A campaign to make Scotch Lamb PGI the national dish for St Andrew’s Day is stirring up strong support across the nation, including from the Scottish Government.
Rural communities have been quick to get behind the campaign with more than 1,500 people up and down the country committing to celebrating November 30th with Scotch Lamb.
Now the drive is calling on butchers, supermarkets and families all over Scotland to join the campaign and share their support on social media using the #LambForStAndrewsDay hashtag.
The campaign has attracted support from Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), the Scottish red meat industry marketing body, and National Farmers’ Union Scotland as well as the Scottish Government.
Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, said: “Scotch Lamb to celebrate St Andrews Day is the perfect union, and I would encourage everyone to get behind this great campaign and support your local hill and upland farmers and crofters.”
The original idea was cooked up in 2010 by United Auctions’ George Purves with Willie Mitchell during the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme. QMS picked it up and it made it into a national campaign nine years ago. This year’s call re-ignites the campaign by giving the power to the people to get behind it and make it their own.
“The aim of this campaign is simple: we want to make Scotch Lamb synonymous with celebrating St Andrew’s Day,” said George Purves, Managing Director of United Auctions.
It was United Auctions who started the ball rolling last month by offering 10 locally-sourced lambs to community groups wanting to celebrate St Andrew’s Day and asking their 18,000 customers to spread the word amongst their own families, friends and neighbours.
The call has been answered far and wide – including celebration dinners planned by a Scout Group in Ballantrae in South Ayrshire, a Village Hall Committee in Ettrickbridge in the Borders, a school in Stirlingshire and community events on the Isle of Coll in the Hebrides as well as in Perthshire, South Ayrshire, Argyll, North Lanarkshire, and Moray.
Alan Clarke, Chief Executive of Quality Meat Scotland, said: “We’re encouraging everyone in Scotland to get this great tasting and extremely versatile product on the menu so that, from now on, when we think about celebrating St Andrew’s Day, we think of Scotch Lamb.”
Former Scotland rugby captain Rob Wainwright, who is helping to organise the event on the Isle of Coll, commented: “This is a great campaign and we got behind it straight away. What better way to celebrate St Andrew’s Day than bringing our community together for a lamb dinner and ceilidh?”
Andrew McCornick, President of National Farmers’ Union Scotland, said: “We should all take the opportunity to enjoy the best on Scotland’s national day of celebration. Together we can make delicious Scotch Lamb PGI the national dish for St Andrew’s Day.”
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Issued by JK Consultancy on behalf of United Auctions. For further information, please contact Jenny Kumar on 07989 557198 / jenny@jkconsultancy.com
Photo caption: Balfron High School Home Economics pupils get ready to cook for #LambforStAndrewsDay with QMS Chair Kate Rowell (left), George Purves, Managing Director of United Auctions seated with pupil Beth Rodgers and Chief Executive of QMS Alan Clarke.
Notes to Editor
> To help spread the word, we’re asking supporters to display our poster in their window and share it on social media using the hashtag #LambForStAndrewsDay. Download a poster from the grey ‘Resources’ box on United Auctions’ homepage via www.uagroup.co.uk
> Community groups and organisations taking part in the Lamb for St Andrew’s celebration include the following. Please contact Jenny on the details above for more info:
- Ballantrae Scout Group, South Ayrshire at local Village Hall on 26 November. The Scouts have organised a fundraising St Andrew’s Evening with 80 locals – 10 tables will each have their own lamb joint to carve.
- Balfron High School, Stirlingshire on 27 Nov. After a butchery demonstration with the school’s Home Economics class, the students will make lamb burgers which will be served to 220 pupils as a celebration lunch along with roast lamb and lamb tagine.
- Ettrick Village Hall Committee, Scottish Borders on 30 Nov. A St Andrew’s Night concert fundraising for Prostate Cancer – 100 youngsters and adults contributing Scots songs, poems with instrumentalists and audience participation.
- Riverside Explorers Scouts, Greenhill Farm, Dunning on 30 Nov. The Riverside Explorers whose aim is providing an enjoyable and attractive scheme of progressive training, are celebrating St Andrews Day at their monthly overnight camp. The 25 young leaders will be challenged to cook the lamb by using only ingenuity and traditional methods.
- Coll Community, Coll Hotel on 30 Nov. Organised by former Scotland rugby captain Rob Wainwright, the St Andrew’s Day dinner will be a celebration of Scotch Lamb with various cuts and Coll vegetables for 80 members of the local community.
- Friends of the Firth of Clyde, Fairlie Village Inn, 30 Nov. A fundraising lamb dinner for Protecting the Clyde Coast & campaign for Environmental Impact Assessment for 100 people.
- Peebles RFC pre-match dinner on 30 Nov. The celebration for Peebles 1st v Gordonians puts Scotch Lamb centre stage with 120 people.
About United Auctions
United Auctions are Scotland’s leading livestock auctioneers and procurement specialists and operate a network of different auction markets across Scotland, including Stirling, Huntly, Lairg, Dalmally, Tiree, Islay, South Uist and Oban. The company conducts auctions of both commercial and pedigree livestock, including the world-famous Stirling Bull Sales, and provides farm-to-farm and farm-to-abattoir procurement services.
Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is the public body responsible for promoting the PGI labelled Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb brands in the UK and abroad and also promoting Scottish pork products under the Specially Selected Pork logo. QMS also helps the Scottish red meat sector improve its sustainability, efficiency and profitability and maximise its contribution to Scotland’s economy. For more information visit www.qmscotland.co.uk or follow QMS on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
NFU Scotland is Scotland’s leading agricultural organisation, representing farmers, crofters, growers and rural businesses. It supports and promotes its members to achieve a sustainable and profitable future for Scottish agriculture.
