Farrelly's Butchers and Abattoir - Special Irish Foods & The People Who Make Them

Following an apparently unstoppable onslaught by the multiples and their promise of convenience and low prices, the family butchers shop has undergone a remarkable renaissance in recent years - greatly helped by the support of quality, fair price and local provenance driven groups such as Euro-Toques Ireland, which has shouted loudly about the vital role of local foods since its foundation by Myrtle Allen and a group of likeminded industry professionals in 1986.

The annual EirGrid Euro-Toques Food Awards took place in June at Dublin’s Residence Members Club, and attracted a record number of nominations from member chefs this year. Among just five winners selected by the Food Council of Euro-Toques Ireland was a very special County Wicklow business, Farrelly’s Butchers, of Delgany (T: 01 287 4211), which was established in 1958 and still has its own abattoir and beef farm.

Giving their reasons for the choice, the Euro-Toques Food Council - which is chaired by Evan Doyle of The BrookLodge Hotel at Macreddin Village - said that brothers Anthony and Padgraig Farrelly run a progressive butcher’s shop that ticks all the boxes for restaurants and consumers, with butchered to order cuts that have true provenance. While Ireland is losing its small abattoirs to large-scale facilities every year, Farrelly’s continues to demonstrate the advantages of a small independent operation.

Responding to the award, Tony Farrelly, of Farrelly’s Butchers, commented: “Having our own abattoir means we work with the whole animal, we can give the customer exactly what they, no matter cut they’re after. We can also stand over the quality because we go to the farms and source the animals ourselves. This allows us to see what breeds are out there and try new things, with the confidence of knowing that we can guarantee the customer that quality.”