​Tasty cured meats from Ispini Charcuterie, Moira, to be distributed across Northern Ireland, and further afield, thanks to Craic Foods

Jonny Cuddy of Ispini Charcuterie in Moira

Craic Foods in Craigavon, a successful distributor of artisan products, has linked up with Jonny Cuddy, an award winning producer of Ispini brand cured meats, to market his unique range of charcuterie to delis and farm shops in Northern Ireland, Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Craic Foods is owned by entrepreneurs Peter Hannan of Moira’s Hannan Meats and Paul Clarke, an experienced chef and managing director of the company as well as En Place Foods in Cookstown.

Jonny, who founded Ispini with his sister Janice in August 2016, explains: “We’re delighted to be working with such a successful distributor of artisan foods as Craic has become. The collaboration will help to accelerate the growth of our small business in all our target markets.

A range of innovative charcuterie developed by Ispini

“While we have been selling in some delis, farm shops and stores such as Avoca here, the collaboration should lead to greater sales especially in Great Britain, an important market for charcuterie. It will also increase our availability here. Craic is a very successful distributor with an impressive portfolio of artisan foods,” adds Jonny.

The Ispini range includes garlic and black pepper salami, fennel salami, chorizo and cider, chilli and chorizo beer sticks. It has won widespread acclaim including UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann Irish Food awards for its salami, chorizo, coppa and other specialist meats crafted especially from upwards of 300 pigs reared on his family’s 120-acre farm in Tyrone.

Beef for other products is sourced from other local farms. Ispini – Irish for sausage – is benefiting from the vast experience of artisan foods, especially in Britain, of Peter Hannan and Paul Clarke, two of Northern Ireland’s most experienced and successful food industry leaders.

Craic Foods has an extensive portfolio that now includes Abernethy Butter, as well as its own range of products and those from En Place and six Meat Merchant sauces.