The Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC) has concluded its latest series of red meat skills workshops for teachers, providing them with hands-on, interactive experience.
The workshop experience was aimed at boosting skills and confidence in using Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured (NIFQA) beef and lamb in the classroom.
The most recent workshops were held at Rainey Endowed, Magherafelt, and St Genevieve’s, Belfast. Both sessions combined practical activities with a strong theoretical foundation to enhance learning outcomes for post-primary students.
Key topics included the significance of the Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance Scheme in producing world-class, fully traceable beef and lamb, the science behind marinating red meat, and the importance of sustainability and reducing food waste.
Lauren Patterson, head of marketing and communications at LMC, praised the programme’s success: “LMC is delighted to have delivered multiple red meat workshops this year. These sessions complement our wider post-primary education programme and provide a valuable platform for knowledge exchange.
“They allow us to practically support home economics and food science teachers and encourage the integration of NIFQA beef and lamb into classroom learning.”
Positive response from teachers
Teachers responded positively, with all attendees reportedly rating the workshops highly. One participant remarked: “The workshops provided an excellent opportunity to get hands-on experience and to support learning. It was a great opportunity to cook lamb, and LMC staff were supportive and knowledgeable in showing us how we can use it in the classroom”.
Another said: “A really enjoyable and informative day which provided lots of alternative ideas for practical and theory classes. The recipes we used were great and easily adapted for students at different stages.”
LMC said plans are already underway for further workshops in the new academic year with dates and venues to be announced soon.
Patterson added: “We’re excited to continue sharing knowledge, skills, and inspiration with even more educators across Northern Ireland through these highly successful workshops. We strongly encourage all post-primary home economics and food science teachers to get involved.”
