AHDB Beef and Lamb to revamp the Quality Standard Mark Scheme
The organisation for beef and lamb levy payers in England, AHDB Beef and Lamb, has launched a revamped Quality Standard Mark (QSM) scheme to give customers assurance that they are purchasing a high quality product.
The QSM follows recent research by AHDB YouGov in October 2016, which showed that 51% of people believe meat with a quality assurance mark is worth paying more for, while 61% would be willing to pay more for quality.
The revamp aims to drive growth in the QSM beef and lamb retail market and increase engagement with the supply chain, catering butchers and independent retailers.
With a strong farming background, newly appointed ambassador Karl Pendlebury will lead the QSM revamp. He has had previous experience working with ASDA, and as an auditor for assurance schemes such as Red Tractor.
He said: "Consumers are becoming more concerned about where their food comes from. There is a great opportunity for retailers and foodservice operators to drive profits by stocking QSM beef and lamb and telling consumers about it.
"Factors like quality, taste, food safety and animal welfare are increasingly influencing consumer purchasing decisions, and consumers are looking for these assurances on both packaging and menus. The QSM scheme is an easy way to give them what they want."
In order to highlight the importance of good quality meat, ambassador and The Caterer's 2016 Hotel Catey's Hotel Chef of the Year (more than 250 covers) winner, Chris Wheeler hosted an interactive cooking and butchery masterclass for guests at press event held Stoke Park in Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, on 8 March.
Wheeler said: "At a time where consumer demand for quality, traceability and provenance is at a high, I'm thrilled to have this opportunity to represent the Quality Standard Mark which acts as a guarantee across the retail and foodservice sectors. Competition is fierce so it's great to have something that adds value and differentiates your offer."
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