Quality Meat Scotland Podcast

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In this episode, we catch up with Professor John Gilliland about the QMS/AHDB about an Environmental Baselining programme based on the success of a similar scheme in Northern Ireland. This industry-led pilot aims to recruit 170 farmers and growers in Scotland and England to understand and improve their environmental performance. John explains the learnings from NI and the hopes for Scotland. 

Host Jane Craigie also catches up with QMS CEO, Sarah Millar, on the team's high-impact presence at the Highland Show, which included a three-way briefing from First Minister, John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary, Mairi Gougeon and Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, Jim Fairlie, on the QMS stand. 

Jane also spoke to QMS's Iain Macdonald about the market outlook for red meat, and how the Scotch Premium works in practice.

We hope that you enjoy listening to this episode. 

Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast

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Working with farmers and influencing policy is key for QMS. In this episode Kate Rowell explains how QMS is doing this important work alongside other industry stakeholders and Scotch farming ambassadors, to promote the Scotch red meat sector.  The QMS team will be at the Royal Highland Show and Kate explains what to look out for, including steak tasting.  

Abby Tong is QMS Category Specialist, she explains her fascinating role, higher than normal Easter red meat sales, beef and lamb promotions, consumer behaviour, and the summer outlook. Saltire Hospitality has been catering at the Royal Highland Show for 24 years now, sourcing local, quality Scotch products as much as possible. Bran Jankovic is their Culinary Director and explains the scale of their work at the Show, and his passion for sourcing Scotch. 

Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast

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In this episode, we speak to John Ritchie about grassland management - he's very inspiring and infectiously enthusiastic! Also to Alix Ritchie about Farmstrong Scotland and the events coming up in their calendar for farmers and crofters to join and hear how others are investing in their wellbeing. 

Iain Macdonald, QMS’s Market Intelligence Manager,  talks about the beef, sheep and lamb markets, and the outlook for demand and supply for the spring and summer, and to Sarah Millar, QMS CEO, about her win and all she's been doing to support the red meat sector. 

Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast

Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast

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In this episode, we speak to Wayne Godfrey, Chief Executive of Brown Brothers, about their vision to add £100 million in retail sales of Specially Selected Pork via the family’s investment in the Brechin processing facility.  

Iain Macdonald, QMS’s Market Intelligence Manager,  talks about the beef, sheep and lamb markets, and the outlook for demand and supply. And, ahead of starting lambing Kate Rowell gave a round up of the industry engagement she has been involved in over recent months. 

Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast

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In this episode we look at developing red meat markets in Scotland, the wider UK and internationally. Guests are Tom Gibson, QMS's Business Development Director and Emma Heath, who is the new Marketing Director at QMS.

Tom talks athrough his role - discovering, developing and building new market opportunities, both in the UK and abroad, with new export business continually coming on board. Supplying lamb as part of Lamb for St. Andrew’s Day was a huge success, with sensational Scotch lamb being served at a COP 28 dinner, in Dubai, coinciding with the opening market opportunities for export to the Middle East.  Emma Heath joins the conversation, explaining her vision for the Make It Scotch brand and why it’s so important that we tell the world about our wonderful red meat products.  Hear all about it, and more, in this podcast with host, Jane Craigie.  

Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast

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This episode is all about pork, following the successful month of 'Porktober', during October, when QMS, and butchers all over Scotland, celebrated Scotland's pig farmers and Specially Selected Pork.

Conversations are with Bruce McConachie from QMS who talks about disease surveillance and controlling Scotland's feral pigs, and with two butchers - Jordan McCaughan, a young butcher at Hugh Black & Sons and Gary Raeburn, who has a very successful butcher's shop in Huntly. 

Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast

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Ensuring Scotland's school children know where their food comes from,  and the nutrition it offers, is part of the role for QMS Health and Education Managers, Jen Robertson and Alix Ritchie, who promote Scotch Beef, Lamb and Specially Selected Pork in schools.  In this episode, Jen talks about their work with all of Scotland's local authorities, and the creative ways of encouraging red meat inclusion in school dinners and cookery classes. The initiatives, including in class education sessions, cookery demonstrations and food and farming events, reached over 2,500 of Scotland's primary aged pupils from 80 different schools and 320 secondary schools during the 2022-23 academic year, with the Meat Voucher Scheme giving schools cash to buy Scotch Lamb, Beef or Specially Selected Pork from Scotch Assured butchers. 

Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast

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QMS Chief Executive, Sarah Millar and QMS board Chair, Kate Rowell, explain the three key pillars of QMS’s five-year strategy - provenance, profitability and productivity, planning and place, and what getting this right means to Scotland’s red meat sector. 

Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast

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In this episode, the conversation focuses on meat eating quality. The discussions are with Bruce McConachie, QMS's Head of Industry Development and Dan Gilmour, a third generation butcher from East Lothian.  

For the red meat sector to be able to meet the challenges of a global marketplace improving the eating quality and consistency of our red meat is essential. This podcast gives a great insight into QMS's Meat Eating Quality report, which is encouraging the red meat sector to discuss how Scotland might change its determining the consistency of how meat tastes, eats and cooks. The work was carried out by Birnie Consultancy and points to a number of key themes that affect the eating quality of a piece of meat, and why it matters.

Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast

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Farmers are having to look at all aspects of their business to try to control costs and one of the areas that they can do this is by focussing on the forage that they grow for their livestock.

Tune in to this week’s podcast to hear from Andrew Houstoun, who farms Glenkilrie Farm near Blairgowrie and Charles Murray, seed merchant and agronomist, who runs Clyde Agriculture (Seeds) Ltd.  They discuss grazing and forage requirements and what can be done to extend the grazing season to in order to minimise winter feeding costs.

Here is a link to all episodes of QMS's podcast https://qmscotland.co.uk/news-media/qms-podcast