Red meat supply chain collaboration will support Quality Meat Scotland’s strategic ambitions

Reflections from Ian Bentley, three years into his non-executive role on the Board of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS)

I joined the QMS Board in September 2021, as the country emerged from two years of the most stringent measures to combat Covid. There was a cautious optimism that the worst was past and the prospect of mass vaccinations became a reality. It seems incredible today, exactly three years later, how strange and far away those times seem , and how quickly much of life returned to normal - not least in the meat industry.

Of course, our industry, and the food industry in its entirety, was essential throughout those times to ensure the shops were supplied and the nation was fed. As a director of a Scottish meat processing company I observed the concerted effort by all stakeholders in the supply chain, including Government and regulators, to find constructive and practical solutions to the obstacles posed by crowded working environments with high risks of infection. It was a tribute to these efforts that the meat supply chain continued to function smoothly throughout that period.

It was partly as a reflection of those observations that I applied to become a QMS Board member in 2021. QMS was looking for new Board members with experience of meat processing , retailing and marketing. Before joining Scotbeef as a non-executive director in 2009, I had spent over 30 years at Marks and Spencer - 20 of those years in the Food Division Head Office in London. I had a long involvement in the M&S Meat Category, but I also had experience across a broad spectrum of the food industry, both in the UK and abroad. I had seen the value of strategic relationships which stretched the length of the supply chain, from the producer through to the retail shelf, sometimes across continents.

I felt my experiences could possibly add something to QMS Board discussions, while at the same time I could learn much about primary production from my farmer colleagues. And so I think it has proved, as I have learned a great deal while helping to formulate the QMS five-year strategy which aims to bring the industry together to ensure that Scotland retains its status as a world leading source of quality red meat.

For me. two things stand out as being essential to achieve this goal. Firstly, Scotland needs a thriving and sustainable livestock farming industry, enjoying positive support from a Government which recognises the value it brings to Scotland’s identity across the world. Secondly, Scottish meat needs to market itself effectively across the world, ensuring its attributes of high eating quality, animal welfare and sustainability are understood and appreciated.

Of course, these two goals are interdependent. No point having a strong brand identity if there is not enough livestock to supply in volume. No point having a plentiful supply without strong demand driven by effective brand marketing. I believe both these goals are achievable but, going back to the earlier Covid observations, it requires a concerted, joined up effort from all stakeholders to make it happen, and I hope I can help QMS to be at the centre of facilitating those efforts.

To further support representation of the processing sector on the QMS Board I am glad that in Scott Jarron we have a strong voice for retail butchers. I’m also pleased to see that with recent appointments we now have a nutritionist Board member in Carrie Ruxton and others with strong experience and skills in the application of technology to food production. I believe this diversity will help QMS to be even more effective in taking Scottish red meat into a successful future.

The profiles of the QMS Board are available on our website.