Irish pork re-enters Malaysian market

There’s pork, and there’s Irish Hampshire Pork, the premium Bord Bia-certified pork produced by McCarren Meats in County Cavan, Ireland, has officially re-entered the Malaysian scene. The relaunch is brought to market exclusively by The Sinful Grillers (TSG), which will serve as the sole importer and distributor of Irish Hampshire Pork in Malaysia.

Malaysia’s vibrant food service sector and diverse culinary traditions are growing in its demand and appreciation for quality pork options beyond what’s currently in the market, cuts that can offer consistent quality, verifiable provenance and a point of difference on the menu. Irish Hampshire Pork’s arrival fills that gap while extending the Irish Food Board, Bord Bia’s strategy of helping Irish producers build high-value opportunities across Southeast Asia.

The launch introduced four cuts to Malaysia: Hampshire Ribs, Pork Collar, Skin-On Pork Belly and Skinless Pork Belly.

“Our company’s ethos has always been centred around bringing in premium products that the Malaysian culinary industry would actually enjoy using to elevate their dishes and offerings. When we first tried Irish Hampshire Pork, we knew immediately that its taste, quality, and texture would be something the Malaysian market wanted,” said Wye King Tan, Director at TSG Grillers.

Irish Hampshire Pigs trace their lineage to the “Old English” hogs that arrived in England’s New Forest of Hampshire as early as 1825, and the breed has built a reputation across Ireland for lean, flavourful meat and is identified by its nique black coat and white belt. For the past 30 years, farmers Luke and Helen Bogue have reared the breed on their farm in the Drumlin landscape of Ballinagh, County Cavan, within 20 kilometres of the McCarren Meats factory that processes it. In recent years, farmer Breden O’Shea has also joined the growing community of Irish farmers rearing the Hampshire breed, further supporting its continued presence in Ireland’s farming landscape.

Fed a specially milled ration of home-milled grains, the pigs are matured on the hip rather than the more common ankle-hanging method, giving the muscle fibres extra time to break down before each cut is traditionally cured and hand-trimmed. The result is a rich red colour and a succulence not typically found elsewhere in the category.

“This is so much more than introducing another pork product into the market, it’s about bringing an Irish product with a storied background and a history of world-class farming methods to the Malaysian table. Ireland is well known for its incredible landscape; that, coupled with our unique processing methods, produce flavours and textured that are unrivalled in the world,” said Xiaoming He, Representative of McCarren Meats.

Part of Kepak Group Ireland, McCarren is a gold member of Bord Bia’s Origin Green Programme, Ireland’s national food and drink sustainability programme. Through Origin Green, Irish food producers commit to measurable sustainability targets across key areas including environmental impact, animal welfare, resource efficiency, and community engagement. This enables Irish Hampshire Pork to demonstrate full traceability, high production standards, and a longterm commitment to sustainable food production from farm to fork.

“We are constantly working to bring new, quality Irish products to the Malaysian market that can meaningfully impact the culinary landscape in this country and contribute to wider sustainability goals. Last year, exports to Malaysia accounted for close to €57M of our total exports, a sign of our strengthening commercial relationship and the appreciation of premium Irish produce amongst local Malaysians,” said Lorna Allen, SEA Director of Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board.

As the exclusive importer and distributor of Irish Hampshire Pork in Malaysia, The Sinful Grillers manages local importation, logistics and distribution across the country’s foodservice channels. Irish Hampshire Pork is now available on menus at Butcher’s Table, Steam Era, KNK Yakiniku, Midnight Wagyu and Dong Chao Yuan.

To better acquaint the customers with Irish Hampshire Pork, the media had a tasting session at Ippudo Bangsar KL. Here, the pork was presented in different forms, as a salad, appetiser, in noodles, and even dessert.

Five-course menu:

Starter: Salted sous-vide Hampshire belly and collar and Hampshire Belly Kakuni canape with wasabi cream cheese paired with unmai Ginjo sake

Appetiser: Grilled Hampshire ribs with spicy miso dengaku paired with imo sochu

Appetiser: Hampshire collar katsu in Hitokuchi style with apple tonkatsu sauce paired with sparkling sake

Main: Signature Hakata style ramen with Hampshire belly chasu

Dessert: Hampshire bacon on citrus sorbet with sea salt