Royal opening for new Scotch Beef Club restaurant

She unveiled a plaque at the new Porterhouse Restaurant at the Thainstone Centre, Inverurie to mark the occasion during a visit to the Royal Northern Spring Show.

Her Royal Highness, in her role as President of the Scotch Beef Club, also presented a membership certificate to Porterhouse’s gold medal winning Chef Simon Gosling.

She was joined at the opening by Jim McLaren, the chairman of Quality Meat Scotland, which runs the Scotch Beef Club.

He said: “It’s great to have this new restaurant committing their support to Scotch Beef from the outset. By joining the Scotch Beef Club they are saying to all their customers that they are supporting local production and high standards of assurance and welfare. We wish them all the best for the future.”

The new restaurant, which is operated by Highland Cuisine - part of the ANM Group, one of Britain’s biggest farmer-owned co-operatives - has had a very busy and successful start since the opening.

Pat Machray OBE, the chief executive of ANM Group, said: “We were very honoured and delighted that Her Royal Highness performed the officially opening, especially given her links with the Scotch Beef Club.

“Our first diners have already praised the food and service at Porterhouse and we are looking forward to welcoming many more.”

Simon Gosling said: “It was a great honour for me to meet the Princess Royal. She was very knowledgeable about beef and interested in what we are doing here at Porterhouse.”

For more information about the Scotch Beef Club, visit www.scotchbeefclub.org