Beef farmers open their gates to Europe's top chefs and butchers

Published on Friday 11 May 2007 00:21

LEADING chefs and meat importers from across Europe will be converging on Scotland in the coming weeks as efforts are stepped up to boost Scotch beef and lamb sales overseas.

Among the culinary glitterati travelling to farms and meat processors in Aberdeenshire and the Borders will be leading Dutch chef Cees Helder, the recipient of three Michelin stars and former owner of the Parkheuvel restaurant in Rotterdam.

He was the first person to be appointed a Scotch Beef ambassador last year when the European Union lifted its ten-year-old ban on UK exports.

A long-time supporter of Scotch Beef, Helder is one of only 42 chefs in Europe who have the three-star accolade.

The inward missions have been organised by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), the red meat promotion body, and will also feature butchers and food buyers from across the EU.

QMS is confident the visits will help increase exports. Head of marketing Laurent Vernet said: "This is about offering some of the biggest names in the European food industry a chance to see first hand why we're the best in the world at producing beef and lamb.

"Scotland's producers have been primed to open up their farms so these influential buyers can see the stamp of our livestock, speak to our farmers about what they do, and make the connection between the rich and clean Scottish environment and the taste and quality of our meat."

QMS is hosting visits by ten groups, from France, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Scotch Beef exports have hit 12 million since they resumed last May. Lamb sales over the past year have been difficult, partly because of currency problems, and with consumers in the key French market switching to other meats. Italy and France are the main customers for beef from Scotland, each buying 38 per cent of all beef exports from Scotland. The Netherlands buys 10 per cent and Belgium 7 per cent.

At their peak in 1995, Scottish beef exports were worth 120m a year, 150m at today's prices.