Pick the perfect roast for a family gathering
With Easter only days away, you may well be planning a roast dinner with family or friends to make the most of the long weekend, writes Clive Brown from EBLEX, the organisation for the English beef and lamb industry.
The traditional roast is regularly voted the most popular meal, but with such a wide choice of roasting joints available from a range of supermarkets, butchers and farm shops, how do you know what to choose?
Looking for the logo of an assurance scheme such as the EBLEX Quality Standard Mark for beef and lamb certainly isn't a bad place to start. Consumers are increasingly interested in knowing where their food comes from and how it has been produced, and schemes such as the QSM offer this reassurance.
EBLEX established the QSM scheme in 2004, responding to a demand from the English beef and lamb industry to be able to differentiate their products in the market. Over the last 11 years it has grown in popularity. It has been embraced by most of the country's leading supermarkets and over 2,100 independent retailers, plus major processors, manufacturers and many food service groups.
The scheme is committed to maintaining rigorous quality standards right along the supply chain in terms of food safety, animal welfare and care for the environment. However, what sets it apart from some other schemes is that it also looks at eating quality.
In order to stay up to date, EBLEX continually works with stakeholders to enhance the reach of the scheme, monitoring market developments and undertaking promotional activity. A recent development, to mark the scheme's 10th anniversary last year, saw Michelin-starred chef Nigel Haworth take part in a video highlighting the advantages the scheme delivers.
The QSM scheme also seeks to celebrate those whose commitment to high quality beef and lamb has led to a stand-out product. That's why EBLEX has launched the Quality Standard Mark Excellence Awards to recognise and reward quality and innovation in beef and lamb production. The awards ceremony takes place later this month and we'll be looking forward to congratulating some worth winners.
If you'd like to find out more about the EBLEX Quality Standard Mark, you can watch the video online at www.youtube.com/eblextrade. And why not look out for the QSM logo when you're choosing a joint for your Easter roast?
