Easy to spot by the queue forming out into the street, and still in the McCartney family after nearly one and a half centuries, this flower-decked shop in the pretty village of Moira is one of the oldest and best-loved butchery businesses in Northern Ireland.
Renowned especially in Northern Ireland for their Award Winning Sausages (you'll see them on menus throughout the province), this impressive business is committed to supporting local farmers; all meat is sourced within the province and shoppers come from far and wide to buy it.
The exceptional quality of their products is well known within Ireland but an independent endorsement is always welcome and third generation George McCartney - who has been in the business for nearly half a century - has plenty of those.
Most notably, in 2011, his Handmade Corned Beef not only achieved a 3 Star Gold award in the Great Taste Awards, it was also named as one of Britain's Top 50 Foods and went on to become the Supreme Champion 2011. Following ion that success, George - whose corned beef is prepared to an old recipe of his grandfather's (which he says has required no adjustment) - paired the beef with a new Sweet Cured Corned Pork, which also went on to win a 3 Star Gold Award in 2012.
And, should their excellent meats and deli products not be enough to tempt you - among them over thirty different types of sausages - the thought of a good meal here should do the trick. Smartly and relaxingly got up for the comfort of shoppers, their two-storey coffee shop and bistro offers great daytime food with the trademark friendly service.
And, true to form, they weren't long in gaining a reputation for specialities, notably the All Day Breakfast, which is a great hit and ideal for visitors to try as it includes both soda bread and potato bread as well as a selection of the best breakfast meats you'll find anywhere.
There's a great selection of other breakfast dishes too - including unusual ones like kedgeree and brioche French toast - but it's the great choice of local specialities that should win the day: colcannon cake, sausage or bacon soda, McCartney's champ potato bread stack (potato bread with black pudding, caramelised onion, apple puree & crispy coppa), or maybe just some freshly baked scones and a cuppa.
And later on the range of lunch dishes includes yet more simple dishes that have become smash hits - a starter of good old-fashioned corned beef hash, for example(served with a poached egg, spinach and hollandaise) and the McCartney's Burger - a 6oz gourmet burger with a fresh bap and triple cooked chips. And then who could resist the platters...McCartney's Unique Platter, for example, which includes a sausage sampler, gourmet scotch egg, McCartney's handmade corned beef and bread with bacon jam.
And there's much more of course - including a nice little kids menu.
No ordinary butcher, indeed.
