The Middle East could prove a lucrative new market for
Scottish sheep producers, with First Minister Humza Yousaf among delegates
being served Scotch Lamb in Dubai to celebrate St Andrew’s Day.
In a special COP 28 dinner organised by Scottish
Development International (SDI)
and supported by Quality Meat
Scotland (QMS), guests will be treated to lamb from
Woodhead Brothers in Aberdeenshire, which has become the
first processor in Scotland to receive accreditation to supply the market in the Middle East.
Lamb is hugely
popular in the Middle East and, with the sheep meat production levels of the
six Gulf Co-operation Countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and
UAE) fulfilling only 66 per cent of their consumption levels, QMS estimates
that the new market could have significant worth to the Scottish sheep
industry. In recent years the Middle East has imported an annual average of
£571m worth of sheep meat.
This is a
significant opportunity to
build on the export market, said Tom Gibson, Director of Business Development at
QMS:
“At QMS, we are working continuously to
open doors to wider markets for
our different products. The Middle East has been untapped until
now and it’s
really exciting to see this opportunity to sell a substantial volume of lamb to a
different part of the world become
a reality through Woodhead Brothers.
Matching up with nations that are not self-sufficient is the perfect
partnership and offers the best value to both,
and it is the processors who
can grasp these
international opportunities by meeting the market demand
and physically supplying
the product.
“The
dinner in Dubai, ahead of the world’s largest conversation about the
environment, will be a fantastic platform to remind decision-makers about the taste of
Scotch Lamb but importantly also Scotland’s story as
the most sustainable place to produce it.”
Woodhead Brothers,
part of the Myton Food
Group in Turriff, is the
second biggest lamb processor in Scotland, and,
alongside other Woodhead Bros processing
sites, processes
approximately 8000 lambs and
over 2500 cattle a week.
Trading
with Dubai highlights
Scotland’s ability to export premium lamb and will open opportunities in other Gulf states. Scott Bradley, Trading Manager at Woodhead Brothers, said:
“As consumer tastes
and markets change it’s imperative for us to keep looking for new
opportunities, and this is one that has enormous and exciting potential. Having
sampled our products in early November, buyers in Dubai were delighted with the
quality and flavour our range had to offer. As of today, we will mainly be
supplying products into high end food service, the leisure and tourist markets,
and look forward to growing trade with other nations as awareness and logistics
develop.”
Woodhead Brothers will be attending the Gulfood trade exhibition in February 2024 to grow their
network and discuss new business opportunities alongside QMS.
QMS Director of
Business Development, Tom Gibson, will join the
First Minister at the COP 28 St Andrew’s Day
Evening Reception, which kickstarts the activities
for Scotland at the conference of parties.
QMS is also providing Scotch Lamb for a dinner at the British Ambassador’s
Residence in Paris for
350 people, including many from France’s
food service. Attended
by Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon and QMS
Brands Development Manager, Gordon
Newlands, it is once
again putting Scotch Lamb centre stage
as part of the global celebration of Lamb for St
Andrew’s Day.
Lamb for St Andrew’s Day, conceived by auctioneer George Purves, and sheep
farmer
Willie Mitchell
while on the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme, is an initiative to boost lamb sales by making it
synonymous with St Andrew’s Day in the same way haggis is for Burn’s Night and
turkey for Christmas.
Since its inception
in 2010, it has grown with industry support, driven by QMS and the Institute of
Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS), to become a popular fixture of
Scotland’s national day for restaurants
and secondary schools as much as households and St Andrew’s Day events.
Tom Gibson
said that with 90% of
Scotland’s lamb and beef exports going to Europe, maintaining
Scotch Lamb’s reputation among
buyers and decision-makers in
this market is key.
He said: “Strengthening the partnerships that make it
possible is central to QMS’s
market development work, and we are pleased to be providing Scotch Lamb
for this dinner in Paris to reinforce its appeal and its story, as
well as the opportunity to link Scotch lamb
with brand Scotland through
Lamb for St Andrew’s Day.”
QMS
has also facilitated
lamb being served in the Scottish Parliament
for all members and staff on 30 November, where
IAAS and QMS will also be on hand to
discuss with our decision
makers the importance of the Lamb for St Andrews Day initiative and Scotch lamb to the wider
Scottish economy. The National Sheep Association is completing
the celebrations with
a St Andrew’s Dinner in Lauder, sponsored by QMS.
Rural Affairs
Secretary Mairi Gougeon said:
“I am pleased to be involved in this year’s Lamb for St Andrew’
Day campaign.
“This year, Scotch Lamb will be on the plates of decision-makers
from Paris to Dubai. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the very best
that our sheep producers have to offer.
“The high quality of Scottish lamb give it mass appeal to
customers and I know that this year’s campaign will help to enhance this
message across the globe.”