The Fermanagh-based premium meat business, Kettyle Irish Foods, has launched its own website shop with a select line of its salt moss dry-aged beef retailing in 22 of Tesco’s stores in Northern Ireland. Formerly only available through high-end restaurants and eateries, these developments follow on the heels of a significant awards haul for Kettyle products. In the past 3 months alone Kettyle cuts have received 13 food critic and industry accolades including Gold at the 2023 World Steak Challenge in Holland plus five awards at the Irish Blas na hEireann Awards and several star-ratings at the prestigious UK Great Taste Awards.**
“We are delighted that these developments bring the outstanding flavours of our salt moss dry aged produce to a wider market,” explains business founder Maurice Kettyle. “The investment in online means that steak enthusiasts and home cooks can obtain our showstopping meats and restaurant speciality cuts in just a few clicks via https://shop.kettyleirishfoods.com/. All orders are chill-packed, posted and delivered fresh to the doorstep within 24 hours.”
The extensive online selection of prime beef and steak cuts includes Dexter Thor’s Hammer – a unique cut to Kettyle, along with Kettyle’s King Arthur Joint, Marrow Burger; Guinness Burger; Lamb Rack; Fillet Steak, Tomahawk Steak, and an innovative, versatile Bone Marrow Melt Chubb. Whilst supermarket shoppers in Northern Ireland can now choose from a select beef range exclusive to Tesco.
Having grown up on the family farm, Maurice Kettyle founded the business in Lisnaskea Co. Fermanagh just over a decade ago. By applying his knowledge of animal husbandry, diet and welfare to develop the Kettyle brand he put a commitment to sustainable sourcing at the core of the business. Over ten years later and the business is now part of ABP Food Group and employs 46 people. Local sourcing and sustainability remain at the heart of the brand. “We know that consumers are increasingly seeking locally sourced, sustainable produce and our traditional values align perfectly with this demand.”
Only the very best Irish grass-fed cattle from small-scale, family farms on the island of Ireland make the Kettyle cut. Maurice also pioneered an original dry aged craft and went on to patent his own salt moss dry-ageing process using local Irish Sea salt and organic seaweed only. Premium cuts of meat are dry aged within a handcrafted Irish salt brick chamber to remove moisture. This renders the fat to a dry flakiness resulting in quicker caramelisation on the pan and a better eating experience. The texture, depth and concentration of flavours is entirely unique to the Kettyle brand. Today Maurice along with a small team of artisan butchers continue to create and test the cuts in a bespoke atelier and state of the art tasting kitchen to ensure only the very best products are added to the range.