Kanturk butchers ‘worth the detour’ for itsbreakfastmeats- toprestaurantcritic
Duhallow business notches up another accolade after produce is served up to foodie royalty
THEY’VE won umpteen awards for their sausages, rashers and pudding and had their fare served to the Queen of England - and now Kanturk’s artisan butchers have added another accolade to their breakfast roll of honour.
Renowned critic Georgina Campbell has recognised McCarthy’s Butchers in Kanturk in her annual awards by presenting the artisan victualler with her Breakfast Meats award.
“It’s a great one to win,” said Tim McCarthy, the sixth generation of the McCarthy family in the butchery trade.
While the award was presented in February, they ‘made no commotion’ about it until the past week due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
“We’re very lucky to have been able to continue trading as we’ve seen our neighbour suffering badly.
“A lot of pubs we’d have been supplying meats to for barbecues and the like during the summer are closed and the food service restaurant business has also suffered.”
The Duhallow shop emerged as winners in a tough field after participating in a tasting session at Dublin’s Intercontinental Hotel. Alongside Georgina Campbell herself, prominent TV chef Rachel Allen was also an adjudicator.
In the citation, the McCarthy family butchers were described as an ‘institution defnitely worth a detour’ by Georgina.
“Jack McCarthy and his son Tim come from a long line of butchers that have been perfecting their techniques and developing new and value-added meat products since1892.
“Colourful recent highlights in the McCarthys’ careers include a visit from 23 members of the French Brotherhood of the Knights of the Black Pudding, no less, who presented Jack with a Gold Medal for his fresh blood pudding - and they created a bespoke pudding to serve at the state banquet celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Ireland in 2011 too.
“Today, in their recently redesigned shop, they stock an exceptional range of fantastic meats including local free range pork, Aberdeen Angus beef, local Duhallow milk lamb and free range chicken, and you’ll also find highly regarded speciality products here including spiced beef, air-dried beef - and their sought-after Ardrahan cheese & smoky bacon sausage.”
According to Tim, the past number of months since they won the award have been very challenging. “It’s been a quare time,” he said.
“It’s great to get an acknowledgement like this from peers and critics,” he said.
Their regular customers and visitors who’ve tasted their fare will know well the reason for the award and, of course, the increased profile it brings may lead to more people making a detour to Kanturk for the town’s meaty attraction.