Scotland star converted to Scotch beef
AHEAD of tomorrow’s Calcutta Cup match, Scotland rugby star Stuart Hogg took a little time out to learn more about Scotch Beef PGI.
He was joined by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) chairman and Perthshire beef farmer, Jim McLaren; butcher Bel Forbes from Bel’s Butchers in Edzell, Angus, who is a member of the QMS Scotch Butchers Club run by QMS; and Jeff Bland, executive chef at the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, a member of the Scotch Beef Club.
The formidable foursome mustered earlier this week in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle to mark the launch of a Quality Meat Scotland campaign to raise the profile Scotch Beef PGI and all that sets it apart.
London and the home counties will be the focus of the two-month campaign which aims to communicate the exceptional taste and quality of the Scotch beef brand which has earned a global reputation for quality and flavour.
As a professional sportsman at the top of his game, eating a healthy diet is something Stuart takes seriously. ‘In this job it is incredibly important to fuel your body correctly,’ he explained. ‘All the training and conviction in the world won’t make up for a diet that is not right. 'Like most people, I was very aware of the Scotch beef brand be- fore today but I have learned a great deal more about what sets it apart. It’s been great to hear all about the traceability and quality assurance behind Scotch beef, and to get a sense of the passion and pride of those who work in the beef industry in Scotland.’
The Scotch beef campaign has a strapline of: ‘There’s beef, there’s Scottish beef, then there’s Scotch beef.’ It aims to showcase Scotch beef and the flavour, provenance and integrity which underpin the brand’s PGI (protected geographical indication) status.
Jim McLaren thanked Stuart for his support, adding: ‘Those who work in all parts of our industry are immensely proud of the Scotch beef PGI brand.
‘The care and commitment which goes into producing it is second to none and that dedication, together with the traceability and quality assurance which underpin the brand, delivers a worldclass product.
‘We are looking forward to taking Stuart to visit a beef cattle farm to get a better insight into the high standards of welfare and stockmanship involved as well as the role of livestock farming in the sustainability of Scotland’s iconic landscape. We appreciate, however, that he has other priorities at the moment and we wish him all the best with those.’