Global boost for outstandingly tasty steaks from local processors

The three gold winners were Foyle Food Group, Londonderry; Hannan Meats, Moira; and Kettyle Irish Foods in Lisnaskea.

The trio collected awards for superb fillet, ribeye and sirloin cuts from a panel of experts charged with selecting the very best red meat from many parts of the world. The local processors will now be in line to win the ultimate ‘World’s Best Steak’ title in November.

Peter Hannan, the founder and managing director of Hannan Meats, a multi-award winning producer that’s famed internationally for developing the world’s biggest Himalayan Salt Chamber for ageing meat, says: “It’s always very encouraging to see our products rated among the world’s premium quality tastiest steaks. We take the utmost care in producing world-class meats that customers here and further afield love.”

Maurice Kettyle, managing director of Kettyle Irish Foods, part of Ireland’s ABP Group, adds: “These awards are important in terms of highlighting the quality and innovation of our products, especially those from our unique Salt Moss chamber in Lisnaskea.”

Kettyle developed the award-winning meats in collaboration with Marks and Spencer, while Foyle’s products were processed for Tesco.

The awards coincide with a major red meat promotional campaign in Britain highlighting the quality and benefits of eating red meat. The current ‘Let’s Eat Balanced campaign 2024, launched by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, is building on its success last year in encouraging more consumers to eat more beef and lamb.

Launched in 2015 to deliver a recognised stamp of quality to support world class steak production on a global platform, the World Steak Challenge gives steak producers from across the world a unique opportunity to benchmark product quality, breed credentials and processing standards on the international stage.

The local winners were among 333 medals awarded at the 2024 judging. Of the total, 112 were gold medals.