Scotch Lamb PGI Showcased to French Master Chefs

Twenty-three top French chefs have visited a Scottish hill farm to learn about Scotch Lamb PGI and the quality assurance, traceability and animal welfare which underpin one of Scotland’s most natural foods.

The Master Chefs of France (Maîtres Cuisiniers de France) are visiting Scotland this week to sample the best food and drink that the country has to offer.

The farm visit, supported by Quality Meat Scotland, took the team of chefs to Shantron Farm in Luss, before heading to leading lunch spot, The Old Mill in Killearn, where they enjoyed a hearty lunch which showcased Scotch Lamb.

Anne and Bobby Lennox run Shantron Farm in Loch Lomond, famous for its appearance on the BBC 2 fly-on-the-wall documentary This Farming Life. The family runs around 1500 mostly Blackface ewes and 23 suckler cows on the farm, which has been tenanted by the Lennox family since 1750.

Bobby Lennox took the chefs on a farm tour where they heard from about his experiences of farming on a traditional Scottish hill farm and how the family proudly produce Scotch Lamb PGI which is renowned for its quality both and home and overseas.

Laurent Vernet, Head of Marketing at Quality Meat Scotland said the aim the farm visit was to give the chefs an understanding of what makes Scotch Lamb a cut above the rest both in production and taste.

“Having a group of French Master Chefs visit us here in Scotland is a fantastic opportunity for us to show and educate them on what makes Scotch Lamb - and those who work in our industry – special.”

Event organisers Scottish Development International, the international arm of Scotland’s enterprise agency, organised the event on behalf of Scotland Food & Drink. They hope the Master Chefs visit will showcase the quality and variety of food and drink Scotland has to offer and inspire producers in Scotland to export to France and beyond, as well as encourage French chefs to source more from Scotland.

Their visit culminated in a Gala dinner, hosted by Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs which showcased fantastic Scottish produce, featuring Scotch Lamb PGI as the main course.