Dungannon-based ABP Linden has secured two major accolades at this year’s FMT Food Industry Awards, held at the Royal Garden Hotel, London recently. The recognition is an endorsement of ABP Linden’s leading innovation and premium product development within the food industry.
ABP Linden was awarded Best New Product Development for its M&S Collection Salt Dry Aged King Arthur Sirloin of Beef Joint with Blackthorn Salt. This premium 28-day aged bone-in sirloin joint stood out to judges for its exceptional craftsmanship and flavour profile. Aged on the bone in ABP Linden’s unique salt-drying chamber, the joint is expertly prepared by master butchers, diamond scored and rubbed with Blackthorn salt. The result is a product that delivers a deep, intense beef flavour with a succulent, tender texture. The product was launched in the Marks & Spencer Customer Food to Order catalogue in 2024, designed to serve 8 people making it perfect for those larger family events.
ABP Linden also won Best Frozen Product for its M&S Collection Frozen British Beef Fillet Wellington. This standout frozen product features hand-trimmed beef fillet, prepared for maximum flavour and tenderness. It is topped with a mushroom duxelle made by ABP Linden and wrapped in all-butter puff pastry. Launched in 2024, this product can be found in the frozen section in Marks & Spencer stores. It offers the ultimate convenience, delivering perfect results cooked from frozen. The ABP Linden NPD team wanted to create a product which would deliver the perfect beef wellington without all the worry. It serves four comfortably and offers the classic conveniently with no compromise on flavour.
In addition to the FMT award, this product was also named Best Retail Frozen Product at the 2025 British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) Retail Awards recently, following an intense judging process over 12 weeks involving hundreds of consumers and a panel of professional chefs.
The FMT Food Industry Awards is the premier awards initiative for the UK food manufacturing and associated sectors, organized annually by Food Management Today. The programme consists of a rigorous judging period by a panel at the West Midlands regional food academy. It honours innovation across a range of the food industry’s sectors, including manufacturers, processors, retailers, foodservice, packaging manufacturers, product innovators and training schemes.
The FMT awards were accepted by Lesley Ann Shaw, NPD Product Manager, and Diane Christie, Head of Innovation at ABP Linden. Diane Christie commented:
“These award-winning products were developed to offer the perfect solution for a stunning centrepiece to surprise and delight guests and family. To be recognised across two categories by industry peers is a fantastic achievement for all at ABP Linden. It reflects our commitment to developing innovative, high-quality products in partnership with M&S. It also recognises the hard work and dedication of all who ensure we deliver high quality products each day”