The Scottish National Premier Meat Exhibition celebrates their 25th Anniversary

Saturday the 18th of November saw us welcome more than 400 guests to our state of the art facility at Bridge of Allan. Industry leaders and dignitaries from the home nations, Italy and France joined our farming exhibitors to view the prize-winning array of carcasses followed by the awards ceremony and lunch.

Saturday the 18th of November saw us welcome more than 400 guests to our state of the art facility at Bridge of Allan. Industry leaders and dignitaries from the home nations, Italy and France joined our farming exhibitors to view the prize-winning array of carcasses followed by the awards ceremony and lunch.

From its inception the competition has been well supported by the industry, 1993 saw around 100 cattle and sheep entries. The competition has evolved into one of the largest events of its type in Europe with entries received on an annual basis from as far north as the Orkney Isles and south into England. The Silver Jubilee year realised record breaking entries to total 301 cattle and 269 lambs.

In 1993 this event was the vision of our late chairman, Mr Ian Galloway and his family, initially designed to unite farmers and retailer and give our grass-roots producers an insight into the aspirations of our retail customers.

At this time marketing stock directly to the processor was a wholly new concept, recognising the consumers need to know where their food came from and what farming methods were utilised in the production of quality beef and lamb was to be the future for our industry.

Farmers are proud traditionalists, the Scottish National Premier Meat Exhibition gave them the opportunity to showcase their quality stock, but also gave them an insight into how their livestock performed both on the hoof and on the hook and enabled them to evaluate the qualities of the differing breeds.

M&S realised that working together and cementing relationships with these quality producers would add huge value to the integrity of their brand. After much industry consultation over the following months Scotbeef were instrumental in the launch of the M&S Select Farm Scheme, a “quality” assurance which now covers all aspects of their fresh produce.