Greenwood Academy Have X-Factor in Schools Burger Competition

The creativity of Ayrshire-based Greenwood Academy pupils saw them emerge as overall winners in a design-a-burger competition run by the Scotch Butchers Club (Quality Meat Scotland).

The nationwide search for a winner began several months ago when form one pupils in Scottish secondary schools were invited to come up with their ideas for home-made burgers created using Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI or Specially Selected Pork.

As 2015 is Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink the over-arching theme was “#tastescotland” to celebrate this special year. From an initial 124 entries, six were initially short-listed to work with their local butcher member of the Scotch Butchers Club to bring their recipe concept to life.

The three finalist schools battled it out at the final on the QMS stand today (Thursday 18th June) at the Royal Highland Show with Greenwood’s Specially Selected Pork “Clapshot burger” emerging as the overall winner.

Joint runners-up were Websters High School, Kirriemuir with Scotch Lamb “Tartan Sizzlers” and Airdrie Academy, North Lanarkshire with a Scotch Beef “Crackin’ Wee Burger.”

Sixteen year old Scottish X-Factor star Emily Middlemas, who got to Cheryl Fernandez-Versini’s house stage in the 2014 show, presented the awards and then performed three songs for the finalists, their teachers and supporters at the QMS stand today.

The pupils worked with local Scotch butchers Club member butchers to develop their ideas. They included: Cliff Bertram from Bertrams Quality Butchers, Kirriemuir; Graeme Johnston from Ferguson’s of Airdrie and Stewart Duguid and Kenny Boag from Pollok Williamson in Ayrshire.

The main objective of the competition is to encourage youngsters to take an interest in quality, local ingredients such as Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork and to understand how simple it is to cook tasty, healthy food.

Dietitian Jennifer Robertson, QMS Health and Education Co-ordinator, said the creativity of the pupils in the development of the burger concepts had been very encouraging.

“Our congratulations to Greenwood Academy and the other finalists for three excellent entries. The #tastescotland theme was clearly a source of great inspiration and our judges were impressed with all three entries,” said Mrs Robertson.

Caption: Greenwood Academy pupils, winners of the QMS #tastescotland schools burger competition, pictured with X-Factor star Emily Middlemas.