National Star Shop Award Winner 2015/16 Grogan & Brown Artisan Butchers, Smithfield Centre, Loughboy, Kilkenny

17 Sep 2015

Grogan & Brown Artisan Butchers wins Best Craft Butcher Shop in Ireland

 -         Kilkenny Butchers announced winner of Craft Butcher Shop of the Year at Food & Hospitality Ireland -

 

Grogan & Brown Artisan Butchers has today, been named Best Craft Butcher Shop of the Year by the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland (ACBI). 

 

On the opening day of Food & Hospitality Ireland - a food, retail and hospitality trade expo that’s taking place at the Citywest Events Centre – Grogan & Brown’s all-Ireland winning performance led them to victory, with the award being presented by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr. Tom Hayes, T.D.

 

Grogan & Brown Artisan Butchers are an award-winning butchery and purveyor of fine foods based in Loughboy, Kilkenny. The business, which has been trading since 2013, is owned by butchers Jonathan Brown & Dermot Grogan. As well as being awarded Overall Craft Butcher of the Year, Grogan & Brown Artisan Butchers also claimed the award for ‘Best in High Street’ in Ireland, at the annual Craft Butchers awards, which are sponsored by Maria O’Neill Designs.

 

Commenting on the prestige of winning Craft Butcher Shop of the Year, John Hickey, CEO of ACBI explains:

 

“This is the sixth year of our Star Shop of the Year awards and entries have been growing steadily since the awards inception. Our previous winners of Star Shop of the Year have really benefited from the accolade and it’s been proven to help increase sales.

 

“There’s a great deal of prestige in being named as the Best Craft Butcher Shop in Ireland and each of our entrants puts a great deal of effort into making sure their store is the best. The standard gets higher every year and you have to be on top of your game to get into the top 20.

 

Over 100 Craft Butchers from across Ireland entered the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland’s Star Shop of the Year awards, with the top 20 shops being selected by an independent panel of judges. Each of the top 20 Craft Butcher shops was mystery shopped and judged on its performance from a customer’s viewpoint.

 

John Hickey, CEO of ACBI adds: “Our independent judges mystery shop each of the butcher’s shops in the manner of the customer.  With Grogan & Brown Artisan Butchers, the judges were very impressed with everything from the choice of products for customers, to quality, service and the range of fresh meat produce that the shop stocks, the majority of which is sourced locally.”

 

In the category accolades, O’Gorman’s Butchers of Castledermot, Kildare won ‘Best in Rural’ and the title of ‘Best in a Shopping Centre’ went to O’Brien’s Butchers, in Kilkenny Shopping Centre, Loughboy.

 

grogan and brown shop of year for web

Grogan & Brown Artisan Butchers Tom Hayes TD (L) and Bobby Kerry (R) present the prestigious award to butcher and owner Jonathan Brown (missing Dermot Grogan)

 

 

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