Scotch Beef PGI is set to be centre stage at the annual St Andrew’s Day Dinner, held at the five-star Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa on Thursday 29 November 2018.

A stellar line-up of six renowned Scottish chefs have been working with Savour St Andrews over the past six months to create a spectacular menu for a dinner celebrating the very best of Scotland’s larder.

Martin Hollis, executive chef at the hotel which is a member of Quality Meat Scotland’s Scotch Beef Club, will be joined by a host of top ranking Scottish chefs to create the meal. These include Geoffrey Smeddle of The Peat Inn Restaurant with Rooms; Duncan McLachlan, Playfair’s Restaurant and Steak House; Mat Majer from The Adamson; Sharon Munro of St Andrews Links; and Jamie Scott from The Newport.

Cooked by Chef Hollis, the main course will showcase the versatility and outstanding taste of Scotch Beef PGI with Black Isle Scotch Beef Fillet, Short Rib ‘Osso Bucco’, Shallot, Pommes Mousseline and Swiss Chard.

Local farmer, John Bell will attend the dinner with Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) to talk about the dedication, care and stockmanship skills behind the production of top quality Scotch Beef PGI.

The chefs will be supported by students on the night from Cupar’s SRUC Elmwood Campus and Fife College and, from profit made at the dinner, each college will receive a £500 bursary to be used for further hospitality training.

Chef Martin Hollis of The Old Course said: “We are once again delighted to be hosting the St Andrew’s Day Dinner at the Old Course and look forward to welcoming guests to this unique culinary experience.”

Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork will also enjoy a high profile on 4 November at the “Savour St Andrews” Chefs Taster Lunch which will take place in the Hall of Champions at the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa.

Carol McLaren, QMS Director of Marketing and Communications said: “The St Andrew’s day dinner is a truly unique event which sees a host of fantastic local chefs coming together to create a first-class gastronomic experience.

“Having a Scottish beef farmer speak, and then serving Scotch Beef PGI as the main course at this event, is a great opportunity to highlight the commitment of Scottish livestock farmers in producing a brand that offers world-leading levels of traceability, assurance and welfare standards as well as superior quality and taste.”

For more information, inspiration and delicious Scotch Beef recipes visit www.theScotchKitchen.com or visit us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ScotchKitchen. For information on foodie events in St Andrews, visit www.SavourStAndrews.com

Reproduction management to feature at Shetland Monitor Farm meeting

Ensuring high fertility levels in suckler cows and selection of breeding rams are two of the subjects which will be covered at the next Shetland Monitor farm meeting at Bigton on Sunday, October 7.

Rod McKenzie from Muirton Farm, Munlochy, on the Black Isle, will lead a discussion on the selection of breeding tups. Mr McKenzie, a well know Cheviot breeder who has been involved in promoting performance recording in sheep since 1988, will highlight the value of using Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) in conjunction with visual and physical assessments when selecting tups. 

Mr McKenzie will also offer some guidance on dressing tups for sale, which will be followed by a hands-on, practical exercise on ram selection featuring Suffolk, Cheviot and Shetland tups.

Host farmers Kirsty and Aimee Budge are keen to increase the productivity of their flock of 280 Shetland cross Cheviot ewes.

“Improving the performance of our sheep flock is one of the main opportunities highlighted by the benchmarking carried out as part of the Monitor Farm process,” said Kirsty Budge.

“Selecting tups with the right characteristics and traits, which will perform well in our flock is obviously key to boosting fertility levels and ultimately lamb numbers and quality.”

Cattle management topics will also be covered at the meeting.  Derek Hanton, Senior Consultant from SAC Consulting, Inverness, will discuss the nutritional requirements of both cows and growing cattle and look at the rationing options to ensure optimum performance over the winter months.

“Achieving target growth rates for calves is key to the profitability of store cattle systems but perhaps even more important is making sure that cows overwinter well and are in the right condition come calving time next spring,” said Mr Hanton.

“Getting the ration right in terms of meeting requirements and cost effectiveness is a key element of maximising the bottom line for sucker systems.”

Kirsty and Aimee Budge will also update the group on developments at Bigton since the last meeting including the barley trial plots and the lessons from the 2018 grazing season.

The Shetland Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.

The meeting on Sunday 7th October, which is free to attend, will begin at Bigton Hall at 11.00.  Lunch will be provided, and the meeting will finish at approximately 15.00.

To book your attendance (and lunch) please contact Graham Fraser, SAC Consulting Lerwick on 01595 693520 or email frbslerwick@sac.co.uk

For more information about the monitor farm programme visit www.monitorfarms.co.uk