Around £14m new business boost for Scottish processors
An estimated £14 million worth of new business was achieved as a result of hosting eight Scottish companies at the SIAL Paris food fair, according to Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).
SIAL Paris, which took place between 15th-19th October, welcomed more than 300,000 visitors from 194 countries across the globe and some of Europe’s most influential buyers and decision makers in the red meat industry.
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon was in attendance, speaking with key international customers and helping to support the growth of the red meat industry in Scotland.
During the five-day event, attendees were able to visit the QMS stand, meet with businesses from the Scottish red meat supply chain and discuss the Scotch brands – where credentials focused on verified quality assurance, provenance and sustainability standards. Visitors were also able to sample Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb dishes prepared by award-winning chefs.
Sarah Millar, chief executive at QMS, and chair Kate Rowell presented three major European importers with awards for their loyalty to the Scottish red meat industry. Lesage and Fils and J. M. Macquet from France, and Nice to Meat from the Netherlands were acknowledged for their long-standing support for Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb.
Tom Gibson, director of market development at QMS, said: “It was a pleasure to host a range of Scottish red meat exporting companies on the QMS stand at SIAL.
“All of the businesses who attended reported record levels of interest in Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork, and £14 million of new business is an incredible figure and a real boost to our sector. This demonstrates the value of the show, not only for our processors but for our primary producers and the extended red meat supply chain.”
Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, said: “It was great to attend SIAL 2022 in Paris and see for myself the level of international interest in red meat from Scotland – a testament to the excellent quality of the product.
“Having spent time with Quality Meat Scotland and our red meat suppliers, I know they are dynamic, forward-thinking businesses who are passionate about our world class produce. It’s incredible to hear of the demand for sustainably produced Scottish farm assured red meat and I’m delighted that our companies had a very successful show.”
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