Foster praises UK Taste Supreme Champion food from Moira

The family butchers won the accolade for its handmade Corned Beef in the final stage of the Great Taste Awards for 2011. It is the first time the Supreme Champion food award has been won by a Northern Ireland company.

In addition, McCartney’s corned beef was named Best Speciality Food in the Northern Ireland regional section.

The unique double for McCartney’s was announced at the banquet, held by the UK Guild of Fine Food, to showcase the successful companies from this year’s Great Taste Awards and reveal the overall Supreme Champion and UK regional Best Speciality Food winners.

McCartney’s reached the final stage following its achievement of three gold stars in a list of first stage winners announced in July. McCartney’s corned beef came top of 42 food products from the UK and Ireland which subsequently reached the final judging stage in the annual competition.

The Minister said: “It is a marvellous achievement by McCartney’s to bring the Supreme Champion title to Northern Ireland for the first time in the history of the UK Great Taste Awards. It’s also tremendous to learn that five of the six expert judges gave McCartney’s corned beef their top marks. I am sure that this superb achievement will lead to great sales success, particularly in Great Britain.”