Perthshire Butcher Joins Celebrity Chef to Encourage Consumers to Buy Local

An East Perthshire butcher stepped into the limelight today (Friday Sept 2) to join celebrity chef Jacqueline O’Donnell on the cookery theatre stage on the opening day of Dundee Flower and Food Festival (2-4 September).

Alan Kennedy of DA Kennedy butchers, which has premises in Blairgowrie and Forfar, joined the vivacious Ms 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 Dundee Food 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 project supports BEPTA's overall aim of promoting East Perthshire as a year-round sustainable, quality tourism destination. 

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.

The Festival is also spearheading 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 and we’re delighted to be the main sponsor of the Dundee Food Festival where our lamb is one of the ingredients the chefs are cooking with,” 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,” he added.

The bustling Dundee Flower and Food Festival, which last year attracted around 26,000 visitors, also heralds the start of Scottish Food Fortnight (Sept 3rd – 18th).

More than a dozen top chefs, including world-renowned Gino D’Acampo, will be working their culinary magic over the weekend to impress the crowds at this year’s event.

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

And on Sunday Quality Meat Scotland’s healthy eating ambassador, the former Miss Scotland and Miss UK, Katharine Brown, will be joining Food Festival guests and trying her hand at assisting some of the chefs.

For more information and Scotch Lamb recipe ideas visit www.scotchbeefandlamb.com