Irish artisan butchers carve out Great Taste glory
Independent butchers across Ireland have picked up a clutch of stars at the 2026 Great Taste Awards, with members of the Irish Butchers' Guild — including Barry Fitzgerald Butchers in Fermoy, B. Molloy Master Butchers in Ennis and Lisdergan Butchery in Fintona — recognised for everything from salt-aged côte de boeuf to dry-cured ham. The Guild called the results "a testament to the dedication, craftsmanship and innovation of Ireland's independent butchers", crediting the local farmers who supply the beef and lamb behind many of the winning products. I'm starting to think its worth a trip to Ireland just to get some meat...
Source: agriland.ie
Meet the cheesemongers championing Irish and Welsh dairy
A new feature spotlights four independent cheese shops flying the flag for local dairy across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales — Dingle's The Little Cheese Shop (98% Irish cheese on the counter), Belfast and Comber's Indie Füde, Sheridans Cheesemongers, and The Welsh Cheese Company in Cardiff. Each has built close relationships with small cheesemakers, treating their counters as a way to tell producers' stories as much as sell their cheese.
Source: specialityfoodmagazine.com
London's Two Tribes brewery bets on independence
King's Cross-founded Two Tribes has unveiled a bold rebrand across its beer range, investing in growth just as bigger craft names scale back. Commercial director Aaron Duffett said the brewery is "backing the independent pubs and bars that built us", pointing to a shift in drinkers moving away from big established craft brands towards smaller, trusted local ones.
Source: grocerygazette.co.uk
Foraged hedgerow finds and rescued veg turned into chutney
Food waste specialist Oddbox has teamed up with Fruits of the Forage to rescue more than 350kg of surplus and foraged British produce — think wonky carrots, gluts of rhubarb and hedgerow hogweed — turning it into a small-batch chutney and jam range blended in Cheshire. The collaboration gives UK growers a reliable outlet for crops that might otherwise be rejected for their shape or timing.
Source: grocerygazette.co.uk