THINGS ARE looking up for the humble Irish sausage. A team of French food experts is travelling to Ireland this week to knight five people for their services to the sausage and pudding industry. They include the producers of Europe’s top sausage – McGettigan’s of Donegal town – as well as craft butcher Des Doyle from Greystones and chef Neven Maguire.
The Normandy-based Commanderie des Fins Goustiers du Duché d’Alençon is dedicated to the promotion and recognition of the highest quality meat products from Europe.
It runs the European Championships for sausages and pudding, and awarded the best sausage in Europe to the McGettigan brothers in November for their hickory and maple pork sausage.
Ernan and Diarmuid McGettigan also won a Grand Prix of Excellence for their pork curry, banana and mango sausages, while their traditional pork sausages won a Grand Prix of Honour at the same competition.
Ernan was knighted by the group in November and, on Saturday, they will travel to Donegal to honour his brother Diarmuid. The award should encourage them in their plan to start distributing their sausages outside the county.
Neven Maguire of MacNean’s Bistro in Cavan will be knighted by the group at a ceremony in Dublin on Thursday for his support of local produce.
John Hickey and Dave Lang from the Association of Craft Butchers in Ireland will also be knighted this week for their work in promoting artisan producers.
Mr Lang said Irish sausage- and pudding-makers had become the toast of Europe since they entered the championships a few years ago: “We are genuinely surprised that Irish butchers have been doing so well. They seem to be winning everything.”
This is the latest in a series of accolades for Irish butchers. In March, Nolan’s of Kilcullen was named Best Butcher Shop in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales at the Countryside Alliance Annual Awards in London.
And McCarthy’s of Kanturk has won awards for its pudding, including a gold medal from La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goûte Boudin (the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Black Pudding).
Rosscarbery Recipes and Kelly’s of Newport have also been honoured by that brotherhood for their black pudding. Mr Lang said the artisan producers always knew the value of their products but this international recognition brought their work centre-stage.
