Irvinestown -based, Millar Meats and Fine foods has been named among the top food and drink producers globally this year, picking up a highly prized Great Taste award for not one product but two: County Fermanagh grass reared sirloin and locally reared prime rib.

Described as “ having a stunning aroma, the judges could truly taste the pasture which in turn shows good husbandry of the animal.

The meat has good depth and length of flavour, The dry ageing by the butcher is bang on too and has been very well judged”.

This grass reared sirloin was a big hit with the Great Taste judges.

Commenting on the awards, Stephen Millar said: “We are thrilled to have once again won Great Taste awards for our products. We are so proud to be continuing to add the prestigious black and gold Great Taste badge of honour to our sirloin and rib eye steaks. Last year we achieved awards for fillet steak and fillet on the bone so we are delighted to be endorsed for the quality of our other dry aged products.”

He added: “Being recognised with a Great Taste award winner means so much to independent producers such as myself, as it makes all the hard work and determination worth it.

“Great Taste is the most recognised accolade for taste and quality in the food and drink industry, so it’s a huge moment for us. To us and our customers it verifies our products excellence in terms of high quality local produce, Stephen concludes.”

Great Taste is recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike. It is organised by the Guild of Fine Food and values taste above all else.

All products in the line-up for judging are blind tasted: every product is removed from its packaging so it cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process.

This year, judging took place over 89 days in Dorset and London, with a panel of more than 500 judges putting the products to the test.

The line-up saw food and drink products submitted from an extraordinary 109 different countries across the world with the very best from Fermanagh.

14,195 products were put through the competition’s rigorous blind judging process; and Millar Meats and Fine Foods was delighted to once again receive this highly sought after award. A Great Taste 1-star means– ‘food that delivers fantastic flavour’, only 5,904 products across all food and drink categories received a Great Taste award in 2023 (which is only 41.6 per cent of the total products entered).

Millar Meats and Fine Foods, Irvinestown extends a warm welcome to anyone visiting the Fermanagh County Show this weekend.