Shropshire Star

Pull the udder one - Shoppers' confidence boosted by event to promote British beef

Daisy the cow delighted youngsters at a traditional market day held in the centre of Shrewsbury.

Published
Cow do you do . . . two-year-old Ewan Phillips, from Lea Cross, comes face to face with a (dummy) cow in Shrewsbury Square

The Shropshire branch of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution hosted the event in The Square to promote British beef.

As well as Daisy the milking cow, shoppers were also given the chance to ride on tractors and encouraged to buy local beef products from a number of stalls.

It was all to raise funds for the farming charity.

Saturday's event coincided with the end of Great British Beef Week, which was set up three years ago by a group of female beef farmers, including Minette Batters, from Wiltshire, and Jilly Greed, from Devon.

The group has built up a large following including Shropshire farmer and 'Ladies in Beef' member, Helen Cork.

This year's campaign aimed to restore confidence in the quality, traceability and health benefits of British beef – following the horsemeat scandal. Helen said: "Great British Beef Week couldn't have come at a better time.

"Consumer confidence has been shaken recently, but we hope shoppers will realise that the best way to ensure that the beef they buy is born, raised, processed and packed in Britain to the highest quality standards is to look for the Red Tractor logo on the label. We must support British farmers and our local butchers."

For more information see www.ladiesinbeef.org.uk and www.rabi.org.uk

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