Peter Hannan’s visionary plans for growth of tasty food unveiled

The owner of multi-award-winning Hannan Meats in the village, one of the UK and Ireland’s most successful processors of premium meats, Peter is developing a visionary artisan food hub for smaller producers that could mean a host of new foods and greater availability of existing products here and abroad.

Peter has acquired the former Tannery bar/restaurant, a 10,000 square foot site with surrounding land, outside the picturesque village and plans to convert it into state-of the-art facilities for smaller food producers.

Already lined up for the development are Abernethy Butter and Ispini Charcuterie, two award-winning artisan enterprises.

“We’ve exciting plans for the site that will assist the growth of our artisan sector that’s been making a significant contribution locally and in Britain and the Republic,” says Peter. “It’s a sector with immense potential in both short and long-terms,” he adds.

Peter acquired Abernethy Butter a couple of months ago on the retirement of founders Will and Allison Abernethy and vowed to ramp up production of the unique butter to meet the growing demand from restaurants, fine food retailers and bakeries in Britain and broad.

He aims to make the luxury butter, launched in 2005 in Dromara, County Down, by the Abernethys, more widely available. He stepped in to buy the business to ensure the survival of the widely-acclaimed butter that’s used by top chefs, food stylists including Nigella Lawson and iconic London retailers Fortnum and Mason and Harrod’s.

Peter’s also been working closely with Ispini owner Jonathan Cuddy to increase sales of the award-winning cured meats. This has included a distribution agreement with Craigavon’s Craic Foods, a small company he owns with chef Paul Clarke producing relishes, chutneys and other products for chefs in particular. Some of the products developed by Craic Foods may also be switched on completion of the new food hub.