​Tasty celebration of Moira, Northern Ireland’s foodie town

By Sam BUtler
Published 11th Aug 2023, 16:00 BST
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​Dozens of Great Taste award winners will be taking part in Northern Ireland’s only Speciality Food Fair in Moira next Saturday, a colourful event which has helped to establish the town as the region’s food hub.

Home to the only two local companies which have won the coveted Golden Fork Supreme Champion title in Great Taste – Hannan Meats, which has won the title twice, and McCartney’s Butchers – Moira will host the first and biggest Great Taste showcase here since this year’s awards were announced by the Guild of Fine Foods in London.

The awards put Peter Hannan of Hannan Meats in the running for a third premier title. Among the most successful companies this year was Hannan Meats, a winner of an amazing 24 gold stars.

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Hannan also runs The Meat Merchant in Moira, now one of the most popular butchery and deli businesses in Ireland.

Peter Hannan of Moira’s Hannan Meats has twice won Great Taste Supreme Champion and is in the running for a third. He also runs The Meat Merchant, a successful farm shop in the townPeter Hannan of Moira’s Hannan Meats has twice won Great Taste Supreme Champion and is in the running for a third. He also runs The Meat Merchant, a successful farm shop in the town
Peter Hannan of Moira’s Hannan Meats has twice won Great Taste Supreme Champion and is in the running for a third. He also runs The Meat Merchant, a successful farm shop in the town

Peter says: “Moira is an ideal food location that’s at the heart of an extensive and supportive community that loves good food from local suppliers. It really is a foodie town.”

Taking part in the unique fair, which is organised by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council in Moira Demesne, will be a number of the artisan and smaller companies which racked up almost 150 Great Taste stars this year.

McCartney’s Butchers, famed for its sausages and silverside roast beef, also operates a successful restaurant, coffee shop and deli.

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Other local enterprises have won Great Taste recognition, including charcuterie pioneer Jonny Cuddy of Ispini, who runs a small shop on Main Street.

Moira has become Northern Ireland’s foodie townMoira has become Northern Ireland’s foodie town
Moira has become Northern Ireland’s foodie town

Caroline McArdle of Cobden and Brown is a successful chocolatier in Moira and Hughes Craft Distillery at the Stillhouse gastro pub produces potato vodka and fruit-infused liqueurs. Run by chef Aaron Heasley, Moon Gelato is another popular specialist in authentic Italian gelato.

Really ignited in 2016 by Food NI’s Year of Food and Drink, Moira continues to thrive as a foodie destination and recently saw the opening of Pizza Street. Massimo Fierro of Pizza Street spent years running an Italian restaurant in England. Massimo and wife Dee decided to move back to Northern Ireland and to open the venture on Main Street.

The town also features fine dining restaurants such as Wine and Brine and Newforge House.

Related topics:Northern Ireland