Kildare-born butcher wins Lifetime Achievement Award

Some of Ireland's finest food producers were honoured at the annual Irish Food Writers' Guild (IFWG) Awards held this week.

Now in their 25th year, the IFWG Food Awards celebrate indigenous food producers and organisations, north and south of the border, who help to maintain Ireland’s reputation in food and drink.

This year, three producers from Northern Ireland were selected for an award, which exemplify the all-island approach to food production that the industry takes.

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Peter Hannan (58) runs Meat Merchant in Co Down which sells products all over the world and has an annual turnover of millions of euro.

But he had humble beginnings as he was one of five boys growing up a family farm in Celbridge, Co Kildare.

After leaving school at 16, Peter went straight to work for an abattoir close to his Co Kildare home and the industry fascinated him.

He later gradually worked his way up to becoming a top operator in the meat business.

Kristin Jensen, chairperson of the IFWG, said: “With the food industry gearing up for the impact of Brexit and with the threat of UK tariffs a real possibility, it is incumbent on us all, government, industry and consumers, to protect and support our abundance of incredible food producers, who have played a significant role in helping position Ireland as a food tourism destination.”

The awards were hosted at Glovers Alley, with a special lunch devised by executive chef Andy McFadden which incorporated the produce of each winner into the dishes.

The awards are unique in that no producer can enter themselves or their product into the awards and no company knows it has been nominated or shortlisted for an award.

The Guild is the sole nominating and decision-making body. The exception to this is the Community Food Award, for which the Guild invites nominations every year from the general public as well as their own members.

The winners of the 2019 IFWG Awards are: