McAtamney’s show they’re a cut above the rest to take Butcher of the Year title

Growth is the name of the game for McAtamney’s Traditional Butchers. With over 90 years’ experience behind them, the family business run by father and son, Oran and Declan McAtamney, prides itself on providing quality and value to their customers.

It was this dedication to quality products and investment in the business that ultimately secured their Main Street, Limavady store the prestigious accolade of Butcher of the Year at this year’s NR Awards.

Facing stiff competition, including two of their 13 other stores, Garvagh and Coleraine, the Main Street store was praised for its impressive range of top-quality meat and accompanying products, in a well-presented store.

Operations Manager, Declan McAtamney told NR that the staff are absolutely delighted with the award.

“There is a bit of competition amongst all the stores and Limavady have the bragging rights now!” he said.

“We would look at the Main Street store as one of our flagship stores, it showcases everything we envision as a company. It exemplifies the standards, experience, and offerings we want to deliver to our customers.”

“Our Manager, Shane Doherty has been with us for over 15 years, working in different stores before settling in Main St. This win is a testament to him and the very strong team he has built around him.

“It’s great for staff morale too. I was working in the store with them on the Saturday after the awards and there was a fantastic buzz in the shop and customers were coming in to congratulate them, it was great to see.”

McAtamney’s have two stores in Limavady – one on Irish Green Street which opened in 2006, and the Main Street store which opened in 2017. In 2022 the team was delighted when the opportunity to expand at a premises just a few doors down presented itself, allowing for the creation of a larger Main Street store. Standing now at 4500 sq ft, the store proudly boasts one of the largest counters in of all McAtamney stores, allowing for an extensive variety of products.

“The bigger store gives our customers a more comfortable and enjoyable shopping experience,” said Declan.

“We have a dry-age beef cabinet which allows us to showcase our premium cuts of steak, as well as enhancing their flavour and tenderness.

Limavady stocks a varieties of craft cheeses, cooked ham, turkey and beef, as well as offering a large selection of locally sourced products.

“The variety of goods offered at our Main St has been a contributing factor in its success and this is reflected in their growth,” said Declan.

With a larger store, Shane and the team are able to showcase their expert skills each day.

“Shane has worked in a number of our other stores, and brings a wealth of experience and expertise with him,” added Declan.

“We have an experienced deli team who provide delicious, freshly made breakfast and lunch meals ToGo daily, as well as going above and beyond with their customer service. We also provide catering for events which is growing steadily.

“We have our own Gourmet Kitchen facilities in Portglenone, which produces our range of premade dishes and sides – this was introduced to meet our customers changing needs. People want convenience without compromising on quality, this range provides that. We also have our Butcher’s Specials from the butcher’s counter, customers can mix and match three items for £8, anything from filled Taco Boats to stuffed chicken fillets with a variety of sauces.

“These dishes are mainly centred around our meats, rather than whole meals, they can be popped into the oven or airfryer, the preparation is done, customers just have to add their choice of sides, which they can get from our Gourmet Kitchen Range.”

With prices rising across all rising across all sectors, McAtamney’s have reacted by introducing several different measures to help their customers.

“To ease the burden slightly, we have studied what our most popular meats are and we have a bundled them into different packs,” said Declan.

“We have our core packs such as Feed the Family and Fridge Favourites, but we have also been adding in new monthly offers, these are great for meal planning and also to help people to save a little bit extra where they can, especially in the lead up to Christmas.”

YOU CAN SEE THE FULL FEATURE ON MCATAMNEY’S MAIN STREET LIMAVADY IN THE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER, CLICK HERE