Perthshire Butcher and Celebrity Chef Promote Scotch Lamb

Sector In Profile: Food and Drink

Perthshire Butcher and Celebrity Chef Promote Scotch Lamb

An east Perthshire butcher stepped into the limelight last week (Friday, September 2) to join celebrity chef Jacqueline O’Donnell on the cookery theatre stage on the opening day of Dundee Flower and Food Festival.

Alan Kennedy of D&A Kennedy, which has premises in Blairgowrie and Forfar, joined Jacqueline O’Donnell, who runs The Sisters restaurants in Glasgow, to assist with the preparation of a sensational Scotch Lamb dish.

The lively banter between the pair entertained the crowds at the high-profile Dundee festival, sponsored by Scotch Lamb, as they worked together to prepare a Duo of Braised Scotch Lamb Shoulder with a Seared Pink Cutlet, served with summer minted greens.

The butcher-and-chef team were united through their involvement with Love to Eat, a major new food tourism initiative being delivered by the Blairgowrie & East Perthshire Tourist Association (BEPTA).

The Love to Eat project aims to promote excellent service, locally-sourced food, quality producers and produce, and eating establishments in Blairgowrie and the East Perthshire area.

Dundee Flower and Food Festival also spearheaded the launch of a major campaign by Quality Meat Scotland to communicate the seasonal succulence of Scotch Lamb.

"Scotch Lamb is at its most succulent from now until February," said Tayside farmer Jim McLaren, chairman of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

"We produce a fantastic, natural product which is much acclaimed overseas and underpinned by one of the longest established quality assurance schemes in the world – guaranteeing high standards of production and welfare.

"I would encourage anyone who has forgotten how simple Scotch Lamb is to cook to buy local and rediscover its taste and versatility."

The bustling Dundee Flower and Food Festival, which last year attracted around 26,000 visitors, also heralded the start of Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight (3-18 September).

More than a dozen top chefs, including TV's Gino D’Acampo, participated over the weekend to impress the crowds at this year’s event.

QMS was also encouraging visitors to Dundee to download a new, free mobile phone Perfect Steaks and Roasts app, which is suitable for use when cooking beef, pork or lamb and is available for iPhone, iPod Touch and Android free of charge.

Yesterday (Sunday), Quality Meat Scotland’s healthy eating ambassador, the former Miss Scotland and Miss UK, Katharine Brown, joined festival guests in assisting some of the chefs

Source: Scotland Food and Drink Website