Spencer Matthews Backs Red Meat in Mid-week Meal Recipes

Businessman, TV star and 2018 Celebrity Masterchef runner up Spencer Matthews is fronting a new campaign aimed at highlighting the importance of lean red meat in a healthy, balanced diet.

The campaign is launching across England, Wales and Scotland as part of an ongoing collaboration between the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).

The programme’s aim is to help counter misinformation in the media on the role of red meat and support the facts about the value of red meat in the diet.

Insights into the target consumer audience, which helped inform the creative concept behind the campaign, revealed that 23 per cent of the UK population are red meat “waverers”, suggesting they feel they should cut back on red meat. Research also revealed that often people in this demographic group are unaware of the positive role of red meat in the diet. With this in mind, the campaign has been shaped to help inspire and inform people so they can continue to enjoy red meat.

Spencer will help educate consumers through promoting three new mid-week meal recipes, posting the recipes on his Instagram page and stories, reaching his 732,000 followers.

The three recipe videos, which are also being shared by the organisations funding the programme, highlight some of the nutritional benefits of lamb, beef and pork, in line with EU authorised nutrition and health claims. Throughout the videos, Spencer refers to some of the important nutrients and associated health benefits. He also shows how easy it can be for his followers to enjoy replicating these delicious recipes at home.

Alan Clarke, Chief Executive of QMS, said: “It’s extremely important that we continue to robustly communicate to key audiences the role of red meat in a healthy balanced diet, whilst showing how simple it is to incorporate beef, lamb and pork into quick and easy family meals.

“We look forward to seeing how Spencer’s followers create these exciting recipes in their own homes, demonstrating how straightforward it is to cook with red meat.”

Jane King, AHDB CEO, said: “This campaign aims to highlight the nutritional benefits of red meat in a fun way for consumers. We wanted to highlight how red meat can continue to feature as a versatile ingredient in a healthy, balanced diet and are keen to see how everyone reacts and engages with the content we have developed together.”

Gwyn Howells, Chief Executive of HCC, said: “Through these fun and light-hearted videos, we hope to reach wavering consumers across the UK to reassure them that red meat can be a delicious and nutritious part of a simple mid-week meal.”

The campaign is funded by the ring-fenced fund, a £2 million budget from AHDB levy collections, used to fund joint activity with QMS and HCC. A long-term solution is continuing to be sought on the issue of levies being collected at point of slaughter in England for animals that have been reared in Scotland or Wales.