Global chef Rick Stein enjoys culinary adventure with Northern Ireland meat guru Peter Hannan

Peter, who has won a host World Steak Challenge and UK Great Taste awards over more than 30 years in business, features in Rick Stein’s Food Stories, described as “a culinary adventure around Great Britain to discover the food that we love to eat today”.

"We are thrilled to be part of such an important focus on food in the UK,” Peter says. “It’s a marvellous endorsement for use and the wider local food community that’s now driven by quality, outstanding taste and innovation at every level.”

The Northern Ireland steak leader’s products are scheduled in the edition on February 15 on BBC2 at 6.30pm. Featured will be Hannan’s Himalayan Salt Aged Delmonico Ribeye Steak that’s cut for sharing.

Peter, a FoodNI director, explains: “This allows more control when cooking to achieve the perfect temperature of around 52 to 54C. The important thing about any steak is in the resting. A steak this size will hold its temperature for 20-30 minutes, the slice, share and enjoy.”

The food programme says:“From Cumbria to Bristol and Suffolk to Belfast, the people that Rick meets and the food” and drink he finds will inspire new recipes galore for people to recreate at home. 30 of which will feature in the series and countless more will be celebrated in the accompanying Rick Stein’s Food Stories book which will be out in September.

Having been a chef for over 50 years, Rick has come to realise that the food we eat tells a story about who we are. From traditional dishes to those that we’ve made our own – meeting producers, some of our best chefs and those keeping traditions alive to see how food brings us together.

Rick continues: “The series is about my travels around Britain and Northern Ireland trying to get a handle on what is British cuisine today. Behind every dish there’s a story, big or small. From fish and chips to Pad Thai noodles, from chicken tikka masala to square sausages in a bun for breakfast on the streets of Glasgow.”

New recipes involving the products showcased will also feature in Rick’s restaurants.

“There will be a dish from the series on each of our menus – from appetisers to desserts – something new to look forward to. In particular, our cutlery is primed to try salt cod fish cakes that hail from Bristol and something sweet inspired by a visit to James Dyson’s strawberry farm in Suffolk.”

Peter, who was awarded the MBE in 2021 for services to the local economy, has been successful in exporting premium steaks to Britain, the Republic of Ireland and other parts of Europe including top restaurants and high-end retailers such as the iconic Fortnum and Mason Food Hall in London.

Vastly experienced in meat processing, Pete, a father of three, founded Hannan Meats Ltd in Moira, Co Armagh in 1989. It started as a catering butchery business for hotels and restaurants on the back of an extensive career in managing meat processing plants in Ireland, the UK and the US.

Hannan Meats, which employs around 30 people, has since become a major supplier of premium quality beef, pork and lamb to restaurants and hotels throughout the UK and Ireland and further afield.

The company pioneered the use of Himalayan salt-aging meat to enhance flavours and textures. It currently operates the world’s biggest Himalayan salt chambers and has won a series of international awards for the quality and taste of its beef, bacon and lamb.

In addition, the company pioneered the development of a novel sugar-pit process for enhancing the flavour of pork, ham and bacon. It sources from local farms including the award-winning Glenarm Estate shorthorn in Co.Antrim.

This pioneering work has led to unrivalled success in the UK Great Taste Awards organised by the influential Guild of Fine Food. Hannan Meats has won the Supreme Championship twice and more Great Taste Awards than any other producer in the UK.

Hannan Meats also operates the hugely successful Meat Merchant wholesale outlet in Moira, which is open to the public and also features hundreds of artisan foods from other producers.

In addition, the company through subsidiaries En Place Foods in Cookstown and Craic Foods in Craigavon has developed a range of multi-award-winnng sauces, relishes and vinegars to accompany its meats.

En Place and Craic Foods also work with other smaller food companies on the development of innovative products.