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The new face of Scotch Beef
As Quality Meat Scotland unveiled the new 'Glen' as the figurehead for Scotch Beef at the Highland Show, many fans might have lamented that there was little wrong with the incumbent star of Scotch Meat. However, as the modern promotional goal is to communicate with younger consumers, and traditional products such as Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb are competing with fish, dairy, pasta, and a variety of vegetables to provide valuable nutrients, the Scottish meat industry must rise to the challenge with their new role-model.
Margaret Stewart emphasises the advantages of using home-reared produce, and introduces QMS's newest hunk of meat…
Ex-rugby-player Chris Capaldi has recently assumed the role of QMS's new 'Glen,' donning the famous red kilt and white Scotch Beef T-shirt to draw attention to the benefits of red meat. By selecting a younger model we aim to appeal not only to the younger generation but also to the eye of the beholder by suggesting they take a fresh look at Scotch Beef.
The Scottish Diet Action Plan recently complimented the red-meat industry for meeting its targets to lower the fat content of fresh red meat. Using selective breeding, monitored feeding and more advanced butchery techniques, we have lowered the percentage of fat of all three species by more than 20% over the last 20 years. Fresh, raw meat contains no salt and is undeniably one of the best sources of easily absorbed iron. Grass-feeding the livestock also increases the amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids and, providing chefs prepare it considerately, red meat is proven to represent a very valuable component of a balanced diet.
Quality Meat Scotland is funded by Scottish farmers who pay a levy at point of slaughter on cattle, sheep and pigs, which is why the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy is so important to us. It is also the reason for our concerns over imports and stock being slaughtered outside Scotland.
The new face heralds a new era, one in which we must persuade young consumers to take a fresh look at Scotch meat, convince chefs and caterers to seek new ways of using it, and encourage all consumers to beware of cheap imitations.
The 'Glen' represents the healthy and tasty aspects of Scotch Beef, and if the Highland Show's response to the new figurehead was anything to go by, they won't need much convincing; he looks pretty hot, needs no extra seasoning and definitely appeals to all ages..!
And so the face of the icon may have changed but the messages have not. Scotch Beef should always be born in Scotland, reared for all of its life on an approved farm in Scotland and slaughtered in an approved abattoir, again in Scotland. Quality, health and welfare parameters are built into these assurance schemes. Farmers must monitor and control feeding and the use of medicines, and abattoirs should meet standards over and above the statutory requirements. Older cows and bulls are also excluded.
The 'Glen' may be the new face of Scotch Beef, but it pays to take a closer look at the label; the term 'Scottish' is also being widely used, and it can guarantee only the origin, and nothing more.
In the same way that fashions are constantly changing, so too must the face of Scotch Beef.
This article has been edited from its original version. For the complete feature and to view pictures of QMS's new 'Glen', please see Catering in Scotland magazine July/August 2007.
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