Taste champion Peter is serious about investing in premium sauces

Taste champion Peter Hannan is diversifying The Meat Merchant, the successful retail arm of his multi-award winning Hannan Meats, a specialist in premium beef, bacon and lamb, in Moira, to develop new market opportunities he has spotted in current challenging conditions.

The highly respected meat mogul, who has won a record 28 UK Great Taste Awards for his products especially quality beef aged in the world’s biggest complex of Himalayan salt chambers and sugar-pit cured bacon, has spearheaded the development of a portfolio of original sauces to accompany the meats sold in The Meat Merchant, now among the most popular butchery businesses here with customers from Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Hannan Meats has become the most successful food producer in the history of the Great Taste Awards, an annual taste fest organised by the influential Guild of Fine Food in Britain.

The novel sauces are part of a number of innovations being progressed by Peter to expand the business which has long been a preferred supplier of meats to top chefs in restaurants and hotels in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

The enterprising company is also a leading supplier of meat to high-end hospitality operators in Europe and Asia. The ambitious business is steadily recovering business with hotels and restaurants paused during the lengthy coronavirus lockdown.

Peter, the founder and managing director, outlining the thinking behind the decision to launch the new Meat Merchant branded sauces, says: “We’ve been thinking about introducing our own sauces for our range of premium meats for some considerable time. It’s a logical extension of our business and a response to Meat Merchant customers who’ve been asking us over many years for guidance on sauces to accompany our meats.

“It made business sense to extend our hugely successful retail operation. The decision was also influenced by the coronavirus lockdown which gave us an opportunity to look at opportunities to diversify and expand the business. The Meat Merchant is a very well-known and successful brand with consumers especially in the UK and Republic of Ireland. The shop’s popularity also grew during the lockdown.

“Our high-end retail partners such as Fortnum and Mason in London and James Whelan Butchers in the Republic were extremely important during this immensely difficult time. Both continued to do good business during the lockdown and helped to reinforce our identity for supreme quality meats among consumers in both markets.”

Planning for new sauces is the outcome of extensive research in both markets to access consumer preferences and pinpoint gaps for original and different sauces.

“Our thinking about the sauces, in addition, was influenced by Meat Market customers.

“We asked them about the sauces they would like to see on our shelves,” he continues.

“Our colleague Paul Clarke at En Place Foods in Cookstown, who has unrivalled experience in developing successful sauces, pastes, tapenades and relishes for this business and other producers here and in the Republic, worked closely with us in creating rich flavours for diners to accompany our meats.”

The new and delicious sauces are the outcome of this winning combination between a passionate producer of premium meats and a pioneer in sauces and other meal accompaniments.

The first seven sauces, developed in association with En Place, also a winner of a string of Great Taste Awards and Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards, include M1 Steak, Habanero Hot, Sweet Chilli, Buffalo Wing, and Rib.

All the new products are under The Meat Merchant brand and are also being marketed within the ‘Serious about Meat’ theme.

In addition, fresh tomato sauces are in the pipeline for use with pasta dishes or pizza. The Meat Merchant is also using the pasta sauce for sourdough balls from Zac’s Bakehouse, near Ballymena, which supplies freshly baked sourdough bread to the butchery business

The Meat Merchant, located close to Hannan’s Moira plant and its extensive Himalayan Salt complex, sells the company’s meats at wholesale prices.

In addition, the shop stocks a host of foods from other Northern Ireland artisan producers. Many smaller enterprises have, in fact, begun their retail journey with business from The Meat Merchant.

“We are keen to encourage and assist the very many amazing local suppliers producing original and tasty foods here. We help them on their journey by preparing products for retail success,” Peter adds.

“Many of those companies, I am delighted to say, have gone on to win Great Taste awards and then to secure worthwhile sales in Britain and the Republic.”

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