McCarthy’s were proud to win three awards at the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland competition this year.
Cork may not have brought home Sam or the Liam McCarthy cup this year but all has not been lost as Jack & Tim McCarthy, McCarthy’s of Kanturk ran away with cups at this year’s Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland (ACBI) National Sausage and Pudding Competition and Speciality Foods Competition, winning Best Black and White Pudding and the Supreme Speciality Food Champion title for their Smoked Air Dried Beef at this year’s awards held at retail and hospitality expo, Food and Hospitality Ireland in Citywest . Cork did the double in 1990 and the McCarthy’s did the treble this year.
John Hickey CEO, ACBI presented Jack McCarthy owner and of McCarthy’s Butchers in Kanturk with the prestigious accolades.
The competition has been running for over 11 years now says ACBI, who were delighted to say that this year was an extremely successful year for entries, with over 40 finalists in the National Sausage and Pudding Final and over 100 entries flooding in for the Speciality Foods Competition. The competition was judged by the highly knowledgeable Leslie Williams, food writer for the Evening Herald and Irish Examiner and member of the Irish Guild of Food Writers and the very experienced Marilyn Bright also a member of the Irish Guild of Food Writers.
Overall the judges were impressed with the quality and innovation of the products, Leslie Williams Food Writer for the Evening Herald and Irish Examiner was very impressed by the quality of the products saying, “Craft Butchers know about Irish food and using the very best of Irish ingredients. Getting the balance of flavours right while still tasting the quality of the meat is key to cooking with Craft Butchers meat. Craft Butchers are expert craftsmen and are central to our Irish food heritage. You cannot go wrong if you start off with good quality meat from your local Craft Butcher.”
Leslie Williams described McCarthy’s Black Pudding as being “full of flavour and well-seasoned” and their White Pudding as “nicely balanced with good texture and perfectly seasoned.“ Their Supreme Champion title winning Smoked Air Dried Beef was described as being “expertly crafted slices of beautiful beef, bursting with flavour.”
Julie Cahill Marketing Manager ACBI said “McCarthy’s Butchers produce so many innovative products using traditional techniques; from Black Pudding fit for a queen to Beer Cured Black Bacon to Smoked Air Dried Beef, they continue to keep meat interesting. McCarthy’s have the perfect balance; they practice traditional butchering techniques but yet are contemporary in their product offering which is key to meeting consumer demand and changing lifestyle trends, they are at the top of their game when it comes to quality Irish meat.”
The McCarthy’s were delighted with the win on the day, thanking all their staff and loyal customers, “I am delighted with the win, we take quality meat and turn it into creative award winning products, we put a lot of time, energy and passion into what we do, it is a marvelous achievement, it’s good for business and it’s good for Kanturk.”
Jack and his son, Tim McCarthy, are fifth generation butchers in the family run shop in Kanturk. McCarthy’s are well known for their value-added beef and pork products. McCarthy’s bacon and rashers have won international awards and the Blackpudding has received acclaim from the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Blackpudding and was even served to the queen at the banquet on her visit to Ireland in 2011.
With quality at the foremost of their minds, and the clean air and lush pastureland providing healthy livestock, you can rest assured that Jack and Tim will source the finest meat for your plate.