Another school year of community engagement and education activity has kicked off for Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and the Make it Scotch Ambassadors, reaching around 800 pupils and young people Scotland-wide in the first 2 months of the academic year.
Through a varied programme of farm education to sports nutrition, QMS’ Community Engagement Coordinator, Abby Goldie, has worked alongside the Make it Scotch Ambassador network to educate young people on food production, nutrition and the farm to fork journey.
From August to October, pupils were educated on the farm to fork journey, given demonstrations in butchery and cooking, taken on-farm for RHET Food and Farming days and invited onto the rugby pitch for hands-on learning in sports nutrition.
From Stranraer in the South West of Scotland to Grantown on Spey in the North, a range of activities have been delivered to communities nationwide. The Make it Scotch Ambassadors have so far attended an Eat to Compete Event, a butchery demonstration, three RHET Food and Farming days, six Farm to Fork Talks and eight cookery demonstrations.
Ahead of the club’s first home game of the season, Make it Scotch Ambassadors also attended Boroughmuir Rugby Club’s Champions Day to educate attendees on red meat’s role as a nutritional powerhouse for athletes of all ages.
Abby Goldie, Community Engagement Coordinator at QMS said: “Make It Scotch were delighted to have a presence at the event to promote the benefits of eating red meat, especially when playing sport and having to fuel performance and aid recovery.”
“We engaged with attendees by playing interactive games and encouraging those we spoke with to think about their diet and nutrition while focusing on fuelling their bodies properly.”
Both children and parents took part in a red meat buzzer quiz, ‘High Steaks’, while enjoying a Scotch Beef burger to help all generations develop a greater understanding of the value of red meat and where it comes from.
Greg Cannie, Business Development Manager at Boroughmuir Rugby Club said: “The 2026 Champions Day was another fantastic success, thanks in no small part to the support of the Make It Scotch team. The burgers they provided went down a treat, while their buzzer game proved a real hit, drawing a steady stream of visitors to learn more about the benefits of fresh red meat as part of a healthy balanced diet. It was great to have them involved in the day once again, helping to create a fun and engaging experience for all our members and visitors.”
This momentum of activity will continue into term two as Make it Scotch prepare to deliver a busy programme of activity, particularly leading into November as QMS celebrates Lamb for St Andrews Day on November 30th in collaboration with the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS). In schools right across Scotland, the Make it Scotch Ambassadors will showcase the versatility of Scotch Lamb while helping pupils develop practical cooking skills.
Abby added: “St Andrews Day provides a fantastic opportunity to celebrate Scotch Lamb for its heritage and nutritional benefits. As well as giving pupils the opportunity to get hands-on with cooking, we’ll be exploring why Scotch Lamb should be as traditional for St Andrew’s Day as haggis is for Burns Night.”
Schools interested in bringing farm to fork learning to their classroom can enquire about a visit from a Make it Scotch Ambassador through this booking form.