Dermot Brennan, owner of the boutique Brook Lane Hotel, Casey’s Bar & Restaurant and No 35 Restaurant in Kenmare, Co Kerry, has won Champion of Ireland 2016 for 'Best Pork Sausage' at the prestigious Fins Goustiers European Championships.
The awards, which are held annually in Normandy, France, is the European Championships for certain meat products, namely sausages and white puddings.
The Awards are widely regarded as one of the most prestigious awards for processed pork products. The purpose of the awards is to promote these meat products and uphold the standards of production. The awards are only open to artisan butchers who produce their own products. Sixteen products from Ireland competed for the title and the competing sausages were judged on three criteria - appearance, seasoning and taste.
Speaking after the win, Brennan said: "The unique environment where our pigs live gives the meat its distinctive and very special flavour. We are situated two kilometres from the Atlantic ocean which gives our pork its unique flavour from the salt coming in off Kenmare Bay. The high salt levels and iodine-rich content of these plants and grasses that our pigs feed on make the muscle cells in the flesh retain more moisture so the meat is juicier and melt-in-the-mouth tender, a taste that has been largely forgotten in today’s mass produced pork."
