Skip to content
SPAR
An interview with K&G McAtamney

K&G McAtamney

Kieran & Gordon McAtamney's family has been in the butchery business since 1953, when Kieran's grandfather opened a charming butcher's shop in Kilrea. Today, K&G McAtamney is still thriving, thanks to a highly experienced team dedicated to delivering top-notch products and professional service. 

With a crew of over 50 passionate staff members, the company continues to grow and prosper. Whether it's crafting the perfect cut of meat or providing friendly, expert advice, K&G McAtamney combines tradition and quality with a modern twist, making every visit a delightful experience. Join the legacy and taste the difference that generations of expertise bring to the table! 

A Q&A with K&G McAtamney

What sets McAtamney apart when it comes to quality? 

For me there's three things that call out, the quality in our business.  

  • The knowledge in the business - we have an experienced team right through from sourcing, production and technical.  
  • Our sourcing policy – we have a strict specification around the raw materials we source and use for our products.  
  • Finally, the ethos and leadership in the business.  Our MD Gordon McAtamney is a third-generation retail butcher, and he does not want his name associated with anything of lesser quality. 

How do you ensure consistency in all enjoy local products? 

we utilise the experience of our butchery and technical teams to ensure the products stay within specification. We've got a lot of experience within the business, and we try to utilise that as much as possible.   

How important is freshness, and how quickly are products on our shelves?  

We want to deliver the product to stores in the best possible condition. All the SPAR enjoy local products are produced to order, so the orders we receive today/ this morning will be delivered to SPAR NI warehouse the same afternoon.  

Can you tell us about the source of meat used in Enjoy Local meats? Do you source locally? 

We source locally and we have a relatively small supplier base that we work in partnership with. This helps with the consistency of the product. And because we use a small base, the guys are well versed in what our specifications are.  

How do high-quality impact taste of your products? 

The quality of the raw material is key to us delivering a good eating experience to our customers. For example, for our chicken products we only use breast meat.  Our pork is delivered daily directly from source, and our beef products are aged on site with our steaks being aged for a minimum of 21 days. 

Are there any special techniques or traditional methods used in butchery process? 

Yes - we're in the fortunate position of having both in the business and marrying the two together. We have the latest technologies in slicing, dicing and packaging machinery, and this pairs up nicely with our experienced team of butchers who hand select the product prior to the product moving forward for packaging.   

How many people are involved in creating the enjoy local products? 

There are just over 80 people involved in production of the enjoy local products and that's from sourcing through Production, QA and Logistics.  

What’s a typical day like for your team? 

Factory setup 7am with first products rolling down the line 7.30am sharp from previous days orders. The management team will have a huddle at 9am to sort, highlight and address any potential issues affecting today's dispatch and then it's straight back into production. We work with relatively short order lead times – so it can be quite challenging. 

Have you introduced any new products based on customer demand?  

Yes, we're continuously reviewing the range. We look at seasonality and occasions as well as looking at Taste 10's and flavours. I don't think we've had a product which didn't take off, but we certainly have had products where consumer taste or flavour preferences have changed and we've had to adapt, respond to this by removing and replacing products. 

Any products which you introduced which didn’t take off? 

I don't think we've had a product which didn't take off as such, but we certainly have had products where consumer tastes or flavour preferences have changed and we've had to adapt, respond to this by removing and replacing products. Examples include chipotle and lime or a mango and coconut chicken which just didn't float the boat in NI.  

What’s your favourite product? Best way to cook? What to serve with? 

Must be the enjoy local peppered rump steak. Remove from the fridge an hour before cooking, get it to room temperature, and cook to medium and serve with fresh salad. 

How has your partnership with SPAR NI helped McAtamney grow? 

Our partnership is now in its 12th year and the support from SPAR has been immense in getting our products to market. SPAR NI are the very top of convenience retailing and their support in delivering value to consumers across Northern Ireland has been a key contributor to the success of our business.  

What does it mean to you to supply communities across NI? 

It's a great thing when you see products that you've worked on and helped to develop become key selling lines at local SPAR stores. We are part of the community so it's important to us that we can serve local communities with quality food at affordable prices. 

Â