Published: Thursday, 4th March, 2010 1:54pm

Kettyle Irish chicken rules the roost in Food Awards

Maurice Kettyle with his award.

A local company has won a major award from Ireland's top food writers.

The Irish Food Writers' Guild Awards announced in Dublin on Monday honoured Maurice Kettyle of Kettyle Irish Foods for his free range chickens.

According to Chairperson of the Irish Food Writers' Guild, Orla Broderick;"Kettyle Irish Foods is an innovative food company, producing a variety of speciality food products developed out of the 500 acre family farm in Co

Fermanagh, which mainly reared beef for export to Europe and beyond. In 2004 Maurice Kettyle realised that there was a niche market for the very best of Irish food products such as dry-aged beef, Lough Erne Lamb,

naturally reared Irish rosé veal and really good chickens.

"It is for the excellent eating quality of Fermanagh Free Range Chickens that Kettyle Irish Foods received an award. Chicken with a texture and well-developed flavour that attracts the attention of the leading chefs

and speciality food retail outlets is a rare bird these days. Maurice Kettyle, with the aim of producing chicken that is good to eat, has developed a programme that involves good husbandry, good welfare, good

feeding and a carefully thought out processing system.

"These chickens are genuinely free to roam and scratch around outside in paddocks. The combination of exercise and a carefully planned programme enables the chickens to grow slowly and naturally without having to resort to restricting their diet to stop them getting too big.

"Like all animals, a stress-free end has a beneficial effect on the eating quality. Add skilled butchery, a process that does not use water, and the end result is tender, fully-flavoured, succulent flesh - chicken like it used to be."