Glebe Wagyu Beef in Faughanvale, Co Derry, street food trader Pyke’N’Pommes of Derry city, and Donegal craft butchers Gallagher’s of Castlefinn have come together in a new ‘farm to fork’ partnership.
Joe McGinnis of Glebe Wagyu Beef says under the new deal, their beef will be supplied exclusively to Pyke’N’Pommes and and cut to order for them by Gallagher’s. “It’s an ideal partnership because it secures sales for us via a small local butcher for processing, which guarantees a more affordable price for Pyke’N’Pommes, and total traceability for them and their customers.”
Pyke’N’Pommes owner and chef Kevin Pyke says Wagyu beef – which originated in Japan – is world renowned for its unique marbling, flavour and tenderness. “I’m delighted that I will now have an exclusive supply of local Wagyu Beef because it is important to me to know exactly where my beef is coming from and I prefer to work with local suppliers too,” says Kevin.
“Small farmers like Glebe Wagyu Beef have a passion for what they do, and the herd is grassfed, which makes for better meat. I have been a chef for 20 years and I have never tasted beef like it! It will be great for the people of Derry and visitors to the city to sample steaks of this quality – cooked to order,” says Kevin, who hopes to have the Wagyu beef steaks from the end of February.
Joe McGinnis of Glebe Wagyu Beef, says Wagyu beef is reared by only a handful of farmers on either side of the border and is expensive when imported from Australia or the USA import but it can now be sold at more reasonable prices under this new deal. “The partnership will also involve Donegal craft butcher and owner Brendan Gallagher of Castlefinn, who is passionate about quality and flavour, and has over 40 years’ experience preparing beef.”
Brendan Gallagher of Gallagher’s Butchers, a long-established family business, says they hang their beef to dry age it for at least 21 days and monitor the aging process, in the traditional manner. “It’s not coming out of a plastic wrapping, and this process produces beef which is full of flavour and tenderness.” Gallagher’s supply other high end customers such as Harvey’s Point Hotel in Donegal and Browns Restaurants in Derry and Donegal.
The partnership was announced by Joe McGinnis of Glebe Wagyu Beef, who rear Wagyu fullblood and crossbreeds along the rich grasslands on the shores of Lough Foyle. “Under this deal, Pyke’N’Pommes get an exclusive local supply of our beef for their customers, the animals go direct from us to Gallagher’s, and Kevin Pyke can order exactly what cuts he needs from them. “
Kevin says he plans to use the whole animal, not just the prime cuts, to make traditional fare like marrow bone butter and oxtail soup, which has vanished from many homes and menus.
“There is total quality control from farm to fork and we are all equally passionate about what we do,” says Joe. The 80-strong Glebe Wagyu Beef herd is made up of Wagyu fullblood and Wagyu crossbred with Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn , Dexter and Irish Moiled cattle, reared on the rich Faughanvale grasslands along the shores of Lough Foyle.
Wagyu beef originates from Japan and is now also bred abroad mainly in Australia, the US, and Canada as well as more recently by a small number of farms on the island of Ireland and across England, Scotland and Wales. You can find both Glebe Wagyu Beef and Pyke’N’Pommes on Facebook.
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For further information: Trish Hegarty +353 86 1740057 email trish@iniscommunications.com