditional producers in Italy, Spain and France against the new world innovators in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, US, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.

Alanagh, commenting on the prestigious global recognition, says: “We are thrilled to receive this important award. It’s great to see KeNako and, of course, Northern Ireland beef on the map internationally at this significant competition for charcuterie.”

Ilse and Alanagh cut, dry-cure and produce the tasty and spicy beef snacks, coiled sausages and other cured meats, such as salami and chorizo, on Ballylagan Organic Farm, near Ballyclare, using 100% Northern Irish meat sourced from the farm and other local suppliers for customers here, in Great Britain and the Republic.

They have created a unique biltong recipe using organic beef brisket and silverside that’s cured in organic red wine vinegar with a rich blend of spices from salt, black pepper, coriander seeds, nutmeg, and cloves before being air-dried in dedicated premises on the farm. They also use Dr Trouble spicy sauces from a supplier in Southern Africa.

KeNako has successfully established biltong, in particular, for healthy snacking here, a direct result of their participation at a host of events such as markets in Belfast, Hillsborough and Antrim.

“Biltong is growing in popularity because it’s rich in protein and especially popular with rugby players and other sports people as an aid to recovery after training and games,” Alanagh says. “This is because it’s an excellent source of vital minerals like zinc, iron, magnesium and vitamin B-12; all essential for the body to function.”

Biltong is also wheat and gluten free.

“Since biltong is cured and not cooked, it retains more of the nutrients than cooked meat as the cooking process can break some of these down,” Alanagh, a food nutritionist, explains.

Ilse, a butcher and chef originally from in Pretoria in South Africa continues: “‘We were delighted to have received this important recognition for our biltong in a international competition which could be very helpful as we seek to grow our business in Britain. It’s becoming a very important market for us.

“Profile and endorsements are great because they increase awareness of our novel meat products among consumers here, in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland,” adds Alanagh.

The company is now at the forefront of the charcuterie eating revolution in Northern Ireland that also includes other award-winners Corndale Farm Free-Range in Limavady and Ispini in Moira. They were joined recently by Curly Pigs in Tempo using heritage pigs. South Africa’s Moorcroft Foods has also set up a plant specialising in biltong in Bangor. Moorcroft won a bronze medal in the World Charcuterie Awards.