Team Ireland Meets President D. Higgins

President Michael D. Higgins met with the butchers representing Ireland at this year’s World Butchers’ Challenge - Eamon Etherson, Portrush; Garrett Landers, Limerick; Ian McKernaghan, Fintona; Colly Donnelly, Cookstown; Stephen Millar, Fermanagh and Stephen Cooke, Limerick - ahead of the world-class competition taking place at Meat@IFEX in March.

Headed Team Ireland Manager, Rhonda Montgomery, Team Ireland were welcomed to a Presidential reception with over 50 delegates – including our event manager, Caroline McCusker and Team Ireland sponsors Kerry Group, McDonnells Queen Street and Spice O’Life Ltd – to meet with President Higgins. 

Rhonda Montgomery comments:“It was a great honour to travel with Team Ireland to Áras an Uachtaráin and met with the President of Ireland.  What an incredible opportunity for the whole team to step back from the months of preparation and training, and to receive formal acknowledgement ahead of representing their country at the World Butchers’ Challenge 2018.

“The competition taking place at Meat@IFEX will allow our butchers to demonstrate their extraordinary skills and knowledge, and indeed for Northern Ireland and Ireland, to showcase the quality of our produce on a World Stage.   The competition will be tough with the international teams eager to showcase their own skills, but I am very confident in Team Ireland, as individually, each butcher brings a new skill to the table.”

The World Butchers' Challenge 2018 which will take place during Meat@IFEX – an adjoining event to IFEX, Northern Ireland’s premier food, drink, retail and hospitality event -  is set to be the biggest yet, with Team Ireland competing against squads from 11 other countries in the hopes of being named ‘Best Butchers in the World’. 

Visited by thousands of people from the foodservice and hospitality sectors, the show will be expanding its visitor base, with the World Butchers’ Challenge expected to attract over 250 butchers from around the globe.

Meat@IFEX 2018 is taking place from 20th – 22nd March at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast. Running alongside IFEX, next year’s show is set to be THE Industry event for 2018.   If you’d like to attend, simply register for your ticket here.