Celebrating 20+ Years: M&S and ABP Linden Crown Champions in Core, Aberdeen Angus, and Wagyu Showdown

James Hewitt, Winner of the Core category, and Evelyn Bourke, M&S Non-Executive Director

(IN BRIEF) M&S and ABP Linden celebrated their over-20-year partnership by hosting the inaugural ABP Linden Steak Challenge at Dungannon. The event, open to beef suppliers and families, highlighted how genetics, feed, welfare, processing, and butchery combine to create superior steak. Presentations by ABP Linden and M&S leadership, alongside a cooking demo and technical briefing on eating quality, set the stage for blind taste tests across Core, Aberdeen Angus, and Wagyu categories. Winners James Hewitt, John Dobson, and Michael Hughes received premium cuts from their own animals and shared in an evening tasting. Both organizations reaffirmed their mutual commitment to sustainability, traceability, and delivering exceptional beef to customers.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 27-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — M&S and ABP Linden, part of the ABP Food Group, have once again underscored their decades-long partnership in premium beef supply by hosting the first ABP Linden Steak Challenge at the Dungannon site. This landmark event, bringing together beef producers and their families, showcased the shared dedication to sustainable agriculture, traceability, and innovation that has defined their collaboration for over twenty years.

The day’s activities emphasized every element that contributes to exceptional steak quality—from cattle genetics, tailored feed programs, and rigorous animal welfare standards, to advanced processing methods and expert butchery. Attendees heard insights from George Mullan, ABP Linden’s Managing Director in Northern Ireland, and Peter Kennedy, M&S Senior Agricultural Manager, followed by a live cooking demonstration by James Smith, ABP Linden’s Development Chef. Technical perspectives on evaluating “meat-eating quality” were delivered by Gareth Weir, ABP Linden NI Technical Director.

Beef entries were judged across three categories—Core, Aberdeen Angus, and Wagyu—through blind taste tests conducted by a panel of ABP and M&S experts. The winners were:

• Core: James Hewitt, for his Simmental heifer 
• Aberdeen Angus: John Dobson, for his suckler-bred heifer with outstanding marbling 
• Wagyu: Michael Hughes, from ABP Linden’s integrated Wagyu supply chain 

Each victor received a premium cut from their own animal, and all participants sampled each entry in an evening tasting session.

Keith Williamson, ABP Linden–M&S Agricultural Manager, said, “This event went beyond competition—it celebrated the unity and exacting standards at the heart of our work with M&S. From farm to fork, every contributor ensures the eating quality our customers expect. It was a pleasure to recognize that commitment.”

Peter Kennedy of M&S added, “Our promise to customers is built on the excellence of our farmers and suppliers. Occasions like this allow us to honor the skill and care behind every cut of beef—and we’re proud to partner with ABP Linden and their outstanding supplier network in Northern Ireland.”

Looking ahead, ABP Linden will continue to play a pivotal role in M&S’s reputation for premium beef, applying world-class expertise across its full range—from everyday essentials to luxury cuts—to guarantee consistency, sustainability, and excellence in every bite.

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SOURCE: Marks and Spencer