QUALITY MEAT Scotland will unveil a "bright, interactive" new-look stand at this year’s Highland Show.

The new layout and design of the stand, located in its usual ring-side position, aims to inspire visitors to the show with a lively and inspiring “Scotch Kitchen” cookery theatre, tempting samples and an engaging education area.

The line-up of top chefs who will be demonstrating in the cookery theatre include Lady Claire Macdonald; Jak O’Donnell, chef patron at The Sisters restaurants in Glasgow; and the “Kilted Chef” Craig Wilson, of Eat on the Green in Aberdeenshire. All three will be showing the crowds how easy is to make tasty, quick, delicious dishes using Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork.

In recent years the butchery demonstrations at the show have proved more and more popular, with large crowds gathering to enjoy the butchers’ skills and banter. The members of QMS’s Scotch Butchers Club taking part this year are James Lally of Shepperton Butchers and John Mackie of S Collins and Son Butchers in Glasgow.

Presenter Bryan Burnett will again be providing a lively commentary on the wide-ranging activities taking place on the QMS stand each day, and will also be welcoming farmers and others involved in the industry to the stage to take questions from the audience throughout the duration of the show.

QMS chairman Jim McLaren said the Royal Highland Show offered a unique opportunity to showcase the quality of the Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork produced in Scotland and the hard work and commitment behind its production.

“The new layout of our stand at the show ensures that every inch of the space we have is dedicated to communicating the positive messages our industry has direct to consumers – from quality assurance and animal welfare to red meat’s positive environmental and human health role,” said Mr McLaren.

“Farmers and others involved in our industry are, as previously, very welcome on the stand. Indeed, the new open layout will allow the general public to engage much more closely with those involved in the production of top quality red meat.

“Likewise it will allow our levy-payers to get a good opportunity to see at first hand the sort of marketing, public relations and health and education work we undertake year-round on behalf of the Scottish red meat industry.”