Hannan Meats opens door to iconic London store for smaller NI producers

Local food entrepreneur Peter Hannan of Hannan Meats in Moira organised a unique showcase last week to enable artisan companies here to pitch for business from one of his most valued customers in Great Britain.

An eight-strong buying team from Fortnum and Mason, the iconic London department store with an impressive food and drink food hall, met a group of local artisans at Hannan Meats during their visit to the Moira business that’s among the most successful meat producers. Hannan Meats has international reputation for its multi-award winning Himalayan salt-aged beef and lamb and its sugar-pit bacon.

The buyers were visiting Hannan Meats as part of a longstanding business relationship with the company that’s widely regarded as amongst the most innovative meat processors in the UK and Ireland.

Hannan is a longstanding supplier of premium beef to the historic store in London’s Piccadilly

“We were hosting a new buying team and decided to introduce them to some of the wonderful products from a number of local producers of foods we believe could be successful for them in Britain,” explains Peter, who recently gained an MBE for his outstanding contribution to economic development in Northern Ireland.

“It’s long been our practice to enable buyers from Britain and elsewhere to taste local food and drink from other producers, especially artisan enterprises, when we have them here,” adds Peter. “Fortnum and Mason has always been keen to explore new and different products which might appeal to shoppers from the London area. Management there has invested – and continues to invest – in the very best food and drink.”

Long a driving force in the wider food and drink industry, Peter has helped dozens of smaller artisan enterprises on the road to business success in Britain.

Peter, who has won a series of UK Great Taste Awards and Blas na hEireann Irish National Food Awards for his meats (sourced especially from Glenarm Estate in Co Antrim), has been supplying the London grocer and high-end restaurants across Britain, Ireland and other parts of Europe for many years. Hannan Meats is the only food enterprise to have twice won the prestigious Supreme Champion title in the highly influential Great Taste Awards.

A commitment to food innovation led Peter to invest in the world’s largest Himalayan salt chambers for aging beef and lamb to create uniquely delicious meats. This focus on innovation led to the development of convenience food such as meat pies and sausage rolls, the latter winning Blas na hEireann gold and bronze awards at the finals of the competition in Dingle, Co Kerry last October.

Among the artisan and smaller producers given the opportunity to pitch for new business in Britain with Fortnum and Mason by Peter during the important buying visit were: Abernethy Butter, Dromara; Ballylisk Cheese Craigavon, Baronscourt Sika Venison, Newtownstewart; CRAIC Foods, Craigavon; Corndale Farm Charcuterie, Limavady; and En Place Foods, Cookstown.

Samples of other local foods were also available for the team to taste during the one-day visit. These included Two Stacks Distillery from Newry, and Giant Basalt Rock Gin from Bushmills, to name but a few.

The buyers also visited Glenarm Salmon, another longstanding local supplier, and enjoyed lunch in the Castle of salmon and other local produce.

Many of the products at the event in Moira are also on sale on the shelves of the Meat Merchant, which began life as a food factory shop for local consumers to enjoy the high quality meats exported by Hannan Meats to high-end food stores and restaurants in Britain and other parts of Europe.

He opened the Meat Merchant in 2001, effectively the first factory shop here (at a meat plant). It has since been expended twice due to the outstanding popularity of his meats. I hear on the grapevine that a major refurbishment and extension are on the cards this year to cater for the regular 2,500 visitors per week it attracts.

The popular Meat Merchant was subsequently developed as an extensive deli by Peter with the addition of a huge range of locally sourced food and soft drinks. It continues to develop as an immensely important aspect of the business and as one of Northern Ireland’s most successful farm shops specialising in local food, attracting regular customers from many parts of Ireland.

Hannan Meats was founded in Moira, Co Armagh in 1989 by Peter on the back of a successful career in managing meats processing plants in the UK, Ireland and US. Hannan Meats, which employs around 30 people, has since become a major supplier of premium quality beef, pork and lamb to restaurants and hotels throughout the UK and Ireland and further afield.