Northern Ireland-produced Moyallon guanciale named Supreme Champion in Great Taste 2012 awards
Product details:
The County Antrim company, founded in 1991, first started producing its own guanciale after extensive research and discovering the product was extremely difficult to source in the UK and now also Italy.
An un-smoked pigs jowl, or cheek, is dry-cured with fennel, thyme, sugar, peppers and spices for three weeks. During the curing process garlic and red wine is periodically added to produce a bacon-style product which has a stronger pork taste than pancetta but has a more delicate and buttery texture.
It is a very popular product in pasta recipes originating from Umbria and Lazio in central Italy and is currently being used by restaurants and chefs in the UK including Mark Hix.
Earlier this week the product beat nearly 9,000 other products to be named Supreme Champion at the Great Taste 2012 awards announced at The Royal Garden Hotel, London.
USP:
It is believed Hannan Meats' Moyallon guanciale is the only one being produced within the UK.
Price:
The price for foodservice buyers can differ however an approximate guide price of £12 per kilo is given.
Availability:
Moyallon guanciale is available direct from the producer which makes direct deliveries to London twice a week. Hannan Meats is also in talks with distributors to add the product to their lists.
Anyone looking to purchase the product should contact Hannan Meats direct on 028 9261 9790.
Why should you buy it?
Bob Farrand, the Guild of Fine Food chairman, said: "This is simply an exquisite example of a product that has its roots in Italy but has been made brilliantly in Great Britain. Our judges were unanimous in their appreciation of the guanciale which uses traditional skills to turn what is essentially a humble pig’s cheek into a sublime dry–cured bacon – almost a case of making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear."
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