Scotch Butcher Club Members excel at Smithfield Awards

A group of Scotch Butcher Club members are celebrating after scooping over 70 awards at the recent 2014 Smithfield Awards, an annual national product evaluation showcase contested by Q Guild butchers nationwide.

A total of 479 products from butchers across the UK were entered for this year’s Smithfield Awards, the annual national product evaluation competition. The entries were judged by independent panels of food and meat industry experts and the best were awarded either a bronze, silver, gold or diamond award.

The winners from the Scotch Butchers Club, which is run by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and has around 300 members who source their Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork from approved suppliers, were awarded one diamond, 46 gold, 18 silver and 6 bronze awards at this year’s competition.

Patricks from Camelon, Falkirk, also picked up the award for Best Scotch Lamb product, sponsored by the Scotch Butchers Club, with their Gold award-winning savoury meatballs.

The family business, which began by James Patrick senior in 1961, is now managed by Robert Patrick and his brother James and employs 19 staff. 

Robert Patrick commented: “We are absolutely delighted to have won this award. We are strong supporters of Scotch Lamb and only source Scotch Lamb for our shop. We believe that Scotch Lamb is the finest lamb in the world and we are proud to sell it’.

Graeme Sharp, QMS Marketing Executive said: “It's fantastic to see so many butchers using great quality ingredients, such as Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb, and adding value to these to create their own signature products.

“All the products judged and awarded show of the best of what butchers can produce. This results in a fantastic quality product, innovation, creativity and most importantly taste’”

Q Guild national chairman, butcher Brindon Addy, said: “Smithfield Awards are among the meat industry’s most esteemed and cherished accolades, recognising and rewarding both product quality and innovation, at the same time reflecting the skills continually demonstrated by our members – Great British butchers one and all.” 

Caption: From left to right; food writer and critic Michael Fort, Winner Robert Patrick from Patricks of Camelon and Graeme Sharp from Quality Meat Scotland.