A Food Lovers Kingdom Dream as James Whelan Butchers Opens in Tralee

Posted on Tuesday, November 9th, 2021 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food, Press | No Comments »

Pat Whelan, Arty Clifford, Blas na hEireann, James Whelan Butchers, Dunnes Stores, New Shop Opening, Tralee

Artie Clifford, Chairman, Blas na h-Eireann cuts the tape to officially open James Whelan Butchers in Dunnes Stores, North Circular Road, Tralee this week. Also in photo are from left, Tom Whelan, Tommy O’Connor, butcher, Anne Marie O’Hara, Store Manager and Pat Whelan.At back are staff members, Norma Lynch, Tracey Budd, Paudie Moriarty, Cosmos Muglase, Ian Gardiner, Peter Breen and Evan Owens.

James Whelan Butchers were delighted to open their brand new shop in Tralee on November 4th, creating up to 30 new jobs. The family-run butchers’ newest shop, opening just in time for the Christmas season, is part of the redevelopment of Dunnes Stores, North Circular Road in Tralee which includes a new state of the art Food Hall. This Food Hall will see some of Ireland’s leading artisan food brands coming together under one roof including Kerry based fishmonger, Quinlan’s Fish, innovative and seasonal deli Baxter & Greene and the multi award-winning Sheridans Cheesemongers.

Founded by James and Joan Whelan in Clonmel the business is now under the stewardship of their son, CEO Pat Whelan who is so thrilled to be opening up in Tralee.

Celebrated the launch of the new Tralee shop, Pat stating:
“We are so proud to be opening our new shop in such a vibrant town as Tralee and in a county that is synonymous with great food – as well as being home to the Blas na hEireann Awards. Already the response has been fantastic and we look forward to welcoming customers old and new to our new home in Tralee.”

Dunnes Stores North Circular Road Store Manager, Anne Marie O’Hara, added:
“It’s a very exciting time for Dunnes Stores in Tralee with the introduction of the new state of the art Food Hall. Our team and our customers have been so looking forward to James Whelan Butchers opening up and we know that it will be a great addition to our offering here in North Circular Road and to the town.”

Performing the official opening was a great friend of James Whelan Butchers, Artie Clifford, the Dingle based founder and Chairperson of the Blas na hEireann Awards, which are considered the Oscars of the food industry and take place in Dingle every year. Artie said: “It’s an honour for me to be officially opening the James Whelan Butchers’ Tralee shop today. The business has always been so supportive of our work with the Blas na hEireann Awards and it’s so great to now have one of their shops right on our doorstep in Kerry.”


 

James Whelan Butchers, Tralee Opening, Pat Whelan, Arty Clifford, Blas na hEireann, Dunnes Food Hall, Award Winning Butcher

Pat Whelan, CEO James Whelan Butchers, ARty Clifford, Founder Blas na hEireann and Anne Marie O’Hara, Manager Dunnes Stores North Circular Road, pictured at the opening of James Whelan Butchers’ new shop in Tralee.

James Whelan Butchers to create 60 new jobs – Two new shops opening in Kerry & Dublin

Posted on Monday, November 8th, 2021 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food, Press | No Comments »

Pat Whelan, Peter Hannan, Hannan Meats, James Whelan Butchers, Leopardstown, Dunnes Stores, Food Hall, Shop Opening

Celebrating the opening of the new James Whelan Butchers shop in Dunnes Stores, Leopardstown, Dublin, which is one of two James Whelan Butchers shops opening, with the second opening taking place in Tralee on Nov 4th. The CEO of James Whelan Butchers, Pat Whelan, is joined by Peter Hannan, CEO of Hannan Meats, with Fran Caffrey, Executive Butcher, Johnny Behan, Operations Manager and Paul Lynch, Business Development Manager to open the new James Whelan Butchers shop.

Multi-award-winning artisan butcher James Whelan Butchers are opening two new shops within a day of each other in November, one in the market town of Tralee in Co. Kerry and the other in the South Dublin suburbs of Leopardstown, creating over 60 new jobs in the process. With two shops opening in two days it brings to over 240 people now employed in a business that had humble beginnings in Clonmel in the 1960s.

Founded by James and Joan Whelan and now under the stewardship of their son, CEO Pat Whelan, the business has 12 shops throughout Ireland, as well as a vibrant online shop established in the early 2000s that offers a door to door service through its national and local delivery service. In 2020 the company introduced a Centre of Excellence and Logistics Centre in Clonmel, which is also the location of the business’s headquarters.

CEO Pat Whelan stated “It has been an amazing, yet humbling journey building this great business that was started by my parents 55 years ago. Within the business, we always say it takes great people to build a great business and we are lucky to have a dedicated, hard-working team who are passionate about creating great food and delivering world-class customer service. Many have been part of the James Whelan Butchers’ story for years and it is fantastic for all of us to see this team grow even further with the opening of our Tralee and Leopardstown shops.”

Pat added, “This expansion would not have been possible either without the very special partnerships we have nurtured with other like-minded food producers, who share the same ethos as us around sustainable food production. Nor would have been possible without our loyal customers and friends, some of whom have shopped with us since we first opened our doors in Clonmel back in 1966.”

Artisan Butcher, Craft Butcher, James Whelan Butchers, Apprentice Butchers
Artisan Butcher, Craft Butcher, James Whelan Butchers, Apprentice Butchers

The company has always had an innovative approach to business, which was years before its time. In the early 2000’s it was the first butcher to introduce an online shop and in 2011 a unique collaboration with Avoca was launched and now there are two James Whelan Butchers in Avoca outlets, in Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue.

In 2016, the award-winning butcher collaborated with one of Ireland’s much-loved family brands, Dunnes Stores to open three James Whelan Butchers shops in Dublin – Cornelscourt and Rathmines in 2016 and Swords in 2017. In 2018 new shops opened in Dunnes Stores Blanchardstown and Cork. In 2019 two further shops opened – Naas and Jetland, Limerick. Now with the addition of Tralee and Leopardstown, it brings to nine the number of James Whelan Butcher shops within Dunnes Stores innovative Food Halls opening up around the country.

Artisan Butcher, Craft Butcher, James Whelan Butchers, Peter Hannan, Hannan Meats

The CEO of James Whelan Butchers, Pat Whelan with Peter Hannan, CEO of Hannan Meats at the store opening.

James Whelan Butchers to Create up to 20 Jobs in Tralee

Posted on Monday, April 19th, 2021 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food, Press | No Comments »

Shop Opening in Tralee

We are so proud to share with you that we will be opening our 11th shop later this summer in Tralee, Co. Kerry, creating up to 20 new jobs in the region. The new addition to the family will be part of the redevelopment of Dunnes Stores, North Circular Road in Tralee which will include a state of the art Food Hall. This new Food Hall will see some of Ireland’s leading artisan food brands coming together under one roof and will offer Kerry food lovers a world class retail experience on par with best international standards.

In 2016, we launched our collaboration with Ireland’s leading retailer Dunnes Stores, another family business with immense heritage and a strong sense of pride in delivering quality products and great value to its customers for generations. This collaboration has led to the opening of James Whelan Butcher shops around Ireland – Cornelscourt and Rathmines in 2016, Swords in 2017, Blanchardstown and Cork in 2018. In 2019 there were a further two shops opened, in Naas town centre and in the Jetland Shopping Centre in Limerick.

Visitors to the Avoca Stores in Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue will be aware of our award-winning butcher as both shops feature James Whelan Butcher shops on site and many food lovers will also be aware of the original founding butchers shop in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. James Whelan Butchers was also the first Irish butchers to open an online shop, back in the early 2000’s.

As many of you will be aware, James Whelan Butchers was founded in the 1960’s by husband and wife team, James and Joan Whelan who are fifth generation butchers and farmers. The current CEO Pat Whelan, James and Joan’s son, has been at the realm since 1999 and has developed the brand nationally and internationally, creating award-winning artisan products, which appear on the shelves of some of the leading international retailers, including Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and Whole Foods.

Currently employing over 180 people, we are now recruiting for a wide range of positions for our new Tralee shop – from those interested in beginning a career in butchery and customer service right through to experienced butchers.

CEO Pat Whelan, who is delighted to announce the opening of his 11th shop in Tralee, stated “It’s at times like this that we reflect on the values the business was founded on by my mother and father, which were simply quality and service – and while the business has adapted and grown over the years – the values have never changed – quality and service.

Pat added, “Our team is so proud to become part of this historic market town rich with a vibrant heritage and look forward to welcoming customers old and new to our new home in Tralee. We are currently recruiting for a wide range of positions from apprentice to experienced butcher, as well as customer service personnel. We promise a great place to work as part of a talented and ambitious team, competitive salary, continual training opportunities and an exciting career progression.

Dunnes Stores North Circular Road Store Manager, Anne Marie O’Hara, is looking forward to introducing his customers to the award winning artisan butcher. ‘It’s a very exciting time for Dunnes Stores in Tralee with the introduction of the new state of the art Food Hall. Already anticipation is building with customers as well as the team here. We know that the James Whelan Butcher shop will be such a great addition to our food offering, together with all of the other leading artisan food producers who will be calling Tralee and Kerry home in the very near future.

To find out more about how you can join the team at James Whelan Butchers email careers@jwb.ie
or click through to our careers page here.

Our Family Favorite Christmas Recipes

Posted on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food | No Comments »

With only a few days to Christmas Day, our teams are busy putting the finishing touches together on all of the Christmas orders and when our customers and friends come in to collect their Christmas food, we love chatting with them and sharing hints, tips and guides for cooking the turkey, ham or spiced beef.

We may not be chefs but we are passionate about great food and love to share how we like to cook great food at Christmas in our own homes.

 

Christmas Turkey Recipe
How more traditional can you get than Christmas Turkey with Cranberry Sauce. This recipe is a fool proof way of cooking your Christmas Turkey – and don’t worry if you are too busy to make the Christmas Stuffing – we have the perfect solution. Our Award Winning Stuffing, made to a family recipe, with lots of real butter, onion, parsley and fresh herbs. It’s perfect for Christmas dinner and it’s also great for stuffing roast peppers or mushrooms, sprinkling them with cheese and then popping them into a hot oven. A lovely side dish for any meal, or even as a Christmas dinner starter!

 

Cooking the Christmas Ham
Together with our friends in Bord Bia, we put together this video to show you a really easy way to cook the Christmas Ham, – and our favourite Ham, our own Heritage Cure Ham – just Click here , follow the simple steps in the video and just let the signature hickory smoked aromas fill your home with warmth this Christmas.

 

The Perfect Roast Potatoes
Of course, all of our friends and customers already know that the perfect roast potatoes are made with our world famous Beef Dripping. Here is a fun sheet we put together on how to cook the perfect roast potatoes – just click here to meet #TheRoasties – and learn Mrs Whelan’s own tips for perfect roast potatoes.

 

Spiced Beef Cooking
We love cooking our Spiced Beef on Christmas Eve – and the secret is to let the meat cool in the water as it keeps all the goodness of the delicious spices in the meat. Bord Bia’s website has a treasure trove of recipes. We love this easy to follow Spiced Beef Recipe – you won’t go wrong with it.

It is such a special time of year and we are always so proud to be part of the most important meal of the year in so many homes. We also know how important it is to help whoever is cooking this special meal and we hope these recipes help take the stress out of Christmas for you.

We would like to take this opportunity from our family to yours, to wish you a happy and a safe Christmas – and if you fancy sharing your beautiful Christmas Dinner images with us – we would love to hear from you – just tag us @JWButchers on social media.

Plan for a Happy Christmas

Posted on Tuesday, December 15th, 2020 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food | No Comments »

There will always be those prepared for Christmas in September and while we may admire their industriousness for most of us it just isn’t practical. So here we find ourselves in the first week of December, the Christmas lights are up, the Christmas songs are playing in the shops and it’s time to get festive. It’s time to focus on what Christmas is all about – family, friends and, oh yes, food. Even if this year it may be a Christmas like no other, it’s more important than ever that we celebrate with great food wherever we are and whoever we are celebrating with.

Of course the trick is to make it tasty but simple. I enjoy the process of choosing ingredients, preparing them all and cooking so I don’t see it as a big chore but I am aware that some people see it as a job, and a taxing one at that. Either way I believe that the very nature of the food we eat at Christmas makes preparing meals quite a joy. For a start once the food for the main event is cooked, you then have the basics for ‘easy’ meals for several days.

Now I’ve heard all the usual moans about how we are all sick to death of turkey and ham by December 27th, but really it is just lack of forethought and imagination that is the real issue. If you insist on just serving slices of turkey and ham and the frazzled and dried up leftover veg at every meal for three days with the only choices being hot or cold, then inevitably it gets boring.

Secret Sauce!

Instead make sure you have some good chutneys or savoury jellies and jams to hand. These really liven up leftover meat and there is quite a range of local produce to choose from if you haven’t made your own. Having said that whizzing them up yourself is no longer the torture it once was and so don’t negate trying it. Crème Fraiche is a fantastic tasty treat when added to a little stock for a pale sauce to bathe turkey and ham in. One of our favourites is from our friends in West Cork Glenilen Farm. You can serve it as a sauce on the side; you can immerse the meat into it or how about making a pie filling with it instead.

Also our fellow Tipperary Food Producers, Ayle Farm produce mouthwatering Chutneys, Relishes, and Preserves in small batches. We just love their Beetroot Chutney and always great to have in the cupboard or fridge. You can’t go wrong.

Indeed use your bun tray to make small individual savoury pies by making a pastry base and topping the filling with a little cranberry sauce and covering the top with some pastry. These are really gorgeous. Also don’t be afraid to freeze leftovers, just be sensible and do it as quickly as possible once they have cooled down. So now is the time to either make the pastry or buy the pastry and freeze it to have it to hand. Keep plenty of it to hand as it’s great to parcel sweet or savoury treats that you’ll use all through December.

The store cupboard and the freezer are your best friends at this time of year.

You could try cooking some full dishes over the next two weekends or simply keep the raw ingredients such as some braising steak or lamb pieces in the freezer. Our friends at Bord Bia have some really great recipes that never fail to please and are so simple to prepare such as Spicy beef tagines, Slow Cooked Lamb Curry or a delicious Beef & Stout Casserole are all great one pot meals that while they require time to cook, are quick and easy to prepare, warming and will stretch a long way.

 

Another great source for delicious beef recipes for dishes like this are in my Beef Book, which is available for sale in store and through our online shop.

Store Cupboard

Stock the store cupboard with tins of tomatoes, good quality stocks and various rice and noodles and you won’t be caught off guard. So this weekend check the store cupboard for all those handy spices, flours and condiments. Make sure you have enough rice, pasta, couscous or other favourites ready to go.

Breakfast fit for a King!

Another area sorely neglected in my view at this time of year is breakfast! Now is the time to beef up the breakfast menu arsenal. Remember that at Christmas there will be mornings where you can take a leisurely approach to breaking your night time fast. Don’t just cobble together cold turkey and a few withered nibbles from the night before along with three Quality Street, a choc mallow and a bag of Tayto! (Don’t say you’ve never done it). This Christmas by planning ahead, learn how to make Eggs Benedict, try something different and even make breakfast the ‘star meal’ of one of the days. A favourite of ours is a mix of freshly chopped vegetables including tomatoes, potatoes with some slices of our blackpudding, baking in the oven, then topping with a poached egg or two.

Up Tipp!

Now you might be thinking that I’m getting ahead of myself, but as you’re reading this there are probably only around 20 days left to Christmas Day! The first thing is to stock up on good Tipp sausages and bacon; we have some of the finest in the land right on our doorstep and available in all our shops around the country and online, so there is no excuse. Now I’m not suggesting that you stick to the usual full Irish, but make it festive by adding some corn fritters for example. Use the bacon to top some French bread with maple syrup, chopped bananas and nuts or even American pancakes. Cook the sausages and instead of frying the eggs, bake them in small buttered ramekins for a real treat. Try some different bread: with the great breads available locally you will be spoiled for choice. How about taking some of the leftovers and making a great Christmas omelette!

Finally, I can’t say enough about keeping some fresh fruit, herbs and spices around at Christmas. Ginger, garlic, nutmeg, coriander, basil, chives, cinnamon, a chilli or two, lemons, limes; the list is endless but it is about the ones you like. Having things like this at your disposal can transform leftovers. For example, the basis for most curries is a combination of garlic, ginger and chilli. Go easy on the chilli depending on how hot you like it. If you like mild curries then try a trinity of cinnamon, clove and cardamom. Fresh coriander, one of my favourites, can be chopped into dishes as a garnish or an ingredient; from soups to salads or as a marinade it gives a lovely flavour and a little basil added to a risotto makes all the difference. By the way if you do overindulge at any stage a little bit of fresh ginger chopped into a cup of boiling water can help soothe a sore throat and also ease nausea and hangovers.

Our Free Range traditional breed, of grass and wild seeds

Good food doesn’t have to take a long time or create drudgery for one person. We have some great local produce and products that will not only excite the taste buds but might also create a good talking point. Plan ahead now and make your meals a pleasure this Christmas rather than drudgery. Enjoy

We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher and farmer, cookbook author and the CEO of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Food Market in Rathcoole & Kilmacanogue and in Dunnes Stores, Cornelscourt, Rathmines, The Pavillion Swords, Blanchardstown, Bishopstown Court – Cork, Naas Town Centre and Jetland Centre – Limerick. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers

 

Gift The Taste of Home This Christmas

Posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2020 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food | No Comments »

Christmas is a time for coming home, sitting round the fire with friends and family and enjoying the best of food, great company and celebrating the festive season together.

This year for everyone it will be a Christmas like no other – and unfortunately for some it will mean sacrifice and not being able to be with all of the people that we love.

Because of this, at James Whelan Butchers, we are finding more and more people this year are giving the gift of great food, which can be delivered straight to a loved one’s door throughout Ireland and the UK, right in time for Christmas, through our online store.

We are also finding that people who won’t be with their loved ones this year are sending them a slice of home by gifting a Heritage Cure Ham, which takes pride of place on so many Christmas dinner tables. Cured on the bone using an old family recipe, it is truly delicious, the ultimate taste of home.

Delicious food plays a central part in every family Christmas, and although the turkey tends to take the limelight, we passionately believe that our succulent ham, kissed with smoke and sweetness, juicy meat that melts in the mouth, will bring the festive feast together – even if we can’t be together with everyone we love this year.

This year our Heritage Ham took home two 3 Gold Star Great Taste Awards – and here is what the judges said about this wonderful product “The treatment is faultless. The rearing is clearly caring, reflected in the quality. The curing is light on salt and the sweet yet savory smoke beautifully balanced.”

Our Heritage Ham can be delivered nationwide and also to the UK and would make an ideal and very thoughtful gift for anyone who can’t get home this year for the holidays, by delivering a piece of home to them.

 

For Christmas you can choose – Whole Heritage Cure Ham or Easy Carve – either way – joy on a plate!

 

A Joy in Tradition

Posted on Wednesday, November 25th, 2020 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food | No Comments »

Everyone has Christmas Traditions – so many of these revolve around sharing great quality food with friends and family. While we wait with bated breath to see when and what restrictions will be lifted, we are all focussed on being able to “break bread” with loved ones this Christmas.

We all know that this year Christmas will be like no other, which is why we need to spoil our loved ones a little more – and how better than sharing great food around the Christmas dinner table.

At James Whelan Butchers we are committed to bringing our customers and friends world class products, as nature intended, and this year we have a mouthwatering Christmas Brochure packed full of our Christmas food favourites, helping everyone make great choices when it comes to feeding loved ones this festive season.

All of these delicious products can be selected in any of our in all our shops around the country or through our online Christmas Counter, for convenient door to door delivery right now or in time for Christmas.

 

Heritage Ham

What would Christmas be without delicious ham. Christmas is not complete for us without our Heritage Cure Ham taking pride of place on the Christmas table. Award-winning flavours and succulent, juicy meat that melts in the mouth like butter…..

This year this wonderful product took home two 3 Gold Star Great Taste Awards – and here is what the judges said about this wonderful product “The treatment is faultless. The rearing is clearly caring, reflected in the quality. The curing is light on salt and the sweet yet savory smoke beautifully balanced.

For Christmas you can choose – Whole Heritage Cure Ham or Easy Carve – either way – joy on a plate.

Here’s a link to a video produced with our friends in Bord Bia to show you a really easy way to cook Christmas Ham – Click here and just let the signature hickory smoked aromas fill your home with warmth this Christmas.

 

Christmas Spice – makes all things nice!

Spiced Beef is a really big Cork tradition, but we find that it’s a must buy at Christmas time for so many of our customers and friends throughout Ireland. We find that there is nothing like the aromas of spices, served hot or cold for a simple Christmas Eve buffet or spicing up a festive sandwich during the holidays. We just boil it with some root vegetables and Guinness, leave to chill in the water and it’s ready perfect for slicing.

 

Free Range

Something that is popular at any time of year, for family occasions, is turkey. It brings a sense of occasion to a special family meal and is naturally the first thing on people’s Christmas food shopping list. In all of our shops and in our online store, we offer Free Range Turkeys all year round – something we are very proud of.

All of our turkeys are free range – grown naturally and for longer in open pastures, with the freedom to forage and roam. This gives the meat a depth of flavour, wonderful texture and irresistible moistness.

We have turkeys of all sizes and on our website we have a guide to help you with that all important question “What size turkey do I need?” Whether it is a large turkey to feed a big family gathering or a smaller boneless crown that is so easy to carve and hassle free – we promise we will have the perfect turkey for you and your loved ones this year. – Oh and don’t forget the stuffing!

 

Breakfast of Kings

The Joy of Christmas doesn’t begin with the Turkey & Ham Roast Dinner. In our house we always wake up on Christmas morning to a really hearty breakfast, before we go on a long walk, once the Turkey has gone into the oven. Home made brown bread, that special marmalade – even a glass or Bucks Fizz with some fresh orange juice, goes down so well – it is Christmas Day Breakfast after all!

We always have our famous Breakfast Pack on Christmas morning, which is full of a variety of mouthwatering artisan products and flavours. The aroma of the fry or grill and we are ready to open our presents – just add a pot of warm tea!

Our beautiful Christmas Brochure also contains the most amazing free range goose from a free range farm in Co. Kilkenny and from our great friends at Hannan Meats, exclusive to James Whelan Butchers, we also include a mouthwatering selection of Salt Aged Roasts and Sharing Steaks.

To ease the burden of Christmas shopping, all of our Christmas products can be delivered straight to your door, or the door of your loved one, right now or on our special Christmas Delivery service on 23rd December. Simply click here for more information on our Christmas nationwide delivery service or to place your order.

We would love to help you make this Christmas one to remember.

 

A Perfect Partnership – Christmas & Great Food!

Posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2020 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food | No Comments »

Over two years ago we announced a very special partnership with Peter Hannan of Hannan’s Meats, launching our Himalayan Salt Aged Beef, exclusive to James Whelan Butchers.

Peter and Pat both come from very traditional Irish farming backgrounds. Both have an incredible expertise and a deep appreciation for the raw materials. It is this quality of craft and scrupulous sourcing that saw both businesses win Supreme Champion at The Great Taste Awards, each winning a coveted Golden Fork Award against stiff international competition, and each now achieving international recognition with their products stocked in places such as Fortnum & Masons and Harrods.

Since we introduced these stunning products, our customers and friends have fallen in love with the uniqueness of the product, which is attributed to the ageing process in Peter’s Salt Chamber which contains a 12ft solid wall of Himalayan Rock Salt Bricks.

The resulting beef has to be tasted to be understood, it is not just a question of texture or flavour, but a subtle interplay of multiple elements, the reason why it is in such demand.

For Christmas 2020 we are launching a collection of Salt Aged Hampers, especially for the meat connoisseur featuring a variety of exceptional cuts of meat including Salt Aged Cote de Boeuf, Sharing T-bone Steak, Fillet Steak and new to James Whelan Butchers, Salt Aged 8 bone Rack of Lamb and Hannon’s famous and much sought after Sugar Pit Bacon Rack.

 

There are four hampers in the collection, The Works, featuring every Salt Aged Cut imaginable including the lesser known Guanciale, which is full of flavour and goodness. This hamper is for perfect Christmas gift for that really special client, friend or colleague who you know appreciates really great food – and who you would like to give the gift of an unforgettable Christmas present.

 

The Salt Aged Variety Box, which is a selection of our favourite cuts is another perfect Corporate Christmas gift – and guaranteed to give the receiver lots of memorable Christmas meals and well into the New Year.

 

Our Salt Aged Steak Box – is exactly what it says on the box! Packed full of Salt Aged Beef Steaks including T Bone, Sirloin, the much loved Rib Eye and the lesser known Picanha. Every single piece will be a joy to cook and enjoy! Christmas gifting at it’s very best!

 

Last but by no means least is our Salt Aged Rack Box. A collection of mouthwatering sharing racks of meat. This Christmas may be different to all others, but it will still involve sharing great food with loved ones and this collection is perfect for just that.

All of these wonderful Hampers are available to order through our online shop and delivered straight to your door or to the door of that special person that you want to give the gift of great meat to. They are all also available as part of our Christmas Delivery, which will be delivered right on time for Christmas on the 23rd December.

A big day for us at James Whelan Butchers and for our Heritage Cure Ham!

Posted on Friday, October 23rd, 2020 by Pat Whelan in Foodie Articles, Good Food | No Comments »

We were humbled and delighted that our signature Heritage Cure Ham was in the final of the Golden Fork Awards 2020. Having received the 3 Star accolade at the Guild of Fine Food, Great Taste Awards in September, the whole team were so proud when this product, so simple, yet full of such flavour, was put forward for the coveted Golden Fork – which is the equivalent of winning an Oscar in the food industry!

Although we did not take home the Golden Fork this time, we are immensely grateful to have been in the running, beside two fantastic Irish producers, our Tipperary friends, Crossogue Preserves and Cork neighbours, Ummera Smoked Products.

A massive CONGRATS to Ummera Smoked Products on the big win, bringing home the Golden Fork for their Smoked Organic Irish Salmon!

Awards like these are such an amazing opportunity to shine a spotlight on the very best Irish food and give us an opportunity to be part of the growing movement celebrating the passion, innovation and creativity of our home grown food producers. In Ireland we can proudly say that we are amongst the best food producers in the world. This is something that our team at James Whelan Butchers are humbled to be a part of.

The Great Taste Awards are the most coveted of all food and drink awards. Judged by 144 of the most discerning palates, belonging to food critics, chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, buyers, retailers and producers, as well as food writers and journalists,they are as a badge of honour, the unmistakable black and gold Great Taste label is a signpost to an outstanding product, which has been discovered through hours and hours of blind tasting.

Overall, there were 12,777 entries into Great Taste this year and of those products, 205 were awarded a 3-star, 1,294 received a 2-star and 3,818 were awarded a 1-star accolade.

The 3-star winning products were then re-tasted by judges to finally agree on the Golden Fork Trophy recipients today and the Great Taste 2020 Supreme Champion at a virtual awards event.

We would also like to give a BIG shout out to our friends up the road, Peter Hannan and Craic Foods, for winning the Golden Fork for their Black Garlic & Porcini Sea Salt for Northern Ireland.

These awards have come as a welcome boost to so many food producers during this time – it is so important that we celebrate and support Irish food, now more than ever before!

Best Wishes,
Pat

James Whelan Butchers Heritage Cure Irish Ham VIEW PRODUCT

Salt Aged Sharing Steaks

Posted on Thursday, January 23rd, 2020 by Pat Whelan in Good Food, Recipes | No Comments »

Sharing Cote de Boeuf, Sharing T-Bone Steaks & Sharing Sirloin Steaks

Ingredients

To Cook

Heat a frying pan to a medium high heat; add a dash of light olive oil, just before cooking season the steaks well with sea salt.
Place or hold using tongs its fat side on a hot (but not smoking) pan for 4 mins. Lay on its side and fry on a high heat for 8 mins on each side followed by 4 mins each side making sure to moderate the heat if the pan starts smoking profusely.
28 minutes (4 mins, 8 mins, 8 mins, 4 mins, 4 mins) Remove from heat when an internal temperature of 54˚C is achieved.
10 to 15 minutes resting!
After resting, season again with sea salt and ground black pepper.

 

James Whelan Butchers Arrives in World Class Food Hall in Jetland Shopping Centre Opened Wednesday 23rd October

Posted on Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019 by Pat Whelan in Good Food, Press | No Comments »

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James Whelan Butchers were delighted to open their brand new shop in Jetland Shopping Centre on October 23rd in the much anticipated, state of the art Dunnes Stores Food Hall. James Whelan Butchers is part of this unique collaboration that celebrates the provenance and quality of some of Ireland’s leading and award-winning Irish artisan producers all under one roof.

In 2016, the fifth generation butchers launched its collaboration with Ireland’s leading retailer Dunnes Stores, another family business with immense heritage and a strong sense of pride in delivering quality products and great value to its customers for generations. This partnership has led to the opening of a number of James Whelan Butcher shops around Ireland – Cornelscourt and Rathmines in 2016, Swords in 2017 and Blanchardstown and Cork in 2018. This year has now seen the recent opening of their ninth shop in Naas, now followed by the opening of their new shop in Limerick this week.

James Whelan Butchers was founded in the 1960’s in Clonmel by husband and wife team, James and Joan Whelan who are fifth generation butchers and farmers. The current CEO Pat Whelan, James and Joan’s son, has been at the realm since 1999 and has developed the brand nationally and internationally, creating award-winning artisan products, which appear on the shelves of some of the leading international retailers, including Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and WholeFoods.

Pat Whelan, who was on hand to welcome Limerick customers to the new shop stated “It’s at times like this that we reflect on the values the business was founded on by my mother and father, which were simply quality and service – and while the business has adapted and grown over the years – the values have never changed – quality and service.”

Pat added, “Our team are so proud to be part of this new food shopping experience and look forward to welcoming customers old and new to our new home in Jetland. We already have so many loyal customers from the Limerick area who visit our many other shops or who shop online with us, so it’s great for us to be able to bring our range of special products even closer to them.”

Jetland’s Food Hall has some of Ireland’s top artisan food brands, offering local food lovers a world class retail experience on par with best international standards. Alongside the family-run butchers, the Food Hall sees stand alone shops from Sheridans Cheesemongers, Alternative Bread Company and Nourish health food store bringing a fantastic collection of some of the best names in food retail in the country together.

James Whelan Butchers will be open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm Monday to Wednesday, 8am to 9pm Thursday and Friday and 8am to 8pm on Saturday and Sunday.

To find contact details, directions and opening hours visit James Whelan Butchers at Dunnes Stores, Jetland Shopping Centre page.

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James Whelan Butchers Arrives in World Class Food Hall in Naas Town Centre Opened Thursday 22nd August

Posted on Wednesday, September 11th, 2019 by Pat Whelan in Good Food, Press | No Comments »

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We were delighted to open our ninth shop in Naas Town Centre on August 22nd in the much anticipated Dunnes Stores Food Hall. James Whelan Butchers is a part of the unique collaboration that celebrates the provenance and quality of some of Ireland’s leading and award-winning Irish artisan producers all under one roof.

Padraic Carney, Manager of Dunnes Stores Naas and his team were very busy getting ready to open this brand new food shopping destination. He stated ahead of the launch “My team and I look forward to welcoming our new customers to our store and are so proud to be part of this exciting development for Dunnes Stores, bringing world class food retail to Naas town centre, while remaining true to our promise of better value which is instilled in all of us. We are delighted to be joined by some of the top names in food retail, offering all food lovers in Naas amazing quality food.”

Naas Food Hall has some of Ireland’s top artisan food brands, offering local food lovers a world class retail experience on par with best international standards. Alongside the family-run butchers, the Food Hall sees stand alone shops from Sheridans Cheesemongers, Alternative Bread Company and Nourish health food store, as well as a wide array of other Irish and international products from the multi-award winning Simply Better Collection.

The brand new, state of the art store, which is on the site of the former Superquinn Store on Main Street in Naas is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm Monday to Wednesday and on Saturday, 8am to 10pm Thursday and Friday, and 9am to 8pm on Sunday.

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