Prince of Wales pays visit to Finnebrogue Artisan plant

Prince of Wales pays visit to Finnebrogue Artisan plant

29 May 2019

THE Prince of Wales visited Downpatrick meat producer Finnebrogue Artisan last week  — yet managed not to taste its market leading nitrate-free bacon.

Instead the first-in-line to the throne made do with a cup of tea at the processing plant in Down Industrial Estate on Wednesday, despite being enticed by the waft of cooked bacon and sausages.

Prince Charles had specifically asked to visit Finnebrogue as part of his two-day trip to Northern Ireland last Tuesday and Wednesday.

A long-term environmentalist who runs his own farm, the prince is very interested and supportive of sustainable farming practices and food processing techniques.

Finnebrogue’s chairman, Denis Lynn, later told the Recorder that the prince’s visit “was very relaxed and that he was very natural and knowledgeable.”

“I suppose it was a meeting of like minds as we are both interested in the same things. It was a honour to show him around Finnebrogue and what we do. “He was very interested and asked all the right questions.”

Prince Charles arrived at Finnebrogue around 1.30pm after he and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, had visited the £53m Grand Central Hotel in Belfast.

The royal couple chatted with Lady Joy Hastings, who lives near Killyleagh. She is the widow of the late Sir William Hastings, founder of the family-run Hastings Hotels group.

At Finnebrogue Artisan, Prince Charles, who was not accompanied  by the Duchess, was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of Co Down, Mr David Lindsay, the High Sheriff of Co Down, Mr Harry Shields, Mr Lynn and his wife, Christine.

Also in attendance were Cllr Terry Andrews, deputy chairman of Newry, Mourne and Down Council, and Mr Liam Hannaway, the council’s chief executive.

The prince was told in a boardroom meeting how Finnebrogue launched the first nitrate-free bacon in 2017 before he got sight – and smell – of freshly cooked sausages and bacon from the company’s range.

As members of Finnebrogue’s product development team cooked in the kitchen, Prince Charles said: “There’s a great smell of bacon here.”

Mr Lynn showed the prince how Finnebrogue was soon going to be introducing a cardboard alternative to the black plastic food tray for its sausages — which received a royal nod of approval. 

Mr Lynn described a fruit extract used in the bacon production instead of nitrates or other additives as “magic dust” to the prince.

The prince moved on to view Finnebrogue’s production of sausages from a viewing corridor and was shown how one million sausages were produced and packaged each day by workers and robots on the production line.

Operations manager Chris Duke, from Killyleagh, explained the origins of Finnebrogue and Mr Lynn’s determination to produce the best quality of meat, with the help of a visual timeline.

The prince then moved into the staff canteen where he chatted with members of Mr Lynn’s family and members of staff, including product development team member Sarah Savage from Downpatrick.

Before a hamper of Finnebrogue foods were presented to the prince, Mr Lynn told him: “The last time we met was 11 years ago in Belfast. We were a small artisan business, our turnover was about £3 million. 

“Eleven years and two days later we are still a small artisan business doing exactly the same thing, but we have just got a bit bigger.

“Thank you so much for coming, I have really appreciated it, I have really had a great time talking to you about your understanding of the environment. I think we are really together on this.”

Mr Lynn could not resist joking with Prince Charles that Finnebrogue bacon and sausages were “better” than the prince’s own Duchy range, to which Charles good-naturedly replied to other guests present: “He’s longing to say that.”