Cork butchers win quality food award

By Alison Healy

Barry Brothers, who run Carrigmore Meats in Conna, were presented with the Supreme Award in the Irish Food Writers' Guild Awards this week. The awards, sponsored by Ballygowan, seek to recognise products of the highest quality.

Mike, John and Dave Barry started their butchering business in East Cork in the seventies. Then, as regulations became more stringent, they were faced with two options: get out or invest everything in the business.

In 1996, they took the latter option, demolishing their premises and building a state-of-the art factory. They only supply the home market and have a completely traceable system in place, long before it was called for.

The brothers only take beef from one- to two-year-old heifers reared by farmers known to them personally.

The judging committee of food writers lauded the Barry Brothers for producing "well hung beef of superlative quality, taste and texture."

The citation for the Supreme Award read: "How often do you hear the lament `Beef isn't what it used to be,' or how often are you asked the question `where can I get a decent hunk of old-fashioned, well-hung beef?' Well, if you live in Munster, particularly within shouting distance of Dungarvan or Fermoy, chances are you can get it in a local Centra, Mace or SuperValu store ö thanks to Barry Brothers. Their commitment to good old-fashioned quality points the way forward for the home market meat trade."

In the same awards, a Clare farming couple were honoured with an award for excellence for their sheep's cheese, Cratloe Hills. Over ten years ago, Deirdre and SeÄn Fitzgerald pioneered sheep dairying on their farm at Brickhill. Looking to the future, they could see that they would have to diversify if they were to have a future in farming. They decided to make cheese from their sheep's milk, thus keeping control over the quality of their raw material.

Sheep's cheese was a very unusual product at that time but today they produce over six tonnes of Cratloe Hills sheep's cheese every year. The cheese is stocked in all the specialist cheese shops as well as many supermarkets, health food stores and airports.

Meanwhile, the Lifetime Achievement Award in food has gone to Peter Corrigan, who has been described as the champion of the family butcher. He is joint secretary of the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland, which is an amalgamation of the various butchers' organisations.

Peter has been involved with the meat trade since he was 11. He started out as a part-time butcher's boy after school and eventually went on to run a chain of shops. Over 50 years ago he joined the Dublin Master Victuallers Association. According to Georgina Campbell, Chairperson of the Food Writers' Guild, he has "brought amazing energy and commitment to the organisation and to the running of the national skills competitions for apprentice butchers. In an age when family butchers are under severe threat from all sides, Peter has, by sheer effort of will kept their spirits up, their skills honed," she said.

Praise for other products

King Sitric Fresh Seafood with Sauces got a highly commended prize in the Ballygowan Awards for its innovative product which is fresh fish with a serving of real sauce.

Connacht Gold from NCF was honoured for its success in meeting the challenge of low fat spreads head on with its unique low fat butter.

The Offbeat Bottling Company from Bangor in Co. Down got a certificate of nomination for its gourmet jams, marmalades and preserves.