The food industry is constantly evolving, and one of the major trends in recent years has been our willingness to try new flavours and cuisines.

One small business looking to exploit that is Meadow Farm Quality Foods, based on a farm in the townland of Tullysaran just outside Armagh city.

Set up in 2015, it specialises in the production of smoked meats. Owner Martin Rafferty keeps suckler cows and beef cattle on his 60ac farm, but for most of his career has worked as a butcher in the meat trade for various businesses across Ireland.

About 10 years ago he saw an opportunity to service a growing market among Eastern European people living in Ireland, looking for some traditional cuisine. “Smoked meats are very popular on the continent, and initially our business was mostly targeted at people from Eastern Europe. But demand is growing, mainly because consumers want to try something different,” he says.

The business produces a range of smoked meats including duck, chicken, gammon, turkey, beef and pork. It is cooked on site, and then traditionally smoked, mainly using oak chips. It can be served up either hot or cold.

“We take a lot of pride in our craft – it is all about locking in that intense flavour,” says Martin. The meat is sourced locally from the likes of Linden Foods in Dungannon and Rockvale Poultry based in Richhill; but could he cut costs by using imports from outside Ireland? “I wouldn’t entertain it – we have more than enough raw material in this country – the quality wouldn’t be the same,” he responds.

Production Operator Marek Radzikowski vacuum sealing retail packs. \ Houston Green

He currently employs five people in production, and his daughter Ciara has now joined the business as a quality control manager, having completed studies in food at Loughry campus in Cookstown. A farm shop on site is open on Friday to 8pm and on Saturday to 2.30pm, retailing products under the Orchard Smokehouse brand.

The business has secured some retail listings, and also supplies hotels and restaurants across the island. But with COVID-19 hitting that food service trade, volumes sold through that channel are down. As well as the farm shop, Martin also has regular customers at weekly markets in Monaghan and Newry.

“We have been steady over the past few months, however, we can see that demand from hotels and restaurants is starting to pick up again,” he says.

Kick start

The business has now secured a place on Lidl Northern Ireland’s Kick Start Supplier Development Programme. It will mean that smoked chicken and smoked turkey products will be on the shelves of 202 Lidl stores across the island of Ireland, for a limited period (normally around 15 to 16 days).

Martin Rafferty checking some of his finished product. \ Houston Green

“It is a great opportunity for us to showcase our products across Ireland to a new audience,” says Martin. The Lidl programme, which is now in its third year, is designed to help small- and medium-sized local food and drink producers grow their business.

It also offers access to expert-led seminars covering issues such as quality control, packaging and building a brand.

The cooking and smoking process

To create the unique flavour of smoked meat, Martin firstly marinates the product before cooking. It is then taken to the smoker.

Oak wood chips tend to be the most popular wood used in smoking, as it compliments most meat products.

“The smoking process is essentially about filtering the smoke through. It takes between 15 and 25 minutes depending on the size of the joints” says Martin.

In Eastern Europe, they tend to use a heavy smoker, but Martin describes his product as lightly smoked.

“Our pallets wouldn’t be the same as Eastern Europe,” he points out.