Quality Meat Scotland Community Fund fuels fundraiser for The Usual Place in Dumfries

Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS’s) newly established Community Marketing Fund – a £50,000 resource aiming to support initiatives that promote our red meat brands within industry and across communities in Scotland - was a driving force behind a successful fundraising lunch for The Usual Place in Dumfries on Sunday 11 August 2024. The event not only highlighted the exceptional quality of Scotch Beef but also showcased the remarkable efforts of The Usual Place team, a registered charity in Scotland.

The lunch, hosted at The Usual Place cafe, was attended by 60 guests who enjoyed a fine dining experience under the expert guidance of Fraser Cameron, head chef at The Globe Inn. This event raised over £4,000 for The Usual Place, which is dedicated to empowering young people with disabilities by providing them with the training and qualifications needed to secure employment in the hospitality sector.

The Usual Place operates in the heart of Dumfries town centre, offering a unique environment where young people living with disabilities can gain practical experience and qualifications in hospitality. With over 70% of The Usual Place’s staff having disabilities, this event exemplified how passion and determination can overcome any challenge. The fundraising event served as a platform to showcase the skills of these successful staff members.

The lunch featured a three-course meal, entirely prepared, cooked, and served by The Usual Place staff, with guidance from Head of Cuisine, Jonathan Brett and Fraser Cameron. The event also included live entertainment, a raffle, and an auction, with all proceeds directly supporting The Usual Place's mission.

QMS played a pivotal role by providing Scotch Beef fillets for the training sessions, where participants learned to prepare Scotch Beef Wellingtons. The Scotch Beef was the star attraction, earning rave reviews from all attendees.

Gordon Newlands, Brands Development Manager at QMS, attended the lunch and commented: "Dumfries and Galloway has a rich heritage of primary food producers, whether on land or sea, so it seemed fitting to support our stakeholders in this region. It's truly inspiring to witness the passion and dedication of the young people at The Usual Place. We are thrilled to contribute to such a worthy cause and to provide access to our wonderful brands.

“The event not only raised awareness about the quality of local produce but also provided invaluable experience to the students at The Usual Place, offering them insights into fine dining and the skills necessary to help them to thrive in the hospitality industry.

“The Community Marketing Fund is deliberately open to a wide and diverse mix of activities and locations that support education and promotion of our red meat brands – interested parties can access the simple application form on our website.”

Emma Heath, QMS’s Marketing Director, remarked, “New to 2024, our Community Marketing Fund is about making it simple for people to access the support they might need to promote our red meat brands within their communities. Whether it’s providing aprons for a charity cook-off, funding a local sponsorship or supplying Scotch Beef for a special event like the one hosted at The Usual Place, we will carefully consider all approaches for funding that we receive.”

QMS encourages anyone passionate about promoting Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb, or Specially Selected Pork to apply to the Community Marketing Fund giving as much notice as possible. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, with the QMS team committed to responding as promptly as possible.

For more information and to apply for the QMS Community Marketing Fund, visit the QMS Community Marketing Fund Application.

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