26/08/2026
Behind the Scenes: Michael Twomey Butchers – Marking 30 Years of Craft & Graft 🥩🔪
I met with John Desmond at the Macroom Music Fest, and we got chatting about seeing the work that goes on behind the scenes. 🎶 He gave me his number so we could arrange a morning to call down. 📲
We set it up for today, and when I arrived, John Desmond was out on the road sorting deliveries. 🚚 I sat down with John Hunt over a cup of coffee instead, and we had a great chat about the background of the business. ☕ With Michael Twomey Butchers marking their 30th anniversary this September, it was great to hear how the place has grown over the decades.
🎉 John was explaining how before they built the meat processing unit, all the heavy carving and prep work had to be done right up at the butcher shop itself. Today, along with keeping everything locally sourced from nearby farms, they distribute their premium meats to artisan butcher shops, cafes, bars, hotels, and restaurants right across the country. 🚜🥩
John Hunt then brought me downstairs to meet back up with John Desmond, who took me into the changing rooms to get kitted out. I suited up in the white jacket and hairnet for hygiene rules before stepping onto the floor of the meat processing unit. 🥼🧤
John walked me straight into the cold room and explained how the whole setup operates from the ground up. ❄️ Once the carcass is hoisted onto the hook and overhead rail, it stays locked onto that track without ever leaving the line until it glides directly into the carving bays. 🥩⚙️
The scale inside the unit is incredible to see in person—crates stacked high, batch codes tracked with precision, and a steady rhythm where heavy lifting meets fine blade skills. Watching the lads break down whole sides, prepare batches of fresh poultry, link sausages, and box up prime cuts for the morning delivery vans shows just how much technical coordination and graft goes into running a modern processing facility while holding onto traditional craft. 📦🔪
Next, I went up to the shop with John Desmond, and he let me get right in behind the counter to capture the work in motion. The lads were fantastic to work with, letting me frame close-ups of the prep while waiting for me to come over to explain what each machine did and walking me through the whole process step by step. 🔪🥩
Seeing the entire journey unfold from the cold rails in the processing unit right down to the finished display on the shelf gives you massive respect for the trade. 🛒 The lads were a pleasure to chat with all morning, and the laughter and craic was brilliant throughout. 😄
It was great to capture the early starts, skilled hands, and honest graft that keeps quality local food moving across our community and beyond every single day. 🥩🥓
I want to say a massive thanks to John Desmond, John Hunt, and all the lads across the unit and the shop for welcoming me in, showing me the ropes, and letting me document the hard graft behind the scenes. 🙌
Check out their page here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DA2S9rtPu/ 🙌🥩🔪🥓🧤🛒📸
