Murphy’s Craft Butchers wins gold for best fillet steak in Ireland
Jim and Bernie Murphy from Murphy's Craft Butchers in Tullow scooped for prize for the best steak in Ireland at last week's Irish Steak Challenge in the Fire restaurant in Dublin's Mansion House
MURPHY’S Craft Butchers in Tullow has just scooped a gold award in the fillet steak category at the National Irish Steak Challenge last week after their entry was deemed to be the best in Ireland.
“To win was unbelievable – we are over the moon really,” Jim Murphy said.
The National Irish Steak Challenge was hosted by the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland at the Butcher’s Expo at The Curragh Racecourse in Co Kildare. The annual challenge is only open to independent butchers, in partnership with the Fire Steakhouse and Bar Restaurant, Dublin and is sponsored by Bord Bia.
More than 25 industry professionals took part in the judging process, which saw every steak being blind tasted. The steak was cooked by the chef team led by Rickie Wilson from Fire and Sole Restaurants on grills specially installed at The Curragh Racecourse.
“This year, the competition was judged by Rickie Wilson from the Fire Steakhouse in Dublin. He’s the head judge on the World Steak Challenge. It was a tougher competition this year than the previous one,” Jim said.
Last week’s win wasn’t the first time that the family-run butchers have taken home a prize. In 2022, they were deemed to have the best pork sausage in the world when they competed in the World Butchers’ Challenge, while last year they won two gold awards at the Blas na hÉireann awards and won best chicken product at the 2025 meat Olympics in Paris.
