DUNNE'S OF DONNYBROOK

Fintan Dunne proprietor of  Dunnes of Donnybrook

It was a good experience to visit Fintan Dunne at his prize winning butcher’s shop in Donnybrook. Fintan has such a warm Irish personality and was very happy to chat with me about his butcher’s shop and local meat production. I appreciated his time as he was short staffed and had a constant flow of customers. The amount of customers is testament to the quality of meat he sells and the passion he has for his products.

The first thing I noticed on entering the shop was an enclosed, glass fronted, section to the right of the entrance door which was designated for hanging beef and lamb so that customers could be made aware of the length of time given to hanging beef and lamb to obtain the best flavour and tenderness.  Pieces of beef were labelled 7 days, 14 days, 21 days and 28 days making it possible to see the meat darkening as it matured.  The beef was from Hereford  herds under 30 months of age. Fintan believes that the best  steaks are obtained from meat that has been hung for 32 days. 

I must say, the steak and ribs of beef on sale looked absolutely superb. The ribs of beef, boned and French trimmed had a good marbling of fat which I like to see as it makes for a tastier piece of meat. A good coat of fat is an advantage for hanging beef (this is not always the case if the beef is organically reared). All of the beef was from free range cattle.  The lamb requires a shorter period for hanging. Fintan explained the labelling of the carcasses which identified the farm and animal as well as the age of the carcass and a blue mark to show that it had been checked by the vet. It is very important that the meat is traceable and also identifies that it has not had to travel far from the farm to the butcher’s shop. Most of the meat in the shop had been reared within ten miles of the shop reducing the carbon footprint. This is really commendable.

The counter section of the shop displayed a wonderful range of barbecue meats which were marinated in homemade, gluten free sauces, which looked really appetising.

There was also a variety of specially prepared meats, for example, stuffed corn fed chicken supreme with fresh herbs, apple and apricot stuffed pork  fillets, roast-in-a-bag chicken stuffed with fresh herbs, bacon, garlic and sage, or spatchcock of chicken in balsamic vinegar with garlic and mixed herbs. 

 He has used his imagination in developing new ways of preparing meat using fresh herbs etc.  The butterfly leg of lamb with mixed herbs looked so succulent and I imagine it would be very tasty.

All the the meats were from grass fed animals which have benefited from the abundance of rain in Ireland.  I saw for myself yesterday how luscious the grass is here which can only be beneficial to the animals reared on it. It was good to learn that the animals were free from artificial hormones.

The pork on sale was also free range from Tamworth crossed with Durak pigs. Sausages, black and white puddings, chicken liver, grouse etc were available for purchase.

The attractive window displays were all refrigerated and showed the range of joints, marinated meats etc available in the shop. The excellent displays would entice customers into the shop.

At one end of the shop there were lovely hams, half gammon and dry cured bacon. None was pumped with water. Whilst I was in the shop a customer commented that she had never had such good ham. That was a good testament to the quality of the produce.

It was also possible to purchase quality packets of cooked meats, pasta and wines to complement the meats on sale.

Displayed in a side window were posters showing the awards that Fintan had won for his products this year.  Having seen such quality meats I can understand why he is an award winner.

This shop is a good advert for the production of grass fed animals and the benefits to the animals and the consumers. By returning to more traditional ways of rearing livestock there are benefits all round. If I was living here I would certainly be purchasing my meat from Dunne’s of Donelly. I wish Fintan well as he develops his business and possibly sets up a website to further his trade.