Georgina Campbell
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Organic and free range pork is hard to find in Ireland, so producers of high quality pork and bacon deserve great praise.
Near Claremorris, Co Mayo, Dave and Diana Milestone of Andarl Farm famously started off on their ‘great pig adventure’, with a Great White sow called Doris.
They then spent several years working towards the perfect partnership, for the right fat to lean ratio and the hardiness needed for the outdoor life. Then along came a Hyroc boar called Harry, and the deliciously tender Andarl ‘Velvet Pork’ was born.
Bred for its cooking qualities, it was the winner of a Euro-Toques award in 2016 and is always well worth seeking out.
You can buy it in specialist shops such as Castlebar’s De Búrca’s Traditional Butcher Shop - Seán Bourke and Sarah Ní Shúilleabháin’s extraordinary ‘whole animal butcher shop’ and other selected outlets. And, in the locality, you can enjoy it in provenance-led restaurants including the McMahon family’s wonderful Castlebar dining destination Rua, where the pork and apple burger and dry cured bacon are special favourites. Andarl Farm pork and bacon is supplied to discerning hotels and restaurants throughout Ireland too - Sham Hanifa's acclaimed restaurant The Cottage, near Carrick-on-Shannon is one to head for, for example, also the lovely Sage in Westport.
So keep an eye for the name on menus - always the sign of a quality-conscious chef!
